OBAMARAMA

Greg Sargent over at TPMCafe reports on a statement from Sen. Clinton’s campaign responding to comments by David Geffen, Hollywood mogul and Obama fundraiser, that were critical of the Clintons and appeared in the New York Times today. According to the release, Sen. Clinton is demanding that Sen. Obama “immediately denounce these remarks” and “remove Mr. Geffen from his campaign and return his money.”

In fact, Geffen’s comments, while not particularly nice, were generally innocuous, undoubtedly represent his unvarnished political opinion, and were not at all inaccurate. Here are the remarks he reportedly made to Maureen Dowd, who reprinted them in her column:

“God knows, is there anybody more ambitious than Hillary Clinton?”

“I think they [Republicans] believe she’s the easiest to defeat.”

“She’s so advised by so many smart advisers who are covering every base.”

“Everybody in politics lies, but they [the Clintons] do it with such ease, it’s troubling.”

“It’s not a very big thing to say, ‘I made a mistake’ on the war, and typical of Hillary Clinton that she can’t.”

Hmmm…which of these remarks do you think most peeved Sen. Clinton?

If it was the first one, fine. It’s not particularly complimentary to call someone ambitious — though, in fairness, she is running for president. But does making that observation really justify demanding that Sen. Obama denounce Geffen and refuse his support?

If it’s the second remark, the claim that Republicans “believe she’s the easiest to defeat,” then the Clinton campaign would be objecting to a political analysis which is actually very astute, given that nearly half the country has an unfavorable view of Sen. Clinton, higher than any Democratic candidate. Don’t shoot the messenger.

Number three isn’t even mean, it’s just true.

Objecting to number four is understandable — it’s not nice to call anyone a liar. But Geffen has experience with the Clintons and is certainly entitled to his opinions on the subject. It’s not like he’s running a negative ad against her. Someone asked him what he thought, and he answered.

But perhaps, from the perspective of the Clinton campaign, the barb that stung the most was number five. This is Geffen’s claim that it’s “typical” of Sen. Clinton that she refuses to say “I made a mistake” on her vote to authorize the president to go to war.

If that’s the line that hurt the most, the Clinton camp can cry “unfair” until they’re hoarse in the mouth. But they better get used to hearing it.

UPDATE: The Obama campaign answers with vigor:

“We aren’t going to get in the middle of a disagreement between the Clintons and someone who was once one of their biggest supporters. It is ironic that the Clintons had no problem with David Geffen when was raising them $18 million and sleeping at their invitation in the Lincoln bedroom. It is also ironic that Senator Clinton lavished praise on Monday and is fully willing to accept today the support of South Carolina State Sen. Robert Ford, who said if Barack Obama were to win the nomination, he would drag down the rest of the Democratic Party because ‘he’s black.’”