When Good Oppo-Research Goes Bad
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein reports: The Obama campaign learned a harsh lesson in the dark art of opposition research this week.
Oppo-research greases the wheels of political coverage, with background documents attacking the record of rival candidates distributed to reporters on the condition that the source not be divulged. Campaigns and reporters all love it — as long as nobody’s fingerprints are found.
But on Thursday, shortly after the Senate financial disclosure forms were released, Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign distributed its take on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s finances a little too widely.
One of the Obama camp’s documents, headlined "HILLARY CLINTON (D-PUNJAB)’S PERSONAL FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL TIES TO INDIA," fell into the hands of the Clinton camp. Rather than run from it, Clinton aides spread it to even more reporters — apparently to make the case that Obama isn’t staying true to his word about running a positive campaign.
The substance of the attack — including criticism of former President Clinton for accepting $300,000 to speak to a company that outsources jobs to India — was quickly subsumed by news coverage of the fact of the attack itself.
"Senator Obama has been calling for ‘a new kind of politics,’ but his presidential campaign appears not to be above the time-honored tradition of sending out an anonymous, negative attack on a top rival," The New York Sun’s Russell Berman wrote.
On the New York Daily News’ blog, meanwhile, Michael McAuliff said he received the document from the Clinton folks, and added that it would be "up to others to say whether this is a low-road attack of the kind that the Obama campaign has pledged to avoid."
So the Obama campaign ended up getting publicity for its take on Clinton’s finances — just not the kind of publicity aides most likely wanted.
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President Bush was paid $300,000 to speak to a company that sends jobs to India? Perhaps you mean Former President Bush or President Clinton.
Posted by: old goat | June 15, 2007, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
When did Obama change to Republican? Dirty campaigning is their style. Remember what GWB did to McCain in 2000? He called him everything except the war hero that he really is.
Posted by: Ron | June 15, 2007, 1:13 pm 1:13 pm
Still not seeing any media coverage of the Dark Horses. You guys afraid? Do you fear the leading candidates wrath?
Or is it that you have been paid off, to support a particular candidate? Inquiring minds want to know.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | June 15, 2007, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm
I think that both clinton and obama have got same financialcolllections for the presidential campagns next year because there is aslight difference in their collections so it will be difficult to choose one basing on that matter may be racism may take control over there as oi thas been the greater set back to obama’s campaigns.I think this time it shpuld be for the bklack man to be given achance to rule America which is still anight mare to come true.
Lwanga Fred Eliazali Junior
Posted by: eliazali | June 16, 2007, 5:35 am 5:35 am
Do you actually mean to tell me that abcnews pulled a story, “simply because a blog was ‘creative’ and meaningful.”
Where did they put the pic and story?
Clinton’s sell stock???
Posted by: Mintyis | June 16, 2007, 9:42 am 9:42 am
Huh, Beantown might have a few things to say about that, I mean is it legal?
Apparently depends on what you mean by legal… as in Boston Legal.
I’ll let HRC be the Judge, but for my money they pull it off the front screen one too fast…
Personally I’d like to see her talking to George Step-a-fabulas
Ron2
Posted by: Mintyis | June 16, 2007, 10:11 am 10:11 am
I am having serious second doubts about putting my support behind Barack Obama.
He is preaching one thing and practising another; and this is not the first time.
Hillary looks better all the time.
Posted by: Michael Garner | June 16, 2007, 12:11 pm 12:11 pm
We are no longer even listening to Barack Obama. Besides if we want to hear him again, all we have to do is watch the video of any of his speeches.
They are all the same.
When Obama first came on the scene, I waited for him to announce he would run for President. God, that seems like eons ago. Now, I just wish he hadn’t bothered.
Besides, aren’t the people of Illinois missing their Senator?
Posted by: Candace Gold | June 16, 2007, 12:14 pm 12:14 pm
Never thought I`d say this, but except for the Amnesty Senator the Repulsives are starting to look good, well, better. Can you believe Obama and Clinton and the Unions supporting Amnesty for illegal immigrants who stole the jobs and suppressed the wages of Hispanic and other American workers for the last 20 years?
At least McCain was honest enough to tell George Stephanopolous the reason he was sponsoring the bill, was to turn around the heavily Democatic Hispanic voter registration in Maricopa County, AZ. Or so it was reported on Washington Week With Gwenn Ifill. It sure rings true. The bill`s supporters are caught in a bind with the Congressional Budget Office report that the bill will only reduce illegal immigration by 13%. Now they are trying to blackmail us with the promise of (a mere) 4.4 billion dollsrs more for securing the border but only if we agree to their Amnesty! Of course, we all know that Bush is supporting this slap in the face of American workers to gain Hispanic votes for his Hispanic nephew`s future campaigns. These politicians seem as dumb as they appear to think we are. Of course, regardless, none of them will have to use a 22 to chase even a legal immigrant off their lawns, which sit majestically within gated and guarded enclaves.
Posted by: A Viet Nam Vet | June 16, 2007, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm
Republicans support Obama for Independant !
Posted by: drwfll | June 16, 2007, 4:14 pm 4:14 pm
Let us take the immigration by phases, instead as a package deal. First secure the borders, but not with fences but with law enforcers. Establish stiff fines for people that hire illegals. Doing this the illegals will no longer be in this country. Problem solve. It does not require a rocket scientist to figure this, but it does require common sense and determination in doing what is right.
Posted by: Arturo Gomez | June 17, 2007, 11:12 am 11:12 am