Bradley: Bill Clinton's Financial Backers Could Pose Big Problem

Though known for his soft-demeanor, former senator and current Obama supporter Bill Bradley let off a bit of steam at the Clinton campaign during an appearance on NewsHour Wednesday night.

Calling into question the known unknowns (channeling my inner-Rumsfeld) of former president Bill Clinton's financial backers, Bradley raised the specter of down-the-road quid-pro-quos and one-hand-behind-your-back general election fights against Sen. John McCain. As he explained to host Jim Lehrer:

"I think Barack Obama has a much stronger chance of beating John McCain in the general election. I think Hillary is flawed in many ways, and particularly if you look at her husband's unwillingness to release the names of the people who contributed to his presidential library.

And the reason that is important -- you know, are there favors attached to $500,000 or $1 million contributions? And what do I mean by favors? I mean, pardons that are granted; investigations that are squelched; contracts that are awarded; regulations that are delayed.

These are important questions. The people deserve to know. And we deserve, as Democrats, to know before a nominee is selected, because we don't want things to explode in a general election against John McCain."

Here is the video:

Tip of the hat to goldmj at Daily Kos for first noticing this.

Comments

[lafrance]

You go, Bradley. Everyone, including the koolaid drinking Clinton apologists, know the Clintons are sleazy. they are corrupt and criminal.

[kevenhussienseven]

Not only that, but HRC did not win TX.

[JavaCityGal]

What Bradley is allusing to (but isn't saying yet) is that Clintons have recieved milions and millions of dollars from Dubai, Arab Shieks and Islamic organizations. Do you think they are donating this money to the Clintons without expecting favors? That is why the Clintons won't release their tax returns and other information being asked. Hillary "Rove" Clinton CANNOT win against the Republicans. They will TEAR HER TO SHREDS with his information. This information is coming from Dick Morris, Clinton political advisor for 20 years. He knows a thing or two about the Clintons.

[Oldtt]

Dick Morris got fired by the Clintons and is a major Clinton hater - hardly an objective observer. The implication of Bradley's comments is that an elected Hillary Clinton is pre-corrupted and would grant pardons and other favors left and right for donors to Bill Clinton's library. Whether you give this story credence is directly proportional to how much bias you have toward both Clintons right now. If you hate her, it's all true, if not it is nothing but hostile speculation.

[Ndri789]

Yeah! Yeah! she even got a few millions from Malcom X and the nation of Islam!!! Hoh! hoh! hoh!

[kevenhussienseven]

He did not even remotely say that, but if it were true, you are correct that the Thugs would eat her lunch over it.

Oh, and Clinton did not win TX.

[in4success]

that's exactly what he's trying to hint at because it's true and i have been trying to tell you guys for weeks and weeks and weeks -- but i have to listen to the "misogynist" bullshit.

i'v also been trying to tell you she's a leiberman-esque, neo-con mole and catching hell fr that also . . . however, it is now becoming pretty clear i was right... and i'm also right about her lesbian affair with her "muslim" personal assistant, huma abedin: http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/018931.php

the right is sitting on all this and intend to use it to destroy her in the general.

BELIEVE IT!!!

[winoohno]

Bill has another huge skeleton in his closet: there is a mult-million dollar fraud case going to court in LA, CA involving Peter F. Paul and his fundraisin­g/donation­s to Hillary's 2000 Senate campaign. Wait until this story gets out... whew! www.worldnetdaily.com

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Supporters DO work at NOT hearing 'the Clintons' negatives, though.

[Oldtt]

Here is some perspective on this case:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_F._Paul

[Denni]

Those things were true about Paul when the Clintons went into business with him. It's also true that a judge refused to dismiss the case, as hte Clintons had hoped. There's some 'there there', folks.

[MsLiz]

I read up on Peter Paul, not the candy bar company, on Wikipedia. He is a world class con man. The Clintons should have vetted him before allowing him to fund raise for Hillary's 2000 Senate election. He had done Federal prison time and came to Bill Clinton looking for a pardon. Either the Clintons were conned by him, or they knew he was a con man, either way, they come off bad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_F._Paul

[MoeGreen]

And Paul has no reason to stay quiet and do jail time for the Clintons. I'd be interested in a complete roll call of everyone involved in this case in the event that dozens of them start to conveniently come up dead this time too.

[Susan1968]

That World Net Daily article is from a far right wing loony group.

If Obama wants to use right wing loonies as his "kitchen sink" source against the Clintons, that will really help him win independent votes.

Peter F. Paul, featured in that article you link, once tried to extort millions of dollars from Fidel Castro.

So you're taking the word of a felon who has tried and failed to sue Bill Clinton, a real nut case (who had to be extradicted from Brazil to be thrown in jail) as your proof of Bill's wrongdoing.

Jeeze.

[IndieGirl]

Do you Hillary supporters really, truly, believe that the Clinton do not have more shady dealings and skeletons than Obama. You guys are delusional to compare Rezko with the litany of Clinton dealings. Wow, I feel like Obama is running against a republican. You know how republicans look at you straight in the face and support Bush for ripping up the constitution and making his own laws, creating terror alerts during the 2004 campaign every other day, easvedropping on Americans without regard...but the Republicans always find a way to find an excuse for him.. That is exactly what you Hilbots are doing.

I will never let a someone take over my sense reason and principle just because I voted for them. That goes for Obama too. I will call him on his errors!

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Kool-aid drinkers DO NOT comprehend 'integrity'.

Well said, Indiegirl!

[Veeve]

Hear! Hear!

IdieGirl, you hit the nail on the head. Her latest move talking up McCain against Obama on national security is straight out of the Rove Playbook. The object is to get the McCain camp, White House and the MSM to keep repeating the accusation until it becomes conventional wisdom. I don't think the Obama camp understands what a perilous situation they are in. It is going to be 4 against 1 straight through PA. I don't know if Obama will make it out of this crucible. No one can take four against one for very long.

[milo9]

Bill is way too dirty for his wife to act like she is. It defies reason.

[TruthBeTold4us]

I've seen people posting on Huffington's site about this for weeks. Glad someone on the media finally brought this up where it now has to be covered by the mainstream media.

[EspritDeVoltaire]

When did that ever stop a hypocrite?

[joselopez]

Finally glad to see Obama surrogates go out there and point out clinton's weaknesses!!!

[colleen2]

"It defies reason."

Decent people look at the machinations of the current administration are are appalled and disgusted. The Clintons and the DLC see tactics and strategies to imitate .

[Susan1968]

Mr. Sam Stein --

Are you enjoying writing for HuffPo rather than Newsweek?

I bet Newsweek really cramped your style of biased reporting.

Your line: "Bill Bradley let off a bit of steam at the Clinton campaign during an appearance on NewsHour Wednesday night."

Let off a little steam. Oh, please -- Bill Bradley is an Obama surrogate and he was breifed on his talking points.

Really now... writing for Huffington Post might help you fall into bad habits as a journalist.

Next job? The National Enquirer perhaps?

[JavaCityGal]

Don'ty shoot the messenger just because you don't like the facts.

[realistxxx]

Hell, the Clintonistas are willing to shoot their own party because they don't like the way people are voting. Shooting the messenger is relatively honorable for them.

[Palito]

the nice thing is to see the candidate of HOPE and CHANGE now sending his surrogates all over the media to smear the Clintons, so much for CHANGE we can believe in ! ahahhaha

[remedy]

I think Bradley has a legit point, in fact Bill pardoned or granted clemency to some in which Tony Rodham was paid money for lobbying on their behalf. This will be republician fodder come Nov. Its time now to get this out in the open. Time to release the donor list and tax return. How hard can that be?

[MsLiz]

I am calling you on the ad hominem attack. State facts, don't name call. You insult the author and Bill Bradley, but state no facts upon which you base these conclusions.

[Oldtt]

What are Bradley's facts, as opposed to speculation?

[vcthree]

They don't have the facts, and they can't handle the truth.

[artsandminds]

Ah, nice try, but instead of attacking Mr. Stein, why not dispute his points? Is it because like anyone with a brain knows, the Clinton's are as crocked as they come and would not be able to fend off the McCain acqusations?

[Davwbaird]

I did hear hillary endorse McCain. bad lady.

[Ndri789]

It's abut time I EXIT this blog; maybe one day after the primaries it might be worth my visiting...then again who knows?
Bye, bye koolaid drinkers!
Bye, bye, fanatics!
Bye, bye, repugs!
bye, bye haters!
Bye, bye agents of ken Starr!!!!

[kevenhussienseven]

Hey, Sue, Saint Hillary did not win TX. Saint Bill said she should quit if she lost TX.

When can I expect the concession speech?

[soot]

Hillary Clinton endorsed John McCain over a member of her own party. She's desperate, and a sell-out.

[JavaCityGal]

She threw the Democratic Party under the bus by endorsing McCain. How can anyone be a true Democrat and not be repulsed by this?

[AOGutierrez]

These guys threw the Democratic Party under the bus in 2006 when they joined with Republicans to support Joe Lieberman over the elected Democratic candidate for Senate in Connecticut. Joe Lieberman has now endorsed John McCain. So much for good judgment .

[nanotubz]

A 170 blog with no comments?

[Cos1]

Note to Obama campaign, you can put this video into a commercial and show it across the rest of the States waiting to vote in this campaign. It's not negative, just fact. What are the Clintons hiding. We're still getting 2 for 1 if she's the nominee.

[ttjenny]

mixed friends com

[scandals&skeletons]

hillary is simply positioning herself to run after mccains 4 year term. her plan is to promote mccain, tear down obama and only have to wait 4 years to run again instead of waiting 8 if obama is president.
i am dead serious. thats how i see it.

[milo9]

I heard the same theory advanced someplace else and I like it!

[scandals&skeletons]

it really makes sense, its been obvious the democratic party is not a priority for hillary.

[DavidK08]

This stuff is exactly the reason that Clinton needs to back away. This can't be outrun. I like it mentioned in blogs and news but, I would prefer that the Obama camp don't run with it in public.

In my opinion, humble as it is, I would like to see this used privately to sway Super Delegates. This plus the tax returns.

[furion]

She thinks they're going hard on her now. Obama may be squeamish about attacking her with the full force of her and her husband's legally questionable activities, but the Republicans won't even blink.

By the time they're done with her, she'll be so beaten and bloodied that she'll rue the day she ran.. and she'll lose the presidency, too.

There's only one person in the whole country that can unite the Republican party and get every last one of them to the polls.. Hillary Clinton.

[scandals&skeletons]

obama is black
hillarys a hack
obama is good
bill wears a hood
obama has hope
hillary mopes
obama plays fair
hillar dont care
obama will try
hillary will cry

[MichaelO]

Hillary is not a dog
Obama is not God
Truth: Obama should have ran as a third party candidate.

[funkalicious]

Hillary has already Licked John McCains lollipop own at the candy shop saying that McCain was more qualified than our best democratic candidate. .
Which side is she on?
It appears she is a McCain republican?

[BabeeBK]

the clintons are just too shady for me...I can't vote for Hillary, simply because I don't trust her