Washington Post: Clinton Attacks Obama's Character
According to this Washington Post story yesterday, Clinton starts to assail Obama's character, describing him in surprisingly familiar terms....terms that many voters would actually describe her according to recent polls:
On a Sunday talk show, communications director Howard Wolfson
criticized the Illinois senator for using a political action committee
to distribute money to candidates in local contests, some in early
presidential primary states. "There's a lot that voters don't know
about Barack Obama," Wolfson said on CBS's "Face the Nation."
The Clinton campaign has been steadily building what it describes as a
character case against Obama for several weeks, particularly over his
health-care plan. Clinton has argued that he is being disingenuous
when he claims his plan would achieve universal coverage.
Obama's plan would not mandate that all people buy health insurance;
instead it focuses on lowering costs. Strategists said Clinton chose
health care as a target area because she believes she has a large
advantage on the issue among many voters.
Sunday, however, marked the first time that Clinton raised the
character question so bluntly on the campaign trail. In a
question-and-answer session with reporters after her first stop, she
said that "you can't get a straight answer" from Obama on health care.
Clinton advisers said they make no apology for going on the offensive
after months of criticism by both Obama and Edwards. "Senator Obama is
a fabulous orator, but we need more than words," Wolfson said in an
interview. "We don't need someone who says one thing and does another,
somebody who talks a good game but doesn't have the courage of their
convictions. And on issue after issue, Senator Obama says one thing
and does another."