Is Hillary Clinton Really Going After Obama?
If this Insight story below is true, and this is the line Hillary Clinton’s associates plan to press, then she’s going to lose a LOT of support.
And perhaps that is the intent. You get a bad smell from this story. Like it’s being put out by someone hiding under the name “sources” to slime Obama and Hillary Clinton. To wit:
Are the American people ready for an elected president who was educated in a Madrassa as a young boy and has not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage?This is the question Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s camp is asking about Sen. Barack Obama.
Whether you like Ms. Clinton or Obama or not, you need to ask yourself if we have a confirmed report this is going on. Or is this a way to get negative images out there about BOTH Hillary Clinton and Obama?
How do you do that? You throw out a controversy (which does not exist elsewhere else) to a reporter as a now-it-can-be-told scoop. The subject of “the big scoop” are then put on the spot to answer it. Their spokespeople are so stunned by being asked about something like this out of the blue that they don’t answer immediately — so they were not available for comment. Which makes them look bad. None of this is blaming the reporter, by the way. This smells like a source using a reporter to raise the negatives of political foes. MORE:
An investigation of Mr. Obama by political opponents within the Democratic Party has discovered that Mr. Obama was raised as a Muslim by his stepfather in Indonesia. Sources close to the background check, which has not yet been released, said Mr. Obama, 45, spent at least four years in a so-called Madrassa, or Muslim seminary, in Indonesia.
So Insight Magazine, the magazine associated with The Washington Times, has inside, stellar Democratic sources?
“He was a Muslim, but he concealed it,” the source said. “His opponents within the Democrats hope this will become a major issue in the campaign.”
Note the wording.
This source sounds like it is not a Democratic source. Then who? Was this info really uncovered (if it was uncovered at all) by Democrats? If it IS true –unconfirmed except for what this story says, at this point — did some other group find it out? If so, what group?
When contacted by Insight, Mr. Obama’s press secretary said he would consult with “his boss� and call back. He did not.
See our comments above.
Sources said the background check, conducted by researchers connected to Senator Clinton, disclosed details of Mr. Obama’s Muslim past. The sources said the Clinton camp concluded the Illinois Democrat concealed his prior Muslim faith and education.
Now the Clinton camp will be thrust into denying a report like this — which will push it into a hot topic on conservative talk radio, and on SOME conservative blogs (see below since not everyone is biting the bait).
This article makes Obama and Hillary Clinton look bad. Implication about Hillary: her team is ruthless and is going after Obama for his (alleged) background. Implication about Obama: he’s concealing his Muslim background (if it indeed exists). Fill in the blanks (or let Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and others do it for you later on, maybe next week if the story gets any traction).
Could this story be sourced by people who may have a vested political interest in demonizing Ms. Clinton? Just because it’s in a publication or on a website (unless it’s in The Moderate Voice, of course) doesn’t mean you should believe it’s true or sourced by sources that are reporting, rather than trying to create negative journalist narratives to slime perceived political foes.
The AP has already said Obama’s past is being vetted but it has not yet picked up this strand.
This could be a way to start to cut Ms. Clinton down to size by turning potential parts of her voting constituency against her before she even officially announces. And, at the same time, make Obama damaged goods. So two possibilities: (1) the report is a sign of the rough campaign she faces because a move is already underway to redefine her and turn parts of the Democratic constituency against her (and perhaps reporters who have been fascinated by Obama), or, (2) it is based on real information and shows Ms. Clinton’s team plans to get rough.
If it turns out the report is false, it will be another case of how the press is sometimes used by political operatives who know how to hijack it and turn it into a freebie political guided missile to destroy potentially issue-oriented political campaigns.
Meanwhile, don’t think that everyone is believes it’s true. Hot Air’s Allapundit writes:
After the beatings Dennis Prager and Virgil Goode took over Keith Ellison, Hillary’s suddenly going to turn around and accuse the golden boy of being a Manchurian candidate? I don’t buy it. It’s too soon, too nasty, and too clumsy, and her people would be keeping this kind of oppo research a much better secret if it were true.I’m calling bullshinola.
And Allapundit says it more concisely than we do:
No, the idea is to show he’s a Muslim. It’s like when lawyers try to get damning hearsay admitted into evidence. They claim they’re offering the statement as proof of something other than the truth of the matter asserted (e.g., that the witness has made contradictory statements), but they’re really not. They want the jury to hear it and consider it on its own merits.
And even more:
Assuming it’s not true, what’s the source’s motive here? If it’s someone sympathetic to Obama who’s trying to make Hillary look bad, wouldn’t/couldn’t they have concocted a smear that didn’t involve Obama being linked to Wahhabism?
NOTE FROM THIS INDEPENDENT VOTER: Whomever uses these kinds of tactics loses
-
this
voter’s vote. If anything, it means yours truly will listen and consider ever more carefully whatever Ms. Clinton and Obama suggest. Why? Because someone clearly considers them a threat and is out to get and apparently smear them.
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39 Responses to “Is Hillary Clinton Really Going After Obama?”
Come to think of it, has anyone ever seen Senator Obama and Osama Bin Laden in the same room? Seems like whenever one is around the other is no where to be seen…….
The Insight article is a hachet piece. I didn’t see a byline or any named sources. Insight should be ashamed. If Obama was educated in Indonesia there is a good chance that his education was at a madrassa. By inference, does this make him a fanatical Islamist? Imagine the outrage if ‘someone’ inferred Senator Levin of radical Orthodox Jewish views if his grandson attended Akiva Hebrew Day School.
My nose says this is a wrong’un. It didn’t come from Clinton’s camp and it didn’t come from Obama’s. It reads exactly like what is being sad about Obama by Republicans in recent days.
Kudos to Hot Air for calling this story the BS is appears to be. Shame on Insight. I’m becoming a Wi…….
This just reeks of Lee Atwater style dirty tricks, especially being an unattributed quote in an unattributed article. Jeez.
And Joe, ever the gentleman, didn’t even quote some of the article’s most outrageous claims, to wit:
All this innuendo might, of course, if you’re evil, be inferred from Obama’s own writings. So, apart from the shocking revelation that Clinton is doing (gasp!) oppo research, none of this requires any insider status, just a willingness to slime.
I feel like I need a shower after reading the thing.
This is not Clinton’s style. I’ve had my suspicions on some stuff that seems more like clinton. No fingerprints. She is not going to have anyone who even thinks of talking. no. It is designed to look like an attack on Obama by the right and cannot be traced to her. I have heard this before.
This story is way too heavy handed and obvious. That is more the gop style. They don’t do subtle well. They are famous for laying it on thick and making it obvious.
I am no fan of clinton and am a supporter of Obama and would delight in this if it were true but, it is not. She has more style and is more sneaky and more innuendo and and it’s not obvious. It usually looks like an innocent news story. She works through the msm alot.
This is a gop job.
Yup. No named sources, no direct attribution: it’s a smear job on both Clinton and Obama.
I’m not surprised to see RW blogs making much of it, but I doubt anyone outside that fetid echo chamber will take the story seriously. And I think Clinton’s way too smart to go anywhere near it.
GOP planted smear, for sure. Obama left Indonesia at age 10, and also attended a Catholic school while there, so just how much time did he spend as a youngster at a school with Muslims? The article states he was ‘raised’ and ‘educated’ as a Muslim which statement is obvious hogwash.
You know if you put a long beard on Obama and hand him an ak-47……………………….
A story like this is a House of Mirrors. Democrats will see the fine Italian hand of Karl Rove and Republicans catch reflections of the Clinton War Room. Without further facts, you can cui bono this one until the cows come home.
Who cares? Let’s have some specifics from Senators Clinton and Obama on their plans for confronting Islamic terrorism.
These are legitimate questions. He has thrown his hat in the PRESIDENTIAL ring. He should be ready for these questions and if he can pass muster then he can pass muster. If he cant then he should never have put his hat in the ring.
It happens to everyone who throws their hat in the ring. The wolves show up in force and are mighty hungry.
As for Republican smear? I would suggest its more then likely to come from the Democrats at this time for the very reason that those who would be KING most certainly will DO anything to make it so NUMBER ONE.
Dare I say it. A Democrat for KING. Sounds about right to me. They all have egos that no kingdom could ever soothe. Reminds me of the King who looked over his Kingdom and wept because he had no more lands to conquer.
Electing a muslim to be president of the USA today would be like electing a Japanese to be president in 1944. Dont think so. We have not come that far.
guess what…he is a closet smoker too
the right fears obama because he is the real thing
that scares the bejeezus out of them
Absolutely fascinating how you decide this is some conservative dirty trick based on absolutely ZERO evidence. That’s pretty impressive. If it’s bad, the conservatives did it, I guess. Surely no Democrats would ever use race or religion to tar any political candidates, or destroy each other in fratricidal infighting.
Meanwhile, why on earth are you “not blaming” the reporter? Reporters know full well when they’re being used for dirty tricks. The reporter and the editor and the publisher are the ones who decided to publish this, knowing who their source was. If it’s a cheap shot, it’s the reporter who decided to fire it, whether someone else handed him the bullet or not.
Oh, to hell with obama. I’m sick of this guy already. What makes him above criticism? Hillary should go after him the way candidates always go after their opponents. This guy has been deemed untouchable by the media and the Democratic base. No, obama is not the real thing, he’s a manipulative fraud. Why is it that Hillary could be subjected to the most vicious attacks, but obama is off limits? Because the media and liberals have decided so? Because he is a minority? Because they have anointed him?
“Whoever uses these kinds of tactics loses this voter’s vote.”
Well, the Insight Mag. isn’t going to be a candidate, so I guess this means you won’t vote for a candidate they endorse.
“Why is it that Hillary could be subjected to the most vicious attacks, but obama is off limits?”
It’s the right that is attacking hillary, not Obama. Don’t confuse things.
Seems rather fishy to me. Someone is being disgusting, what’s up for debate is where it’s coming from. Still, it seems a little strange that Obama, having already writen books about his life that reveal some uncomfortable facts, would entirely fail to mention a Muslim education. Has anyone read the book that can tell me how much detail the description of his life in Indonesia is? I’m not implying that he purposfully ommited it, just saying that the fact that he’s been so straightforward with other details of his life casts doubt on the claim.
Politics as usual. And y’all find this fascinating? Yawn.
The story is interesting as a smear. Clinton, for raising the question of Obamas religion, and Obama are both hit in one swipe. That strikes me as a GOP plant in that respect. The best thing Clinton and Obama can do is challenge Insight to produce the source, if Insight will not come forward with the source they can then make the claim of a GOP dirty trick, and turn this against the Republicans at a time when partisan crap like this does not go over very well, at least with the independents.
Here we have proof of why these tactics keep getting used, despicable as they are. They work. Even something as doubtful as this. Upinsmoke, you have decided that Obama is a closet muslim because an unnnamed source has said that he attended a Muslim school while he was a young child? Or that the probability is high? Based on what? The source doesn’t even say he IS a Muslim even if he spent a few years in a Muslim school, though that’s obviously the insinuation which you’ve happily swallowed. I don’t know where it’s come from, I don’t think that Hillary would be above it. She could easily have it done and then act outraged that some “right-winger” had tried to frame her that way, convienently libeling Obama in the proccess.
Yeah, very reasoned and moderate, your view, not tilted at all.
Laura…well…I understand. The very word Muslim makes you go (more) crazy as is, you probably have hated Obama since you learned his middle name was Hussein. Opposing Obama is not off limits, using underhanded tactics should be. Not that I’m surprised that it happened. McCain seems to have forgotten the phone campaign in the primary against Bush where people were told that McCain had a “black baby” (they, in fact, have an adopted child from Bangladesh).
Good lord, what a load of crap.
Even though I would love to support Obama because I’m hungry for a candidate I can believe in, I’m fine with people coming up with meaningful questions and criticisms of his policies and politics. All the better to see 1) what he truly thinks and believes, and 2) how he will handle the stress of being in the most prominent political position in the world.
However, this kind of “journalism” is what’s giving journalists a bad name. It’s being driven by PR forces that hide behind “unnamed sources.” This smacks of a slam job meant to put both of the most prominent Dems in a negative light.
Joe,
If your trying to say that your distaste for smear tactics leads you to ignore them and concentrate more on the substance of each politician involved, I think that’s a respectable position. But you seem to either contradict yourself or reveal your bias when you say that on the one hand, whoever did this has lost your vote but on the other hand, this makes you more determined to listen carefully to whatever Hillary says. Haven’t you thus formed a judgement that the GOP instigated this story, when it could very well have been Hillary’s camp that did it? Personally I don’t know either way and I wouldn’t put it past either side. And I agree on the part about rejecting dirty tricks. But isn’t it rather convenient for Clinton if folks like you are more likely to assume that the GOP was behind this? Conventional wisdom is that she can’t go after Obama because he’s black and he’s well-liked. She can’t bring up the Muslim issue because it’ll backfire against her. But she can certainly stir up things that will be picked up by the shrill elements of the right wing, and (ironically and diabolically) the vast right wing conspiracy is suddenly carrying water for Hillary.
Cripes, it’s going to be a long two years.
Not like Clinton? Pfui. Where have you been for the last 15 years?
It’s pure Clinton. Note the additional touch: plausible deniability. Nothing direct. Nothing attributable to specific close associates or Mr. or Ms. Clinton personally. But the story’s out there nonetheless.
Politics ain’t beanbag. You ain’t seen nothing yet.
And if it’s true that Sen. Obama spent 4 years being educated in a Madrassa and hasn’t bothered to tell us, that’s very relevant. We are engaged in a great struggle right now, primarily against adherents to a variety of extremist views of the Muslim faith. There is widespread conflict among Muslims right now over the future of their faith, and whether the violent extremists (and their very numerous supporters and sympathizers) will prevail over the peaceful, non-violent view of the faith. We are in the beginnings of significant cultural conflicts in this country, squabbling over whether cabbies will carry fares who have alcohol in their belongings, whether women can have their drivers license photos taken with their faces completely covered by a veil, etc., etc., etc. If a presidential candidate does or has ever adhered to this religion, or was raised in a way which might have influenced his position on the role of women in society, the rights of homosexual people, or other crucial issues, then I want to know about it, and I want him to address these issues clearly and specifically.
PatMHV,
My understanding is that Obama did mention this schooling briefly in his book. I think it was a short passage that explained that he attended a Catholic school for a time and a Muslim school for a time, but in both cases his parents were concerned about the academics of the schools, not the religious teachings.
So at least from what I know right now, the whole idea that this is some significant Muslim tie is a non-starter, as is that idea that he was hiding anything. I agree in part that practicing Islam is a legitimate political issue right now (though it certainly shouldn’t disqualify a candidate, just as practice of any other faith shouldn’t do so.) But I really don’t think there’s any substance to this particular story.
CStanley… I agree on all points. I haven’t read his book yet, and I have no idea whether the story is true or not. I just wanted to make the point that such things are in fact relevant to the debate over a candidate. As you say, being a Muslim should not disqualify a person from being President, but that’s very different from saying that no questions about such a religious background should be asked, or that’s it’s not a legitimate factor for a voter to consider.
the whole idea that this is some significant Muslim tie is a non-starter
Applause! We’re talking about a child in the single-digit age range, who by the age of 10 was living with his (white Kansas Protestant Christian) grandparents and attending an elite Protestant Christian prep school in Hawaii. I don’t care for Obama’s politics at all, but this is getting totally ridiculous, and I’ve said so before, as have many others on the right. His middle name is Hussein? So bleepin’ what? He didn’t pick the name, he’s named after his (agnostic) father Barack Obama and his g’father Hussein Obama. He went to first grade in a Muslim school while living somewhere (Indonesia) where there are only so many schools on ANY kind? So bleepin’ what? What next, digging out the maids to find out when he was potty-trained? GMAFB.
In leaks like this you have to consider the “target audience” and the cost-effectiveness, ’cause you’re not very likely to ever find the source, and if you do you’re still unlikely to get the real story of the thought it. A few obvious points: At this point in the election cycle, the motivation for smearing candidates lies overwhelmingly with their own internal party opposition. The idea being to cut off some of the “oxygen supply” to your PRIMARY SAME-PARTY opponent, to keep them from sucking the tank dry before you get there. As a smear against Obama it’s a pretty weak one–the only people it resonates with are folks who wouldn’t vote for him anyway. As a smear against Hillary it’s likewise weak. A pro “fixer” from across the aisle wouldn’t bother with this stuff as a direct smear against either Hillary or Obama–the cost-effectiveness is near nil and the timing is all wrong. It’s something you poke a candidate with when the primaries start, not more than a year out. ["I don't want to call him a pig******, I want to make him deny it." --LBJ, apocryphal]
I can come up with a half dozen plausible scenarios for the leakage, including self-infliction for the victimhood pity play, but there’s simply no real evidence to go on. But strictly from the “dirty tricks” logistics standpoint, the likeliest scenario is infighting and base maneuvering.
PatHMV:
This I agree with entirely. The report’s name is on this story, he went out and got it and then submitted it to an editor. It is what it is and his name is on it and his reputation with it.
Does anyone have any idea who wrote the piece. The article is without a byline. What would happen at TMV if a posting attacking Pelosi or McConnel appeared without a byline?
On references to education in Obama’s books, kos has the quotes:
As I mentioned in Comment #5, the article doesn’t require any inside information from a purported Clinton oppo report, just a willingness to draw the slimiest possible conclusions from Obama’s published works.
Lynx my political persuasion is that:
ALL POLITICIANS have egos a mile wide and they ALL love the Adulation and Adoration that comes with the job.
ALL politicians that run for PRESIDENT have MASSIVE EGOS and With the Advent of Crowning Bush “KING or EMPEROR” by the left I thought the remark was rather fitting. Sorry I offended your KING in waiting sensibilities.
As for my comment on Electing a Muslim to be president……….you must read my entire post, not hand pick one sentence and beat it with a stick.
THE ENTIRE POINT OF MY POST WAS:
He should be ready for these questions. IF he can pass muster he can pass muster. IF he cant……he cant. Then I pointed out this country is not ready to elect a muslim to the white house.
I DID NOT ANYWHERE ACCUSE him of being one. My post was about being prepared for these accustions.
Were talking about a child. This is in fact the most formative and molding years of ones life. A child is ripe for the picking and just tender enough to be persuaded to believe this that or the other based upon the teachings of the teacher.
Were talking about a child is why we are talking about this at all. If he in fact did attend a Muslim school then he most certainly was affected with some degrees of Muslim thought.
Now that does not mean I believe he is a Muslim, nor do I believe that being a Muslim is a bad thing at all. 98 percent of all Muslims are good and honorable people. Just as is 98 percent of all Christians and Jews and nearly any other religious group you want to include.
As long as Obama is not in that 2 percent group then we have nothing to fear……
So until those questions are answered (and they WILL be answered)………he has NO chance of ascending to the Throne.
You need to stop getting so excited about nothing. How many of YOU have attended religous or spiritual schools? Why is it so important for you to know about Sen. Obama’s attendence at a Madrasa? As if all the Madrasahs on this earth are the same? What does that have to do with the issues that are important to this country ? Nothing. You are so scared of anytthing Muslim, that it’s blinding you to reality.
Now I want to ask you, why does Senator Clinton talk about Congressional people behind their back ? Why does Senator Clinton talk about people like Cynthia McKinney behind her back? You mean she doesn’t have the courage to talk to people to their face? I wonder who is worse? A person who attends a religous school as a child ? Or a woman who likes to attack people behind their back trying to be a President ?
Dont make outrageous comments, if you do not have an understanding. Can I link you to Timothy McVeigh, and then say there is something suspicous because you share the same faith ?
Ather Masood.
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