We know you won’t get a straight up answer from Hillary Clinton.
There’s the question out there, has the Clinton campaign been pushing the Rev. Jeremiah Wright story? We read that Clinton’s senior people sent word out not to touch the flap, let it play out.
That was savvy politics…but it’s come to light that the Clintons have been using the Wright flap to sow seeds of doubt – that Obama is not electable.
In the last 30 hours, this photo of Rev. Wright at the Clinton White House surfaced and now Wright’s comments have lost effectiveness for the Clintons. No wonder in public the Clintons kept quiet.
Here’s the Clinton’s lame response to that White House photo:
Clinton’s spokesperson
“The Obama campaign put this photo out? How pathetic,” he said. “Less than 48 hours after calling for a high-minded conversation on race, the Obama campaign is peddling photos of an occasion when President Clinton shook hands with Rev. Wright. To be clear, President Clinton took tens of thousands of photos during his 8 years as president.”
A Rovian response. Bushism. Why is this pathetic?
Here’s a pastor who came to their aid in the depths of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Bill Clinton needed to show a shamed nation that “he had repented.” Now, the Clintons are using the Rev. Wright controversy to sow seeds of doubt in voters’ minds. One last go at her make-believe campaign as her own aides and strategist think she has only a ten percent chance of winning this thing..
Word of the Wright – Bill Clinton’s White House photo has not made it to all Clintons’ surrogates in Pennsylvania. They’re still pushing the Wright story.
ABC News’ Eloise Harper Reports: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign has strictly maintained a public position not to comment on Sen. Barack Obama’s relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Many times, questions have been answered with — “you will have to ask Senator Obama about that.”
However at a Thursday press availability in Terra Haute, Indiana after a report surfaced that the Clinton campaign was pushing the Wright story to superdelegates arguing that the relationship hurt Obama’s electibility – Clinton refused to deny that her campaign was pushing the story.
When asked, Clinton ignored the Wright portion of the question and said “well my campaign has been making the case that I am the most electable that I have said that for a year or more that I am the person best able to make the challenges that our country faces as commander in chief.”
When Clinton was then asked specifically if her campaign was pushing the Wright story — she shrugged and took the next question, ignoring the reporter.
Also, there is this first hand report by Chris Bowers, Open Left
Yes, Clinton Campaign is Pushing The Wright Story
Well, I just returned from my ward meeting tonight in University City, Philadelphia, and two Clinton staffers made an appearance. When one spoke on behalf of Hillary Clinton, he specifically listed Jeremiah Wright as an example of why Obama would be less electable in the general election. The context of his argument was that the Wright story demonstrated that Obama had not gone through the rigors of a presidential election before, and it was possible that more damaging stories like that would come out as the campaign progressed. Aka, the Wright story is demonstrative of how Obama is less electable.
While we are not superdelegates, we are committee people in Pennsylvania, so the campaigns consider us very important right now. Maybe not superdelegate important, but important none the less. Also, the staffers were aware that I was a committee person in Ward 27, and so they must have known that there was a good chance I would report on what they said to the blogosphere.
Now, whether or not you consider using Jeremiah Wright in an electability argument off-limits might be another matter. The story has obviously hurt Obama in the polls on at least a temporary basis, and even I have argued that the story has hurt Obama’s chances to become President (although I also think he is still the favorite).
Update
[.] And yeah, when I can confirm a story because it happened in public and in my neighborhood, then I’m going to report it. I guess that is part of my ethics.
Damnnnn!
Are we surprised? No
Will the super-delegates, committed and uncommitted, take note that Hillary Clinton is a liar, that the longer she delays conceding the more destructive she becomes?
We hope.
Dick Morris, a former political advisor to President Bill Clinton opines:
Wright’s Rantings Won’t Sink Obama
It’s a long time to November and the demonizing of Rev. Jeremiah Wright is already insulated. Imho, it will be extremely difficult for GOP and 527 swift-boaters to successfully use Wright to smear. Oh they’ll try.
Obama and his surrogates can counter with these articles and videos.
John McCain
McCain has defended Obama on the Wright flap – a decent man; but McCain had no other option:
McCain asked Hagee for endorsement
McCain’s new spirtual advisor says America was founded to destroy Islam
Mike Huckabee defends Obama and Wright
(get pass the Iowa campaign and doughnuts)
The whole Jeremiah Wright saga and the Clinton White House photo confirm the ugly Clinton mindset. It’s all about Billary – nothing stands in the way to their birthright – the quest for a third term.
The Clintons remained silent, ordered others to remain silent. Pathetic.
In the depths of the Monica Lewinsky scandal the Af-Am community took flap over their support of Bill Clinton.
Rev. Wright came to pray with and for them, yet in his own hour of need – when he was being trashed during Holy week – the Clintons, knew him not.”
Sleaze.
