Eric Zorn: Clinton made an elementary error on Obama

[undercoverduer]

Clinton made an elementary error on Obama

It's one thing in politics to cite an opponent's record when criticizing him.

But it’s quite another to cite his Permanent Record—the legendary, indelible and largely mythical account of all that we do as schoolchildren.

Yet that’s just what the campaign of Democratic presidential contender Sen. Hillary Clinton did Sunday, issuing a spitball of a news release that alluded scornfully to an essay that primary opponent Sen. Barack Obama wrote when he was in kindergarten.

Referring to an old Associated Press story that quoted Obama’s former teacher, the release informed us that, “In kindergarten, Senator Obama wrote an essay titled ‘I Want to Become President.’”

The news release also noted that the Los Angeles Times has reported that Obama’s third 3rd-grade teacher recalls him writing “I Want To Be a President” in response to an assignment asking students to write an essay titled “My dream: What I want to be in the future.”

I called the Obama campaign’s Chicago headquarters on Monday: “I’m checking into rumors that your candidate used to write his R’s backwards,” I said. “Will you confirm or deny?”
-snip-

http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2007/12/hillary-as-kind.html

[wyldwolf]

1. who?

[BeyondGeography]

2. "Clinton"

[wyldwolf]

3. then neither of you can spell. Clinton isn't spelled Z-O-R-N

[BeyondGeography]

4. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Have a nice Kindergate.

[wyldwolf]

6. bwahahahahahahahaha..

...remember, social security is in "crisis," the Obama health care plan covers everyone ... no it doesn't... almost everyone... only children...

[riderinthestorm]

5. Eric Zorn is a local Chicago Trib columnist.

He has a good rep locally and a fairly popular column. HE is primarily in the local sections of the paper which is why you haven't heard of him perhaps.

[aquart]

7. The kindergarten essay reference was a joke.

It's being used to obscure what was NOT a joke: Obama's "present" votes in the Illinois legislature.

I didn't know about those votes and I'm pretty disgusted by them. Hillary's campaign was absolutely right to dig those out of the public record and present them. I don't see anyone discussing those "votes."

I take note that Hillary Clinton is not permitted to make jokes. Add that to not permitted to laugh.

[BeyondGeography]

9. Self-inflicted wound is more like it

Gives pundits an excuse to write graphs like this (from the link above):

"Clinton’s lucky that the late-night TV comics are on hiatus due to the writers’ strike, otherwise this blunder would launch a thousand jokes, each one portraying Clinton as desperate and ruthless as she tries to regain momentum in Iowa from the surging Obama."

When joke confirms the worst about joke teller, joke be on you.

[Windy]

11. Try to keep up... the whole "present vote" non-starter has been thoroughly debunked.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/679446,CST-NWS-obama04.article

[Catherine Vincent]

8. Are some of you still on this?

Give it a rest.

[Renew Deal]

10. That's actually a pretty funny article.

Anyone here looking to cool off and still participate in politics should read it. It's well done.