Obama Does a 180 on the 527's

[UALRBSofL]

Obama Threatens Donors To Independent Groups Supporting Opponents While Showering Praise On Similar Groups Supporting Him

OBAMA VICIOUSLY ATTACKS INDEPENDENT GROUPS SUPPORTING HIS OPPONENTS

Yesterday, Obama Campaign Attacked An Independent Organization Supporting Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Alleging It Was Illegal And Threatened Donors With Criminal Prosecution:

Obama Campaign Lawyer Argues Pro-Clinton 527 "Is Breaking The Law, And Warned That Donors And Aides To The Group Could Face Criminal Liability." "Obama lawyer Bob Bauer reiterated the charges made in a memo yesterday (after the jump) that the new pro-Clinton 527, the American Leadership , is breaking the law, and warned that donors and aides to the group could face criminal liability -- an apparent effort to stop the group before it starts, and to scare off other, similar efforts." (Ben Smith, "Obama Lawyer Warns Of 'Reckoning' For Clinton 527 Donors And Staff," The Politico's "Ben Smith" Blog, www.politico.com, 2/21/08)

"'Whether It's At The FEC Or In A Broader Criminal Inquiry, Those Donors Will Be Asked Questions,' Bauer Said." (Ben Smith, "Obama Lawyer Warns Of 'Reckoning' For Clinton 527 Donors And Staff," The Politico's "Ben Smith" Blog, www.politico.com, 2/21/08)
Obama Campaign: "At The End Of The Day, There Will Be A Reckoning Here." "'At the end of the day, there will be a reckoning here,' added, 'and I think it will be rough on the officers. It's going to be rough on the employees. It is going to be rough on the donors. But I think there certainly is going to be a reckoning here.'" (Teddy Davis and Sunlen Miller, "Obama Lawyer: Pro-Clinton Group Violating Law," ABC News, abcnews.go.com, 2/21/08)

Pro-Clinton 527 Accused Obama Campaign Of "Legal Bullying." Pro-Clinton American Leadership Project Spokesman Roger Salazar: "There isn't anything in our efforts that would warrant such a barefaced attempt to quell free-speech with this kind of unsupported legal bullying." (Ben Smith, "ALP Responds: 'Legal Bullying,'" The Politico's "Ben Smith" Blog, www.politico.com, 2/21/08)

Leading Up To The Iowa Caucuses, Obama Viciously Attacked Similar Groups Running Independent Expenditure Ads Supporting Former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC):

Leading Up To The Iowa Democrat Caucuses, Obama Attacked 527s Supporting Edwards As "Negative And Even Deceptive ... Paid For By Huge, Unregulated Contributions From Special Interests." Obama: "Right now groups supporting Hillary Clinton and John Edwards are flooding Iowa and the other early states with millions of dollars in paid ads, phone calls, and mailings. Some of it is negative and even deceptive, and a lot of it is paid for by huge, unregulated contributions from special interests. Taking on these groups isn't just a matter of setting the record straight about me or my positions. It's about proving that a new kind of campaign - funded by ordinary people who want something better for all of us - can defeat the same tired, old political textbook that so many Americ ans just don't trust anymore." (Mark Halperin, "Memo From Obama Campaign," Time's "The Page" Blog, thepage.time.com, 12/20/07)

"Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe Has Called Such Groups 'Shadowy, Washington-Based Organizations.'" (Jim Morrill, "Iowa Win Would Bring Edwards Big Bucks," The News & Observer, 1/3/08)

Obama Ridiculed Edwards As A Hypocrite For Having Criticized 527 Groups In The Past Before Having Such Groups Support Him In Iowa, With Obama Bragging "I Don't Just Talk The Talk; I Walk The Walk":

Obama Chided Edwards' Failure To Stop The Ads. Obama: "ou can't say yesterday, you don't believe in 'em, and today, you're having three-quarters of a million dollars being spent for you. You can't just talk the talk." (John McCormick, "Obama Calls On Edwards To Stop 527 Ad," Chicago Tribune, 12/22/07)

Obama: "I Don't Just Talk The Talk; I Walk The Walk." (Carla Marinucci and Joe Garofoli, "Obama Urged To Renounce Groups' Ads," San Francisco Chronicle, 1/25/08)
BUT OBAMA IS SILENT WHEN SIMILAR GROUPS SUPPORT HIM

Similar Independent Expenditure Groups Have Emerged To Support Obama's Campaign, Which Obama Has Refused To Criticize:

The Service Employees International Union Endorsed Obama And Planned To Mobilize Volunteers And Send Mail Supporting Obama Through Independent Expenditures. "SEIU members are supporting Obama with an aggressive political effort. With more than 150,000 members in the upcoming primary states, including Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Texas, SEIU will mobilize thousands to go door-to-door, work the phones, and will send mail about their support for Obama. SEIU also will have a substantial presence on television and radio in every critical state." (Service Employees International Union, "SEIU Members Endorse Sen. Barack Obama," Press Release, 2/15/08)

To Date, SEIU Has Spent At Least $239,800 Supporting Obama's Campaign. (CQ MoneyLine Website, moneyline.cq.com, Accessed 2/21/08)
But Obama Heaped Praise On SEIU As Its Independent Spending Plans Were Announced. Obama: "I Love SEIU. It is a great union..." (CNN's "Newsroom," 2/15/08)
Pro-Obama 527 Attacked Sen. Clinton, Telling Latino Voters "Hillary Clinton Does Not Respect Our People." "The radio ad aired by one of Obama's labor allies re-injects ethnicity into the Democratic primary contest in sharp terms. ... UNITE HERE Negative Ad ... 'Hillary Clinton does not respect our people. Hillary Clinton supporters went to court to prevent working people to vote this Saturday -- that is an embarrassment. Hillary Clinton supporters want to prevent people from voting in their workplace on Saturday. This is unforgivable. Hillary Clinton is shameless.'" (Ben Smith, "Ad: 'Hillary Clinton Does Not Respect Our People,'" The Politico's "Ben Smith" Blog, www.polit ico.com, 1/17/08)

"A Spokesman For Obama, Bill Burton, Did Not Condemn The Ad Or The Independent Spending Specifically, But Instead Attacked Clinton." (Ben Smith, "Ad: 'Hillary Clinton Does Not Respect Our People,'" The Politico's "Ben Smith" Blog, www.politico.com, 1/17/08)
Independent Groups Aired Ads And Organized Supporters On Behalf Of Obama In California. "Illinois Sen. Barack Obama - who has criticized Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards for benefiting from 'independent expenditure' and political action committees - is taking heat because some of the same kind of organizations are now spending money, organizing and putting up TV ads on his behalf in the Bay Area." (Carla Marinucci and Joe Garofoli, "Obama Urged To Renounce Groups' Ads," San Francisco Chronicle, 1/25/08)

But Again, Obama Denied Any Hypocrisy. "After The Chronicle reported in August about how Vote Hope was backing Obama, the Illinois senator while in the Bay Area was asked whether its activities presented a dilemma for a candidate who has criticized the influence of money in politics. 'It would be hypocrisy if I had anything to do with them,' he said." (Carla Marinucci and Joe Garofoli, "Obama Urged To Renounce Groups' Ads," San Francisco Chronicle, 1/25/08)
Media And Critics Have Caught On To Obama's Hypocrisy On The Matter:

"ritics Say Obama Is Being Hypocritical In Denouncing Edwards' Connection With '527' Independent Expenditure Groups While Not Demanding That Ones Supporting Him Stop." (Carla Marinucci and Joe Garofoli, "Obama Urged To Renounce Groups' Ads," San Francisco Chronicle, 1/25/08)

Eric Bauman, Chairman Of The Los Angeles Democrat Party: "I'm really disappointed that Sen. Obama has not called on his friends at Vote Hope to pull these ads down ... He harshly criticized Sen. Edwards when supporters ran independent ads on his behalf. And now that it's happened for him, he's not said a word." (Carla Marinucci and Joe Garofoli, "Obama Urged To Renounce Groups' Ads," San Francisco Chronicle, 1/25/08)

Former Sen. John Edwards: "Speak Up, If He Really Means What He Says." "John Edwards said Friday that Barack Obama needs to 'speak up, if he really means what he says' about ending divisive politics and denounce a Nevada ad funded by an independent group that supports the Illinois senator's presidential bid." (Rebecca Sinderbrand, "Edwards Hits Obama On Independent Ads," CNN's "Political Ticker" Blog, politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com, 1/18/08)

Clinton Spokesman Phil Singer: "Talk about chutzpah. ... I don't recall the Obama campaign's expressions of outrage when the VoteHope 527 was set up to help their efforts in California and elsewhere" (Teddy Davis and Sunlen Miller, "Obama Lawyer: Pro-Clinton Group Violating Law," ABC News, abcnews.go.com, 2/21/08)

California Clinton Spokesman Luis Vizcaino: "It's outrageous for Sen. Obama to have gone on the attack in Iowa about 527s when for months he's known full well about Vote Hope - a California 527 specifically set up to help his campaign." (Carla Marinucci and Joe Garofoli, "Obama Urged To Renounce Groups' Ads," San Francisco Chronicle, 1/25/08)

[libbygurl]

1. More hypocrisy from this fake, who has had 527s support his candidacy, too. nt