Hillary Clinton's camp launched a new 30-second PA TV spot 4/20, "Answer," in response to Barack Obama's attack ad, "Afford," which was unveiled 4/19 and criticized her health care plan. Also yesterday, Obama's camp launched a 30-second response ad, "Exactly," in response to this HRC ad (releases).
Clinton and Obama are marking the final 24 hours before the PA primary "by unleashing the heaviest barrage of negative advertising" in the Dem contest "to date." They're attacking "each other regarding tactics as well as their records on health care and ties to" DC lobbyists.
The Obama camp "is running a spot criticizing the insurance mandate in" Clinton's health care plan, while a Clinton camp ad "questions" Obama's claim "that he does not take money from lobbyists and" PACs.
The campaign's tone "may well deepen fears among" some Dem leaders "that the protracted primary fight is doing more harm than good to the party's chances of winning the" WH in 11/08 (Gerstein, New York Sun, 4/21).
Fire Away
An organization "of Clinton supporters" called the American Leadership Project has taken "advantage of a seam in election law to raise money in large amounts for advertising that in this case mentions candidates by name, but doesn't expressly advocate a vote." The group has spent $428K in PA airing ads in recent days that "attacked Obama's health-care plan and praised Clinton." Obama "then responded with an ad attacking Clinton's plan, which the Clinton campaign responded to with another ad attacking Obama's plan" (Davies, Philadelphia Daily News, 4/21).
War of Words
At a rally in Johnstown, PA, 4/20, "Clinton jumped on a comment that Obama made earlier in Reading," PA, that John McCain "would be better than President Bush." Speaking to a crowd in a high school, Clinton said: "We need a nominee that will take on John McCain, not cheer on John McCain." Clinton also said "McCain would continue Bush's 'disastrous' fiscal and Iraq policies." Obama had said that "McCain would be an improvement over the president" but he "also said that either" Dem "would be better than McCain" and predicted Dems would unite "because we cannot afford another George Bush, and that's what McCain offers."
Meanwhile on 4/20, Clinton "accused Obama of being 'so negative' in his campaign tactics and of echoing" GOPers in his "televised take-down of her universal health-care proposal." Clinton: "He has sent mailers, he has run ads, misrepresenting what I have proposed. I really regret that because the last thing we need is to have somebody spending as much money he has downgrading universal health care. We need to achieve universal health care -- not create political opposition to universal health care. That's what the Republicans do."
Obama will have spent "more than" $9M on TV before the polls open 4/22, to Clintons' $3M (Fitzgerald/Infield, Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/21).
Speaking in York, PA, 4/19, Clinton kept attacking Obama for criticizing her health plan. Clinton: "I just heard that my opponent has put up an ad attacking my health care plan, which is kind of curious because my plan covers everybody and his leaves out 15 million people -- just leaves them out in the cold." More: "Now, instead of attacking the problem, he chooses to attack my solution" (Pallasch, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/20).
Say Anything
In Reading 4/20, Obama "said Clinton represents the 'say anything, do anything, special-interest politics of Washington." More Obama: "I disagree with Senator Clinton that lobbyists are part of the system. I think they are part of the problem" (Earle/Jones, New York Post, 4/21).
More Obama from Reading, PA: "There have been times when you know if you get elbowed enough, eventually you start elbowing back" (Lawrence/Kiely, USA Today, 4/21).
More Obama, from the a crowd at the Wynnewood train station, in PA 4/19: Clinton has "taken different positions at different times on issues as fundamental as trade, or event the war, to suit the politics of the moment." Obama continued: "When she gets caught at it, the notion is, well, you know what, that's just politics, that's how it works in Washington." Obama said that Clinton's just soaked in "slash-and-burn, say-anything, do-anything, special-interest-driven politics. Sen. Clinton has internalized a lot of the strategies, the tactics, that have made Washington such a miserable place" (McAuliff, New York Daily News, 4/20).
Flying The Flag
On his way from Harrisburg to Reading, PA, Obama "stopped at the Heidelberg Family Restaurant," where GOPer Margaret Miller told Obama: "I'm going to ask you why you didn't salute the flag." Obama aid "That isn't true," adding that an "e-mail that's been going around" featuring him at an event hosted by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) "is inaccurate when it claims he was disrespecting the Stars and Stripes." More Obama: "What happened was, we were singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner' and the flag wasn't in front of me, the flag was behind me." After he finished, Miller said: "I had to ask" (Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/21).
Bitter Sweet
Speaking in Reading, PA, 4/20, Obama said "he could do a better job" than Clinton at "bringing jobs back to this hard-hit economy." The Hershey company announced earlier in '08 that "it will close the peppermint patties plant and move the jobs to Mexico." Obama: "Two hundred and sixty-eight workers are scheduled to lose their jobs when the local Hershey's plant transfers that down to Mexico later this week" (Pallasch, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/21).
What-Ever
While campaigning in Johnstown, PA, with Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) and Rep. John Murtha (D-PA 12), Clinton "accused Obama of misleading voters." Clinton: "I'm sure you've all seen my opponent's ad, he's run it about a billion times, where he says, 'I don't take money from oil companies.'" She added "scornfully:" "Well, whatever. Nobody takes money from oil companies. It's against the law to take money from oil companies. It's been against the law for 100 years to take money from oil companies" (USA Today, 4/21).
On the stump in PA 4/19, Clinton "hit" Obama with a "thinly veiled barb" about his speeches. Clinton: "I know we're in the last days of this campaign. ... I didn't just want to show up and give one of those whoop-de-doo speeches. I want everyone to think about what we have to do on Tuesday" (Drobnyk/Micek, Allentown Morning Call, 4/20).
The Overall Picture
Speaking in Bethlehem, PA, 4/20, Clinton "reminded voters about" the Philly Dem debate, in which Obama "was repeatedly on the defensive about recent gaffes and incendiary remarks made by his" ex-pastor. Clinton: "It's no wonder my opponent has been so negative these last few days of his campaign, because I think you saw the differences between us."
In the final days before the PA primary, Clinton "has concentrated on the state's working-class industrial regions where she hoped to drive up her support among older, blue-collar voters who are concerned broadly about their economic condition and national security." Her "chief message" has been "that she is tough enough to be commander in chief and to take on" McCain and that Obama "is not."
Meanwhile, Obama's camp is getting high marks. Obama supporter/Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) on the state of the race: "He's made progress. That doesn't mean that progress is enough to win the primary here." Obama has also been "bolstered" by the SEIU, which is spending "nearly" $1M "for a door-to-door canvassing operation." Dem strategist Larry Ceisler, on Obama's camp: "From what I've seen in terms of organization and coordination, the Obama people have run a better campaing" (Zeleny/Seelye, New York Times, 4/21).
Nah, Nah, Na Boo-Boo
The Dems "sparred" over a "less weighty question" 4/18: "Who is the bigger whiner?" Clinton "made her pitch" in Radnor, PA, "winning cheers from a mostly teenage audience as she castigated" Obama "as a class wimp." Clinton: "Did you see the debate the other night?" More: "I know that some of my opponent's supporters, and my opponent, are kind of complaining about the hard questions." Clinton continued: "Having been in the White House for eight years, and seen what happens in terms of the pressures and stresses on a president, that was nothing. I'm with Harry Truman on this: If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Speaking for myself, I've very comfortable in the kitchen."
The Obama camp "shot back" that it was "blatant hypocrisy for Clinton to call Obama less than tough when she has frequently cast herself as the victim of heavier scrutiny." Speaking to reporters 4/18, Obama said: "You tell me who's been complaining about the press for the last six months. You tell me" (Milligan, Boston Globe, 4/19).
Candidates, Guns And Money
Imagine: Six shooter revolvers, World War II-era rifles, plastic automatics, AK-47s, knives as long as your forearm, Nazi memorabilia, sniper scopes, hunting shotguns, bullets, shells and stickers. To gun show vendors, "the scene is as American as a baseball game." But here, "political issues ... are never far away." Mention Clinton or Obama "to them and they shake their heads, their eyes narrowing with mistrust." Guns are "unusually important" in PA, "which leads the nation" in NRA membership and "is home to almost" 1M licensed hunters. As the 4/22 primary approaches, Clinton and Obama "increasingly have cast themselves as sworn defenders of the Second Amendment." But the "record of Clinton and Obama on gun issues makes their rhetoric harder to swallow" (Oliphant, Chicago Tribune's "The Swamp," 4/18).
The Birth Of Coal
Meanwhile, Obama and Clinton "are walking a delicate line as they promise to aggressively tackle global warming while courting voters in coal states." In PA, WV, KY, IN and MT "coal sways voters." Obama and Clinton "have promised to develop windmills, solar power and other renewable energy sources and order mandatory reductions in greenhouse gases from power plants." It's an energy policy "that would seem to target coal, which produces half the country's electricity but also" nearly 2B tons of carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas, each year. Both "have endorsed Senate legislation that would cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70 percent by midcentury through mandatory pollution limits on power plants, transportation and industry." But neither "has embraced the call by Al Gore for a moratorium on new coal-burning power plants until carbon capture can be commercially developed" (Hebert, AP, 4/19).
Well, It Wasn't Calzaghe Versus Hopkins
Obama strategist David Axelrod and Clinton strategist Geoff Garin appeared together on "Meet the Press" 4/20.
Garin, asked if Clinton will stay in this race through all the primaries in June?: "There's not a reason not to, but, look, I think that will be dictated by, by events. Her commitment now is to let the process play through, to let voters vote."
Garin, on superdelegates: "This is not about a back room deal. ... In the clear light of day, both candidates, I think, will make a case to them about why they're the best choice for the party and for the country. But the reality is is that neither candidate will have enough pledged delegates when the last votes are cast on June 3rd, and we will go from there. ... There is no need to make a rush to judgment here."
Axelrod, in response: "I agree with Geoff that there has been something very positive about this contest. We've brought more Democrats out than at anytime in recent memory. There's great enthusiasm within the party, but to say that we shouldn't have a rush to judgment, I mean, we've been at this for 15 months. We've been through, you know, 40-some-odd primaries. Now, look, I don't believe that anyone should tell Senator Clinton to get out of the race. She has to make that decision, and as long as she feels she has a reasonable chance to win the nomination, you know, I understand her continuing. ... But if the strategy ultimately becomes, 'We can't win the delegate count, we really can't win the nomination on the legit, so we're going to apply the kitchen sink strategy and tear down Senator Obama and see if we can destroy him in order to advance our own candidacy,' that is damaging. That is bad for the party."
Garin, on DNC Chair Howard Dean saying superdelegates who are undecided should make their decision by early June: "I would advise people to wait until June 3rd when this process is played through, see how close it is, how well the candidates are doing, how they're conducting themselves."
Axelrod, on trade issues: "Your predecessor, Mark Penn, is not here tonight because he angled on down to the Columbian Embassy at the time that Senator Clinton said that she was opposed to that treaty to plot strategy with him about how to pass that treaty. Her chief strategist. Doesn't that cause some concern for people? I think it does."
Garin: "Well, A, as you note, he's not here today. And second, is that the co-chair of your campaign writes editorials in favor of the Columbia free trade agreement. ... Nobody would say that Barack Obama is going to take a position different from the one he believes in because the co-chair of his campaign feels that way. Nobody says that Tom Daschle shouldn't be the co-chair any longer."
Axelrod: "So why did Penn leave? If there's nothing wrong with it, why did Penn leave?"
Garin: "I think that he made an error in judgment."
Axelrod: "Well, what was the error, if there's no problem with it?"
Garin: "The error was that he ought to be very focused on Senator Clinton's business. ... But look, we don't make an issue about Senator Daschle, the co-chair of your campaign, advocating this treaty because we believe that Senator Obama has the integrity to do what he thinks is right. It would be nice if you felt the same way about Senator Clinton. I recognize you don't."
Axelrod: "I'm not questioning her integrity. I'm questioning her forthrightness on this particular issue because she has a long record of doing, of saying one thing and doing another. And that, I think, is a concern."
Garin, on Clinton taking on MoveOn during a closed fundraiser: "We agree with MoveOn on lots of issues, disagree with them on some. ... They’ve endorsed Senator Obama, and they have been very effective in these caucuses."
Garin, asked how MoveOn or liberal activists intimidate Clinton voters: "I'm here for two weeks now, so this comment was made in, I believe, at the beginning of March. But, look, the truth is Senator Clinton, as she said in that other clip, respects the, the right of MoveOn to be involved in this process and respects the role that activists in our party. I think the larger point is that when you move from the caucuses to the primaries, where participation is much, much greater, she has done extremely well. ... We're not looking to pick a fight with MoveOn. They play an important role in the Democratic Party. I think she was making an observation about the caucus process."
Axelrod, asked if he wants to go all the way to the convo with this battle: "I'm not looking to go all the way to the convention, but I don't think we will. I think this will be settled long before the convention" (NBC, 4/20).
Mike and Karl Offer Their Thoughts
Karl Rove, on who he thinks is the stronger Dem candidate: "[Clinton] is a more durable candidate who's better known and tougher to move. On the other hand, Obama is the untested candidate and can either perform extremely well as he did in Iowa, or extremely badly as he did in the debate last week. I would have to say that I think that on points, I'd give it to Clinton, but not by much" ("Fox News Sunday," 4/20).
Mike Huckabee, on which Dem he thinks is more beatable in the general election: "That's gone back and forth. There was a time when everybody really wanted Hillary, [because] they thought the polarization would be stronger. But I'm not sure that's the case anymore. There have been some recent things with Obama, that cumulatively can really hurt Obama in the fall. I think honestly Senator McCain is in a strong position, and frankly, in the strongest position against either" ("Fox & Friends," FNC, 4/21).
So, Before The Convention?
Rendell and Obama supporter/Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) appeared together on "Face the Nation" 4/20, where they were both asked if the Dems will know who their candidate is by the convo.
Casey: "Yes, I think we will. And I think we must do that. I think we've got to come together a lot longer -- I should say a lot earlier than the convention week."
Rendell: "Well, that would be a preferable result. But it really depends on what happens in the next nine states. You can't answer that question without knowing the results. There is a chance that it could be over before the convention, but there's a chance it could go to the convention. ... There's a chance that Senator Clinton will capture the overall popular vote by the end of the voting, particularly if you count, as you should, the votes in Florida" (CBS, 4/20).
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