The Political Chase

Hillary’s mudslinging flip-flop

Sen. Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton is getting desperate. The glittery “inevitable candidate ” crown she has worn with all the demeanor of a 16th-century European monarch is rapidly tarnishing, if not about to fall off as she seemingly is in a mad dash for the guillotine. Trying to mitigate losing her lead in the polls and getting booed at campaign appearances, yesterday Clinton resorted to attacking her Democratic opponents character and integrity.

Less than three weeks ago, confronted with substantial criticism for her evasiveness and potential influence by lobbyists, a self-righteous Clinton arrogantly declared, “What I believe is important is that we put forth what we stand for… I think, [mudslinging] detracts from what we’re trying to do here tonight. We need to put forth a positive agenda for America.”

Flip-flop. Yesterday Clinton no longer found those principles important.

[I]n a dramatic shift [yesterday], she made it clear that her goal is to challenge Obama not just on policy but also on one of his strongest selling points: his reputation for honesty.

“There’s a big difference between our courage and our convictions, what we believe and what we’re willing to fight for,” Clinton told reporters here. She said voters in Iowa will have a choice “between someone who talks the talk, and somebody who’s walked the walk.”

Asked directly whether she intended to raise questions about Obama’s character, she replied: “It’s beginning to look a lot like that.”

As if that was not bad enough, the Clinton campaign is using Karl Rove as a deterrent and “credible” source to attack Barack Obama. According to recent statements by her campaign, Rove wants Obama to win the nomination. How ironic. Invoking Karl Rove raises the ire of the Democratic base that can only be matched by the hatred raised by Republicans when Hillary Clinton is invoked. Furthermore, it is well known Karl Rove has no credibility and nothing he says can be taken at face value. Rove’s lack of credibiltiy was proven again recently by his outlandish lies that Congress started the war in Iraq rather than the Bush administration. Republicans, such as Andrew Card, overwhelming denounced his Iraq statements as outright falsehoods.

In the November 15 Democratic debate, Clinton harshly and wrongly accused John Edwards of resorting to tactics of “throwing mud…right out of the Republican playbook.” Given Hillary’s new strategy of incredulous personal attacks and evasiveness, it is quite clear what playbook she is relying on.