Obama, Hillary and Pigs
By Squawkbox on Nov 18, 2007 in Barack Obama, Democrats, Election 08, Hillary Clinton, Politics
When Lyndon Johnson ran for Congress, legend says, he wanted to spread the rumor that his opponent had sex with a pig. Johnson’s campaign manager said, "Lyndon, you know he doesn’t do that!" Johnson replied, "I know. I just want to make him deny it."
Talk about damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Johnson’s opponent would have been doomed no matter his answer. Now it appears Hillary has taken that page of the LBJ dirty politics playbook and added her own twist. Robert Novak reports:
Agents of Sen. Hillary Clinton are spreading the word in Democratic circles that she has scandalous information about her principal opponent for the party’s presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama, but has decided not to use it. The nature of the alleged scandal was not disclosed.
Now how in the hell does Obama answer a non-accusation? Novak correctly points out that this can do nothing but make Hillary look good and Obama stuttering with how to answer the veiled charges. Obama is left with this:
"If the purpose of this shameless item was to daunt or discourage me or supporters of our campaign from challenging and changing the politics of Washington, it will fail. In fact, it will only serve to steel our resolve," the Illinois senator said. He urged Clinton to "either make public any and all information referred to in the item, or concede the truth: that there is none."
Ain’t political NIGYSOB fun especially when it is the Democrats throwing the mud at each other? Never missing the chance to bring Republicans into the discussion of dirty politics
Clinton’s campaign accused Obama of using Republican talking points with the Novak column.
"These are the kinds of attacks that Republicans engage in, and the kinds of traps they set for Democratic candidates," Carson said. "A Republican-leaning columnist puts out a statement, a baseless statement accusing Sen. Clinton of some sort of activity. … What (Obama) is doing is parroting Republican talking points."
We have a little under a year before election day and if this story is any indication what we can expect from the candidates, issues will not be high on the list of talking points. |
