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NRCC Continues to Hammer Democratic Congressmen with Obama Remarks

April 12, 2008 1:00 PM

Focusing this time on Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., the National Republican Congressional Committee is trying to damn local Democrats with the comments about small towns made by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

"Jason Altmire Should Stop Flirting With Obama Campaign," says an NRCC news release sent to local media in the Keystone State. "Time for Superdelegate to Say Who He Supports."

NRCC Communications Director Karen Hanretty then says, “Congressman Jason Altmire, a superdelegate who’s been flirting with Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and who has received $10,000 from Obama's Hope Fund PAC, should denounce Sen. Obama’s statement that Pennsylvania voters are ‘bitter’ and ‘cling to guns or religion’ because they ‘can’t count on Washington.’

“Americans don’t want liberal politicians like Barack Obama who believe Washington is a substitute for faith, personal responsibility and belief that the Constitution guarantees our freedoms. It’s time for Congressman Altmire to make a choice. He can choose to stand up for the dignity of Pennsylvanians and their deeply held beliefs by rejecting the elitist rhetoric of Barack Obama, or he can continue to flirt with the Obama campaign in the hopes of getting his picture in the paper.”

The NRCC release also includes newspaper clippings indicating that Altmire attended Obama’s St. Patrick’s Day event on the Community College of Beaver County campus (Beaver County Times), and accompanied Obama and Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., to Casey's endorsement event.

Do you think this will work? Will it be effective?

UPDATE: The NRCC says it's going to send out similar news releases about Democratic Reps. Nancy Boyda and Dennis Moore of Kansas, Bruce Braley of Iowa, Joe Courtney of Connecticut, Lincoln Davis of Tennessee, Joe Donnelly, Baron Hill and Brad Ellsworth of Indiana, Gabrielle Giffords and Harry Mitchell of Arizona, Ron Klein of Florida, Nick Lampson and Ciro Rodriguez of Texas, Rick Larsen of Washington, Tim Mahoney of Florida, Jim Marshall of Georgia, Jim Matheson of Utah, Jerry McNerney of California, John Salazar of Colorado, Heath Shuler of North Carolina, Zack Space and Charlie Wilson of Ohio, Bart Stupak of Michigan, and John Yarmuth of Kentucky.

If local reporters ask these members of Congress what they think of Obama's remarks, that could extend this story and hurt him with all-important superdelegates. That's the NRCC's hope, anyway.


- jpt

April 12, 2008 in 2008: Democrats | Permalink | Share | User Comments (189)

User Comments

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Senator Casey should rescind his endorsement of Obama immediately. Where does Obama get off making his derogatory comments about PA and small-town America? Casey ran on a pro-life campaign, but Obama is for partial-birth abortion and vetoed manadatory life-saving treatment for babies born alive during an abortion. Obama and his campaign forgets that he supported the Nafta expansion bill in 2007.

Posted by: Jilly | Apr 14, 2008 9:46:16 PM

Why is the NRCC delving into Democratic primary politics? Do they think they can poach on the number of moderate Republicans that switched their party affiliation? Do they respect their vote better now than when they dismissively labeled them RINOs (Republican in name only)?

I thought conservatives were interested in running against whomever is elected by the Democratic base. What business do they have sticking their nose in what Democrat superdelegates are doing?

Press releases don't cost money. Spending time writing out horrific diatribes about race as a card liberals throw about DOES NOT COST MONEY. Why don't they run ads and spend some serious money so they can deplete their GE coffers? Then they can really show the PA and other states remaining they care.

Are they suffering from a lack of media attention because their candidates ran a 20 to 25 state run? Why not get Fox News and other conservative outlets to gin up right wing propaganda instead of leeching onto our primary?

Posted by: Genna | Apr 14, 2008 1:22:26 PM

The Bible says alie will find you out.I believe obamas lies are finding him out.I believe that the likes of Dean,Kennedy and Dashall,Kerry,and Pelosi have done more damage to the Democratic party than we can overcome for years to come.I can only hope all of them get booted out when the REpublicans win the General and we can all thank them for four more years of great things for the rich. But then we will have to hear the whining from the blacks because unlike Bill Clinton,G Bush has done nada for yhem.

Posted by: pAT jOHNSTON | Apr 13, 2008 11:23:33 PM

defending the indefensible. that should be Obama's mantra

Posted by: poetryman69 | Apr 13, 2008 9:36:22 PM

Are Democrats willing to go down with Obama? Carville said Richardson is a liar. Who do you believe. The newly goateed one is a flaming liar.

Posted by: geevill | Apr 13, 2008 8:50:23 PM

Obama's comment sounds "bitter" apparently because small town American has not fawned over him.  After all isn't he the candidate that said something to the effect that the only rason people don't like him is because they haven't met him.  It appears that not everyone buys the smiling in your face, talking about you behind your back that is "typical" of he and Michelle. Yes let every black person vote for me but let the white people sit up front. Black people go to the back of the bus.

Posted by: winning0853 | Apr 13, 2008 2:51:25 PM

Psst....Bush won with the rural vote.

What idiot would insult them, their religion, and their sport or source of food, who they vote for, why they vote for them, as well as insulting them for rightly blaming globalization, all the while calling them racists at least twice in the whole quote?

A candidate looking for a scapegoat for his racism....that's who.

Posted by: No bama | Apr 13, 2008 2:10:31 PM

In Obamas warped vison,if you own a gun,oppose gay marriage or want our borders sealed your'e just bitter over your lousy job. Amazingly, he even sees the embrace of God as a reaction to the bad economy. GO AWAY SNOB-AMA!!

Posted by: James B. | Apr 13, 2008 2:00:12 PM

orlando fl,
I know you would like to have a say in this-but according to dean and co.
(obama supporters one and all)
you are on punishment and you have been silenced.

Posted by: jgaw | Apr 13, 2008 11:54:45 AM

well unless you obama supporters can find a way to vote twice in the primary
and twice in the general
the person you want to win-obama will not win.
he cannot win the wh without
fl
mi
hillary supporters
and now-mad small town voters-and it seems to me-it makes no difference how you spin it now-they are mad and will let him know in the only way they know how-and that is to not vote for him
besides according to obama and his in the pocket dem party bigwigs. floridians in orlando will not have a say.
and I guess according to your reasoning that is hillary's fault too.
It shows just how emotional this has become for you.
if you are so sure you guy obama is the right one-and this election is in the bag for him
why do you have to resort to calling hillary names-she looks pretty clean to me.
I don't see any more arrogance in hillary than I see in obama
obama takes for granted black people will vote for him.
and hillary clinton has done some good for the people of this country
no matter how emotional you get in saying she has not.

Posted by: jgaw | Apr 13, 2008 11:49:49 AM

jgaw said:foolish and emotional is to blame president bill clinton issues on Hillary
one minute you obama supporters are talking about how insignificant she was as first lady
and on the other hand-you talk as if she was responsible for everything that happened in bill' presidency.


She takes credit for the good in his administration so why not the bad? You Hillary Clinton supporters are just mad because your cnadidate is behind and every opportunity she gets to exploit something she does. She is dirty and arrogant as well. She thought the contest would be over by February 5th, um WRONG!!! Now instead of being proactive she has to be reactive. She can't even run her own campaign in a decent and orderly fashion. How can she run an entire nation? If this is any indication of what we will see in the White House then you can keep it.

Posted by: Dennis in Orlando, FL | Apr 13, 2008 11:33:09 AM

Bitter, Angry and Mad as Hell,

Yes i am bitter, and all of you should be too.

Ask your Senator, what happen in the closed door investigation of "why 13 billion dollars in U.S. cash was flown to Iraq, and then dissappeared?".

It will show up in the Republican push for the Presidence I bet you.

Ask why Bush and the big oil is sucking the life out of Americans.

Ask why Chaney, and Halliburton is still getting big contract that you are paying for.

I am bitter because I am not afraid to look at the truth of what is happening.

A lot of you voted for Bush on MORAL issues in 2000 and 2004, It is IMMORAL for what they are doing to you and your children and grandchildren.

You should be bitter, if you have a brain that has any common sense.

Posted by: American9 | Apr 13, 2008 10:45:37 AM

Sounds like the NRCC is trying to goad Democrats into rallying to Obama's defense. They've been gaming our primary all along.
*****A

Posted by: Adrienne in CA | Apr 13, 2008 4:29:15 AM

Just Words?? ..."Don't tell me words don't matter.." - Barack H. Obama

Sooooo, What does Michelle O. think about small town Americans??? I would LOOOVVE to hear what SHE has to say! LOL!!

Come on Axelrod, let Michelle speak!!!

The Obamas ~ The True BITTER Americans!

Posted by: NO2Hate | Apr 13, 2008 2:09:58 AM

Obama now has a coverup problem. He clearly views conservative voters as rationality challenged by religion and parochialism. Though he feels that way, he now suggests he never intended to say such a thing. His credibility now stands negatively affected. His spinmasters further erode his credibility by failing to concede this makes him unelectable.

Posted by: edfairness | Apr 13, 2008 1:46:12 AM

Don't blame me for future President McCain. We caucused for Edwards. Lol, the GOP has not run scared since the DEMS ran that ad against Goldwater with the little girl picking daisies.

Posted by: 24hrlib | Apr 13, 2008 12:33:41 AM

OF COURSE OBAMA said what he said.

Any YES, he meant it the way he said it! It did sound sort of arrogant and condescending.

I should know, I was there in Marin when he said it.

Posted by: ELITIST | Apr 13, 2008 12:11:26 AM

DON'T BE DUPED !!!

Large numbers of Republicans have been voting for Barack Obama in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses from early on. Because they feel he would be a weaker opponent against John McCain. With Hillary Clinton you are almost 100% certain to get quality, affordable universal health care very soon.

But first, all of you have to make certain that Hillary Clinton takes the democratic nomination and then the Whitehouse. NOW! is the time. THIS! is the moment you have all been working, and waiting for. You can do this America. “Carpe diem” (harvest the day).

I think Hillary Clinton see’s a beautiful world of plenty for all. She’s a woman, and a mother. And it’s time America. Do this for your-selves, and your children’s future. You will have to work together on this and be aggressive, relentless, and creative. Americans face an even worse catastrophe ahead than the one you are living through now.

You see, the medical and insurance industry mostly support the republicans with the money they ripped off from you. And they don’t want you to have quality, affordable universal health care. They want to be able to continue to rip you off, and kill you and your children by continuing to deny you life saving medical care that you have already paid for. So they can continue to make more immoral profits for them-selves.

Hillary Clinton has actually won by much larger margins than the vote totals showed. And lost by much smaller vote margins than the vote totals showed. Her delegate count is actually much higher than it shows. And higher than Obama’s. She also leads in the electoral college numbers that you must win to become President in the November national election. HILLARY CLINTON IS ALREADY THE TRUE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE!

As much as 30% of Obama's primary, and caucus votes are Republicans trying to choose the weakest democratic candidate for McCain to run against. These Republicans have been gaming the caucuses where it is easier to vote cheat. This is why Obama has not been able to win the BIG! states primaries. Even with Republican vote cheating help.

Hillary Clinton has been OUT MANNED! OUT GUNNED! and OUT SPENT! 4 and 5 to 1. Yet Obama has only been able to manage a very tenuous, and questionable tie with Hillary Clinton.

If Obama is the democratic nominee for the national election in November he will be slaughtered. Because the Republican vote cheating help will suddenly evaporate. All of this vote fraud and republican manipulation has made Obama falsely look like a much stronger candidate than he really is. YOUNG PEOPLE. DON’T BE DUPED! Think about it. You have the most to lose.

The democratic party needs to fix this outrage. Everyone needs to throw all your support to Hillary Clinton NOW! So you can end this outrage against YOU the voter, and against democracy.
The democratic party, and the super-delegates have a decision to make. Are the democrats, and the democratic party going to choose the DEMOCRATIC party nominee to fight for the American people. Or are the republicans going to choose the DEMOCRATIC party nominee through vote fraud, and gaming the DEMOCRATIC party primaries, and caucuses.

Fortunately the Clinton’s have been able to hold on against this fraudulent outrage with those repeated dramatic comebacks of Hillary Clinton’s. Only the Clinton’s are that resourceful, and strong. Hillary Clinton is your NOMINEE. They are the best I have ever seen.

“This is not a game” (Hillary Clinton)

Sincerely

jacksmith...

Posted by: jacksmith | Apr 12, 2008 11:21:09 PM

Just as a follow up, it may well be a fact that some people are bitter because they lost their job. Had Sen. Obama said THAT, then he wouldn't have cause such a stir. But he LINKED that bitterness as to why people support the other issues. That is what was wrong with his statement.

Posted by: James Danley | Apr 12, 2008 9:11:50 PM

I'm pretty cynical, but i have to say, today takes the cake

if Obama loses because people buy this molehill argument that somehow he hates guns and God, then we DESERVE four more years of Bush


Posted by: Tad | Apr 12, 2008 9:11:04 PM

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