Clinton Camp Memo on Bill Clinton Being Compared to Joe McCarthy (and more)

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To: Interested PartiesFrom: Howard Wolfson, Communications Director

Date: March 22, 2008

RE: Bill Clinton = Joe McCarthy?!

Recent attacks by Obama Campaign surrogate General Merrill McPeak comparing Bill Clinton to Joe McCarthy are outraegous and divisive, but not surprising. They are in keeping with the Obama campaign’s daily attacks on Senator Clinton’s character in starkly personal terms.

Suggestions by the Obama campaign that Bill Clinton was questioning Barack Obama’s patriotism are equally irresponsible and incorrect. In discussing a possible Clinton-McCain race, the former President said: “I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country and people could actually ask themselves who is right on these issues, instead of all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics.”

We can not imagine that the Obama Campaign really believes that the comments above were an attack on Senator Obama in any way; rather their attempt to cast the comments in that light are nothing more than a transparent attempt to shift the media’s focus away from his recent troubles (http://facts.hillaryhub.com/archive/?id=6668).

Of course, this is not the first time in this campaign that General McPeak has engaged in personal attacks. On February 2, General McPeak was forced to apologize for remarks he made about Senator Clinton ( http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-iraqpol2feb02,0,1272905.story).

Many Americans were taken with Senator Obama’s call this past week to engage in a high minded debate. Now, just days later, his campaign is comparing Bill Clinton to Joe McCarthy.

http://thepage.time.com/clinton-memo-on-bill-clinton-being-compared-to-joe-mccarthy/



Richardson: President Clinton Was Not Questioning Sen. Obama's Patriotism

3/23/2008 12:40:06 PM

Today on Fox News Sunday, Bill Richardson said that President Clinton was not questioning Sen. Obama's patriotism:

Andrew Sullivan and Kathleen Parker – both prominent critics of President Clinton – agree.

In response to the same comments, the Obama campaign compared Bill Clinton to Joe McCarthy. Read Howard Wolfson memo on the Obama campaign's daily character attacks HERE: http://thepage.time.com/clinton-memo-on-bill-clinton-being-compared-to-joe-mccarthy/

Transcript:

WALLACE: The Obama campaign sent out one of its top surrogates, that's retired Air Force General Tony McPeak along side Obama yesterday to accuse Clinton of McCarthyism for questioning Obama's patriotism. Governor Richardson, as someone who worked for Bill Clinton, do you really think that's what he was trying to do?

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON: I don't believe President Clinton was implying that.

[rodeodance]

1. Fox had on the both camps agreed it was uncalled for--last evening. I posted

about this.

i will try to find it.

[rodeodance]

2. Here :--both faulted Obama's campaign

Forum Name General Discussion: Primaries
Topic subject "supporters of Clinton &Obama on Sunday both faulted Obama's campaign"
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5226044#5228582
5228582, "supporters of Clinton &Obama on Sunday both faulted Obama's campaign"
Posted by rodeodance on Sun Mar-23-08 10:49 PM


WASHINGTON - Prominent supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama on Sunday both faulted Obama's campaign for allowing a retired general and backer of the Illinois senator to equate comments by Clinton's husband — which appeared to question Obama's patriotism — to McCarthyism.

"I don't believe President Clinton was implying that," said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a former presidential candidate who endorsed Obama last week. "But the point here ... is that the campaign has gotten too negative — too many personal attacks, too much negativity that is not resounding with the public."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080323/ap_on_...51WOJzfcuiyFz4D