Clinton Call: Obama Promises on Iraq v. Reality

Clinton Call: Obama Promises on Iraq v. Reality

One of the comments today came from Howard Wolfson, who hit the whole challenge
for Obama on the head. He’s running on the “strength of his promises.”
That’s exactly correct. So when his promises are revealed to be a mirage it matters.

CLINTON CALL: What
Obama Says v. What He Plans To Do
– Conference Call – Part II –

David Corn, as well as someone from Huffington Post, including Andrea Mitchell,
came at the Clinton camp on their statements, including on Iraq, asking
if they weren’t being too hard. In addition, questions on NAFTgate arose again,
from Mitchell. Wolfson reiterated that they have nothing to add from
what they did over a week ago. Obama’s team and supporters are trying very hard
to insert Clinton in NAFTAgate, regardless of the proof that is revealed through
the memo talking about Goolsbee. It’s what I wrote about from the start, but Obama’s fans are doing their best to change the dynamic. That’s another glaring problem surfacing for team Obama: They’re still fighting the last battle. Huge mistake.

On the call, General Clark:

“I’m quite concerned about what we heard from the Obama campaign because I’m not sure where it leads us….” – General Wesley Clark

Clark and Jamie Rubin both expressed admiration for Samantha Power. As I said earlier, she’s also correct on Iraq. The issue is that her candidate has been campaigning for a full year on a different rationale. Rubin’s “amateur” assessment about the Obama team is right on. Power was in the wrong position, which
Obama put her in not understanding her real skills, which do not have anything
to do with being a front person for a presidential nominee.

What is very clear from the devastating hits coming from all quarters on Obama
is that the Clinton camp has gotten the upper hand and the Obama campaign is reeling. The Obama campaign and their
supporters do not know how to handle the onslaught finally coming at their candidate.
In the clinches, the Obama team is way off message and flailing.
They’ve had a year of soft press and can’t begin to comprehend the losses this past Tuesday. Once again, as after Iowa and South Carolina, they were too busy measuring for Oval Office drapes. But watch the press start feeling sorry for Obama, even doing the job his team should be doing. Obama and
his team are getting creamed and it’s clear they simply can’t get it together. Regrouping is critical, which we should all assume can be done, though so far their reactions are still on what just happened instead of getting ready for what’s happening right now. Not a good sign, because a candidate and his/her team show their spine when things are not going well. Anyone can look good when things are easy.

What’s coming at Obama right now is also minor compared to what the Republicans will unleash. Besides, it’s self-inflicted, all around.

A reminder, this discussion is taking place because Obama has been promising
one thing to voters, while one of his top foreign policy advisers reveals something quite
different. For a candidate that’s campaigning on the “strength of his promises,” when those promises don’t add up, it’s an issue.

Oh, and one more thing. You know those 50 superdelegates that Brokaw floated before Clinton stomped Obama on Tuesday? Fiction.