Factcheck.org is taking the Illinois Senator to task for his new ad in PA that claims he doesn’t take money from oil companies. Like many of his claims regarding special interests, his statements are deceptive er creative.

In a new ad, Obama says, “I don’t take money from oil companies.”

Technically, that’s true, since a law that has been on the books for more than a century prohibits corporations from giving money directly to any federal candidate. But that doesn’t distinguish Obama from his rivals in the race.

We find the statement misleading:

* Obama has accepted more than $213,000 from individuals who work for companies in the oil and gas industry and their spouses.

* Two of Obama’s bundlers are top executives at oil companies and are listed on his Web site as raising between $50,000 and $100,000 for the presidential hopeful.

I have to agree with factcheck.org — it’s slick. Deny that you don’t take money from oil companies while implying to the viewer that both democrats (Clinton) and republicans (McCain) do. Here’s an excerpt from the ad:

Since the gas lines of the ’70s, Democrats and Republicans have talked about energy independence, but nothing’s changed — except now Exxon’s making $40 billion a year, and we’re paying $3.50 for gas.
I’m Barack Obama. I don’t take money from oil companies or Washington lobbyists, and I won’t let them block change anymore.

Read: Not only are my opponents taking money but they’re at fault for the high price of gas!

Really Senator Obama? You don’t money from lobbyists? What about those lobbyists on your payroll or your k-street connections? More directly, what about those oil buddies of yours? You know, the ones you target in your ad? Here let me help – these guys:

In addition, two oil industry executives are bundling money for Obama – drumming up contributions from individuals and turning them over to the campaign. George Kaiser, the chairman of Oklahoma-based Kaiser-Francis Oil Co., ranks 68th on the Forbes list of world billionaires. He’s listed on Obama’s Web site as raising between $50,000 and $100,000 for the candidate. Robert Cavnar is president and CEO of Milagro Exploration LLC, an oil exploration and production company. He’s named as a bundler in the same category as Kaiser.

We’re not making any judgments about whether Obama is influenced by campaign contributions. In fact, we’d note that he singles out ExxonMobil in this ad, even though he’s received more than $30,850 from individuals who work for the company.

Well at least he’s not afraid to criticize some of his friends.

“This has been a very hard fought race,” she said. “We clearly need to do something so that our party and our people can make the right decision. So, I have a proposal.”

“Today, I am challenging Senator Obama to a bowl-off,” Clinton said, provoking relieved laughs from the assembled scribes.

Clinton carried on, making reference to Obama’s disastrous outing at a Pennsylvania bowling alley Saturday.

“A bowling night. Right here in Pennsylvania. The winner take all,” she went on. “I’ll even spot him two frames.”

“It is time for his campaign to get out of the gutter and allow all the pins to be counted. I’m prepared to play this game all the way to the tenth frame. When this game is over, the American people will know that when that phone rings at 3 a.m., they’ll have a president ready to bowl on day one.”

“Let’s strike a deal and go bowling for delegates. We don’t have a moment to spare, because it’s already April Fool’s Day. Happy April Fool’s Day.”

This is the kind of thing that sticks with people. It’s just what she needed at just the right time. Well played, Senator Clinton, well played.

What you’re attempting to create is in fact an illegitimate nominee. Further, you’re insuring that many Clinton supporters will en masse defect to John McCain in protest or stay at home. Allow me to be clear, unity is not, “shut up and do as I say.” You can’t unify the party by pissing on half the voters and calling it rain. Voters don’t take too kindly to being insulted and that’s exactly what you’re doing now by telling us that “party unity” is more important than the voice of the people.

I know this must sound strange to you, but we, the majority of those voters that actually call ourselves democrats as opposed to independents, understand that democracy is a system that gets both its legitimacy and its power from the voters. The way to unify democrats is to allow all voices to be heard. Only through legitimate debate will we reach consensus.

Silencing one party and beating their supporters into submission through all too clever attempts at manipulation risks losing those democrats for decades.

Signed,
One of about 50% of democratic voters.

The Obama campaign has sent out a mailer complete with GOP talking points that parrots the insurance industry’s attack on universal health care back in 1993. The “Harry and Louise” ads that many will remember set this country back decades and still define the baseless fears that many Americans have regarding universal coverage.

Let me be clear, this is an attack that goes way beyond Hillary Clinton’s health care plan –it is a slap in the face to all of us that have worked for years to correct the false information and absolute terror many American have had until very recently of universal coverage.

To say that, I, like many others who’ve dreamt of the day when universal coverage becomes an American reality are furious would be an understatement –it got one health care policy expert so upset that he invoked Nazis.

There is absolutely no excuse political or otherwise for the lies and imagery invoked in this mailer and for an attack on universal health care to come from a Democrat, running as a progressive darling, only makes it more untenable.

I’m waiting to hear the Obama campaign’s reasoning for the mailers. For some reason I think it’s going to sound something like, “It became necessary to destroy the village in order to save it.”

Taylor Marsh has the full story with links.

*******UPDATE**********

CNN is distorting this story! They have wrongly linked Len Nichols who said the Obama ads “[were] as outrageous as having Nazis march through Skokie, Ill. … I just find it disgusting that this kind of imagery is being used to attack the only way to get to universal coverage.with the Clinton campaign. Len Nichols is in no way associated with the Clinton campaign officially or otherwise and is a health care policy adviser that works for a non-partisan group and has advised several current and past campaigns.

The Misleading CNN Report can be found here.

The Nation also described Nichols of being a Clinton surrogate. The article viewable at Yahoo News has been ammended but the headline which reads: “Clinton Surrogate Compares Obama Ad to Nazi March” has not been corrected.

I wish I had the access to a screen cap because you can almost see the webpage equivalent to an anthropomorphized smirk in the layout. No doubt, both the Obama campaign and some network producers are chuckling. Conspicuously absent, is any mention of the fact that the Hillary hit piece is not only 20 years old but has also already been ran more than once during the last two years and in this campaign cycle. I guess you keep slinging until it sticks.

The story in question aligns perfectly with the slam Obama made at the South Carolina debate. It minimizes the fact that Hillary spent at least some of her time at Wal*Mart advocating for women and better environmental practices along with pretty much anything that might be regarded as a positive influence her presence might have had on the company’s business practices.

Such as:

Clinton proved to be such a thorn in Walton’s side that at Wal-Mart’s annual meeting in 1987, when shareholders challenged Walton on the company’s lack of female managers, he assured them the record was improving ‘’now that we have a strong-willed young lady on the board.”

Clinton was particularly vocal on environmental matters, pressing the company to boost its sale and use of recycled materials and other ‘’green” products.

And…

Among other things, Hillary Clinton sought Walton’s help in 1983 for Bill Clinton’s so-called Blue Ribbon Commission on Education, a major effort to improve Arkansas’ troubled public schools. The overhaul became a centerpiece of Clinton’s governorship.

And Wal-Mart’s Made in America campaign, which for years touted the company’s sales of American products in its stores, was launched after Bill Clinton persuaded Walton to help save 200 jobs at an Arkansas shirt manufacturing plant. The Made in America campaign has virtually vanished in recent years, as the company’s manufacturing has gradually moved overseas — another point of criticism by many Wal-Mart critics.

Boston Globe Story 2006

But perhaps, the most important factors it omits is that this was a different time in America and Wal*Mart was a much different company than the one it has grown into. It seems especially hypocritical given the fact that while Barack Obama was jumping on the anti-Wal*Mart bandwagon and actively condemning its practices in 2006 his wife was sitting on the board of Treehouse. Michelle Obama didn’t resign until her husband began to be called out for it.

The news coverage for the past few months makes any rational observer wonder why the media is doing Obama’s dirty work for him. Why is ABC, CNN, and MSNBC pushing us so hard to nominate Obama? Trying to sort out the answer to that is enough to drive one batty. It’s gotten so bad that if you read the comments on the ABC piece even Obama supporters are objecting. I’ve also heard concerns coming from Obama supporters in real life.

It doesn’t take much to figure out that the Wal*Mart piece is designed to bring over newly homeless Edwards supporters such as myself and to try and chip away at heavily pro-union latinos. That said, those of us that have been marginalized and sidelined by the paring down of this race to a two person show have been watching the bias from the beginning.

So I send out a plea to my fellow former Edwards supporters, independents, and undecideds: study the issues, watch the debate tonight, and make up your own mind. They’ve narrowed our choices this far. Do not let them tell you who to vote for with skewed coverage, hit pieces, and biased commentary.

We’re on our own in this election and we can make up our minds just fine without them.

How it unfolded:

As Clinton approached, Kennedy made sure to make eye contact and indicated he wanted to shake her hand. Clinton leaned towards Kennedy over a row of seats and Kennedy leaned in towards her. They shook hands.

Obama stood icily staring at Clinton during this, then turned his back and stepped a few feet away. Kennedy may’ve wanted to make peace with Clinton but Obama clearly wanted no part of that.

As president, Obama has said he would meet with the U.S.’s enemies without precondition. But making nice with Clinton apparently is another mattter after the increasingly angry fight the two have waged, with charges and countercharges, for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The sense in the press gallery was that Obama didn’t cover himself in glory. Someone even used the word “childish.” (Not this writer.) Judging by how much conversation there was about this brush off in the press gallery, Americans will be hearing a lot more about this tomorrow and in coming days.

Senator Kennedy was obviously trying to make sure things were on the mend after his endorsement and if I were him I would be incensed at Obama’s little stunt. It shows a man that thinks more of himself than he does of those that support him.

Senator Obama was seen shaking hands with President Bush and also made a highly unusual move to speak with Condoleeza Rice, Judge Roberts and Judge Alito to name a few. There’s something very wrong when the man that promises to bring unity to the party takes it upon himself to make buddy-buddy with the other team while embarrassing his sponsor and snubbing his democratic rival.

See also the AP.

Nah, there’s no sexism here…

I wonder when they’ll figure out that hoes, rather than being the plural form of ho, is instead the plural form of a helpful farming and gardening implement? It would appear that the bros could use a little more time studying and a little less time at the frat house.

Looks like someone else is willing to say “anything” to get elected.