Let the mudslinging commence

A report by Bob Novak, the conservative columnist, that Hillary Clinton's campaign is withholding unspecified "scandalous information" on rival candidate Barack Obama, has unleashed a vicious quarrel between the two camps, as an article in today's Times by Tom Baldwin, Washington Bureau Chief, explains.

First, some interesting tidbits:

Mark Halperin has posted a useful timeline of the resulting exchanges between the Clinton and Obama campaigns on the TIME blog The Page.

Journalist Ron Rosenbaum discusses on his blog a sex scandal story involving a presidential candidate that the LA Times is currently sitting on.

Now here's what bloggers on both sides of the political divide are saying:

On the left:

Steve Benen on The Carpetbagger Report opines that this is a new low for Bob Novak, and praises Obama's campaign for approaching his report with a note of skepticism.

But the Drudge Retort - a liberal alternative to the Drudge Report - argues that in demanding satisfaction from the Clinton campaign, Obama has in fact given too much credence to the Novak report.

Joe Klein, TIME political columnist, writes on the magazine's Swampland blog that Novak has now "abandoned all pretense of being a journalist" and that both campaigns have been smeared by this affair.

On the right:

Hot Air links Novak's report to the LA Times rumour.

The Conservative Alternative defends Bob Novak, claiming he is rarely wrong about Washington whispers.

Andrew Sullivan suggests on the Atlantic Monthly's Daily Dish that in insisting that "experienced Democrats" would ignore such rumours, the Clinton campaign is moving to preempt any philandering-Bill stories that might emerge.

Comments

[John Micklos]

I am a republican and I say if Novak has this info he should release it. I wouldnt take his or anyones word without proof

[Brien comerford]

There is festering animosity between Clinton and Obama. The saddest aspect of this election is that the best candidate, Senator Chrisopher Dodd is being totally overlooked. He's very bipartison and has an exemplary record on environmental and wildlife conservation issues. When Hillary wins she must pick Dodd to be her Vice President. He's as green as Al Gore and he's very experienced and articulate.