January 13, 2008
HRC Fights Charges Of Racial Insensitivity On MTP
Hillary Clinton said this morning on NBC's Meet The Press that Barack Obama's campaign is "deliberately distorting" comments she and her husband made about Obama's candidacy.
Bill Clinton drew fire for referring last week to Obama's story as a "fairy tale" -- but HRC said today that he was clearly referencing Obama's position on the Iraq war, not speaking more broadly about the Illinois senator's quick rise to political prominence. HRC, meanwhile, said a remark she made about Martin Luther King Jr.'s success turning on President Johnson's signing of the Civil Rights Act is also being mischaracterized.
"I think it such an unfair and unwarranted attempt to misinterpret and mischaracterize what I said," she told Russert.
She said that, "This is an unfortunate storyline that the Obama campaign has pushed very selectively."
Clinton also said that one of Obama's chief strategists has gone so far as to peddle rumors of her involvement in Benazir Bhutto's assassination.
Clinton said Obama's campaign trail comparisons to Dr. King and President Kennedy need to be more closely evaluated. Kennedy, Clinton said, served for 14 years in Congress and was a war hero. King was "on the front lines" of a national movement, she added. There is a diffence, she noted, as she is more frequently on the campaign trail, between talking and doing, rhetoric and results.
"If you are running for president based primarily on a speech you gave in 2002, and speeches you have given since most notably at the 2004 Democratic convention, then I think it is fair to say we need to know more beyond the words," she said.
Russert quoted female columnists Maureen Dowd and Ruth Marcus asserting that HRC is playing the "victim" card, using her gender when convenient to gain favor with voters. HRC, however, dismissed the suggestion.
"I don’t think either of us want to inject race or gender into this campaign," she said, referring to Obama. "We are running as individuals."
And, she said, one of them will "make history."
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted at 10:53 AM
Comments
Ummm, Maureen Dowd come across more and more like an embitter battle axe with a grudge. I wonder what Hillary did to her. Maybe shot her dog or something. Not being a woman I am at a disadvantage. Perhaps some women can not stand other women success! Regardless, I was looking forward to vote for the first woman, or the first African American man for president of the USA. I am extremely disappointed with the coverage of Barack Obama. See, I want o win in November. I want a democrat in the white house. My fear is, that Barack will cruise to the nomination, propelled there by a adoring media. a media that really dislike Hillary, as the poor old maid Maureen does. Then once he has the nomination, the GOP will go to work on his very glaring and obvious weaknesses’. And the GOP will not work by the rules of engagement the media has put on Hillary. Just wait until they star parading former school chums and roommates. You think the GOP will not make his prior drug use a MAJOR issue? You folks will be deluding yourself.
robert_v | 01.13.08 01:58 PM
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Not long ago, Bill Clinton was called as the first black president. Now, liberal media pundits, Clinton haters, and Obama supporters have all united together to paint Clintons as racists. They don't use the word racist, instead they use mor politically correct word 'racial'.
This will have following effects
1. Dems will not win white house in 2008.
2. If Obama is not the nominee, blacks will leave democractic party making it a minority party.
3. If Obama is the candidate and does not win general election, blacks will lose their place at the table in the democratic party.
What an irony!
Yogi Gupta | 01.13.08 04:19 PM
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Despite being a life-long democrat, I'd rather have 8 years of any repuublican than 20 mins of Hillary in the White House.
Let her have the nomination. We Obama voters will take a cue from her. Rule or ruin. If she gets nominated we'll walk hand in hand to vota against her in November.
Obama in 2012
Edmondo | 01.13.08 08:56 PM
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I am very shocked at the level that the Clintons have sunk to in their personal attacks on Barack Obama.They feel threatened and fear losing to him with this momemtum.They lie,distort records etc.I am an African who is now an American citizen.The Democratic party should know that this presidential race is theirs to lose.
By encouraging the Clinton's divisive tactics,they are playing into the hands of the republicans.I will never vote for Mrs Clinton.She disgusts me as I have never seen this side of her character.
The Democratic party should stand up to the Clintons or risk the disintegration of this party.
Philippa | 01.13.08 09:58 PM
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Gotta say it seems to me that the Clinton's have instigated this argument with themselves as a way of painting Obama as "the black candidate." I mean, I haven't seen more than two less than hyperbolic comments about that actually came from Obama or his known surrogates but more than a few attributed to folks who are probably Clinton supporters (Donna Brazile) and Yogi may have just nailed how it could play out.
The Clintons are so used to dealing with the civil rights era politics of the African American community that they've failed to consider how those from Obama's generation will react to their tactics.
More proof that their time has passed.
Dirk | 01.14.08 07:23 AM
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I said once, and say it again. read these posts by the Obama supporters. These are folks that are so emotionally invested, so committed to a quasi-religious cause, so caught in the aura of messianic overtones, that the idea of loosing causes them physical pain. You can feel the emotion dripping. It is a scary thing that any man can generate that kind of emotion from the great unwashed. Fortunately these are only the groupies and the crazy ones, mostly young video game addicted, net bloging nerds!! Believe me Edmondo or Philippa, if Hillary is the nominee you will come out and vote for her. If not, it really does not matter, is your loss. Odds are that most Obama followers have not drank the Kool aid yet. They will come back to the fold.
robert_v | 01.14.08 11:21 PM
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