Well, you've all seen how Clinton has been playing the game of calling any issue criticism of her as "Republican talking points" or "mudslinging."
Meanwhile, Clinton was flinging mud at Barack Obama today. Yes, today she went after Barack Obama's childhood:
‘Now voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face.’
Ben Smith's Blog
Barack Obama did not choose where he lived as a child. Her sarcastic remarks show a lot of the increasing desparation of the Clinton campaign as she fails in Iowa.
Come around after the fold to see what the Edwards campaign says about her mudslinging.
Here's Clinton's mudslinging about Barack Obama:
"Now voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next President will face. I think we need a President with more experience than that. Someone the rest of the world knows, looks up to, and has confidence in. I don’t think this is the time for on the job training on our economy or on foreign policy."
Ben Smith's Blog
Chris Kofinis of the Edwards Campaign:
"mudslinging
|mŭd'slĭng'ing| (also mud-slinging)noun informal
the use of insults and accusations, esp. unjust ones, with the aim of damaging the reputation of an opponent.
As in: Hillary Clinton said about Barack Obama, ‘Now voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face.’
"Now we know what Senator Clinton meant when she talked about ‘throwing mud’ in the last debate. Like so many other things, when it comes to mud, Hillary Clinton says one thing and throws another."
Edwards Campaign: The Definition Of Mudslinging
Is it any wonder voters don't believe she is willing to say what she really thinks about issues?
There is more than enough worrisome news for Hillary Clinton in the new Washington Post-ABC News poll of Iowa Democrats to keep her political team on edge for the next 44 days.
Only half of likely caucus participants in Iowa believe she is willing to say what she really thinks about issues. They find her less honest and trustworthy than either Barack Obama or John Edwards and they rate her third behind the other Obama and Edwards on the question of which candidate best understands their problems. For a candidate running on a middle-class message, Clinton has some significant persuading left to do.
WaPO
Parsing.
Planting.
Politics-as-usual
Penn.
Let's add one:
Mudslinging.
We need change from the status quo, and John Edwards will bring it:
"I saw that Senator Clinton gave a speech that talked about change versus status quo, and I agree that that's what this election will be about. But I believe if you defend the system in Washington as Senator Clinton does, you're for the status quo. If you want to continue the occupation in Iraq, you're for the status quo. If you're not willing to stand up to Bush and Cheney on Iran, then you're for the status quo.
"We need change very badly. When I'm president, I will shake things up and end the corruption in Washington and say no to donations from federal lobbyists. I will end the U.S. occupation of Iraq. We need a leader with the strength to stand up and refuse to go along with the Bush Administration's aggressions against Iran. And as much as Senator Clinton attempts to blur the lines with this talk of change, I believe at the end of the day the American people understand the fundamental differences between the system she has chosen to defend and the change I will bring to America."
Edwards Statement On Change Versus Status Quo
No wonder Clinton is slinging mud. She cannot openly defend the status quo. She tries to masquarade as a "change" candidate, but Iowans aren't buying it. So she's going negative.
Give me a break. Barack Obama is not my first choice for president, but attacking him on where he grew up is a low blow. It's mudslinging.
Update I: Response from Obama, courtesy Geekesque in the comments:
Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld have spent time in the White House and travelled to many countries as well, but along with Hillary Clinton they led us into the worst foreign policy disaster in a generation and are now giving George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran. The real choice in this election is between conventional Washington thinking that prizes posture and positioning, or real change that puts judgment and honesty first.