CNN's Bay Buchanan latest to "warn" Obama of ruthless "Clinton Machine"

On the January 1 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, discussing the "New Year's resolutions" of 2008 actual and potential presidential candidates, CNN political analyst Bay Buchanan "recommend[ed]" that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) "go[] in his closet, find out everything that's there, what he's done, thought about saying, said in the last -- since he's been 10 -- and reviews it, because the Clinton machine has got him in their targets and they love to work the personal." As Media Matters for America documented, several media figures have issued warnings to Obama of a purportedly ruthless operation by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) that will attempt to win by brute force, or, as Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund put it, "haul[ing] out the brass knuckles."

Neither Clinton nor Obama has announced a campaign for the presidency. As the Associated Press noted on January 2, "[2004 vice presidential nominee John] Edwards [NC], Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio have been the only Democrats to announce their 2008 White House bids."

Buchanan also baselessly accused Clinton of "constantly changing."

From the 4 p.m. ET hour of the January 1 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:

BLITZER: All right. Those are good New Year's resolutions. What about you, Bay?

BUCHANAN: Well, I think it's interesting what [Democratic strategist] Donna [Brazile] would suggest about Hillary. Hillary was one of the people that I had on my list that she would let us know who she is. I mean, we've only known her now for how many years? She was the first lady for eight years, one of the most well-known women in the nation and, yet, we are now going to find out who she is. So, this is clearly a makeover in the -- in the making here. But I think what Hillary needs to do is make a decision: whether she can run, not going to run, and let's stick with it. Is she going to be a liberal or a centrist? And let's decide. Is she for the war or against the war? Let's stick with whatever she decides.

This is a woman who's constantly changing, it's time for her to tell the American people where she stands and stay with it. As for Obama, my resolution -- my recommendation for a resolution for him is that he keeps smiling. That first he goes in his closet, find out everything that's there, what he's done, thought about saying, said in the last -- since he's been 10 -- and reviews it, because the Clinton machine has got him in their targets and they love to work the personal, and so, he best be ready to respond to anything and keep smiling because it's that smile they want to take off his face.

—B.J.L.