Obama says Clinton ad "straight out of the Republican playbook"

Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:24 EDT

Speaking in Mississippi Monday, Barack Obama made some particularly direct criticisms of his rival, Hillary Clinton.

"When in the midst of a campaign you decide to throw the kitchen sink at your opponent because you're behind," Obama said, "and your campaign starts leaking photographs of me, when I'm traveling overseas wearing the native clothes of those folks, to make people afraid, and then you run an ad talking about who’s going to answer the phone at 3 in the morning, an ad straight out of the Republican playbook, that's not real change."

The photo reference Obama made was, of course, a reference to a Drudge Report story that staffers in Clinton's campaign were circulating a photo of Obama dressed in native Somali clothing. ABC News' Jake Tapper -- a former Salon reporter -- notes on his blog that at a Feb. 26 debate, Obama had said, "I take Senator Clinton at her word that she knew nothing about the photo. So I think that's something that we can set aside."

― Alex Koppelman

Posted in: 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton

Current Salon Politics Stories

Hang up and drive

Think driving while talking on the cellphone is safe as long as you use a headset, as new laws require? Stop yammering and read this article.

By Katharine Mieszkowski

Vive la Obama différence!

By Beth Arnold

The Obama show lands in Israel

By Aluf Benn

’08 Update

07:20 EDT, July 26, 2008

A tale of two campaigns Obama had a magical week, McCain had a bad one, but the polls remain remarkably close.

By Joan Walsh

Joan Walsh

20:22 EDT, July 25, 2008

Former Bush cabinet member as Obama's running mate? Politico reports that a Republican who served in George W. Bush's cabinet during his first term has been mentioned by Barack Obama's search team as a potential running mate.

By Alex Koppelman

War Room

16:10 EDT, July 25, 2008

Rove map shows Obama beating McCain A series of Electoral College maps produced by the company run by the man once known as "Bush's Brain" has Barack Obama narrowly winning the presidency.

By Alex Koppelman

War Room

14:57 EDT, July 25, 2008

The John Edwards "love child" story Yes, the original report comes from the National Enquirer, but new information lends additional credibility to its article.

By Alex Koppelman

War Room

12:24 EDT, July 25, 2008

McCain memo is riddled with inaccuracies McCain's campaign claims to have debunked "three prevailing myths about Obama's foreign policy," but it's the McCain camp that isn't connected to reality.

By Alex Koppelman

War Room

Salon Politics Blogs