The bloodletting between the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton was not stanched by the end of last night’s debate in Myrtle Beach. It continued in the spin room.
Ann Lewis continued to talk about Obama’s comments about the trajectory changing force of Republican ideas to a Las Vegas editorial board.
“He said that they were the party of ideas,” she said. “Clearly in contradiction to the Democratic Party.”
Mark Penn, who was standing next to her, tried to twist the dagger that Clinton had planted in Obama’s side. “I think Senator Obama said he was going to attack,” Penn said. “He attacked and she responded.”
Penn also echoed, and expanded on, Clinton’s harshest attack of the night on Obama.
“He then gave an answer that he only gave seven hours working on Tony Rezko,” said Penn. “Now Tony Rezko was his lead bundler in his senate race.
“He and his wife coordinated the purchase of his own home and adjoining lot with Tony Rezko. He gave back $40,000 in contributions from Tony Rezko this Saturday. He has not identified all the contributions. It was a close personal relationship. He misled the voters tonight by not disclosing the full extent of his relationship and laughably saying that it was only a seven hour legal relationship.”
“He personally attacked her,” said Penn. Asked if Clinton’s attack also was personal, he said, “She responded with the facts.”
And he defended the Clintons against what he said were empty accusations from the Obama about the disingenuousness of Bill Clinton’s remarks that Obama’s record of opposition to the war in Iraq was a “fairy tale.”
“Now he has not disputed a single fact that President Clinton put out, not a single one,” Penn said.
David Axelrod, standing across the room, said Obama had shown that he the backbone to fight with Clinton.
“Everyone knows that he is a very civil person,” said Axelrod of Obama. “But he is also a strong person. And anyone who thought he would roll over in the face of distortions and fabrications learned others wise tonight.”
“As Abraham Lincoln said,” he added, “If they don’t stop telling lies we’re going to have to start telling the truth about him.”
