Posted on 03/04/2008 7:26:12 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
ABC News' Teddy Davis and Talal Al-Khatib Report: In one of the most bizarre moments of the 2008 campaign, Obama campaign lawyer Bob Bauer called into a Tuesday night Clinton campaign conference call with reporters. The four and a half minute exchange led to a series of antagonistic questions painting the former first lady's charges of caucus vote tampering as baseless.
"I'd be interested to know," said Bauer, "how is this any different from the series of complaints that you've registered against every caucus that you lose?"
Listen to the exchange between Bauer and Clinton campaign communications director Howard Wolfson here.
The purpose of the Clinton campaign conference call was to accuse Obama's Texas backers of improperly padding the Illinois Democrat's caucus vote total. The improper padding was allegedly done earlier in the day on Tuesday by getting primary voters who support Obama to fill out sign-in sheets all day long rather than waiting until the primary polls close and the caucus process formally gets underway. Part of the challenge of the Lone Star State's hybrid primary-caucus system is getting one's backers to vote once in the primary (either in person or through early voting) and once in the caucus.
Allegations of sign-in sheets being filled out before the primary polls close is a serious allegation because the sign-in sheets are the equivalent of caucus votes. The Texas Democratic Party rules only require someone to sign their name and state their presidential preference; caucus participants are not required to attend the entire caucus meeting.
While the Clinton campaign has aggressively raised questions about a Texas caucus process whose result is expected to favor Obama, the Obama campaign has also expressed their concerns to the Texas Democratic Party that Clinton's supporters were not abiding by party rules.
The Texas Democratic Party responded by issuing a memo setting forth party rules and urging both sides to stick to them.
While the Clinton campaign has sought to portray the memo's reference to impropriety on the part of "a given campaign" as having been issued with the purpose of rebuking Obama, Texas Democratic Party spokesman Hector Nieto told ABC News that such an assertion is not true.
The Texas Democratic Party is making a concerted effort not to take sides. Nieto says concerns have been expressed by both the Clinton and Obama campaigns while adding that the Texas Democratic Party does not have any proof to substantiate any of the charges.
While the Texas Democratic Party has a formal process for challenging caucus sign-in sheets, it doesn't come until when the state Democratic Party holds its convention in June, according to Nieto. "This memo was just sent out to make certain that both campaigns are aware of what the procedures are," said Nieto. "We expect both campaigns to abide by these rules."
As soon as the operator opened up Bauer's line on a conference call, which was intended for reporters, the Obama lawyer began painting Clinton as a repeat caucus loser whose strategy is always to question the integrity of the caucus vote.
Wolfson responded to Bauer's infiltration of the Clinton call by encouraging him to see to it that allegations of caucus vote tampering be addressed in an expeditious way.
After Bauer got off the line following a few minutes of scathing rhetoric, a reporter asked Wolfson to identify the Obama lawyer who had called in. Wolfson spelled Bauer's name and accused him of having engaged in a "vigorous defense of the indefensible."
After the episode had concluded, the Clinton camp reacted to Bauer's highly unorthodox move by portraying the Obama campaign as increasingly unstable.
"They are unhinged," Clinton spokesman Phil Singer told ABC News. "Seriously."
Has anyone else noticed how many Muslim-sounding names that you see in the major media these days?
Unhinged?
Pot, meet kettle.
Man, I sure do wish I was a fly on the wall in that room to see her face when that voice busted through their call.
Can you say, “Headed for race riots?” I knew you could.
LOL
Freepers busted into an AlGore conference call in 2000
Pass the popcorn, this could get bloody.
You can actually hear the two whine @ each other online. Go to The Corner on National Review.. There’s a link there.
The dems love chaos. Now they got it by the dumptruck load with these two going at each other.
That is something to note. Muslims vs Moonbats, how will the Kos nuts ever decide?
Only in this case, if Pot is called by its color, they'll descend on Kettle's camp with charges of racism.
Clinton up by 2000 votes in Texas according to FNC.
Clinton just passed him in Texas. Let’s see how long it takes for someone to play the race card if she wins?
We send her yellow paint and BHO red paint. A little less obvious that black & white. Or, we send them both swamp goo.
FNC getting ready to call OHIO for Clinton, Texas may go that way also as she is now up by 8000, and rural returns are whats left I believe.
While the Clinton campaign has aggressively raised questions about...-PJWhile the Clinton campaign has sought to portray the memo's reference to impropriety on the part of...
...while adding that the Texas Democratic Party does not have any proof to...
While the Texas Democratic Party has a formal process for challenging...
I LOVE a food fight!
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