Anti-Hillary dirty tricks war hots up (Observer) [View All]

Anti-Hillary dirty tricks war hots up

Republicans use the internet, books and a film to try
to derail Clinton's White House campaign

Paul Harris in New York
Sunday June 17, 2007
The Observer

She's ahead in the polls and on course to become the
Democrats' presidential candidate for 2008. So it is no
surprise that a right-wing smear campaign is gathering
speed to derail Senator Hillary Clinton's bid for the
White House. Conservative groups and political figures
are planning a film, books and a concerted media
campaign to demonise Clinton, who is already one of
the most polarising figures in American politics.

Top of the list of projects is a planned movie, being
filmed by veteran Republican operator David Bossie.
Bossie is raising money for the film through his
conservative group Citizens United, which is appealing
for video footage, stories about Clinton and money.
It plans a release by the end of the year, just as the
first primary elections are held in New Hampshire.
Bossie is being helped in the project by Dick Morris,
a former top Clinton aide who has become a leading
Clinton critic.

The film aims to delve into past Clinton scandals,
such as the Whitewater real estate deals, and to dig
up new dirt. 'This project aims to expose the truth
about her conflicts in the past and her liberal plot
for the future,' said a statement on the film's
website. Bossie did not return repeated calls for
comment.

The film also has the backing of other veteran
Republican dirty-tricks campaigners. The chairman of
Citizens United is Floyd Brown, a Republican media
consultant who worked on the Willie Horton TV ad in
1988 that helped destroy the campaign of presidential
candidate Michael Dukakis.

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