Listening to the Listening to the Barack Obama campaign media call right now. Herewith a quick transcript of some of the opening comments: Before she had to dash off to cast a floor vote, Illinois congresswoman and Obama supporter Jan Schakowsky who, if not obvious, is a woman, offered a few comments about former Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro's recent remarks about Obama: “Any and all remarks that diminish Sen. Obama’s candidacy because of his race are completely out of line…I urge Sen. Clinton to call on her supporters and advisers to change the tone of her campaign. We need to stop tearing each other down and focus on defeating Sen. McCain in November.” Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod added these opening remarks: “Leadership in campaigns comes from the very top. The signals coming from the top of the Clinton campaign are very unfortunate. They offer a light statement of disagreement [about Ferraro's comments]. But this has been a pattern we’ve seen throughout the campaign,” said Axelrod, citing the earlier incidents involving Billy Shaheen and Bob Johnson. “All of this is part of an insidious pattern…We have set a tone with the way we have handled these incidents…we have been very firm in dealing with that. When you wink and nod at offensive statements [as Clinton campaign has done] you really send a message to your supporters that anything goes.” Axelrod then called very directly for the Clinton camp to take action: “Congresswoman Ferraro is a surrogate for Sen. Clinton and she ought to be removed from her positions” with the Clinton campaign. --Tom Schaller
