Howard Wolfson's claim that Obama is asserting a "right wing talking point" by pointing out that Bill Clinton has been lying about things -- among them, claims that Obama uses right-wing talking points -- is absurd on many levels. Of course one should be offended at the suggestion that a true progressive would never criticize Bill Clinton. And as Steve Benen points out, all the Democratic candidates have all been guilty of borrowing right-wing talking points this primary season, so throwing that around as a means of criticism is almost laughable at this point. But perhaps the most offensive element is that Bill Clinton himself has been known to recycle Republican talking points to his advantage, like his 1993 complaint to Rolling Stone that he couldn't get "one damn bit of credit from the knee-jerk liberal press." But of course, if someone like Obama were to point this out about the former president, I guess that would make it a right-wing talking point.
--Kate Sheppard
