The Slinging Starts Early: Clinton and Obama Camps Squabble over Diss from Fundraiser
by Pamela LeaveyI’m a little distressed to see that the slinging between ‘08 Democratic candidates has started already. It’s February 21, 2007 — do voters need to put up this already? Thank Maureen Dowd for fueling the firestorm that has erupted between Hillary and Obama. Her gossipy little column today about last night’s Hollywood fundraiser for Barack Obama has set off a firestorm.
It’s no small secret that David Geffen, who Dowd quotes extensively in her column, has been off the Clinton bandwagon for sometime now. But apparently he blabbed to Maureen Dowd last night about what he thinks of the Clintons and Dowd couldn’t wait to share it with her readers.
Team Clinton shot back and demanded that Obama, “Cut Ties & Return Cash After Top Booster’s Vicious Attacks,” stating that “As Obama rails against “slash & burn” politics, his top Hollywood fundraiser – David Geffen – personally attacks Hillary & her family.”
Funny, I didn’t see the Clinton camp disavowing Terry McAuliffe’s “slash and burn” remarks about John Kerry, when Kerry was still mulling over a run in ‘08. On the contrary, it’s been just fine for the Clintonista’s to diss Kerry for sometime now. Hey, even Hillary herself jumped into the fray over Kerry’s “botched joke.” Everyone knew at the time that Clinton’s comments were politically motivated towards the ‘08 race. And so now, the Clinton Camp wants Obama to disavow comments that Geffen made?
Please, spare me.
I care more about what the candidates themselves say then what a fundraiser tells the gossipy, equal opportunity Dem-disser Maureen Dowd. I find it hard to believe that Obama didn’t offer the folks at the Hollywood fundraisers Dowd dishes about a look at his stance on the issues. Dowd couldn’t be bothered to tell us about that.
The Hollywood money crowd is known to be generous to multiple candidates with many in the industry preferring to spread it around, rather than line up behind one candidate. Take Steven Spielberg, for instance who has “pledged to raise money for Obama, Clinton and former senator John Edwards.”
The come back from Obama Camp was perfect in my opinion, “We aren’t going to get in the middle of a disagreement between the Clintons and someone who was once one of their biggest supporters.” Touché. The Obama Camp also noted it was okay for Hillary to accept the endorsement South Carolina State Senator Robert Ford who said an “African American couldn’t be elected: ‘It’s a slim possibility for him to get the nomination, but then everybody else is doomed.’” (AP, 2/13/07)
WTF is that about? Hillary had no problem accepting his endorsement, The Caucus reports.
If this is a preview for primary ‘08, we’re already in a lot of trouble. First we have a firestorm over things that bloggers said on their personal blogs before being hired by John Edwards, now we’re squabbling over what fundraisers and endorsers say.
Arianna weighs in noting that Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson had it wrong in the Clinton Camp press release demanding Obama denounce Geffen.
The thing is, Geffen is not Obama’s “finance chair” nor his “principal fundraiser” as Wolfsan also claims. Indeed, as Geffen told me this morning: “I have no official role in the campaign. None whatsoever.” Which makes it kind of hard for Obama to “remove” him.
The flying B.S. indicator is high at this point. I’m not inclined to rally behind any of the candidates while this is going on. We’ve got a war in Iraq to end, millions of people in this country with out healthcare, Global Warming spiraling beyond the let’s talk about it stage and what are we focused on today? Dems dissing Dems. I’m not impressed. Americans deserve a better dialogue about the future of our country than this.
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It makes you just want to pull the covers over your head and wait until March 2008, when the primary pie fights are over.
Yea, way to rally the people folks! This is so humiliating! Like I said before, I am in no way ready to get behind any of them! I think I might start banging my head on the desk soon.
beachmom, my mood exactly.
Beachmom
Primary pie fights is a good description. I can’t believe this is happening already.
Donnie
Please don’t hurt yourself! No head banging on the desk. You can’t blog if you hurt your head.
This is just the start, the foolish acts will just get worse. I also got a mail from Bill Clinton via Hill’s website. Check this out.
“All across the country, Hillary is campaigning with the signature wisdom, grace, and humor that make her a great candidate.
–snip–
Will you help me get our “One Week, One Million” campaign off to a powerful start?”
Good Gawd!
I knew it, I knew it. These leading candidates aren’t that mighty. Our guy (JK, for most of us) could have hung back for several months, then swoop in at the end of this year.
Alrudder
My thoughts exactly, they are not all that mighty. Instead they are quite small at this point. As the other, we can dream… we can hope…
By the by, have you heard about this, I think it is up your way – http://www.cityarts.net/n.kerry.html
Donnie
I got the email from Bill too. while I was posting this piece. Kind of ironic maybe or perfectly staged?
Thanks Pamela, I’ll pass it around. Ah the environment, an issue that’s now sexy enough for the campaign trail, and none holds a candle to JK.
alrudder
I am probably coming up for the event.
[...] voters because, as near as I can tell, the only people really interested in this early and somewhat goofy beginning for the 2008 race, are political junkies like me–and even I am sick of [...]
[...] out their birth parents, but some suspect that their father was famous dissident Ion Ratiu. The Democratic Daily – The Slinging Starts Early: Clinton and Obama Camps Squabble over Dis [...]
“Not since the Vietnam War has there been this level of disappointment in the behavior of America throughout the world, and I don’t think that another incredibly polarizing figure, no matter how smart she is and no matter how ambitious she is — and God knows, is there anybody more ambitious than Hillary Clinton? — can bring the country together,” he was quoted as saying.
“Obama is inspirational, and he’s not from the Bush royal family or the Clinton royal family,” Geffen added.
Geffen was particularly bitter about Sen. Clinton’s position on Iraq. “It’s not a very big thing to say, ‘I made a mistake’ on the war, and typical of Hillary Clinton that she can’t…. She’s so advised by so many smart advisers who are covering every base.