Obama Camp Hits Hillary Over Campaign Official Who Brought Up His Past Drug Use

[Pirate Smile]

Obama Camp Hits Hillary Over Campaign Official Who Brought Up His Past Drug Use

By Greg Sargent - December 12, 2007, 5:12PM

The Obama campaign has just slammed Hillary for an interview her New Hampshire co-chair Billy Shaheen gave earlier today, in which he brought up Obama's past drug use and used it to question Obama's electability by suggesting the GOP would attack him for it. Here's the statement just out from Obama campaign manager David Plouffe:

“Hillary Clinton said attacking other Democrats is the ‘fun part’ of this campaign, and now she’s moved from Barack Obama’s kindergarten years to his teenage years in an increasingly desperate effort to slow her slide in the polls. Senator Clinton’s campaign is recycling old news that Barack Obama has been candid about in a book he wrote years ago, and he’s talked about the lessons he’s learned from these mistakes with young people all across the country. He plans on winning this campaign by focusing on the issues that actually matter to the American people."

Still no word form Camp Hillary on this.

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/12/obama_campaign_hits_hillary_over_campaign_official_who_brought_up_his_past_drug_use.php

[Adelante]

1. Good for Obama

Cut straight through the cheap shit.

[gateley]

2. It will be interesting to see the rebuttal. nt

[proudmoddemo]

20. What Can They Do?

Fire Billy Shaheen? A campaign in total disarray, and an implosion worthy of Howard Dean's campaign...

[gateley]

35. That's why I think it'll be interesting to see the response. Will they try to

distance themselves from the statement? Express a sincere concern that the RW might pull out this info to use for an attack and use that as their reason for the initial statement? Just curious as to the next step, if any.

This campaign has become such a disappointment to me, the attacks, insinuations, flat out accusations. I'm now just sitting back and watching, marveling at the strategies, just observing objectively, since it's become such a GAME with the eye on the PRIZE.

EDIT to add - there's now a post that the Clinton Campaign does not CONDONE the statement. See? All part of the game.

[Pirate Smile]

44. They don't condone it? What a joke. They have advertised the fact that

they were going to do this for days and now they want to act like it wasn't initiated by the campaign itself? LOL This just feeds into the view that they are disingenuous, negative and you can't trust them or her.

[gateley]

57. Like I said -- all part of the game. I don't even listen anymore -- just observe the

moves. nt

[proudmoddemo]

63. Nobody Believes Them

They're so obsessed with the game that they missed the fact that people are tired of the game, and want a change. It's why Huckabee is leading the Republicans, and it's why Hillary's in trouble. I think this may be Game. Set. Match.

[proudmoddemo]

62. Yeah, but they're still so sloppy:

Hillary's use of the word "fun," is what set off this avalanche. And they're really sloppy. They are playing the game and so obsessed with it that the truth has passed them by: people are tired of the game, and want a change. Game. Set. Match.

[NOVA_Dem]

3. I hope he has something more forceful than that

[Bodhi BloodWave]

7. Why use force

on a matter that should just be brushed aside like it seems they did?

I am quite positive Obama can be more forceful tho if wants to, he simply does not have any real reason to be currently

[flpoljunkie]

4. The "politics of hope" versus the "politics of fear" from the increasingly panicked Clinton camp.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. Oh Man - This IS The Fun Part

Watching Camp Hillary throw hand grenades that fall back on their heads is a riot. What next? Infant Obama peed in diapers? Fetal Obama kicked his mother?

[JackORoses]

9. Camp Hillary pisses into the Wind, yet again

[silverweb]

6. BAM!

GObama!

[hedgehog]

8. I know that I've been meaning to get around to reading Obama's books,

but does this mean that Clinton's people are only part way through the first book?

[Pirate Smile]

11. I think it means that they've got nothing on Obama. If they had something

better, they would use it.

[hedgehog]

14. I don't know. Who knows what they may find once they read the next few

chapters?

[BeyondGeography]

18. He becomes President in the last chapter

Problematic ending.

[Pirate Smile]

24. I actually read the entire book so I know what happens.

:)

[BeyondGeography]

27. "Dreams" is a classic

as a coming-of-age book, it's hard to beat.

[tavalon]

66. I lost the book during my move

I was about half way through it and very impressed by the author. Not entirely sure how impressed I am with the politician just yet. A little too conciliatory for my taste. My candidate didn't throw his hat into the ring so I'm a true fencesitter this time around. The choice will already have been made before I get the chance to have any input so it isn't really my horse race anyway and since I doubt the reality of this being anything but an already decided matter, that doesn't matter much either.

It's been interesting sitting on the sidelines watching the candidates and their supporters beat everyone to within an inch of their lives. It's hard work, this primary campaigning, isn't it?

[jefferson_dem]

10. Perfect response. Good for Obama.

Hillary's campaign has proven to be a total disgrace and should be called out for it.

[proudmoddemo]

23. Amen

The worst campaign since Brock ran against Gore's Dad in 1970 IMHO. Just vile stuff coming from the Hillary campaign.

[bunnies]

12. Beautiful.

IMHO, this is a perfect response.

And you know what? Ive never said this before but what the hell. GOBAMA!

[zulchzulu]

13. I hope the baseball bat didn't hurt, Team Hillary...

Smack!

[Bullet1987]

15. As I said in the other thread about this article...

Team Clinton are setting themselves up HARD if they stick with this sleaze!

[SaveElmer]

16. Worked for Obama...nt

[Renew Deal]

28. Please tell me how?

I'd love to know.

[blm]

21. Yep - and with more of her camp on this page, it's hard to pretend it's not a tactic

by the campaign.

So much for attacking anyone who dared point out these tactics.

[Tellurian]

22. Apparently it's NOT sleaze, if Obama admitted cocaine use himself..

And the Clinton campaign is right to get it out of the way now and see if Obama can be convincing enough to survive sustained attacks by the Republicans if he is the nominee. If he can't survive a softball Truthful question on his cocaine use now, we don't need him as another failed Dem candidate losing another election for us before he's even out of the gate.

[JackORoses]

25. oh, so Clinton is doing this to aid Obama for when he becomes nominee?

Give me a break.

Hillary wants it both ways. She wants to attack Obama without appearing to attack Obama.

[Tellurian]

30. Yeah, how do we defend Obama when he's the nominee, Einstein?

When he's never opened up his drug use for discussion. I read somewhere he's still sneaking cigarettes, which I couldn't care less about. But it raises the question, when did he quit using cocaine? And is his cocaine use a thing of the past or does he relapse from time to time?

[Forkboy]

34. I read somewhere Hillary is a lizard from the planet Moop.

When he's never opened up his drug use for discussion.

Wrong, he's talked about it in his book and even a speech I saw him give...to children even.

Your post is such bullshit and innuendo. You fit perfectly within the sleazy and disingenuous Hillary campaign.

[Tellurian]

41. Good defense ...for answering Republican attacks...

because you seem to be the only one who really knows... Got dates and years of drug use...cause the GOP wants to know and so do we for that matter. So glad you declared yourself Obama's spokesperson for such an important issue.

How many millions will the GOP spend investigating Obama...You know, there will be witnesses and such, a full boat investigation. Who ever said, the GOP will do us any favors and give Obama a free pass.

It would be alot easier if Obama just comes clean and takes the bull by the horns and answers any questions now so we know what we're dealing with.

[Forkboy]

42. Keep shovelling.

It would be alot easier if Obama just comes clean and takes the bull by the horns and answer any questions now so we know what we're dealing with.

Already did...but you know that. Glad you're Hillary's spokesman for such a sleazy tactic. It suits you.

[Tellurian]

45. Hillary isn't the one with a problem. Why so defensive of Obama?

what would it take for him to call a press conference for answering questions to clear this mess up?

[Forkboy]

46. keep shovelling.

And I'd be defensive of anyone taking this kind of sleaze from any camp, whether it's Hillary's or Kucinich's. You know, that defending the WHOLE party from bullshit, and not just the one member you worship?

Why didn't Hillary call a presser to clear up the charges against her? Simple, because, like this, it's a sleaze tactic and bullshit being peddled by those who care about winning over what's right.

I'll make sure next time you stick up for Hillary from some stupid shit (like the cackle and tipping crap) why you're so defensive. Maybe then you'll get a clue.

[Tellurian]

50. You are confused..Slease is not fact...

You definately are confused.. You think because Obama admitted drug use...he's in the clear...

Hello? That isn't the way things go in the vetting system.

[Forkboy]

52. You're the confused one.

I'm not saying he's in the clear, but in case you missed it no one really gave a shit about Bush doing it, so why do you think the American people are going to give a shit about this? And considering he's spoken openly and honestly about it already , something Bush didn't even try to do, people will see this kind of tactic by the Hillary campaign as a sleazy way to bring it up. Like a "concern" post here (you know, like "I think we should talk about Vince Foster before the repubs do" type of thing), it's a bullshit tactic that you apparently endorse wholeheartedly. It's not the issue of whether he did them, it's the way another Democratic campaign is trying to raise it to smear him, something else you're familiar with.

To quote your idol. "When you find yourself in a hole, quit digging." Instead, you keep reaching for the shovel.

You have nothing.

[Tellurian]

58. If Obama was related to Bush instead of Cheney...I imagine you'd be right..

"To quote your idol. "When you find yourself in a hole, quit digging." Instead, you keep reaching for the shovel.

You better look again... Neither myself or Hillary are in a hole... Your quotes are from Obama's book as a self-admitted drug user. Besides the People who will potentially vote for him, he's facing unrelenting attacks by the Republicans. If you think I'm going to wait 8 more years for the chance to elect a Democratic President, because when push came to shove, Obama didn't pass the "sniff" test, you've got another thing coming.

[Forkboy]

61. Thank you Rob Halford.

[MadBadger]

49. Im just gonna come out and say it...LIAR

he wrote about it in a fuckin book and talked to students in HS about it.

[Tellurian]

53. Because he admitted drug use...then everything is OK?

Thats not the way the vetting process works.. You can get all emotional, pissed off, start swearing, none of it makes a difference when a Presidential Candidate is facing a Grand Inquisition by the Republican attack machine..

You can read about the Bork Confirmation hearings in the 80's..

The Left and Right Wings spent over $20 million attacking his confirmation to the SCOTUS..Those millions now would be $90 million in todays money. I won't tell you what scuttled his confirmation, you can read it for yourself and decide why it is imperative for Obama to get this out of the way now.

http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id320.htm

[Forkboy]

54. He's the worst poster on DU. Something he said months ago proved that he has no conscience at all.

He'll say and do anything to tear down any candidate other than his beloved.

[Tellurian]

60. Not really, but if it soothes you to think so..fine!

[Forkboy]

32. I'm sure she's concerned for him.

Sadly for Hillary and the Repubs it's been asked, answered, spoken about and used to his ADVANTAGE already, because people respect the honesty he's shown when speaking about it, even those of us who don't like him. But I know honesty is a tough concept for you to grasp.

Obama should bring up Vince Foster and Hsu to help Hillary. After all, the Repubs will surely bring it up, so you'll have no objection, I'm sure. After all, we don't need another failed candidate before she's even out of the gate.

[Tellurian]

33. When did all this discussion occur.. Or do you mean what he said in his book?

I've never bought or read his book, so I am unaware of any open discussion or conclusions drawn from previous discussions. Please fill me in..

[Forkboy]

39. Barack Obama tells N.H. kids of his alcohol, drug use during teen years

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Barack Obama candidly discussed his youthful drinking and drug use with high school students Tuesday, prompting at least one teen to conclude that such experimentation won't automatically ruin a young person's future.

After delivering a policy address on education at Manchester Central High School, Obama chatted with students in a classroom, where a school staffer asked the Illinois senator to talk about his high school memories.

"I made some bad decisions that I've actually written about," he said. "There were times when I, you know, got into drinking, experimented with drugs. There was a whole stretch of time where I didn't really apply myself a lot."

In college, Obama said, he realized, "Man, I wasted a lot of time" in high school.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2007/11/21/2007-11-21_barack_obama_tells_nh_kids_of_his_alcoho.html

Long before the national media spotlight began to shine on every twist and turn of his life's journey, Barack Obama had this to say about himself: "Junkie. Pothead. That's where I'd been headed: the final, fatal role of the young would-be black man. . . . I got high push questions of who I was out of my mind."

....In the book, Obama acknowledges that he used cocaine as a high school student but rejected heroin. "Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though," he says.

Why did he make the admission?

In an interview during his Senate race two years ago, Obama said he admitted using drugs because he thought it was important for "young people who are already in circumstances that are far more difficult than mine to know that you can make mistakes and still recover.

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2007/1/3/23218/91557

In an interview during his Senate race two years ago, Obama said he admitted using drugs because he thought it was important for "young people who are already in circumstances that are far more difficult than mine to know that you can make mistakes and still recover.

"I think that, at this stage, my life is an open book, literally and figuratively," he said. "Voters can make a judgment as to whether dumb things that I did when I was a teenager are relevant to the work that I've done since that time."

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/12/12/151233/81/842/421223

Now that you've been filled in...anything else you'd like to talk about? Go ahead, encourage the Hillary camp to keep bringing this up. I can't wait to see the results.

[Tellurian]

48. The generalities you kindly pasted...are a formal introduction to Obama's world of drugs..

I had no idea the depth of his familiarity with drug terminology. Seeing he is vying for the title of the Leader of the Free World. I'm sure the GOP will run with this for months on end eventually destroying his character and suitabilty for the WH.

I hope Obama is smart enough to subject himself to a lengthy series of cross examinations by the media and anyone else who has a question. Better to get it out of the way now in case he does win the nomination.

Thanks for posting the excerpts... I had no idea, that at some point in his life, he was so addled in his addiction.

[Forkboy]

51. Like I said, you fit right in with her campaign.

Keep shoveling and bringing it up. I will be.

[Tellurian]

55. I'm flattered..thanks!

[Forkboy]

56. I knew you would be.

[zulchzulu]

37. Since Obama admitted his drug use IN HIS BOOKS, would that be something to look at?

He was HONEST about his faults and made improvements. You can't say that about the Clintons by any stretch of the imagination.

[Cha]

59. Only in the bushit enabling

world of the stupids would it be "something to look at".

[panader0]

40. You don't think Hill and Bill did a few lines? LOL

[Tellurian]

43. Theres been over 100 books written about them...Is it in print anywhere...or did they say they did?

[zulchzulu]

64. Well...

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=bill+clinton+cocaine+use&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Bill apparently liked to do some snow when he was gettin' it in the Governor's stretch limo...who the hell knows...and frankly, who cares.

[ellisonz]

17. Bam!

[babylonsister]

19. Sorry about the dupe thread;

I didn't see yours. :blush: But I rec'd it!

[Pirate Smile]

31. No problem.

:)

[Renew Deal]

26. One this issue, Obama is a symbol of what's possible.

It presents a lot of people hope and a role model.

[SoxFan]

29. A loudmouth and a hypocrite

Billy Shaheen is a classless loudmouth. In 2000, he was part of a group that threw balls of slush and mud at Sen. Bob Kerrey and taunted the Medal of Honor winner as a "cripple".

Maybe someone should start looking into the "antique shop" he and Jeanne ran back in the 1970s. I don't think he'd be too appreciative of that.

[Eurobabe]

67. Yeah as I remember Shaheen and her mob were less

than nice to Wes Clark in 2003. She openly called him a Republican. IIRC. :eyes:

[Skip Intro]

68. Hasn't the annointed one all but called Hillary a republican?

[SoxFan]

70. Correct

She pulled the same stunt against Mark Fernald, a state senator who challenged her in the 2000 Democratic gubernatorial primary.

It's richly ironic to have this coming from a woman who worked for Richard Nixon's presidential campaign.

[creeksneakers2]

36. A cheap shot that will backfire

On an earlier thread, I didn't believe the Clinton camp was low enough or stupid enough to do something like this.

Hillary's numbers started crashing when she went negative. A few days ago the campaign said they knew going negative was a problem and they were going to quit. Hillary's poll results started to climb back. Now the Clinton campaign is making the same stupid mistake again.

I'm still hoping that a satisfactory explanation will come out. For now, I'm ticked off.

[geek tragedy]

38. Desperate move by a panicking candidate. n/t

[Nailzberg]

47. State co-chair went off the reservation without warning? Doubt that.

This isn't some volunteer coordinator. State co-chairs are picked for their organizations, their loyalty, and their discipline. And they are in constant communication with the campaign. This is suicide bomber politics. It's gonna cost you your job, but hopefully you'll take as many supporters away from a rival doing it.

I doubt Hillary knew this was coming, but I'll bet someone in her Sr. staff cooked it up. No wonder the staff and Bill are at each other's throats. I wouldn't doubt seeing some people let go coming soon.

[proudmoddemo]

65. Agreed

Makes me wonder if Penn hired Karl Rove as a consultant at his polling firm :sarcasm.

[zulchzulu]

69. Either the guy went off message or Hillary's campaign is off the rails

Knowing how campaigns work and when you have people at this high a level taking shots at other candidates, there's a trail where this story was hatched...conference call, email, Blackberry... whatever, there is a smoking gun.

I'd bet Bill and Hill gave the sign-off on using ANYTHING at this point. The water is rising fast in the SS Inevitability.