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."
Yes.
It's all part of the plan my FRiend.
If Americans even knew what was in store - It makes no difference really because they would just dismiss it anyway.
Funny picture.
But dude, that’s a Sikh. note the sideburns pulled up into the turban and the silver bracelets. Sikhs hate being called either Muslim or Hindu.
I like the hat.
Obama, you’re really starting to piss off Hillary, threatening her quest for power. May I suggest you stay away from any public parks?
yitbos
I remember when some of us did this to Al Gore and invaded his Press concalls. It was funny.
Oooh, Rocky! Lookit the headache that feller’s got!
Dead right you are. I remember my parents telling me about when they were in Germany...in the late thirties, there were many who could see what was coming, but nobody listened then, either.
It's truly terrifying. 'But he has such nice eyes', they used to say...
This just shows how stealthy and sneaky Obama really is. Nothing sticks to him and he comes out smelling fresh as a rose everytime.
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