HILLARY'S BUNGLED SMEAR

by Robert Novak

December 13, 2007 -- "DAVID Axelrod, the sea soned Chicago Democratic political operative who is chief strategist for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, was taken by surprise in the last minute of CBS's "Face the Nation" on Dec. 2: Howard Wolfson, Sen. Hillary Clinton's spokesman, accused Obama of running a "slush fund." In fact, the Clinton campaign was spreading that story privately months ago.

Last summer, a senior Clinton aide told a famous Democratic personage believed favorable to Obama that the Illinois senator was using his "leadership" political-action committee to spread money around the country to grease his presidential prospects. That message was private when Clinton seemed far ahead for the Democratic nomination. It became public when Obama threatened to overtake her.

In a later incident, a Democrat, not on Clinton's Senate or campaign staffs but close to her, a month ago approached a party activist who has not made a commitment with this message: Skeletons in Obama's closet would make him vulnerable if nominated. He didn't elaborate and said the Clinton campaign would keep its anti-Obama information to itself.

The Clinton campaign denied all this, claiming a GOP plot. In truth, I haven't talked to a single Republican in my reporting of attacks on Obama. In the wake of these denials, Wolfson made public his slush-fund accusation on "Face the Nation," shortly after polls showed Obama passing Clinton for Iowa's Jan. 3 caucuses.."

Typical Clinton attack mode. Lie, then if caught lying well, lie some mores. For months we've all been hearing about certain information the Clinton machine had about Obama, and as the scoop "leaks" out none of it has amounted to a Hillary of beans.

Not that Barack Obama knows his ass from his elbow, but I'd rather see him in the Oval Office than yet another thieving, lying, Clinton. Once he truly learned what the real world is all about he'd spend 4 years going with the flow while trying to recover from the shock of it all. 4 years of Clinton dirty tricks and disgracefulness would be disgusting to be a part of.