The Obama campaign has answered the new Clinton radio ad that takes liberties with Obama's words about Reagan Republicans' ideas with an ad of his own that puts Clintonian credibility front and center in the South Carolina campaign:
Obama: "I’m Barack Obama, running for President and I approve this message.
Narrator: "It’s what’s wrong with politics today. Hillary Clinton will say anything to get elected. Now she’s making false attacks on Barack Obama. The Washington Post says Clinton isn’t telling the truth. Obama 'did not say that he liked the ideas of Republicans' In fact, Obama’s led the fight to raise the minimum wage, close corporate tax loopholes and cut taxes for the middle class.
"But it was Hillary Clinton, in an interview with Tom Brokaw, who quote “paid tribute” to Ronald Reagan’s economic and foreign policy. She championed NAFTA – even though it has cost South Carolina thousands of jobs. And worst of all, it was Hillary Clinton who voted for George Bush’s war in Iraq. Hillary Clinton. She’ll say anything, and change nothing. It’s time to turn the page."
It's still not clear to us that voters care about squabbling, as opposed to substance. But, the flip side: If Obama makes the election turn on honesty and credibility, that's probably not the Clintons' strong suit.
To wit: Here's Bill Clinton, in South Carolina today, complaining about Obama's complaints about some of Bill's comments:
"The only thing I pointed out was that there was substantially no difference in her record and his on Iraq, and that he had said in 2004 there was no difference between his position and President Bush. And he said that was somehow dishonest, but he never answers how it's not accurate. So this is crazy."
Never answers how it's not accurate? Even Hillary concedes that Obama opposed authorizing the war in Iraq. She voted to authorize it. Bill says "there was substantially no difference in her record and his." And he purports to not understand how it's not accurate?
Politicians speak in shorthand sometimes. So, maybe "substantially no difference" was shorthand for a more complicated argument Bill has been making, that after Obama entered the Senate his record was similar to Hillary. But, on its face it's just wrong. And he's surprised he's getting flack?
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Shorter Bill Clinton today when speaking to the CNN reporter:
"Voters aren't interested in pushback against or factchecking of our lies and distortions about Obama. At least not any I just talked to. They want to hear you echo our lies and distortions."