Axelrod Wants Ferraro Canned

<p>The Obama campaign just ratcheted up the pressure on the Clinton campaign, calling on Hillary Clinton to give Geraldine Ferraro the boot for her recent remarks about Obama.<br /><br />

Ferraro — a former member of Congress and history-making Democratic vice presidential candidate — has been drawing a stream of criticism since she <a id="apus" href="http://www.dailybreeze.com/lifeandculture/ci_8489268" title="told the Daily Breeze">told the Daily Breeze</a>, &quot;If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position…He happens to be very lucky to be be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.&quot; <br /><br />

Ferraro, a Clinton fundraiser and sometimes surrogate, &quot;ought to be removed from those positions,&quot; David Axelrod, Obama’s top strategist, told reporters in a Tuesday afternoon conference call. &quot;When you wink and nod at offensive statements, you are really sending a signal to your supporters that anything goes.&quot;<br /><br />

The Clinton camp hasn’t had much to say about Ferraro’s remarks. &quot;We disagree with her,&quot; Howard Wolfson, Clinton’s communications director, told <a id="a.zw" href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/" title="The Politico">The Politico</a>.</p>

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<p>&quot;All of it is part of an insidious pattern that needs to be addressed,&quot; Axelrod said, grouping Ferraro’s comments — and Clinton’s slow and less-than-forceful response — with charged comments from BET founder <a id="y5lh" href="http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/01/bet_founder_and_hillary_supporter_bob_johnson_obama_was_doing_something_in_the_neighborhood.php" title="Bob Johnson">Bob Johnson</a>, New Hampshire Democratic powerbroker <a id="d-_q" href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/politics/primarysource/2007/12/bill_shaheens_o.html" title="Bill Shaheen">Bill Shaheen</a>, and <a id="ejue" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/02/clinton-as-far-as-i-kno_n_89488.html" title="Clinton herself">Clinton herself</a>, when she was asked on 60 Minutes if Obama is a Muslim.</p>

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<p>&quot;They ought to set a tone and do what we’ve done when people say things that are not in keeping with the spirit of our campaign,&quot; Axelrod said, pointing to <a id="kkxu" href="../../../view/an-advocate-for-an" title="the quick departure">the quick departure</a> of Samantha Power.<br />

Oh, and one more thing. Axelrod said his &quot;friend&quot; Wolfson &quot;has assumed a kind of junkyard dog role in this campaign.&quot; Surely Wolfson won’t be able to resist that bait.</p><br />

<p><b><i>Update:</i></b> Thanks to TPM&rsquo;s Election Central for flagging <a href="http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/top_obama_adviser_hillary_must.php">this</a> comment from Clinton about Ferraro&rsquo;s remarks:<br />

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&quot;I do not agree with that. It is regrettable that any of our supporters on both sides, because we’ve both had that experience, say things that kind of veer off into the personal,&quot; Clinton said.<br />

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&quot;We ought to keep this on the issues. There are differences between us.&rdquo;<br />

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