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."

[joelbuckley2]

It''s a wonder that nobody has asked Hillary Clinton if she used the 3AM Phone call criteria to decide who to vote for in the 1992 Election.
See this ad:
www.youtube.com/v/4gMTdncC7T8

[jack3213]

OBAMA IS A SUSPICIOUS CHARACTER WITH A GOOD STUMP SPEECH. UNDERNEATH THE WORDS THERE IS NO SUBSTANCE. PEOPLE ARE SUCKERS AND CONTINUE TO FALL FOR THIS AND SHOULD BE MADE AWARE HE IS NOTHING MORE THAN AN EMPTY SUIT. CLINTON IS NOTHING MORE THAN A LIAR. NEITHER CANDIDATE IS QUALIFIED OR CREDIBLE AND SHOULD BE IGNORED FOR THE SAFETY OF THE USA.

[apprxam]

Someone on Sirius Left called and asked, "what leaders does she know? Arafat, dead; Chirac, near dead; Shalom, dead; Bhutro, dead; Blair, out of office; Yeltson, near dead. Who the hell of political or existential relevance does she know on the international stage? Madeline " 100,000 dead Kurds is okay with me" Albright?

[boatdocster]

EddyNewHope

Excellent post on Clinton being better than her campaign but apparently powerless (or clueless) and unable to fix the issue.

In fact she may be better than her campaign; however, her "leadership" during the campaign has revealed her true skills, or the lack thereof.

The very weak Penn authored "3 AM" ad allowed Obama to pull Hillary''s flawed Iraq vote and ongoing support of Bush back in to prime time, as Obama deftly countered with his 3 AM and "sound judgment" vs "picking up the phone" ad.

Penn has run a long, dismal, bitter, losing campaign; Hillary, as "Campaign Commander in Chief", HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, letting it fester for over 1 year, and costing her dearly.

Hillary - your lack of action, when action is desperately needed, has revealed you are not a leader, not experienced, not ready to make the tough decisions, and certainly not "Ready on Day 1" (or day 365)...

[eddynewhope]

realpatriot - I was talking about voting against the Iran resolution in 2007 which granted Bush more war powers against Iran by declaring part of its military a "terrorist organization". Hillary voted for it and Obama didn''t vote on it. I wish he had because it would have shown a sharp contrast with Hillary''s voting record on the war, but I do appreciate that such a vote could be used to bludgeon him in the general election by the GOP "100 years in Iraq" crowd.

[elsylee28]

typical campaign ad.
BTW I found some amazing analysis on Obama%u2019s campaign. I haven%u2019t seen anything like this mentioned anywhere in the MSM.
Check out %u201CAl-Qaeda Gets Offended%u201D www.savagepolitics.com/?p=162 and %u201CPredatory Lenders and the Red Phone%u201D on www.savagepolitics.com/?p=158

SAVAGEPOLITICS.com
This site offers brilliant writing & analysis. EVERYONE into politics should check it out!!!

[pilgrimsway-2009]

The little girl in bed sleeping in the video knows God in heaven loves her through Jesus Christ. She made the decision to call on Him the day before. Now she knows there is no fear in love!

[libra127]

That''s what she did and she should be held accountable for it.
Posted by realpatriot1 at 06:23 PM : Mar 02, 2008

Yes, and 75 Senators in addition to Clinton voted in favor of the Iraq resolution too due to the Bush administrations lies to Congress and the American people.

Of course Obama was not in the Senate then. The resolution he DID NOT VOTE on but COULD HAVE was the resolution on IRAN, that is, the resolution declaring Iran''s Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organization. Obama was in the Senate but simply cast no vote.

[realpatriot1]

EddyNewHope/libra127,

He was elected to the Senate in 2004 and was sworn in January 2005. The Iraq votes took place in October 2002. If he had tried to "mke a point" by going to the Senate floor he would''ve been locked up.

Hillary was a Senator at the time and she made a point of voting against the Democratic sponsered compromise amendment that would''ve given Bush his precious authority byut require him to wait until the conclusion of the IAEA inspections before invading.

There is no excuse for voting against that amendment and then hours later voting to give him the authority with no conditions.

That''s what she did and she should be held accountable for it. She would''ve done better to vote present and to insist on limits to the President''s war making authority which the Congress gives to Congress.

[pacific_c]

I found this interesting.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/AR2008022902784.html?nav%3Dhcmodule&sub=AR

[pilgrimsway-2009]

The little girl in bed sleeping in the video knows God in heaven loves her through Jesus Christ. She made the decision to call on Him the day before. Now she knows there is no fear in love!


Hello my name is America,
And I am dying?
Who will help me?
I am about 230 years old.
I had been born out of the prayer in men%u2019s hearts who understood what true liberty is.
My name is America and God knows about me, but people do not care about God they have kicked Him out of politics and schools someday they may show Him the door out of the country!
People do not care about me America. There is no more love of being an American!
People are murdering every day in regard to aborted babies and again they do not care of what true liberty is for all!
Hello I am America who will save me! People raise flags in remembrance of me, but who will raise their heart in the principles by which we stand?
Hello I am America and I am crying for the injustice being done in my name. Where O where are the citizens that will fix me? Where are the Americans who will fight for me? What will happen to me? My name is America who will love me?

Http://pilgrimswaylighted.blogspo
t.com for more insight

[msusa1]

OBAMAN JUST A BIG FAKE AND PANDERER:
MY BABY DADDY:
Obama is a pandering hypocrite. South Side of Chicago holds a Bud Milliken Parade. one time i went to the bud milliken parade ( a very big event- about 6 hours long) and at one point- michelle obama appeared waving on top of an escalade, she was wearing torn jeans, a crumpled semi dirty t-shirt half tucked in and out- and her hair was crazy undone- then she made a small speech- and actually referred to barak as her "baby daddy" (not baby''s daddy even you''ll notice)

some of the crowd bought it- but i thought it was really over the top in the way of pandering, as i knew she was going to a state dinner that evening and can only assume her demeanor and dress would morph accordingly.

This is what you want in the White House? hmmmm.
Note me.

Not on the obama bandwagon- not because i disagree with his policies- I just don''t trust him and Michelle Obama. Yes, I''d rather have a real lady like Hillary answering that phone at 3 a.m.

[eddynewhope]

jspec - Yes, he spoke out against the war. What did the Clintons do? Nothing. In fact, they were outspoken supporters of Bush''s war. Beyond that, they lied about their "oppostion" to the war which is jaw-dropping. Hillary voted for the war, then again for war powers against Iran. Bill did nothing. Seeing how vocal he has become throughout this campaign, why did he not speak out if he was against the war? Senator Obama did and I think that shows back-bone because it was almost treasonous to oppose the war back in 02.

[eddynewhope]

Libra - I agree with you. I think that he should have made a point to be in the Senate the day of the Iran vote and voted against it. I think his position would be unassailable had he done so. I still think he has a strong advantage on the war issue which is also a $9 billion/month economic issue, but I agree that he should have been there to vote against the Iran resolution.

[jpspec]

Gee, Obama claims to have good judgment based on a speech he gave when he was a community organizer. Ne spoke AGAINST the war. He did not VOTE against the war. There is a huge difference between the words:against and vote. Obama was not in the US senate when the votes were casts. If he could not hit the present button, how would he have voted?

[libra127]

Posted by EddyNewHope at 02:29 PM : Mar 02, 2008

What about Obama, who didn''t even bother to vote on the Iran resolution ?

[pilgrimsway-2009]

The little girl in bed sleeping in the video knows God in heaven loves her through Jesus Christ. She made the decision to call on Him the day before. Now she knows there is no fear in love!

[pilgrimsway-2009]

Hello my name is America,
And I am dying?
Who will help me?
I am about 230 years old.
I had been born out of the prayer in men%u2019s hearts who understood what true liberty is.
My name is America and God knows about me, but people do not care about God they have kicked Him out of politics and schools someday they may show Him the door out of the country!
People do not care about me America. There is no more love of being an American!
People are murdering every day in regard to aborted babies and again they do not care of what true liberty is for all!
Hello I am America who will save me! People raise flags in remembrance of me, but who will raise their heart in the principles by which we stand?
Hello I am America and I am crying for the injustice being done in my name. Where O where are the citizens that will fix me? Where are the Americans who will fight for me? What will happen to me? My name is America who will love me?

Http://pilgrimswaylighted.blogspot.com for more insight

[eddynewhope]

Libra - And I wouldn''t vote for any of those 75 senators who voted to give Bush war powers against Iran.

[eddynewhope]

"Barack Hussein%u2019s refusal to wear an American flag in his lapel and his Muslim heritage are indications of where his loyalties lie. Make no mistake about it, Obama Hussein is a Black Power/Islamic Manchurian candidate."
- trapbreak

Bwaaaaaaah! Right, and you''re a liar. You guys never learn. Your B S fear-mongering "he''s a muslim who hates America" smears have failed miserably because Americans know better and have had it with Bush/Clinton, Rove/Penn politics. I look forward to Tuesday - just 2 days away. LOL Then haters like you trapbreak can stuff it. Hahahaha.