Obama: Edwards Not Being Honest About 527 Ads

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Barack Obama isn't buying John Edwards' explanation (1) that he can't legally stop a former aide from running a 527 group airing ads on Edwards' behalf — a sign that Obama is not ignoring Edwards as a competitor for the reform mantle.

"This is somebody who worked for John Edwards for the last who knows how many years, who is a good friend and colleague of Edwards who's now running a 527 that is running ads on behalf of John Edwards," Obama told reporters in Des Moines. "If you're telling me that he has no influence over him, that’s just not true."

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/12/obama_edwards_not_being_honest_about_527_ads.php

(1) http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/12/obama_attacks_edwards_cites_exaide_behind_527_ads.php

Obama continues attacks on Edwards for third-party ads

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama continued his attacks on rival John Edwards for alleged ties to 527 groups airing ads on his behalf. Obama said his opponent's inability to get the ads pulled might point to his potential ineffectiveness to enact his reform agenda as president.

"My attitude is if you can't get your former campaign manager and political director to do what you'd like, then it’s going to be hard to get the insurance companies and drug companies to do what you want," Obama told reporters during a stop at a suburban Des Moines diner, adding that he hopes Edwards "takes this seriously."

After similar comments from the Illinois senator Saturday, Edwards said he would call on the group Alliance for a New America to stop running the ads, but that he had no authority to force them to take the spots off the air. His 2004 campaign manager is now a part of Alliance for a New America.

"This is somebody who worked for John Edwards for the last who knows how many years, who is a good friend and colleague of Edwards who's now running a 527 that is running ads on behalf of John Edwards,” said Obama Sunday. “If you're telling me that he has no influence over him, that’s just not true."

Obama was also asked if it is a candidate's duty to control the actions of 527 groups — independent organizations that can raise unlimited funds for ads as long as they do not directly advocate that individual's election.

"I think you do have some influence," Obama said, adding that it's "important for us to be consistent in our views." Obama said he would make a similar request of any 527 groups that ran ads on his behalf, "just to be consistent."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/12/23/obama-continues-attacks-on-edwards-for-third-party-ads/

[MalloyLiberal]

1. Well, you just assured I will never vote for you Obama

Stop lying. You know damn well it would be illegal for him to tell them to stop. Stop the lying Obama. I will never vote for you not even in the general election.

[ClarkUSA]

13. In 2004, Edwards repeatedly demanded Bush tell the SBV to pull their ad. Was he "lying" too?

:shrug:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

18. a public declaration was what they asked for

and that would be perfectly legal.

[ClarkUSA]

21. No, Edwards demanded at every campaign stop that Bush tell SBV to pull their ad.

Also in 2004, Kerry publicly demanded MoveOn pull their anti-Bush ad. Guess what? They did, pronto.

[jefferson_dem]

17. Awwwww... You were so close to supporting him too...

:nopity:

[K Gardner]

2. Not this again. I find it hard to believe Obama is still harping about this..

or is this just the same story that's been running for 24 hrs now, recycled? I really don't think Obama wants to start in on Edwards right now, before Christmas, when Iowans have had their bellies full of Hillary's tactics. Maybe he'll just settle in somewhere and have a good Christmas with his family and not complain. Either that, or there's a bunch of really bored reporters out there trying to make a candidate step in a cow pile. For god sakes :puffpiece:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

5. The recap is new to TPM (11PM) but the quote is presumably the same one

I added the linked CNN piece to the OP for context, since the TPM recap was truncated.

[K Gardner]

7. Ha ! K&H, you edited to add more text you wiley fox you :-)

OK, so he's still harping. Hopefully he'll get over it by tomorrow. I hear there are 50% more people in Iowa losing their houses than this time last year.. and more without health insurance.. and stuff :-)

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

12. Added in response to your question, which was a good one.

I have been watching football, so I don't know the "tick-tock" on this story.

It was new to TPM Election Central, so I posted it as new to me, but the underlying CNN piece is probably from earlier in the day.

[red2blue]

3. whaa whaaaaa

I used to like Obama. But everyday i loose more respect for him.

Now he's crying like a baby.

Oh BTW which part is NOT true??

[killbotfactory]

4. Edwards needs 527's since he accepted matching funds

But, yeah, I'm sure he has no say over what his former campaign manager does...

[snowbear]

6. Whaaaaaaa is right. Give it a rest Kurt and your side kick Hunter.

...

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

16. What on Earth does that even mean?

Give a rest to posting a frigging political campaign news story without comment?

Maybe you ought to post a list every day of what you consider acceptable themes and topics for discussion. That would make it easier for others to comply with your dictates.

[ruggerson]

8. So he's calling Edwards a liar

What do the ads say? Are they pro Edwards ads or anti Obama ads?

[asdjrocky]

9. Didn't he study constitutional law or something?

I thought he was a smart guy.

[jefferson_dem]

19. What does the constitution have to do

with whatever influence JE may have over his buddy who runs the 527?

Is anyone recommending they be censored?

[Skip Intro]

10. So he's called Hillary a liar, and now Edwards a liar. I'm diggin this politics of change...

not.


He attacks their character while whining that any criticism of him is shameful.




Man, I really could do without another blatant hypocrite in the WH.

[ClarkUSA]

24. How's your girl, "the change agent" who called Obama a liar and Edwards a mudslinger?

Speaking of blatant hypocrites... have Clinton staffers sent enough "Obama is a Muslim Manchurian candidate who attended madrassa" emails yet?
Or are they taking a break for Christmas before they start up again (without Hillary or Mark Penn's knowledge, of course!). :eyes:

[Skip Intro]

48. Why do you never defend Obama\'s words - but instead desperately try to spin by changing the subject...

Is that all you have?

[ClarkUSA]

11. Somehow in '04 Kerry got MoveOn to stop an ad by publicly demanding they pull it

I'm sure Edwards can do the same with his former campaign manager.

[killbotfactory]

15. Earlier this year Obama denounced a pro-Obama 527

but, yeah, Edwards has no pull with his former campaign manager.

[ClarkUSA]

20. Good point...I remember that. Obama not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk.

Hard to believe Edwards couldn't get his former campaign manager who's running ads on his behalf to stop doing it, eh?
What I wonder is why Edwards thought Bush could stop the Swift Boat Vets from airing their ad (he demanded Bush do so
at every campaign stop) if he now says he's helpless to stop his former campaign manager and present ally from airing
anti-Obama ads?

:shrug:

[DemPopulist]

23. You know

I really like how you're equating ads paid for by labor unions, a Democratic bedrock, with the sleazy Swift Boat ads paid for by right-wing millionaires. I guess it's all the same to you.

[ClarkUSA]

25. 527 attack ads are all the same to me. The FEC should close that loophole, period.

Moral relativism isn't something I do. I'm sure if an union-backed Obama 527 were trying to swift boat Edwards, you wouldn't be saying the same thing.
Pro-Hillary AFSME, they of the negative attack flier featuring Edwards and Obama, have just set up a website for the express purpose of attacking Obama.
Are you telling me that unions are above moral and ethical reproach? Fuck that. Unions doing a candidate's bidding to swift boat a fellow Democrat is
just as shitty - if not more so - than a GOP vehicle doing the same thing. I expect more from Democrats somehow. I guess it's all the same to you.

[killbotfactory]

27. They can raise unlimited amounts of soft money

I thought Edwards denounced soft money, oh wait..

"Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and his New American Optimists 527 group take the honors for exploiting the 527 loophole. In this election cycle, he’s raised more 527 soft money than any other federal candidate – $4.3 million, nearly 12 percent of the total raised by all federal candidates – and more money from one individual donor (movie producer Steve Bing has given Edwards $900,000, or 21 percent of his total) than any other federal candidate."

http://www.congresswatchdog.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1261

That was post-2006 candidate Edwards.

[ClarkUSA]

29. Yes, it's a loophole large enough to drive a truck full of $100 bills through

Thanks for the information about Edwards' pre-2006 inclinations. Never knew that. Very interesting!
I guess we'll see if he really has the power to influence special interest groups like he says he does, eh?

I am glad Obama called a halt to a pro-Obama 527 earlier this year. The man does me proud. :-)

[DemPopulist]

44. Attack ads?

Can you point to a link that shows what these ads actually say? No, because the ads haven't run yet. There's no evidence they were planning to "Swift Boat" Obama or do anything but promote John Edwards.

Also, if a pro-Obama union did an ad, I might have a problem with the specific ad if I felt it was unfair or duplicitous (as the AFSCME flyers were when they made it look like Edwards was behind them), but I wouldn't be denouncing labor unions as "special interests" the way Obama did, or equating them with the Swift-Boaters the way you have. I mean, let's say Obama gets the nomination and the SEIU (which is behind this prospective Edwards ad) endorses him for the general. What's he going to say? "Thank you for your support, you sleazy special interest"?

Paul Krugman has a great column on this today, but I know Obama fans don't read Krugman.

[BenDavid]

14. Obama is so naive. well boo hoo, now are ya gonna cry?

[Bitwit1234]

22. Edwards is climbing up on the Obama Idoler so now he starts

to attack him. He has been huffing and puffing about HIllary since she is beating the pants off him.

[ClarkUSA]

26. Trying to drive a wedge between Edwards and Obama supporters? We still remember the AFSME flier.

Ya know, the one where pro-Hillary AFSME sent out a very negative anti-Obama flier and used an Edwards quote to make it look as if
the flier came from the Edwards campaign so Hillary wouldn't leave her fingerprints on it? :puke:

[PresidentObama]

35. Two wrongs don't make a right. Obama using the same desperate tactics makes me want to vomit.

Obama is better than that.

He didn't make it to be my second choice for no reason at all. He needs to stand against this kind of desperate politics.

Why cry foul when Hillary attacks you, but do the same to Edwards? For an advertisement he's spoke out against, and isn't a part of.

Seems like me the politics of hope are more or less now the politics of Rove.

[ClarkUSA]

42. Oh, stop with the melodrama! Obama staffers are sending emails to voters about $400 haircuts?

Look, we seem to be on opposite sides of the fence thinking similar things about the other candidate. I could say:

Edwards is better than that.

He needs to make those ads stop; I don't believe for a minute he can't make his former campaign manager stop them.

Both the vile attack ad and Edwards' plausible deniability tactic are 100% Rovian.

I'll stop now... I think we've both said enough on this matter. I hope this issue will be settled soon between our two
candidates. If not, then Iowans will decide it for them. It's out of our hands.

:shrug:

[Tactical Progressive]

28. Obama calling anyone dishonest is a laugh.

His entire campaign has been smears against Democrats, an he creates those smears out of lies.

He's been the low-roader on the Dem side from the start.

[ClarkUSA]

30. This, from the supporter of the MOST dishonest and Rovian swift boating campaign?

Now that's a laugh.

So how's your girl's Likability Tour going? Anyone actually like her yet?

[PresidentObama]

31. Obama's stealing Hillary's attack strategy? In Iowa, won't work. Edwards looks the best right now.

Hillary is attacking Obama.

Obama is attacking Edwards.

And Edwards is talking about America Rising, and getting bigger crowds and more energy than both of them.

And when he wins Iowa, Obama will wonder whose walking the walk then.

[ClarkUSA]

36. Obama is making solid points about 527s. He's not talking about $400 haircuts or hedge funds.

It's good for a candidate to focus on matters of policy rather than personal qualities.

Edwards did the lion's share of attacking Hillary earlier this month and all of last month... was he "stealing Hillary's attack strategy" then?

As for winning Iowa, good luck with that crystal ball. I don't have any clue who'll win, myself. :shrug:

[PresidentObama]

38. I don't think this is an attack on policy. Are you kidding me? Obama and Edwards are one in the same

when it comes to 527's.

But the truth is John Edwards CAN'T stop any group outside of his campaign from running advertisements.

No matter his relationship with certain people responsible for the advertisement.

When Edwards attacked Hillary it was on Iran, healthcare, lobbyists and corruption, Iraq, etc.

When Obama and Edwards are one in the same on this issue, his petty and desperate attack isn't on policy. Hell, it's not even truthful.

[ClarkUSA]

41. I disagree. It is about whether Edwards is serious about opposing 527s or not.

Your saying Edwards "can't stop" his former campaign manager form running attack ads is not credible in the real world. The 527 has been
around for many months, backed by a pro-Edwards union and run by his former campaign manager. He could have sent a strong message
months ago to this pro-Edwards 527 - it's well within the law to do so in general terms, as Obama did to his pro-Obama 527 - that he
would not tolerate attack ads or positive ads on his behalf. He did NOT do so. And saying he didn't know about it is unbelievable to me.
What's petty and desperate is Edwards needing a 527 to do his dirty work for him because he needs so much to win in Iowa. Nothing Obama
has said is untruthful... however, in Edwards' first press release on this issue yesterday, he lied and said he was the only candidate who was
not accepting Washington lobbyist money. Nowhere in that first press release did he say he demanded the 527 stop airing the ad. It was
only AFTER Obama kept confronting him that Edwards issued a second press release saying that. We'll see what happens... and we'll see
which candidate Iowa thinks is more honest. Jan. 3 is around the corner.

Oh, and despite our present disagreement, Happy Holidays. :hi:

[OHdem10]

32. Why are 527 s not jumping for Obama: advocating for him??

People have tried to stop them before. They are exercising
their right of free speech.

[killbotfactory]

33. Because Obama publically denounced 527''s and asked them to disband

and officially join the campaign if they want to help him, possibly.

[PresidentObama]

34. Ummm Edwards has publically denounced them too. Including this 527 ad.

Wheres the beef?

Seems like Obama is desperate to attack Edwards with whatever he can.

[ClarkUSA]

37. Edwards knew about this 527 for months and did not denounce them. He only did it yesterday.

AFTER Obama went public and confronted him AFTER the ads went online and AFTER the 527 made huge buys.

Obama denounced a pro-Obama 527 earlier this year BEFORE they started ramping up.

Seems like YOU are desperate to attack Obama with whatever YOU can.

Oh, and has Edwards stopped saying he's the ONLY candidate who doesn't accept Washington lobbyist money yet? :eyes:

[PresidentObama]

39. Proof he knew about it for months?

Seriously...

And did the pro-Obama 527 stop when Obama asked them to?

If not, it shows my point...the candidates can denounce all they want, they DON'T control these people.

Attacking Edwards on an issue you're THE EXACT SAME ON is kind of stupid to me.

His point of attack is rather weak and petty. Obama's attacking Edwards, while Hillary attacks him.

Seems like Edwards is benefiting, and any damage from this non-Edwards campaign advertisement is now non-existent.

And so the Edwards momentum continues...

National Enquirer couldn't stop it. And untruthful and petty attacks can't either.

:)

[ClarkUSA]

40. Uh huh. His '04 campaign manager gets $$$ from a union backing him to form a 527 & he doesn't know?

Sure. And sugar plums are dancing right now as we speak. :eyes:

Somehow Obama knew about the pro-Obama 527 enough to ask them to stop... I remember seeing it on TV.
And yes, they stopped. If they didn't you'd have heard about their activities by now, I'm sure.

Somehow Kerry got MoveOn to stop airing their anti-Bush ad in 2004.

Somehow, Edwards repeatedly demanded Bush tell the Swift Boat Vets to stop their ad in 2004.

So now Obama is demanding Edwards tell the 527 headed up by his former campaign manager to stop their ad in 2007.

See how it works? I'm happy that Obama is speaking truth to power. I think Iowans will, too. This is a substantive
matter regarding policy and hypocrisy. We'll see if Iowans believe that Edwards, who keeps saying he's tough
enough to stand up to special interest groups - tougher than Obama, he says - we'll see just how tough he is
with the special interest group headed up by his former campaign manager. If he can't make them stop, how
the hell does he expect Iowans to believe that he's for real? They're not dumb, they know how politics work.

As for momentum, Edwards' trendline has plateaued according to RCP Iowa Poll Averages:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/ia/iowa_democratic_caucus-208.html

Obama's is the only one that's been trending up recently. :-)

[killbotfactory]

47. If anyone thinks Edwards was completely oblivious to this

they need to repair their bullshit detector.

[Andromeda]

43. Well John Edwards better do what Mr. Obama says,

because Mr. Prima Donna Obama is getting nervous.

What a jerk.

[gateley]

45. Ummmm. Joe Biden. Good guy. Thanks for letting me speak. nt

[oasis]

46. Obama's "Politics of Hope": He "hopes" his hypocrisy goes unnoticed.

:puke:

[laureloak]

49. Obama is dishonest, IMO.

Playing footsie with lobbyists. tsk, tsk.