On Wednesday, Hillary Clinton’s campaign had launched a new radio ad that has repeated a discredited charge against rival US Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama. Some Democrats are calling this a part of a pattern of hardball politics by both Clintons that is increasing.
The ad launched took one line from an interview with Barack Obama about how he had said that the Republican Party was the party of ideas for a pretty long time. It juxtaposed the policies of the GOP that Obama had never advocated.
While Clinton’s campaign argues that it was quoting Obama, the original context was that Obama was describing the dominance of Republican ideas in the 1980s and the 1990s. But, Obama did not say that he supported them. Obama asserted that those ideas are of no use today.
In responding to the ad, Dick Harpootlian, a former chairman of South Carolina’s Democratic Party has accused both Clintons of using deceptive politics. Harpootlian compared Bill Clinton to the late Lee Atwater. Lee Atwater was a Republican operative in South Carolina who was known for hardball tactics.
Bill Clinton fired back at Harpootlian and said the comments were a distraction. He had also accused Obama’s campaign of using the media to funnel smears.
“They are feeding you this because they know this is what you want to cover. This is what you live for,” Bill Clinton had said to CNN reporter, Jessica Yellin.
Patrick J. Leahy, Senate Judiciary Chairman accused Bill Clinton and taking cheap shots at Obama. Leahy has endorsed Barack Obama. He said that both sides should settle down but places the blame on Bill Clinton.
“That’s beneath the dignity of a former president,” Leahy said to reporters. He adds: “He is not helping anyone, and certainly not helping the Democratic Party.”
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