DOVER, N.H. -- Billy Shaheen, the co-chairman of Hillary Clinton's campaign in New Hampshire, raised the issue of Sen. Barack Obama's past admissions of drug use in discussing the relative electability of the Democrats seeking the presidential nomination today...Among his concerns about Obama as the nominee, he said in an interview here today, is that his background is so relatively unknown and that the Republicans would do their best to unearth negative aspects of it, or concoct mistruths about it. Shaheen, a lawyer and influential state power broker, mentioned as an example Obama's use of cocaine and marijuana as a young man, which Obama has been open about in his memoir and on the trail.
"The Republicans are not going to give up without a fight ... and one of the things they're certainly going to jump on is his drug use," said Shaheen, the husband of former N.H. governor Jeanne Shaheen, who is planning to run for the Senate next year. Billy Shaheen contrasted Obama's openness about his past drug use -- which Obama mentioned again at a recent campaign appearance in New Hampshire -- with the approach taken by George W. Bush in 1999 and 2000, when he ruled out questions about his behavior when he was "young and irresponsible."
Shaheen said Obama's candor on the subject would "open the door" to further questions. "It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?'" Shaheen said. "There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome."...The Obama campaign declined to comment on Shaheen's electability remarks.
So let me get this straight. A woman with 50% unfavorables is talking about Obama's unelectability?! The self-appointed standard bearer of the Democrats is offering up attack questions for the GOP to put to another Democrat? This victim of the "vast right wing conspiracy" (which I actually do believe in, although it was ably assisted by Billy's own peccadilloes) is putting innuendo and character-based smears into the media? (How else would you take someone asking if, while you got high as a teen, whether you also dealt some coke to grade schoolers?) Eff that, y'all. This is low-down dirty Arkansas politics writ large for all to see. I am so ashamed that I ever respected this woman. It's one thing to say, "Hey, the Repugs asked these ridiculous smear questions and Obama should answer/not answer however he sees fit." It's quite another to say that another Democrat raised them. Especially when that Democrat is living in the glassiest of glass houses on effing Hypocrisy Lane.
And let me get another thing straight: a man who has been entirely honest about his recreational drug use as a young man (and not in his 30's, married and with kids like our current president was, or who unconvincingly claimed to not have inhaled as her husband did) is seen as vulnerable on the drug issue? How does that work? Especially in 2007 when many, many decent law-abiding upstanding people have at one time had a toke or nine. Or who will cop to "being present" as coke was available. Come ON! You know who you are, and you know you haven't told anyone. So along comes Obama who does, who puts it out there. And he's got honesty problems?!! Please. Senator Obama--just like perhaps you, your dad or his friends--has not used drugs in many, many years.
The only people in this race on drugs are the ones who still think Hillary Clinton should get the nomination.
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