Obama Calls Clinton Ad A Scare Tactic

Accuses Rival Of Trying To "Play On People's Fears"

(CBS/AP)  Democrat Barack Obama accused rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday of trying to "play on people's fears to scare up votes" with a television ad showing sleeping children and asking who would be more qualified to answer a national security emergency call at 3 a.m. Watch the ad here.

"The question is not about picking up the phone. The question is: What kind of judgment will you make when you answer?" Obama said as he campaigned in Texas ahead of crucial contests here and in Ohio on Tuesday.

"We've had a red phone moment. It was the decision to invade Iraq. And Senator Clinton gave the wrong answer. George Bush gave the wrong answer. John McCain gave the wrong answer," Obama said.

The Obama campaign on Friday released a response to the Clinton spot using a similar setup-the 3 a.m. phone call-in its own ad.

Obama's response to his Democratic rival's ad - which began airing in Texas on Friday morning - was a double-barreled swipe at both Clinton and the likely Republican presidential nominee.

Polls show a tight race between Obama and Clinton in both states. Military issues play well in Texas, home to 16 active-duty military bases, including Fort Hood, the nation's largest Army post.

Clinton is casting herself as the candidate with the experience and judgment to take command on Inauguration Day. Obama, a first term senator, is seeking to chip away at those arguments by suggesting he would have superior judgment.

To the sound of a ringing phone, the Clinton ad shows children sleeping at night and a mother checking on a child as an announcer says a phone is ringing in the White House and something has happened in the world. It ends with an image of Clinton on the telephone as the announcer asks, "It's 3 a.m. and your children are safely asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?"

Obama responded: "We've seen these ads before. They're the kind that play on peoples' fears to scare up votes. Well, it won't work this time."

In a reference to Senate votes by both Clinton and McCain in October 2002 to authorize Mr. Bush to use force in Iraq, Obama said that he voiced opposition to that war vote when he was an Illinois state senator. He said it would cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars.

"I said that it would distract us from the real threat we face and that we should take the fight to al Qaeda in Afghanistan. That's the judgment I made on the most important foreign policy decision of our generation, and that's the kind of judgment I'll show when I answer that phone in the White House as president of the United States."

"That's the judgment we need at 3 a.m. And that's the judgment that I am running for President to provide," he added.

CBS News political consultant Joe Trippi compared the ad to one run by Walter Mondale against Gary Hart in the 1984 Democratic campaign.

"It is even more than a redo," Trippi said. "Roy Spence who made the 'Red Phone' ad for Mondale is also the consultant Hillary Clinton brought in several weeks ago. It is really a re-release of Roy Spence's greatest hit."

The Obama campaign also responded to the new Clinton spot by re-airing an ad in which retired Gen. Merrill McPeak, the Air Force chief of staff from 1990 to 1994, endorses Obama.

Addressing 60 veterans and their families at a town hall meeting at American Legion Post 490 in Houston, Obama said, "Veterans are bearing the brunt of bad decision-making by our leaders."

The president's job is "to keep people safe. ... It means deploying our military wisely," he continued. "War should not be the first resort. ... lt should not be based on politics." He promised to improve health care and other services for veterans if elected. "We are not serving our troops and our veterans as well as they have been serving us," Obama said.

Since the Democratic debate in Cleveland on Tuesday, Obama until Friday had steered clear from mentioning Clinton by name in his appearances, while repeatedly criticizing McCain over his support for Iraq and for Bush's economic policies.

Obama did not serve in the military, but told his audience that he comes from a military heritage, as does McCain, a Navy pilot and Vietnam War prisoner of war whose father and grandfather were Navy officers.

Said Obama: "My grandfather enlisted after Pearl Harbor and marched in Patton's Army. My mother was born at Fort Leavenworth, and my grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line. After his service, America stood by my grandfather. He went to college on the GI Bill, and bought his first home with help from the Federal Housing Authority. Then he moved his family west to Hawaii, where I was born. Today, he is buried in the Punchbowl Cemetery, where 776 victims of Pearl Harbor are laid to rest."

[samthetvcat]

Hillary assumes the answer to the question would be her . . . haven''t voters in the last 10 states already shown to her who they would prefer?

Hillary''s too well known to win with fear-mongering, meaning that most people already see her as somebody who is looking out for number one first. Everything she does comes with a context, and it''s hard to run a message of ''trust me'' when she''s simultaneously talking about taking on the public votes with lawsuits (against the election system in Texas), superdelegates, and petitions to have Florida and Michigan counted when voters were under the impression that no delegates were at stake.

I think people are more scared that Hillary won''t go away than they feel reassured by having her around . . .

[tx2democrats]

Miss Bill....Vote Hill......

I think Hillary deserves a 3rd term ( we all know she ran the country from 92-2000). The 90''s were the best of years (not including 1990 and 1991)for the middle class and the poor. Every year was better than before during the Clinton administration, thats too bad that we can''t say the same thing about (Nixon-minus-brain=BUSH).

[realpatriot1]

At 3 in the morning the Chinese agent being put up in the lincoln bedroom might have the line tied up.

[lorinkundert]

Who is indeed more qualified in this instance, I wouldn''t bet on a Clinton, they spend most of their time attacking opponents and blaming others for their problems.

After all how much time does Hillary have when she could only write or co-sponsor 22 pieces of legislation in 7 years of office?

[lorinkundert]

I wonder which Federal Building Hillary will rename next year?

[voter1111]

Go Hillary!

[teopa-2009]

i watched the ad, Hey howcome she is all dressed up at 3 am? maybe conferencing with "the Chinese agent being put up in the lincoln bedroom" and what''s with the nerdy glasses? is that supposed to make us feel safer? I''m with ''samthetvcat'' how does she know we would pick her (echo ''the inevitability candidate''). i am leaning to be among those "more scared that Hillary won''''t go away than they feel reassured by having her around . . ." Billary put the crown down

[xzonz]

why she cant answer the phone
---------------------------------
1)stood by somebody who lied under oath.she should have respscted the constitution

2)dint have plan B about her campaighn.watch her interview with katie courric(60 minutes).calculated to end race by super teusday
3)do anything to win. cry at NH,siding with maccain aganist Barack aganist a DNC candidate

endagering by releasing photo of obama.mnsnbc ran a clip
staff leaving running out of money. one day cojial, next day angry sch teacher then sacarstic. she is simply erratic

voted for the war-wrong judgement

[karutam]

the hypocritical attitude of the Clintons: she demanded that Obama "reject and renounce" Farrakan''s words of support and he did. Now her supporter in Texas gave some damming indictments, and they pretend that they were not aware of it? Her misrepresentations and tactics of fear campaign is going to be her downfall. She seems determined to bring the democrats with her by implying challenges to some of the rules and regulations of the different states. I think the DNC should come out and take a stand and not allow the personal ambitions of the Billaries to destroy the party and what it stands for.

[voter1111]

"to destroy the party and what it stands for..."

Give me a break!

[guadalcanal3]

"Marched" in Pattons army eh??...What did they do?...Make him walk?

[bogdog30]

Phoning John John late one night regarding his resemblance to the ****, Kombat Kerry also recalls

how he was waterboarded then swiftboated

in Vietnam for looking like a walking helmet.

Will soon appear and dance on the Larry the Lizard show wearing all of his medals etc.

[ajmarine1]

Sen. Obama On Iraq War Vote, 2006
1/31/2008 9:44:46 PM
"So it%u2019s not clear to me what differences we%u2019ve had since I%u2019ve been in the Senate. I think what people might point to is our different assessments of the war in Iraq, although I%u2019m always careful to say that I was not in the Senate, so perhaps the reason I thought it was such a bad idea was that I didn%u2019t have the benefit of U.S. intelligence. And, for those who did, it might have led to a different set of choices. So that might be something that sort of is obvious. But, again, we were in different circumstances at that time: I was running for the U.S. Senate, she had to take a vote, and casting votes is always a difficult test." [The New Yorker, 10/30/06]

[xzonz]

would you have survived/liked to have clinton as your opponent? just think about it for a second.

they dint show Bill in that ad.....someone is getting fired!!!!!

[ajmarine1]

In 2004, Sen. Obama said he didn%u2019t know how he would have voted on the Iraq War resolution.
%u2018When asked about Senators Kerry and Edwards'' votes on the Iraq war, Obama said, "I''m not privy to Senate intelligence reports,%u2019 Mr. Obama said. %u2018What would I have done? I don''t know. What I know is that from my vantage point the case was not made.%u2019

[voter1111]

In 2004, Sen. Obama said he didn%u2019t know how he would have voted on the Iraq War resolution.
%u2018When asked about Senators Kerry and Edwards'''' votes on the Iraq war, Obama said, "I''''m not privy to Senate intelligence reports,%u2019 Mr. Obama said. %u2018What would I have done? I don''''t know. What I know is that from my vantage point the case was not made.%u2019



Ya and then turned around and tried to claim righteousness over his lofty decision.....and somehow convinced a majority that he is some sort of messiah anti politician.... wake up!@

[ajmarine1]

In 2004, Sen. Obama also said there was little difference between his position and George Bush%u2019s position on Iraq:

In a meeting with Chicago Tribune reporters at the Democratic National Convention, Obama said, %u201COn Iraq, on paper, there''s not as much difference, I think, between the Bush administration and a Kerry administration as there would have been a year ago. [%u2026] There''s not much of a difference between my position and George Bush''s position at this stage.%u201D [Chicago Tribune, 07/27/04]

[xzonz]

Bill slowly eroded the little that was left of his legacy.

dont ask clinton if you think her actions will harm the party- she will pass and start going on and on how she is ready from day one you know

[xzonz]

i will definately feel safer with Barack not with clinton

[voter1111]

I will definately feel safer with Hillary than Barrack

[wayannas10]

I don''t find the add scary at all. What I do find scary is the California State Representative who is getting e-mail threats to leave Hillary and go to Obama.

[xlib]

ajmarine1-why, he would have voted PRESENT!! That seems to be his way of voting. He wouldn''t want to commit himself to anything other than the FUTURE.

For obamam lovers regarding your guys remarks pertianing to nafta and how he would "rework" the agreement. I wonder if he ever read the agreement with Canada, our main supply of oil. Seems the nafta agreement with them assures us that they would continue to seel oil to us in the evident of a shortage (like the one carter gave us in the 70''s). That means Canada would supply us before anyone else, thus, we are assured of an oil supply. Now, golden boy opens his mouth and Canada is a bit miffed. He may have given them an out of the original agreement.
So, along with invading Pakistan to get binLaden (when clinton refused him),bringing a bunch of dictators to the Oval office, he has PO''d Canada.
Maybe who ever writes his speeches could give him answers during these debates. You know, like ms clinton has.

[ajmarine1]

Maybe who ever writes his speeches could give him answers during these debates. You know, like ms clinton has.

Posted by Xlib at 05:48 PM : Feb 29, 2008


The Republican won''t be as easy on him as Clinton has been. If he gets the nomination, I think he will have some explaining to do.

[moeen1000]

F (failed) : undeniable record of Hillary''s Red-Phone test

..as did Bush and McCain.

Sorry Hillary/McCain/Bus, all of you have lost any credibility to lecture anyone on national security...because of your F grade in that matter..... let alone qualify for commander-in-chief position.

If I were any of them I would but out...unlike some people who prefer being kicked out... well have it your way.

[wayannas10]

Obama has run out of pep rally material, he is stealing from Hillary again. Today in Brownsville TX he said "if I''m not mistaken a fence would run through Univ. of TX campus" Hillary said that in the debate they had in TX. People need to do their research and fast. Don''t listen to the media they are most scary. With info at our fingertips the internet delivers with sites like the candidate sites and
WWW.VOTESMART.ORG it has voting records, issues, speeches and public statements.

[kansas1946]

"We''ve had a red phone moment. It was the decision to invade Iraq. And Senator Clinton gave the wrong answer. George Bush gave the wrong answer. John McCain gave the wrong answer," Obama said
***********************************************

Amen. Maybe Hillary should be running on McCain''s ticket if she wants to try and scare folks. Maybe she should hire Karl Rove as her campaign manager. He is great at the fear mongering. Shame on you Hillary.

[wayannas10]

Obama says he was against the war but, voted for all war funding. If he really was against it he would of voted NV, it is his favorite vote.

[ajmarine1]

As a Senate candidate in 2004, Mr. Obama said he would support military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to rein in the mullahs'' nuclear program.

"In light of the fact that we''re now in Iraq, with all the problems in terms of perceptions about America that have been created, us launching some missile strikes into Iran is not the optimal position for us to be in," he told the Chicago Tribune. "On the other hand, having a radical Muslim theocracy in possession of nuclear weapons is worse. So I guess my instinct would be to err on not having those weapons in the possession of the ruling clerics of Iran. ... I hope it doesn''t get to that point."

Mr. Obama also told the Tribune he would back American military action to secure Pakistan''s nuclear arsenal if President Musharraf is overthrown by radicals.

[xzonz]

Obama says he was against the war but, voted for all war funding. If he really was against it he would of voted NV, it is his favorite vote.

Posted by wayannas10 at 05:56 PM : Feb 29, 2008

THATS BECAUSE THE TROOPS WERE ALREADY IN IRAQ AND NOT FUNDING THEM WOULD MEAN THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THEIR TASKS

[xzonz]

all who vote for Hillary know that you have given the WH to the reps. she will never survive the reps i swear. thats why the reps are siding with her in atacking obama . actually its difficult to tell if she is rep or dem

[ajmarine1]

THATS BECAUSE THE TROOPS WERE ALREADY IN IRAQ AND NOT FUNDING THEM WOULD MEAN THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THEIR TASKS

Posted by Xzonz at 06:29 PM : Feb 29, 2008



Senator Obama''s campaign, being premised on a speech he gave in 2002. And that was to his credit. He gave a speech opposing the war in Iraq. He gave a very impassioned speech against it and consistently said that he was against the war, he would vote against the funding for the war. By 2003, that speech was off his Web site. By 2004, he was saying that he didn''t really disagree with the way George Bush was conducting the war. And by 2005, ''6 and ''7, he was voting for $300 billion in funding for the war. The story of his campaign is really the story of that speech and his opposition to Iraq. I think it is fair to ask questions about, "Well, what did you do after the speech was over?" And when he became a senator, he didn''t go to the floor of the Senate to condemn the war in Iraq for 18 months. He didn''t introduce legislation against the war in Iraq. He voted against timelines and deadlines initially.

[xzonz]

We all as Americans should be frightened of an Obama Presidency. The Obama campaign itself is scary: giving death threats to black supporters of Hillary Clinton

I THINK WE STILL DO HAVE DNC WHERE ANYONE CAN REPORT ANY INCIDENCES. O YEAH WE DO HAVE A JUSTICE SYSTEM(POLICE,COURTS) SO PLEASE RISE ABOVE CHEAP SCARY TACTICS

[rowdytexan2]

"It''s 3 a.m. and your children are safely asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?"

Well, Mr. Obama, it wouldn''t be you! You''d pro''bly answer and say, just a moment, let me check with Hillary first, and as soon as she puts the answer up on the teleprompter for me, I''ll call you back!

[xzonz]

AJMarine1,I WISH YOU WERE THE ONE RUNNING AGANIST CLINTON, BEING REGARDED AND TREATED JUST THE SAME WAY YOU AND CLINTON REGARD OBAMA. CLINTON HAS A WHOLE HISTORY AND DYNASTY, INFACT BILL IS SUPPOSED TO BE ONE OF THE ELDERS AND MOST HONOURED/RESPECTED DNC MEMBERS. CAN YOU IMAGINE RUNNING AGANIST A CLINTON? DO YOU EVER IMAGINE WHAT HE GOES THROUGH? IT TAKES ALOT OF COURAGE, PROPER MANAGEMENT, AND JUDGEMENT TO BE ABLE TO RECIEVE ATTACK...OH I COULD GO ON BUT I THINK YOU GET THE POINT

[kmccliment]

Notice the photos at the top of this page or any other of Barack and another candidate. Barack is always pictured looking towards the heavens. While like this picture, Hillary just looks lumpy. I keep waiting for angelic music to start playing as soon as the picture loads. The media should be charged with attempts to influence the outcome of an election.

[ajmarine1]

AJMarine1,I WISH YOU WERE THE ONE RUNNING AGANIST CLINTON, BEING REGARDED AND TREATED JUST THE SAME WAY YOU AND CLINTON REGARD OBAMA.

CAN YOU IMAGINE RUNNING AGANIST A CLINTON? DO YOU EVER IMAGINE WHAT HE GOES THROUGH? IT TAKES ALOT OF COURAGE, PROPER MANAGEMENT, AND JUDGEMENT TO BE ABLE TO RECIEVE ATTACK...OH I COULD GO ON BUT I THINK YOU GET THE POINT

Posted by Xzonz at 06:46 PM : Feb 29, 2008


The man is running for President of the United States, if he can''t handle that and having what he has said brought up, how can he lead us or the world?

And no, I don''t get your point.

[kmccliment]

What political courses did frontman will.i.am take in college while working on his PHD? He should have worked on spelling, nice namo... sounds like a dr. suess character.

[ajmarine1]

Obama did not serve in the military, but told his audience that he comes from a military heritage, as does McCain, a Navy pilot and Vietnam War prisoner of war whose father and grandfather were Navy officers.


So what, Bush comes from a military heritage too.

[xlib]

Funny how this guy is just about running an evangelical tent campaign and I don''t detect any Christian bashing. How does that work?? Oh yea, if you''re a Republican and Christian your dirt but if your half white, belong to a church headed by a racist that''s ok.

Remember-he''s for the future and change.

[kmccliment]

Obama explain precisely what military heritage you speak of that you ancestors were part of. Was it your Saudi grand parents?

[ajmarine1]

Was it your Saudi grand parents?

Posted by kmccliment at 07:22 PM : Feb 29, 2008


Must be his mothers side, either that or his Kenyian side.

[dem4change]

I think it''s funny how Obama keeps throwing the Iraq vote in Clinton''s face when he wasn''t even there to make a decision. It''s real easy to criticize someone for doing something you weren''t even part of.
If something did happen I would rather have someone like Clinton who has experience with these issues to deal with it swiftly and effectively rather than someone like Obama who will have to spend a week asking others what he should do.

[tulcak]

the republicans think they are being smart.... hey, lets make sure hillary doesn''t win because there is no way a "black muslim" can win against a bloated, war monger, republican who looks just like us.... HA HA HA, keep it up.... if hillary had run against mccain, mccain would win because of the cheating the repubs do at the polls... but, Sen. Obama is drawing together all the true Americans... 67% male voters - that means a majority are white... republicans don''t make up the majority of white males (surprise) some people are going to be absolutely shocked... its President Obama for 8 years... and, by the way, Sen. Obama is going to beat mccain by a large margin... why? because the real Americans are tired of the sh*t that the fake Americans have been doing things (example: impeaching a president for a blow j?!)

[likeitis5050]

Hahahaaa....Obama fever is on the rampage. This is hilarious!!! He''s got the typical sleeze factor that all politicians, by nature, are sporting on any given day...people are forgetting that one minor detail. Underground Weather, Rezko, an annoying middle name no one is supposed to say out of ''respect'' are simply waved away and dismissed ''because this is Obama''...what the he11!! He''s still not done anything remarkable. He''s still just chanting a mantra that has nothing to support it. This is a case of group hysteria based on nothing. He''s not even good-looking enough to warrant all the fainting. Politics....what a shell game! This is better than any thing writers in Hollywood could scramble to put together. Go Obama...all we need is Oprah as his running mate....whew! It''s enough to make Arnold switch party affiliation.

[ajmarine1]

because the real Americans are tired of the sh*t that the fake Americans have been doing things (example: impeaching a president for a blow j?!)

Posted by tulcak at 07:39 PM : Feb 29, 2008


They impeached him for lieing under oath.

[rfcrtl]

Since when is discussing the issues that are a real threat to all Americans a bad thing, Obama? You better get used to it if you think you''re going to be the nominee, Obambi.

[homespunlady]

I think it would be McBush''s WORST nightmare if Obama and Clinton were to suddenly set aside their differences and decide which of them would be President and which VP - them GO for it.

The ONLY Republican that EARNED my respect has been Ron Paul and the GOP has pulled every dirty trick in the book on him.

Shows that NEOCONS would cook and eat their own children if the kids went against the OFFICIAL "CORPO-PARTY" line calling for stripping our economy and giving it to the PARTY crony-elite.



At this point my vote is teetering between the Dem or Nader. It''s OBVIOUS our ECONOMY WILL be DESTROYED if the NEOCON Republicans are in power much longer and old-style CONSERVATIVES have to look elsewhere.

[guadalcanal3]

"Marched" in Patton''s army eh??...What did they do?....Make him walk?

[donbl1]

We will have a terrorist event pretty close to us before the election.

Will be interesting to watch the candidates response. It should tell us who is ready to lead.

[croft777]

"War should not be the first resort. ... lt should not be based on politics."

LOL LOL LOL....Oh my God... did I read this right. lol. If war is not based on politics, what is it based on...lol? I know..lol its based on the Farrakhan factor.