Ed Rendell: Early Debate Questions Weren't Real

stumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust

Open Left   |  Chris Bowers   |   April 17, 2008 09:51 AM

Read More: Clinton Pennsylvania Debate, Ed Rendell, Ed Rendell Debate, Obama Pennsylvania Debate, Pennsylvania Debate, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania Primary, Rendell Debate, Breaking Politics News
Show your support.
Buzz this article up.

I went to the spin room after the debate, looking for someone from ABC in order to ask them about the questions in the first half of the debate. Unfortunately, in the spin room, a vortex of discourse was eating its own tail as the signifier drowned the signified in a rusty bathtub in the corner, so I fled out of a deep sense of existential horror. As I was walking back to the filing center, I passed Governor Ed Rendell just as he was finishing an interview. Afterwards, appearing very happy, he said the following to someone standing next to him, revealing not only what he thought of the debate, but also of the early questions at the debate:

"Even an Obama Kool-Aid drinking guy like yourself has to admit she scored a decisive victory tonight. A decisive victory. A knockout blow. A decisive victory. A decisive victory. Even more decisive when they started asking real questions."

Read the whole story here.

 
 

Comments
180
Pending Comments
0

Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to

View Comments:
Page: 1 2 3 Next › Last » (3 pages total)
- personalpolitical See Profile I'm a Fan of personalpolitical

I'm glad that the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania feels it is appropriate to dismiss the millions of Obama supporters as naive "Kool-Aid drinkers"

That's appropriate. Funny thing is that no one seems to care if he says that.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:02 PM on 04/18/2008
- my2scents See Profile I'm a Fan of my2scents

Hillary Logic "...I've got a lot of baggage, but it's all been looked through..."
i.e., because I survived, I'm invulnerable to Republican attack.

For Hillary, all that matters at this point is securing the Democratic nomination. The "...I am not dumb" Hillary knows full well that should the battle narrow to herself and S. John McCain, we will all see the Republican roadkill she is. However, turning weakness into an illusion of strength is Hillary's style of politics. Republican attacks?? " no problem, just pull the sexist card.

Hillary's DEBATE STRATEGY: Deflect any focus on my character to spotlight Obama's. Problem? Character is Obama's strong point. Solution, use his strength against him (checks Karl Rove's playbook...) make him appear characterLESS by associating him with those of questionable character.

DEBATE: Watch Hillary stand next to one of the most inspiring leaders of our times"throwing jabs of innuendo, hoping to win by creating doubt about Obama's veracity.

This not leadership ability, it's just blind ambition.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:49 AM on 04/18/2008
- NelsonR See Profile I'm a Fan of NelsonR

Rendell epitomizes old style back room cigar smoking corrupt politics, yet the Pennsylvania voter overlooks and accepts these old timers as the way it is. Change to them isn't possible and that's why the Rendell's of the world will take America down the glorified cronyism path it has become of late especially. Rendell is corrupt and if you can't see it I will send you some glasses and hearing aids.
I see the vultures of the Clinton dynasty hovering like vultures awaiting their high paying government job for Stephanopoulos, Carvel and Rendell will have his grimy mitts into the cesspool for his handout also.. It's all preordained with Hillary.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:30 PM on 04/17/2008
- b2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of b2008

A MUST READ. It shows the connection between the Bush/Clinton Regime

Part 1: How the Presidency Became a Threat to National Security

You may have heard that it takes a Clinton to punish a Bush for crimes of state. Not likely. The simple, undeniable fact is that Bill Clinton was presented the opportunity to prosecute former Bush Administration officials when he took office in 1993, but he refused to fully pursue his predecessors in the Oval Office who had been responsible for the illegal Iran-Contra operation, the S&L rip-off, and the BCCI scandals.

Instead, Clinton"s presidency was tainted by its own intelligence and campaign finance scandals " massive espionage and influence buying operations -- featuring much of the same supporting cast of foreign intelligence agencies, corrupt U.S. middlemen, and international bankers who had been at the center of the Reagan-Bush scandals.

No Clinton era official or those of two earlier Administrations were ever fully prosecuted and jailed for their role in crimes involving the CIA and BCCI, or for related crimes that have afflicted the Bush 41 and Clinton presidencies. Investigations have been repeatedly sidetracked, ignored, or when prosecutions actually occurred, top officials have been pardoned. These crimes, along with new and more lethal variations on them, carried over into the Bush 43 Administration.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/leveymg/347

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:07 PM on 04/17/2008
- b2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of b2008

The below story is about a prison in Arkansas when Bill Clinton was Governor. The used the prisoners as guinea pigs and infected them with Hepatitis and whatever. The lady's story below is about her husband dying from the infected plasma taken from blood.

I'm trying to "vet" Mrs. Clinton because myself because I can't see how all these negatives are not brought up in the media at all. It seems to be a conspiracy to me and that's why I'm releasing her information every day.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:57 PM on 04/17/2008
- b2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of b2008

This happened during Bill Clinton's Governor days:

She addressed Lord Archer of Sandwell, a former solicitor general, who is leading an independent inquiry into how 4,500 hemophilia patients in the UK were exposed to lethal viruses in blood products in the 1970s and '80s. Two thousand have since died of either Hepatitis C or HIV, in what has been called the worst disaster in the history of the nation's health service.

The widow, 47-year-old Carol Grayson, spoke calmly of the death of her husband, Peter Longstaff, two years ago. She explained that he was one of the patients who were treated with Factor 8, a blood-clotting product manufactured from human plasma.

Grayson and Longstaff had believed that his medicine was safe; that it had been derived from plasma collected in the U.K. from donors who were not paid. They learned too late that it had been manufactured, not from plasma collected in their own country, but from persons in other parts of the world and that some of those sellers were, in fact, Arkansas prison inmates.
In the U.K., it is illegal to collect plasma from prisoners. That restriction arose in part from a philosophy that considered plasma from unpaid donors to be safer, and partly because collecting human tissue from prisoners " paid or not " was considered exploitative.

http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=3038e9e5-b309-4e6a-92db-8ba15f058fe1

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:54 PM on 04/17/2008
- b2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of b2008

Know Hillary's character when she can grill a 12-year old girl about lying when she said she was raped by Hillary's client.

"Keep Hilary straight. She has been lying, whinning, and getting nasty about Barack Obama, for too long. Before each major election she uses whinning to capture all the attention. She lies to soil Obama with her dirt, and she gets nasty on the daily base.

We need to get on her until she let go. She smeared a 12 year old some years ago, at 27, and it paid off for her rapist. The 12 years old couldn't defend herself against the clinton smashing machine.

We, the voters are fed up with those tactics and are not going to take it laying down. We are not affiliated in any way to the obama campaign but we are americans and voters. It is our right to let other voters know what we are dealing with: a protector of rapists against their 12 year old victim. Do you have a 12 years old in your family? she deserves respect when an adult or anyone violates her.

Were you a 12 years old a some point in your life, You deserved respect from anyone defending a rapist, not someone like Hilary who will fabricate to tarnish your reputation. I imagine how devastating her action would be on a child. I imagine how devastating her actions will be on our country.

http://www.democrats.org/page/community/post/SemperFiWM/CpvB

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:15 PM on 04/17/2008
- S1m0n See Profile I'm a Fan of S1m0n

Hillary's a schmuck, but this is a raw beef: as a court-appointed defense attorney, it was Hillary's duty to give the accused the best defense she could.

Yeah, how she did that sucked, but sometimes things in life suck.

In any case, I hope this experience was the worst thing that has happened to the victim in the years since.

If the courtroom experience was horrible, seeing Hillary Clinton's face in the news nearly daily for 30 or so years can't have been pleasant.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:26 PM on 04/17/2008
- b2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of b2008

I know that's right. She'll at least know that's one vote she won't get. It just makes me said to know that you would do a little girl like that especially being a female. I don't think I would have taken that assignment, personally though.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:45 PM on 04/17/2008
- b2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of b2008

http://www.cnn.com/books/beginnings/9908/bill.and.hillary/index.html

Bill and Hillary's book: Read Chapter 1 and see who these people are and their relationship among each other.

"Yet he did allow the mask to slip when his longtime political advisor Dick Morris called. Credited with being largely responsible for Clinton's election victories, Morris could appreciate his old friend's predicament: He had been summarily dismissed from the 1996 reelection campaign when newspapers carried photographs of him lounging in a Washington hotel suite with a prostitute. Morris blamed the White House "secret police" -- his enemies within the administration -- for leaking confidential information regarding his sex life to the National Enquirer. But Morris did not hold the President responsible, and could be counted on to lend his old friend and benefactor a sympathetic ear.

"You poor son of a bitch," Morris said. "I've just read what's going on.

"Oh, God. This is just awful," the President replied. "I didn't do what they said I did, but I did something. I mean, with this girl, I didn't do what they said.., but I did do. . . something."

"Bill," Morris said, ''what did -- ''

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:01 PM on 04/17/2008
- Thatcher See Profile I'm a Fan of Thatcher

ABC Debate Analysis shows results - http://thedeadguy.com/2008/abc-debate-analysis
A complete digestion of tonight's debate on ABC featuring Obama and Clinton yields results.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:54 PM on 04/17/2008
- JudgeCrater See Profile I'm a Fan of JudgeCrater

Facts, and truth, are clearly radioactive at ABC. I wouldn't log onto a website they run to determine the 'results' of a go kart race.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:47 PM on 04/17/2008
- b2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of b2008

CLINTON TREASON:

Read how the Clintons have been lying about Osama Bin Laden throughout this campaign. Learn the truth at the link below and hear your traitor campaign candidate and her husband's unpatriotic deeds.

"At the time, '96, he had committed no crime against America, so I did not bring him here because we had no basis on which to hold him, though we knew he wanted to commit crimes against America."

Clinton Reveals on Secret Audio: I Nixed Bin Laden Extradition Offer"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1129996/posts

I'm tired of all the quibble being yacked up here. I'm going for the gold. Since Hillary says she has been vetted, let's see if any of our young people know anything about her past vetting.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:52 PM on 04/17/2008
- HLMerkin See Profile I'm a Fan of HLMerkin

You have to do better than quote FreeRepublic.com

She has been vetted, and there is a mountain of reasons to profoundly distrust the Clintons, but too many assume that all charges against her are the wild imaginations of a vast right wing conspiracy.

Try a more reasoned approach.

Cite Hillary's cross examination of a 12 year old rape victim when she was a young attorney.

Engage anybody who argues that Hillary is good feminist example to women. How is an enabler of a serial adulterer a positive role model?

Cite any number of lapses in her husband's judgement. After all she is running in part on his record.

Cite the unethical advisors that she surrounds herself with.

Cite the poor job she has done as a carpetbagging junior Senator from New York.

From a progressive's point of view, Hillary is a travesty. Her rhetoric may resonate, but her political acumen is troubling, her legislative record is weak, and her ethics are beyond the pale.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:47 PM on 04/17/2008
- b2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of b2008

Thank you and I will. I just have so much in my files, that I randomly chose items without relating them to any specifics. But what you are saying is correct and I will definitely do that.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:11 PM on 04/17/2008
- ElectionIntegrity See Profile I'm a Fan of ElectionIntegrity

Those of you who didn"t see the so-called Democratic Party Presidential Debate last night missed an astounding media performance, coming in below the bar that was already set at Dead Sea-level. Read the post at www.electionintegrity.org (or for future reference: http://www.electionintegrity.org/blogengine/post/2008/04/Debate.aspx)

I suggest we put together a media report card on election reporting, and consider launching a boycott of the worst offender(s).

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:37 PM on 04/17/2008
- ElectionIntegrity See Profile I'm a Fan of ElectionIntegrity

Those of you who didn"t see the so-called Democratic Party Presidential Debate last night missed an astounding media performance, coming in below the bar that was already set at Dead Sea-level. Read the post at www.electionintegrity.org (or for future reference:
http://www.electionintegrity.org/blogengine/post/2008/04/Debate.aspx)

I suggest we put together a media report card on election reporting, and consider launching a boycott of the worst offender(s).

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:36 PM on 04/17/2008
- b2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of b2008

WHITEWATER:

The Clintons and Jim and Susan McDougal were members of what was known as "the Arkansas political family." In 1980, they hatched a moneymaking idea to develop forested lots along the White River in Arkansas. Their pitch: "One weekend here and you'll never want to live anywhere else."

By 1982, the lots still weren't selling, and the two couples had to borrow another $20,000 just to pay interest on their original loan. McDougal began an effort to unload the properties and at one point, he in effect sold the remaining 20 lots to his real estate agent, Chris Wade, for a Piper Seminole airplane. The deal later cost taxpayers $13,000.

In 1988, Mrs. Clinton wrote McDougal, who was having a mental breakdown brought on by the probing into his Madison activities, to ask for power of attorney to sell off the remaining Whitewater lots herself.
By the mid-1980s, Jim McDougal was rapidly expanding the reach of Madison Guaranty. He did it by making imprudent loans with such frequency that the Arkansas banking commissioner warned the Clintons of shoddy practices.

Madison's losses were piling up, but the books never showed it. David Hale, an Arkansas judge appointed by Bill Clinton, alleges that the governor and McDougal pressured him to arrange a $300,000 loan to help cover up the problems.Clinton says he was unaware of this.

Read here: http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/gen/resources/infocus/whitewater/ak.roots.html

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:34 PM on 04/17/2008
- bish66 See Profile I'm a Fan of bish66

Ain't it great that every time Obama gets into trouble or shots himself in the foot, someone here in Huffingtonpost's comments will bring up Whitewater, filegate, travelgate, whatevergate. What happened to positive campaigning? Right, what positive campaigning?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:10 PM on 04/17/2008
- b2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of b2008

So you don't mind having a president who was involved in all that sensationlism. Is that what you are saying. Hillary can do anything she wants and nobody is supposed to "vet" her but everybody and their mother is supposed to "vet" Obama? Be real. I'm just "vetting", that's all.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:18 PM on 04/17/2008
- AC500 See Profile I'm a Fan of AC500


I think this debate will end up being a knock out blow OF Clinton. THIS has to be the lowest point in this whole nominating process. Clinton came off looking like a snake oil salesman and Obama just plain weary of the same old smear tactics and tag-team shenanigans of the other three's politics-as-usual demeanor. It was pretty clear who stands for CHANGE and who stands for the greasy delights of the status quo . Considering what he had to work with, Obama held his own ... he wasn't drawn in ... he wasn't brought low ... which made the others looks even worse ... more shallow, more hollow, more petty, more desperate. Hang in there Senator Obama. You're almost there.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:30 PM on 04/17/2008
- b2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of b2008

For those of you who are interested in Hillary's religion which she was reluctant to go into the other night, this will give you an idea of where she stands:

The Fellowship's long-term goal is "a leadership led by God"leaders of all levels of society who direct projects as they are led by the spirit." According to the Fellowship's archives...

These days, Clinton has graduated from the political wives' group into what may be Coe's most elite cell, the weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast. Though weighted Republican, the breakfast"regularly attended by about 40 members"is a bipartisan opportunity for politicians to burnish their reputations, giving Clinton the chance to profess her faith with men such as Brownback as well as the twin terrors of Oklahoma, James Inhofe and Tom Coburn, and, until recently, former Senator George Allen (R-Va.). Democrats in the group include Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor, who told us that the separation of church and state has gone too far; Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is also a regular.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/17/ed-rendell-early-debate-q_n_97181.html

Read more at the link above and see the TRUE Hillary!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:38 PM on 04/17/2008
- LeoMarvin See Profile I'm a Fan of LeoMarvin

I've never liked Kool-Aid, and I'm bitter that elites like Rendell think I do. I cling to Dr. Pepper.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:12 PM on 04/17/2008
- HLMerkin See Profile I'm a Fan of HLMerkin

Every time I hear Dr Pepper now I think of Dick Gregory lamenting that the media does not afford Dr Rice the respect of her title, but instead call her Condi: "they've got a soda pop darker than her that they call Dr. Pepper." Count Dick Gregory among Obama supporters with a great sense of humor.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:23 PM on 04/17/2008
- cramos See Profile I'm a Fan of cramos

That shows you just how little you know about Ed...Ed was a great Mayor of Philadelphia and an excellent Governor.

Not one hint ever of corruption, unlike OBAMA....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:18 PM on 04/17/2008
- LeoMarvin See Profile I'm a Fan of LeoMarvin

Thanks for reminding about one more deficit in Hillary's campaign and supporters. They need to grow a sense of humor.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:56 PM on 04/17/2008
- NewMexicoForObama See Profile I'm a Fan of NewMexicoForObama

Wow. You are dense. Making claims you can not back up is called lying. Hey! You"re just like Hillary! How cute!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:54 PM on 04/17/2008
- TheNuff See Profile I'm a Fan of TheNuff

Oh that is laughable.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:46 PM on 04/17/2008
- NewMexicoForObama See Profile I'm a Fan of NewMexicoForObama

Wow. You are dense. Making claims you can not back up is called lying. Hey! You"re just like Hillary! How cute!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:54 PM on 04/17/2008
- Thunderbeach See Profile I'm a Fan of Thunderbeach

The headline trumpets: Ed Rendell: Early Debate Questions Weren't Real. The post proceeds with a lame attempt to tie Rendell's overheard remarks with the author's own feelings about the debate's early questions. Isn't this blatant manipulation of the facts to achieve a goal exactly what everybody seems to be complaining about?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:10 PM on 04/17/2008
- matthewhusseinsmith See Profile I'm a Fan of matthewhusseinsmith


Read more carefully:

"Even more decisive when they started asking real questions."

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:24 PM on 04/17/2008
- cramos See Profile I'm a Fan of cramos

Huff Post has never claimed to be a legit news outlet....this is a daisy chain and self help group

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:20 PM on 04/17/2008
- NewMexicoForObama See Profile I'm a Fan of NewMexicoForObama

um. Is that why you are here?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:55 PM on 04/17/2008
- mediahack See Profile I'm a Fan of mediahack

I must have watched the same debate as Ed Rendell did. Hillary was hitting home runs. Obama got caught swinging striking out several times.
Lately I've been saying "For the first time in my adult life I'm proud of my country". But last night I'd be embarrassed if I were a Obama supporter.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:09 PM on 04/17/2008
- b2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of b2008

Thank you you are not Obama. Whew! Had me scared there for a minute...hehehehehehe!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:20 PM on 04/17/2008
- stepintothelight See Profile I'm a Fan of stepintothelight

I am ashamed that I share the same country with you and I am bitter that you represent yourself as an American.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:42 PM on 04/17/2008
- NewMexicoForObama See Profile I'm a Fan of NewMexicoForObama

Huh?!?! So you are proud to be a liars supporter? Hillary just showed her true colors and Obama came off Presidential. Read the news this morning and you"ll see I"m right!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:58 PM on 04/17/2008
- PoliticoJonze See Profile I'm a Fan of PoliticoJonze

It's complete spin. He's supporting his horse in the race - just as Obama backers were saying he won. Nobody won, it was utterly dreadful and boring. I guess Hannity won because he got Ayers into the discussion, however it's pretty much a non-issue. I mean what some radical hippy did 40 years ago really isn't a concern of anybody now. Besides as was mentioned, Bill Clinton pardoned two WU bombers. It could marginally be more of an issue in the GE, but even then there is much bigger issues facing the country than what an Obama acquaintance did 40 years ago, when Barack was 8yrs old. Besides McCain is surely going to have Skeletons in his own past. I mean McCain is closer to all of the Bush White House criminals than Barack is to Ayers.

The only remark I really remember a night later is Hillary exasperatedly answering "Yes.Yes. Yes." after dancing around the question posed by Lipstick George as to whether she though Obama could beat McCain. Because that has not been what she has been saying to the Super-Delegates so was she lying to the SD's or was she lying last night?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:58 PM on 04/17/2008
- kiga See Profile I'm a Fan of kiga

every time Obama was asked about the legitimate concerns on his electability, like him not waring the flag pin, his "bitter" comment, Rev. Wright and their relationship and so on, instead of telling the truth he would say, they would not be issues come November. He is either naive or thinks that the American are stupid! I will not vote for him even if Senator Clinton asks me to vote for him. I will not endorse a sell out with my vote. The debate was the best i have seen and the fact that Obama people are crying, makes me think that Senator Clinton was the winner!