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The Battle for Former Clinton Advisers: Obama Claims He’s Got More
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ShareDecember 21, 2007 9:19 PM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. incorrectly boasted at a campaign stop in Washington, Iowa Friday that there were more former Clinton administration advisers attached to his campaign than his opponent Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY.
“You could argue that there are more foreign policy experts from the Clinton administration supporting me than Sen. Clinton and that should raise some pretty interesting questions. Why is the national security adviser, the secretary of the navy for Bill Clinton, the assistant secretary of state for Bill Clinton, why are all these people endorsing me?"
Obama's misleading claim, which comes just two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, was swiftly rebuked by Cinton's campaign.
"Sen. Obama claimed that more foreign policy experts from the Clinton administration support him than Sen. Clinton. This is false," Clinton spokesperson Phil Singer said.
“Sen. Obama is attacking Sen. Clinton by making demonstrably false claims about his foreign policy credentials that only raise more questions about his own lack of experience,” Singer said.
The Obama campaign supplied a list of 73 Obama advisers, 47 of whom are former Clinton administration advisers. But the Clinton camp tonight released a list of 83 former Clinton administration foreign policy experts they said were advising her campaign.
On Sunday, Obama was asked about the number discrepancy where his campaign is citing 47 former Clinton advisers on his campaign and Clinton is claiming 83.
Said Obama: "Well look, this was based on, what I said is “one could make” the argument, that was based on an argument that had been made by James Traub in an article the New York Times, I have not done a systematic headcount. But the broader point that I was making was that the interesting question is that we’ve got a awful lot of former Clintonites supporting us and so when people raise that as a question then I think the logical question afterwards is why is that?"
"And it’s because I believe that a lot of folks recognize the position I take on foreign policy is not only consistent but also is a break from the conventional thinking that got us into trouble in the past."
Meanwhile, at a campaign stop Friday Obama declared that he has more foreign policy experience now than two past presidents when they ran for office.
“I sit on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; even by the standards of Washington I have dealt more with foreign policy than let's say Bill Clinton had when he became president or Ronald Reagan who was a governor at the time.”
Obama’s gauge of his experience came after he was asked about his foreign policy vision as opposed to his top opponent, Sen. Clinton.
(With reporting from Jake Tapper and Eloise Harper)
December 21, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (6)
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This is so easy to fact check. Why the lie from Obama? That' easy - he doesn't think the press will check out a single thing he says for its truthfulness - and he's right.
He can pretty much say whatever he wants and the MSM swallow it hook line and sinker.
Posted by: Pragmatic Liberl | Dec 22, 2007 1:58:36 PM
Mr. Liberl. Obama was stressing that he had 47 former Clinton advisors which should raise an issue on her record not how how many advisors both had together in all. Take some time and marinate on it and get back to me if you have any questions. Peace.
Posted by: JAMES | Dec 22, 2007 2:38:00 PM
James,
Obama said he had more, a factual lie.
"You could argue that there are more foreign policy experts from the Clinton administration supporting me than Sen. Clinton and that should raise some pretty interesting questions."
You could argue that his 47 advisers is about half of those who support Clinton.
That point can certainly by used to raise an issue on his record. Take some time and marinate on it and get back to me if you have any questions. Peace back at you.
Posted by: Pragmatic Liberl | Dec 22, 2007 5:12:37 PM
He didn't lie. As you point out, he said "“You could argue that there are more foreign policy experts from the Clinton administration supporting me than Sen. Clinton".
How many of those names on Clinton's list are actual advisers? Did the reporters check or were they too anxious to pass along this petty attack on Obama?
Posted by: Mike | Dec 22, 2007 6:59:48 PM
How can a candidate who pride himself in change brags of so many advisers from the past? If the number of clinton advisers is an indication of foreign policy experienc over Hilary, What about the support of the man himself?
Posted by: lahai kemo | Dec 23, 2007 5:03:50 PM
Bragging about having more Clinton Advisors than Hillary is nothing really to Brag about. The Clinton Administration had a Good Foreign Policy, but it was not Great. Think about Somolia and Rwanda.
Posted by: Ka Olu | Dec 26, 2007 2:54:12 PM
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