SNEAK PEEK: An 'Insidious Pattern'?

March 11, 2008— -- Has Barack Obama decided to start "playing the victim"?

After Clinton supporter Geraldine Ferraro told the Daily Breeze that Obama would not be where he is if the Illinois Democrat were a white man or woman of any color, Obama's top strategist cried foul.

"There's been this insidious pattern on the part of the Clinton campaign to allow negative, really negative, and out of bounds comments to be made and to simply gloss over them," David Axelrod said Tuesday. "To kind of give a wink and a nod."

Axelrod tied Ferraro's comments to what he called Hillary Clinton's "own inexplicable unwillingness" to fully reject the suggestion that Obama might be a Muslim.

(In her "60 Minutes" interview, Clinton said there is no reason to think Obama is a Muslim before raising eyebrows by adding "as far as I know").

"When you wink and nod at offensive statements, you really send a message to your supporters that anything goes," said Axelrod.

Axelrod's call for Clinton to remove the 1984 Democratic vice presidential nominee from her campaign came just one day after Obama decided to start making an issue of the DrudgeReport's claim that the Clinton camp forwarded a photo of Obama in Somali garb.

When the Drudge photo was raised during a Feb. 26 debate in Cleveland, Obama said that he took Clinton at her word that she knew nothing about the photo.

"So I think that's something that we can set aside," said Obama.

But that was before the former first lady revived her presidential bid by winning primaries in Ohio, Texas, and Rhode Island on March 4th.

While campaigning Monday in Jackson, Miss., Obama accused Clinton's campaign of being behind the photo which ended up on the DrudgeReport.

"When in the midst of a campaign you decide to throw the kitchen sink at your opponent because you're behind, and you start, your campaign starts leaking photos of me when I'm traveling overseas wearing native clothes of those folks, to make people afraid. Then you run an ad talking about who's going to answer the phone at three in the morning, an ad straight out of the Republican playbook. That's not real change," said Obama. "That's not real change. That's the same old thing."

Asked by Politico's Ben Smith on Tuesday if he is worried about being seen as playing the victim, Axelrod rejected the premise of the question.

"Well, Ben," said Axelrod on a conference call with reporters, "I'm not going to adopt your terms. I don't consider it playing the victim."

"The only question," he added, "is whether" Sen. Clinton "is serious about [policing the tone of this campaign] or whether she's trying to send a signal to her supporters that anything goes . . ."

Speaking to ABC's affiliate in Harrisburg, Pa., Clinton said that she disagreed with Ferraro's remark but did not go along with the Obama campaign's demand that Ferraro be fired from her position on Clinton's leadership team and finance committee.

"Well, I don't agree with that," said Clinton of Ferraro's remarks to the Daily Breeze, "and I think it's important that we stay focused on issues that matter to the American people."

-- Obama chief strategist David Axelrod when asked to compare remarks made by Obama adviser Samantha Power with those of Clinton supporter Geraldine Ferraro

On the campaign front. . .

HILLARY CLINTON

-- 7:00 pm ET: Attends National Newspaper Publishers Association Presidential Forum, Washington, DC

BILL CLINTON

-- 11:30 am ET: Attends event with voters, Erie, PA

-- 3:00 pm ET: Attends event with voters, Johnstown, PA

As for the Republicans. . .

JOHN MCCAIN

-- 2:00 pm ET: Attends town hall meeting with voters, Exeter, NH

-- 3:15 pm ET: Holds media availability, Exeter, NH

At the White House. . .

PRESIDENT BUSH

-- 11:00 am ET: Speaks to the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Washington, DC

-- 6:45 pm ET: Speaks at the National Republican Congressional Committee dinner, Washington, DC

FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH

-- 1:10 pm ET: Speaks at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Global initiative luncheon, Washington, DC

SECRETARY OF STATE RICE

-- 10:00 am ET: Testifies before the House Appropriation Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Washington, DC

-- 2:00 pm ET: Speaks at the Senior Roundtable for Women's Justice, Washington, DC

-- 4:00 pm ET: Meets with Samir Geagea, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Lebanese Forces, Washington, DC

TREASURY DEPARTMENT

-- 2:00 pm ET: Release the federal budget for February, Washington, DC

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR AND CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS

-- 12:00 pm ET: Holds teleconference to launch 'McCain Revealed' campaign

POLITICAL NEWS STORIES AT ABCNEWS.COM

ABC News' Jennifer Parker, Jonathan Karl, Luis Martinez and Martha Raddatz Report: Top U.S. Middle East Commander Resigns LINK

ABC News' Richard Esposito and Brian Ross Report: Spitzer in 'Transition Talks'; Had Planned to Quit Last Night LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: I'm John McCain, and I Approve of Hillary Clinton's Message LINK

ABC News' Susan Donaldson James Reports: Spitzer Shares Arrogance of Other Powerful Men LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Hillary and Barack Are Sifting LINK

ABC News' Jennifer Parker Reports: Ferraro: Obama Where He Is Because He's Black LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Clinton Responds (Mildly) to Ferraro Race Comments LINK

ABC News' Senior Political Reporter Rick Klein on the weekly political roundup. LINK

Gates Announces Top War Commander Resigns
Secretary Gates says Admiral Fallon's resignation is "the right thing to do." LINK

What Was Spitzer Thinking?
A look at why powerful politicians get wrapped up in sex scandals. LINK

Bush Defends Decision to Take Down Saddam
Bush says removing Saddam Hussein will "forever be the right decision." LINK

Clinton Gets Her Groove On
Sen. Hillary Clinton dances to a song about defeating her opponents. LINK

'The View' Tackles Power, Sex and Spitzer
The ladies discuss the governor's prostitution scandal. LINK

Client Number 9
New York Governor Elliot Spitzer is caught in a prostitution scandal. LINK

The Bottom Line on Running Mates
George Stephanopoulos discusses the plausibility of a Democratic dream ticket. LINK

Obama Closes the VP Door
The Illinois senator makes it clear he is not running for the No. 2 spot. LINK

Taking Risks and Hypocrisy
Why do politicians and others in the public eye risk everything by cheating? LINK

Fallen Crusader
Investigation into prostitution ring exposes New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. LINK

Heidi Fleiss: Put Spitzer in Prison
The famed Hollywood madam and her lawyer weigh in on the governor's scandal. LINK

Stephanopoulos on Gov. Spitzer Scandal
George Stephanopoulos says the once dogged prosecutor may be angling for a deal. LINK

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