Give HIllary a Break?

When Bill Clinton asked voters to give his wife a break when she lied about being under sniper file in Bosnia in 1996 because, after all, she dropped the whopper late at night and she's 60 years old, it seemed that few people who did not already love Hillary were willing to excuse her--especially when they realized that Bill himself had his facts wrong or deliberately "misspoke." Hillary had told the Bosnia lie not late at night but late in the morning.

This time when Hillary cited Bobby Kennedy's assassination after he won the California primary in June in 1968--along with her own husband wrapping up the nomination in June 1992--as reasons why she should not drop out in May, finally, she does seem to deserve the benefit of the doubt.

Watch the video of her talking to the editorial page editors of the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; she looks tired but does not look like someone who has dropped a verbal bomb that is about to explode in her face. "People have been trying to push me out of this ever since Iowa," she complained.

I was on a national radio show recently promoting my book about Bill Clinton's post presidency, Clinton in Exile: A President Out of the White House. After the show ended, a man whose name would be familiar to many and who has been analyzing politics for decades--as far back, in fact, as 1968--told me that he knows why Hillary is staying in the race even though she has no chance of catching Barack Obama on pledged delegates. "She's hoping Obama will be assassinated and she can then claim the nomination."

I was stunned. I am a skeptic at heart, I don't take most politicians at their word. My experience following Bill and also Hillary every day since April 2006, when I started the reporting for my book, left me with the belief, often stated, that the Clintons will do and say just about anything to win.

Yet this time, it was clear to me what she meant and it had nothing to do with the possibility that harm might come to Obama. Yes, I believe that if Obama wins the nomination she hopes he'll lose in the general election so she can run in 2012. But that doesn't change the fact that if there is an example of politicians and their strategists and spokesman being willing to say and do anything, it seems to me that it's Obama's people who fit that bill.

It would be interesting to get Obama's unfiltered take on Hillary's comment.

Obama promised a new kind of politics; but this is just more of the same old slop so often flung by the Clintons.

Comments

[kellygrrrl]

Carol, I'm not sure I completely understand your point. You're saying you personally do not believe "the unspeakable" but then share a story from a longtime politico weeks before "the incident" wherein that "insider" told you exactly what Clinton is hoping and waiting for.
hmmmm. so many double and hidden meanings here.

also, might I point out, in 2004 while the SwiftBoaters were ripping apart Kerry, The Clintons sat idly by. I personally said many times that they were passively and covertly preparing for Hillary 08.

This time it is overt and aggressive, but the same thing. They are making damn sure no other Dem takes THEIR Royal Palace.

[altohone]

"The Clintons will do or say anything to get elected"... "but not this time".

A now well known fact followed by an unsubstantiated claim.
In fact, you substantiate the opposite with a story from an unnamed political analyst whose name we likely know but can't be told.
Then you accept she will be cheering for him to lose in the general.

Finish it off by blaming Obama for becoming like the Clinton's even though he himself didn't chime in and has accepted Hillary's weak explanation...

... remind me not to ask you to defend me if I stick my foot in my mouth.

[jungpatawan]

Got news for ya: if for ANY reason whatsoever Obama is unable to accept the nomination he has rightfully won, I will drop everything I am doing in my life and begin a nationwide DRAFT GORE movement.

No way in hell I'd allow Clinton to skate into the nomination in the absence of Obama, for whatever reason, unless he'd fairly won it.

Who's with me?

JP

[Yohomegirl]

I'm in. Fired up, and ready to go!

[kellygrrrl]

I'm with You!!!!

[steve70638]

Now, of course, if Obama were assassinated it would get pinned on the Clintons for their possible involvement. She better pray he isn't!

It is amazing to me how she is blaming Obama for this dust up. I am sure given the chance, she would blame Obama for her Bosnia comments too. This is just what we don't need. Another president who can't take responsibility for their actions.

[Yohomegirl]

Here's the plan, Hillary's plan. Covertly divide the Dem party so that Obama loses. McCain will be the next Pres, and Hillary will blame us for not supporting a president that was fit to beat McCain. Then she will be our great white hope in 2012. I cannot wait that long. I believe that she is focussed on HER political career to the detriment of the Democrat party and America as a whole. The only chance she has for 2008 is if Obama is killed. Killing hope. I first posted this several days ago, and I still firmly beleive it.

[Reaniel]

Ms. Felsenthal,

While I do think most people are indeed overreacting, your asking people to give HRC a break is rather weak in justification.

Two reasons why, regardless what Hillary really meant, her reference on RFK assassination during the interview was just plain wrong:

1. The wording itself was just really bad and ill-taste. Hillary, as well as her supporters, prides on her ability to communicate as well as her mastery of language. Yet, why did she mention RFK in terms of assassination instead of the actual primary? When answering an interview question, it is important to go straight to the point so that people would not need to further analyze what the interviewee really means. This was not one of them.

2. Invoking a family tragedy while they're going through rough time is just plain wrong, period. Bringing up RFK's assassination (or, rather, his primary fight, although she never made any reference of the word "primary" regarding RFK) while the possibility of losing Ted Kennedy looms is wrong.
As for RFK Jr. coming out and say he's not offened... well, no offense, but RFK Jr. is supporting Hillary....

[realityczech4u]

This is a surprising analysis coming from somone who has been 'following Bill and also Hillary every day since April 2006'. Hillary said the same thing in a Time mag interview in March of this year. How then do you reconcile her excuse that she said it (this time) because "the Kennedys have been much on my mind due to what happened to Ted". It looks to me like this is yet another one of her lies unless of course she is clairvoyant which would cover her for the other times she's said it.

[customgreen]

I know exactly why Hillary said this same comment three times. She got away with it twice!

[1DarkCelt]

No quarter will be given. She is supposed to be smarter than that. You dont yell SHARK at the beach, you dont yell FIRE in a crowded movie theatre, and you dont dare mention assassinate during a Presidential election. She told a whopping lie about Bosnia and you folks called it a senior moment. Now the same excuse about being old or tired is being used again. This from the 3am superhero. Enough is enough. She didnt even apologize to Obama for her disgusting remark. Whether you mean to say something stupid, or you dont mean to say something stupid, its still MEAN. Her format has grown tiresome, and she needs to be ushered off the stage quickly. GONG!!!!

[COwoman]

Ok, she didn't mean that she was hoping for the worst for Barack Obama. She was invoking a June thing. Why did she even say that he was assassinated? Why didn't she just say that he was still running in June? Why didn't she cite other instances of the nomination contest going into June?

Big questions. Small answers.

After all it is the Obama campaign that is at fault here. She is just a victim......again.

[realityczech4u]

You nailed it, CO. Why in heaven's name could she not show the class, the decency, the sensitivity, to just avoid the RFK tragedy entirely? If not back in March, at least since the entire Kennnedy family has been grieving over what has befallen the one surviving brother? Not to mention the fears of many, many African Americans ( as well as many 'hard-working Americans;white Americans like myself) that a similar fate might take down Barack Obama?

[S1m0n]

Hillary has neither class, decency nor sensitivity. Isn't that obvious by now?

[LCA]

"But that doesn't change the fact that if there is an example of politicians and their strategists and spokesman being willing to say and do anything, it seems to me that it's Obama's people who fit that bill."

Interesting assertion. Why didn't you include any evidence to support it?

[Desiderata]

These Clinton shills never offer evidence of Obama's Clinton bashing because there is none to offer. Just as Clinton, they accuse Obama of doing what she does to dilute her own responsibility for the negativity her campaign is fueled by.

Now Clinton and her crowd use another Rovian tactic of blaming the victim for the filth that comes out of her mouth. As though Obama shoved the words in her eyes and bullied her into saying them.

How dumb do these people think those of us that live outside Washington DC are?

[Superchuy]

"But that doesn't change the fact that if there is an example of politicians and their strategists and spokesman being willing to say and do anything, it seems to me that it's Obama's people who fit that bill."

I too would like to see the evidence to support such a claim.