Clinton And Obama Campaigns Accuse Each Other Of “Borrowing” Rhetoric

The radio talk shows are starting to focus on it. The blogs — some of them increasingly and openly identified with one camp or another and morphing into virtual campaign websites — are starting to screech about it. But the bottom line now is: the Clinton and Obama campaigns are now accusing each other of borrowing campaign rhetoric.

It isn’t that there aren’t any substantive issues to talk about in this campaign. It’s just that the stakes have been raised in a nail-bitingly close contest so when the Clinton camp raised the issue, the Obama camp then decided it would, too. And it’s an accusation that has sunk campaigns before: charges of plagiarism sunk Senator Joe Biden’s 1987 campaign.

But it’s clear that the issue was raised here due the closeness of the campaign — to try and raise negatives so now there are allegations flying on each side:

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s campaigns each accused the other of plagiarizing portions of their campaign speeches Monday, with the Clinton campaign accusing Obama of borrowing from a close supporter — and the Illinois senator’s campaign accusing his rival of lifting from Obama himself.

On a conference call with reporters, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said it was clear Obama had “lifted rhetoric” from Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Portions of Patrick’s speeches during his gubernatorial run resemble some of Obama’s addresses this year.

“If you’re going to be talking about the value of words, the words ought to be your own,” said Wolfson.

The implication is that this would negate most of Obama’s rhetoric. You can just ANTICIPATE the zinger being prepared for Hillary Clinton to deliver at the next debate Thursday night. And Obama’s response zinger. This debate is not likely to be a polite love-fest with a hug at the end.

In a statement this morning, Patrick said the two men often shared ideas and language with each other.

That might be normally enough to defuse the issue — but this isn’t a normal election year.

As Wolfson spoke, the Obama campaign hosted a competing conference call, during which campaign manager David Plouffe said Clinton was “denigrating the power of words.”

The Obama camp also said Clinton had a pattern of borrowing some of the Illinois senator’s signature phrases, including “Yes, We Can” and “Fired Up, Ready to Go.”

They also circulated a YouTube video and list of these alleged instances to reporters still listening to Wolfson.

“…We have seen thousands and thousands of Iowans over the last week and we are fired up and we are ready to go because we know America is ready for change and the process starts right here in Iowa,” says Clinton in the pre-Iowa caucuses clip circulated by the Obama campaign Monday.

And people thought the only echo chamber was right wing talk radio?

UPDATE: Conservative blogger Ed Morrissey calls the charge about Obama plagiarizing “nonsense.”

Put simply, it’s nonsense. It is, however, an indication of how desperate Hillary has become to derail Obama. The supposed victim, Patrick, has already issued a statement hotly criticizing Hillary’s campaign for this attack. That should answer the question rather neatly, and call into question why Team Hillary would have launched this attack without securing the support of Patrick for the faux outrage.

Watch the backfire that comes out from this.

UPDATE II: Obama says he should have credited Patrick:

Sen. Barack Obama said today that he should have given credit to his friend, Deval Patrick, when he used language very similar to some previously spoken by the Massachusetts governor in 2006.

“I was on the stump, and, you know, he had suggested that we use these lines,” Obama said at a news conference a few minutes ago. “I thought they were good lines. I’m sure I should have [given him credit], didn’t this time.”

Obama became a bit defensive when asked by a reporter whether his words were his own.

“Now hold on a second. I mean, look here, I’ve written two books. Wrote most of my speeches,” he said. “So, I think putting aside the question you just raised in terms of whether my words are my own, I think that would be carrying it too far. Deval and I do trade ideas all the time, and, you know, he’s occasionally used lines of mine. I was at a [Jefferson-Jackson] dinner in Wisconsin used some words of his. And, you know, I would add that I know Sen. Clinton on occasion has used words of mine as well.”

Obama said he frequently gives credit to others for ideas or language he has gotten from others. “I’m happy to give Deval credit, as I give to a lot of people for spurring all kinds of ideas,” he said.

Obama downplayed the matter and said it is something most voters likely do not care about. “I really don’t think this is too big a deal,” he said.

Asked who was the better speaker, himself or Patrick, who is also known as a powerful speaker, Obama demurred. “I’ll let you guys judge that,” he said.

UPDATE III: Comments From Left Field:

By the time this time tomorrow, the story will for the most part be dead, with perhaps some lingering echoes on how desperate the Clinton camp has gotten, and just how deep in the mud she’s willing to go. Like when Bill Clinton went out of bounds in South Carolina, yet another pattern of this campaign is developing; the nastier the Clinton campaign gets, the more damage it does to itself.

The funniest part of this whole thing is, much like the hypocrisy the Clinton camp has shown regarding public funding for campaigns, she’s more than a little dubious regarding so-called plagiarism. When asked if the Clinton camp could assure people that they too weren’t doing the same thing Obama was doing, they conveniently wouldn’t commit.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. When Hillary loses this race, she’ll have no one to blame but herself… herself and her campaign anyway.