Democrats Spar Over Mailings Days Before Cleveland Debate

Monday, February 25, 2008
Topics: Politics
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Tomorrow it’s the Cleveland version of Obama vs. Clinton and the event is turning out to be quite a showdown. Their last debate in Texas ended on a high note of plesantries, particularly by Senator Clinton who expressed great honor at being able to share the stage with Senator Obama. But, during a weekend of campaign stops throughout Ohio, Clinton blasted Obama’s campaign tactics which she likened to that of Republicans. Obama came back strong, saying everything he has said about the Clintons is true. ideastream®'s Tasha Flournoy has more.

Hillary Clinton really did take off the gloves this weekend.  The New York Senator accused her democratic rival, Barack Obama, of issuing deceptive mailings on key elections issues.

Hillary Clinton: Enough with the speeches and the big rallies and then using tactics that are right outta Karl Rove’s playbook. This is wrong and every Democrat should be outraged… So shame on you Barack Obama. It is time you ran a campaign consist with your messages in public. That’s what I expect from you. Meet me in Ohio. Let’s have debate about your tactics and your behavior in this campaign.

The outrage stems from two mailings put out by the Obama campaign. One claimed that Clinton’s healthcare plan--quote “forces everyone to buy insurance, even if you can’t afford it."--end quote. In fact, Clinton’s plan would mandate that everyone buy health insurance but it would also provide federal funding to help those who can’t afford it on their own.

A second Obama mailer said Clinton believed NAFTA-The North American Free Trade Agreement-was “a boon” to the economy.  She denies ever having said that, saying she’s been criticizing NAFTA for years. But, in fact, her husband did win passage of the agreement which ended trade barriers between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

President Clinton certainly praised it as a boon to the U.S. economy, pointing out that in the first year U.S. exports to Mexico increased nearly 20 percent. The back-and-forth between the campaigns continued through the weekend. During an appearance in Akron, Obama spoke to reporters about Hillary’s tongue lashing. 

Barack Obama: We have been subject to constant attack from the Clinton campaign except when we’ve been down 20 points.

Obama said the mailers went out days, if not weeks ago.

Barack Obama: So I’m puzzled by the sudden change in tone unless these were just brought to her attention. It makes me think that there’s something tactical about her getting so exercised this morning. 

The timing of Clinton’s attack does come on the heels of new polls showing her only 7 points ahead of Obama in Ohio when just a few weeks ago she was more than 20 points ahead.

Obama stood by the words of the fliers.  He said Clinton presented herself as a co-president during her husband’s administration and that she can’t take credit for all the good and then say she had nothing to do with the things that didn’t work out well. He claims Ohio lost 50-thousand manufacturing jobs because of NAFTA.

The issue is huge in this blue-collar state where companies have packed up and moved to Mexico, Asia and other places where labor is a lot cheaper. But analysts say both Democrats are exaggerating how much NAFTA can be credited for the job exodus.

The lead editorial in Sunday’s New York Times said Obama and Clinton are “pandering” for votes. Some voters though are not too happy that the campaigns have stooped to this level. At an Obama rally of more than 6 thousand in Cleveland’s Public Hall Saturday John Ballom [BAWL-LUM] said there is an air of desperation in this latest round of bards, and he blames Clinton more than Obama.

John Ballom: Look she’s grabbing at straws. I mean she’s in the position that she’s in and you know she’s probably going to do everything she can, anything she can. But you know for Barack Obama you can’t fight destiny. And, I think this is his destiny.

Tomorrow night at nine at Cleveland State University Democratic contenders will square off again and we’ll see how the new, sharper-edged campaigns play with the audience. 

Tasha Flournoy, 90.3.