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Clinton Enjoys Role as Adviser of Zot!
NY Times ^ | KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

Posted on 01/05/2004 11:17:52 AM PST by zing ding

He left office nearly three years ago as one of the most successful Presidents ever, and Bill Clinton, the youngest ex-president in modern times, is still the go-to guy in Democratic politics.

All of the party's major candidates for president say they call on Mr. Clinton for advice. They say the former president always seems eager to talk politics, and one says the former president sometimes seems to relish the calls as an excuse not to work on his memoirs.

"He said to me once, `I shouldn't be spending this much time, I've got to be writing my book,' " this candidate said. "But if you get him at home or in the office and he's not traveling, he has the time. And he loves it."

The candidates said they were seeking advice on tactical and substantive matters. As they tussle over the direction of the party, they are also consulting former Clinton aides to help flesh out their policy proposals. Robert E. Rubin, Mr. Clinton's treasury secretary, and Gene Sperling, a senior economic adviser in the Clinton White House, are particularly popular.

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, who calls himself the former president's ideological heir, said, "He's brilliant, both on policy and politics."

"We'll talk about where we are on some issue, and maybe this is the way to deal with it," Mr. Lieberman said.

Representative Richard A. Gephardt said Mr. Clinton had helped with "the whole construct" of his campaign.

Mr. Gephardt added: "He always said to me, `One of your advantages is your experience,' and he said, `That's something you obviously need to talk about and make an asset, not a negative.' "

When Gen. Wesley K. Clark, a fellow Arkansan, entered the campaign in September, the re-emergence of Clinton loyalists like Bruce Lindsey fueled speculation that Mr. Clinton and his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, were backing General Clark as a way to stop another candidate, Howard Dean. General Clark said the Clintons had encouraged him to run, but the Clintons have said they would not endorse anyone in the primaries.

Moreover, the Clintons have said positive things about many of the candidates, leaving General Clark to compete for a public blessing. His campaign did some elaborate planning last month to have Mr. Clinton issue a one-sentence tribute to General Clark to rebut Slobodan Milosevic at the former Yugoslav president's war-crimes trial in the Hague.

General Clark said that Mr. Clinton had helped him make the transition from the military to politics. "The biggest thing is in terms of dealing with people who question you," General Clark said.

He said Mr. Clinton had also advised him that "you have to have positive energy in the campaign, you have to fight hard but you don't want to get negative."

A Clinton friend, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, the television producer who with her husband, Harry Thomason, made the campaign video "The Man From Hope" for Mr. Clinton in 1992, has made the similar "American Son" for General Clark.

Last week, the Clark campaign became the first with a commercial that included a picture of Mr. Clinton, though Mr. Gephardt noted that he was the first to refer to Mr. Clinton in a commercial, in September.

When Mr. Lieberman heard about the Clark commercial, he sounded a bit miffed that he had been beaten to the punch.

"Has President Clinton now become public property so that we can do it without his permission?" Mr. Lieberman asked reporters in a conference call.

Even Dr. Dean, who has made statements perceived as critical of Mr. Clinton, mentioned the former president and his wife in an interview: "I talk to both him and the senator fairly frequently."

Dr. Dean added: "Sometimes they call me, but it's usually me calling them. Sometimes I ask Hillary for advice on how she would respond to some stuff. He and I talk about strategy and the campaign."

Three of the candidates, Dr. Dean, General Clark and Carol Moseley Braun, followed in Mr. Clinton's footsteps last week, going to South Carolina for the New Year's retreat of movers and shakers known as the Renaissance Weekend.

"Clinton remains a protean force in the Democratic Party," said Thomas Mann, an expert on politics at the Brookings Institution.

"All of the candidates would like to emulate his success and to contrast the economic success of the 90's with what Bush has done," Mr. Mann said.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2004; chicombill; cigargate; clintonasskisser; dirtpotus; fornigate; gameshowhost; ignoredterrorism; impeachedlegacy; ipeachedexpresident; kneepadbrigade; monicagate; monicawannabe; republicofzot; slurpslurp; stainedbluedress; strikeupthebanned; thisaccountisbanned; twicetodayzotted; wheresmycigar; zingdinghotzot; zot; zotforbrains; zotland; zotonia
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To: Admin Moderator
Cool! This new admin ZOT ping list is going to be so much fun!

You know, if Clinton is responsible for the sage political counsel that's bringing us the Democrat strategery we've witnessed so far in this campaign, it's the greatest thing he's ever done for his country. The candidates claim to be getting all this advice from him, and it looks like we're going to see the biggest landslide since McGovern. LOL.
81 posted on 01/05/2004 1:21:54 PM PST by lonevoice (Some things have to be believed to be seen)
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To: 11th Earl of Mar; 185JHP; 4mycountry; aculeus; Admin Moderator; al baby; amom; Annie03; arasina; ...
Sorry for the double ping to some of you, there were a couple typos in the list. (see 13 for original ping.)
82 posted on 01/05/2004 1:36:44 PM PST by Admin Moderator
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To: Admin Moderator
Either way, thanks

Love the new list!
83 posted on 01/05/2004 1:40:14 PM PST by freedumb2003 (Peace through Strength)
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To: DeSoto
Get there early. There will be quite a line and everybody will be consuming Super Sized drinks.

Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now.

84 posted on 01/05/2004 1:42:28 PM PST by hattend (Mr Bush, the Supremes upheld CFR...what's your plan B? Too late to veto, now)
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To: zing ding
Moreover, the Clintons have said positive things about many of the candidates, leaving General Clark to compete for a public blessing.

Comrade Kreentong orders you to report to the nearest re-education camp immediately, running dog lackey former capitalist general! No won ton for you!

85 posted on 01/05/2004 1:43:22 PM PST by Johnny_Cipher ("... and twenty thousand bucks to complete my robot. My GIRL robot.")
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To: zing ding
He left office nearly three years ago as one of the most successful Presidents ever, and Bill Clinton

Just off the top of my head some of his "accomplshments":

Osama bin Laden alive to bring down the Trade Center after he missed the first time;
North Korea gets nukes;
China able to accurately target nukes at the US;
Somalia;
Kosovo
USS Cole
Used up our supply of cruise missles to cover up sink escapades in the oral office.....

86 posted on 01/05/2004 2:01:57 PM PST by b4its2late (Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Hillary's from hell. Deal with it.)
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To: TaxRelief
"We are working on tracking this guy down. We will get him."

Oh, do keep me posted on that! Be fun to follow a real life ZOT!

87 posted on 01/05/2004 2:13:07 PM PST by sweetliberty (Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. - (LOTR))
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To: Admin Moderator; nicmarlo
Thanks for the ping! FReeping will be even more special now getting to welcome more of those "special" people.

Nic, did you get pinged?

88 posted on 01/05/2004 2:16:41 PM PST by sweetliberty (Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. - (LOTR))
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To: zing ding
Official FR response to your post
89 posted on 01/05/2004 2:17:20 PM PST by Rebelbase (If I stay on topic for more than 2 posts something is wrong. Alert the authorities.)
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To: Admin Moderator
Thank you for the ping. Are you zotting this thread too?

Quarantining dissent; How the Secret Service protects Bush from free speech
90 posted on 01/05/2004 2:21:10 PM PST by trussell (Ante Up!!)
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To: Admin Moderator
Thanks for the list!!
91 posted on 01/05/2004 2:25:22 PM PST by EggsAckley
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To: zing ding
Advisor or manipulator?
92 posted on 01/05/2004 2:26:57 PM PST by Eva
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To: Admin Moderator

93 posted on 01/05/2004 2:49:35 PM PST by arasina
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To: DeSoto
Any ideas of what message that would be appropriate

The medium is the message.

94 posted on 01/05/2004 2:55:27 PM PST by UCANSEE2 ("Duty is ours, Results are God's" --John Quincy Adams)
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To: Lazamataz
Because within hours of Dubya's inauguration, the homeless problem mysteriously reappeared.

Oh that was me. I went around randomly evicting families with cute kids. I coldly threw them out into the snow, (or in the south a driving rain storm) and kept their furniture and security deposit. I also drowned their puppies and trampled their flowerbeds.

All in a days work for a ruthless henchman of big business.

95 posted on 01/05/2004 3:07:03 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (At the year's end, count how many people have survived and celebrate your good fortune.)
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To: Admin Moderator
...one of the most successful [IMPEACHED] Presidents ... Bill Clinton ...

Ahhh, the fresh scent of ZOT! in the morning ...

96 posted on 01/05/2004 3:34:19 PM PST by Phaedrus
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To: Lazamataz; Howlin; mykids'mom; amom; Constitution Day
We have posted lots of info about this guy here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1051438/posts

The multiple-personality troll from NC has contacted me personally, now and is begging for a reprieve. Unfortunately for him his boss's boss already knows what some of what he has done. Not all but some.

This is an example of some of the info that has been shared with his boss's boss:




Somebody at(a certain) server in (a certain office) has been spending inordinate amounts of time posting on Freerepublic.com, in violation of your department policy.

In the last month, the individual has spent
2 to 3 hours per day of work time and server time, and
therefore government funds, posting to the following IP
address and/or its mirror site: 209.157.64.200

I am providing the following information to assist you in
your investigation of these incidents and the misuse of
government funds:

Freerepublic.com is a conservative political news forum. We are occasionally the object of attacks by radical left-wing anarchists. Many of the attacks have used the tactics, to smear conservatives, that are typically employed by members and affiliates of the Moveon.org campaigns.


ATTACK EXAMPLES




January 4, 2003: The perpetrator entered one board at 1:44
and stayed on until he was chucked off at about 2:50 pm est.
He posted the following news story: (gave them all the details)



Other recent exploits (these are spot examples confirmed to
be from NC Dept Of Environment And Natural Resources):
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1049239/posts
12/31/2003 8:26:00 AM EST

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1048761/posts
12/30/2003 12:01:36 PM EST

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1048709/posts
12/30/2003 10:28:49 AM EST

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1048055/posts
12/29/2003 9:55:15 AM EST

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1046099/posts
12/24/2003 11:14:34 AM EST

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1043505/posts
12/19/2003 10:31:34 AM EST

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1041610/posts
12/16/2003 4:14:26 PM est

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1041481/posts
12/16/2003 12:03:44 PM est

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1041422/posts
12/16/2003 10:50 am est

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1033744/posts
12/04/2003 9:18:33 AM est




Well, y'all get the idea. Now, Freepers, tell the troll anything that you want to; he his reading this thread. He wants us to give him a break; he apparently didn't think trolling affected his productivity at work. He thought it was a game. Blah, blah...
97 posted on 01/05/2004 4:24:27 PM PST by TaxRelief (Lotsa chutspa over there in the Roanoke River Basin....)
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To: TaxRelief
Good Work!

---Freeper and NC taxpayer

98 posted on 01/05/2004 5:08:31 PM PST by Carolinamom
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To: sweetliberty; TaxRelief
I got pinged, thanks....did you read post #97???? FOFL! It's JUSTICE, I tell ya!
99 posted on 01/05/2004 5:45:41 PM PST by nicmarlo
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To: TaxRelief; Admin Moderator; Jim Robinson
Wow, thanks TaxRelief, you did a great job. I hope this makes the mod's jobs a little easier.
100 posted on 01/05/2004 5:55:05 PM PST by DeSoto
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