Factcheck.org: Obama's Mailings
Clinton says Democrats should be "outraged." You be the judge.
Summary
Clinton said "every Democrat should be outraged" at two "false" mailers that Obama sent to voters in Ohio.
We find that a mailer criticizing her position on trade is indeed misleading. One that attacks her health care plan we have previously described as straining the facts, though not exactly "false."
* Trade: A mailer showing a locked plant gate quotes Clinton as saying she believed NAFTA was "a boon" to the economy. Those are not her words and Obama was wrong to put quote marks around them. In fact, she's been described by a biographer as privately opposing NAFTA in the White House.
* Health Care: A second mailer said Clinton's health care plan "forces everyone to buy insurance, even if you can't afford it." We have previously said that mailer "lacks context" and strains the facts. But both Obama and Clinton have been exaggerating their differences on this issue.
We've also previously criticized Clinton for sending a mailer that twisted Obama's words and gave a false picture of his proposals on Social Security, home foreclosures and energy.
We leave it to our readers to decide whether they should be "outraged" or not, and at whom.
Analysis
Hillary Clinton Feb. 23 accused Barack Obama of "using tactics that are straight out of Karl Rove's playbook" with two attack-mail pieces that criticize her stands on trade and health care. "This is wrong, and every Democrat ought to be outraged," she said, adding: "He is continuing to send false and discredited information."
NAFTA "Boon"?
Both of the mailers Clinton criticized have been around for a while. The most recent deals with Clinton's views on the North American Free Trade Agreement, and images of its four pages were posted Feb. 13 by Ohio blogger Jeff Coryell. We haven't previously commented on this one, but Clinton's statement prompted us to take a closer look.
On the front of the four-page NAFTA mailer appears a headline saying, "Hillary Clinton believed NAFTA was 'a boon' to our economy." But in fact, Clinton never used the word "boon" to describe the effects of the trade agreement on the U.S. economy, and it's not clear she ever said anything like that.
The Obama mailer quotes a New York newspaper article that ran during her 2006 Senate reelection campaign. Two reporters for the Long Island daily Newsday gave brief descriptions of her stands on a number of issues, including this:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next Page »
Loading Menu
Member Comments
Posted By: Linda Lee @ 04/16/2008 11:34:46 AM
Comment: Josh, you are not alone I feel the same way.. I believe if the reporting was fair people would make a fair choice. But Obama is like the Media's small child, in their eyes he can do nothing wrong. On the other hand if Hillary says something wrong they are relentless, But when Obama says something that is insulting to the People of Small Town America they are quick to forgive whith a explanation from him that he should have used different words, as if an insult is served up better with whip cream... Hillary has always been for the working class and I it seems that the media has made the voters feel as if a vote for Hillary would be a wasted vote. They want people to jump on the Obama Bandwagon. I will vote for Hillary in the General Election if she is the Nominee, and if she is not I will not vote.
Posted By: Linda Lee @ 04/16/2008 11:01:56 AM
Comment: Take note: Obama on April 15th went against his Principles. He Always Refuses to wear an American Flage on his Lapel .... But today he was shamed into wearing it when a Veteran presented it to him. He ofcourse said he would wear it to represent the gifters service..... I have always felt that I did not want a President that refused to wear the pin on his liapel, that refuses to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance or that refuses to put his hand over his heart during the National Anthem, and I certainly do not want a President who goes against his on Principles in an attempt not to look Anti-American when that is exactly what he is... He will not have my vote in the General Election if he is the Nominee...... My vote is for the American that is for America... Hillary gets my vote....
Posted By: JS_MMVIII @ 04/15/2008 10:36:00 PM
Comment: Did anyone noticed the October-2007 wild fires...O.J was on Court and for 2nd time he was going to walk away "INOCENT"... The News media coverage was on the O.J TRIAL , like the first time...The Wild Fires was just another Distraction to keep the Final of the O.J trial away from the people ...The News Media know he was going to walk away just because he is Black, and the News Media do not want to JEOPARDIZE the Obama Campain .... The Wild Fires was to cover O.J Trial Final ....
///////////////////////////////////
God save us, if Obama Wins...
///////////////////////////////////