What Can You Ask Chelsea Clinton? Rachel Sklar on MSNBC's "Verdict" With Dan Abrams

HuffPost media editor Rachel Sklar joins Dan Abrams on his show, "Verdict," to discuss Chelsea Clinton on the campaign trail and whether she's fair game for the press — including talk of the Lewinsky scandal. Also joining were Bill Press, Stephanie Miller and Evan Strange, the college student who originally asked the younger Clinton about Lewinsky. It gets sort of spicy! Watch below:

Related:
Chelsea Clinton Has Quick Response For Lewinsky Question [HuffPost]
"Pimped Out" Resurfaces On MSNBC [HuffPost]

Comments

[shelobo]

WAIT !! Bill was doing Monica while he was on DUTY,working for US 'American citizens! What ever happens on OUR time while on OUR property IS OUR BUSINESS!! Sorry as Chelsas daddy said, politics are like a sport ,if you can't play the sport and take the hits,get off the field and don't play the game.As long as she is playing the game with her parents she IS fair game .....Chelsa HAS TO TAKE THE HITS just like everyone else or get off the field and out of the sport !!

[SKayum]

Dan Abrams still doesn't seem to get it. And I wish someone would have pointed out to the kid, who sees himself as a representative of youth voters, that the idea that dealing with a spouse's adultery somehow qualifies you to be president is just as wrong as the idea that it should somehow disqualify you. It's a non-issue, or at least it should be. And the fact the this "representative" of youth voters sees this as important brings into question the affect of young voters, who are, after all, at the center of what has been described as the "dumbing down" of America.

[dsmyre]

Am I the only one who thinks Chelsea acts a little slow? She's nearly 30 years old! How much longer is she planning to follow mommie and daddy around? I think they promised her a White House wedding and she's put her life on hold until it happens. Poor thing.

[GravitonX]

Chelsea is probably hoping SNL will defend her victim status right about now.

[GravitonX]

"None of your beeswax" Chelsea is the spitting image of her mother. Lovely.

[nice2blucky]

I once made the mistake of considering Bill O'Reilly objective because the first time I saw him, which was not near election season, he corrected and chided the Republican on the panel for misrepresenting what the Democrat had said and then arguing against that misrepresentation.

It is one of the great shames in my lifetime.

So, Dan Abrams had Democrats, progressives, and liberals discussing an issue involving a Democrat. That's nice.

Unfortunately, this is likely a sign of the times, rather than some journalistic conscience. However, only time will tell.

We'll see how far backwards he bends when the primaries end.

[Beowoof]

It's shameful that o'reilly will never appreciate the part of us that so look for that bending.....in political discourse that is.

[nice2blucky]

One of Dan Abrahams main points was about Chelsea not taking questions from reporters. Why is he so surprised, and seemingly offended?

Has the "traditional press" shown themselves more capable than "interested" Americans? Hell no!

The media have shown themselves in many instances to be lazy, incompetent, and worse, bias with an agenda.

So, instead of controlling the story by their "framing" of questions, selectively choosing what they write about, and slapping a BS headline on it, they can only selectively choose what they write about and slap a BS headline.

It comes as no surprise that a reporter doesn't see the brilliance of that decision -- to only field questions from the public. It's a win win. Not only is Chelsea spared from paparazzi journalism, the impression it gives is that Hillary cares for what real people think.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Second, that guy talking about what kids his age think. He mentioned it twice, as if it was a talking point. Nobody talks like that.

And, more people are wondering if Hillary will overcompensate, in terms of being "strong enough," and she'll make unwise or poor decisions as a result, which is, I guess, a question of strength. However I doubt if that was what he and his friends were talking and thinking about.

He was likely trying to get attention and it worked. That was clearly a question that should be asked to Hillary, not Chelsea.

[shelobo]

Have to disagree with you,Chelsa has decided to play the sport as her daddy called politics ,so she HAS to take the hits ,like her daddy says or get off the field and out of the game if she can't handle the game.Sorry but Chelsa IS a GROWN woman NOW ,and her daddy was working on OUR time when he played hanky spanky with monica,so it IS the publics business.........not to mention once the Bosina 'story' became publi ,I had alreay decided Bill and Hillary were bad parents,what kinda of parent sends their CHILD into a WAR ZONE,to dodge sniper fire ???Awwwww come on support Hillary but don't support her outright LIES !!!It's soooooooo UN-AMERICAN ....

[ME08]

The media have played gotcha politics with the Clintons for years...Hillary, Bill and now Chelsea have no reason to appease or ass kiss the media like McCain and Obama have tried to do...the media, since they are denied access to the Clintons, feel that it is acceptable to play petulant and attack for the fact that they aren't treated with kid gloves. It is odd how the Bush Administration, as contemptuous of the media as the Clintons, were treated with such deference and a degree of acquiescence...the answer of course is access...if Hillary became President, you can be assured the detestably biased lies and misogynistic reporting that is du jour among the Washington press corps and bloggers would disappear in an attempt to gain access...I am sure it would be deservedly denied.

[nice2blucky]

Both Hillary and Obama have been the media darlings for over a year. Now that Edwards and Kucinich are out, they have turned more or less on both, depending upon who's on top.

However, Hillary is the queen of pandering. How many times has Hillary Clinton allowed FOX News to interview her during this election season?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also, if the news anchor reported it correctly, which I am skeptical about, but if the question posed to Chelsea was whether Hillary's credibility was hurt by the Lewinski scandal, that is an interesting question. Chelsea's answer, that this was none of his business, ... again, if the question was about whether her credibility was damaged, ... Chelsea's answer doesn't make any sense.

Chelsea should have said that her mother handled it beautifully... that her father, who has many great qualities, made a mistake, which he privately recognized and dealt with, with her mother, and she was strong and stood by him. No shame in that... not for her.

[Ajita]

Q.6 Who comes next in the sequence below?

George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George Dubya Bush, Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush '16, _________ '24?

Plutocracy kicks ass, wooohoooo

[LeoMarvin]

Hey Dan, if you can't have a sense of humor, at least grow a pair of balls. Stephanie Miller was making an innocent joke about something so public by now, it has no shock value or potential to offend. So quit whining and kissing up in a pathetic attempt to save your job, which nobody's trying to take away. And the next time you pee, try standing up.

[Marshall Lucky]

What ticks me off is the fact that two incredibly hot babes like Stephanie Miller and Rachel Sklar are on the same show and all we get in a bunch of whining from a gelding like Dan Abrams. What a weenie!

[rosal]

I feel sorry for her, Her parents should be ashamed of placing her in that position. They should not get her involved in the mud of their campaign. Dysfunctional families in the White House are a drag in the country.

[Ajita]

Yes, I would have to be "dragged" to go campaign to be the only person in American history to have two president parents. Are you kidding? Political power, as the Clintons know very well, is the kind that stays with you for a long time. Bill's coffers tell the tale.
Plus, I dont have any scruples left for them any more. Screw the Clintons...dig a hole and shove em all in.

[LeeScho]

it always pays to hear the source first-hand. When I first saw the story, I did not hear the question. So I was ticked off that someone would ask Chelsea how she felt about her father's infidelity with Lewinsky.

But that is not what was asked. No. A Clinton supporter asked Chelsea to explain her mother's claim of strength in light of this personal but public humiliation. It was a supporter giving a Hillary surrogate an opportunity to demonstrate personal fortitude and fidelity, to resist the cloak of victimhood, and state, "That was not a test for my mother, it was a test for my father. She was just the proctor."

Or she might have responded, "An issue that personal is not something I can answer for you even all these years later. At any rate, it should not be a part of this campaign, so I respectfully decline to answer." I cannot swear to you that I, at twenty-eight, would have had the maturity to respond in either of those manners. So why don't we just give Chelsea and the questioner a break here.

I am an Obama supporter.

[BillForObama]

I made an error in that previous post. Although, it could stand as written. Let's hope that we get the answer that we expect.

Hopefully, when asked, Hilary WON'T FAIL TO ANSWER.

[BillForObama]

I believe any surrogate (as well as principal) can and should refuse to answer certain kinds of questions. I believe Chelsea was in her right to refuse.

This is not to say that kind of question should not be asked. Although, it hasn't been asked before, believe me that it will. That question should be answered by Hilary. When Hilary is asked, I EXPECT THAT HILARY SHOULD NOT DEFLECT THIS QUESTION. She can answer it however she feels is necessary, keeping in mind that the ANSWER SHOULD SATISFY the person who asked the question, as well, as her audience, the voters of America.

I understand that the gentleman had as a motive for Chelsea to say something very positive about her mother. It wasn't meant to be insulting.

Hopefully, when answered, Hilary WON'T FAIL TO ANSWER.

[kbrown]

Hillary has addressed this Lewinsky issue a million times. She's written about it, she's talked about it. What does every one want from her? Even if the debates, she addressed this as one of most challenging times. Even on the Tyra Banks interview, she talked about it and responded to how she deals with women who talk to her about their husbands cheating on them. Why can't everyone just move on.

[Denni]

Clinton brings it up be garner sympathy but some poor kid asks about it and he's smacked around more than Bill Clinton was. Geez!

[WaveFunction]

I agree that the Clintons have worked every angle of the Lewinsky scandal, and that largely Hillary's political career was made possible by the paradoxical effect of that scandal. But the questions about Lewinsky ought to be directed at the parents and not Chelsea.

It had to have been an extremely tough period for Chelsea. It can be emotionally devastating for a child to have one of your parents serially cheat on the other parent , even(especially?) if they are the President and First Lady of the United States. At the time Chelsea was much younger than she is now, and it must have called up some pretty raw emotions to have that question asked. I think it was a major d-bag move for this Evan Strange character to ask her about Lewinsky.

[OnceProudAmerican]

I for one can't understand why this person could stoop so low and ask such a question. This is more proof that some people will sell out for their '15 Minutes of Fame'. This would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. My parents always said there are certain questions you don't ask someone if you were raised properly. This was such a question.

Also if we are going to hold Chelsea responsible for her fathers sins , then are we not resposible for he wrongs of our parents? Jesus once said "Get the log out of your eye before you worry about the chip in your brothers"

I know that politics by nature can be a dirty buissness but one does not have to reach even lower. If we continue on this course where do we stop?

I for one thought Chelsea used great resraint and class under pressure. As for Monica being used , I was always told "It takes two to screw" and "If you bait a trap with that, Your bound to catch a man"

[mamamay]

These are young adults who support Hillary and they want answers too. Chelsea is not a child. She should be graceful on the stump too. She could have said Thanks to the young man... Thanks for your concern, She is doing just fine. Next Question?...This way and just moved on. It appears that there is too much anger in this camp and folks need to stop cherry picking questions to answer and then being rude. This says something about being respectful> About Being a gracious host . This says something about being prepared. and preparing others. We must learn how to get along before we can unite folks. Chelsea needs to saddle up and take it on behalf of her parents or choose not to go on a stump like this . This is what politics is about.

[champions1]

I love to read that is my problem...but for right wing tools to consistently come to this web site i mean come on there are a zillion right wing blogs where you can all slosh around absently mindedly thinking of the next stupid thing to ask, i'm asking you to explain why would you ask another person about someone's affair, it isn't any of Chelsea's business any more than it is mine, i would never ask another person such a atrocious question...duh...why did your dad cheat ? heck the only one who knows that for sure is Bill and as of yet he has not told us and why would you attack his daughter with such a dimwit question..stick to the politics, it is time we cleaned up this country, lets go back to leaving sex out of the election, i mean all these zealous religious personalities are always getting caught with their pants down or dresses up..this is sleeze just like over in England..(get it--) who the heck needs it..

[rbdc]

I didn't hear Chelsea say no one can ask her questions related to the Lewinsky scandal. Some people may not like her answer, but she answered it forthrightly and very clearly: none of your business!

[Lalita]

I just thought she could have answered with more grace instead of sounding like a petulant child saying "screw you." By the way, had her amoral father answered "none of your business" when asked about his affair with the sadly confused (oh, and also amoral) Ms. Lewinski, instead of lying, would could have avoided months of national heartache.

Glad she won't be heading back to the White House anytime soon.

[dawlishgal]

Your posting reminded me of the song in "Unsinkable Molly Brown" in which somebody sings, "Your prayers were answered; the answer was "no." Yes, she can get away with answers like that, but she will come to be regarded as pretty much what David Shuster called her. She IS campaigning for her mother, afterall, and she is making personal appearances. To be rude to somebody who has asked a question is maybe not such a good idea.

It is Clinton campaign policy that Chelsea is not to talk to the press. Perhaps, just maybe, that is why there have been no interviews.

[newgal]

Chelsea is a 28 year old adult and since she is a major surrogate for her mom, then she can't be expected to be handled with kid gloves. If Hillary wants to avoid scrutiny of her daughter, then don't have her campaigning.

She's not a teenager anymore and she has made a decision to play a visible role so she needs to step up with the plate and not expect special treatment.

[Lalita]

Amen, Newgal! Still, it seems that the surrogates have done a fine job of obfuscating the issue: um, that we're not talking about the issues!

[SSDiva]

But even as a teenager she was treated as an adult when she was taken to Bosnia to duck sniper fire at age 16!

[obamagramma]

Chelsea is CAMPAIGNING so, as a 28 yr adult female, she can be asked tough questions. Since when do you get to campaign in a question free zone? The sidelines are not on the campaign trail.

[WaveFunction]

You still have to question the judgment of someone who is willing to ask in public the child of a cheating husband about her father's indiscretions and whether her mother is somehow profiting from those indiscretions. She isn't a child now, but she was then, and this had to be a terrible time for her. So while you may have to be prepared for such questions, that doesn't mean it's cool to ask them(of Chelsea). Ask Bill and Hillary all you want.

[2lib4oh]

Could we ask some real tough questions like , does Hillary plan to keep troops to guard the American Embassy after we leave.?Or will we leave Iraq?

Those kind of questions.Not dumb got-cha questions that mean nothing to the American people who have love ones in Iraq.

I am so sick of the Lewinsky/Bill Clinton episode.Enough is enough.

[HeapOCalories]

Unless Strange explains how Bill Clinton's affair in anyway reflects on Hillary's credibility, his question is not a valid one. One the other hand, Chelsea's response is also inappropriate because her (Hillary's) credibility is everyone's business because she is running for president. Evan Strange didn't connect how an affair involving a husband reflects on the wife's credibility.

[LinusBern]

My initial response was feeling that this was some college kid trying to make Chelsea squirm by bringing up a highly embarrassing, personal episode and it seemed to have no other purpose. So I was pretty critical of it. Now I see that there was more to the question and that there was some thought behind it.
He said that the response he was trying to get was 'that it hadn't damaged her but made Hillary the strong person she is today" and now I'm even more critical. Evidently he was trying to lob a softball that would give Chelsea a chance to make her mother look good. Sort of the "President Bush, are you surprised that the surge has been such an overwhelming glorious success" type question, that just came out wrong. He will no doubt become a celebrated journalist.

[DonsBlog]

Nice to have a figurehead out there as cheerleader that no one is allowed to question or sully using her reputation to build her mother's chances.

I don't blame Chelsea, if you can get away with it why not. The question is, why is the press letting her get away with it?

[Abroad]

Another great moment of "journalism" for cable news. Is MSNBC trying to prove they can be as irrelevant as FOX Noise? If so they are on the right course, and if they are not ... then they are also on the right course but don't realize it.

The question asked to Chelsea Clinton was stupid, and she reacted accordingly. It seems to me the pseudo press is annoyed she won't talk to them although it is her right. Remember, her mother is running for the nomination not she.