Bill's Tirade In Private Meeting Stuns Superdelegates

"The Bill Clinton who met privately with California's superdelegates at last weekend's state convention was a far cry from the congenial former president who afterward publicly urged fellow Democrats to 'chill out' over the race between his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Barack Obama," the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

"It was one of the worst political meetings I have ever attended," one superdelegate said.

According to those at the meeting, Clinton - who flew in from Chicago with bags under his eyes - was classic old Bill at first, charming and making small talk with the 15 or so delegates who gathered in a room behind the convention stage.

But as the group moved together for the perfunctory photo, Rachel Binah, a former Richardson delegate who now supports Hillary Clinton, told Bill how "sorry" she was to have heard former Clinton campaign manager James Carville call Richardson a "Judas" for backing Obama.

It was as if someone pulled the pin from a grenade.

"Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that," a red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted.

The former president then went on a tirade that ran from the media's unfair treatment of Hillary to questions about the fairness of the votes in state caucuses that voted for Obama. It ended with him asking delegates to imagine what the reaction would be if Obama was trailing by just 1 percent and people were telling him to drop out.

Comments

[skygod]

The Republicans have no real problem with Hillary because if/when she is the nominee they will simply remind the public of every single lie and scandal in a media blitz.
If by luck she still wins, they know the Clintons play the game--their eight years in office was status quo (no real change).

[kevenseven]

Whoa. Delusional much? One percent? 1% of what? This is a delegate race, despite all the efforts of the Clinotnistas to make it otherwise. Obama leads by 6% of the pledged, 5% of delegates overall.

And the whining about caucuses? Is even Bill buying into the BS idea that caucuses are not democratic? Caucuses are a venerated form of voting, with hundreds of years' history in the US. The idiot Clinton campaign just does not know how to organize to be effective in a caucus. Tough tiddly.

And if he is only just now realizing the fact that the press hates Hillary, he is not much use to the party, is he? My first and primary reason to oppose her candidacy is her negatives, especially with the press.

I wish he had threatened a floor fight again. These idiot Clintonistas with their threats and their crying and whingning are going to drive Super Delegates to Obama at an accelerating rate. posted 04/02/2008 at 10:07:52
1% of what, you need to ask. Clinton was counting MI & FL pledged delegates to get to that number.

In the real world, Obama leads by 6.2% in pledged delegates.

[pupbayer]

I don't blame him.

[kevenseven]

Really? I suppose it is true, she is entitled to the nomination.

[SCG]

of the WWF

[pupbayer]

I didn't say she was entitled to the nomination. I said I didn't blame Bill Clinton for being upset. (Stephanopoulis, no friend of the Clintons, said he talked to someone who was there and said it wasn't as bad as this article says.)

But, as usual, you Obama supporters just say the same thing over and over and over no matter what the topic or what the discussion is. You are a reflection of your leader...all platitudes and no substance. You ARE the Wright family!

[escapee]

Beware of the giant waging Bill Clinton finger! It's often revealed right before he's about to tell a lie!!

[RoxanneAustin]

Good catch! He does go into this finger wagging mode right before lying. And the more he shakes that finger, the bigtger the lie.....

[disgusted48]

Former President Clinton really needs to get over himself. His behavior is distasteful.

[josephjsalas]

Wow! He looks like Boris Yeltsin with more hair!

[LeftLeanWing]

or W C Fields without the Hat or the chickadee

[happydayz]

LOL...good one!

[Tinkeraw]

If I were a resident of Ohio I would be really mad at Hillary for doing this pro NAFTA speech, when, after the election, it comes out that she supported it. I hope Pennsylvania voters really take a long, hard look at her and Bill, because we would get both, when making their vote. Pennsylvania has the power to shut this thing down by voting for Barack Obama. They would stop the daily run of pathetic shows of desperation. It is starting to get embarassing such as this event with Bill.

[joje]

Pennsylvania saw Obama lie to Ohio about abolishing NAFTA while assuring Canada that it was just a campaign strategy. Pennsylvanians are watching how Jon Stewart, an Obama supporter, makes fun of the blue collar workers of their state. They are watching how Steven Colbert preaches that healthcare "doesn't need to be universal" when he obviously doesn't have to worry about healthcare and can choose any plan that he needs.They are watching as elders of the Democratic Party call for Sen Clinton to quit "for the good of the party" as they blithely allow their own party to disenfranchise the 2.3 million voters of Fla and Michigan.
Pennsylvanians remember the years of peace and prosperity and a 0 deficit because of President Clinton. I'm sure they are thinking of just how horrible that would be, to get both the Clintons, with decades of experience and Presidential gravitas.
Pennsylvania , take a good , long, hard look.

[BlueCalico]

It looks like they have - http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Penn_Release_040208_1.pdf

Raleigh, N.C. – Barack Obama has taken the lead over Hillary Clinton 45-43 in
Pennsylvania, according to the newest survey from Public Policy Polling.
It’s a remarkable turn around from PPP’s last Pennsylvania poll, conducted two and a
half weeks ago, that showed Clinton with a 26 point lead in the state.

Buh, bye Hillary.

[GodisHateSpeech]

There is nothing worse than a spoiled SORE LOSER.

Congratulating one's victorious opponent shows class and character.

She is just trying to force her way into the VP slot.

Imagine THAT disaster.

[ME08]

As I said earlier, apparently this episode was exaggerated by that bitch who claimed he did this...what a surprise! Chronicle needs to correct story, NOW! If I were Bill, I would demand retraction, and sue if needed.

[Kalima]

Bitch? My, what character you show.

[kevenseven]

"that bitch"?

Your mother knows you talk like that?

[GodisHateSpeech]

There is now a second source.
It happened, Wise up.

[Waitaminute]

Other people there. So far no one has come forward to deny the story. I guess you know more then the people present. This "B" as you call her, is a Hillary supporter.

[mrJJ]

The Clinton master plan failed. He is now just an ex impeached President. All the gusto of the party elder title of the Dem party has lost its vigor. If the Superdelegates were going to go his way they would have done so already. Oh well; at least the superdelegates he lined up before his wife put her hat in the ring havn't jumped ship.... yet.

Over By February 5th
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saBU6ux0hsQ

[Beowoof]

Hard sell doesn't work so well when the product is suspect.

[billrott]

Ok, here is another battleground state that Hillary won't win if she is the nominee - NEW MEXICO. Mr. Clinton has sealed her loss in the state with this action.

[jsinclair]

"One percent?"

If Obama was behind Hillary in the popular vote...in the delegate vote....in the number of states won....and in the trend of superdelegates' support.....Bill Clinton would be the FIRST (and apparently the loudest) to call for his withdrawal.

And Carville would be all over CNN saying that Obama should do it "for the good of the party and the country." I'm so tired of the Clinton (and surrogates') lies, manipulation and hypocrisy.

[billrott]

Obama is ahead in popular vote by 3% The Clintonites keep on wanted to count the two voided elections.

[ME08]

3%---WOW! Impressive!

[escapee]

jsinclair: ABSOLUTELY!

[DEMSoneGOPzip]

Not only do we need new faces in the White House, we need a new face on the White House. The bad horses of corporate america have had their way at the hitching post for far too long. I voted and supported Billy Boy during both Clinton terms and I maintain a small amount of respect, but it is waning. For the moment I have great sorrow for Hillary's plight; she deserves better. Go Bama!

[aristippe]

Obama is corporate too.

[Kalima]

Unfortunately, the past often dictates the future. This would be the main problem
with the Clintons and their selective memory, that and all the untruths surfacing like
flying fish,these days.

[Kalima]

Strange, this was a reply for boyd below.

[Kalima]

If I were Bill, I'd have a red face too after all of Hillary's lies begin to float to the top.
Just heard on CNN that released WH papers put Hillary in 5 meetings, promoting
NAFTA. For it before she was against it in her campaign, as far as we know.

[RRH]

In the early ninties, we were properous. NAFTA was abused by Bush who thinks unfair trade policies are fair. READ!

[nellie]

NAFTA created problems in the 90. Important aspects of the provision, specifying standards of working conditions and environmental protection, were never funded. And there was plenty of opposition to the bill for the very reasons that people oppose it now—fear of losing American jobs to countries where wages were so low that U.S. workers could not compete. NAFTA belongs as much to Clinton as it does to Bush. Maybe more. You might want to do a little reading on it yourself.

[Kalima]

It was the Clinton's "baby" from conception to the birth. They own it.

[MidwestMomma]

We were prosperous because Clinton gutted military spending and energy costs were lower. Nafta was meant to be fair trade but the reality of job losses had to be obvious to even the Clintons. I do agree it has been abused by Bush in a way only republicans can abuse. But the Clintons had to know it would adversly affect American workers. I knew it and wrote many a letter to oppose it.