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Jason Linkins

The Huffington Post

Clinton Surrogate Makes Creepy Reference To JFK Assassination

January 8, 2008 11:52 AM


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With the chips down, we're still waiting for that vaunted Clinton discipline to kick in. This isn't helping:

Today, in Dover, Francine Torge, a former John Edwards supporter, said this while introducing Mrs. Clinton: "Some people compare one of the other candidates to John F. Kennedy. But he was assassinated. And Lyndon Baines Johnson was the one who actually" passed the civil rights legislation.


The comment, an apparent reference to Senator Barack Obama, is particularly striking given documented fears among blacks that Mr. Obama will be assassinated if elected.

How to describe this? Desperate? Weird? Uhm...a squeaky frame? [Rimshot!] Hopefully, Torge meant to merely draw a comparison between Clinton and a president who escalated wildly unpopular wars, and not with an assassin.

Phil Singer, a Clinton spokesman said: "We were not aware that this person was going to make those comments and disapprove of them completely. They were totally inappropriate."

If only there was some way to, say, vet a speaker's remarks in advance or something!

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Frist of all,,, the candidates of my choice are Kucinich and Edwards. But, by not taking corporate funds and the news media silent and censorship on them, except to talk BS about a UFO or a hair cut have a moutain to climb.
We have to remember ex-president Reagan which reported seeing UFO on at least two occassions and was a firm believer in UFO's, which I don't see Crist Mathews or the corporate news media saying a word about.
This BS about Hillary has gone way over the top and Obama supporters have the nerve to say something about the Clintons.
I will tell you something else, when I compare the last 30 plus years (republican rule) against Clinton great economy and the respect America had around the world I would except another 8 years of it in a heart beat.
I really believe the democrats have become losers, they are talking trash as much if not more then I have heard from the republicans in the last 15 to 20 years and that is saying a lot.
You talk about loser democrats in office, yet you jump at articles posted by persons you don't even know who they are (RNC) and if the article has any value or not.
Where in the h... are the real issues; the withdrawn of our troops from Iraq, Cheney is getting ready attack on Iran, the illegal spying on us by big brother, the jobs which have been shipped overseas, the economy which is as close to a depression as one can get without calling it one, the torture and killing of prisoners without charges or a lawyer -- some even U.S. citizens, the hiring of private mercenary army which is even now recuiting from Africa, the total destruction of our National Guards which were suppose to protect Americans inside our country and Bush has taken them overseas.
The real democrats you are seeing on the streets being beat the h... out of, for the protection of your and my freedom and rights.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:44 PM on 01/08/2008

The legacy of All the Kennedys standing up for human rights in this country is above reproach.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:18 PM on 01/08/2008

It is time that We the People stand up and make our stand as a free people. We need to draw the line in the sand and tell all these fascist punks, no more. No more stolen elections and especially no more assassinations of REAL LEADERS,by lone gunmen firing magic bullets. We know who you were and who you are even if our morally castrated politicians pretend not to. This year marks the 45th and 40th anniversies of John and Bobby's assassinations. For the first time in 40 years there is somebody who is filling Bobby's shoes and giving the dis-enfranchised of this country hope. I may not vote for Mr Obama but he has my interest the fact that he's even running for president shows that he has courage a rare commodity in politics nowadays. It is time that We the People show some courage and send a message to these slimy,shadowy usurpers that it is they who better be afraid of us who make up the US of America.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:17 PM on 01/08/2008

A certain lack of discipline seems to be part of the Clinton DNA. Bill had a great ability to recover from disasters once they occurred, but gaffes like this one are just too weird to catagorize.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:03 PM on 01/08/2008

I actually think two candidates could well be targets. The absolute hatred for Hillary Clinton puts her at risk from the ultra right wingers like the ones who have shot abortion providers. I take that view based on years of receiving some of the most hostile emails about another person ever written and even reading many posts on sites like this one, let alone hearing talk radio all day every day and FOX television when I go to stores, waiting rooims, etc anywhere in the state in which I live. If people will write what many have written or commentators can say on television and radio what I have heard, there has to be a sicko who might take it much further. And, no matter what many of us want to believe, racism exists and there are enough crackpot skinheads in this country (apparently including some even trained pretty well in the military who express such beliefs according to MSM shows like 60 minutes and 20/20) to lead me to be concerned about Obama. I am just glad this election is not at a 20 year election mark as that seems to be the group of electees historically that have been assassinated while in office or attempts have been made (Lincoln, 1860, Garfield, 1880, Kennedy, 1960, Reagan, 1980). Sadly, I have heard some of my black friends say things like "I want to vote for him, but I just don't want him to get shot" so I know the concern is there from people who have aview of America most of us don't.
That belief is somewhat why I am reluctant to support either of them. The first president I ever so strongly supported was JFK and when he got shot, my mistrust began to build. With the partisan politics so fostered by the likes of Tom Delay and Karl Rove I think our country is more at risk from foment at home than anything Al Queda could throw at us. I mourn because of it every time I cast a vote.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:02 PM on 01/08/2008

I don't know WHY this hasn't become a HUGE news story.....but this gaffe by her supporter is just playing off of something Clinton said yesterday about MLK that many people found extremely offensive. Below is the link and I hope Huffington Post picks up the story:

http://bourbonroom.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/01/07/clintons-candid-assessment/

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:43 PM on 01/08/2008

Time for you guys to look at Richardson. He has all the right proposals. Give it a try, you may like it!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:22 PM on 01/08/2008

If voting results will be mainly determined by the piles of cash a candidate acquires, perhaps that should be a TOP issue for discussion during the campaign - where's the cash from? Also, public finance of elections should not compound this problem. No more short circuits in our elections!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:13 PM on 01/08/2008

Francine Torge is identified as a "former Edwards supporter" in every article I've read. She is not identified as a Clinton campaign organizer, volunteer, or employee of Clinton's.

In no way am I defending her bizarre, ignorant comment, but honestly, it really does seem that she misspoke. Painfully, awkwardly, misspoke.
Her verbal floundering brings to mind Miss Teen USA South Carolina.

People really need to back off of Clinton now. This feeding frenzy really is too much....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:57 PM on 01/08/2008

A "subliminal" message - as subtle as a sledge hammer!

And Al Qaeda in America could be blamed, Pakistan revisited!

The enemy within?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:36 PM on 01/08/2008

Robert Kennedy was one of my heroes, and it's fair to say that he was a prick for much of his adult life. What he and his brother showed was a terrific capacity to change--RFK was deeply moved by the depth of poverty in America and became a genuinely empathetic man; JFK grew in skill and maturity while President. That's such a vivid contrast to our rigid thinking dry-drunk-in-chief, who couldn't come up with a single mistake he'd made in office.

I was 16 when Bobby was assassinated; Please, God, protect Barack from the meanness and the violence that's still out there. And if you believe it isn't, read what the trolls write from their dark rooms.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:32 PM on 01/08/2008

So people, now we see the real Clinton organization in action. To talk about assassination in order to get to another leader, that will do the job is not only playing to the fears black people have of Obama being assassinated if he wins. Its also a threat to Obama and all of us. Otherwise why bring assassination up at all. He could have easily made his point without it.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:25 PM on 01/08/2008

The individual who introduce Clinton is a sick individual for provoking our worst fears. I will admit that I have thought the same thing in regards to Obama. I fear for this man, but he will get my vote.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:18 PM on 01/08/2008

to introduce Rodham Clinton using such language is astonishing, completely astonishing.

That Rodham Clinton didn't bat an eyelash is worse, extremely offensive.

I hope she loses by 20 points today.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:55 PM on 01/08/2008

Obama '08 = Carter '76

Exact same scene. Careful what you wish for.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:06 PM on 01/08/2008

Let them try anything like this again and America would be in trouble. I would not joke with this.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:05 PM on 01/08/2008

Linkins! Each comment you make seems to be exceeded in absurdity by the next. One can only imagine how low you can go in conclusions only a wannabee pundit without shame could conject.

That you could and did take an objectively accurate historical accurately and succinctly concluded by LBJ and scholars and biographers of both JFK and LBJ conjure some evil design to a recital of that conclusion does irreparable damage to the political process in general and lowers Huffpo to the plane of scandal sheets one finds at supermarket checkout counters.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:01 PM on 01/08/2008

I'd love to stay around for more of you guys debating the history-i know i know it is important-but i'd like to go back to the future to check out why we are stuck with 2 candidates. because...anyone wanna go first?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:37 PM on 01/08/2008

The most important thing I believe history should remember of JFK was that he was a womanizing maniac, probably a borderline rapist.
I wasn't alive for his campaign or time in office, but if it's anything like today, it's all just media hype as corporations try to influence the sheep to focus on a single mouthpiece who goes out and dances like a monkey while behind the scenes the real work (by which I mean crimes against the people) get done.
If we're going to compare people to the past, I'd say Obama follows the George W Bush model, which is merely the newest update of the JFK model, as another pretty boy without any substance, who only talks in broad and sweeping generalities to cover up the same old BS. Unfortunately, Edwards is pretty much the same model, and Clinton just wants to get back in the WH with Bill so they can continue their own brand of disastrous corruption they began in '92. And the only things worse than these options are the Republican candidates.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:28 PM on 01/08/2008

Take a deep breathe everyone. I like Obama I would love to see him win. But I don't think he really can win the General Election therefore I will hold my nose and vote for Hillary because my guy dropped out (Biden) and I want a democrat to win. The republicans will hammer an untested Obama because he is nice. Plus I hate to say some people will never vote for him because he is black. On the other hand Hillary knows how to fight those republicans. I think everyone is counting her out to soon. But I do like Obama on his hope speech.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:24 PM on 01/08/2008

"Today, in Dover, Francine Torge, a former John Edwards supporter, ...."

It sounds like Ms Torge is still supporting Edwards.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:19 PM on 01/08/2008

Thank you Francine Torge for making that comment.

We understand in America that when it comes to political assassinations that only liberals -and popular liberals at that- are murdered. We also understand that Obama is currently riding a wave of popularity that has induced fear among the common folks that he too could be murdered for failing to fit into Cheney's blueprint for America.

By making this a newsworthy item, by publicly recalling the ghost of JFK, our security establishments and their black ops departments are put on notice by Americans that WE WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:19 PM on 01/08/2008

Phil Singer, a Clinton spokesman said: "We were not aware that this person was going to make those comments and disapprove of them completely. They were totally inappropriate. No, really, I'm not kidding--cough, cough--uh, no, no, of course we had no idea that this, uh, person was going to say that, I mean how could we, uh, know what they were going to say, before they said it?"

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:11 PM on 01/08/2008

Are these people STONED?

I guess they'll say/do just about anything to get out of talking about the budget? LOL

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:08 PM on 01/08/2008

Exactly, times thousands of votes.

When are the Clinton supporters going to understand that her reprehensible enabling of this bloody uncalled for war followed by her silence and lack of indignation is exactly why we end up here today with an otherwise intelligent woman losing priimary after primary. The Huffington Post is not the basis for votes in Iowa or New Hampshire, but simply one more unhappy outlet in the face of the entire Clinton entourage's political cynicism as it concerns politics in general, and our collective memory and intelligence.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:06 PM on 01/08/2008
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