NOTE: I am the Clinton campaign's Internet Director
Earlier today, the Obama campaign released a statement attacking Hillary over a blind item published by Robert Novak. Novak writes, "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." As you'll see in the statement below, the Clinton campaign has no idea what Novak's item is about and rejects it totally.
Statement from Howard Wolfson:
Once again Senator Obama is echoing Republican talking points, this time from Bob Novak.
This is how Republicans work.
A Republican-leaning journalist runs a blind item designed to set Democrats against one another. Experienced Democrats see this for what it is. Others get distracted and thrown off their games.
Voters should be concerned about the readiness of any Democrat inexperienced enough to fall for this.
There is a campaign in this race that has engaged in the very practice that Senator Obama is decrying, and it's his.
We have no idea what Mr. Novak's item is about and reject it totally. Instead of pointing fingers at us, Senator Obama should get back to the issues and focus on what this election is really about.
UPDATE: I'm adding the following information to give context to the points made in the statement above:
The Obama camp took credit for the attack on Hillary regarding Norman Hsu. "In August, Obama’s team scored a significant hit by helping to place a story in several newspapers revealing that Norman Hsu, a major Clinton donor, had skipped town after having pleaded no contest to a charge of grand theft 15 years earlier and still faced an outstanding warrant... (Hsu had also contributed to Obama.)" [Atlantic Monthly, 12/2007]
Obama campaign was 'digging for damaging facts' at the Clinton library. "How far is the money being spread? The Obama campaign spent $27 at the Arkansas state archives and $9.30 at the Clinton library, digging for damaging facts on Clinton. Asked what Team Obama found, spokeswoman Jen Psaki conceded, 'Not much.'" [New York Daily News, 10/17/07]
Obama communications director compiled list of opposition research stories on Hillary that he was pitching to reporters. "Lizza writes while visiting the office of Obama communications chief Robert Gibbs at the national headquarters on Michigan Avenue. 'I couldn’t help but notice some of what he had scrawled on a whiteboard hanging on his wall: HC Bio › NY Post HC Travel (AP?) Tax Returns (Balz?) Darfur investments (HF) JE 527 HC is, of course, Hillary Clinton... These were obviously notes about stories the campaign was pushing or anticipating...'" [Chicago Sun-Times, 8/14/07]
Obama campaign pedaled 'D-Punjab' opposition research document attacking Hillary for her ties to the Indian-American community. "Senator Barack Obama disavowed the document his campaign aimed at Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton last week, saying today that it was 'stupid and caustic.'... The headline of one of the documents, which referred to Mrs. Clinton as 'D-Punjab,' touched off a furor among Indian-American groups that called on Mr. Obama to apologize for the remarks." [New York Times, 6/18/07]
Obama campaign made false attack on Bill Clinton's finances. "More Obama oppo is online today, including a detailed document on Bill Clinton and Ron Burkle (.pdf) and a story, which turned out to be false, about Bill Clinton giving a paid speech on 9/11/06." [The Politico, 6/15/07]
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Finally, the Clinton campaign has responded to another statement from Sen. Obama's campaign on the Novak story:
It's telling that the Obama campaign would rather spend the day throwing mud in Bob Novak's sandbox than talking about the issues.
Our statement was crystal clear: Democratic voters should be concerned about any Presidential candidate inexperienced enough to fall for Republican talking points. The Clinton campaign has nothing to do with this item.