Clinton: "As Far As I Know" Nothing To Base Obama Muslim Rumor On

Huffington Post:

Ben Smith at the Politico writes:

A weird moment of TV, partially captured in the clip above. Clinton denies she thinks Obama's a Muslim, but her denial seems something other than ironclad, and the interviewer goes back at her on the question.

There are real danger zones for even hinting this stuff, even leaving yourself open to uncharitable interpretations, more with Obama than with any other politician I can think of. And expect a lot more of these moments if he's the nominee.

Here's the full "60 Minutes" exchange, in CBS's version:

"You don't believe that Senator Obama's a Muslim?" Kroft asked Sen. Clinton.

"Of course not. I mean, that, you know, there is no basis for that. I take him on the basis of what he says. And, you know, there isn't any reason to doubt that," she replied.

"You said you'd take Senator Obama at his word that he's not...a Muslim. You don't believe that he's...," Kroft said.

"No. No, there is nothing to base that on. As far as I know," she said.

"It's just scurrilous...?" Kroft inquired.

"Look, I have been the target of so many ridiculous rumors, that I have a great deal of sympathy for anybody who gets, you know, smeared with the kind of rumors that go on all the time," Clinton said.

Read the whole story: Huffington Post

Comments

[vanessa04]

I'I love the way Obama supporters seem to believe that Hillary should rush to Obama's defense and protect him from scurrilous rumor and innuendo.

If He's as unstoppable as you keep telling us He is, the Muslim rumor should be a no-brainer. In fact, it shouldn't matter one whit if Clinton had flat our said He was a secret Muslim.

I haven't heard anybody ask Obama to come to Clinton's defense for any of the many attacks she's had launched against her. Nor has he ofered any defense of her. Whay is it you expect her to defend him?

If He can't take the heat, and needs Clinton to clean up after Him, maybe He is the one who should withdraw from this race.

[missette]

I agree with you that Obama can take care of himself, but one again Hillary resorted to Rove-like tactics by equivocating on the matter, insulting the Democrat electorate by using code ("not as far as I know') for, well, maybe he is. We've been patronized with this sort of crap for the last seven eight years by Republicans, but there sits Hillary implying to simple-minded, bigoted voters that he just might be in order to "scare up" a vote. The only mess here was created by Hillary herself.

[MichaelC]

First, consider the source of the original spin. Led by Roger Simon, who practically foams at the mouth when talking about Clinton, virtually everyone at Politico is playing on Obama's team. It is absolutely clear from the transcript that Sen. Clinton rejected the Obama-as-Muslim rumor: "Of course not." It doesn't get any less ambiguous than that. It was the reporter, Steve Kroft, who continued to push the issue. Code? Such hyper-sensitivity does not bode well for someone who thinks he's up to fighting the Republicans -- who planted the rumor in the first place.

[Mutex]

This is classic Clinton!

Hillary supporters will try to say this is just 'politics'.

The thing is, most of us are tired of the kind of 'politics' that depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is.

If I had to describe the Clintons in one word it would be connivance.

Bill and Hillary should just go home and enjoy their ill-gotten gains.

Enough 'public service' already!!!

[UnrulyWoman]

What I find so disturbing about this is that Senator Clinton has taken to using the Republican playbook.

What I find so encouraging about this is that Senator Obama appears quite able to deal with these kinds of underhanded, scurrilous tactics.

[Star123]

Yeah, he asked his little press minion Kroft if Kroft had set the fellow straight. Followed by the big phony smile.

[mix2007]

I think Hillary has been unmasked as Karl Rove in drag. She's evil. She's a racist, fearmongering sleaze.

She's not a Democtrat at all. She's a "DINO" = Democrat in Name Only

I admit, Hillary,, er, I mean Karl, you fooled us pretty good. Now it all makes sense: the racism in South Carolina, the lawsuits in Nevada, the muslim photo and "Take him at his word" bit ....

[mix2007]

Hillary, do us all a favor and DROP OUT NOW!!!!

For the good of the party, drop out now!!!

Don't hurt the party for November. If you hang in and harm the nominee, you will be to blame if we lose.

[SShaw490]

This is classic Hillary Clinton. She is simply incapable of just doing the right thing. When the Iraq vote came up, she didn't want to look weak when she ran for president, so she voted for it; she couldn't just do the right thing. She brought up the whole flag burning nonsense to appeal to the right, whether it was a substantive issue for the American people or not; she couldn't just do the right thing. She voted for Kyl-Lieberman to appeal to the right; she couldn't just do the right thing. She simply can't see any issue without trying to calculate exactly how it may help her politically, and the merits of the issue doesn't even seem to enter into the decision. She fits right in there with "it depends on what the meaning of 'is' is..." and "I did not have sexual relations with that woman..."

So my question to the Hillary people is this: When that phone rings at 3AM in the White House, do you want a person to answer it and then begin the political calculus as to this issue's impact on her presonal political career? Because that's Hillary's record, from the Iraq war vote through 60 Minutes last night. She never changes.

One sidebar - Until that 60 Minutes piece, I could certainly see Obama picking her as his running mate. Now, that's going to be a lot more complicated. He's going to be fighting the right wing smear machine for the next 6 months, which is already using the "Obama is a Muslim" lie as ammunition, and to have his own running mate fail to reute the rumor when presented with such a clear opportunity just adds an air of credibility to it. If Barack chooses her as his running mate, the Republicans will be running that piece of tape for 6 months as proof that he's a closet Muslim. It was an amazing display of scorched earth politics, and I can't imagine how Barack can select her now. He probably didn't want her in the first place, but now, I just think she's made herself radioactive. The stupid woman has put herself in a position of HAVING to win the nomination or having no future political prospects. Not only is she a cold, lying political calculator, she can't even add.

[simplecitizen]

If for some unknown reason HRC manages to wrest this nomination from OBAMA SHE WILL BE SCORNED BY A LARGE CONTINGENT OF Deocratic voters who will be so angry that they will not go out to vote in the november election. She is unelectable and will forever be a pariah in her own party.

[MIHOP]

Agree. In addition, the memory of Bill and his administration, will suffer greatly in the party's collective consciousness going forward.

[ladygreenslippers]

This is the same woman who made a stink about Obama's OH NAFTA fliers that spoke the truth.
That is a personal smear!
Can you imagine if Barack did NOT denounce a similar rumour about a fellow democrat - ?!
The outrage; the media would be up in arms.

[loria]

I am an Obama supporter, but it took a while to decide who I supported. I liked all of the candidates, including Hillary. However, this campaign has made me dislike her intensely. I am having as difficult a time listening to her speeches as I do when I hear GWB talk. Because of the way she has run her campaign, her voice is now like fingers on a chalkboard to me. I do think that Obama makes great speeches, but I also know where he stands on the issues. So, just in case you are tempted to go after me because I'm just about speeches, don't bother. I've looked deeper and like what I see.

[olderdem]

Its the Clinton slime machine spreading the rumors.

[starboymikey]

John McCain was actually more forthright that Hillary when he unequivocally condemned the guy who intoroduced him at a rally after the guy keptcalling him Barack HUSSEIN Obama. McCain said "There is no place for his in my campaign and it will never happen again." He pissed off Rush Limbaugh and apparently didn't care.

I will gladly vote for Obama if he wins the nomination, but if it's Hillary I will have to listen very closely to the debates before making up my mind. The chances for my voting Republican are slim, but I may do the unthinkable and vote for Ralph Nader. I know that will be a de facto vote for McCain, but McCain can't be any worse than Bush, and Hillary Clinton has really started giving me the creeps.

[Micaanab]

Hillery, with all the polls in her favor, figured she had this nomination in the bag. Then some young whipper snapper came along and offered something Americans really want. So she refuses to accept she is being out staged. The only way she could break Americans hopes and dreams is to discredit the guy that offers it. Make him not look good. Make it a fairy tale. Suggest it can't be done.

I don't care if people think it can't happen. I don't care if people don't believe we could do better. I am voting for hope.

[wish4change]

You Obama whiners never cease to amaze me. Tear Hillary apart on an hourly basis for every slight by every person on the face of the earth who happens to disagree or dislike your candidate. Then go into overdrive with your criticsm when her answer to a stupid question doesn't quite get the press off his back. If he's such a big strong boy, try not to make Barack's problems her problem. OK?

[ladygreenslippers]

HRC has an acute sense and complete grasp of the english language, and she should have said unequivocally that the smear is just that; a smear. But she has a hard time, separating herself from what she has practised for years (the politics of personal destruction), and we don't expect it to change if she goes into the white house.

As tempted as she might have felt to do it, for the sake of the democratic party, because Obama could very well be the candidate, she should have insisted that it's not true. She failed once again make politics about what's best for the country, instead of what's best for the Clintons.

[Bozwellian]

LOL, and then thee are the incessant , delusional Clinton WHINERS who whine about EVERYTHING and find its always somebody elses fault that folks just do NOT see them, the CLINTON's as THE INEVITIBLES...LOL, get a reality check and check the facts that a goodly majority have VOTED to NOT GO BACK but to MOVE FORWARD and ARE willing to "roll the dice" for we've BEEN THERE, DONE THAT with the CLintons, and indeed, well OVER them and their "their back-that's" (backed withs FACTS not desengenuous innuendoes !!!) The Clintons are a poltical team willing to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to secure THEIR WIN, they will continue to spin it as IF "for the people", but take a good close look and discover that too is an ILLUSION meant for the easily delusionals all too similar to the groupies who have blindeyedly stood with GWB thru his currents reigns !!!

[MIHOP]

"Tear Hillary apart on an hourly basis for every slight by every person on the face of the earth..."

We're not talking about just any old person here, we're talking about a slight by HRC herself. And we're not talking about just any slight here, we're talking about HRC fueling the right-wing smear machine's inaccurate (and inapprorpriate) attempts to paint Barack Obama as a Muslim. What reason would she have to leave this question open except personal political gain? What other principles is she willing to sacrifice in order to keep her foot in the door? Will you continue to defend her when her campaign produces an illegitimate gay Islamofacist child sold in human trafficking?

[KaAp]

My hope is that Obama will win in both Ohio and Texas I would like to see the Clinton chapter of our history put to rest already ... I am concerned however when I hear ignorance and stupidity substituting for substance and these comments are despicable ... but, as I look back on the 90's it is just Clintonian tactics as usual ... watching Carville and his wife on the punditry shows yesterday I got the feeling that they might be out of a job because their sort of campaigning is so tied to the antagonisms of the past which I hope will become anachronisms ... I just have little faith in the voting public ... I have heard so much misinformation spins and lies and people who cannot or will not do the research and cannot critically assess spin from reality ... It is terrifying

[FZliveson]

Consider the source! The supposed-woman's, supposed-husband and supposed-father of their supposed-daughter needed to get the definition of the word; "is" in order to proceed with an incriminating question under oath. Birds of a feather flock together. I'm sick of the flocking bunch of them.

[ATL78]

She left it out there as a possibility. Her response feeds into the theme of "you know me, not him" that she has used with for some time now. It's not about parsing her every word, it is what it is and she was being less than forthright.

[jones]

She sure as hell didn't nuance her answer on 60 Minutes way back when SlickWill was being accused of having an extra-marital affair right before his 1st bid for the White House. It was "NO... HE DIDN'T HAVE AN AFFAIR!!"

The answer she gave last night was disgusting. She is no leader.