Fox News Blames Democrats for Financial Crisis, Bill Clinton Agrees

NewsBusters.org ^ | September 25, 2008 - 11:25 ET | Noel Sheppard

[TexasCajun]

Going very much against the media meme that the current financial crisis is all George W. Bush and the Republicans' fault, Bill Clinton on Thursday told ABC's Chris Cuomo that Democrats for years have been "resisting any efforts by Republicans in the Congress or by me when I was President to put some standards and tighten up a little on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac" , relevant section at 2:45).

Whether he knew it or not, Clinton was going against virtually all press outlets that have been pointing fingers at Republicans since this crisis began, and likely much to the dismay of such folk actually agreed with a Fox News segment aired on Tuesday's "Special Report" (video embedded right):

[pgkdan]

The DNC and elected democrats scewed the Clinton’s and now they’re going to pay. Bill Clinton will have his revenge, even if he has to tell the truth to do it!

[Miss Didi]

Rush just said that Bubba is out there dropping neutron bombs on Barry's campaign.

[jmpmstr4u2]

The last few days, Clinton has been more and more supportive of McCain and Republican measures. My theory..... McCain says that he is only running for one term, Obama if elected will be running for 2nd term. Bill is pushing for his wife’s run in 2012 and it will not be possible if Obama wins. Today at his Global Conference, he even had McCain speak ahead of Obama and called him “A friend”

[madison10]

If Mr. Clinton really did try for reforms and was rebuffed by fellow Dems I don’t blame him for saying this. Why should he take full blame for this mess...even though it WAS during his years as president?

[LegalEagle61]

Yes, that clintoon statement along with the clips Fox put together showing the bloviating RATS in congress saying that everything was fine and refusing to pass bills to fix it like the Repubs wanted to. That would be a great ad.

[mpackard]

LOVE THIS POST

[madison10]

He’s preempting a special prosecutor’s investigation?

[Miss Didi]

Do you mean Jim Angle's?



Blame Game

[dfwgator]

Bill Clinton made “throwing people under the bus” into an art form.

[LegalEagle61]

I don't normally listen to Dick, but he was right about how McCain would surge with the pick of Sarah. I think he may be right here. Obama is a pretend senator too, this is not a comfy situation for a man with no experience with working across the aisle

O STUMPS AS JOHN TRUMPS

By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

Published in the The New York Post on September 25, 2008

Facing a postconvention fall in the polls, John McCain once again reshaped the dimensions of the race by suspending his campaign and calling for postponement of tomorrow's debate.

This bold move could have an impact on the race akin to McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate. Defensively, McCain had to act to stop the fall in his poll numbers.

Offensively, he has placed himself at the epicenter of the only issue on the national agenda - proactive action to stop a total international financial collapse.

Obama's response to McCain's initiative is lame. As with his initial reaction to Sarah Palin, Obama has miscalculated. While he tries to spin McCain's move as a mere response to his initiative, it was the Republican who first issued the call for a suspension of the campaigns.

Both McCain and Obama will now go to Washington. McCain on his own initiative. Obama as a result of the president's call for an economic summit.

But it is McCain who will play the proactive role. Obama will come to Washington, but will keep one foot outside the Beltway.

Even though the president has called both candidates to Washington to save the country, Obama continues to campaign. Politics as usual.

He doesn't want to cancel the debate. He would debate while the markets burn.

McCain is going to work while Obama is phoning it in.

Oddly, McCain and Obama agree on the bailout package. But it is only McCain who can pass the bill. Only McCain can deliver the administration and the Republicans.

McCain will be at the center of the process, managing it through to success while Obama lingers on the outskirts, irrelevant and uninvolved.

McCain will pass Barack Obama's bill (which parallels his own proposals), and will get the credit for it.

There are compelling reasons why McCain may be saving his campaign by this bold move.

McCain's entry into the legislative foray personalizes the economy issue.

As long as McCain stayed away from Washington, it was the Democrats against the Republicans. Polls give the Democrats the edge. But voters trust McCain personally more than they trust Obama to manage his way out of a crisis.

By showing up in Washington, McCain makes the issue personal, not partisan.

And the rescue legislation will pass. Washington has no alternative but to act. And it probably will work. The markets will calm down. The bailout legislation will have done it.

Including the Democratic amendments, it will become a fairly popular piece of legislation and it will have been McCain's bill. Obama can claim authorship, but it will have been McCain who will have brought the Administration into line.

Once the bill is passed, McCain will have the credentials to go on the offensive and warn of the impact of Obama's tax increases on the recovery.

Had McCain not acted, Republican opposition to big government might have doomed the economy and destroyed Republican hopes.

By going to Washington, McCain makes it imperative that the Republicans pass the legislation. His presence makes it an issue of party survival in a way that lame duck Bush could never do.

As Woody Allen said "half of life is just showing up."

[eyrish69]

How do you edit a You Tube video? I have been editing video for a few years but am unfamiliar with how to capture and edit from You Tube.

[1035rep]

I guess Obama is too liberal even for the Clinton’s.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

“The bad news for McCain is that other than himself Clinton never gets anyone elected who he is trying to help.”

That's because he doesn't have the entire democrat base, but he has enough of that base to make a huge difference to McCain if those votes are added to the usual Republican voters and the swing voters that McCain/Palin have been attracting.

[Miss Didi]

Barbara Boxer is on Fox now...I have it on mute so I don't know what she's babbling about but she's doing the "time out" sign. But she has a new hairdo. I just remember a funny FReeper once wrote—Barbara Boxer combs her hair with a firecracker. That always cracked me up. ;)

[LegalEagle61]

I saw Boxer, she comes off as a bitchy fool, they are so scared that McCain is coming to work and that this all depends on the pubbies AND that he will shoot down their porky proposals. They are shaking in their boots. Her excuses for Obama not thinking of it first were so lame.

[Miss Didi]

Rush is playing Bubba again and again...Rush is giggling and said that Snerdley was left paralyzed by it.

[Lucas McCain]

bump

[Mamzelle]

Also, he may just hate Obama’s guts. And he also has it in for the Obama supporters in Congress.

[Cyclone59]

I am sure that Bill is using smoke and mirrors

or

has he been “Hannitized”?

Naaaaaaa

[Constitutions Grandchild]

Sadly, many Democrats (I'd say a majority) will never accept President Clinton's statement. Sadly, John McCain's 2005 wake-up call and plea for oversight will not be believed. Essentially, we have the folks who are aware of what has happened, and those who feel they are aware of what has happened. Neither side will ever accept the other’s position.

It's hard to face facts, if it doesn't “feel” right. That's the universal “fall of man” in my humble opinion.