WSJ: Clinton Used Expletive In 'Unpleasant' Conversation With Clyburn

From a story in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal:

Among the party leaders Mr. Clinton alienated over time by his angry tirades was South Carolina's Rep. Jim Clyburn, the third-ranking House leader and a civil-rights-movement veteran.

Before South Carolina's primary, Mr. Clyburn admonished Sen. Clinton for suggesting President Johnson deserved more credit than Martin Luther King Jr. for civil-rights laws. On primary night, Mr. Clinton called Mr. Clyburn and they spoke for 50 minutes. "Let's just say it wasn't pleasant," Mr. Clyburn says.

Mr. Clinton called Mr. Clyburn an expletive, say Democrats familiar with the exchange. Mr. Clyburn's office would confirm only that the former president used "offensive" words. Some day soon, the congressman says, he'll write about the incident. On Tuesday, he endorsed Mr. Obama for president.

Comments

[JamieJay]

Unless the Democrats want a menage-a-trois presidency, they had better find anyone BUT Hillary as VP!!! Hillary, always says that her and Bill Clinton are a two-for-one package. The democratic White House would be better off without Baggage Bill. We just can't imagine Baggage Bill making even more unsavory headlines and questionable business dealings, which would reflect bad against President Obama.

[robiform]

Dear President Clinton,
Please, before your legacy is totally shot to hell, go for a psychiatric evaluation. I am convinced that something happened during the bypass surgery four years ago, because before that time, you were one of the most astute politicians ever! Even during the Monica mess, you had the support of a sizable majority of Americans. Now, every time you open your mouth, you make about as much sense as does the current occupant of the White House! I'm sure you don't want to be compared to that creature, so do yourself a huge favor and get yourself checked out. And, by the way, Ms. Clinton, do the rest of us a favor and concede already!

[BenMAF]

Hi, this post on Huffington isn't very helpful in understanding why Bill Clinton was so ticked off that Clyburn was implying his wife was a racist (because that would make me furious!). This is a PBS essay done in January - it might help to understand the issue in more depth:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/01182008/watch4.html

[BabsfromKS]

And go get evaluted along with Bill

[ginnypoo]

He has helped create a healthcare system in Rwanda...w­hat have you done in the last 2 yrs? In comparison you have done nothing. You know nothing about Bill Clinton or what he is actually doing in the world.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/85

[4wehttam]

His legacy is already shot to hell.

[aubrey8]

hey, he was there for your still birth robi. show some respect.

[robiform]

May I suggest that the next time you post on this site, you do so BEFORE you inhale?? That comment is as incoherent as the ones that the right-wing trolls post!

[neoprimordial]

Without question Bill Clinton is a very learned and smart man, but he's not the wisest of people. Bill is thinking about the actually passing of the legislation and such when he suggests that Johnson might have been more important. This is a fool's argument. Every great movement has a million unsung heroes, major players, and, usually, one lead figure. All are required for its success. Johnson did some great things, Clyburn himself did some great things, Rosa Parks did some great things, and Chaney & Schwerner & Goodman did some great things in the short time they had in which to do it; but it was Martin Luther King, Jr., who nonviolently lead the way, who gave a speech for the ages before the National Mall, and who, in the end, took a bullet for his efforts, to the heartbreak and bereavement of people all over the world. Without him, it's very likely there wouldn't have been the progress there was, much less the legislation. Bill should know better than to suggest otherwise, but then, he's not the wisest of people.

[kj11]

great post neoprimord­ial..you got it right

[Oldtt]

Very reasoned argument, except that it was Senator Clinton who made the LBJ comment in the debate, not Bill Clinton. No one denigrated the contribution of Dr. King, only that it required LBJ and Everett Dirkson to push legislation through to make King's efforts into law. Dr. King knew this and worked hard to make it happen. Seizing on Senator Clinton's remark as evidence of racism was wrong.

[cartecay]

I agree Bill's doesn't always use the best judgement. But I'm here to tell you, as someone who went to a segregated high school (1968, mind you) in the deep south, if LBJ hadn't pushed through the civil rights reform legislation, we'd still have separate water fountains down here. It was legal and the entire power structure down here took the apartheid as a given and nothing but federal level reform would have ever changed that. LBJ used his considerable political skill and capital to make something happen that otherwise would not, at least not for a generation.

This is another reason some of us are baffled that Obama won't come out in support of gay marriage. His argument is that it should be left to the states. This is exactly what George Wallace, Lester Maddox, Strom Thurmond and the rest of the white power structure said about civil rights. The irony is overwhelming to those of us who are still waiting for OUR civil rights.

[JamieJay]

We have a friend that works in the media and he told us that Rep. Clyburn has been flooded with racist hate-filled ranting phone calls. He's been receiving these calls, since he endorsed Barack Obama. The people that are calling claim to be Hillary Clinton supporters. We believe that some might be Hillary supporters, but also believe that many are RACIST Ron Paul supporters. We have been live chatting online (AOL Debate Politics chat rooms) for months, and we figured out that many racist Ron Paul supporters have been posing as Hillary Clinton supporters. Their screen names are usually derogatory against Barack Obama. The Hillary supporters usually post in "pink" type. They usually give themselves away when you say something negative against Ron Paul, or the GOP. We have also found that many Hillary supporters always side with the racist rants from the Ron Paul supporters.

[NorVaGal]

What I think is the real story here is that there seems to be a pattern emerging as to how people are treated when they dare to tell the Clintons "No". Evidently uncommitted superdelegates realized what form that treatment would take and tried to avoid angering the Clintons as long a possible. However, in a campaign, there is loyalty to party vs. loyalty to an individual. I certainly realize it is a cutthroat business, but choices and adaptations have to be made along the way. And, once a presumptive nominee is declared, party loyalty takes precedence-- except, for Hillary and Bill Clinton.

The Clintons had no problem with using and bucking the Dem party when it was to their own self-interests. It appears that their disloyalty to the party fuels some of the lack of support given them by party elders during this season. Yet, Bill and Hill demand absolute loyalty and react very poorly at being thwarted. I guess Rep. Clyburn just got relegated to his turn at the end of a very long (and growing) line.

No wonder many Dem leaders and constituents do not want the Clintons anywhere near the White House again.

[musselmanm]

We should all go back in the way back machine and remember what a piece of shit, Johnson was.
He had dead people vote in texas so he and Kennedy were elected. That was a good thing. He sold us down the war road for a long time after taking over for Kennedy. He was a racist and a bully. Strom Thurmond was just like him.
He lied and cheated. His wife owned Brown and Root. Yes the very same!
He never was the liberal hero he was put up as after his being forced from office by us Hippie Punks.
He was forced into every thing he ever did that was halfway good.
John McCain reminds me so much of him.
Urrgh!

[SeekerOne]

Purdum's the scumbag. Yeah, right.

[jdizl]

I see 2 divorces..­.

HRC from Bill, if she wants to be taken seriously for VP

DNC from Bill, if she wants to be taken seriously for VP

This guy is clearly a classic case of egomaniac, egotistical egotist...
He is a big problem...
And running around with Ron Burkle is just what the GOP is looking for!

Go away Bill! Please!

[PMSBarbie]

This is precisely the reason why I went from a Hillaryite to an Obamite in February. When he posed the Jesse Jackson comparison, I knew she could not keep a muzzle and a leash on her husband. That was the signal that they would play dirty and he'd do the work.

[realistic2008]

He did go away and look what happened to this nation. If you want for someone to go away and directly to jail it should be George Bush and Co.

[ginnypoo]

Isn't unity nice. Aren't you showing respect yet?

[Forsetti]

If Hillary supporters want to know why Obama would not consider her as VP, here it is. Your candidate carries an albatross around her neck by the name of "Bill". While the GE should be focusing on polices and ideas it would be turned into an episode of "The Real World".

[PHLSouthernJack]

I personally have many more expletive words for Clyburne!
He showed he is a drama queen since everything went down in South Carolina in the Primary. He puts Black loyalty over history. He should retire and let the current generation run things.

[Midnightrain]

Your comment: "He puts Black loyalty over history."

And what do you presume Hillary and her supporters do? I suppose you don't think their loyalty is race-based? Reality check: White loyalty runs the world.

[Soothsayer08]

Glad someone else said this!

[ginnypoo]

And you are back to equating Hillary support to racism. Gee, the unity pony must have ridden right past you.

[phillyPete]

THe current generation is taking over, which is why Obama won the nomination.

[JiminNC]

Yo roody, it will be ok.

[Roose]

Drama Queen(s). Gee that describes the Clintons to a T.

[lotuslike]

Do you realize how unbalanced you sound?

[KathyIndiana]

Gee - Bill used an expletive. What a surprise!

[Midnightrain]

Bill used Clyburn - Clyburn used Bill, and Bill's angry. What a surprise!

[ginnypoo]

We are pretending this didn't happen, ssshhhhhh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQY_9ZcsjpQ

It really is kind of inconvenient that Obama admitted playing up the racism stories to score votes.....­that is so annoying when he admits it and then everyone has to pretend it didn't happen.

[AllenD]

The Clintons are completely unhinged. The sooner they disappear, the better. The country owes Barack Obama one huge debt for ridding the nation of that albatross.

[K-Dog76]

Well said AllenD

[Daisy1111]

Ask you Mommy and Daddy how well they were doing during the Clinton Administration.

[realistic2008]

I trust you are refering to Bush not Clinton , the third best president ever,are you not?

[thepoliticalcat]

Oh, Bill, what has become of you? Why? Why are you destroying your own legacy?

This is so sad. The Clinton years were good for many of us, but how can anyone support this angry old man and his delusional old lady any more?

[K-Dog76]

politicalcat,

thats thing... the Clinton years were good to us but not because of Bill or Hillary... they just took the credit, they were always on their own agenda. They are just exposing their true colors because they aren't getting their way.

I'm glad you see it destroying his legacy. It means the sugar coating has finally come off and what was always true has become apparent.

[Bdwyre]

I feel the same way. I used to wish that Bill could run again because the Clinton years were good ones for most Americans. Now Bill seems to be losing his grip on reality and when I listen to Hillary's whiny rants I understand why Bill cheated on her (I know, shame on me).

It's time for these two to make a hasty exit.

[ginnypoo]

Bill Clinton didn't change...y­ou just started buying into the MSM garbage so you could justify your namecalling and nastiness on blogs. That's what changed...­.Obama changed you. And you bought it. That's sad.
It doesn't bother you that calling people racist is now "all the rage"? That scares me how easy it has become to buy into this mentality that "all my enemies are just racists"..­.it's the low road, and seems at the core very unAmerican. It strikes me as a confirmation of everything negative said about Americans. Just being pro Clinton confirms racism. How? I have no idea. I picked a candidate, that's all. I want universal healthcare mandated, Obama does not offer that. So I picked. Now choosing the healthcare plan I wanted makes me a racist. My personal situation is such that I CANNOT GET HEALTHCARE UNLESS IT IS MANDATED, but I am a racist because I have medical issues and need care but have no way to get it now. So I accept that I am a racist, I thought I just wanted to see my grandsons grow up, but I get called racist for it....what am I to do? Fight for my healthcare or give up because you say to? Who are you to say I should give up on living longer and seeing my grandsons grow up? How dare you all. It is why I am so angry about how I am treated.

[guibanquinho]

Bill lost control of his mouth and of his pant's zippers a long time ago. The reporter from Vanity Fair wrote about his change in mood among other things and sure enough, Bill goes out there and calls him a scumbag and other names, basically proving the reporter's point!! Wow, the Clintons need to exit the stage to the left, really...

[aubrey8]

Big deal. They had an argument and used some foul language. Who hasn't done that.

[timm553]

This one really depends on which words were actually used. While some words spoken in anger are acceptable, some, by the nature of their origin, are not. You could call me an a$$hole and I might accept that in the scheme of things, but if you called me a ni__er, that would be going much to far. Don't you agree that some words are more caustic and hateful than others and shouldn't be put out there even in anger?

In answer to your question, there are a lot of people who haven't done that.

Peace to us all.

[Bill3rdterm]

the N word would not be described as an explictive. It would be described as a racial slur. I wish people would stop assuming certain things that were said, just because of there obsessive and sick hatred of the Clintons. I can understand why bill was pissed. clyburn decided to take Bill to task in the media instead of in private. He misunderstood what bill said and if he had any decency he would have contacted him personally to discuss it.

[calluna]

But you don't know what he said. You just have the description of someone who didn't even have the balls to go on the record and give a full description of the conversation, and then using that to make your own repugnant assumption­.. Which is very sad.

[MikeMidCity]

CLASSY BILL, REAL CLASSY.