Posted on 10/29/2005 8:27:15 PM PDT by ncountylee
AUSTIN (AP) - Democrats can't be afraid to talk about hot-button issues, including abortion, and should fight back against personal attacks from conservatives if they want to regain power in Washington, former President Bill Clinton said Saturday.
"You can't say 'Please don't be mean to me. Please let me win sometimes.' Give me a break here," Clinton said. "If you don't want to fight for the future and you can't figure out how to beat these people then find something else to do."
Clinton, whose 2004 memoir "My Life" was a best seller, drew roaring applause during his speech from the several hundred people gathered in the Texas House chamber to kick off the 10th annual Texas Book Festival, an event started by first lady Laura Bush when her husband was governor.
The event, which raises money for public libraries, is expected to draw as many as 30,000 people and authors including novelist Salman Rushdie, historian David McCullough and children's author Lemony Snicket.
Clinton attributed Republicans' control of Congress to Democratic candidates' inability or unwillingness to "stand up and be heard" on issues that matter to people. For example, he said, Democrats too often are unwilling to talk about abortion because they're afraid of virulent reactions from anti-abortion groups.
"So how come we can't talk about it?" he asked. "Because we basically let political ads turn every player in this drama into a two-dimensional cartoon instead of a three-dimensional person."
Clinton also criticized political reporters and authors for failing to use reason and common sense in their writing and failing to dig deeply into stories. Instead, he said, reporters let officials get away with saying things that aren't true so stories include comment from both sides.
The former president did not take questions from reporters and did not talk about the possibility that his wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., will run for president in 2008.
He also did not address the Friday indictment of the vice president's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr., on charges of obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements, other than to say the Republican Party has had "a few bad days here lately."
LOL
The utterly corrupt indicted bribe-taking serial sexual rapist/predator pontificates. The lapdog media has a collective orgasm.
Speechless..BTTT
This is a joke, right?
Right???
You forgot impeached.
"..So how come we can't talk about it?" he asked. "Because we basically let political ads turn every player in this drama into a two-dimensional cartoon instead of a three-dimensional person."
HENCE..WE NOW HAVE CLINTOONS!!...lol
I hope the dems start pounding on abortions rights, gun confiscation, national health care, tax refunds for the poor, blah, blah, blah.... Yup, sream it loud and scream it loud.
("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")
Democrats, for the good of your party, please talk about abortion and gun control. (/sarcasm)
Your not the only one.
We have lost 2000 of America's children to the Gulf War and about 27 million to abortion during the same time frame. I would like to hear how he reconciles that stat.
Really? In all the houses I've been in, I've seen it in exactly ONE. A neighbor, and after that, I really questioned her judgement.
Bill never took on tough issues. He's the godfather of triangulation.
Previously Clinton himself credited the loss of 20 Congressional seats to his gun banning efforts.
It would seem that the people heard what the Dems had to say and then voted Republican.
Why does Bush 41 hang out with this scumbag????
I thought we were rid of IT. Blech
"..So how come we can't talk about it?" he asked. "Because we basically let political ads turn every player in this drama into a two-dimensional cartoon instead of a three-dimensional person."
HENCE..WE NOW HAVE CLINTOONS!!...lol
I forgot to add: "PRAISE JESUS"..lol
"Why does Bush 41 hang out with this scumbag????"
I suspect a loosening of the screws...or a wily old silver haired fox..lol
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