Posted on 06/01/2006 4:01:02 PM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
June 1, 2006
For the second day running, Chris Matthews has run a Hardball segment entitled "Does Hill Fit the Bill?" It's his way of asking whether Hillary Clinton would make a good presidential candidate, and, presumably, by play-on-words, whether she's up to the political standard set by Bill.
While Matthews hasn't squarely answered his own question, he clearly seems skeptical about Hillary's personal and political qualities.
His first guest on the topic this evening was the urbane Roger Altman, Hillary adviser and a Deputy Treasury Secretary in the Clinton administration. Matthews grilled Altman on Hillary's hawkishness.
Matthews: "A lot of people in her party, maybe four out of five Democrats, especially New York Democrats, are against this war. Think we never should have gone into Iraq. Hillary on the other hand OK'd the president's authority to go to Iraq and has subsequently stuck to that position, that that was a decision that she still honors, believes in, is by most standards a hawK. How can she lead a doveish party as a hawk?"
And later: "A lot of people, especially Democratic activists, who care about big issues like war and peace, are going to remember that when it got to the critical point of decision, she went with the Joe Liebermans and the Jane Harmans, she was one of the hawks, where most of the party stood with opposing the war. You don't think that's going to be a problem for her in the primaries?"
Things then took a more personal turn.
Matthews: "Does Hillary have a sense of humor?"
Altman, the good soldier: "Yes, she does. She has a good sense of humor." End of response!
And then, Matthews: "What are Hillary's hobbies?. I'm sorry, do you have any idea what her hobbies are? What does she do besides think about the public, public policy and issues and politics and all that, does she have some other Hillary world out there that we should know about to understand her fully?"
The guests in a subsequent segment were Dem strategist Hillary Rosen and GOP consultant Ed Rollins, who's working for KT McFarland - who is vying for the Republican nomination to oppose Hillary for her Senate seat.
Matthews panned Hillary's speech at the just-concluded NY state Dem convention: "I thought her speech wasn't too good yesterday. She was unsure how to use whatever notes she had. It just seemed to be be an odd day not to be prepared if it was such a big hype."
He had unkind words for her stagecraft as well. "What's all the dancing and clapping about? Why does she come to the platform clapping and dancing? What's the celebration about?" It does seem that Hillary has all the stage spontaneity of a member of the North Korean parliament.
All in all, it's not too hard to read between the lines: Matthews believes Hillary is out of touch with her party on Iraq, the biggest issue of the day. On a personal level, he apparently sees her as a humorless cold fish whose idea of a fun day off is reviewing Ira Magaziner's old plans for national health care.
But if Matthews is turning thumbs down on Hillary, who's his man to replace her at the top of the 2008 ticket?
My first knowledge of hillary clinton was as the wife of the Gov. of Arkansas. I was given, for use of a better word, task, of looking into the "Teacher Testing". At that time, early 80's, ms clinton was behind the movement of "Teacher Testing" and it was an issue in PTA groups. You see, Arkansas was, I believe, 48 or 49 out of 50 states in child progress, need I say being 1 was the best. Then, whamo, teacher testing was dropped like a hot potato. Arkansas teachers flunked testing big time! Did hillary try to better Arkansas's situation - NO! hillary buried the fact.
So then WhiteWater Development Co. became news in the '90s the name hillary caught my eye. I know this is old news, so much has been said about WhiteWater, but it should never be forgotten for it is a perfect example of the type of people the clintons are. Well, it caught my attention very early, due to my prior knowledge of hillary clinton, the wife of the Arkansas Gov.
WhiteWater, was, bottom line, stealing from the poor to pay the rich/powerful. The rich/powerful were the clintons. Remember now, this was after the cattle futures deal of the 1970's, so now they were the rich. Anyway, lots were sold to very poor Arkansas residents, and the first month the payments were not reached the land was resold to another. Not to mention the lots were sold to people who had no money so not making the next payment was part of their plan. The poor of Arkansas and their dream of owning their own home was shattered and the clintons got richer. Even how hillary/bill got the money to buy the land to sell was dirty.
you say.......
" --- this woman made a choice as to the life she wanted to lead, and whether you like her or not you have to admire her fortitude in getting what she wants."
No, I do not and will never admire anyone who benefits doing severe damage to another. And in just the two cases I have mentioned hillary clinton did permanent damage to the children and the women of her state as the wife of the then governor bill clinton.
Whatever. You're missing my point.
I think Algore will be the man of the hour in '08.
I'm all for bashing Hillary, but think there's too much speculation about how well she'll do in the Rat party nominating process. The people we can influence are the independents and weak Republicans, and a few non-liberal Democrats, who will be undecided in the '08 general. What is uninteresting is Hillary's prospects for the nomination.
You are right, malia. The clintons will always put self-interest above national interest. They ignored bin Laden because they thought it was in their interest to do so.
NEVER AGAIN. WE MUST NEVER ALLOW THESE TWO SELF-SERVING CREATURES TO CONTROL THIS COUNTRY AGAIN. EVER.
I had forgotten that one. Can you imagine if a Republican had told it?
TIRE INFLATION, GAS STATIONS + THE NEED TO SEQUESTER HILLARY
But will they succeed? I doubt it. Hitlery has more balls than those two combined.
I agree that it makes sense to bash Shrillery now.
But I have little interest in whether she or some other Rat is leading for their nomination at the moment. They're all Rats.
Excellent piece..but on behalf of all the members of the North Korean parliament, I must protest the last comparison..
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