Posted on 01/13/2008 4:56:37 AM PST by SkyPilot
Black Leaders Question Remark - Clinton Defends Obama Comment
WASHINGTON (Jan. 12) - The Clinton campaign moved Friday to try to quell a potentially damaging reaction to recent comments by Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton that have drawn criticism from African-Americans just as the presidential primary campaign reached Southern states with significant numbers of black voters.
In a call on Friday to Al Sharpton’s nationally syndicated talk radio show, Mr. Clinton said that his "fairy tale" comment on Monday about Senator Barack Obama’s position on the Iraq war was being misconstrued, and that he was talking only about the war, not about Mr. Obama’s overarching message or his drive to be the first black president.
Democratic activist Donna Brazile said she is willing to accept at face value Bill Clinton's explanation that he was discussing only the issue of Obama's Iraq position, not the legitimacy of Obama's entire candidacy.
“There’s nothing fairy tale about his campaign,” Mr. Clinton said. “It’s real, strong, and he might win.”
Mr. Clinton’s fairy tale line and a comment by Mrs. Clinton that some interpreted as giving President Lyndon B. Johnson more credit than the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for civil rights laws have disturbed African-Americans, who saw them as unfair and diminishing the role of civil rights activists. The frustration comes as a Jan. 26 Democratic primary looms in South Carolina, where up to half of the Democratic electorate could be black.
Representative James E. Clyburn, Democrat of South Carolina and the highest-ranking African-American in Congress, said this week that he was disappointed in the comments, a worrisome matter for the Clintons since an endorsement of Mr. Obama by Mr. Clyburn could carry weight in the primary.
Rep. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, the highest-ranking black member of Congress, said he was disappointed in Clinton's comment, but declined to take sides in the primary.
On Friday evening, Mr. Clyburn, who is traveling overseas, issued a statement saying he intended to remain neutral in the early race. Mr. Clyburn, who aides said spoke with Mr. Clinton and Mr. Obama, said he wanted to make sure all candidates had an equal opportunity.
“I encourage the candidates to be sensitive about the words they use,” Mr. Clyburn said “This is an historic race for America to have such strong, diverse candidates vying for the Democratic nomination.”
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., an Obama supporter, made his feelings plain, pointedly saying that Obama's opponents "have stepped up their efforts to decry his uplifting message of hope and fundamental change."
Others continued to take issue with the remarks, including Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr., Democrat of Illinois and an Obama supporter.
John McCain and Jesse Jackson should just sit down and make a list of political opinions are legal in this country... and everyone else should just get locked up. It’s the only Politically Correct thing to do.
Hillary Clinton also contributed to the flap by making a comment that some interpreted as giving President Lyndon B. Johnson more credit than the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. for civil rights laws.
No mention of her "spade work" comment about Obama here - but I am sure it will come up.
You know, as I see Americans, the BLACK people these days have all become lighter. I was in Ohio yesterday, and realized that hardly ANYONE is really all that black, that everyone is kind of getting to be a mixture of genetic bank material from many nations. My own family is inter racial, and I think that the whole black cause is getting really watered down, and I just want to know who is the true American?
I read a book about MLK by Taylor Branch, an author Bill Clinton has commissioned to help with his biography.
Branch writes in the MLK book that lawyers and political leaders were involved in moving issues like civil rights-integration without denigrating King in my opinion.
Hearing Bill Clinton’s opinion about LBJ pushing the legislation comes as no surprise. The Clinton mentality is to worship political office as virtual godhood.
He wants Hillary to be the goddess that we will worship next.
It is this reaction that I have been waitining for... I was hoping that the looney left communist would start to come out of the wood work for Obama... but only after he was nominated...
They are going to pull an Imus on everyone who critisizes him.
Obama Mama the weak sister.
They are going to pull an Imus on everyone who criticizes him.
Obama Mama the weak sister.
Democrats are basically racists anyway. They campaign based on emotions so it is no surprise their racist attitudes will get them into trouble.
You can't say that! By the powers vested in me through McCain-Feingold - I am going to fine you $10,000,000.
Racist!
It is not going to be pretty and it is going to expose them to the World for the phonies they are, using blacks, as they have always been and done.
LOL!
Amen.
The arrogance assuming that the Black vote would automatically be beholden to the Queen is astonishing.I pity the poor dumb jerk who has to tell the Queen she's not going to be Queen anymore. On second thought, no I don't. What's he doing working for her in the first place? The idiot.
Maybe I am misconstruing your post, but when does a persons color have to do with who is, and who is not, a "true American"
Did you say "Queen?" Like in a Fairy Tale?
Fairy Tale! That is RACIST!
I believe he/she means getting away with the hyphen-Americans, and let us be Americans - and I thought it was a good post.
Skypilot, you’re on target this morning! You’re clearly OVER the target. Hope you’re not taking too much FLAK!
I guess American “first black president” is that black after all!
Sounds like this is getting pretty nasty and bad feelings are being created. I have to wonder now if Obama is not the nominee will there be so muck ill will (and even disappointment) among blacks that perhaps they will not turn out in such great numbers for HRC in the general election?
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