Obama Lawyer Invades Clinton Conference Call

The Clinton campaign just held what they called an "emergency" conference call to discuss what they claim are examples of caucus "intimidation" and "irregularities" in Texas.

In the call, the campaign accused Obama campaign of disenfranchising voters by locking Clinton supporters out of voting places, prematurely filling out sign-in sheets and calling in results before 7 p.m., when caucuses are supposed to start.

"We're here to talk about a tremendously disturbing pattern" said Ace Smith, who is running the Clinton campaign in Texas. "What is happening tonight is just truly an outrage."

Then things got interesting.

Bob Bauer, the Obama campaign's extremely combative lawyer, called in to ask Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson how this accusation was at all different from complaints the campaign had made in Nevada and Iowa. Wolfson grew especially exercised as Bauer argued that the Clinton campaign had manufactured false accusations about caucuses because Obama had consistently thrashed Clinton in that forum.

"Stop attacking the caucus process," said Bauer.

The lively and at times vitriolic exchange went on for minutes, while the reporters here at Clinton's election-night watch party in Columbus intermittently listened intently, threw up their hands and burst out in laughter as the two campaigns directly engaged. At the end, Wolfson said he looked forward to jumping on the next Obama call.

Later, a somewhat bewildered reporter asked Wolfson to identify the Obama caller who had picked a fight over the caucuses.

"That was Bob Bauer, B-A-U-E-R," said Wolfson. "Someone we all know very well, mounting a vigorous defense of the indefensible."