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Monday, February 25, 2008
FactCheck.org - Clinton and Obama both misleading
Now it’s Hillary Clinton’s turn to be fact-checked.
FactCheck.org, the truth-seeking Web site, previously found a Barack Obama mailer to Ohio voters misleading in its criticism of Clinton’s position on NAFTA.
Clinton put our her own mailer criticizing Obama on NAFTA and guess what?
FactCheck.org says the Clinton mailer “gives less than the whole truth.”
Maybe Clinton and Obama can sort it all out when they debate on Tuesday, Feb. 26 in Cleveland as their campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination heats up.
Here’s the new FactCheck.org analysis:
Clinton Edits ‘The Truth’ February 25, 2008 A Clinton mailer quotes Obama’s praise for free trade, but it omits his criticisms. Summary Hillary Clinton, stung by an Obama mailer that painted her as a supporter of the North American Free Trade agreement, is responding in kind with a barrage of postcards saying, “Ohio needs to know the truth about Obama’s position on Protecting American Workers and NAFTA.” But the mailer gives less than the whole truth.
It quotes two news reports of Obama praising NAFTA, but it fails to mention that both are from the same event and leaves out his calls for “fair trade” and increased enforcement - and his criticism of trade agreements negotiated “on behalf of multinational companies instead of workers and communities.” Analysis The Clinton campaign said its new mailer to Ohio voters is meant to counter an earlier Obama mailing that quotes Clinton as praising NAFTA. “In a campaign when you are attacked unfairly it is incumbent on you to set the record straight, and that’s what we’re doing in the mail,” Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson told reporters on a conference call Feb. 25.
Retaliation in Kind
We found the Obama mailer to be misleading in our Feb. 24 article. Here we judge that Clinton is retaliating in kind, with a somewhat misleading mailer of her own.
The mailer says, “Ohio needs to know the truth,” and adds, “It’s all on the Record.” But it quotes the record selectively to misrepresent Obama’s position.
The quotes come from two news accounts, one from The Associated Press and another from the Herald & Review of Decatur, Ill. What’s not said is that they are both reporting on the same 2004 campaign event in Shirley, Ill., when Obama was running against Republican nominee Alan Keyes for the U.S. Senate. And both are quoted selectively, omitting Obama’s criticisms of NAFTA.
The mailer quotes The AP account as saying, “Obama said the United States should continue to work with the World Trade Organization and pursue deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement.” That’s accurate as far as it goes, but what’s left out is that Obama also said the U.S. needs to be more aggressive in protecting American interests and the interests of “workers and communities.” Here’s the pertinent section, in full:
Associated Press, Sept. 8, 2004: [Obama] said the United States should continue to work with the World Trade Organization and pursue deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, but the country must be more aggressive about protecting American interests.
"We don't want to set off trade wars. What we want to make sure of is that our farmers are treated fairly," Obama said. "The problem in a lot of our trade agreements is that the administration tends to negotiate on behalf of multinational companies instead of workers and communities."
The Decatur newspaper reported on the same event the following day. The Clinton mailer quotes this part of the article: “Obama said the United States benefits enormously from exports under the WTO and NAFTA.” But here’s what it left out:
Herald & Review, Sept. 9, 2004: [Obama] said, at the same time, there must be recognition that the global economy has shifted, and that the United States is no longer the dominant economy.
"We have competition in world trade," Obama said. "When China devalues its currency 40 percent, we need to bring a complaint before the WTO just as other nations complain about us. If we are to be competitive over the long term, we need free trade but also fair trade."
We agree with Clinton that any voter “needs to know the truth.” We just think it should be the whole truth.
-by Brooks Jackson Sources Christopher Wills. “Senate candidates speak on farm, trade issues.” The Associated Press, 8 Sept. 2004.
Ron Ingram. “Obama, Keyes court farmers - U.S. Senate candidates face-off - on agriculture issues near Shirley,” Herald & Review (Decatur, Ill.) 9 Sept. 2004. Related Articles Obama Mailings ‘False’? Clinton says Democrats should be “outraged.” You be the judge. Clinton-Obama Pillow Fight The Democratic front-runners meet in a civil and mostly error-free debate. They’ve Got You Covered? Obama and Clinton ads both claim all Americans would be covered by their health plans. Clinton’s would come close. Monday Night Quibbles No statements made of whole cloth, but some factual embroidery by Clinton and Obama.
Clinton strikes back on NAFTA
Hillary Clinton has struck back on NAFTA - the North American Free Trade Agreement - an issue that has prompted some of the harshest exchanges to date between her and Barack Obama.
She has started making robo-calls to Ohio voters criticizing NAFTA and defending her record. Her campaign also is sending out mailers to voters explaining her position on NAFTA and pointing out what her campaign considers Obama’s inconsistencies on the touchy subject.
Last Saturday in Cincinnati Clinton called mailers that the Obama campaign sent out on Clinton’s NAFTA position “false and discredited.”
The Obama campaign responded to the Clinton calls and mailings with statements from some of Obama’s labor supporters, including Bruce Raynor, general president of UNITE.
“This idea that Barack Obama’s position on NAFTA isn’t clear is nonsense. It’s been clear. It’s also clear that the Clinton Administration was not only the architect of the NAFTA agreement, but the Clinton Administration shoved it down the throat of Democrats in Congress and passed it,” Raynor said.
Here’s the script of the Clinton call:
“Senator Obama has sent out attack mailers that distort my record on NAFTA, but I believe Ohio deserves the truth.
“NAFTA has hurt Ohio families and I have a plan to fix it. My opponent does not. I will call a timeout on any new trade deals and make sure the ones we have are protecting American workers. I’ll eliminate tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas, and invest in creating good jobs right here in Ohio.
“Ohio needs solutions, not distortions. With your support on March 4th, we can jump start the economy and get Ohio back to work.”
Mo’ Poll
Hours after two polls released Monday show Sen. Hillary Clinton with at least an eight-point lead in Ohio, a third firm put Sen. Barack Obama within four points of catching up with Clinton in the state.
Public Policy Polling, a Raleigh, N.C.-based polling firm that does automated phone surveys, surveyed 600 likely Democratic Ohio primary voters and 430 likely Ohio Republican primary voters on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24. They gave Clinton a 50 percent lead to Obama’s 46 percent lead. They attribute Obama’s strong showing to the “virtual certainty” that Sen. John McCain will be nominated on the Republican side, and said his strong showing means more independents and Republicans will be voting Democratic on March 4.
“Hillary Clinton is in big trouble,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling. “The race is trending heavily toward Obama and time is on his side with another eight days before the voting.”
On the Republican side, the poll found McCain leads former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee 55 percent to 30 percent.
Congressional ads for 3rd district race
Three Democrats, David Esrati, Jane Mitakides and Charles Sanders are running in The March 4 primary for the chance to take on U.S. Rep. Mike Turner in the November election for Congress.
Esrati has posted several political ads on his Web site, esrati.com. Mitakides launched her first TV ad this week. Sanders has an ad on his Web site.
Here’s a sampling.
Read more about the candidates at
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/02/16/ddn021708congress3.html
Also check out their Web sites
http://www.charleswsanders.org/index.php
Cincinnati mayor backs Obama
Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory on Monday endorsed Democrat Barack Obama at a campaign rally with 13,000 supporters at University of Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena.
Mallory, a former state senator, said he sees parallels between Obama’s quest for the presidency and his own campaign for mayor when people told him he didn’t have enough experience.
Mallory is a super delegate — a party luminary whose support at the Democratic National Convention is worthy of one delegate vote. The Democratic nominee will need 2,025 delegate votes to take the nomination, and the race for delegates is tight, with Obama holding a slight lead. Superdelegates are not required under party rules to back whomever voters back in primaries and caucuses, but can throw their support behind whomever they want.
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman endorsed Obama in October.
Polls show Clinton holds tight lead in Ohio
Two polls released Monday morning show Sen. Hillary Clinton holding a solid but tight lead in the state of Ohio.
The University of Cincinnati’s Ohio poll gave Clinton an eight-point lead in the state, finding that she has the support of 47 percent of Ohio Democratic primary likely voters compared to Sen. Barack Obama’s 39 percent. The poll was conducted Feb. 21 to Feb. 24.
Voters in the Democratic poll said the economy is their top issue in the race: 41 percent listed the economy and jobs as their top issue compared to 25 percent who said health care and health insurance was their top priority in the race. Iraq came in third, and was listed as the top priority of 16 percent of those polled.
Among Republicans, Sen. John McCain led former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee 55 to 20 percent among likely Ohio Republican primary voters. Republicans, too, ranked the economy as their top priority - 30 percent of Republican voters listed it as their number one issue, compared to 16 percent who considered homeland security and national defense their top issue.
The Ohio Poll - the first University of Cincinnati poll looking at voters this year - was one of two that came out today. The second, released by Quinnipiac University, shows Obama gaining on Clinton in the race for Ohio.
That poll found that Clinton holds an 11-point lead over Obama in the state, leading Obama 51 to 40 percent among Ohio likely primary voters.
Compare this to the 21-point lead Clinton held in a Feb. 14 poll of likely Ohio primary voters. At that time, Clinton led 55 to 34 percent.
Obama is increasing his lead among college-educated voters, the poll found. He led among them 58 to 33 percent, compared to a 46 to 41 percent Clinton lead with those voters Feb. 14.
But Clinton still does better among women, older voters, whites and voters without a college education.
“Sen. Clinton’s lead remains substantial, but the trend line should be worrisome for her in a state that even her husband, former President Bill Clinton, has said she must win,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “A week is an awful long time in politics to be playing defense, but one thing going in her favor is that she is viewed more favorably than is he by Ohio likely Democratic primary voters.”
He said it was unsurprising that Obama has made “inroads,” and said Clinton has to keep her strong support from core backers to win March 4.
Another interesting finding: if Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is the front-running Republican presidential nominee picked Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, as his vice president, only 9 percent of registered voters, including 11 percent of independents, say they would be more likely to vote for McCain.
But 18 percent of all voters, with 18 percent of independents, say it would make them less likely to vote for the Republican ticket. Overall, 70 percent say it would make no difference.
Were McCain to pick former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park, as his veep nominee, it would also have “no real effect,” the poll found. Five percent, including 6 percent of independents, would be more likely to vote for McCain; 12 percent, including 11 percent of independents, say it would make them less likely, and 76 percent say it would have no effect.
Bill Clinton coming to Dayton on Thursday
Former President Bill Clinton will be in Dayton on Thursday, Feb. 28 to campaign for his wife Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton’s campaign announced.
Details of the visit will be forthcoming.
Union releases ad for Obama
Expect to see a new pro-Barack Obama television ad starting Tuesday, Feb. 26. This one is from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, and it’s airing in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown.
The ad’s got the Clinton camp a little miffed. In a 45-minute long conference call with reporters Sunday afternoon, Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson urged Obama to get the union to back off of their ad buy, saying Obama, in Iowa, was heavily critical of then-contender John Edwards when unions began running ads for Edwards in the state. They say that Obama didn’t hesitate before bashing outside groups from getting involved in the Iowa campaign, but has been a bit too quiet when outside groups get involved on his behalf.
“This brings into question his own consistency,” said Robby Mook, the Ohio political director for Clinton.
For their part, the Clinton camp says they have no problem with unions and outside groups weighing in - provided the ads themselves are accurate.
Last week, a 527 group called American Leadership Project began running ads in Ohio praising Clinton. So-called 527 groups, which operate under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Service code, are required to advocate issues and not directly support candidates. Obama’s campaign criticized the group, comparing it to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the Republican-leaning group that criticized former Sen. John Kerry in 2004 by questioning his efforts in the Vietnam War. Obama’s camp suggested that the American Leadership Project might be violating FEC rules required to report political spending.
Wolfson said he knew nothing about the American Leadership Project and could not comment on those ads.
The Clinton camp isn’t the first to bash Obama for attacking independent groups while also accepting the support of others. The RNC earlier this month sent out a sheet detailing Obama quotes criticizing such outside involvement. “You can’t say yesterday, you don’t believe in ‘em, and today, you’re having three-quarters of a million dollars being spent for you,” they quoted Obama as saying in a Dec. 22 piece in the Chicago Tribune. “You can’t just talk the talk.” That RNC release also quoted Obama as saying, “I don’t just talk the talk; I walk the walk,” in a Jan. 25 story in the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Obama campaign late Sunday said they did not know about the union’s ad buy. Under the law, outside organizations aren’t allowed to coordinate with campaigns.
UPDATE: This from Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor: “While Senator Clinton has benefited from more than $5 million in spending from outside groups and said nothing, Senator Obama has long said that he would prefer those who want to support his him do it directly through the campaign.”
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