Posted on 03/11/2008 5:30:28 PM PDT by SJackson
Samantha Power, the able foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama who referred to Hillary Clinton as a "monster," has quit her role with the Obama campaign.
That's too bad, because Power has always been more open and honest than most key players you will find in or around presidential campaigns.
Of course, the offhand remark by Power in a discussion recorded by a Scottish journalist was politically incorrect -- both because it was hurtful to Clinton, someone the Anna Lindh professor of practice of global leadership and public policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government has known for a number of years, and because it suggested an ineptness on the part of the Obama campaign at precisely the time when it did the most harm.
Power's comment about Clinton was a rough one: "She is a monster, too -- that is off the record -- she is stooping to anything. ... You just look at her and think, 'Urgh.' But if you are poor and she is telling you some story about how Obama is going to take your job away, maybe it will be more effective. The amount of deceit she has put forward is really unattractive."
But let's be a little serious here: What Power said is no different from what campaigners say about their opponents on a daily basis -- except perhaps for the use of the rather sophisticated word "monster" as opposed to the usual expletives. It's just that Power said it in a setting where her attempt to take the word back with a "that is off the record" grasp was not going to work.
Ultimately, what was most striking about the whole incident was the genuine remorse Power showed.
Listening to the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide" (2003) explain her intemperate remark reminded me of the danger of politics that tosses anyone aside when that person makes a meaningless mistake like this one.
Here's what Power told an Irish TV reporter when asked if she regretted her remarks: "Of course I regret them. I can't even believe they came out of my mouth. The campaign was getting very tense, and I -- in every public appearance I've ever made talking about Senator Clinton, I have sung her praises as the leader she's been, the intellect. She's also incredibly warm, funny. I've spent time with her. I think that I just had a very weak moment in seeing some of the tactics, it seems, that were getting employed. I was just afraid really that the campaign would not stay at the level it had been on, and I let out in a wave of frustration."
Speaking of Clinton, Power told the Irish network RTE, "I'm just truly sorry at the harm it may have caused her ..."
And Power was frank enough to add that she was sorry for the harm she'd caused the Obama campaign.
Of the whole controversy, Power said, "It's not good, and it's 100 percent thoroughly my fault. I apologize. I regret it. I wish I could go back in time, mainly because (the comments) don't reflect my feelings about Senator Clinton. ... I think just, I'm a bit of a political rookie. I'm a policy person, a scholar and new to campaigning. Perhaps maybe the heat of it got to me a little bit and I overreacted to something that I had heard. But, again, it's no excuse."
She actually said it was the right move for the Obama camp to distance itself from her. "The campaign will be better for maintaining the high ground," the scholar suggested.
Power's still backing Obama. But she noted, "if he doesn't get the nomination I will be backing Senator Clinton with the same enthusiasm."
"We're Democrats," Power added, "and that's why my comments were particularly hurtful and, frankly, just very, very stupid."
Now, I have differed with Power on plenty of issues over the years. And I have not always been entirely impressed with Obama or his campaign. But I sure don't see much to celebrate in the latest turn on 2008's long campaign trail.
Power was so frank and remorseful that I was left feeling that this is not the sort of person we should want to see pushed away from the political process.
No good comes from sidelining frank and outspoken "rookies." Obama and Clinton both need more aides like her. And we all need to accept that campaigns and campaigners can make honest mistakes -- indeed, the mistakes are what tell us these are human endeavors, as opposed to mere spin machines.
John Nichols is associate editor of The Capital Times.
But the whining, that has to go, Hillary is a monster, not nice to say it, but once done you know they're going to come after you, but enough with the hurtful nonsense for telling the truth.
Where were these people when the Clintons were in the White House for 8 years smearing their political enemies?
Oh that’s right, the Clintons were the VICTIMS then, victims of a vast right wing conspiracy attack the first black President.
Samantha Power was being very kind. There hasn’t been a word created that accurately conveys my thoughts of Hillary.
Something like that is better to never see the light of day.
But she IS a monster. But then, so again is Hussein.
"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul."
About the closest English literature has come. See also Nazgul:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazg%C3%BBl .
There is something demoniac about the Clintons.
Cankles has shot herself in the foot by showing her vindictiveness towards Powers AND Schuster.
When MSNBC suspended Schuster she was still going for his throat to get him fired, and she pounced on Powers just as fast as she could.
She could have been magnanamous and dismissed both comments -but no! - she went for the jugular.
She is a nasty piece of work, and it’s showing.
Well, at least there’s ONE thing on which I agree with an Obama supporter.
WOW! Pretty close (but no cigar /sarcasm) GRRRREAT effort. Thanks, ikka.
Barack’s JUST like Ken Starr, Hillary told me so.
Well, one thing is true about her statement, the Clinton Political Machine is a Monster. Describing Hillary as a monster though is too girlish. There are several hundred other more descriptively honest words to choose from.
How about Medusa?
Excellent and very descriptive. I think I saw a graphic someone posted earlier this week of her as Medusa. I’ll look for it and ping you there.
There is an illuminating article about coverage of the West Bank issue and Samantha Power’s appointment at:
http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2009/02/ny-times-friedman-calls-for-us-troops.html
It is an article critical of New York Times columnist Tom Friedman who has taken the same position as Samantha Power.
A video of an interview Power gave about using U.S. Troop deployment to maintain Peace and Nation Build in the West Bank follows the article.
It is a must view!
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