Clinton N.H. Official Warns Obama Will Be Attacked on Drug Use

[seriousstan]

Source: washingtonpost

DOVER, N.H. -- Billy Shaheen, the co-chairman of Hillary Clinton's campaign in New Hampshire, raised the issue of Sen. Barack Obama's past admissions of drug use in discussing the relative electability of the Democrats seeking the presidential nomination today.

In an interview, Shaheen said, he remains perplexed about why, at this fraught point in history, voters and the media are not giving more attention to experienced Democratic candidates such as Sens. Chris Dodd and Joe Biden and are instead elevating into the first tier alongside Clinton a pair of candidates with less experience in Washington, Barack Obama and John Edwards. Shaheen also expressed his personal misgivings about whether Obama or Edwards would be electable if they became the party's nominee.

Among his concerns about Obama as the nominee, he said in an interview here today, is that his background is so relatively unknown and that the Republicans would do their best to unearth negative aspects of it, or concoct mistruths about it. Shaheen, a lawyer and influential state power broker, mentioned as an example Obama's use of cocaine and marijuana as a young man, which Obama has been open about in his memoir and on the trail.

"The Republicans are not going to give up without a fight ... and one of the things they're certainly going to jump on is his drug use," said Shaheen, the husband of former N.H. governor Jeanne Shaheen, who is planning to run for the Senate next year. Billy Shaheen contrasted Obama's openness about his past drug use -- which Obama mentioned again at a recent campaign appearance in New Hampshire -- with the approach taken by George W. Bush in 1999 and 2000, when he ruled out questions about his behavior when he was "young and irresponsible."

Shaheen said Obama's candor on the subject would "open the door" to further questions. "It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?'" Shaheen said. "There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome."


Read more: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/12/12/post_235.html

[truebrit71]

1. Better be REAL careful about slinging that kind of mud Hillary....

...

[BootinUp]

9. They've already calculated

that it was too close not to raise any serious questions they can.

[saigon68]

25. I'm sure she only smoked but didn't inhale

[David Dunham]

2. It's Obama's admitted support for banning handguns that the GOP will nail him on.

[Pirate Smile]

5. God - you are everywhere posting this crap - Politico, Talking Points Memo, etc.

Some of the responses back to you said it dealt with registration not banning but continue to spam your way across the tubes.

[progressivebydesign]

16. Nope.. he did say ban. n/t

[LanternWaste]

8. It's a new registration policy-- not a ban

It's a new registration policy-- not a ban. And the GOP will nail anyone who gets the nomination with anything, real or imagined (much like your post in this thread...)

[David Dunham]

12. No. Obama in his survey responses said he supported a handgun BAN

[David Dunham]

13. Here's the Politico article saying Obama supports a BAN on handguns

From Politico.com article: "When Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was seeking state office a dozen years ago, he took unabashedly liberal positions: flatly opposed to capital punishment, in support of a federal single-payer health plan, against any restrictions on abortion, and in support of state laws to ban the manufacture, sale and even possession of handguns."

A ban on "possession" and "sale" is a BAN on handguns.

[beevul]

14. No, Obama said BAN.

Ban semi-automatics, and more possession restrictions

Principles that Obama supports on gun issues:

Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons. (emphasis mine)

Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.

Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.

http://www.issues2000.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Gun_Control.htm


Those semiautomatic firearms...constitute the bulk of provately owned firearms in the US.


See also:


Obama gunning to lose in 2008.

Nobody said that winning the Congress with a BlueDog approach would make for an easy honeymoon -- just witness the party's rage over this week's vote (myself included) -- but no-one can challenge that our win in 2006 has begun the change that this nation sorely needed. But as if right on time to scuttle our success, news comes out that Obama has finally begun to talk about firearms and gun control and frankly, the position he is taking will only mean the loss of BlueDog, rural, libertarian leaning, and gun owning Democrats...



Common political wisdom has been that gun control legislation, and specifically the AWB, was key handing the Congress to the right in 1994. Additionally, it played a strong part in the election and re-election of George Bush. Only recently, as we have run more centrist and rural understanding Democrats were we able to retake Congress and have any chance at countering Bush & Co. in any way.

And we stand at a precipice where we can hand it all right back to them.

Due to her husband's involvement with the passing of the AWB, the gun community will not vote for Hillary, period. Obama is choosing to join her in that loss.

Additionally, those rural people who are not even gun owners hear this kind of rhetoric and think, "City Liberals at it again!". Andy why would they do that? Because this is not a city passing laws about it's own crime issues. This is a national solution to a problem that is not a rural problem. Also, for a group of people who is always talking about commissions to look into solving problems, for a party that wants to use diplomacy and understanding abroad, when it comes to urban youth violence, there is a natural move to pass sweeping gun legislation that effects the entire nation without consult or diplomacy, or frankly understanding of those who will simply leave the party.

And here we stand ready to do it again.

Our loss, their gain.


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/6/104556/3837

[iconoclastic cat]

3. Are there really any stronger mind-altering drugs than power and money? nt

[blm]

10. Exactly - it was power that convinced some Dems to protect BushInc and deep-six

all the outstanding matters that would come up throughout the 90s regarding Poppy Bush's criminal operations.

I'd take a few lines of blow over ANY drug that gets me to close government and protect the secrecy and privilege of the Bushes.

[RDANGELO]

4. This is a definite indication of one thing.

Obama is still surging, and they are trying like hell to stop it.

[Vinca]

6. Now I'm definitely voting for Obama in the NH primary.

His admission of drug use and the turning of his life around is inspirational. Since the Kucinich/Ron Paul discussion I've been trying to decide who to vote for. Thanks, Hillary. My husband's going to vote for Obama, too.

[progressivebydesign]

17. You would actually consider Ron Paul? Anti-choice, anti-everything racist??

You have an odd taste in candidates. Especially if you suddenly decide to support a candidate because he used drugs.

[Vinca]

35. You should stop, take a breath, and read my post.

Kucinich mentioned Ron Paul, I didn't. That's why I decided not to vote for him. Ron Paul shouldn't be dog catcher, let alone president.

[bigworld]

7. So Hillary has never done drugs?

[progressivebydesign]

18. Is that so odd to you? I've never done drugs, and I know plenty who haven't.

the point is not what Hillary did, it's what the repubs will use as ammunition against someone. if they can trash a purple heart winner and protray him as a coward, what do you think they'll do with the drug use?

[boricua79]

28. what CAN they say?

That he used drugs? Big deal...plenty of very good people have used drugs. What matters is how he views its usage NOW. How he has he learned from the experience?

If it were purely on "drugs", we wouldn't have as many musician, actor, or other type of celebrity heroes.

Frankly, I don't think the majority of the people care...as long as it wasn't last year, and he's not currently doing it.

[IndianaGreen]

30. As a teen, did you drink alcohol, smoke cigarrettes, masturbated, necked, petted, etc...

At least Obama did not vote for Bush to attack Iraq for political expediency. How many innocents have died because Hillary did not stand up to Bush?

[zanne]

36. The voting public is in a very different mood this time around....

It won't be like the last time, when voters were eager to gobble up any crap the Republican slime machine had to serve. Besides, the Republcan candidates have more scandal to worry about than the Democrats, and they don't want to open up that can of worms.

[IsItJustMe]

33. Yep, but like her husband, she didn't inhale either.

[jpak]

11. Sorry Shaheen - he didn't inhale

:evilgrin:

[progressivebydesign]

15. They're right. I was pretty taken aback by Obama's drug use.

The republicans are frothing at the mouth already over this.

I've certainly noticed here that the Edwards supporters are the most polite. Clinton supporters seem to be the most atacked, and the Obama supporters to be the most combative. So, I'm expected the words of the Clinton campaign person to be shredded immediately.. but I don't understand why, as Obama openly ADMITTED to using drugs. Why are his supporters freaking out? You think the repubs WON'T use that? Think again.

[Nihil]

19. BFD

Given that few people in America seem to care that their *current* president
did - and still does - significant amounts of drugs, what sort of issue is this?
Just bounce it straight back at them!

Obama isn't my choice for the next president but even he is shit-loads better
than most of the preceding ones ...

[fshrink]

20. "Republican dirty tricks" Lol...

The hypocrisy of this candidate is scary...

[tabasco]

21. Hillary will never admit a mistake.

Obama clearly has greater moral courage.

This makes me dislike H. Clinton as a candidate even more.

[bemildred]

22. Next up. Obama might have AIDS.

Obama reported to have links to al Qaeda.
Source says Obama once under psychiatric care.
Etc.

[ohio2007]

23. ...but ......did he inhale ? nt

[Zynx]

24. No one cares about that. Hillary's campaign is just getting dumb.

[Solar_Power]

26. Hillary's campaign is just getting desperate

[boricua79]

29. ding ding ding! You're our grandprize winner! NT

[boricua79]

27. and the answers

When was the last time?

When I was young and very foolish. I've outgrown that, obviously.

Did you ever give drugs to anyone?

No, I used them like millions of Americans did. For myself. It was a mistake that I had to learn from and which has shaped my present thinking on how to more effectively combat its among our youths. Experience is the best teacher.

Did you sell them to anyone?

No, I was never a seller. I used them, but had no intention nor desire to sell it.

Where's the "dirty tricks"? Next question.

Was that hard?

[Citizen Kang]

31. AHHHHHHHHHH

I Love the smell of desperation in the morning

[Infinite Hope]

32. Prediction: "backfire" n/t

[Voltaire99]

34. Hillary: racing to the gutter where a right winger feels at home.

It's the same temperament found in a Cheney or Coulter.

Once again, I'll have to recommend the devastating series, "The Making of Hillary Clinton," by Nation columnist Alexander Cockburn.

http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn11142007.html

[Hard_Work]

38. My, what an unfortunate

name that columnist has.:p

[paulk]

37. considering that Hillary has had her "electibilty" or lack of it

used against her for months and months now, I don't see why pointing out that Obama has some electibility issues of his own has the Obama camp's knickers in such a twist. Of course his past admitted drug use will be used against him. Will it have an effect? I don't know - admitting to hard drug use outside of alcohol is uncharted water for a Presidential campaign.

I thought Shaheen's second point was more interesting. It's a question I've asked many times - why is the media not paying attention to more experienced candidates like Biden and Dodd (and I would add Richardson)? Why did the media elevate two reletively inexperienced candidates like Edwards and Obama into the "first tier" anyway?