Pat Dollard | Young Americans

The Swamp:

Obama suggests Clinton’s anger is theater

Posted at 8:03 PM
by Mike Dorning

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Barack Obama today suggested that a passionate denunciation Hillary Clinton delivered this morning assailing his campaign for “Karl Rove” tactics may have been just so much performance art for the cameras.

Clinton blasted the Obama campaign for flyers sent to Ohio voters arguing mandates to purchase insurance contained in her health care plan would “punish” people who cannot afford health insurance, as well as another Obama flyer that highlighted past praise for NAFTA, a trade deal that is anathema to many in the state.

Noting that the literature “started going out several days ago, if not weeks ago,” Obama said he was “puzzled by the sudden change of tone.”

“Unless these were just brought to her attention, it makes me think there’s something tactical about her getting so exercised this morning,” added Obama, who defended the flyers as accurate portrayals of Clinton’s positions at a hastily arranged press availability while he was campaigning in Columbus.

Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said the literature on NAFTA was sent out to Ohio voters more than a week ago and the literature criticizing Clinton’s health care plan was sent out several days earlier.