Posted on 04/12/2005 3:28:18 AM PDT by Pharmboy
Former President Bill Clinton unleashed an attack yesterday against a gay Republican strategist who has plans to work against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's re-election, suggesting that the man may be "self-loathing" to work on behalf of the Republican Party.
The former president was reacting to reports that the strategist, Arthur J. Finkelstein, was in the midst of setting up a political action committee to defeat Mrs. Clinton in 2006. Republican officials close to Mr. Finkelstein have said that he hopes to be able to finance an advertising campaign similar to the one orchestrated against John Kerry last year by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
"I was sort of sad when I read it," Mr. Clinton said, speaking at a news conference at his office in Harlem, where he announced that his foundation was donating $10 million to treat children with AIDS.
The former president noted that an earlier article over the weekend reported that Mr. Finkelstein had married his male partner in a civil ceremony at his home in Massachusetts, then he alluded to the Republican Party's use of the same-sex marriage issue to mobilize conservative voters.
"Either this guy believes his party is not serious and he's totally Machiavellian," Mr. Clinton said, or "he may be blinded by self-loathing." Mr. Finkelstein, a reclusive former adviser to Gov. George E. Pataki, did not respond to a message left at his office seeking a comment on Mr. Clinton's remarks. But his allies quickly did.
"It's really beneath a former president to comment on someone's personal life like that," said Michael McKeon, a Republican strategist, former Pataki aide and friend of Mr. Finkelstein's. "After everything he has been through in his own life, you'd think he'd know better."
The spectacle of the former president coming to the defense of his wife, a tough politician in her own right, generated considerable buzz in political circles, particularly since Mr. Clinton has tried to keep a low profile and stay out of Mrs. Clinton's way since she took office.
While Mrs. Clinton's popularity rating is high and Republicans are having trouble finding a strong candidate to run against her, the senator's political advisers have seized on Mr. Finkelstein's plans as a strong sign of the fierce campaign they expect from Republicans.
Mr. Finkelstein, who helped engineer Mr. Pataki's 1994 victory over Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, has not publicly commented on his plans to establish an anti-Clinton committee.
But the Republicans familiar with those plans say he is attempting to line up donors to help the committee, called Stop Her Now, reach its goal of raising as much as $10 million to finance an independent campaign against her. In that context, Mr. Clinton offered high praise for his wife's record in office, describing her as a hard-working senator. "I don't think he'll stop her," he said, referring to Mr. Finkelstein.
Mr. Finkelstein's associates have said they were surprised to learn of his marriage to another man, in light of his history with the party and his own place as a prominent conservative. He has been allied over the years with Republicans who have adamantly opposed gay rights measures, including former Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina. Mr. Finkelstein has been the subject of attacks by gay rights advocates who have accused him of hypocrisy.
Donald G. McNeil Jr. contributed reporting for this article.
The Times's notorious in-house Gay Mafia is having the vapors ... a favorite Democrat attacking a (gasp!) openly gay Republican.
Except, when it serves a political purpose and everyone on the left knows the game.
Didn't-want-you-guys-to-miss-this-one ping...
Hillary for President?
o She's got my vote if she runs
o Not sure, but she's sounding better and better
o Sure - when hell freezes over
So sad he turned purple.
Can't clinton just do us all a favor and STFU? Where was the barf warning on this piece???
A self-contained Barf Alert.
Nothing screams, "Yuppie scum" more than the gratuitous use of the phrase, "...sort of..."
It's the "Y'know" of the 90s and aughts.
Oh please. Finkelstein is all about the benjamins as are all lobbyists, political advertisers, politicians,etc. It has nothing to with self loathing. the only thing loathing is Hillary.
I might agree with Bill on this, why would this guy call himself a Republican?
I know you know the answer to this. But just for those who might not, the reason is because it is a main part of left's agenda... to somehow give the impression, the GOP, fosters the homosexual life style, just like Dem's, thus, there is not difference between the Reps and the Dem's.
So be prepared, to have the other side, to constantly try to do this. They know, that as long as the Dem's have the homosexual issues around their neck, the WILL LOSE.
From what I understand, you are right.
Finkelstein features prominently in Reagan's REvolution, the story of the 1976 campaign. He was instrumental in the NC win which put life into the campaign which was faltering.
The man has done a whole lot for the cause.
It is sad to see this, but, he has done a lot for the cause still.
This also reveals a crux of Liberal thought: that only 1 aspect of a life can define a political point of view. In this case, just because this man is gay should he therefore be a liberal? Is it beyond libs to see that maybe sexuality isn't the only defining character of someone's life? That maybe there's more to a person than a quirk of his personality? There's more to political definition than being gay, being black, being a gun-owner, being a Unionist, being a Christian, Jew, Muslim, or whatever...
You could be right, and there are alsp plenty RINOs who want to help their agenda along.
Bump
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