February 2008. Obama was campaigning hard against Hillary Clinton and a small uproar arose over an Obama Campaign mailer on Clinton's position.
At the bottom of page one it read:
The ad was criticized as a dirty move evoking the infamous "Harry and Louise" ads against the original Clinton plan.
Let's take a closer look...
Here's the second page:
With a devastating quote from a local college newspaper in Iowa:
Yikes!
And what about Obamacare?
Because....
And it finishes:
Change we can believe in...
The Cinton campaign called foul:
"I am personally outraged at the picture used in this mailing," said Len Nichols of the New America Foundation, a leading supporter of mandatory insurance, who called it a "Harry and Louise evocation."
Axelrod fired back:
He called the image "standard" and defended the argument against the plan. He also dismissed the suggestion that this mailing is similar to Clinton attacks that Obama has denounced.
"Ours is based in fact, and theirs is based in fabrication," he said.
He also defended citing a student newspaper, the Daily Iowan, in the piece.
"It's a respected newspaper," he said, noting that the objection has been voiced by "plenty of other sources."
FactCheck.org had this to say:
Harry & Louise Again?
February 4, 2008
Obama mailer on Clinton health care plan lacks context.
An Obama mailer stretches the differences between the candidates on health care. Specifically:
* It touts measures included in Obama's plan to help low-income individuals buy insurance but fails to mention that Clinton would provide similar financial assistance.
* It says Obama's plan would save the average family $2,500 per year – an estimate provided by experts at the campaign's request – but doesn't say that Clinton estimates hers will save $2,200 per year.
* It also neglects to point out that Clinton's plan isn't the only one that would have an enforcement mechanism for those who failed to purchase insurance. Obama's plan, which would require that children be insured, would need one as well, though it would affect fewer persons.
Which brings us to today:
I guess he did...
How did we get here?