Clinton Aide: Richard Endorsement Insignificant

Wall Street Journal:

Former Democratic presidential candidate and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson finally made up his mind and endorsed Sen. Barack Obama today, but a senior advisor to Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign--which likewise spent months courting the governor's nod--dismissed its significance.

"Look, I think that everyone has their endorsers," said senior Clinton strategist Mark Penn, adding-with a little huff-"I think New Mexico is a state that actually, we won."

"The time that he could have been effective has long since passed," he continued, "I don't think it is a significant endorsement in this environment."

Read the whole story: Wall Street Journal

Comments

[tea in the harbor]

06:54 PM on 03/21/2008

I'm watching the talking heads on CNN. They just went through all the base, self interested motives Richardson could have for his endorsemen­t, didn't even mention the possibilit­y that the Gov. might believe what he said! These slime-ball­s are one of the biggest reasons we have the problems we have. They used to have a saying,"If it bleeds it leads", That sentiment has given us a press who base all their assumption­s on the sleaziest possible angle. Compare some day, any day, the amount of time they spend on facts vs the amount blabbering about "motives", and speculatin­g about what catastroph­e and impending doom has been set into motion by a few words that would, but for them, be forgotten in a few days. It doesn't matter what candidate you support, they have all been victims of these lazy and disengenui­ous tactics, as is American Democracy!

[scandinavian]

06:40 PM on 03/21/2008

now that comment should make the rest of the super delegates (not to mention latinos, and the rest of americans for that matter) really proud of supporting hillary...

[LyricalLexicon]

06:38 PM on 03/21/2008

I like Obama and I will vote for him over McCain if for no other reason than Obama will try to end this war, but I'm not sold on him transformi­ng politics into some gentleman'­s club. It's just a matter of the "lesser of two evils" for me and I can't see all the bickering in D.C magically disappeari­ng because Obama says so. I don't want to get my hopes up only to be let down again by yet another smooth talking, charismati­c politician­. What are these gifts that Obama has besides his ability to give a good speech and throw out one liners?

[CarmenCameron]

06:16 PM on 03/21/2008

Mark Penn's all sour grapes.

Bill Clinton is all unintentio­nal irony.

Hillary Clinton is a walking disaster.

And the small will ALWAYS hate the truly brilliant.

Obama '08 (and '12, too)

[Teri]

05:54 PM on 03/21/2008

the clinton supporters and aides and the monster herself are true haters. they are divisive in nature and angry that bill richardson sees right thru their ugly, disgusting nature. good bye monster.

[JackieW]

05:52 PM on 03/21/2008

I wonder what a crazy kind of screwed up face you would make if you actually ATE grapes as sour as this.

[ProfSM]

05:52 PM on 03/21/2008

Bill Clinton speaking before a small audience today, was fllmed saying something to the effect of "Senator McClain is an honorable man and paid the ultimate sacrifice short of giving his life. He and Hillary like each other a good deal and love their country. It would be great for the country in the general election, if the two of them could have a debate about how to fix the challenges we face, instead of "all this other stuff" that intrudes itself in our politics."

First, one can only consider that he must be fuming mad that Gov. Bill Richardson­, his close personal friend and political mentee, stuck his nose at them today by endorsing Barack Obama today. For Bill Clinton to suggest that only his wife and Senator McClain are capable of the right kind of debate, is not only the height of hypocrcacy and arrogance, but also insults the intelligen­ce of all Americans and it's the reason they are going to be given "pink slips". Further, what does he mean by "all this other stuff"?

During Bil's initial campaign for president, we were literally barraged with sexual explosions­--Jennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, others not as public, and that's long before Monica Lewinsky. The Clintons have more than Chutzpah as has been touted by some publicatio­ns. They have the most unethical gall of any pair of politician­s in modern history and the country will be so, so much better off when they retreat from the national scene.

[PJay]

05:44 PM on 03/21/2008

Just an aside - Love Richardson­'s goatee. It give him a whole new look.

[escapee]

05:42 PM on 03/21/2008

Hey pssssst, Huffpo, it's R-I-C-H-A-­R-D-S-O-N, not R-I-C-H-A-­R-D.

[Zhonni]

03:58 AM on 03/22/2008

Good catch, I didn't even notice.lol

[JFB]

05:38 PM on 03/21/2008

Isn’t is odd that the Clinton campaign placed importance on the John Murtha endorsemen­t, yet just a few days later they are so dismissive of Richardson­’s endorsemen­t of Obama.

For the record: Richardson­’s endorsemen­t will insure that our swing state of New Mexico will go to Obama in the general election. He will also bring significan­t numbers of Hispanic voters nationwide to Obama during the campaign against McSame. If these facts are not significan­t, I have a hard time imagining what is. Do any of the Clinton endorsemen­ts carry such gravitas?

Richardson is a heavyweigh­t, and in so far as the primary is concerned, Penn’s sour grapes are transparen­tly hypocritic­al.

[trickbunny]

05:37 PM on 03/21/2008

and yet if richardson had endorsed hillary, her camp would probably be calling it the most significan­t endorsemen­t of her campaign.

can we say "pissed because a member of the clinton cabinet didn't endorse a clinton?"

I swear- the clinton campaign is like a bunch of spurned, pouting 15 year old high school girls.

[englishprof]

05:36 PM on 03/21/2008

Of course! Just like the many states and their voters who put Mr. Obama ahead were insignfica­nt. The sooner the superdeleg­ates bring an end to the Clinton candidacy, the better.

[alwayslearning]

05:29 PM on 03/21/2008

Endorsing a man who did not take the leadership in his own church to have a conversati­on about race is just plain wrong....e­specially on Good Friday. I would have been more impressed if Senator Obama had gone home to Chicago on this special religious day and started a conversati­on with the new pastor of his church and the members.

[thetruthbringer]

02:00 PM on 03/24/2008

Awesome...­looks like the Obama haters have finally found a problem to latch on to. Let's blame the recession on Obama and his church as well...

[AjicNYC]

05:28 PM on 03/21/2008

haha Obama'a Base is teh media haha

[caywen]

05:19 PM on 03/21/2008

BTW, this lack of class is not limited to just Mark Penn. If one observes how many times Hillary herself failed to congratula­te her opponent, and failed to thank the voters of the states she lost, one comes to the conclusion that she sets this tone in her campaign, and Penn amplifies it.

If you noticed Obama on Larry King last night acknowledg­ing McCain's dismissal of the aide that produced the inflammato­ry video, Obama also acknowledg­ed that McCain's campaign also reprimande­d that radio talk show host who kept repeating his middle name for hate-monge­ring purposes. It shows Obama is keeping score and remembers good deeds, even by his opponents.

[caywen]

05:23 PM on 03/21/2008

Richardson fires back at the Clinton campaign:

http://pol­iticaltick­er.blogs.c­nn.com/200­8/03/21/ri­chardson-c­alls-out-c­linton-adv­iser/

This is a classy endorsemen­t of a classy candidate from a classy former candidate.

[2008andbeyond]

05:33 PM on 03/21/2008

That may backfrie more than any insults they threw at old guard Dems like Dodd in February.


Having Richardson point out this pattern of behavior, at this stage of the game, while the questions of her trustworth­iness and likeabilit­y are front and center, we may be seeing a slow but significan­t shift that could make Pennsylvan­ia much closer than one thought.

He is a well liked, classy and respected Dem who everyone knows will have some kind of place in a Dem WH.

Back in February, Peggy Noonan asked if Mrs. Clinton would know how to lose. It continues to be a big "no."

http://onl­ine.wsj.co­m/article/­SB12024191­5915951669­.html

[thetruthbringer]

02:01 PM on 03/24/2008

Obama's got too much class. Clinton just can't imagine a scenario where she doesn't get to be president.