Posted on 11/12/2008 1:29:59 PM PST by nickcarraway
I commend to you an article in today's Politico.com that reports on the latest contretemps between the Obamas and the Clintons--a tricky-track of a relationship if ever there were one:
Michelle Obama wasn't always an admirer of Hillary Clinton, but last Wednesday the soon-to-be first lady dialed up the former first lady for pointers on protecting her two young daughters from the media maelstrom of the White House."Michelle may not have loved the senator, but she always respected how the Clintons raised Chelsea," said a person familiar with Clinton's end of the call. "They need to talk. There just aren't too many people who have shared that kind of experience."An aide briefed on Obama's side of the chat said she was "grateful" for Clinton's "pointers" on "raising children in the public eye." It's the latest phase in the ruling-class soap opera that is the Obama-Clinton alliance, where the two first families negotiate new personal relationships as Hillary Clinton wrestles with her own ambivalence about Michelle Obama's husband, a man she once ridiculed as too callow to govern, and then worked tirelessly to elect.These tensions have created a somewhat schizoid relationship between Clinton and the Obamas--warm on personal matters, warier on political ones, and downright frosty on the still-unresolved issue of Clinton's mountainous campaign debt, which Barack Obama had pledged to help reduce.
Personally, I believe the Clintons are letting themselves be taken to the cleaners: For them, it's all give and no get. Politico.com goes on to report something I've blogged about several times: President-elect Obama still has not helped Senator Clinton retire any of her campaign debt--something which was widely reported last spring as part of his pledge to her if she would get out of the nomination race.
Then again, it's a free country, and the Clintons can let themselves be used, abused, and bruised by their own party for as long as they want. Politico.com reports Senator Clinton has already written off her taxes the $13 million she loaned her own campaign during the primaries. Ouch! And the Clintons didn't just support Obama; they hit the campaign trail with force and talked him up until Senator Clinton went hoarse. There's still the business of $7.9 million she owes to vendors. Maybe he'll come through and help her pay off that debt.
If President-elect Obama helps Senator Clinton, it will make him look not only Clinton-friendly, but more important woman-friendly. Woman-friendly is not his style, at least not so far. Remember he apologized to a reporter for calling her "sweetie" during the campaign? Now his wife's role as first lady will be, in her own words, "mom in chief." Take "Obama" out of the equation and this type of behavior seems positively retro. The trial balloon of ousted Harvard President Lawrence Summers as potential treasury secretary was yet another slap to Obama's multitude of female supporters.
Doesn’t seem to have a problem with Madame Halfbright.
Normally I’d be angry about him screwing over someone, but this WAS Hillary. I wonder what else was promised or threatened to get her to campaign for him. It will be HILARIOUS if he does not come through on the promise of helping with her campaign debt. HILARIOUS.
However, he had better sleep with one eye open.
Poor Michelle. She honestly thinks the press would do anything to harm her darlings. She doesn’t realize it’s her own party that trashes the children of presidents, and then only the children of Republican presidents. How naive can a future first lady be? Not one article was published about her kids through this whole campaign. Story after story was published about Palin’s kids.
Once again, another Obama proves they aren’t the sharpest arrow in the United States’ quiver.
IF? He hasn’t!
Barack Obama is still angry at Hillary for making him campaign so long. Barack’s exclaiming to himself, “That damned Hillary has more balls than John McCain.”
To John McCain I would say, Senator, I knew Hillary Clinton and you sir are no Hillary Clinton.
Of course, from a Republican point of view, John McCain is worse than Hillary in every aspect. I am ashamed of myself for supporting such a despicable man.
Hillary allowed herself to be used by Bill so it’s not surprising she’d give in to Obama
There was only one candidate in this race that ever fought for us and that was Sarah Palin.
Really, what is Michelle worried about? It’s not like they’re the Palin children.
I agree.
But in the end, Barack is more angry at Hillary because punk boy McCain layed down for him.
No one who respects themselves should have any respect for John McCain.
To all PUMAS who voted for him anyway: CHOKE ON IT!!!
“Woman-friendly is not his style, at least not so far.”
I suspect Barry has some major unresolved psychological issues stemming from his weird upbringing. Won’t we enjoy finding out all about them? (NO!) Will Oliver Stone use them to make an unflattering movie about BO as he did W? (Also no).
The gays see everything in terms of sexuality and gay rights, the feminists like Erbe see everything in terms of women, and the blacks see everything in terms of race. We have too many minorities in this society and not enough cohesive Center.
I know you trotted that out for Obama, but I think it applies to a whole lot of men on the West Coast who have been protesting the outcome of Proposition 8 over the last week and a half. It is fitting for both IMO.
Wonder if she gave her some tips about interns?
They all flock together. Hatred of women, combined with self-love is the commonality.
Forget about Hillary for a minute. What about Nobama’s grandmother? She’s been on ice for 10 days now. Do we have to start a ‘Please bury the poor woman’ movement in order to get her a decent burial?
All Muslims have a problem with women. Or rather, women have a problem with all Muslims!
Madame Halbright is a woman????
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