Plouffe: Clinton AttackedAttackedAttacked

Out of the gate, here's the response from Obama campaign manager David Plouffe:

“Tonight we saw a real choice between the old politics of point-scoring and distraction and a politics that focuses on bringing us together to actually solve the challenges we talk about every single election. Continuing the theme of her campaign, Senator Clinton used every single opportunity she had to launch misleading attack after misleading attack against Barack Obama, which is why polls show that most Americans think she’s running the most negative campaign and don’t believe she’s trustworthy. Barack Obama spoke about the issues that actually matter in people’s lives, like how he plans to end the war in Iraq, cut middle-class taxes, help people stay in their homes, and provide a secure retirement for our seniors. That’s why more Americans are putting their trust in Barack Obama to bring about the change we need in Washington,” said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe.

Comments

George Stephanpolous and Charlie Gibson acted like Iraqi Information Minister "Baghdad Bob".

Shame on ABC.

Shame on George Stephanpolous.

Shame on Charlie Gibson.

This was outrageous. They all need to apologize to all.

Posted by Nick | April 16, 2008 9:56 PM

I didn't notice Hillary Clinton wearing any flag pin on her gray God damn (America) lapel.

Posted by horizonr | April 16, 2008 9:58 PM

National Enquirer debate for sure.

Posted by Wayne | April 16, 2008 9:58 PM

This is a twist. Plouffe attacks Hillary. Shocking.

Posted by Bobby4 | April 16, 2008 9:58 PM

National Enquirer debate for sure.

Posted by Wayne | April 16, 2008 9:59 PM

Am I allowed to vote for Obama AND hate Bill Ayers and think Obama was wrong to have anything to do with him? His flip pro-terrorist joking with his Weathergirl wife turned my stomach and just because he happened to do it before 9/11 doesn't make it any less dispicable.

Posted by Rusty | April 16, 2008 9:59 PM

Hot damn, I hate the MSM.

Posted by 55 | April 16, 2008 10:00 PM

So when does McCain get this sort of "treatment" from the media?

I am waiting. Looks like I will be waiting forever.

Posted by Bubba | April 16, 2008 10:02 PM

Do you know what, probably Charlie and George have flag pin tatooed on their as*es.

Posted by qt | April 16, 2008 10:02 PM

George, Charlie---Why do we care about Bill Ayres in 2008? I know Bill O'Reilly sits up nights and sweats about him...but...Why do we care?

Posted by Bobby4 | April 16, 2008 10:03 PM

W-a-a-a-a-h!

Come on, Barry. Take it like a man.

Posted by Lambert Strether, Philadelphia, PA | April 17, 2008 12:46 AM

What a complete embarrassment--ABC should not be allowed to moderate or televise any "debate" after this debacle.

Certainly, George Stephanpolous and Charlie Gibson journalistic integrity should come into question.

Posted by Michael | April 17, 2008 1:52 AM

This whole debate was such a stark contrast of the politics we've been subjected to for so long and an obviously exasperated Obama who simply will not play that game.

Some say he looked like he was on his heels, some say he looked exhausted...I say he was absolutely dumbfounded that a major *news* network and it's two main anchors were actually wallowing around in the old school mud hole politics.

If this *debate* showed us anything, it's that the media must be one of the first things reformed in our politics. It's been said true democracy cannot survive without an educated electorate...and today it's the mainstream media we depend on for that education. With this as an example, this country is in a world of hurt as our electorate is fed nothing but tabloid gotchas rather than being educated.

A pox on all their houses.

Posted by G Davis | April 17, 2008 3:12 AM

A letter from a Philadelpha repoter to Charles & George who was frankly outraged at their "unprofessional" demeanor. I say Boycott ABC Charles & George...

http://www.philly.com/...

Excerpt

It's hard to know where to begin with this, less than an hour after you signed off from your Democratic presidential debate here in my hometown of Philadelphia, a televised train wreck that my friend and colleague Greg Mitchell has already called, quite accurately, "a shameful night for the U.S. media." It's hard because -- like many other Americans -- I am still angry at what I just witnesses, so angry that it's hard to even type accurately because my hands are shaking. Look, I know that "media criticism" -- especially when it's one journalist speaking to another -- tends to be a genteel, colleagial thing, but there's no genteel way to say this.

You implied throughout the broadcast that you wanted to reflect the concerns of voters in Pennsylvania. You asked virtually nothing that reflected our everyday issues -- trying to fill our gas tanks and save for college at the same time, our crumbling bridges and inadequate mass transit, or the root causes of crime here in Philadelphia. In fact, there almost isn't enough space -- and this is cyberspace, where room is unlimited -- to list all the things you could have asked about but did not, from health care to climate change to alternative energy to our policy toward China to the deterioration of Afghanistan to veterans' benefits to improving education.

You ignored virtually everything that just happened in what most historians agree is one of the worst presidencies in American history, including the condoning of torture and the trashing of the Constitution, although to be fair you also ignored the policy concerns of people on the right, like immigration issues.

Posted by Angellight | April 17, 2008 9:11 AM