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.