The Conservative Freedom Defense Fund has a new ad running, which is trying to link Obama with Kwame Kilpatrick of Michigan. Below the jump, you find the Kilpatrick ad. As you can see with the vid, The Conservative Freedom Defense Fund has pulled the race card from the bottom of the deck.
Obama has nothing, nada, in common with Kilpatrick except their dark skin tones. The vid is image is dark and scary reminding me of the Willie Horton ad message: be afraid of black men.
Here is the Conservative Freedom Fund ad.
Address to the Detroit Economic Club where Obama had scolded the auto industry for keeping American dependent on oil. As you can see, Obama was not endorsing Kilpatrick for office but giving a speech to promote energy efficieny.
Here is an excerpt transcript from the Address to the Detroit Economic Club that the Republicans are using in the smear ad.
Obama: "I want to, first of all, acknowledge your great mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick. Who has been on the front lines doing an outstanding job of gathering together the leadership at every level in Detroit to bring about the kind of renaissance that all of us anticipate for this great city. He is a leader, not just here in Detroit, not just in Michigan, but all across the country people look to him. We know that he is going to be doing astounding things for many years to come. I'm grateful to call him a friend and a colleague and I'm looking forward to a lengthy collaboration in terms of making sure that Detroit does well in the future." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Detroit Economic Club, Detroit, MI, 5/7/07)
According to Todd Zirkle the ad will target Macomb County
The 30-second ad uses audio and video from a May 2007 appearance Obama made before the Detroit Economic Club at which he is introduced by Kilpatrick and, in turn, describes Kilpatrick as "your great mayor," "a friend," etc. Obama's praise then plays over a police mug shot of the mayor as a list of the criminal charges against him scrolls down the screen.
Todd Zirkle, executive director of the group behind the ad, Freedom's Defense Fund, said Friday it will run on Macomb County cable channels for at least seven days at a cost of about $25,000.
The county was targeted because its voters will be key to deciding the election in Michigan, Zirkle said.
Zirkle said the group opposes what it says is Obama's plan to expand government and restrict economic liberty and individual freedom, but targeted his association with Kilpatrick because it was the most effective way to question his judgment.
If anything, word on the street is Obama and Kilpatrick had a prickly exchange during the Democratic primary. Kilpatric was a superdelegate, and Obama needed his vote. Before the Detroit Economic Club speech, Obama called Kilpatraick to touch base with the the mayor.
But a recent phone call between presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was, shall we say, a little prickly.
Word is it went like this: In advance of his speech today to a sold-out Detroit Economic Club, Obama calls Kilpatrick to touch base, ask for his support, get to know him a little.
Kilpatrick, not yet committed to any presidential candidate, challenges the senator with a pinch of bluster about the nature of Obama’s broad, cross-racial campaign. He asks Obama whether he’d be comfortable standing in public next to a 6-foot-4 black guy from Detroit.
Obama, no shrinking violet, then fires back, saying he thinks he could handle it just fine — as long as Kilpatrick loses the earring.
Ouch.
A little background. Upscale professional blacks frown upon the ghetto culture where flashy jewelry clothing are worn. Professional blacks dress conservatively.
Even at the Detroit economic address, Kilpatrick
dissed Obama when he introduced him
Mr. Obama was making his first visit to Detroit since beginning his presidential campaign. Significantly, he was introduced by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of Detroit, also a Democrat, who has not endorsed a presidential candidate.
Mr. Kilpatrick called Mr. Obama "presumably, maybe the next president of the United States." Mr. Obama received a standing ovation before his speech, a rarity for an Economic Club event.
This vid will go viral soon. Let's get ahead of the smear campaign and rebut the vid with facts. The Obama campaign must respond vigorously to the smear because the Willie Horton ad was effective in Bush I winning the presidency. Also we know how the race card was played in the Harold Ford's Tennessee campaign.
Also, does anyone know if there are any 527 groups gearing up to combat the smear ad? Lately, everyone has focused on the Palin drama. Other important stuff is happening, particularly in swing states, that needs our attention.