Clinton Camp Hits Obama Over Teamsters Report

On a conference call with reporters this morning, the Clinton campaign knocked Barack Obama over a report in the Wall Street Journal today that Obama "won the endorsement of the Teamsters earlier this year after privately telling the union he supported ending the strict federal oversight imposed to root out corruption."

Clinton has not taken a position on oversight of the Teamsters, and, as the Journal notes, Obama's stance is unusual, as "[p]olicy makers have largely treated monitoring of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters as a legal matter left to the Justice Department since an independent review board was set up in 1992 to eliminate mob influence in the union."

"One has to wonder what exactly Senator Obama's position is," spokesperson Phil Singer said on the call, as TPM points out. "It would appear as though he's taking a position in private and not telling voters about that view."

Obama told ABC this morning that he "wouldn't make any blanket commitments" on the issue.

"What I've said is is that we should take a look at what's been happening over the Teamsters and at all unions, to make sure that in fact organized labor is able to represent it's membership and engage in collective bargaining in accordance to what we've always believed in," Obama added.

[dnsallday]

Hillary Clinton is a slimy piece of work. She is quoted saying that very thing in an interview with the Teamsters.
Maybe I wouldn''t feel shame for anything I did if I had a hundred million dollars in my bank account either!

[janetrae1959]

I am very sorry to read the comments listed above. It appears that we as a people (us citizens) have lost sight of the truths on which this country was initially founded. "All men" were to be viewed as created equal, not just "white" but all men. Why are we in the year 2008 continuing to allow race to separate us? Why is it that race (the color of someone''s skin) causes some individuals to become limited on how they view that individual regardless of his/her abilities/education or accomplishments. By reading these positings,with the use of profanity and the racial statements, you would think that we were back in the 1950"s not 2008. If we continue to allow our differences to divide us, we will never conquer our real problems (economy, health care, gas prices), and we will never come together as a people.

[alicerea1]

Obama said to Fox to the teamsters something to the effect that: It''s always a good thing to have someone in the White House...

[alicerea1]

This is a race against black and white.
It is very upsetting.
Would the African Americans please not just vote for the Black President. The Democrats will lose if they continue to do this.

[alicerea1]

Obama might win the nomination but never will win the President positions. It takes a bunch of kids that no nothing about the games of politics, including Obama to blow this election

[michael0004]

Why is it that the media is reporting that Clinton is putting negative ads against Obama...but you bstards are not picking up on teh fact that he has thrown the most negative of all. Obama gets a free ride by the media. tacks!

Posted by ladyesq1

Yes. And take for instance CNN.com yesterday with its headline that Hillary is going negative against Obama. But you read the underlying article to find out that they are referring to her TV ad on the "gas holiday" that was made IN RESPONSE to Obama''s TV ad saying that Clinton was "pandering". So, in reality, it was Obama that went negative, but the media, as usual, flips it to give the impression that it is Clinton that is the negative, same old politician. And CNN is not alone on this. (Note, I wanted to place a comment at CNN.com saying this, but everytime I do, I get a message that all messages are reviewed and not all or published. That''s fine, but mine are never published. I don''t use abusive language or call any of the candidate''s names unlike others whose messages are posted, so I have to wonder what their real policy is.) Also, not to pick on CNN, but I''ve noticed when they are talking about the issues in the Democratic primary, often they will have an Obama supporter to represent Obama, but instead of getting a Clinton supporter to represent her, they use a Republican. I find that strange. MSNBC does this as well, but, they are "Obama Central" so it comes as no suprise.

[agog2]

Come on American Voters. This is really simple to understand. If you need to fill up you gas tank and you see two AIMCO gas stations. One of the stations has a sign saying Regular $3.00 dollars a gallon and the other AIMCO station has a sign saying Regular $3.18 cents a gallon. Which gas station are you going to pull into to fill up your gas tank?

[gawania]

AMERICA HAD NO PROBLEM WITH BLACK VOTERS VOTING 90+% FOR WHITE CANDIDATES WHY IS IT MAKING IT A RACIST VOTE WHEN BLACK FOR A BLACK CANDIDATE...

[gawania]

JOHN HAGEE CALLED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH THE BEAST OR SATAN IN OTHER WORDS AND MCCAIN WAS AGAINST CIVIL RIGHTS AND MLK HOLIDAY...***HE NEVER DENOUNCED ANYTHING OR ANYONE***... BUT YOU SAY WRIGHT A RACIST AND YOU WILL VOTE FOR MCCAIN IF MRS CLINTON DOES NOT WIN...LOL;... BE FOR REAL WE SEE THROUGH YA,...

CLINTON SUPPORTERS SEEM TO GET MORE AND MORE IRRATIONAL AND EXTREME AS MRS CLINTON DOES, AND VERY ANTI-OBAMA, BAD SPORTMANSHIP, AND MEAN SPIRITED. SINCE SHE IS THE LOSING ONE ON THE NUMBERS END IT MAKES HER LOOK BAD, AND HER SIDE OF THE VOTERS APPEAR DEMENTED.

[ladyesq1]

Why is it that the media is reporting that Clinton is putting negative ads against Obama...but you bstards are not picking up on teh fact that he has thrown the most negative of all insults...and a personal insult at that.....he ignorantly compared her to BUSH! What an idiot...she is nothing like Bush. She couldn''t be like Bush if she tried!

Obama gets a free ride by the media. AGAIN! He is the one that is negative and nasty with the personal attacks! I"m so done with CNN and MSNBC....you journalists are pathetic. DO YOUR JOB! REPORT EQUALLY!