According to The Page and Matt Drudge (edit: also ABC News), Barack Obama has directly confronted Bill Clinton in taped remarks that are to air on Good Morning America tomorrow.
As Drudge has it in his typical Drudge-y style:
EXCLUSIVE: OBAMA RIPS INTO BILL CLINTON MONDAY DURING ABC INTERVIEW WITH 'GOOD MORNING AMERICA' HOST ROBIN ROBERTS... SAYS HE FEELS LIKE HE RUNNING AGAINST BOTH CLINTONS... Bill 'has taken his advocacy on behalf of his wife to a level that I think is pretty troubling. He continues to make statements that are not supported by the facts. Whether it's about my record of opposition to the war in Iraq or our approach to organizing in Las Vegas. This has become a habit and one of the things that we're gonnna have to do is to directly confront Bill Clinton when he's making statements that are not factually accurate'... DEVELOPING....
From my point of view, this is long overdue, both as an electoral strategy and because it's the God's Honest Truth. In fact, there had been some foreshadowing of a newer, more combative Obama in his stump speeches in the days leading up to the Nevada caucus.
The key takeaway quote from that clip.
"This is part of what we have to change. You know, folks willing to say anything just to get elected."
[...]
Since the Iowa Caucus, the Clintons have run an increasingly dishonest campaign. The laundry list of grievances is long, but would include:
- Distortion of Obama's position on the Iraq war (the first of the two specifics that Obama mentions).
- Distortion of the mechanics of the at-large caucuses on the Las Vegas strip (the second think that Obama mentions).
- Hillary's non-apology for Bob Johnson's comments.
- Hillary's failure to distance herself from the teacher's union lawsuit against the at-large precincts.
- Distortions of Obama's position on Yucca mountain.
- Allegations of fraudulent behavior by Clinton supporters in the Nevada caucus.
- Allegations of robocalls against Obama in Nevada.
- Hillary's borrowing of right-wing frames on the Levin Amendment.
- Hillary's hypocrisy in calling out Obama on his remarks about Ronald Reagan, when she's made similar statements herself.
- Hillary's failure to be accountable for her comments about Gordon Brown and the 9/11 card.
- Hillary's accusing Obama of starting the "race war" on Meet the Press.
- The blatantly misleading mailer on Obama's position on social security.
- The blatantly misleading mailer on Obama's position on abortion.
- Hillary's claiming she wanted the 2001 bankruptcy bill to fail, even though she voted for it.
Some of these complaints are more tangible than others. For me, #8 and #12 tell you the most that you need to know about how she's chosen to run her campaign, as they both borrow heavily from right-wing frames.
I believe that how somebody runs their campaign tells you a lot about how they're going to run their White House. Although Obama is not perfect, I believe that he has run an essentially honest campaign, whereas the Clintons have run an essentially dishonest campaign.
"This is part of what we have to change. You know, folks willing to say anything just to get elected."
It's about time. Thank you, Barack.
EDIT: A preemptive response from the Clinton campaign, as linked up in the ABC News article. Speaks for itself, I guess?
Hillary Clinton's campaign manager Howard Wolfson said Obama may just be smarting from his loss to the New York senator in the Nevada caucuses on Saturday.
"We understand Sen. Obama is frustrated by his loss in Nevada, but facts are facts," Wolfson said. "Sen. Obama's allies in Nevada engaged in strongarm tactics and intimidation against our supporters and his record against the war has been inconsistent. President Clinton is a huge asset to our campaign and will continue talking to the American people to press the case for Sen. Clinton.
"Of course Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama are the candidates on the ballot and she is winning because she is giving voice to the Americans who will provide real solutions to the challenges they face in the daily lives," he said.