SNL Writer Surprised By Clinton Remark, Ordered To Write More

NEW YORK — James Downey knew something odd had happened when he stepped away from watching the Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday night to check on something in the kitchen and his phones started ringing.

Hillary Clinton had cited the "Saturday Night Live" skit Downey had written to complain about her treatment by moderators Brian Williams and Tim Russert.

"In the last several debates I seem to get the first question all the time," she said. "I don't mind. I'll be happy to field it. I just find it curious if anybody saw `Saturday Night Live,' maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow."

The skit about an Obama-Clinton debate featured a lovestruck press corps fawning over Barack Obama, while treating Clinton as an annoyance in their way. A fictional Campbell Brown fanned herself in excitement after an Obama answer, while a John King impersonator suggested he had "nailed it."

Downey stayed up for the midnight rerun of MSNBC's Tuesday debate just to see what she had said.

"That usually doesn't happen unless it resonates," said Downey, "so that's nice. It's good for the show."

Downey is an original "Saturday Night Live" writer who's also been head writer for David Letterman. He's been back at "SNL" since 2000, when he wrote skits about Bush-Gore debates; and he's been the lead writer at the comedy show on political material since then.

He said it's hard to recall a more dazzling political personality than Obama in his lifetime.

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Still, Downey can't help but notice how many people in the news media have been seduced by the Illinois senator. The Clinton campaign has expressed frustration that it is getting a tougher ride from the press.

Clinton has been the first person questioned in six of the past 10 Democratic debates, and some argue this puts her at a disadvantage.

"It's like when the mom is in the grocery store and the kids rush up with this brand new cereal saying `We've got to get it, we've got to get it!'" Downey said. "The mom is the one who is supposed to read the box, check the ingredients. She's not supposed to go, `Oh, my gosh, this is great! It has marshmallows and chocolates and sprinkles."

While he loved getting his work noticed and understands what Clinton must be feeling, Downey said mentioning the skit might not have been her best move.

"It might, on balance, make her look a little whiny," he said. "She might have been better off if other people pointed it out for them."

MSNBC might have also been a source of some of Clinton's annoyance. Both Chris Matthews and David Shuster have apologized over the past months for remarks about the Clinton campaign, which briefly considered backing out of the network-sponsored debate. Tuesday's debate was seen by 7.8 million people, the largest audience in the network's history, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Already, "Saturday Night Live" executive producer Lorne Michaels has ordered Downey to write another skit on the campaign for this weekend's show.

"That's Lorne," Downey said. "He likes to paint you in a corner and if you do it, your reward is to get to jump out of a deeper corner. I pray to God it's my last debate."

Comments

[coonce]

If James Downey after taking Hillary's side by mentioning that she had INDEED received 6 of the last 10 debate's first questions, again takes her side of what happened during the 20th debate, he would be just as bad as the media he is making fun of, by allowing her two weeks in a roll of free advertising before a PRIMARY election day in Texas and Ohio that could make or break her.

Are you fair and balanced Downey?

[Amydan48]

I have watched all the 20 debates and 90% - 100% of the time Hillary gets the absolute last word. She demanded one debate a week, now complains that she is always asked the first question. Grow up Hillary!

[Jennifer4]

(Just) suppose, as an example; Obama had been asked the question first, by Russert, what the name of Putins' successor was.
He fields every 'and now your response Sen.Obama' with a crafty "I agree with ....

[TiffShelton]

Sen. Clinton had a problem with the NAFTA question. She knows she is vulnerable in that area and knows Ohio hates NAFTA. She didn’t mind discussing Universal Healthcare and getting the first question on that subject.

Sen. Clinton’s new campaign strategy is whining about the media. They would rather the story be Sen. Clinton being treated unfairly by the media instead of the story being her inept campaign strategy was a failure out of the gate.

Sen. Clinton’s campaign should get off the pity pot and start actually winning some states. Start earning those millions, guys!

[Wildcatdiva]

What makes people think he didn't know the Russian leaders name? Russert didn't call her name.She jumped out there as she always does. She could have turned to Obama and let him answer. Hillary's supporters can sometimes be extra delusional. She's whinnying up the kazoo. She doesn't seem to know which way is up. She has let a so called novice frustrate her.She's flustered and full of pettiness. If she's the fighter she says she is, she should just get her points and message across with confidence and stop worrying so much about the media and stop being so damn catty . Her tactics are getting old and boring...t­hat's why she's behind. No matter what SNL says everyone does not like a bitch!

[k6007]

He didn't know it. But, he got out of it like a presidential pro!! LOL

Obama 08

[dumbosrus]

Ya gotta love Billary Clinton. He's always good for a laugh, even if it is for the wrong reasons.

Memo to Camp Billary: You moronic buffoons have already screwed up your best chance at getting the Dumbacratic nod for the presidency. Keep your mouths shut before you screw it up all together. And if you can't keep the lies to a bare minimum, then just go home.

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/cleveland_clinkers.html

[MadelineL]

It too late. They can't control themselves. Now they claim that Ann Richards who is dead endorsed Hillary from the grave. These are sick desperate people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOqzK-TDAK8&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/28/45940/2283/266/465530

Richards own Sons told Hillary not to use this commerical - she went ahead anyway. Sick, sick people.

[MSaldana]

You forget that her daughter gave her blessing. Or DID you forget?

-MS

[Bulbul]

Hillary was not wining, she did say it though, but after the viewers have been putting up with the media bias for almost an year !
The skit was very good, but would have been even better, it the actors had potrayed Mathews and Russert and some more of the MSNBC crews.
By the way, has anyone saw Cambell Brown on CNN lately ? Yesterday I had a glimse, she is a Mathews in the making, screechy voice, sliting Hillary...
No break for us !

[dumbosrus]

What media bias?

The fact that these 'candidates' are fair game is just the way the game is played. Billary has been deserving of all the criticism she has got. Obama may get even more if he gets the nod from the Dumbacrats.

Billary's BIGGEST problem is that he can't tolerate any criticism of himself. This is not a good trait for a presidential candidate.

His 2nd biggest problem is that he's just dumb.

[candlewax]

Baloney! Had Obama lost 11 contests in a row the way Hillary has done, and had Obama exhibited multiple personalities on the stump the way Hillary did, he would not be getting the kind of "still in the game" press coverage that Hillary still enjoys.

[personalpolitical]

The media isn't being any easier on Obama than they are on Hillary, in fact, the media is the only reason Hillary ever had a shot at this thing, and the only reason her campaign can keep pretending she has a chance. The Clintons just can't accept losing, they just can't accept not being perfect or making any mistakes, they can't accept they are the inferior candidate, so it has to be someone else's fault. They use the media as a scapegoat for their own failures.

http://thepersonalispolitical.tumblr.com/post/27451031

[cybersense]

Hillary bring this point up was not a "whinny" move. If, Obama had made a statement, his comment would NOT have been considered as "whinny" and Hillary's tone was not as "whinny" as Obama's when Hillary had to LEAD him to his "reject" comment.

[kristin]

Look up both denounce and reject. Denounce is the accurate word: publicly declare to be wrong or evil. Reject: turn down, refuse. Farakahan did NOT endorse Obama so there was nothing to refuse. By using the word denounce, Obama did declare Farakahan’s comments to be wrong and evil.

[Bobaloo]

better get after her quick because she ain't going to be very newsworthy for long. Bye Bye Hillary you whiny beyotch.

[MSaldana]

Q.E.D.

-MS

[scandals&skeletons]

lets face reality hillary has been in the media eye for many years, there is way more material for writers because of this.
but to think it is unfair that snl or any other comedy show lampoons any candidate is absurd.

[candlewax]

The pro-Hillary bias is pretty hard to miss. Especially the blatant endorsement by Tina Fey for Hillary during a "comedy" segment. This isn't satire anymore.

[scandals&skeletons]

did anyone see colbert on monday? he lampooned obama calling him a muslim and continually showing the picture of him with the african wrap on. it was hilarious! funny thing is i dont here the obama camp whining that it is unfair. i have tried to give hillary every benefit if the doubt but at this point in the campaign i come away with the impression that she wants to play the victim and the tough gal at the same time. she can not seem to decide which persona to wrap herself in from day to day. personally i want someone who is even keeled, calm in the face of adversity, etc...i see this with obama so far.

[keankonfea]

Colbert wasn't lampooning Obama, he was lampooning right wingers.

[TiffShelton]

That's right.

[cybersense]

Ah, if you dont' calling Obama immediately made a statement regarding who put that out. If Obama was a woman, then they would have used the word "whinny" for Obama. Look, she made a point. He get's to sit and listen to how Hillary responds to the first question, then he has a chance to make the same statement Hillary just did and add a little more to make it sound better. That was her point. She wants Mr. Obama to go it alone. Since this campaign started, Obama has struggled in the beginning against Hillary. He has aligned his campaign similar to hers, then he tries to add a twist. He is very good at that, but without that strong example...­.he would be floundering.

[candlewax]

That's nothing. Colbert schtick is lampooning the media anyway but did you see the Jon Stewart skit during the oscars?! I was outraged. If Stewart had done a skit comparing Hitler to Hillary, he would have been out on his ear but I guess it's okay to do it to Obama. The so-called media bias is not anti-Hillary by any stretch of the imagination. Downey just can't see past his own pro-Hillary bias. It's clouded his vision and colored his judgement.

I can almost hear the unwritten words in his pro-Hillary, anti-Obama skits: Why don't they like my New York senator????? WAHHHH!!

More reality for the brain dead:
Each day delegates were won Obama first, followed by Clinton

1/3 (IA) 16 - 15
1/8 (NH) 9 - 9
1/15 (MI) 0 - 0
1/19 (NV) 13 - 12
1/26 (SC) 25 - 12
1/29 (FL) 0 - 0
2/5 (SuperTuesday) 842 - 828 (11 still to be decided)
2/9 (LA, NE, WA, VI) 105 - 56
2/10 (ME) 15 - 9
2/12 (DA, DC, MD, VA) 111 - 57.5 (6.5 to be decided)
2/19 (HI,WI) 56 - 38

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/27/20620/9054/106/464673

[VTConQuest]

SNL should do a skit where an unwitting group of die hard Barack supporters call themselves "the Obama Nation".

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST! Lorne, call me. I've got a million of them. =)

Full disclosure: I'm a die hard Obama supporter myself.

Obama /Sebelius '08
(HRC Senate Majority Leader)

[TLV]

Brooks’ misguided love letter to McCain
By: Steve Benen on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

"I’m starting to think the adulation for John McCain among New York Times columnists is making the transition from odd to unhealthy.

Last week, Nick Kristof praised McCain for pandering and lying, but only because McCain is bad at it. Yesterday, apropos of nothing, Bill Kristol praised McCain for being patriotic. Today, David Brooks, demonstrating unusually flawed timing, praises McCain for keeping lobbyists at arm’s length, after a week’s worth of evidence proving the exact opposite."

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/27/brooks-misguided-love-letter-to-mccain/#more-26763

[pinkyboo]

How come when Hillary talks about change you keep seeing posts about how she stole that from Obama, yet he gave a little " how honored I am to be in this race with Hillary" riff in the debate that was very similar to what she said about him in the previous debate. The main difference is she pulled it off.

[scandals&skeletons]

riiiiight

[kingshmoopy]

yaaaawn

[kiddub]

I think he did it on purpose to show that candidates copy each other all the time. I think in some ways it was a slight dig. It was also a great strategy in that he stole the "unite the party" answer line from her.

[Malarcus]

Knowing that she has only been asked the first question one more time than Barack truly underscores just how whiny her comments were. The fact is, even if Clinton's claims of an uneven playing field were one hundred percent accurate, and they are not, people still do not want to hear her crying about it.

[maggieb]

Its more like 90%, check it out!!!

[TiffShelton]

So? She said she ALWAYS gets questions first during a debate.

Was that a lie? Shouldn't it be 100% of the time? Isn't ALWAYS 100%?

[cybersense]

You know, it really concerns me that people can't see how awkward Obama was in the beginning. If you remember, he had a hard time with campaign, then he aligned his strageties along with hers and then added some sprinkles to it. I can't get over how much he has done this and it's not his campaign, its hers. Hillary's point about her answering the quesitons first, only gives him the opportunity of answer much the same, then put a little twist of his own to it. Nothing more, and that tells me a lot. I want someone who IS experienced and can really do what it takes from the start. Not someone who is a "wanna be"

[MadelineL]

what exactly is Hillary's experience? If she is claiming her years as first lady why has she not release her WH papers (let alone he tax returns)?

You mean union busting experience when she was on the Wal-mart board? Or the one year (1) she worked for Childrens Issues?

Or the double billing law firm years?

its still doesnt' ad up to 35 years experience.

[pattio66]

On an even playing field, NOBODY has comments made about their "thick ankles."

[dukeman]

There have been comments about Obama's big ears

[JoDeeVa]

I thought both the debate sketch and "Bitch is the new Black" were hilarious! But, then I'm a Hillary Clinton supporter. Sorry, Obamaniacs and Obamacans (wouldn't want to leave the Republicans out of the fun)..I just don't trust the Independent/party crossover voters in Democratic open-primary states, to vote for Obama in the GE. And, I'm not looking forward to that 100-year with McCain.

Anyhoo, let's not forget they are both Democrats. And, let's not get so f**king outrageously angry and divided that we can't appreciate some campaign comedy during the next 8 months, eh? Satire is intended to provoke debate and challenge people's opinions and bias, get people talking. Remember court jesters, who lost their lives if not entertaining? How about Lenny Bruce or Mort Sahl? These days, you can just change the channel. You don't have to kill them, put them in jail or treat them as social pariahs. From my own experience the last few days, I've heard and read alot about SNL's show Saturday. People are talking and some liked it, some didn't..te­nds to break down on who you support. No surprise there, so watch American Idol, instead..m­aybe you vote that way, too! Whatever..­FYI, Barack Obama DID appear last season in a bit skewering Hillary Clinton, so don't get too self-righteous about him and SNL! For those of you positing that SNL lost the election for Al Gore? Huh?..get over it, he did and he did SNL after that. He also did this in 2006 to open the show. And, he's funny! Here's a good laugh for all of you! Enjoy!

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/#mea=209939

“People say satire is dead. It's not dead; it's alive and living in the White House.” Robin Williams

[clevelandchick]

I hope SNL does a skit about Hillary surrogates and supporters calling anyone who dare support her opponent 'maniacs'.

I can just imagine: in the skit, it's November and Hillary is the nominee against McCain. A young female voter wearing an Obama shirt goes into the voting booth and while contemplating choice: remembers Hillary's speech openly mocking Obama's supporters, Bill saying the only reason Barack won South Carolina is because he's black, excerpts of Taylor Marsh's blog calling Obama supporters 'cultists' and 'maniacs' flash across the screen. She goes back and forth between McCain and Clinton on the touch screen. Cue in the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again"..as she's walking out of the booth without voting for either she says: 'Bitches may get things done but they don't get my vote'.

[ATL78]

Funny!!!!

[MSaldana]

Yeah, funny! About as funny as 90% of HRC's supporters staying home on electionday. Now that's a laugh!

-MS

[JoDeeVa]

clevelandc­hick..OK, that's funny, too! I appreciate comedy/satire, period!...­unless it just gets into na-na-na-na bulls**t. I think we all know the difference. Hillary has taken her share of hits on SNL, with Amy Poehler killing in that role! Like I said, even Barack Obama did SNL dissing Hillary. I cribbed "Obamaniacs" from an Obama supporter actually, who did a whole funny diatribe about labels and name-calling. I have been called everything from Bitchin' Billary to bitch-ass white girl Hillarot to "Yo, Hillaby-otches of the world" to HillBilly Skank. I file it under..goe­s with the territory. I resolve now to lose the Obama**** etc. and cut straight to the chase with his name always, even in jest!

BTW? Punditry actually did ascribe his win in SC to that high black % demographic, esp. with the women % demographi­c-Hillary'­s base, but more relevance was given the white % demographic he pulled in from women. The spin-masters always spin it to their advantage.­.punditry and politicians! I will vow to ignore or least, consider the source with Michelle Obama's comments if you will vow to do the same with Bill Clinton's comments..­deal?

"Bitches get stuff done AND they get MY vote!" And, Barack will get it, too..if he is the nominated candidate come November..­.will Hillary get YOURS if she is the candidate?

[spicegal]

It's a HUGE mistake for liberals/Democrats to accept this canard that the media is kinder to Obama. Firstly, I don't believe it's even true. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the righties started it, in the same way they accused the MSM of being liberal. It's their way of playing the ref, and ultimately the media will react by targeting Obama in the most hideous and destructive of ways. In fact, if anything, the the media seems to have a love affair with McCain, and certainly had one with Bush (unless they were just afraid of him). Again, an important warning to liberals/Democrat: Do NOT let this myth take root!!

[pinkyboo]

I've voted Democrat in every election since I've been able to vote, I'm no "rightie" and I noticed the bias against HRC way befor SNL pointed it out- unfortunately it is NOT a myth. I don't blame Obama for it but we haven't had an impartial MSM in decades.

[jeter2]

The reason the skit was funny is because the fawning by the media over Obama is TRUE.

[TLV]

The bias, in my opinion, comes from the simple fact that people love to put someone down. Hillary has actually been in the public eye far longer than Obama and although he has more real political experience, she is a former president's wife and knows how Washington, D.C. works.

All of the things people loved to hate about Hillary while Bill was president have come back to cloud reason during this campaign. We all knew it would be a very tough race for her. She knew it, too. And if she can rise above the bias, more power to her. If she can't and acts the way she did early in the Cleveland State debate, she deserves to lose.

[johnhummel]

How much of that though is bias, and how much is just bad news for the Clintons? Look at the events:

1. Obama wins IA (+1 Obama).
2. Clinton wins NH (+1 Clinton)
3. Clinton sends out false mailers in IA about Obama's voting record (-1 Clinton)
4. Teacher's Union supporting Clinton sue Culinary Workers supporting Obama over voting at work (-1 Clinton), she wins NV (+1 Clinton)
5. Bill says "Jesse Jackson won SC too", implying that an African American winning SC doesn't matter (-1 Clinton)
6. Obama wins SC big (+1 Obama)
7. Clinton loans herself $5 million, replaces campaign head (-1 Clinton)

So on and so forth. The Clinton campaign has been badly managed, and has had one misstatement after another. Obama had better ground work, so he won more. As he won more, he got more positive press. Clinton loses - she gets more losing press.

Overall, I think the media problems with the Clinton campaign have been mostly their own doing. Sure, there are people who support one over the other - it's clear Dobbs doesn't like Obama as much as he likes McCain or Clinton, and Obermann is pretty much an Obama guy. But overall, the negatives came from her own campaign - they didn't need anybody to skew those negative facts for her.