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Clinton Response to Obama's Accusation of Scare Tactics
February 29, 2008 11:51 AM
ABC News' Kate Snow and Eloise Harper Report: Senator Hillary Clinton fought back against Senator Barack Obama’s criticism of her latest ad that he said inspired fear.
The Clinton campaign released an ad today with ominous undertones.
"It's 3:00am and your children are asleep," a voice over says in the ad entitled "Children". "There's a phone in the White House, and it's ringing. Something is happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call."
"Whether someone knows the world's leaders, knows the military, someone tested and ready to lead. It's 3am and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?" the ad concludes.
Obama, D-Ill., pushed back hard against the new ad, which ABC News' George Stephanopoulos described as "the nuclear option" on Friday's "Good Morning America."
Addressing a group of veterans at an American Legion post in Houston, Obama said: "We've seen these ads before. They're the kind that play on peoples' fears to scare up votes."
Today Clinton defended her ad.
“Senator Obama says that if we talk about national security in this campaign we are trying to scare people. Well I don’t think people in Texas scare all that easily. The American people aren’t afraid of the challenges and dangers we face in the world. They want a president who with the strength and wisdom to take those challenges and dangers head on,” she said.
Clinton defended the ad saying she would know what to do when that phone rang in the White House at 3am. “There isn’t any time to convene your advisors, to do a survey on what will or what will not be popular. You have to make a decision. And in the world that we face with both the challenges and opportunities we need a president who picks up that phone ready to decide.”
Clinton went further, making the argument that Obama was not there when important decisions needed to be made.
“Senator Obama talks about these issues when it came time to act he was missing in action.” Clinton said. “He was missing in action when he failed to show up for a vote dealing with Iran. He was missing in action when he failed to hold a single substantive hearing on a committee that he chaired that had responsibility for Europe and NATO and NATO’s policy in Afghanistan.”
Earlier today Obama said that Clinton had her "red phone" moment -- and that was when she voted for the war in Iraq.
Clinton walked through Obama's war position saying "He gave a speech in 2002 against the war in Iraq and I commend him for that speech. By 2004 he was saying he wasn't sure how he would have voted because he never had to vote and then basically agreed with the way President Bush was conducting the war. By the time he got to the Senate he voted exactly as I did. There is a difference between giving a speech and having the responsibility and step up and take charge."
Senator Clinton was introduced on stage by retired four-star General Wesley Clark who also urged voters view the ad.
"The phone rings and we have to have the right person answer that phone,” Clark said, and then turned to Clinton saying “I guess you have been on that bedside when the phone rang at 3 o’clock in the morning.”
February 29, 2008 in Political Radar | Permalink | Share | User Comments (97)
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Obama = Whiner
He's crying about a political ad when he should be telling us how he will lead. How he intends to keep us safe and secure.
"No Sudden Moves" Obama has been moved off message and this is the best he can do?
Keep playing to your base Mr. Obama, the youth movement that was 10 - 14 years old when 9/11 happened.
Some of us actually remember how frightening and devasting it was to see NYC attacked and our fellow Americans killed.
Hillary Clinton went to Ground Zero the day after 9/11. What did you do Mr. Obama?
Believe me I HOPE he knows what the he!! to do if we are naieve enough to vote for him.
Posted by: OhioNative | Feb 29, 2008 12:12:23 PM
Can someone please ask Obama how he would've voted on the Iraq war if he was a junior senator from New York in 2002?? Of course no one can ask - that would be using using scare tactics!!!!
Posted by: victor | Feb 29, 2008 12:17:45 PM
I heard the Clinton team tried to raise the bar today on the March 4 votes...somneone needs to point out to those rocket scientist that the front runner can raise the bar but the guy trailing? Can't....well I guess they can try but they still come out looking like they are grasphing at straws.
Posted by: Sam | Feb 29, 2008 12:18:39 PM
It's hard for Obama to back track to the point when he said he was against the Iraq war. There are too many points where he voted to fund it, and too many points when he did not fulfill his responsibility for leading his committee on Afghanistan. He has had little responsibility, and when he had the chance to lead, he failed.
Posted by: georgia | Feb 29, 2008 12:22:08 PM
You are right OhioNative, he must be living in a fantasy world to not remember the world that we live-in today. He should be answering with solutions but first he must convene his speechwriters and consultants to tell him what to say.
Posted by: to | Feb 29, 2008 12:22:29 PM
This speech in Waco as great! Doesn't anyone wonder why we haven't heard anything from obama about National Security and his plans? Its because he knows he has no experience. This was the only way that this dialogue could happen and guess what it worked people are actually taking a look at both candidates judgements and experience when it comes to National Security something that should of happened a long time ago, but the media was too busy giving Obama pillows. Guess what there won't be any pillows when that phone rings!! Go Hillary 08
Posted by: Mike | Feb 29, 2008 12:23:56 PM
Did anyone in the Obama campaign not mention that answering those three am calls in the White House is the job of a president? If he is afraid to mention or know what this job demands of him then he isn't fit to be considered for the job. That's not fear mongering Obama, that's the job description of the job itself.
Posted by: Wil | Feb 29, 2008 12:29:30 PM
Ironic that Senator Clinton says, “There isn’t any time to convene your advisors, to do a survey on what will or what will not be popular," when she chooses as her campaign's chief strategist Mark Penn, who heads a public relations firm and a polling firm.
Posted by: Jack V. | Feb 29, 2008 12:31:21 PM
Right, Jack V, another brilliant comment by an Obama fan. Try dealing with the issue itself then maybe we have something to say to each other.
Posted by: Wil | Feb 29, 2008 12:33:58 PM
Hillary should be the last person talking about opinion polls. You had no answer at the debate on tuesday on whether you would go back to Iraq if al-queda started forming a base there, Obama did. You are so overly scripted and you act out like your hormones are out of balance. I wish you would drop out of the race already so that Obama can focus on Mccain.
Posted by: Emo | Feb 29, 2008 12:35:53 PM
Honestly, I know that the media would twist this all around some way to Obama's benefit, but I just would once like to hear a response to Obama's statements regarding Hillary's vote with "Really, you would have not voted for authorizing military force? How would we really know? Whenever your back is to the wall, you are either not there to vote, vote 'present', or say 'I pushed the wrong button'. And as far as the decision itself is concerned, it is all well and good for folks now to look back and say they would not have authorized it, especially for those who did not have to make any decision because - you guessed it, they were not a member of Congress (can you say Obama?). We had been attacked, were being lied to by our President with regard to the threat (and given Sadaam's past, it was certainly believable - he had continued to assert hostile intentions, and refused the weapons inspectors). So while any idiot can look back and say we should not have invaded, most need to dig deep and wonder if they really would have not voted for the resolution themselves.
As for Obama, he did not show up for the recent vote on Iran's military guard - as he seems want to do whenever there is a critical and difficult decision to be made.
I don't expect our leaders to be perfect, but I do expect them to lead. His stance on this vote issue makes me all the more want to support Hillary.
We need real leaders, not empty suits and rhetoric.
Posted by: bw | Feb 29, 2008 12:37:06 PM
Wow.
That was *fast*.
Posted by: chicka | Feb 29, 2008 12:38:36 PM
Mike: I don't think Obama is aware of National Security is he did not know about the situation in Iraq. How would he handle the war? Oh yes, bring all the troops home at one time, that put them back if needed. That's what inexperienced candidates should teach the American people at voting time and he is not the one to vote for. Before you know it they would be bombing us and he would be hiding underground. What a total mess this country would be in. If Hillary does not get the nomination I hope her voters will vote for McCain and block the presidency from Obama because he does not deserve it.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 29, 2008 12:38:52 PM
Emo, why are the obama people calling for her to drop out before tues. Scared that the Rezko trial starting monday will damage him also.
Posted by: to | Feb 29, 2008 12:40:27 PM
Fantasic ad!
I don't know if they have tea in the senate armed services committee meetings, but HIllary has been on that committee for eight years, and shown up, and done the work, and voted.
Contrast this to Mr Obama who made a speech once, when he wasnt in the senate and has been too busy running for President to convene the committe that oversees NATO and the Afghan mission. Or to bother with a silly vote on Iran. He's just too busy, but he'll use Afghanistan and Iran in his stump speeches.
The man doesn't know the first thing about foreign policy. He says what his speech writer tells him to say.
Hillary will be answering that phone. Thank GOD!
Posted by: s.b. | Feb 29, 2008 12:41:34 PM
undeniable record of Hillary's Red-Phone test: F (Failed)
..as did Bush and McCain.
Sorry Hillary/McCain/Bush all of you have lost any credibility to advise anyone on national security...because your F grade in that matter.
Posted by: moeen | Feb 29, 2008 12:42:39 PM
F (failed) : undeniable record of Hillary's Red-Phone test
..as did Bush and McCain.
Sorry Hillary/McCain/Bus, all of you have lost any credibility to lecture anyone on national security...because of your F grade in that matter..... let alone qualify for commander-in-chief position.
If I were any of them I would but out...unlike some people who prefer being kicked out... well have it your way.
Posted by: moeen | Feb 29, 2008 12:45:39 PM
Emo, isn't al Queada already in Iraq now? Or will they leave just before Obama is elected and then come back again after he withdraws the military? Then he'll go back in again?
Posted by: Wil | Feb 29, 2008 12:45:42 PM
It amazes me that obama constantly gives the impression that he voted agianst the Iraq war. He did no such thing. His every vote in the US Senate was to support the war. He did give a speech ( words again) against the war when he was a rookie state senatorbut this is a speech that doesnt make sense because i would have expected anyone who had intelligence reports that Saddam hussein had WMD to vote for war. But BHO spoke against the war without the benefit of any intelligence reports. In other words he is basically a pacifist anti war candidate. Maybe he is ALL KNOWING. You expect this guy to keep you save and you call this speech good judgment !! On the contrary I think it was very poor judgment because it was not based on the facts but what he thought might be a popular position then. Of course when he realised that the war was supported by the majority of Americans he quickly pulled all references to the speech from his web site. This guy is another FLIP FLOPPER. No way is he ready to be President.
Posted by: John Williams | Feb 29, 2008 12:53:16 PM
I agree that Hillary unfotunately has failed the phone test...she can't even go toe to toe with evil leaders for fear that they will be able to twist what she says and she won't be able to manage that.
That is the George W. protocol.
Reagan met with Gorbachev ...and "yes" he could answer the phone. Churchill could meet with his enemies and yes ...he could answer the phone.
The person on the phone should have the best judgement and the best ability to negotiate. Hillary has been in Washington for a long time...if you truly look at her odds...you'll see she hasn't been very successful at negotiating...scaring her allies into agreeing with her yes... negotiating with those who don't like her ...no.
Sorry...she can answer the phone but should pass it to the person it is for.
Posted by: dave | Feb 29, 2008 1:02:55 PM
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