Clinton Adviser: Obama Drug Use Concern

[Gan]

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A top adviser to Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign said that Democrats should give more thought to Sen. Barack Obama's admissions of illegal drug use before they pick a presidential candidate.

Obama's campaign said the Clinton people were getting desperate. Clinton's campaign tried to distance itself from the remarks Wednesday, and the adviser said later he regretted making them.

Bill Shaheen, a national co-chairman of Clinton's front-runner campaign, raised the issue during an interview with The Washington Post, posted on washingtonpost.com.

Shaheen, an attorney and veteran organizer, said much of Obama's background is unknown and could be a problem in November 2008 if he is the Democratic nominee. He said Republicans would work hard to discover new aspects of Obama's admittedly spotty youth.

"It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?'" said Shaheen, whose wife, Jeanne, is the state's former governor and is running for the U.S. Senate next year.

"There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome," Shaheen said.

Clinton's campaign said it had nothing to do with his comments, and Shaheen said later he regretted them.
"I deeply regret the comments I made today and they were not authorized by the campaign in any way," Bill Shaheen said in an e-mail released by the campaign.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071213/D8TGFJF80.html
_______________________________________________

wow... just wow.

Perhaps Barack should have just stated that he did not inhale.

On the other side, its kind of funny that the GOP has such an influence over the DNC that they can influence Hillary's campaign to partake in "dirty republican tactics" without even lifting a pen.

And I love the retraction later by the advisor. Its like walking up to someone and punching them in the face, then backing off with hands out saying they didnt mean to do it, it was a mistake. Thats a great tactic.

Go Hillary!
:rah:

:lol:

[Tsa`ah]

Clinton has been using "dirty GOP tactics" from the start. She's well schooled in them.

This is pretty much a last ditch effort for her campaign ... she lost a huge lead and continues to slide.

In short ... it's fear.

[Lyonis]

If I were the Clintons I would definitely keep the talking points off of drug use. I'd bet more Americans would be sympathetic with a guy who admits to puff puff giving a few times than a bogus story like, "I didn't inhale".

[Ilvane]

So Obama admitting to harder drug use(cocaine to be specific), is not a valid thing to bring up?

How is it dirty to bring up liabilities he may have? He certainly brings up hers, doesn't he? Personally, I think it's an issue to talk about.

People may not care in the end, because Bush admitted to cocaine use and boozing and people still voted for him, but she certainly has a right to her opinion on it.

I don't see it as being desperate at all.

[Tsa`ah]

Except this isn't "new". He didn't hide it ... he disclosed it years ago before even thinking about the Oval Office.

If this were an issue, well she's choosing to use it too late in the game. She doesn't have anything else. Obama has spanked her at every turn and now she's digging.

Her first attempt at smearing him vanished within hours of it's use. Remember the story of him attending a hard line Islamic school? Clinton was the first to use it.

Long story short ... she's on the backslide and doesn't show any sign of slowing down, so she's throwing out ANYTHING that could pull Obama down with her.

She's learning that it's kind of hard to exploit skeletons when your opponent put them on display well before the game started.

[ElanthianSiren]

It's dirty because it's retarded to bring it up, especially when you're campaigning on your husband's record as a leader, which includes admitted drug use. I guess nobody else can come through casual drug use and be a good leader is the thinking modus?

[Ilvane]

If I were the Clintons I would definitely keep the talking points off of drug use. I'd bet more Americans would be sympathetic with a guy who admits to puff puff giving a few times than a bogus story like, "I didn't inhale".


Last time I checked it was Hillary that was running, not Bill, and she never said anything about "not inhaling"

Angela

[Gan]

Last time I checked it was Hillary that was running, not Bill, and she never said anything about "not inhaling"

Angela

See below.


It's dirty because it's retarded to bring it up, especially when you're campaigning on your husband's record as a leader, which includes admitted drug use.

[Ilvane]

It's dirty because it's retarded to bring it up, especially when you're campaigning on your husband's record as a leader, which includes admitted drug use. I guess nobody else can come through casual drug use and be a good leader is the thinking modus?

Actually, my personal issue with Obama and his drug use, is that he admitted it and basically blamed it on the fact that he was black, and lived in that environment. Kinda a sad excuse, in my opinion. From the article on his book
"I had learned not to care," he wrote. "I blew a few smoke rings, remembering those years. Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though. ..."

"Blow" is a street name for cocaine. "Smack" is slang for heroin.

"Junkie. Pothead. That's where I'd been headed: the final, fatal role of the young would-be black man," Obama wrote.

I am not voting for him for other reasons, the drug use is not a giant issue, but, it is a valid issue to bring up. The Republicans WILL go after that, just like they would go after Clinton and some of her investment deals, or her involvement with special interests.

Angela

[Gan]

:popcorn:

[Daniel]

Ever live in a bad environment?

I'd venture to say that he's done pretty well considering the circumstances and isn't exactly blaming his environment for his failures.

[ElanthianSiren]

Personally, I'm not wow'd by any of the candidates running in 08 and especially not the front runners. I can't say yet who I'll vote for in the general election. I know the individual I'm voting for in the primaries won't make it to the GE. I wish Chafee would run.

edit: this was in response to Ilvane's discussion of who she's voting for.

As for politics in general, I don't view rehabilitated drug or alcohol use as the end-all for my vote.

[Izalude]

Give me a friggin break about this drug use BS.

Look at our current president:
He ran two businesses into the ground before he was Governer of Texas.
He's had his license suspended 4 times, (1 drug related, 3 alchohol related).
He's been arrested several times for cocaine posession.
And lastly, instead of manning up and going to vietnam, he joined the National Guard, which pretty much guaranteed him never to see combat.

Just another case of do as I say, not as I do.

[Tsa`ah]

Ever live in a bad environment?

I'd venture to say that he's done pretty well considering the circumstances and isn't exactly blaming his environment for his failures.

Exactly.

You won't see the Clinton camp bring this up however.

[Tsa`ah]

On a side note ... I think the Clinton camp needs to STFU about drug use considering the campaign fraud they engaged in back when Hillary was carpet bagging for a senate seat.

http://www.hillary-uncensored.com/

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

I don't get how it's really a "valid" issue-- fuck voting on Candidates because of their "percieved" morality on those sorts of subjects, especially when they don't do it anymore and have "repented" for doing it. I don't think that the fact that he did drugs has much of ANY bearing on his abilities to be a President, especially because at this point in time-- it's a non-issue.

It's not like Obama is a cocaine addict right now nor is it like he's tried to lie about it or lessen what happened. What I gather from that quote is not him blaming it on being black at all-- it's saying he fell into a black stereotype and that he used it to self-medicate because he had problems dealing with his life. I see no dishonor in being frank like that about why he chose to do drugs. People make mistakes, at least he has the balls to actually own up to them unlike other politicians, though I can see why politicians lie if some people are going to be so overly judgmental about it.

[Parkbandit]

I think most of you are actually missing the point here. Clinton was able to bring this up.. AND blame it on the Republicans ("There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome,") .. all at the same time.

It's fucking brilliant.

[Artha]

Clinton was able to bring this up.. AND blame it on the Republicans ("There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome,") .. all at the same time.
It's like...passive aggressive mud-slinging.

[Anebriated]

Wasnt bill called out for smoking pot?

[Gan]

Wasnt bill called out for smoking pot?

He didnt inhale.

Nothing was said about any possibility of Hillary getting high of the second hand smoke, or shotgunning when Bill exhaled.

:whistle:

[Kembal]

I think most of you are actually missing the point here. Clinton was able to bring this up.. AND blame it on the Republicans ("There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome,") .. all at the same time.

It's fucking brilliant.

Not really. Everyone considers her press team the most competent of any Democratic candidate in recent history (certainly way better than Kerry's), so no one is going to buy that her campaign didn't plan this. Which unfortunately leads to a major problem: it's likely going to drive away the black vote from her to Obama, especially considering the nature of the comments ("did he deal in cocaine?", etc.) and how they play into negative stereotypes of the African-American community. She's toast in South Carolina if that happens. On top of that, Iowans aren't fans of negative campaigning in the first place, and this will cause a negative reaction with them as well.

As for Ilvane's contention that it was valid to bring up: No, it wasn't. Beyond being an idiotic and useless attack on the basis of credibility with a high potential of backfire (as said above), he already admitted to it on his own before he even ran for Senate, let alone President. And considering Bill Clinton's own record, it's impossible for her to say that past drug use automatically means that someone is not electable.

[Latrinsorm]

How is it dirty to bring up liabilities he may have?How is having done coke as a 14 year old (or whatever) a liability for Obama now? There isn't an adult in the world who didn't do something stupid as a kid.
Actually, my personal issue with Obama and his drug use, is that he admitted it and basically blamed it on the fact that he was black, and lived in that environment.If the quoted part of the book is the sole basis for your conclusion, it is a very tenuous. He's neither excusing his behavior nor "blaming" it on being black.

[Ilvane]

No, actually there is more to it than that.

And he was 17. Like I said, it doesn't mean a lot to too many people however, the Republicans *will* bring it up.

[Gan]

No, actually there is more to it than that.

And he was 17. Like I said, it doesn't mean a lot to too many people however, the Republicans *will* bring it up.

You're doing a great job at it thus far.

[Parkbandit]

Not really. Everyone considers her press team the most competent of any Democratic candidate in recent history (certainly way better than Kerry's), so no one is going to buy that her campaign didn't plan this. Which unfortunately leads to a major problem: it's likely going to drive away the black vote from her to Obama, especially considering the nature of the comments ("did he deal in cocaine?", etc.) and how they play into negative stereotypes of the African-American community. She's toast in South Carolina if that happens. On top of that, Iowans aren't fans of negative campaigning in the first place, and this will cause a negative reaction with them as well.


You give the stupid American public far too much credit. They will believe that this was a Republican smear campaign.



No, actually there is more to it than that.

And he was 17. Like I said, it doesn't mean a lot to too many people however, the Republicans *will* bring it up.

Case in point.

[Kembal]

If this was the general election, I might buy that. Hell, I might buy that if we were in late January and we were looking at the Super Tuesday primaries on Feb. 5.

But considering how saturated Iowa and New Hampshire are right now (and South Carolina, to a lesser degree) with political campaigning....I'd have to say that the people who will actually turn out to vote in the primary/caucus know exactly what went down.

As for Ilvane....sigh. just stop already. The guy who made the comment, Bill Shaheen, resigned today as co-chair of Clinton's campaign in NH. That might be a signal that this wasn't a valid attack.

[Tsa`ah]

No, actually there is more to it than that.

And he was 17. Like I said, it doesn't mean a lot to too many people however, the Republicans *will* bring it up.

No, there wasn't any more than that. He admitted he used them, he didn't blame it on being black, he didn't blame it on anything ... he took responsibility for it.

Read the book.


As for Ilvane....sigh. just stop already. The guy who made the comment, Bill Shaheen, resigned today as co-chair of Clinton's campaign in NH. That might be a signal that this wasn't a valid attack.

No, I believe the attack was pretty valid. This is no different than any other time the Clinton camp has had to distance themselves after blood was drawn by a camp member or it appeared time in prison was a possibility ... a la Peter Paul and David Rosen.

[Stanley Burrell]

That bitch really is a Republican, I swear.