(Cross posted at DailyKos)
I saw this over the weekend and filed it in my “dead issue” mental file.
But, today, it is still there!
My question is: why would anyone believe anything that Novak writes anymore? The man should not even be allowed to write a column, even from a jail cell.
He traitorously outed a CIA spy and experienced no charges or reprimand. Now he publishes a little gossip rag and someone actually believes it!!!!! He should put up and shut up. If he has proof, surrender it. If he knows who is planting this trash, expose them or else cease and desist.
Novak wrote :
Agents of Sen. Hillary Clinton are spreading the word in Democratic circles that she has scandalous information about her principal opponent for the party’s presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama, but has decided not to use it. The nature of the alleged scandal was not disclosed.
Is this “Swiftboating”? In the broad meaning of the word…yes.
Technically, No. Innuendo is not swiftboating. Lies are. But this article by Novak may be all lies. It does have a certain Rovian quality about it. Similar to Max Clelland’s war injury smear and the lies about McCain’s “Black Love Child”
Obama, determined not to let any charge go unanswered and not to repeat John Kerry’s mistake immediately replied:
“I am prepared to stand up to that kind of politics, whether it’s deployed by candidates in our party, in the other party or by any third party,” Obama said. “The cause of change in this country will not be deterred or sidetracked by the old ‘Swift boat’ politics. The cause of moving America forward demands that we defeat it.”
Link here
And the Clinton camp’s answer:
Clinton spokesman Jay Carson, in Las Vegas where Clinton was stumping, said “a Democratic candidate should be smart enough not to fall into a trap that he has set to pit Democrats against Democrats . . . if you don’t know how to avoid that in a primary, you are going to be in a world of hurt in a general election.”
Howard Wolfson from the Clinton Camp
“This is how Republicans work. A Republican-leaning journalist runs a blind item designed to set Democrats against one another.
And when Novak was asked about his informant:
said neither he nor his source, who he said was a Democrat, have any more information. Novak said his source passed along what he was told “by people inside the Clinton campaign. It was not specified what it was, and it was said to a Democratic source. Clinton would not reveal it because she is such a good person.”
How does he still manage to have a column after this?
In fairness to Obama, Clinton would have reacted the same if the column would have been about her.
But Jay Carson, Clinton’s spokesman said it the best:
“Let’s think about this rationally for a second. Do you really think Bob Novak will be the repository of information from the Clinton campaign?”
This reminds one of the “Push Polling” in New Hampshire where someone is calling voters and asking Questions about Romney and Mormons when it is ostensibly from another candidate (possibly McCain). However, some investigation disclosed that the company doing the phone calls was headquartered in Utah and, more specifically, from a company(Wats)with whom he has close ties. It gets even juicier when one finds out that Guilliani received help and advice from this same company. At least it isn’t a Democratic smear!
and here
The smears are starting already but they all seem to originate from the same Political Party! Republican dirty tricks are now focusing on Republicans! I guess all is fair in Love and War.
Just so there is no doubt: any Democrat is head and shoulders above any Republican and the Democrats need to focus on Democratic issues and not the Republican ones.
My only recommendation for the Democrats is that they stop allowing the Republicans to form the debate as CNN did in Las Vegas. The questions were the popular ones for Republicans and the moderators made sure that Republican talking points were addressed. Let us stop allowing the Republicans to force their non-issues and phony issues on us and start addressing the issues that we are interested in….the War, the corruption…the climate…health care…and the it’s the economy— stupid! Let’s stop allowing them to control the debate…otherwise it will reinforce and stress the opinion that their issues are the important ones that they are the only party that matters. Democrats need to go on the ATTACK!
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I am really glad that the Dems plan to challenge any and all smears, but really wish people would call Novak on his chicanery. He should be thoroughly discredited.