Senator Clinton addresses supporters in Columbus, Ohio, after winning that state's primary election

Senator Clinton joined on stage by her daughter Chelsea, Governor Ted Strickland, Senator John Glenn, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, and Lt. Governor Lee Fisher.

More photos on our Flickr page.

Hillary Clinton's Chief Strategist and Communications Director hold conference call

Chief Strategist of the Clinton campaign Mark Penn and Communications Director Howard Wolfson held a conference call to discuss the "State of the Race."

Mark Penn said that "millions of people" know who the right person is to be the manager of the US economy where, he said, the next president is likely to inherent all the economic problems left by the current administration. He said that Clinton can end the war in Iraq and protect the country. He attacked Obama for a statement in 2004 when he said that he didn't know how he would have voted on the 2002 Iraq war resolution. Then he said that momentum is tipping in favor of Clinton on the "most important issues" and he predicted a her success in tomorrow's contests.

Howard Wolfson spoke very critically of Barack Obama. He highlighted two developments that he said arose in the last couple of days. The first concerns a memo that is circulating in Canada about the Obama team having allegedly discussed details regarding his position on NAFTA with Canadian officials despite denying that any discussion on NAFTA had taken place. But Wolfson said that the Canadian press revealed that a "senior member of Obama's economic team" spoke with Canadian officials saying that Obama's message on NAFTA in Ohio is "just rhetoric." Wolfson said that this is a "major story" in Ohio and told listeners that this news comes after Obama has been "unfairly attacking" Clinton on trade. The second issue Wolfson brought up was the controversy involving real estate developer Tony Rezko who is in court facing federal charges of attempted extortion, money laundering, and fraud. Rezko was an Obama supporter with alleged ties to his campaign. Wolfson said that the Clinton campaign is urging Obama to "come clean" and reveal everything they can about relationship between Obama and Rezko but that they are refusing.

Notes on DNC Conference call on FEC complaint about John McCain

Intro by Karen Finney

Howard Dean, DNC Chairman
Joe Sandler, DNC General Counsel

FEC complaint to be filed tomorrow

Dean:
Tomorrow DNC will be filing complaint with FEC asking for investigation into McCain campaign. He cannot unilaterally withdraw from spending commitment.

He can't get out of matching funds agreement after using promise as collateral on loan. He has "material gain" from his fund.

When Dean got out of the program, he had an FEC vote to get out, and also he spent money to get on ballots, while McCain has gotten free ballot access as part of program.

Joe Sandler:
In letter this week, FEC commissioner said that McCain can't back out after he's written a letter to FEC saying he wanted to be in the program, and the FEC has taken a vote on McCain's eligibility. That was not the case with Dean and with Kerry, who pulled out before being certified by the FEC as being eligible. McCain is in the same situation as Gephardt was in 2003, and then the FEC said he couldn't get out without FEC consent.

And even if the FEC had a quorum and could vote, McCain can't get out after having used his participation in the program as collateral for a loan.

So McCain still subject to limitations, including spending limit. Based on how much spending he reported as of end of January, he has likely already violated, or is about to violate, that spending limit.

Dean:
So three violations: 1. Material benefit in free ballot access. 2. Material benefit in using as loan collateral. 3. (likely) spending limit violation.
McCain is not a reformer; he passes changes to benefit himself.

Question:
What kind of sanctions are you looking for? How can the commission act without a quorum?

Sandler:
They can begin to process the complaint without quorum. We hope there are no sanctions imposed, because we hope McCain will comply with the law. If he doesn't, potentially civil and criminal penalties.

Question:
Have you approached watchdog groups to ask them to join in complaint?

Dean:
Don't think so.

Sandler:
Those groups are non-partisan, so they wouldn't join a party in a complaint. They might call on McCain to follow the rules, though.

Question:
Dean's opinion on 527 groups active on Clinton and Obama sides?

Dean:
I haven't followed that.

Question:
Any chance of reaching out to RNC to together speak out against 527s?

Dean:
"I'm going to worry about the 527s at another time."
On McCain, "this is a major violation." This is "so Washington."

Question:
Said you want him to obey the law, but how can he go back in time and never apply for federal funding? So he can't spend another penny until he gets the nomination in September?

Dean:
I don't understand how someone with McCain's reputation can do this kind of thing. He says one thing and does another. "We want John McCain to obey the law with his own name on it."

Clinton Campaign Conference Call

Ohio State Director Robby Mock and Howard Wolfson

Early this week United Food and Commercial Workers Union ad all over Ohio designed to influence the campaign. The Clinton campaign supports Union involvement. Senator Obama has flip flopped in outside political spending. Obama was critical of Edwards and outside groups that were spending on Edwards’s behalf and that they were getting around the outside groups. In Ohio he is completely silent. His campaign had a conference call of a group that may be of support to the Clinton campaign. Sen. Obama has a pattern of backing away from promises. He says one thing in one part of the country at one time and another at another time.

This is not about principal for Senator Obama it is about politics.

Robby--- He said Senator Edwards had to be consistent on 527 groups and he is not backing that up now.

Question: American Leadership Project has supported the Clinton campaign. Any difference?

Clinton campaign believes that organizations have the right to do this, but the issue is using the same standard. The standard he set for Senator Edwards was that in Iowa these ads should not have been run. We are asking that Senator Obama hold himself to the same standards. We do not know anything about the American Leadership Project.

Question: Is she positioning herself as having been a co-president?

Wolfson: Senator Clinton is clear about the areas that she was involved. She was a key and valued advisor of her husband.

Robby: We have an aggressive program on the ground. We have staff and volunteers in every Congressional district. We have been running an early vote program. We are not just running in the “three C’s” but also in rural areas.

Question: Senator Clinton discussed NAFTA. What does a time out on trade mean?

Senator Clinton has laid out a bold plan. She believes we need to fix NAFTA and that we need to review all of our trade agreements every five years. We believe that we have the best program to jump-start the economy. When he was running for Senate he said positive things about NAFTA and the WTO. Those are not consistent with how he is presenting himself to the voters of Ohio.

Question: What about District 11 in Ohio?

Robby: We are competing in every district. We have the support of Congresswoman Tubbs-Jones. She has been an integral part of the team. She is one of closest advisors.
Wolfson: Tubbs-Jones has really worked hard, and a wise guide through Ohio politics.

Question: Tuesday’s debate?

Wolfson: I will not preview strategy. We think the debates have benefited us. Senator Clinton shines when there is a good detailed discussion of issues.

Question: Clips of the mailers. Looked like she had not seen them before.

Wolfson: They had obviously not been mailed to her house. She felt when she was given to them on a rope line. She wanted to set the record straight. These pieces of mail have been discredited and debunked but the Obama campaign keeps putting them out.

Question: Where does Pennsylvania figure in?

Wolfson: We believe that we will be successful on March 4th. We have a great surrogate in Ed Rendell.

Question: What is Senator Clinton’s position on 527’s? Vote Hope group is getting four million dollars from one couple.

Wolfson: We believe that all candidates could opt in the system and not pay a financial penalty to do so. Currently they are allowed under the law. Candidates ought to be consistent on their views on this.

Question: Winning Ohio and Texas?

Wolfson: Less than two percent between the two. We believe the support and math will be there for Senator Clinton to win the nomination. This will give us a springboard to go into PA?

Question: If the ads don’t run to Tuesday, then is this enough time for the Obama campaign to respond?

Wolfson: Judging by the standards of what they said in Iowa they should try and get the ads not to run. Gloves off? He has taken then off on a daily basis via the email etc.

Obama Flip Flopping and other comments

Clinton Conference Call -Sunday February 17th

Howard Wolfson and Phil Singer and the Clinton people say that Obama
is flip flopping on taking public financing. He is backing away from
a specific promise. This is not the first time that he has done this
in his political life. In primaries he runs on promises and then does
not deliver on it. A reporter said that it was not a specific pledge
but the Clinton campaign quotes Bill Burton from the campaign as
saying he would. Clinton campaign quotes a Common Cause questionnaire.
They say he has broken a commitment. " here is a promise that he is
breaking right before our very eyes" Senator Clinton will assess the
situation on public financing when the situation comes. That would
have been fine for Senator Obama. He took a specific position and then
decided to renege on it. It is fair for voters to ask for someone does
not have a long history, it is fair for people to look at his
promises. Does oratory and promises deliver results?

Obama has taken money from people who work in special interests and
companies. If he is interested in not having special interests and he
still takes contributions from people that hire those lobbyists. Once
again you hear great speeches from Senator Obama that are not backed
up by the facts.

Impact on future contests-- they do not believe that momentum is the
driver of actual votes
Senator Obama had momentum and lost many of the big states. Among rank
and file Democrats people are enthusiastic. Senator Clinton would be
the nominee of a united party. We believe that we will have 2025
delegates and we will be the nominee.


Our expectation will achieve the result to put Senator Clinton on the
road to the nomination. We have asked our delegates to seat Michigan
and Florida. Over two million people voted in those elections.

Health care- facts are crystal clear- Obama has used Harriet and
Louise tactics to attack our health care plan when he leaves fifteen
million people out.