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Obama Heats Up Criticism of Edwards over 527s
December 23, 2007 12:36 PM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: It's just two days before Christmas and the shots between the campaigns haven’t slowed with the season.
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., at a stop in Des Moines at the West End Diner, blasted former North Carolina senator John Edwards on independent third-party 527 groups.
“My attitude is if you can't get your former campaign manager and political director to do what you like then it’s going to be hard to get the insurance companies and the drug companies to do what you like,” Obama told a small group of reporters.
Obama was referring to former Edwards campaign manager, Nick Baldick, who plans to run an ad with the 527 group “Alliance for a New America.”
“The fact is that this is somebody who worked for John Edwards for who knows how many years. He’s a good friend and colleague of Edwards who's now running a 527 that's running ads on behalf of John Edwards. You're telling me that he has no influence on him, that's just not true.”
Obama would not definitively answer if he would accept 527s in the general election, but said during the primary season he would tell them to stop.
“What I hope to do is to get Republicans to come up with some sort of agreement in terms of how we are going to operate," Obama said, “You know, I'm not going to endanger the Democratic party’s ability to win races by letting the other side outspend us by two or three million dollars.”
And one last word: a dig likely directed at Edwards.
“The irony is that nobody’s got a more progressive track record in this race. I’m not the one who has to apologize consistently for votes I’ve made not standing up to Republicans.”
At Obama's' first scheduled stop of the day, he opened up telling a crowd in Greenfield that all he wants for Christmas is to win the Iowa caucus.
December 23, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (80)
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What happened to running a clean campaign in which Obama does not make jibes at fellow democrats? Obama is a younger version of the same unscrupulous politicians we have now; he is just more eloquent.
Posted by: QWERTY | Dec 23, 2007 6:11:29 PM
Edwards is a liar; he does not live the ideas he preaches. If he cannot contain his previous manager, how can he control the diverse people of America? Edwards should step aside and leave the presidential hope alone. He should be home taking care of his lovely sick wife; she needs him
Posted by: Sam Lobey | Dec 23, 2007 6:19:18 PM
agree with QWERTY about Obama - the most suspect thing is hypocrisy from Edwards and Obama -
Obama - wants 527s out when it's during the primaries - but OK to accept their support during the General Election -
Edwards - OK for public financing of campaign during the primaries - but not willing to limit himself to public financing during the General Election.
What is that all about? They should just both accept that they're hypocrites and so should the American public.
Posted by: bablan | Dec 23, 2007 6:26:44 PM
I Obama is "attacking" Edwards on his voting records then what is so personal about it? Would not that be a policy issue? If Edwards is "attacking" Obama on health care then it is a policy issue. They both have every right and commitment to us to outline the differences do they not? Obama was not critizing his character, he was "attacking" Edwards for not being committed for not "fighting" his policy for change when he was a senator and because of his record. If you are a supporter of Edwards or Obama, then they need to be man enough to debate the issues, if they cannot then how are going to debate it with the Republicans in the general election?
Posted by: JAMES | Dec 23, 2007 6:28:55 PM
Obama is just as down and dirty as any other politician, He just pretends he isnt. He also has a habit of just not voting when there is a risk of controversy. Instead he is busy critiquing those who had at least the guts to cast a vote one way or another.
Posted by: JT | Dec 23, 2007 7:06:13 PM
Obama was waiting for the chance to run for president even though he has no experience, capabilities or intelligence to become president. His speeches are words from previous presidents, he is learning foreign policy from former associates of Bill Clinton. I don't even know how he got elected as a senator. Every time he campaigns he always attacking rivals instead of telling the public these are the changes I will make as president. And begin telling the changes. All candidates should tell the public what changes they would make if president and not attack their rivals. Obama and Edwards were the first one's to attach Hillary Clinton when all three started to campaign and that was because she was leading the pack. Then when Hillary started her attack they didn't like it. Obama was attacking Hillary for at least two months, now he is attacking Edwards. He must be very desperate. I wouldn't vote for him if he needed my one vote to win. He was raised a Muslim and its good Kerrey let the dirt out on him. And if Hillary doesn't win the nomination let's hope it isn't Obama. Any one but him. I am a Democrat but I would vote republican if he won the nomination.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Dec 23, 2007 8:30:23 PM
Obama was waiting for the chance to run for president even though he has no experience, capabilities or intelligence to become president. His speeches are words from previous presidents, he is learning foreign policy from former associates of Bill Clinton. I don't even know how he got elected as a senator. Every time he campaigns he always attacking rivals instead of telling the public these are the changes I will make as president. And begin telling the changes. All candidates should tell the public what changes they would make if president and not attack their rivals. Obama and Edwards were the first one's to attach Hillary Clinton when all three started to campaign and that was because she was leading the pack. Then when Hillary started her attack they didn't like it. Obama was attacking Hillary for at least two months, now he is attacking Edwards. He must be very desperate. I wouldn't vote for him if he needed my one vote to win. He was raised a Muslim and its good Kerrey let the dirt out on him. And if Hillary doesn't win the nomination let's hope it isn't Obama. Any one but him. I am a Democrat but I would vote republican if he won the nomination.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Dec 23, 2007 8:30:33 PM
Edwards' record as a Senator is fair game, but Obama is conveniently ignoring all the things that Edwards has done to raise awareness of, and do something about, important issues since his time in the Senate. Seems to me what you've done recently is more important than what you did years ago. And, nobody in this campaign would be talking about universal health care or poverty if Edwards were not driving key issues.
This 527 that Obama is complaining about are union workers--some real big evil folks, huh? Sounds like sour grapes to me, since Edwards has garnered far more union support thatn Edwards. That in itself should tell us something about who is really for the working man. Also, Edwards cannot coordinate with, control, or in any other way involve himself in the activities of a 527 group. He can--which he has done--call for a stop to 527 activities, but he cannot by law influence them. Obama, as an attorney, knows this. He is being very disengenuous, and hypocritical to boot. He's worried now that he can sense the strong support Edwards has in Iowa!
Posted by: Anne | Dec 23, 2007 8:32:27 PM
I guess Obama's promise to change the tone of politics - that is, to refrain from cheap shots, innuendo and downright character assassination - apply only to his relations with Republicans and with His Mentor Joe Lieberman. Left-wing Democrats are apparently fair game.
Posted by: A.W. | Dec 23, 2007 8:42:30 PM
I hope Edwards realizes how Obama is stabbing him in the back. Obama took Edwards help to spread dirt on Hillary while himself looking clean. Edwards should fire that idiot Trippi who is a good friends with Axelrod (Obama's campaign chief)and Trippi was the one who convinced Edwards to take the matching funds.
Posted by: Pandora | Dec 23, 2007 9:19:04 PM
We have to have a gut for our genders, it's time and she is working hard to acheive this. She is not a cheap shot to come up with the idea to become a president, you have to nurture your experience before you have a real job. to point out someone else is easy than real task.you're going to vote for him because of he young and cute,please do me a favour Iowan, go for the one who work harder to earn it, she deserve it all...LOVE YOU
Posted by: dorn | Dec 23, 2007 9:35:29 PM
Ok, so an old friend of Edwards is running a 527 and putting out advertisements that support Edwards. And Ophra, a friend and fan of Obama is stumping for him. Ok. So ok. Where's the beef?
Posted by: Jackie | Dec 23, 2007 9:49:11 PM
sorry about that...
Posted by: Jackie | Dec 23, 2007 9:52:04 PM
>>>This 527 that Obama is complaining about are union workers--some real big evil folks, huh? <<<<<
Well, I'm sorry to say, it was another union workers' 527, one supporting Hillary, that put out the flyer attacking Obama and making it look like it came from Edwards. No 'group' can be counted on to be above this apparently - we can only look for the individuals who are. (And turn our back on the individuals who aren't...)
Posted by: Elizabeth | Dec 23, 2007 10:47:08 PM
Please when you give your comment, try to be rational, have positive attitude for each candidate. All of them (Obama, Edward, and Hillary) very good guys. The question is who is electibe, change agent and honest to bring about the change we are in need of. In my view every candidate deseve to examn records of his oponent with out being personal. God bless America
Posted by: eskindir | Dec 23, 2007 11:00:50 PM
As a Democrat I want Obama stopped now. The fact that he has gone negative is good news. It must mean he is in trouble.
Posted by: john Smart | Dec 23, 2007 11:11:13 PM
He won't win. Obama won't win... mark my words. If he gets the Democratic Nomination, the Republicans will be in the White House for 4 more years. It's a fact.
Posted by: Scott | Dec 23, 2007 11:11:59 PM
Please, no more Republicans in the white house.
Posted by: Rebecca | Dec 23, 2007 11:24:50 PM
LOL...I like it when the Republicans get jabbed.
Posted by: Black | Dec 23, 2007 11:25:23 PM
What experience did Bush have to become a president? Hillary's experience is what? Belligerence - Iraq/Iran vote? She has the balls to order a hit on some third world country and murder some innocent family?
Posted by: Jogi | Dec 24, 2007 12:00:04 AM
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