Barack Obama: Reaction to assassination of Benazir Bhutto

According TIME's Jay Newton-Small on December 27, 2007:


 * "David Axelrod, Barack Obama’s top strategist, told reporters after the speech [in Iowa] that [Sen. Hillary] Clinton will not benefit from a renewed conversation about foreign policy in the wake of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in Pakistan.


 * "Bhutto’s death will 'call into issue the judgment: who’s made the right judgments,' Axelrod said. 'Obviously, one of the reasons that Pakistan is in the distress that it’s in is because al-Qaeda is resurgent, has become more powerful within that country and that’s a consequence of us taking the eye off the ball and making the wrong judgment in going into Iraq. That’s a serious difference between these candidates and I’m sure that people will take that into consideration.'

"Foreign policy had been considered by many to be Clinton’s strength and a subject that had been waning ahead of the caucuses as candidates focused their closing arguments on domestic issues. Axelrod argued a focus on Pakistan does not help Clinton, who voted to give President Bush the authority to go to war in Iraq.


 * "'She was a strong supporter of the war in Iraq, which we would submit, was one of the reasons why we were diverted from Afghanistan, Pakistan and al-Qaeda, who may have been players in this event today, so that’s a judgment she’ll have to defend,” Axelrod said. 'I know Woody Allen said that 80% of life is just showing up but there’s actually more to being proficient in foreign policy than just having been around for a long time. You also have to have good judgment. Obama was willing to split with the conventional wisdom on Iraq and many of these other issues and I think events have borne out his judgment.'

"Response from Clinton Spokesman Phil Singer:


 * "'This is a time to be focused on the tragedy of the situation, its implications for the U.S. and the world, and to be concerned for the people of Pakistan and the country’s stability. No one should be politicizing this situation with baseless allegations.'"

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Barack Obama: U.S. presidential election, 2008/al Qaeda, the Taliban and Pakistan
 * Taliban
 * troop surge in Iraq

External articles

 * Taylor Marsh, "Benizer Bhutto Assassinated," TaylorMarsh.com, December 27, 2007.
 * Taylor Marsh, "VIDEO: Axelrod Blames Clinton," Hot Topics Diaries/TaylorMarsh.com December 27, 2007.
 * Jeff Dinelli, "Axelrod Way Out Of Line In Bhutto Remarks," The Left Coaster, December 27, 2007.
 * Turkana, "Senator Obama Must Fire Axelrod," The Left Coaster, December 27, 2007.
 * Old Democrat, "Which Democrat Most Recently De-stabilized Pakistan?" Hot Topics Diaries/TaylorMarsh.com, December 27, 2007.
 * B Merry, "Obama Reaction to Bhutto Assassination," Hot Topics Diaries/TaylorMarsh.com, December 27, 2007.
 * Larry Johnson, "Hillary, Murdering Bitch," No Quarter Blog, December 27, 2007.
 * Jessica Yellin, Gloria Borger and Candy Crowley, "Obama Advisor Links Clinton Vote and Bhutto Death?" CNN Political Ticker Blog, December 27, 2007.
 * Taylor Marsh, "Obama Camp in Disarray with Axelrod On Damage Control After Bhutto Assassination," TaylorMarsh.com, December 27, 2007.
 * Taylor Marsh, "Bhutto Assassination Could be a Change Event," TaylorMarsh.com, December 27, 2007.
 * Big Tent Democrat, "Obama Advisor Axelrod Blames Hillary For Bhutto Assassination," Talk Left Blog, December 27, 2007.
 * Tom Watson, "Extremists Among Us: Obama Campaign Blames Clinton for Bhutto Murder," TomWatson.com, December 27, 2007.
 * SusanUnPC, "Obama Campaign in Disarray? Campaign Making Political Hay Out of Bhutto Assassination?" No Quarter Blog, December 27, 2007.
 * Reza Aslan, "Did Hillary Clinton kill Benazir Bhutto?" Anderson Cooper 360 Blog, December 27, 2007.
 * Marc Ambinder, "Axelrod Amplifies His Remarks About Clinton and Pakistan," The Atlantic, December 27, 2007.
 * Greg Sargent, "Obama Adviser: Bhutto Assassination Reminds Us That Hillary Made Wrong Call on Iraq War," TPMElectionCentral, December 27, 2007.
 * E.J. Dionne Jr., "A Crisis Intrudes On Iowa," Washington Post, December 28, 2007. Note: This article has been expanded since first appearing December 27, 2007.
 * "Obama asks for intelligence briefing after Bhutto assassination," Associated Press (WANDTV.com), December 27, 2007.
 * Mike Dorning, "Obama: Controversy over aide's remarks 'spin'," The Swamp Blog/Baltimore Sun, December 27, 2007.
 * Jim Geraghty, "Team Obama Tussles With Team Hillary Over Bhutto," Campaign Spot/National Review Online, December 27, 2007.
 * Todd Beeton, "Obama's Bizarre Reactions To Bhutto's Assassination," MyDD, December 27, 2007.
 * Anne E. Kornblut and Shalaigh Murray, "Clinton, Obama Seize on Killing. Reactions Illustrate Their Key Differences," Washington Post, December 28, 2007.
 * Ben Smith, "Obama mixes it up over Pakistan," The Politico, December 28, 2007.
 * Jeff Zeleny, "Obama Aide Ties Pakistan to Iraq War," New York Times, December 28, 2007.
 * Pamela Leavey, "In The Wake of Bhutto’s Assassination, Experience Or Change?" The Democratic Daily, December 28, 2007.
 * Lynn Sweet, "Obama says, 'No, I, I, I, I, I have to, I heard, I heard, I don’t need it, I don't need to hear what you read because I was, I overheard it when he said it'," Chicago Sun-Times, December 28, 2007.
 * Pam Leavey, "Obama Stammers His Way Through Defense of Axelrod's Comments on Clinton," The Democratic Daily, December 28, 2007.
 * Eric Kleefeld, "Obama Defends Axelrod's Comments About Bhutto Assassination and Hillary's Iraq Vote," TPMElectionCentral, December 28, 2007.
 * Eric Kleefeld, "Edwards: Axelrod's Comments About Bhutto and Hillary 'Ridiculous'," TPMElectionCentral, December 28, 2007.
 * Greg Sargent, "Hillary Directly Accuses Obama of Politicizing Bhutto Assassination," TPMElectionCentral, December 28, 2007.
 * "John Edwards: Obama 'Living in Never-Never Land'? Edwards Criticizes Rivals as the Campaign in Iowa Enters the Home Stretch," ABC News, December 28, 2007.
 * Big Tent Democrat, "Obama At Odds With His FP Team," MyDD, December 28, 2007.
 * "Barry and the Problem of Sovereignty," Anglachel's Journal Blogspot, December 28, 2007.
 * susanhu, "Breaking: Gen. Clark Responds to Latest Obama Attack (+ Much More)," MyDD (SusanUnPC at No Quarter Blog), December 28, 2007.
 * Jeff Dinelli, "Fallout From Obama Campaign's Attack On Hillary," The Left Coaster, December 28, 2007.
 * BC, "Bad Closing Week for Obama," Yikes! Blog, December 28, 2007.
 * alegre, "Bhutto's Assassination - a Tale of Two Interviews," MyDD, December 29, 2007.
 * Frank James, "Clinton: 'Next president will have to be experienced'," The Swamp Blog/Baltimore Sun'', December 29, 2007.
 * B Merry, "Obama: WaPo editorial smackdown," TaylorMarsh.com, December 29, 2007.
 * Wordsmith, "Is Pervez Musharraf a Bush Poodle?" Flopping Aces Blog, December 29, 2007.

External resources

 * Transcript: Larry King Live, CNN, December 27, 2007. Scroll down to mid-transcript.