Secret Clinton Tapes Compared Gore To Mussolini

Mother Jones:

As I noted yesterday, the new book on Bill Clinton, based on taped conversations he had throughout his presidency with Taylor Branch, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and FOB, is loaded with intriguing and juicy passages about the Clinton years (like Hillary Clinton dumping on Sally Quinn because Quinn was spreading the rumor the First Lady had been caught trysting with a female veterinarian in a White House bedroom). But perhaps the most fascinating subplot of the 707-page tome is the relationship between Clinton and Al Gore.

Read the whole story: Mother Jones

Comments

[2Bfair]

I had never heard that rumor about the veternarian. I bet Bill has some major explaining to do for putting that out to the wide world.

[wreckdiver]

Why would he? The right was CONSTANTLY putting rumors out there about him. This past year, they were joined by a few worshipers on the left ....

... like you.

[ohiomark]

What everyone seems to forget is that Mussolini was were popular in Italy and with the "progressives" here in the United States, until he teamed up with Adolph.

Clinton is not that far off about Gore.

[RODERICK098]

Site your source for AMussolini being popular with the progressives. The progressives were fighting fascism in Spain. WHAT IS YOUR SOURCE. Another reinvention of history by the right????

[The Meek]

Another misleading headline.

[Anastasia]

That Clinton and Gore had a falling out during the Clinton administration is a well know fact.

Nothing wrong with telling history like it is, especially when there are tapes to back it up.

[flossophy]

... And Bill is correct.

[2Bfair]

are you joking?

[mcmchugh99]

Surely Gore never gave a charismatic speech like Mussolini in his life.

[2Bfair]

thank goodness

[longislandlol]

Alberto's nozzle does seem somehow Roman...

[bluesky49876]

I realize the HuffPost has always had axe to grind with Clintons, but it should be utterly ashamed of itself for creating the deceptive title for this story.

[Gretel1or2]

HP seems to have a problem with any democrat who is not to the far left. I am beginning to see a lot of this with our now President Obama who has been the subject of many misleading headlines lately.

[dillydawg]

...and I thought I was the only one to have noticed.

[Gretel1or2]

I would also like to add that there seems to be a need to pit democrats agains each other-I've seen a lot of this also.

Just a few examples:
1.Clinton against Carter- re racism & Pres Obama
2.FL Michelle against Hillary Clinton - re Obama's selection of VP
3.Biden against Obama - re sending troops to Afghanistan.
4. A lot infighting between the democrats in the house and senate regarding health care

[AlwaysFair]

Great post and accurate..i asked who was running (ruining) HuffPo and got scrubbed.

[PWM]

Good point.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Each of the four pairs have different ideas on the best thing to do in a given situation.

How is discussing the differences and opining who is more correct "pitting democrats against each other"?

[RODERICK098]

I have never understood the hatred the media including this site has had for the Clintons. One of the more disgusting reasons was given by a reporter from Newsweek who stated that Hillary's people were not nice to the press and therefore that is why there is so much animosity. The media's job should be to get to report the truth regardless and that reporting should not be twisted because of they did not like the taste of the cappucino served by Hillary.

[StopSexismNow]

Right and as one who witnessed her people dealing with the Press during the campaign, even this excuse appears to be a bunch of bunk. Her press people were just fine, completely accessible and 100% professional.

There's something about a super intelligent, extremely strong and powerful woman that scares the beeejebus out of them.

[PWM]

It is simple. Rupert Murdoch desires to divide Americans so as to make money.

[PoliticalAmazon]

If there is such a "hatred from the media,' how do you explain that they have not published anything about WJC's floozymongering since he left the WH?

[2Bfair]

Criticism does not = hatred. Criticism does not = sexism and misigony.

You sound anti democractic. Thinking people can discern bias, subjective judgments, spin and lies.

You don't have your own judgment to filter what politicians, commentators, the media, bloggers, and posters say?

[PoliticalAmazon]

Clinton compared Gore to Mussolini. How is the title deceptive?

I don't see anything wrong with Gore being Mussolini. If he was, he would have kicked Bush Jr to the curb and taken his rightful position as winner of the 2000 presidential election.

[2Bfair]

What? the Clintons want headlines, they crave them, they live for notiriety, their egos need the fuel of spotlights, it simply doesn't matter why. "Melodrama R US"

[wreckdiver]

You think you know what the Clintons "crave .... live for .. and need"?

The Clinton-haters and their imaginary mind-reading capabilities.

Too funny.

[Peets101]

I hate these sensationalistic and misleading headlines. Clinton was comparing his style (which did go through a few different phases) to Mussolini - not his philosophy or his politics. This is just one step away from comparing someone to Stalin or Hitler because he has a mustache. It's silly.

[SewaneeLeftist]

You're right, Peets, this IS a misleading headline. It wasn't even a rhetorical flourish by Clinton but a comparison between rhetorical styles, evidently. The insight about Gore needing a lighter touch and about blending different areas will also be turned against Gore (and Clinton) by the cherrypicking righties, but it's a pretty good insight, as it appears Gore himself realized. But whether they always saw eye to eye or not, it was a good team -- an example of how a Vice President SHOULD act.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Well, given what we know about Al Gore, I didn't for a minute think that Clinton was saying Gore was anything beyond like Mussolini in part of his style.

I think there is an uber sensivity going on here. There are times when Huffpost has questionable titles, but I just don't get the hyperobservation for it.

Come on, did you for one second believe that the headline meant that Clinton said Gore followed Mussolini's theory of government?

[Peets101]

Let me borrow some of your wording: Come on, do you for one second believe that the headline won't be grabbed by people on the right who will only use the headline while ignoring the meaning, to smear Clinton and Gore? It's common knowledge that Hannity and others do not only that, but that they routinely edit quotes to reverse their intended meaning. In this day of gutter journalism, it is important that we think twice before publishing words which can be twisted and used against us.

[levibatgirl]

Boring article.

Mother Jones is better than this.

[CSE]

Mother Jones commonly has some very well written articles. This bit of hype, both in the title and the piece, is a disappointment for that rag.

[SizeMatters]

gore's not very smart, but smart enough to pull the climate change wool over the lefty's eyes, and make a mint while he's at it.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Oh Prunella. [ROLLS EYES]

[2Bfair]

and win the Nobel Peace Prize while doing it? Some how, there are other people I believe more than you. please

[Titus Pullo]

The more I see and hear of this man, the more I understand the right's dislike of him.
And I voted for him, TWICE. Maybe the biggest case of buyers remorse. Ever

[JanusDaniels]

How do you think Bush voters feel?
I'd long expected Clinton to go down as a bad president.
Then...

[2Bfair]

there is room at bottom for both Clinton and Bush....16 years of horribly dishonest leadership and EGO inflation.

[HeavyHitter]

What, because he made an accurate assessment of Gore's political persona in a private conversation? When I look back, I become more and more impressed with Clinton's political skills and what he accomplished. And I realize, now that I am more deeply involved in politics, how shameful the right-wing attempts to demonize him were. Regretfully, I am one of the idiots who was put off by Gore's political persona. I thank my lucky stars that I was not in Ohio or Florida, where my vote and a few others would have made a difference. Gore would have been so much better than Bush. It's a crying shame . . . and, of course, we also have the most intellectually dishonest Supreme Court opinion of the century to thank for that.

[2Bfair]

but is was self serving pontification, hardly accurate.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Despite is flaws, I think WJC was one of the best presidents I've seen in my lifetime. Our country prospered and he basically handed Bush Jr a set of plans for creating a brand new dot-com explosion, this time in the green industry, which Bush Jr. ignored. WJC also gave Bush Jr a complete dossier of the threat from terr orists, which Bush Jr also ignored.

THe one thing I have against him is this: he got inolved with Lewinsky at a time when he was still being deposed regarding Paula Jones' allegations, which had already encumbered his presidency with baggage that made it less effective than it could have been, and put our nation through turmoil.

With a flip of an intern's skirt, he sacrificed the next three years of his presidency, and what was best for our country.

I won't forgive him for that, but I do believe we was a great president.

[2Bfair]

I respectfully disagree. Clinton was one of the most promising presidents in American history. He could have done magnificient, historic things. But his ego, his reckless personal behavior and his greed derailed him. His deregulation of the financial industry will mark him in history, I believe, as the anti-FDR.

If he had had a spouse who was his conscience it might have been different. He has a an opportunistic co-conspiritor

[2Bfair]

Titus Pullo, you speak for MILLIONS of voters,citizens, investors, 401K holders, and patriots.

[wmholt]

Load of bull.

[SpankMePlease]

what a crock! misleading headline and article. corn and hp are the same.

[2Bfair]

sorry, not clear what you mean.

[wreckdiver]

I think he means Corn's headline and HP's headline are misleading, as posters here have pointed out repeatedly.