Carl Bernstein: Hillary Will Continue Bush's Legacy of Secrecy
The following piece is part of an ongoing series of OffTheBus reports by citizen policy experts critiquing different aspects of Campaign 08.
"Hillary's fear of humiliation, her fear of secrets being revealed, absolutely permeates her life," Carl Bernstein told a packed auditorium at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA., earlier this week.
Bernstein is the Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter on Watergate, and author of a new book on Hillary, A Woman in Charge. His appearance in Yorba Linda was a historic moment of sorts, as he himself noted: if he had said in 1999, when he started doing research on Hillary, "that I would be invited to speak at the Nixon Library, and that I'd be talking about Hillary as possibly the next president of the United States, I'd be accused of smoking something - and inhaling."
The event marked the transformation of the Nixon Library from a private institution run by Nixon loyalists to a public one run by the National Archives, under the direction of historian Tim Naftali. Bernstein spoke to a full house - 300 people - including many students from nearby colleges getting extra credit for showing up.
Hillary's life with Bill, Bernstein said, was one of "remarkable sacrifices and embarrassments," because "she undertook the job of containing and covering up the effects of his sexual compulsions."
At lunch before his talk, Bernstein emphasized Hillary's continuing obsession with secrecy. He told me he did not think Hillary would repeal Bush's Executive Order on Classification, the most restrictive ever, which has outraged advocates of freedom of information in Congress and the media. Bush's order gives the president or any former president the right to withhold the former president's papers from the public. At the time it was issued - shortly after 9-11 - it seemed intended to conceal from the public information about the presidency of Bush senior, many of whose staffers held high positions in the White House of Bush junior.
But the Bush executive order on classification would have a special appeal for Hillary as president, Bernstein said. "Do you think she wants to open the papers of Bill's presidency, which include all the material on her role?" Asked about the legislation introduced by Congressman Henry Waxman to repeal Bush's classification order, Bernstein was skeptical it would pass in the next congress: "Do you thing Democrats in Congress would demand repeal in the face of Hillary's opposition?"
"Nixon's history is settled," Bernstein told the audience at the Nixon Library. "What is not yet settled is the history of the Clintons--their use and abuse of power." That's important because, if Hillary wins, "we're talking about a restoration."
Her obsession with humiliation and secrecy can be traced back to her "hellish childhood," Bernstein said, in a family where her father "verbally humiliated and abused her mother." The question asked by people at the time, according to Bernstein, was "why did her mother stay with this man?" He couldn't help noting that the same question would be asked about her.
While Hillary's concern with secrecy remains a constant today, Bernstein said, she has changed in other ways since her days as First Lady. In the White House she had "a take-no-prisoner combativeness, an anger that was consuming." It had disastrous effects: the 1994 victory of New Gingrich and the Republicans, which transferred control of the House away from the Democrats for the first time since the New Deal, he said, "was a result of the failures of Hillary Clinton."
But in the Senate "she became self-confident in a way she had never been since she met Bill." Her old combativeness "is gone." As for the senators who voted to convict her husband in his impeachment trial, Bernstein said, "she joined their prayer group."
Finally, does Carl Bernstein think Hillary going to win the presidency? He replied, "The night the Supreme Court voted to make Bush president, I said on TV I thought he would be a compassionate conservative, reach out to Democrats, and govern from the center. So don't turn to me for predictions about politics."
Read more OffTheBus coverage here.
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America will not survive as we know and love her if we keep swapping a Clinton for a Bush. Hillary will initiate the Norte American Union and JeeBush won't even bother counting the ballots electing him to three or four terms.
Right on speakingtruth, and after Hillary, don't count out Jeb. That is if we are lucky enough to have an election in 2008!
I have taken notice that whenever I mention "CFR", (Council of Foreign Relations), "Bohemian Grove", or the "Trilateral Commission", or some of the other NWO and secret "societies" my post gets trashed= Not Posted. I find this interesting and frustrating. It makes me wonder who is on what side. In light of everything that IS posted, it should not be objectionable....or sacred. Are my observations relevant? Correct? We'll see.
ricchase,
I read your profile and it seems you have a brain. ;-)
Congratulations! I also have a thing about the Bohemian Grove and try to bring it out into the light whenever I can -- thanks for your posts.
America can ill afford the risk of another Democrat loss for president. Although Hillary currently leads all republican candidates in the polls,the story in the voting booth sadly may be completely different. The Clintons and the Bush Families, are dangerously close. This time we may well not get another chance to get it right!
Well, did anybody see the interview with Edwards on Bill Maher? He made more sense than anybody I've heard yet - don't count Edwards out yet.
Which is one of reasons the MSM won't give Edwards any press or tv time. It's all Hillary all the time.
The power structure has selected Hillary as the Dem. candidate.
This whole campaigning charade is just one big dog and pony show to make the voters think they have any say so in who is selected or elected.
I just wish they would take all that money being wasted on this nonsense and donate it to disabled vets.
where did this pic of carl and hillary come from! i'd like to listen in on that conversation
I'm begining to loath the left, they would be just as fascististic as republicans if they had the power, pushing their agenda.
2008 is a test for the left and if they lose, their agenda and relevancy will be nil for the next 20-30 years, they will be just a historical footnote, do they realy want to be responsable for bringing in a solid 7 right-wing federalist society supreme court and their agenda.
JimK2, Probably. They don't care if they are responsible for bringing in a solid 7 right-wing Federalist Society Supreme Court and its glorious agenda. Count on it. The Dem's will lose control of all houses and the WH.
Two words:
Dennis Kucinich
He's not like the rest.
Two words about Dennis Kucinich:BANKRUPTED CLEVELAND!!!!!
*resounding agreement*
If Hillary wins the nomination I will vote third party, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone. Hillary is a DINO. If she is elected we will have more of the same, just different acroynms. bush-clinton-bush-clinton? The fix is in folks, please don't support this.
She is not goin to fix the theft of our govt by the lobbyists either. I won't vote for her. Fair Shar
I too pray that you will play spoiler and vote 3rd party and for the solid right wing 7 federalist society supreme court justices that will decide the agenda for the next 20-30 years.
I think it's important to point out that the Democrats are not left; to me they seem pretty far right of the middle. Social democracy or any other kind of leftist thinking just doesn't exist in mainstream US politics.
Does DINO mean "dinosaur" (as in reactionary) or DLC (same connotation)?
I see it all the time applied to some Democrats. Anybody? I guess I can google it.
Democrat In Name Only.
Why don't we just pass a law making the office of the Presidency "La Familia"...it might as well be, since the press won't give equal time to any other candidate other than the "chosen one". How is it as a nation, we are to reflect a "Constitutional Republic" with this kind of nepotistic manipulation?
Hillary is a perfect SCORPIO- secretiveness is her motto. So is Power for the sake of Power.
No thanks, This "KING GEORGE" was enough of an autocratic ruler. I am sure "QUEEN HILLARY" is looking forward to her 'Coronation'.
I am quite sure that "PRINCESS CHELSEA" and "CROWN PRINCE JEB" are waiting in the wings to battle it out in 2012. Let's all make sure we learn how to 'bow' and 'curtsey' the right way for our ROYAL MASTERS.
Just think, no more voter fraud or illegal donors. Yep, America, you are in for a treat.
I think Bernstein himself is a little unprofessional in this particular article; BUT I think he's absolutely right in two very important points:
1. She absolutely was central to the Republican takeover of 1994, precisely because she would NOT negotiate with those who opposed her; this is NOT a quality I want our next President to have, because I'm sick of the consequences of having had it the past 7 years.
2. She absolutely does not want to release the aforementioned information; she has even taken part in listening to unauthorized wire-taps of her husband's opponents in 1992! Incredible that this story didn't take off...her grip around the throat of the press is impeccable.
We need a President that will be honest, and has spent his life serving the people, not his/her own interests. That's one of the many reasons I support Obama.
who knew obama was the new messiah? there's not a politician on the planet that's in it all for "the people." i think you're lookin for mother teresa, and even she had her doubts.
Carl is correct. Just look at Clinton's refusal to release her records during her tenure in the white house as an example.
I don't know about that. It's one example, and thin at that: It's not like she disobeyed an order or obligation to release all personal information on herself. I'll need more to consider it an issue and loads more to believe it comparable to bush.
Sen. Clinton did not refuse to realease the records in question. The records are not in her possession, but are held by the National Archives, a decidedly non-political branch of the government. And the Archives folks did not refuse, they simply said that at the time of the request the records were not catalogued and therefore unavailable.
Is it asking too much to expect folks to at least get some portion correct of a posting concerning the Clintons?
She could pick up the phone to hurry the process. She said after elections that those records would be available. This stonewalling smells of the Bush administration. And yes, she joined a prayer group--called a "cell" in their own language. See this article in MJ and notice the women in her prayer "cell". All rich and with connections that would be valuable to her. That's how it is when one becomes entrenched in beltway. That is why she cannot connect with netroots or the ordinary person.
What is the Clinton's relationship with Bush Sr and family? They vacation together, best buds.
That would make all of the American presidents since Raygun ,
4 presidents,
20 years of
just 2 closely knit families!
That ALONE is enough to vote against Hillary. No hereditary monarchy for the USA!
Unfortunately, the vacations and chummy relationships are simply the tip of the iceberg.
The Bushes and Clintons also share close connections with purveyors of crony capitalism. The man who bailed out W's failing business is also raising money for Hillary's campaign. There are many more eye-opening details in The Nation's new article, Hillary's Mystery Money Men.
Perhaps most alarmingly, these two political dynasties clearly share a very similar political ideology. For starters, read Naomi Klein's excellent book Shock Doctrine.
The more research one does, the picture that comes into focus reveals that the Dem and GOP elites are playing the roles of a neoliberal/neoconservative corporatist/fascist tagteam.
Good refs all, but you left out the big one: "The Crimes of Mena"
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/MENA/crimes_of_mena.html
Also, take a look at pics of the airport down there (in Mena AR where the guns for El Salvador went out and the drugs for South Central came in). From the site www.pamrotella.com:
"Anyway Mena has an airport and it looks from the outside like an ordinary, normal airport. The thing that separates Mena's airport from any other is the fact that there are row upon row of hangars --buildings which house aircraft refitting facilities. Now aircraft refitting is an industry that is in demand by two principal paying customers. One of them is the CIA, and the other one are drug smugglers. "
Iran/Contra was the biggest scandal since the JFK shooting, but it got little traction. Look at it this way: Imagine a couple of social workers in a store with 6 or 8 retarded people in tow. Ask yourself this: do those retarded people know what a blow job is? Answer, yes. Do they know what covert action against a small country is? Answer, no.
There's your political audience, essentially.
Hillary will be a K Street puppet and WallStreet darling that much is a given.
She'll do a great job of keeping us in Iraq as as well. After all she's said that we may be there until 2013.
Her silence on crooked trade deals like NAFTA and CAFTA show that she has no intention of reforming trade or protecting American jobs that are being lost because of these trade pacts.
Her silence on H1-B and L-1 Guest worker visas means that the flood of low waged skilled and semi-skilled foreign workers will continue unabated.
Senator Clinton, who is using images from ground zero in a new television ad for her presidential campaign, sharply criticized President Bush when he put pictures from the World Trade Center site in his campaign advertising.
"The President has said in the past that he would do nothing that would politicize this terrible tragedy," Mrs. Clinton was quoted as saying in the Daily News on March 6, 2004, shortly after Mr. Bush's ads were released. "I hope that they would be more sensitive going forward."
Mrs. Clinton's new 30-second ad, which is running in Iowa and New Hampshire, includes a black-and-white still photograph of firefighters walking through the rubble and another of Mrs. Clinton wearing a dust mask as she met with rescue personnel.
"Mrs. Clinton's new 30-second ad, which is running in Iowa and New Hampshire, includes a black-and-white still photograph of firefighters walking through the rubble and another of Mrs. Clinton wearing a dust mask as she met with rescue personnel."
RU-DY...RU-DY...Ru-DY...Ru-DY!!!
how pathetic
Rudy? Yeah - like we need someone during a time of war who couldn't figure out how to get his emergency responders the same make of radios and to make sure they would work in the Towers after the first bombing...
And then lets the workers dig around in that toxic mess without proper protection.
You mean that Rudy? Yeah right.
.
As happened in 2004, the Dems have PREMATURELY selected their candidate - once again, a pitifully wrong choice. The campaign platform of Conniving Calculating Cackling Clinton is pathetic. It consists of: Show-Me-The-Money, Say-Whatever-They-Want-To-Hear, Continue-The-Neocon-Wars, Sell-The-Lincoln-Bedroom, and I-Want-A-New-Pair-Of-Hsu's. There are no depths of depravity to which this moneywhore won't go
America needs to do better than Conniving. She is nothing more than Bush-Lite on the neocon wars and many other critical issues. As an advocate for the most un-American piece of legislation ever enacted, the so-called "Patriot" Act, Conniving shows clearly that she will be as lawless and anti Bill of Rights as DickNBush. (Gore is opposed to this POS legislation and has called for its repeal.)
.
...and water is wet.
The people who keep telling themselves that Hillary clinton will win are seriously kidding themselves. To be President of the united states you must win in the south. This is something that Hillary will never do. Its these media types who spend their time talking to themselves and people with the exact same upbringing and views as they have.
Tell me Hillary supporters which one of these states is she going to win.
Georgia?
Alabama?
Virginia?
South Carolina?
Tennessee?
Louisiana?
North Carolina?
Mississippi?
Florida?
Lets move west a little bit
Arizona?
Kentucky?
Nebraska?
Idaho?
Montana?
New Mexico?
Nevada?
Texas?
Oklahoma?
North Dakota?
South Dakota?
If you believe that Hillary can win in these places, stop smoking herb. If you dont smoke and u believe that she can win in these places, start smoking herb.
The clintons got the leg up from Pamela Harriman, the widow of Averill Harriman.
Averill harriman, his brother Roland(bunny) Harriman, George Herbert Walker and Prescott Bush, with collaboration of the German Thiessen Brothers (steel and coal).
Set up the Union Banking Corp in NYC in 1922 or 23. This corporation funded the building of the Silesia Coal, Coke and Steel smelting operation. Next door to Auschwitz.
And guess where the 'workers' were housed...they were Auschwitz 'detainees' This is in the library of congress as of 2 years ago. aside from running a manufactory that provided steel for german panzers and ammunition, aside from that they donated much $ to fund Hitlers rise, but since bullyboibush has had his goons 'classifying' as secret anything to do with their crmiminal past I dont know if it is still avaiable...strangely enough the proceeds from the sale of this operation were withheld by congress, but eventually returned to Senator Prescott Bush.
When the Clintons went to DC as President and First Lady they were not welcomed by the inner circles of DC high society. Bill does have a working friendship with the first President Bush, the result of working together for disaster relief. To stretch that to a close friendship is laughable.
She only needs to win one more state than Kerry did and one more than Gore did in 2000.
Can she win Florida? Yes
Can she win Ohio? Yes
Can she win New Hampshire? Yes
Can she win Missouri? Perhaps
Can she win Louisiana? Perhaps (Bill did and after Katrina, they might be inclined to vote for her).
She's got a great chance. We know that Edwards can't win his home state because Kerry didn't in 2004 when he had Edwards on the ticket. And we absolutely know that Obama can't win the South either.
Hillary's the best chance and she won the Republican strong-hold areas in Upstate New York when she was elected to the Senate, and everyone upstate likes her. No one predicted that either.
Diondra.. so much to learn..
Democrats make up about half of the 2.8 million registered voters in Louisiana, outnumbering Republicans by nearly 2 to 1. But the number of registered Democrats has dropped by nearly 57,000 since the 2005 hurricanes. Residents have criticized the state government, which is dominated by Democrats, as incompetent and corrupt, therefore they just elected a Republican Gov., Bobby Jindal, an Indian-American.
Jindal capitalized on that sentiment, making the fight to root out Louisiana's corruption a central theme of his campaign.
From the Red Cross site - (What? Investigative journalists are supposed to find this and report on it? - not on your life):
Hurricane Katrina: Why is the Red Cross not in New Orleans? [Posted on Red Cross site, Sept. 2, 2005]
-- "Access to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard, NG, and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders [note: the Louisiana NG is under the control of Gov. Blanco].
-- The state [Louisiana - not the feds, mind you] Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city."
Now visualize the media's 24/7 coverage of all of those thirsty and hungry people at the Super Dome and the Convention center - and understand that it was Gov. Blanco's people that was keeping food and water from them, and that was after Mayor Nagin and his people forgot to plan for them and to provide adequate emergency facilities.
Yes she can win and she should win!
She is brainy and more able than any of the other candidates. Carl Berstein wants to sell books and does not care who he hurts.
He should be ashamed of himself. So many books are out there and most self serving. ANTHING goes to sell a book.
Your analysis is dead on. I would add Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico to your list of states that went to Bush but might go to Clinton in 2008.
Hillary Clinton is, like Bush, beholden to Israel and will continue the war in Iraq and, if Bush hasn't, will invade Iran.
The Senate is different. People just want someone to bring in the pork.
The president has to pass the "living room test" and like tens of millions of Americans, I find Hilary's personality unpleasant. I also don't want to see her disgusted retro "marriage" any more. I've already seen more than enough of that garbage.
I'm also very offended that her supporters are so insistent on ramming her down the country's throat when so many people so strongly dislike her.
But what really disgusts me is the real reason you're doing this to the rest of us: because she's a women and you want one of your own. If you want to reduce the Democratic party to that level, you'll be doing it without my vote. I'm sick of the corporatist bastards anyway.
Besides it's not like there's any reason to believe her when she says she's going to get most of the troops out of Iraq. Much more likely she'll follow her Likudnik Rove, Mark Penn, and start a war with Iran.
But hey, it's time for a women president. First things first.
thats funny.
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