The Obama camp has its own memo...

scott — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:50:42 GMT

love this guy! he said a great line a couple days ago that pretty much sums up my feelings (along with millions of others): i'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. let's start fresh. it's that simple.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Wilma T. Grandmaw, Emmits. Wi. — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:52:36 GMT

What memo is that you ask? hillaryclinton.com

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Monica, Ca. — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:58:37 GMT

Iraq is Hillary's war as much as Georges. She voted for it and has done nothing to stop it. I'd vote for a Republican before I'd vote for her, and I hate those bigots.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Dave, Tn — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:00:47 GMT

Blaming Lobbyist because these people are weak and corrupt is silly. That goes for both sides. Everyone who has a bridge, hwy, or a building named after them paid for by US should leave now. That should pretty much clean house.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Ashe, SF, CA — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:03:25 GMT

You can take Barack out of the south-side, but you can't take the south-side out of Barack! The candidates are now getting in campaign mode and challenging HRC's so-called front-runner status, a myth created by her media friends.
A majority of political analysts/scientists agree that polling data at this point is flawed and unreliable. Yet, HRC's campaign insists on pushing this garbage in front of the American people...since they've got nothing else to say.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Will Gibbs — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:04:37 GMT

If all Hillary's team can come up with is "we're ahead", then she is in trouble. Edwards and Obama are talking about differences that will likely resonate. HRC's goal has been to avoid contact and to keep as little light between her stances and the others'. Wolfson et al better start talking about policy and not about polls or they will not have polls to talk about.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Mary, Seattle — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:15:19 GMT

Please post the whole Obama memo like you did the Clinton memo.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Frank Hardy — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:19:57 GMT

Mr. Plouffe:

The national polls ARE NOT "wildly inconsistent."

But you knew that already. :)

The Obama camp has its own memo...

jerry/corpus christi texas — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:22:08 GMT

Hillary wants us out if Iraq and Obama wants to attack Pakistan. Hmmmm, don't see where the word "change" would fit in the democratic platofrm

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Stan — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:22:34 GMT

Well good move for Obama camp to strike back...in politics the best defense is attack....I agree with team Obama national poll have no meaning, in primary party election, state poll matters a lot for winning primaries... Clintons see it as weakness hence they fail to mention it in their own Memo...

The Obama camp has its own memo...

cms — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:26:17 GMT

Can we see the whole thing, please?

The Obama camp has its own memo...

John Doe, The Peanut Gallery — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:29:51 GMT

I have seen this mischaracterization of Obama's position on Pakistan so often I truly weep for the right wing. Obama does not want to attack Pakistan. Obama wants to attack TERRORISTS in Pakistan. I can't help but wonder why people like Jerry are against this...

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:38:19 GMT

John Doe - Actually Obama sounds like he wants the Pakistanis to grab bin Laden, but if they aren't willing, we'll go from there.

As for why the Republicans won't, I think the Republicans must want to keep bin Laden around for some reason. Its a mystery.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

nuanced — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:42:55 GMT

Why does jerry hate America?

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Bee — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:42:55 GMT

Way to go Obama. Like i have said several times, this race is a marathon and only the smart will survive. National Poll doesn't matter, it is a false indicator of the state of the election. Smart strategy would win this election.

This is just the begining of a presidential race. I am expecting to see what HRC will do when press start demanding meet on her bone.

For all Obama hater " you ain't see nothing yet". Go Barack !!!!!

The Obama camp has its own memo...

TJB, Scottsdale — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:47:33 GMT

Unless we rid Washington of the lobbyist blight our system is truely doomed...In retrospect, I wonder how many lobbyists our founding fathers had paying their way into office in search of political favoritism???.....

For Mrs. Clinton to propose that their is no influence gained through the infusion of hundreds of thousands of lobbyists dollars into her campaign coffers is ridiculous...Although, she is correct in one regard, lobbyists do represent "real people", they are the "Real Big Money People", the same ones that are raping the tax payers wallets and distorting legislation and the constitutional interpretation(s) within the areas of Health Insurance, pharmaceutical, petroleum, 2nd amendment, etc.,etc., to suit the needs of their agenda and bottom lines.....period!

Although, personally I sense a change that the American public is starting to grow weary of the "business as usual" approach by our legislators(both Democrat and Republican), employing the "Mushroom Theory" of keeping the public in the dark and feed them BS...while they bastardize every piece of legislation coming before them to suit their personal needs, or that of the Lobbyists, while leaving their constituency holding the bag.....But change is in the air, I think that the rejection of the "Immigration Bill" was the watershed where the American public finally said we've had enough an yanked the chains of their respective politicians, who were trying to stuff a garbage bill down their throats....

The lobby problem is not a phenomenom that is synonamous with one party or the other, it's become sypmtomatic of our federal and state politics as a whole. Unfortunately, in order to effect any real change, we first have to endure the dark days of the current administration. Bush is, and has been, a disgrace. He, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice have done more to undermine this country than all of their collective predecessors put together...so, let's learn from the bitter lessons they have taught us.

To that end, given her recent comments, I know that Mrs. Clinton is not offering any spectre of change and is falling lock-step into the habits embraced by her husband (in and out of office, he has been one of the worst offenders of being a lobbyist aligned entity)....they are both "old school" when this nation needs CHANGE, REAL CHANGE, not political pandeing and promises, we need change from the old establishment ways and we need it now!!! In the past few weeks, I'm beginning to think you spell that change o.b.a.m.a.... He's fresh,new, he says some things that might be polictically incorrest, but, those things that need to be said....He holds his position and his head high...and I sense an integrity and honesty in him, that I haven't seen in a long while and I've been watching and listening to politician alot longer than the vast majority that might contribute their thoughts here....

More than ever before, we as a nation have to think long and hard, searching our souls, at who we wish to lead this country. Our image, our pride, our integrity, in the eyes of the world, has been sullied and damaged by the current administration.....We need a charismatic, inspirational leader that will take this country back to it's rightful position as a role model for rest if the world and I only see one candidate that has the capability, capacity and compassion to make us great again......I ask you all, to please listen intently to what this young man has to say, he might just be what we're all looking for...

The Obama camp has its own memo...

CJ — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:49:06 GMT

The GOP was so gung ho about attacking imaginary targets in Iraq..seems hypocritical.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Vanreuter NyNy — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:49:15 GMT

Dear Mr. Plouffe
Barack's a soufflé
He daily deflates
Debate by debate
If you don't believe me
Check out Ras, and RCP

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/2008_democratic_presidential_primary

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Maureen — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:11:40 GMT

They keep talking about Senator Clinton having more experience. I have a problem with her siding with President Bush when she had to make a decision on this war. The evidence was there that Saddam Hussein did not have WMD's. Senator Obama saw that, why didn't she? Very bad judgment on her part.

This is a major issue with me.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Carrie, Eastern Iowa — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:12:10 GMT

Not all lobbyists represent big business. Some very important causes are championed by lobbyists. Are there too many of them? Sure there are. But let's not call all lobbyists evil representatives of big business and the ultra rich. That's as inaccurate as calling all attorneys ambulance chasers.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

John Doe, The Peanut Gallery — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:18:04 GMT

Paul Miller - That is a good point and thanks for clarifying. I am of the opinion that Musharif will never act against Al Queada. I am on the fence as to whether or not that is because his constituency would be against it or because he simply doesn't want to attack terrorists. As an American, I find both reasons inconsequential. If a terrorist was living in the US that had engineered an attack that killed 3,000+ Pakistanis you can bet your bottom dollar that we would help bring them to justice, even if it upset a large section of the American populace.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Yiannis, Baltimore, MD — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:19:32 GMT

QUESTION: Who was leading the national polls in this stage of the 2004 primary race?

ANSWER: Joe Lieberman

Granted Hillary's lead is more substantial and it's not like she'll disappear. Unlike what her campaign says this nomination is far from over.

Her campaign is in panic mode. She inspires NOBODY.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Robert Kirkpatrick, New Orleans, La. — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:27:43 GMT

Ok, I'll take a looksie at that web site..hillaryclinton.com

The Obama camp has its own memo...

John Morgan, San Diego, CA — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:33:03 GMT

Van reuter, you didn't read even the executive summary of the memo, you just plopped up your drive-by spam. Obama's tied or ahead in IA, NH, and SC, not to mention significantly outperforming Hillary in the head-to-heads. Yeah, total deflation there.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

John Morgan, San Diego, CA — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:35:55 GMT

Maureen, it's probably because Hillary didn't read the national intelligence estimate before voting to go to war - or so I've heard. It was partly because none of her aides had security clearance to read it for her, and partly because war was an overwhelmingly popular position back when Barack took his stand against it. Nothing like running a country entirely via the polls, just like her husband did!

The Obama camp has its own memo...

s doe — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:39:43 GMT

i loved barack when he first came out, not anymore... he better not talk about not taking money from big business, because if you work for united airlines you know that is what he did... when we were going thru bankruptcy, he was set to sign on to a bill to save our pensions, at the last minute he voted against saving our pensions, and then said he couldnt vote against his constituent united airlines from his state illinois... he is a liar... he is also spineless and gutless... he has screwed us on alot of other worker friendly issues. i dont care who wins, but not this poser.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Cindy Penny — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:47:35 GMT

I don't think it really matters whether Obama represents change and vision, if he can't get things done. the Senate and the House do not have to do what he wants. The experience gained by having been around for a while - reaches further than knowledge. This is how relationships are forged.

Okay, so Mrs. Clinton is not news and upfront - but she knows how the game is played. She knows how to deal with the big boys and bad special interests and beat them at their own game.

I think it is more important to accomplish something -what ever it takes - than dream about it.

Finally, I think Obama is starting to sound desperate. He is trying to find a way to sprint ahead. He doesn't know enough to say things the right way. He's not even the Democratic candidate and already he's starting an international incident. We need to lower our profile in the world and fix our domestic problems.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

J. Mitchell, Charlton, SC — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:56:21 GMT

I absolutely agree with Will. "If you have to remind people that you're the leader, then you're not"- John C. Maxwell.

If Hillary's campaign was doing well, they would not need to come up with that memo.

The most recent Iowa and SC polls show Obama ahead and tied with Hillary in NH. National polls are expressions of name recogniton. Even my 12 year old knows that.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Mary, Seattle — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 22:10:59 GMT

Thanks for posting the whole memo.

Can you make the LINKs live?

I finally agree with Chris Cilliza: "There appears to be some sort of chasm between the public perception and what, folks, like myself, you know, in Washington think."

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Sierra, San Francisco — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 22:12:32 GMT

Carrie: Did they finally let you out of the Hillary-bunker ??
Was it kind of like Melina in 'Total Recall' ?

'Not all lobbyists represent big business.'
No, but the ones with the big bucks represent Big Corporations.
Unfortunately, under Bill Clinton, you had to 'Pay to Play'. Only big campaign contributors got a seat at the table when legislation was being crafter.
When Hillary was crafting her 'Health Care Initiative', only the special interests were represented. A strategy designed to reap more campaign contributions.

Hillary is 'Republican lite'
And Neroism is in the air

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Marcus O, Chicago — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 23:51:23 GMT

>Okay, so Mrs. Clinton is not news and upfront - but she knows how the game is played. She knows how to deal with the big boys and bad special interests and beat them at their own game. >

Uh - y'mean like when she beat out the insurance industry in the big Health Care scrum back in '93? Yeah, she totally schooled 'em. Please.

She married well, for someone who was interested in getting into politics. Based on her public record as a Senator, I wouldn't be any more inclined to vote for her than I would for any other former first lady.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Matt Jones, Liverpool, New York — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 23:53:05 GMT

I think we Democrats need to really remember what the number 2008 means...WE HAVE TO WIN in '08. To nominate a man with less experience than Bush had and has about as much foreign policy experience as he has disaster written all over it. We need to nominate the best man for the job, the candidate with experience and who is strong enough and smart enough to stand up against Guliani or Thompson...And that man is not Barrack Obama, it is with out question Hillary Clinton.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Mary Walkers, Chicago, Illinois — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 23:56:14 GMT

B.O. you stink !

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Josh, NC — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:21:41 GMT

"Change versus more of the same." I believe that was a popular saying in 1991 for Bill Clinton's campaign.

Go get 'em Obama.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Jonathan, Boston, MA — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:31:59 GMT

Hillary Clinton is a stuborn “status quo” candidate who doesn’t want to change anything despite a programs ineffectiveness, and as long as it benifits her personal political ambition of becoming the president.
Obama on the other hand stands for “real change” and he is not afraid to take actions that might be detrimental to his political ambitions, but are the right choices in the best interests of the american people.
Case in point: HRC voted against a bill that would stop funding the disfunctional TV Marti, where as Obama voted for stoping funding.
TV Marti is a failed US government sponsered program that beams TV programs into Cuba. The Cuban government jams these signals and so no one in Cuba gets this TV signal right from the day of its inception. The US has already squndered $200 million of our hard earned tax payer money on this stupid program that doesn’t work. HRC voted to continue to squander our hard earned money just so that she might gain some cuban votes in Florida.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Kristoph, Seattle, WA — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:34:01 GMT

if you look at the majority of national polls (Rassmussen, Gallup, WSJ, Newsweek) you see an upswing for HRC of about 10pt over the last several weeks

a single poll shows Obama strength in the primary states and if you look at pollster.com you see they question it's accuracy (not because it helps HRC but because it is so different to other - local - polls in Iowa showing Edwards in the lead)

so, honestly, no matter what you think of your candidate (whomever she or he is), you should accept that, nationally, HRC is doing better

The Obama camp has its own memo...

jerry/corpus christi texas — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:43:14 GMT

I went to Hillaryclinton.com

Nothing special about a person who is nothing special to begin with.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

MK,MO — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 01:01:40 GMT

Carrie, Eastern Iowa / fill me in on who the "good" lobbyist are,I must have missed those organzations somewhere along the line

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Dale, Birmingham, AL — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 01:38:17 GMT

This entire lobbyist argument is foolish for Obama and Edwards to get involved in. Edwards has taken MILLIONS from the trial lawyers over the years. Just because they may not each be federal lobbyists doesn't mean their issues are not his issues. Obama and Edwards have taken PAC contributions for their senate races. PACs that are controlled by federal lobbyists. Also, federal lobbyists can only give the same amount of money as each citizen.. $2300 for primary and the same for the general. To somehow suggest that $2300 buys that kind of influence is silly.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 02:08:02 GMT

Cindy, care to explain what you mean by Obama saying things in the wrong way? Or is that just something you read on the Clinton website.

Let's take the nuclear statement. I think Obama may be the only one (in either party) who understands U.S. nuclear policy. Clinton by her statement of criticism demonstrated an ignorance of it. Care to discuss further?

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Aidyn, NY, NY — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 02:17:19 GMT

Hillary is the president we need. She is the only one that is ready now and will be ready in 2008!

Find out more at hillaryclinton.com

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Nnamdi,Renton Wash. — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 02:40:49 GMT

Obama is the candidate best position to bring about fundamental change.Barack Obama continues to demonstrate to the country the vision and leadership he will provide as president of the free world.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Bob Snakely, Kirkland, WA — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 04:49:56 GMT

Well Obama has been sold out by the Clinton bunch! He is being dumped by Hillary who is selling out the Party and all of its young supporters as she prepares to try and do her 8 years of a copy of the "Bush Presidency". I hope Obama will run as an INDEPENDENT. It's the only way out now!

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Ken, Monument CO — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 06:54:35 GMT

Barack is starting to sound like George W. Bush on Iraq. Unable to admit mistakes and claiming victory when he is 22 points behind. GET REAL OBAMA. Smell the coffee. You're wasting $Millions that would be better spent in Hillary's Hands. She's simply smarter and has more Command Presence. GET OUT Before She Really embarasses you.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Ken, Monument CO — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 06:56:03 GMT

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Jeff Morgan, Austin, TX — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 08:10:58 GMT

Cindy Penny, my counter:

"I don't think it really matters whether Obama represents change and vision, if he can't get things done. the Senate and the House do not have to do what he wants."

The ability to shape and lead public opinion seems to me to have emerged as the primary power of the president to get things done.

" The experience gained by having been around for a while - reaches further than knowledge. This is how relationships are forged."

Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush for example didn't come in to the white house with extra-developed relationships with the Washington crowd as far as I know. LBJ might be a good example of the importance of how relationships develop while in the white house, not before.

By the way, would the public interest be better served with a President that has these pre-existing relationships?

"She knows how to deal with the big boys and bad special interests and beat them at their own game."

How does Hillary's record of this compare to Obama's? And when Hillary beats them at their own game, is she winning more for the public benefit or winning more for her own ambitions?

"I think it is more important to accomplish something -what ever it takes - than dream about it."

What do you say to those who expect Obama to be able to accomplish such goals than Hillary? Will her negativity ratings afford her the political capital to get her way? Can she build coalitions between Republicans and Democrats to cooperate on objectives? Is her ability to persuade better?

"I think Obama is starting to sound desperate. He is trying to find a way to sprint ahead."

Would this perspective of Obama's campaign be different if you found that this is what they've been planning since the beginning, and that her national poll lead has long been expected?

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Allen Tokyo — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:01:34 GMT

Clinton is campaingning for those lobbyist and she doesn't say anything SPECIAL , same words, same song nothing . SHE IS 60 years old she is no motivated. Her husband didn't change America isnot her who will..............

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 11:42:00 GMT

Sierra, you are playing right into the repubs hands. So if hillary is the nominee you won't vote or perhaps vote for a repub? Sounds like the Nader fiasco. We talk ourselves right out of elections that way, then we get Bush. Not very smart. So youre a socialist, then vote for a dem.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Moses Sivi — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:09:11 GMT

Its simple people hillary was in the white house when
her husband wasi in power why dint she bring all the changes shes talking about and calling obama naive.open your eyes people while you still can she voted for the Iraq war as well and she goes on calling someone naive, between her and obama who is naive. Shes got to much pride as well saying that she cant speek to certain leaders. Do you know what this is going to resault to,us creating more and more enemies.Make change while you still can as simple as that.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Class Warrior, D.C. — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:10:01 GMT

I agree with Obama that lobbyist are the devil's own. Having said that, though, I hope his nest memo is a plea to be Hilarity's running mate, because---though I support and like him---he's toast.
Paul Miller; why do the Bushies seem to want Osama free? Read Orwell's 1984 (sort of a blueprint for the Cheney/Bush administration anyway), and pay special attention to the role a man named Emmanuel Goldstein plays.
Yiannis, good factoid, Lieberman was the "unstoppable" front runner at this point in 2004. But I still believe Hilarity had a lock on this thing from Day One---which is too bad, cause it's an instant win for whatever nitwit the REpublicans run.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Robert Ferguson, DePere WI — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 21:01:19 GMT

Paul Miller: "Let's take the nuclear statement. I think Obama may be the only one (in either party) who understands U.S. nuclear policy."

This would actually be fairly funny, if it we not such a serious subject. Obama has no clue about nuclear policy. You see this when he sat in front of a set of reporters and makes up his policy as he talks it through.

Other then the fact that he'd never use nuclear weapons if civilians were in harms way, which means he'd never use them at all, what has Obama said that makes you believe he understands nuclear policy?

The Obama camp has its own memo...

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 21:57:45 GMT

Robert - U.S. use of nuclear weapons against non-governmental organizations (like terrorist groups) has never been on the table.

In 2002, the Bush Administration changed the wording of our policy to include terrorist groups, but only when those groups could be linked directly to a nation state. In other words, we'd nuke the nation state and not just the terrorist group in it. This is rhetorical only, when you think about - its still a statement of reserved use against a nation state only.

What Obama said was absolutely consistent with U.S. policy. We have publicly stated through our open policy that we nuclear weapons are not on the table against NGOs.

What Clinton said is consistent with U.S. policy when discussing warfare with other nations only. Obama wasn't and the question he was responding to wasn't about attacks against another nation.

For Clinton to say we shouldn't discuss nuclear weapons use, in response to a question about NGOs (particularly inside a friendly nation) is actually a radical departure of U.S. policy. But, I doubt she knew that at the time.

I stand by what I said. Obama is the only one this cycle to have demonstrated an understanding of our policy beyond the usual, rehearsed candidate answers.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

John, Deleware — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:56:58 GMT

Obama proves that he is the true Front-Runner.. lol everyone knows that polls are not accurate.....take Kerry's nomination... he was behind like 12 points and won the nomination and Gore was leading in the polls for election and lost...lol....i dont see how polling 1,000 or a little more can represent the whole country.

The Obama camp has its own memo...

JImmieFromDayton — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 18:43:45 GMT

Obama 08!

(Coming soon to a town near you!)