I received deceptive Hillary Clinton mailers in Wisconsin that were completely full of lies

[zulchzulu]

Hillary Clinton continues to distort Obama's record and acts like she is running a clean campaign....well, it's far from it. She has done EXACTLY what she accuses Obama of doing and has been doing it since the primary season began. Her manufactured outrage will indeed be part of her wilted swan song.

Here's one example that was blasted in Super Tuesday states that was also sent to Wisconsin voters:

A direct-mail piece sent to voters by the Clinton campaign twists Obama’s words and gives a false picture of his proposals:
It says he "wants to raise Social Security taxes by a trillion dollars," a big distortion. Obama has said a “good option” would be to apply Social Security payroll taxes to incomes over $97,500 a year, but that would only affect taxes paid by 6.5 percent of individuals and couples. And he hasn’t formally proposed such a move anyway.

The Clinton mailer says Obama has "no plan" for a moratorium on foreclosures such as the one Clinton has proposed. That’s true, but Obama has his own plan for homeowner relief. The mailer leaves the impression that Obama has "no plan" at all, which is false.

It says Obama "voted for Dick Cheney's energy bill that gives huge tax breaks to oil companies," another distortion. By the time Congress passed the 2005 energy bill, it raised taxes on the oil industry more than it decreased them and also contained billions for alternative fuels research and subsidies for energy-efficient buildings and vehicles.

(snip)

Perhaps the most eye-catching claim in the Clinton mailer is the charge that Obama "wants to raise Social Security taxes by a trillion dollars." That's an awful distortion. Nothing Obama has proposed or supported would affect Social Security taxes paid by the overwhelming majority of workers.

(snip)

The Clinton mailer also draws a distinction between the two candidates' proposals to help homeowners in danger of foreclosure. It says that Clinton has a plan for "a moratorium on foreclosures and a freeze in mortgage rates for at-risk homeowners," while Obama has "no plan" for a moratorium on foreclosures. That's true. But such language might give some voters the impression that Obama has proposed nothing to address housing issues. That's false.

Obama does have a plan – it's just not Clinton's – that calls for the creation of a fund to assist homeowners in refinancing their mortgages. The fund would be partially paid for by "increased penalties on lenders who … commit fraud," according to his Web site. Clinton specifically proposes a moratorium on foreclosures for a minimum of 90 days and a freeze on adjustable rate loans for at least five years. Also, the mailer says Clinton has a plan "to cut taxes for the middle class" but doesn't mention that Obama, of course, has one, too.

(snip)

The mailer further charges that Obama "voted for Dick Cheney's energy bill that gives huge tax breaks to oil companies." Obama did vote for the 2005 energy bill to which Clinton refers. But as we've said more than once before, her claim that the legislation resulted in large tax breaks for the oil industry is misleading.

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/youve_got_mailers.html

As for Hillary Clinton's phony outrage at Obama's mailers, that is to be expected from someone who running one of the worst presidential political campaigns in history. She has proven many times to be not only a compulsive liar, but someone who never admits failure. There is plenty of evidence where she fully supported NAFTA, a part of her husband's record that she borrows for her own:

On November 1, 1996, United Press International reported that on a trip to Brownsville, Texas, Clinton "touted the president's support for the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying it would reap widespread benefits in the region."

The Associated Press followed up the next day noting that Hillary Clinton touted the fact that "the president would continue to support economic growth in South Texas through initiatives such as the North American Free Trade Agreement."

In her memoir, Clinton wrote, "Senator Dole was genuinely interested in health care reform but wanted to run for president in 1996. He couldn't hand incumbent Bill Clinton any more legislative victories, particularly after Bill's successes on the budget, the Brady bill and NAFTA."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/hillary-clinton-pretends-_b_86747.html

[skipos]

1. He could have a press conference where he pretends to be outraged

complete with a governor in the background bobble heading... but that would be lame as fuck, so he probably won't.

[progressive_realist]

2. Totally off topic, but

A moratorium on foreclosures and a freeze on ARM rates are incredibly bad ideas. Not only would they increase moral hazard by rewarding imprudent financial decisions, but they would interfere with necessary market-clearing activities. Are the bad loans going to be any more viable in six months, a year, or even five years? Only if people's incomes dramatically increased, which won't happen as long as the debt overhang is stifling economic activity. This is the sort of bad government policy that turned Japan's last cyclical recession into a decade-long slump.

The more I look at Clinton's platform, the worse I realize it is.

[zulchzulu]

3. Agreed... and freezing rates is actually unconstitutional as well

I'm not a constitutional lawyer, but I have heard that freezing ARM rates would go against millions of negotiations and contracts made between the loan industry and those who signed on. To put a freeze on these contracts would be interfering not only with commerce, but would put into question whether legally approved commerce and rates contracts are to be muzzled by the government on a whim.

Those that used their home mortgages like a gambling risk should also not be given a free ride at our expense.

[RBInMaine]

4. Very good points, both. There are other ways to do it.

Obama's ideas make more sense: Toughen predatory loan laws; set up a fund to help people pay mortgages while working to re-finance; improve contract transparency; etc. Many of these bad loans were due to predatory lending. Others to people simply over-extending themselves with teaser
sub-prime rates, much having to do with not becoming better informed and thinking these things through. When my wife and I bought our house we were pre-approved for more than we could afford. We knew better than to take the bate and took a smaller, fixed loan at a decent rate on a less expensive home within our budget. Right. Others shouldn't have to pay the price of some people making bad decisions. At the same time, it is better to not have all these forclosures as everyone loses, including those in adjacent properties. Obama's more balanced approach makes sense. Find ways to keep people in the homes and improve the system without overly manipulating the market.

[RBInMaine]

5. Obama should come bring copies of these to the debate.

Another example of Clinton's hypocrisy. Unreal. She sends out this crap to beat the band then cries wolf when Obama fires back. Pathetic.

[MagsDem]

7. But he won't, because his own web site proves Hillary's statements

are true. It's a pity you "supporters" have no idea what you are supporting.

[zulchzulu]

12. He should certainly have one at the ready in case she wants to play show and tell

I have a feeling she may... I've thought about how they might be practicing the video moment that would or could be her "Dean Scream".

[MagsDem]

6. Your own candidates web site proposes the social security tax increase

And it's not even hard to find. So much for your "fact check" -- you people don't even know your own candidates proposals. And yes, it is a trillion dollar increase, and will not go toward paying SS to seniors either, for that matter.

[thereismore]

8. Did the mailers work? Such garbage! nt

[zulchzulu]

9. What might have been a close race in WI was a 17% landslide

Between many political errors from the Clinton campaign, the mailers I received surely were seen by anyone seriously voting as obviously distorted and pathetic.

I've saved the mailers for future use. They are excellent examples of how NOT to make a political statement.

[thereismore]

11. She just keeps shooting herself in the foot doesn't she. I expect tonight

she will come out swinging at Barack. All he has to do is retain composure and she is done.

[dkf]

10. That social security cap thing is really deceptive.

Very very bad.

It beats me how politicians think we are supposed to believe them when they flat out mislead us all the time.