Memo creates a wrinkle in Obama's campaign

Obama's 'Dumb Mistake' Sparks Furor



Democratic Sen. Barack Obama has spent the last few days overturning a memo, which recently sparked furor among the Indian-American community. The memo, which he says was issued by his staff members last Thursday and sent to reporters, expressed criticism over rival Sen. Hillary Clinton's financial ties to India—a move that backfired on Obama. In an interview with The Associated Press, Obama described the memo as a "dumb mistake," which referred to Bill and Hillary Clinton's investments in India, including Sen. Clinton's fundraising among Indian Americans, and the former president's $300,000 in speech fees from Cisco, a company that has moved U.S. jobs to India. Obama, who later took responsibility for the memo, said the contents of the memo are not a reflection of his relationship with the Indian-American community. In a statement on his web site, Obama said he was not aware of the memo before it was distributed. Campaign members said they will ensure that senior staff reviews all materials before they are distributed publicly.