Crossing the Line

By Dana Milbank
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Confused about the state of the 2008 campaign?

Just dial "star-1" on your telephone keypad.

The race for the Democratic presidential nomination is a far-flung affair, with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama crisscrossing many of the 50 states. But you needn't be one of the Boys on the Bus to keep up with the back-and-forth; in fact, you don't need to change out of your pajamas.

Call an 800 number for the "Conference Center" or "Accuconference," enter a passcode, and, after a brief interlude of Muzak, the campaigns will entertain you with near-daily dueling conference calls.

"Hey there, this is Bill Burton with the Obama campaign," the familiar voice of the campaign spokesman announced yesterday afternoon on speakerphones everywhere. "I'm joined on this call by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and [chief Obama strategist] David Axelrod."

The purpose of the call: to draw attention to remarks by Clinton supporter Geraldine Ferraro, printed in the Torrance, Calif., Daily Breeze, suggesting Obama was the beneficiary of preferential treatment: "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman [of any color] he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is, and the country is caught up in the concept."

"Completely out of line," Schakowsky said of the former vice presidential candidate's comments.

Axelrod found the matter "offensive" and demanded punishment for Ferraro. "Gratuitous personal attacks aimed at unleashing the ugliest kind of forces in our society," said he.

Any questions? Reporters raced to punch the star-1 keys -- one so quickly that he wasn't ready when the operator opened his line. "I'm just gonna pass right now, thanks," said the overeager questioner. The Obama aides chuckled.

A quick-fingered Ben Smith of Politico.com, however, was ready. He asked the Obama officials if they were "worried you'll be seen as playing the victim."

"I don't consider it playing the victim," Axelrod replied. "It is part, as I said, of a growing and disturbing pattern."

Speaking of growing and disturbing patterns, the two campaigns have increasingly used the teleconference in recent weeks as their preferred delivery vehicles for bombing runs on one another.

After the Obama campaign demanded that Clinton release her tax returns, Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson on Thursday answered, in a conference call: "I, for one, do not believe that imitating Ken Starr is a way to win a Democratic primary election for president."

On Monday, Wolfson was again holding forth on the speakerphone, this time trying to square his belief that Obama had not passed the "commander-in-chief test" with Clinton's view that Obama would make an excellent vice president. "We do not believe that, as of this point, Senator Obama has passed that key commander-in-chief test," Wolfson explained, adding: "There's a long way to go between now and Denver, as you know."

Perhaps the most noteworthy conference call was on the night of March 4, when the Clinton campaign called an "emergency" teleconference to accuse the Obama campaign of voter intimidation in Texas. Unbeknownst to the Clinton operatives, Obama's general counsel, Bob Bauer, dialed into the call and hit star-1. "I'm curious to know how is this any different than the series of complaints you've registered against every caucus that you lose?" the call-crashing Bauer asked.

Wolfson, who in a past role had retained Bauer as his own lawyer, seemed to be suppressing a laugh. "We don't hold you personally responsible for it," Wolfson said.

A few minutes after the Obama lawyer hung up, a confused reporter on the call asked who "Bob" was. "That was Bob Bauer, B-A-U-E-R," Wolfson obliged.

Sometimes the calls are done to calibrate expectations ("Obama Campaign Hosts Conference Call to Discuss the Upcoming Contests"), and sometimes they relate to policy ("Conference Call to Discuss Obama's Commitment to the Country's Soldiers and Veterans"), but usually the main purpose is dishing dirt ("Conference call TODAY to Address Sen. Obama's Refusal to Answer Basic Questions").

Last week, the Clinton campaign held a conference call to demand the resignation of Samantha Power, an Obama foreign policy adviser who had labeled Clinton a "monster."

"Below the belt," Rep. Nita Lowey, a Clinton supporter, declared on the call.

"Out of bounds," added Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.

"Personal character assassination," chimed in Rep. Gregory Meeks.

The adviser quickly resigned.

Yesterday, however, it was the Obama campaign's turn to express umbrage and to demand Ferraro's ouster. "Congresswoman Ferraro is a member of the [campaign's] finance committee, she is a surrogate for Senator Clinton, and she ought to be removed from those positions," Axelrod demanded. Though admiring her "place in history," he could not help but reach the conclusion that "she should be censured by the campaign."

The Clinton campaign's response? You'll have to dial in tomorrow to find out.