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Obama Camp Infiltrates Clinton Call

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March 04, 2008 9:06 PM

ABC News' Teddy Davis and Talal Al-Khatib Report: In one of the most bizarre moments of the 2008 campaign, Obama campaign lawyer Bob Bauer called into a Tuesday night Clinton campaign conference call with reporters. The four and a half minute exchange led to a series of antagonistic questions painting the former first lady's charges of caucus vote tampering as baseless.

"I'd be interested to know," said Bauer, "how is this any different from the series of complaints that you've registered against every caucus that you lose?"

Listen to the exchange between Bauer and Clinton campaign communications director Howard Wolfson here.

The purpose of the Clinton campaign conference call was to accuse Obama's Texas backers of improperly padding the Illinois Democrat's caucus vote total. The improper padding was allegedly done earlier in the day on Tuesday by getting primary voters who support Obama to fill out sign-in sheets all day long rather than waiting until the primary polls close and the caucus process formally gets underway. Part of the challenge of the Lone Star State's hybrid primary-caucus system is getting one's backers to vote once in the primary (either in person or through early voting) and once in the caucus.

Allegations of sign-in sheets being filled out before the primary polls close is a serious allegation because the sign-in sheets are the equivalent of caucus votes. The Texas Democratic Party rules only require someone to sign their name and state their presidential preference; caucus participants are not required to attend the entire caucus meeting.

While the Clinton campaign has aggressively raised questions about a Texas caucus process whose result is expected to favor Obama, the Obama campaign has also expressed their concerns to the Texas Democratic Party that Clinton's supporters were not abiding by party rules.

The Texas Democratic Party responded by issuing a memo setting forth party rules and urging both sides to stick to them.

While the Clinton campaign has sought to portray the memo's reference to impropriety on the part of "a given campaign" as having been issued with the purpose of rebuking Obama, Texas Democratic Party spokesman Hector Nieto told ABC News that such an assertion is not true.

The Texas Democratic Party is making a concerted effort not to take sides. Nieto says concerns have been expressed by both the Clinton and Obama campaigns while adding that the Texas Democratic Party does not have any proof to substantiate any of the charges. 

While the Texas Democratic Party has a formal process for challenging caucus sign-in sheets, it doesn't come until when the state Democratic Party holds its convention in June, according to Nieto. "This memo was just sent out to make certain that both campaigns are aware of what the procedures are," said Nieto. "We expect both campaigns to abide by these rules." 

As soon as the operator opened up Bauer's line on a conference call, which was intended for reporters, the Obama lawyer began painting Clinton as a repeat caucus loser whose strategy is always to question the integrity of the caucus vote.

Wolfson responded to Bauer's infiltration of the Clinton call by encouraging him to see to it that allegations of caucus vote tampering be addressed in an expeditious way.

Wolfson concluded his exchange with Bauer in stride, saying,  "We look forward to asking our own questions in subsequent phone calls of yours."

After Bauer got off the line following a few minutes of scathing rhetoric, a reporter asked Wolfson to identify the Obama lawyer who had called in. Wolfson spelled Bauer's name and accused him of having engaged in a "vigorous defense of the indefensible."

After the episode had concluded, the Clinton camp reacted to Bauer's highly unorthodox move by portraying the Obama campaign as increasingly unstable.

"They are unhinged," Clinton spokesman Phil Singer told ABC News. "Seriously."

March 4, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (111)

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Now that's REAL change! and hope, and the hope of change, and the change of, well hope...
What a bunch of idiots!
Let's do this Texas style, give'em both derringer's and have 'em turn at ten paces....
Couldn't agree with Lee more! This is going to be fun!!! Two political hacks trying to stab each other in the back while smiling for the media!
Oh, and where's the coverage of Rezco???

Posted by: C. Alley | Mar 4, 2008 10:36:42 PM

I don't know about anyone else but I just love seeing the Dems blow up before our eyes. The "protectors" of the voters are doing everything in their power to disenfranchise as many voters as possible. Florida...Michigan, Ohio and now Texas.

I don't ever want to hear about the "stolen 2000 election" from these hypocrites.

Posted by: Rob | Mar 4, 2008 10:36:56 PM

Claims of voter fraud and the Republicans are not involved? It makes me wonder.

Posted by: JonDough | Mar 4, 2008 10:39:10 PM

Texas Democrats have engineered the most arcane primary/caucus system in the history of the U.S. "The Texas Fiasco"... Redefines the phrase "Cluster F%*k". Their antics leads one to conclude that the Dems could not run the USA any better than the campaigns. This could NOT happen to a finer party than the Democrats.

Keep on fighting, suing, slinging charges of voting irregularities, dirty campaigning tricks amongst yourselves.

Meanwhile, the GOP began its Presidential Campaign tonight.

The "Texas Fiasco"... One of the ONLY events in eight years that the liberals CANNOT blame on George W. Bush, yours and mine most beloved President.

Posted by: JDaniel | Mar 4, 2008 10:43:49 PM

If Hillary Clinton pulls this out, will she make Rush Limbaugh her press secretary and Ann Coulter her appointment secretary?

This is the strangest election since at least 1968: Hope the democratic party convention is a replay from that year!!

Posted by: Mark Moore | Mar 4, 2008 10:51:54 PM

In Iowa the I asked for and received the list of people attending my caucus. There were definately 2 Obama supporters that were at the wrong location and knew they shouldn't be there. They were counted. There were also several questionable people that registered to vote. We talked about it but found the 2 would face charges however Obama would not loose any delegates. The 2 Obama supporters were young and had been following instructions by the Obama camp BUT they did know they were not suppose to be there. We decided it would be better to fight this out at the county convention. This sort of thing happened accross the state. I did not support either Obama or Clinton at the caucus but I do find it curious that Obama seems to do very well in caucus states with the exception of Nevada where they caucus was monitored carefully.

Posted by: plh | Mar 4, 2008 10:52:22 PM

"Obama Camp Infiltrates Clinton Call"

This is simply uncalled for... How anyone, lawyer or not, can impose in this manner is simply unprofessional and outrageous. Who gives Obama or his representatives the right or POWER to do this?

As for Obama and the registering for the Selective Service? You have to be kidding.. this is the man that doesn't show respect for the flag and the protocols associated with it.

This country will be in serious trouble if Obama ends up President.

Posted by: S | Mar 4, 2008 11:00:14 PM

Gotta love it. Young voters shoot themselves in the foot yet again with their near-orgasmic love of Obama only to revert back to acting like the kids they are when things don't go their way.

Posted by: Str8 Dope | Mar 4, 2008 11:02:45 PM

Isn't it funny...every election charges are raised by the Democrats that Republicans are tampering with the vote. Yet, this election, the only voting process tampering seems to be on the Democratic side. What does that tell you?

Posted by: cataclysmo | Mar 4, 2008 11:04:16 PM

"I can picture Obama running from the Senate chamber yelling "I'll get it!"

And hopefully that will be his only way to try to answer that phone... He certainly shouldn't be sitting next to it!

Posted by: S | Mar 4, 2008 11:08:16 PM

this is what happens when all we have are senators running for office. Governors have to lead, have to work with both parties and many constituents. Senators stay in power by working the system, infighting, getting on the right committees by selling out or compromising their ethics. This cat fight was destined to happen with these two. It's going to bloody the hell out of the dem party, just when they really needed to unite. Much to blame is on the radical left, moveon crowd. The refuse to recognize that most of the country is in the center, doesn't hate Bush even if they disagree, and doesn't hate Bill even if they think he embarassed the country. This election would have been hillary's if not for the far left wing and her lack of anything strongly centrist or right of center. McCain's a proven collaborator with both sides. He drives both far right and far left crazy, but neither of them will EVER when an election without independents and some rational compromise. Reagan was easy on immigrants, Bill passed welfare reform. The center wins time and again, the alternatives are too risky for 55% of americans either way.

Posted by: donkey | Mar 4, 2008 11:09:02 PM

I think it is great after the attack ads Hillary came out with and now she is unhappy about the caucus. Do you blame Obamas attorney? They are so dirty and I hope she never is in the White House.

Posted by: Phyllis | Mar 4, 2008 11:13:47 PM

Unhinged?! Look whose talking! This from the campaign who tried to smear Obama with photos of him in islamic dress, and highlighting the Hussein business? Honestly the Clinton campaign makes Karl Rove look like an amateur in the art of smear campaigns! If Obama wants to exercise the art of turnabout being fair play, then I say more power to him.

Posted by: Lee | Mar 4, 2008 11:16:59 PM

I am so pleased to see Obama got a spanking. Thank goodness voters began to do research on Obama's views.

Posted by: Christie | Mar 4, 2008 11:17:01 PM

Good one "S." Young voters: reminds me of what/who is out there voting every time I see Jaywalking on the Tonight Show. Some of the gifted young can't even recognize a picture of Al Gore. But they're all for change! ROFLMAO.

Posted by: milton | Mar 4, 2008 11:27:13 PM

Hillary's decision to go on tonight means that she is this election cycle's version of Ralph Nader in 2000.

Add "spoiler" to the Clintons' record of private, public and financial misdeeds.

A party of change cannot be a party to corruption.

P.S. Did you notice that after winning Ohio tonight, Hillary mentioned Barack Obama, but couldn't bring herself to mention him, much less congratulate him on his victory, the 11 times he won previously?

No class.

Posted by: MARTIN EDWIN "MICK" ANDERSEN | Mar 4, 2008 11:30:39 PM

just keep on fighting that wiil make mccain a sure shot for the white house

Posted by: ny | Mar 4, 2008 11:39:10 PM

My neighborhood went 86 % obama to 14 % clinton, everyone was respectful and we made sure that both camps shared all responsibilities, so that there would be no cries of foul play. After all we are all on the same team!

Yes We Can... beat the Republicants in November.

Posted by: JD | Mar 4, 2008 11:56:55 PM

How can the Dems rule the world if they can't even rule themselves!?

Posted by: Mark Henning | Mar 4, 2008 11:57:19 PM

There are now reports coming out of Texas that people that would appear to be Obama supporters were told when they went to vote that the caucus location had been change or cancelled when neither was true. I wonder which campaign was behind that.

Posted by: texasbill | Mar 4, 2008 11:59:06 PM

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