There's been a lot of discussion as to why Obama decided to fully air out his dirty laundry with the Rezko situation. Because he realized it could be used against him in the general. Because he didn't want any more surprises going out. Because he stands for transparency and full disclosure. Yes, all true.
But the real reason?:
Sen. Barack Obama is trying to air his dirty laundry -- even some items that might appear just a little wrinkled -- as he prepares a full assault on Sen. Hillary Clinton over ethics and transparency.
That's right - he's finally about to go on attack of Clinton, and is going after one of her biggest Achilles heels: secrecy.
The Illinois Democrat is also expected to make public his tax returns for several years before 2006, documents he previously has provided to the Tribune and other news organizations.
I was wondering why Obama was spending so much downtime in Chicago while Hillary was out campaigning in PA every day. Now we know - he's airing absolutely everything. His earmarks. His tax returns. The full story with Rezko. It's all laying the groundwork for what I can only hope will be a full-fledged assault on Hillary Clinton.
Why is this so important? Because Hillary's team is still trying to spead that meme that Obama isn't fully vetted, that there are skeletons in his closet, and finally that Hillary herself is fully vetted. Not so fast. Where are the tax returns? Where are the presidential library records? What about Bill's business dealings?
And remember folks, this isn't just about getting the media narrative on his side, but about convincing Super Delegates that not only is he fully vetted, but Hillary isn't even close to being fully vetted.
There are a whole boatload of items that Hillary is still being secretive about, and it's the height of hypocrisy that they've gone after Obama on transparency -- and incredible that the press has bought into it.
Well, let's hope we're going to start hearing something along the following lines from Obama;
"This past week, I released all of my tax returns, not just from this past year, but from many years past. I released every earmark I've ever passed as a Senator. I sat down with the editorial boards of both major Chicago newspapers and answered every possible question about Tony Rezko, and they have confirmed the fact that there has been no wrong-doing on my part. I've released every possible record that can be scoured for some sort of skeleton in the closet, and there just aren't any.
Now, the Clinton campaign has been spending months trying to tell everyone that maybe some sort of skeletons will emerge in the general election and that I can't be trusted. At the same time they keep saying that Hillary is fully vetted and everyone knows everything about her already. Really? Why hasn't she released her tax returns? Why hasn't she released the list of donors to the Clinton library? In fact, there are a huge list of unanswered questions, as there would be from one of the most secretive politicians in America.
Let's get right to it: I have no skeletons in my closet. Everything that can be possibly be released has been released. What you see is what you get. But Hillary Clinton hasn't come close to being as transparent.
After 8 years of Bush-Cheney secrecy, energy meetings behind closed doors, scandals from the White House down through both houses of Congress, and information that the old powers of Washington decided the American people don't need to know, it's time for someone who tells the truth. It's time for a change."
Okay, so he can be much more eloquent than I am. But I hope this attack gets the following things accomplished:
- Makes it clear to everyone (especially SDs) that Obama has been incredibly transparent and released everything there is and there is no "there" there.
- Gets the MSM and SDs to stop buying into the meme that Hillary has been as fully vetted as she claims.
- Ties Hillary's secrecy in with the same old ways of doing things in Washington, and then is launched into a fully substantive argument as to why it's time for a change.
Mostly, I hope Obama finally takes control of the narrative, is no longer reactive, and goes on the offense. If this report is true, we have a lot to look forward to.
UPDATE: Thanks to insects8mybrain we now have the link to this editorial today by the Chicago Tribune entitled "What is Clinton hiding?" A sign of things to come? CNN, MSNBC, are you reading?:
This exercise in secrecy is part of a Clinton pattern that grows more worrisome all the time. The former first lady often says that she, unlike Obama, has been thoroughly vetted, rendering her impervious to Republican attacks. In fact, there are some important things unknown about her -- and her conduct suggests she wants to keep it that way. Which raises a question for voters: What is she hiding, and why?