The Obama campaign agrees that Hillary had a starring role in Bosnia. The trip where she said
I negotiated open borders to let fleeing refugees into safety from Kosovo.
turns out to have been critical. In fact, here is a photo from that trip.
Ben Smith at Politico supplies the details from the campaign:
Obama communications director Robert Gibbs emails reporters with a picture of Clinton, Sheryl Crow [and comedian Sinbad] from a 1996 trip to Bosnia, linking a series of recent articles including this Chicago Tribune piece making the point that Clinton wasn't a central player on foreign policy in her husband's administration.
more thoughts after the jump
I doubt that this photo will get widespread media play, because if it did, it would challenge the story that is now entrenched through media repetition of each other, and make them look silly.
Nevertheless, I wish this photo could be above the fold in every paper in America with Hillary Clinton's quote, since it so clearly shows that the emperor has no clothes, as far as foreign policy experience goes.
The Obama campaign has settled into what I think is a very strong and principled response to the attacks, that will only gain strength and credibility in the coming weeks.
The response is first, Hillary Clinton was a first lady with no security clearance, and foreign policy was not her strong suit when the Clintons were in the White House. If people bother to check the facts behind these claims, no executive experience is there at all. Her visits to 80 countries consisted of speeches, ceremonies, and dinners, just what you would expect from a first lady in her position. This response is accurate, true, and not personally demeaning.
Second point of attack: The Clintons are not being fully honest with the American people, because they repeat things that are not true, and they refuse to disclose important details about their own activities. This is exactly the behavior that caused such damage in Bill Clinton's white house.
For example, if an Arab leader were to secretly pledge $100 million for the Clinton Library, and the Clinton's would not disclose that fact, does that not pose a threat to the integrity of our foreign policy. How would a state department official, negotiating with such a government, fare if in fact there was an unbeknown $100 million back channel directly to the White House. Would not that compromise our country's interests?
Once these two types of questions come into public focus, the Clinton campaign will not be able to continue.
Update: billysumday in the comments had a great find from TPM: Sinbad speaks
Update 2 The Rec List. Allright! But this is more than just a fun photo for Saturday night. I had actually hoped to really contribute to the discussion of how Obama can imaginatively and creatively respond to the barrage of attacks, and do it in a way that captures hearts and minds.
Update 3: This is great. Sinbad* is online over at TPM
Clinton/Sinbad '08!! --Not only does Sinbad pass the Commander-in-Chief threshold, Sinbad brings the funny! Solving refugee crises since 1996!
That's Comic Relief you can BELIEVE IN!
Come on, TPM! Show your investigative chops! Tell the world how I solved the crisis in Kosovo!
Give Sinbad some LOVE!
Posted by Sinbad
March 8, 2008 8:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
*Or someone claiming to be Sinbad - but they have the voice