Obama hypocrisy on 527 Political Action Committees. Obama: 'We didn't know.'

[wyldwolf]

In December, Sen. Barack Obama called on rival Democratic presidential contender John Edwards to tell an independent political action committee that was running pro-Edwards TV ads in Iowa to take them off the air.

Obama's point was that Edwards couldn't denounce the so-called 527 political action groups and then not speak up if one of them was spending money on his behalf.

Edwards responded that he did want to discourage such advertising.

Now, some California Democrats say Obama should tell an independent group that's running ads in their state to take them off the air. The San Francisco Chronicle has the story.

"I'm really disappointed that Sen. Obama has not called on his friends at Vote Hope to pull these ads down," Eric Bauman, chairman of the Los Angeles Democratic Party, tells the Chronicle (which says Bauman has not endorsed any of the Democratic contenders yet). "He harshly criticized Sen. Edwards when supporters ran independent ads on his behalf. And now that it's happened for him, he's not said a word."

Obama spokeswoman Debbie Mesloh tells the Chronicle that "our campaign had no knowledge of these ads and Sen. Obama has in the past expressed concerns about 527s and specifically Vote Hope," the group behind the ads. She also says that "we do not think people should be donating to 527s. ... We would rather have them involved in our campaign."

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2008/01/some-calif-dems.html

[durrrty libby]

1. Vote Hope?

:eyes:

[Tellurian]

3. That might be

the 527 started by the Kerry Campaign and turned over to the Obama campaign along with e-mail lists and supporter contacts. I read it somewhere the other day.

[MADem]

2. Well, that ad certainly appears to be "targetted" to put it mildly.

There is a link to the ad at the end of the article...

[ccpup]

4. Barack not knowing?

Geez, between losing papers unless they're handed to him right before he needs them to forgetting how much money Rezko donated to him ($200,000 not $50,000) to not remembering he had done favors for Rezko (he had) to pushing the wrong buttons during votes to constantly not saying what he actually means to say, I'm beginning to think more and more that it's a wonder he can tie his shoes by himself or not bump into walls when walking!

I wonder if he's using the Mitt Romney Technique for How To Sound Smart in a Live Debate? :evilgrin:

[Tom Rinaldo]

5. Am I missing something?

Is it accurate that Obama called on Edwards to tell an independent political action committee to take their TV ads off the air when they ran in Iowa, and did the Obama spokesperson really limit her comments against Vote Hope running ads helping Obama in California to "we do not think people should be donating to 527s. ... We would rather have them involved in our campaign."

What about caling for Vote Hope to take those ads off the air? Is the Obama campaign pointing to any difference in circumstances that would justify asking Edwards to call for ads to stop riunning in Iowa, while Obama only calls for people to donate directly to his campaign instead of to a 527 running ads in California?

[Fresh_Start]

8. The winner for most ethical is clearly Edwards

starting with the 527s and including the NAACP rally.

[Rock_Garden]

6. This one's in the do as I say, not as I do category.

[PresidentObama]

7. Hypocrisy, thanks for posting wyldwolf. I can't stand the fact Obama attacked Edwards on this.

And now he's benefiting from outside groups.

[PresidentObama]

9. Kick for hypocrisy.