The New Karl Rove: Sidney Blumenthal (And Hillary Is in Bed with Both of Them)
The good senator from Illinois and the Great Black and White Hope for America Barack Obama has been absurdly and ridiculously raked through the coals because of "guilt by association" with his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. I'm not going to dignify that nationally destructive feeding frenzy with any statement except that it is the perfect example of how not to help our country recover and heal -- get back on its feet -- after the tremendous and purposeful demolition of these dis-United States over the last seven years. The reverend was and is a non-issue, and this campaign was purely an attack against Barack Obama that the traditional media pathetically -- again -- fell for.
Initiated by whom? Hillary Clinton looked into the cameras, as she usually does whether she's telling the truth or flat-out lying, and said that she would've left Wright's church if she had been a member. Whatever. She didn't stand up against George Bush or Dick Cheney when they were publicly spewing about truly important issues like going to war and stamping their approval on torture and spying on us and acting like they were supreme patriots for doing so. Hillary bought into and helped keep the Bush/Cheney illusion going with her statements and votes -- like she was a Republican.
And maybe she is a Republican. She's embraced some of the worst aspects of the Republican Party, including their immoral campaigning. It's politics after all, you say. Shame on you if you do! Politics may be politics, but this is part of the reason our country is in the mess it's in right now. We should NOT expect a lack of integrity from our leaders. We should expect them to measure up to what the U.S. was and is meant to be. We should expect them to lift us up with their example -- not to drag us into the muck of their hypocrisy, cynicism, and what is ultimately disrespect for us. Want another George W. Bush? Hillary is looking more like him every day.
Public manipulation at any cost to her party and to her country, and, sisters, yes, to her sex -- as long as it gives her a leg up to win the presidency. That's what seems to define Clinton ethics.
So Sidney Blumenthal, the creator of the phrase "the vast right-wing conspiracy," is now sending out prolific smearing emails from/like "the vast right-wing conspiracy" to wreck the best chance America has had in years by electing Barack Obama. And Hillary pays him to do this. Where is the crowd fomenting the "guilt by association" now? By not only embracing but so creatively employing these tactics that almost did the Clintons in AND cozying up to the GOP that used them in the 90s, I would say that Hillary and her campaign have set a new record for lowness in politics. I consider this worse than the Republicans, because we expect the GOP to have no ethics about such things. That's their calling card.
Hillary got into bed with both Rove and Blumenthal and seems to like it there. Then she looks into the eyes of the public and the television cameras, and she says she's sorry that the Republicans are using the Wright (non)issue against Obama. But this is exactly what her campaign has done every single day. And, again, bedmate Blumenthal is paid a lot of money for this. Where is the respect for the working class that she claims to have? Probably in that bar where she left her photo-op shot glass.
Was it good for you, Karl?
Beth Arnold lives and writes in Paris. You can see more of her work at www.betharnold.com.
Follow Beth Arnold on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BethArnold
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Oh crap. I am tired of Obamathons. Obama has played the race card for a good old long time, and Wright's rhetoric gave it away. He only rejected the race card when Wright went ballistic on him.
I am a firm believer in the supposition that no one should not receive a vote because of their race, but I also don't think that I owe one my vote because of their race.
When I read Obama's book, in which he rejected the white family which had protected him, sacrificed for him, provided him with food, a home, a VERY EXPENSIVE PRIVATE PREP SCHOOL AND COLLEGE EDUCATION, and safety, and spoke longingly and fondly of turning to the warrior and manly idol of his father, WHO HAD ABANDONED HE AND HIS MOTHER, PHYSICALLY, FINANCIALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY, and was the worst possible example of what a father should be, INCLUDING A DRUNK, then I knew that he is not what he proposes to be.
Sounds like someone with the life experience we need.
Honestly lady, whatever issues you have I can assure you the internet is not the place to take them out on others. Therapists are there for a reason.
In his book, Obama was NOT rejecting his white family. In fact he was QUESTIONING the common logic in racially-divided America that a half-black person is forced to deny their white blood and cling to being black. This isn't something Obama instituted, this is something America instituted with the one-drop rule for centuries. Yes, he talks about the father that abandoned him AND the issue of race. But his intent is not to suggest the exclusion of his mother, his white grandparents, etc. In fact, he says that had he known his mother's life was going to be as short as it was, he would have definitely written a book in tribute to her. And the most positive and defining qualities of Barack Obama are those his white mother from Kansas who raised him passed on to him - the qualities of honesty, fairness, civility, non-prejudice, listening to others, etc. He barely knew his dad.
TXfemmom:
Has the Clinton diseases of lying spread to all her supporters. Which Obama's book did that. I am convinced that you never read any of his book and you are trying to justify your lies hoping that none of us read any of his two books. Well you Hillary's Bosinia lie, yours can be easily debunked by any one who has read his books. PLEASE STOP ALL THE LIES that are poisoning the Democratic party. People like you are better off joining the likes of Carl Rove, Bill O'Reiley, Sean Hannity and Pat Buchanan.
Please, recognize that the vast bulk of these anti-Clinton and anti-Obama posts slamming their character are the work of republican operatives. Right wing blogs don't allow open debate and discussion, so progressive forum such as this provide them an opportunity to lurk as legitimate, indeendent points of view, when in fact much of the argumentation is manufactured and only designed to inflame and degrade the discussion of differences between the democratic candidates.
and the guy got in on scholarships and student loans (paid off just 3 years ago). You jealous? You wanna Bubba president sooo bad.....why?
Don't you want your president to come from the finest institutions? or are you looking for someone to swig with on Saturday night?
I think this is very good for the country. The left and right are being clearly defined. The establishment right leaning candidates are Clinton and McCain. Hillary and McLoco differ in their domestic agendas, but are glaringly similar in their international views, with the one exception being troop withdrawal. They of course, were shoulder to shoulder with regards to the Iraq vote. There's no doubt who has Hilldoll's back when shit hits the fan. It's not only the right wing of the Democratic party, but also the secularist, uber-capitalist, hawkish wing of the Rep. Party. Hilldoll can claim to be pro-choice, pro-gay, protectionist, and pro-middle class, but the right obviously considers her closer to their kind than Obama.
Don't forget that Salon.com's Joan Walsh, and writer Joe Conason are also on board. Joan and Sid are thick and thieves -- you wanna bet whether she was on Sid's cc: list for his monstrous missives? And gee, is it any surprise that Walsh has run a steady stream of Wright articles, trying to keep it front and center and elevate its importance to primary voters. And Conason's over there at Salon yabbering about how he's so impartial, and the fact that he was getting those nastygrams from his pal Sid doesn't mean anything.
Yes, there is a concerted, coordinated effort on the part of the Clintons, and some of their media pals, to take a Rovian, lowest common denominator approach, and try to frighten, race-bait, or "It's 3 a.m. and Osama's gonna get ya" voters into voting against their own better nature, hopes and dreams, and choosing Hillary instead.
Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Sidney Blumenthal, Joe Conason, Joan Walsh -- they're all hypocrites.
Pay attention Super Delegates. Let us know when you've had enough by ending this Neo Con operation. You shouldn't have to wait until June. It's all on the table before you as it is for us.
Whether it's McCain or Clinton, you get exactly the same result. I'm sure you understand.
http://www.light-to-dark.com/Mad_McCain.html
Keep in mind one very important fact. Hillary is responsible for over 4000 american G.I.'s getting killed. The rest is fluff. Think about that hillbillies. If you can still think.
Every American who did nothing on the build up to war with Iraq has blood on their hands. It's the blood of their neighbors and children. Hillary was more complicit than most and thus shares a larger burden, but we are all responsible for the manner in which we portray ourselves and the leader we elect who get us into these messes.
titonwan....same post No. 1,045...get some new material for god's sake and how about some facts. As I recall Hillary and the other 76 senators voting the way she did....NEVER said go to war.
But that inconvenient fact doesn't fit in with your spew.
Much as I'd like to blame the Clintons for everything including the slug infestation in my back yard, I don't think they're the biggest villains here. The MSM have eaten from their hands and then some, manufacturing "doubts" about Obama, bringing on the Pat Buchanans to "analyze" the race, and broadcasting more about Reverend Wright than they have about the entire Iraq war. Next on the list of the culpable: our Democratic "leaders," who are hiding under their desks while their most promising presidential candidate in decades is savaged by one of their own. In the end, Billary's not gonna win. Sidney Blumenthal will be reduced to trying to get his driver's license back. But we'll still be stuck with CNN, ABC, and the Democratic Party.
The best post of the thread! You are dead on....
Right you are! I had the misfortune to channel-surf past that boil on the face of journalism, Lou Dobbs, tonight, and he was still hawking Reverend Wright! CNN should change its name to WrightWatch TV. It's 24 hours, and the rest of the issues be damned.
I'd have to second eridees on this one. What I find absolutely mind-boggling is someone like George Stephanopoulos is even allowed to interview and question candidates in this race as an "objective journalist"!! The icing on the cake was when Hillary Clinton claimed "George and I worked against NAFTA" - nevermind her husband signed it into law during this time. It makes an absolute mockery of the entire media process of supposedly informing the American people in an impartial manner when you have the a former employee of the husband of a presidential candidate moderating a debate between the wife of his former employer and another person. Try imagining something like this set-up in a job interview process in the private sector!! Why NO ONE has pointed out this blatantly OBVIOUS conflict of interest is troubling. It's not as if there aren't any other journalists or political commentators out there with no immediate connections to the Clintons that could have been called upon to handle interviews/debates with Hillary Clinton and/or Barack Obama. It's no wonder we ended up with such a farce of "debate" in PA or the Clinton romp-slash-town hall interview on ABC this weekend?
Perhaps more broken than the politics of Washington is the professionally bankrupt media that enables it to go on. When the media fails, democracy is not too far behind.
Nice punch. Yes, we've lots of work to do to get the moles in the MSM in line. And the fascist/socialist think tanks need more than a touch up. That CNN is now deeply into the Neo Con game should be a wake up call. The Cons are pulling all the stops. We should too.
Neo Cons are looking at long trials in their prosecution should Obama get elected. Their freedom rests on him not getting elected. I believe the Clintons have much to hide and much to be afraid of.
Motive much? So many names, so much time.
http://www.light-to-dark.com/preemption.html
patrice37: Your analysis is on the mark and your last line is bitterly true. We seriously need to reconsider what these media pariahs contribute to the nation's health. And the Democrats? (sigh..)
CNN IS THE NEW FOX !!!! As a news/political junkie I've always noticed how the media has led us like sheep regarding our invasion of Iraq. Daily I'd flip through cable news shows in search of TRUTH. I felt long ago, and Huffington recently exposed, how the military 'experts' were being paid by the Pentagon (aka Bush regime) to lie and mislead the American people regarding Iraq. This means all the cable networks have been part of this manipulation. NOW I'M NOTICING A NEW TREND AT CNN !!!! CNN has quietly made changes that are scary. First, they brought Keran Gentry from Fox. Their overall tone started sounding GOPish. They took Solidad and Miles, replaced them with John Roberts and Campbell Brown (husband works at Fox). Added Tony Snow (formerly of Fox and Bush's Press spokesperson)...ANN COULTER'S THERE....plus the addition of Bush's former spokewoman Francis Townsend. Also, flip from CNN to FOX during Live broadcasts you'll see that they are using the same camera source, ie....WORKING TOGETHER !! These changes mean only 1 of 2 things. They expect Obama to get the nomination and want to join Fox (and much of MSNBC) in attacking him......or they've been notified by the regime that something big (bomb Iran?) is ahead....Either way the manipulative media is getting set for massive lieing.... Fooled us once (Iraq War)....but as they say....NEVER AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Greg Jones
www.Blacks4Barack.org
(A Multi-Racial, Grassroots Org...Dedicated To Truth)
I imagine the Neo Con timetable really took a hit when the People got subpoena power in '06. This desperate and rushed infusion of fascist horns at CNN seems so ill-timed and herky-jerky it's become a tragicomedy. But nothing these socialists do is funny.
Greg, I'm getting a "page not found" on the link. Will bookmark anyway.
Amen...and then some....
Thank you Ms. Arnold, for your excellent incite.
incite? as in incite a riot and set off the obamaphiles on HuffPo?
Ms. Arnold, damned excellent.
I just found out that you live in France and I'm absolutely appalled that you could have gotten suckered in so easily by this Glitzkrieg of Obama's when you have just seen the French presidential elections last year. The sexism of the French presidential race is alive and well in the present Democratic campaign.
What did you mean "you just found out..." Girl, the addendum was clear, she lives in France as matter of fact. You did not do the research on your own, did you?
How funny can you get on sexism. I'm not voting for Hillary just because she's a woman. I'm voting for someone else because she projects women in a notorious way.
Blitzkrieg?
Hilldoll's racist and manipulative campaign has probably created more misoginysts and set back feminism a bit. Of course, in your world, she probably had little to do with it.
Just because someone doesn't support Senator Clinton does not make them sexist. I would be perfectly happy with a woman President. I would just prefer one who is not a moral and ethical vacuum.
This article really has that Obama touch: name-calling and polarizing.
At least Obama didn't pay her to write this article unlike Hillary's best known minion and Rovelike a la carte Sid Blumenthal. And note you did not find Hillary's actions as appalling to pay Mr. Blumenthal to dig dirty.
Obama touch? When someone criticizes Hillary with at least better class adjectives of her mudslinging, you call it "polarizing" as if the writer was a paid hack of Obama's. Get your thoughts clear, girl.
How do you know she wasn't paid to write it? Because you said so?
You believe that stating the opposite of whatever someone else states makes your point any more valid?
It makes you both look like the sort of people who makes it up as they go along simply because they are ass-deep in opinion that is intertwined with your own sense of self-worth.
Did anybody notice that the eleven states that Barack Obama won in a row were all RED states that have historically voted REPUBLICAN! The republican party knew that getting another republican elected after 8 years with this absurd "Dog and Pony" show which has basically shit on the Constitution and wiped their asses on the Bill of Rights , looked basically impossible. Their only advantage would be to have as many republicans register as democrats or independents to elect the candidate that they wanted their selection to run against. Barack Obama looked weaker and more vulnerable to the republicans so they all voted for him on Super Tuesday. I predict that if Barack Obama is the democratic candidate for president that John McCain will win. The Great Depression and every major resession in the United States since 1920 except one were during republican administrations. The Great Depression was the result of three Conservative Republican presidents in a row. Conservatives have created the illusion that they are fiscally responsible managers but are essentially nitwits who are cheap and heartless asses.
And please don't remind me of Barack Obama's humble beginnings. How many humble beginnings do you know that grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia from parents that were educated at Columbia University. How many humble beginnings do you know that graduated with his wife from Harvard? Obama tries to give an appearance of just a good ole boy but I ain't buying his line of bullshit.
"Did anybody notice that the eleven states that Barack Obama won in a row were all RED states" all RED? Minnesota? D.C.? Maine? Washington? to name a few.... what? are you thinking that IF Hillary became the nominee Minnesota WOULD BE RED?... cuz then you would be correct.
But facts aside..... You REALLY BELIEVE that she would win Tennessee? Texas? Oklahoma?
Good night Gracie.
amen bngood 40.....and obama's current line "when you lose your job, you lose your dignity" must have really pleased people.
thank you... and yes, she is a Republican posing as a Democrat... that's what is so disgusting. She is attempting to subvert and destroy the Democratic Party for her own personal power needs... screw everything and everyone else.
Hillary and Bill - putting the "nasty" in Dynasty since 1992
If you think she's a republican then you must believe Obama is as well since their voting record is nearly identical.
Can ya explain that one for me? Or are you too "burnt" to dig beyond the superficial tripe you've been fed?
The "superficial tripe" we have been fed has been shoveled by the Clinton campaign, and it's the same Republican tripe that we recognize from Karl Rove:
A) Clinton's campaign tactics, including the politics of personal destruction, guilt by association, labeling of her primary opponent as "elitist," sucking up to the gun club,,,
B) Sponsorship of legislation to criminalize flag-burning...
C) Gas Tax "Holiday." I mean, for God's sake, I ask you....
D) Authorization of the war in Iraq.
That enough explanation for you, "brainz"?
When you're running 3AM ads and ads featuring Osama bin Laden, you're engaging in the politics of fear, the calling card of the neo-conservative right. In fact, calling her a Republican is an insult to the Republicans. Her kitchen-sink campaigning, labelling others "elitist" when she's firmly a part of the super-wealthy 2% in America and readily admits that she hasn't pumped her own gas in years, the scare 'em up ads and the bogus "free money" gas tax holiday proposals are patently Karl Rove neo-con campaign tactics.
LOL. I'm gonna steal that one.
Ms. Arnold.
Great article.
I completely agree with you.
Thank you,
Obama's campaign is a double edged sword. On one hand, I respect him so much for practicing the kind of politics we all say that we want - issues oriented, inclusive, no "gotcha" stuff, no guilt by association. On the other hand - by not doing it - Hillary looks "tough", and electable, since Obama doesn't play the smear game. It's a tough place to be. Voters have to be sophisticated enough to appreciate his integrity, and not be taken in by the media circus, and false promises.
Considering the George Bush was "elected" twice, I have little faith in the sophistication of the American voter.
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