Posted on 01/24/2008 7:11:25 AM PST by jdm
The Hillary Clinton campaign has a serious problem, and it now forces her to spend time on the defensive. People expected Bill Clinton's history to be an issue in a general election, but few would have predicted that Bill's campaigning would present so many obstacles for Hillary in a primary. She had to defend her husband after a dumb remark about a supposed "hit job" from Barack Obama went viral in a CNN video yesterday:
Hillary Rodham Clinton, defending her husband's increasingly vocal role in her presidential effort, sidestepped questions about whether Bill Clinton's suggestion that Barack Obama had put a "hit job" on him was language befitting a former president. ...
The former president also reacted angrily upon being told that Dick Harpootlian, a former South Carolina Democratic chairman and Obama supporter, had called the Clinton campaign "reprehensible" and suggested it had borrowed tactics from Lee Atwater, the late South Carolina GOP strategist who famously practiced negative campaigning.
In response, Bill Clinton noted that there had been no outcry from reporters when Obama put out a "hit job" on him.
He didn't elaborate on what he meant, and Hillary Clinton refused to speculate in the interview.
Hit job? What hit job? Neither Bill nor Hillary could give an answer for that question, and for good reason -- it didn't exist. Bill simply made it up in order to push back against the question asked of him by the reporter in the video. It's a classic "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" response, telling a lie loud enough to distract people from the malfeasance at hand.
At one point, not long ago, people considered Bill so brilliant at campaigning that some worried that he would outdo his wife so badly as to discredit her. That analysis obviously no longer applies; instead, the worry is how badly will Bill damage her through his own gaffes. He now has Hillary having to answer for his ridiculous statements to a press that Bill is antagonizing, and he's making Barack Obama look like the latest victim in the Clinton smear machine.
And this is just the primaries. Imagine how the Republicans could goad Bill into more meltdown moments.
How long will Hillary put up with Bill? The better question might be how much more of this will it take to remind American voters of all the dishonest nonsense perpetrated by the Clintons during their first period of power. If this continues, it will just convince Americans that they do not want to put up with either Hillary or Bill for another four years.
UPDATE: Leading Democrats have now gone public against Bill Clinton:
In Washington, Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), who endorsed Obama last week, castigated the former president for what he called his "glib cheap shots" at Obama, saying both sides should settle down but placing the blame predominantly on Clinton.
"That's beneath the dignity of a former president," Leahy told reporters, adding: "He is not helping anyone, and certainly not helping the Democratic Party."
That concern was also voiced by some neutral Democrats, who said that the former president's aggressive role, along with the couple's harsh approach recently, threatens to divide the party in the general election.
The disaster continues. When Democrats come out and publicly scold Bill Clinton, people see that the damage has been both real and substantial.
I would like to rid of the ‘Toons, period, so I’d like to see Obama crush them.
Word to each and everything you said!
Everything they do is highly calculated. EVERYTHING.
They are doing this because it worked in N.H. They will keep doing, not only throughout the primaries, but through the general and then through her administration.
It will be nonstop hell.
I don’t think it’s unconstitutional for Bill to be pres IF he comes to office as a VP. And I haven’t read the amendment, but isn’t it “consecutive” terms, and 10 years total?
there’s always good news out there ... thanks for posting it
I love that!
Song cue:
“You picked a fine time to trash me, Lurleen ...”
It was different with Kissinger and with the cleaning lady—both were foreign-born naturalized citizens so they were ineligible to be President. Bill Clinton is ineligible only because he has been elected twice before. I just reread the relevant passages in the Constitution and the law on succession to the Presidency, and it seems to me that if he were speaker and the Presidency and Vice Presidency were both vacant, he would then become Acting President rather than President.
*in best bubba jeff voice* Are yew kiddin me? Obama a victim? Thats a fairy tale. We're the victims here. Hillary and I have to go negative because of Obama running hit jobs on me all over the place!
What I thought was curious this past week....John Kerry came out...and started slamming Bill Clinton...and hinted he was prepared for more action on Bill. There are other hints that several folks are prepared to hit on Bill hard over the next two weeks...both in the media and in political circles. Obama....if he were bright about this...would continue his message and refuse to debate Bill...letting the others do the nasty work and really hit Bill as hard as possible. I’m even amazed that Rush is tossing as much as possible on Bill at this point.
You're right - lies and misdirection. I love it when they accuse others of what they're up to - it's a sure fire way to know what they're doing.
Bad Clinton, Worse Clinton?
LOL - good one.
Dear Ed.....Ask to see the CANCELLED Checks that you insist Hillary gave back becuase of HSU!! She LIED.
I think Bill is losing it. He seems to be losing his faculties. Seriously.
Hillary Clinton goes to a primary school in New Yorkto talk about the world.
After her talk she offers a question time.
One little boy puts up his hand. The Senator asks him what his name is.
‘Kenneth.’
‘And what is your question, Kenneth?’
‘I have three questions:
First - whatever happened to the medical health care plan you were paid to
develop during your
husband’s eight years in the office as President?
Second - why would you run for President after your husband shamed the
office?
Third - whatever happened to all those things you took when you left the
White House?’
Just then the bell rings for recess. Hillary Clinton informs the kids that
they will continue after recess.
When they resume, Hillary says, ‘Okay, where were we?
Oh, that’s right, question time. Who has a question?’
A different little boy puts his hand up. Hillary points to him and asks him
what his name is.
‘Larry.’
‘And what is your question, Larry?’
‘I have five questions:
First - whatever happened to the medical health care plan you were paid to
develop during your
husband’s eight years in the office as President?
Second - why would you run for President after your husband shamed the
office?
Third - whatever happened to all those things you took when you left the
White House?
Fourth - why did the recess bell go off 20 minutes early?
Fifth - what happened to Kenneth?’
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