Right before the Christmas campaign break it was reported that Senator Barak Obama has taken issue with a 527 run by a former campaign aide to Senator John Edwards. At issue for Obama was the idea that the 527 ads supporting Edwards were somehow shading because the 527 is run by a former Edwards aide.
Obama is taking on Edwards on this issue trying to use the former Senator’s words against him. Edwards consistently rails against special interests and their influence in Washington. Obama is trying to use this to say that the 527, Alliance for A New America , run by Nick Baldick, a former high-ranking Edwards’ adviser, is the same type of influence and flaunting of the election laws. For last few election cycles the 527s have spent millions of dollars for candidates and have at time played a pivotal role in elections. When pressed whether he would welcome that type of help in the general election, Obama was cagey at best,refusing to look that far ahead.
So there is the unspoken double standard. Obama isn’t getting that kind of help right now in a tight race with Edwards and Clinton and he doesn’t like it so he throws ethics around. But when asked if he would welcome that kind of help he doesn’t say no. Seems like the good guy sheen of Obama’s campaign is a might thin in spots.
It is without a doubt a tight race in Iowa and the next few days are key. Whining about some television ads is not going to bring people to the caucuses to cast critical votes. Obama need to concentrate on making his lead in the poll translate into actual caucus votes on a very cold Iowa evening in January. Otherwise Edwards and or Clinton are going to send him back to Illinois.