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."
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If you like George W. Bush, you'll LOVE Hillary Clinton.
SINCE fRI. oCT. 19, 2007, Why is Hillary's Chinatowngate not being coveredin the MSM. oNLY 2 CABLE SHOWS COVERED IT ON oct 19, 2007. Tucker on MSNBC AND A REPORTER ON CNN.
b/c no proof
no proof? are you kidding? this is a repeat of the 90's with Bill Clinton. They are both liars and crooks!
Well, the LA Times covered it too. But at this point, it is all speculation and innuendo. No evidence at all. If some solid evidence of a coordinated conspiracy were to surface, it would get plenty of coverage.
I will only vote for her as the nominee of the Democratic Party. I will not support her and in fact will work against her in the pursuit of the nomination. Jon Edwards would be a much better choice for the party and would do more to unify the nation. Clinton is just to divisive, not to mention an extention of the status quo.
I'll vote for Dennis Kucinich in the primary.
I won't vote for Hillary EVER.
Ditto, and it is not even so much over pro-life issues. Few otherwise good candidates are pro-life anymore, and w/ WWIII on the edge of our reality vis a vis, Iran - Only Hillary and Paul have promised unequivacably to get us out of the Middle-East oil wars.
And ya know the thing about those two?
You may not like them or agree with them, but they can be trustedto do what they say, not get bought out and tell ya the truth.
How's that for a CHANGE!
I'm glad you keep posting this. My feelings exactly, and now I've ruled out Obama too. I told Gov. Richardson over at his post that the lead horses in the race need to start fading so that the guys in the back of the field can make their moves. I'm kind of favoring Dodd right now, and I'm kind of thinking that Clinton will not get enough votes to win the nomination in the primaries. We may have a brokered convention.
john edwards and his cavalier better half have taken more cheap shots at democrats in this race than anybody, clearly outta desperation...you call that unity?
Carl Bernstein is brilliant in his assessment- it would be as secretive an administration as the current one- scary....
His assessment is brilliant? No more than yours. On what facts do you base your way-out-there opinion? Is it his earlier completely off the mark "assessment" about the compassionate conservative that instills your confidence?
Jeez.
carl bernstein, brilliant? haha. that's brilliant.
Geez. Bernstein has no freakin idea what Hillary would be like as President. He admits it in the article! He has only his opinions, which are no better than yours or mine.
It is likely that Hillary will win the Democratic nomination. If she does, she is almost certain to be elected President as long as the Diedold voting machines are properly authenticated or removed.
As President, she will continues the same policies as Bush. Her so called health care plan will be a boondoggle for the insurance companies. The only difference from Bush is her ststed stance on abortion rights and gay marriage.
Is that all the next Presidential election hinges on ? Are there not more important issues confronting the electorate ?
Quite pathetic, isn't it.
Kendo-
you have no idea what Hillary will do as the next president. Why don't you just wait and see what she does when she is elected, then you can blog and whine about what she's doing. You are so negative!!!!!
You care to place a bet on that Lane?
Where to hell have you been? Living on the moon or doing hard time in solitary confinement?
Do Not mistake forebearance for weakness. The RNC is laying low right now, watching and waiting to see what goes down. They ALREADY KNOW that HRC is the one Dem candidate THEY CAN BEAT.
Are you a fan of "dynasties?
Kendo should be negative at this point. There is virtually nothing out there to give someone any kind of optimism whatsoever. We can DO BETTER than Queen Hillary.
exactly. somebody who thinks the only difference between hillary (or any democrat) and bush is her stance on abortion and gay marriage certainly isn't contributing to rational discourse. but then again, most clinton-bashers sacrificed rationality for bravado years ago.
Because my dear Lane, it is our duty as voting americans to parse this choice as carefully as possible.
Hillary's voting record before she declared is relevant. She runs on White House experience - which I grant her, she was as intellectually plugged into policy, I am sure as much as or more likely far more than any other first lady.
What we saw with Bill: Illegal wars [yugoslavia] an evil anti-Iraqi Iraq policy [est 1/2 mil kids died from the sanctions, which Albright called 'an acceptable price' still makes my blood boil to think about it.
Hillary is a neo-lib.
Kendo is spot on that the abortion/Gay issue is really all that is going to be that much different.
And unlike Bernstein, I could tell iraq was bs from 02 on. I could tell they were lying and Hillary was triangulating...Maybe Bernstein is too close to these folks at cocktail parties...
I am not, trust me, Hillary will screw us softly just like bill did with Nafta and the enviroment , etc...
It just will be done with more tact and skill than bush.
It's not negative. It's real. Remember GWB and how he said what he would be. She is lying too. Look how cosey Bill and HW look together. People thing the repugs are dead. If this is the case, who is going to keep it going for these warlords? Ta Dah! It's Hillary Kendo. This woman will continue with these wars and continue on to Iran, if Iran hasn't happened yet. Look at all these comments and then look at yours. Your right and everybody else is FOS. I don't think so... Please see the issues. Go to RonPaulLIbrary.com and see his writings. There are no one else with these masterpieces to see. Read them and look into his soul. You will see what everybody els see's.
when she is elected? pretty confident, aren't you? I cant wait to see your balloon burst and your return to reality
So where are the facts to back up these sweeping statements? And, by the way, it's spelled Diebold, and that company's RIGHT-wing ties are well-known by most people.
Anyone who truly believes that Hillary stands no chance whatsoever of becoming this country's long overdue first woman president is, sadly, delusional. (And how DARE anyone compare her to Bush! UGH!! Talk about INSULTING!) They are as delusional as poor Carl Bernstein was when he said that he believed that Bush "...would be a compassionate conservative, reach out to Democrats, and govern from the center...". At least Bernstein admitted to his delusion. I knew before the Supreme Court anointed Bush that the phrase "compassionate conservative" is an oxymoron.
I had Bushy Boy pegged from the get go in that I felt if he became president, then this country would be in deep, DEEP trouble (or "deep doo-doo" as his daddy George the First so colorfully put it). Sad to say, he has FAR exceeded my expectations in that regard. I knew he'd be bad, but WOW! Going from Bill Clinton to George W. Bush was like taking the U.S. presidency from Luke Skywalker to Darth Vader!
But just maybe we need to adopt the childlike optimism of the little boy who gleefully shoveled through the manure pile in the naive belief that, with all that manure, there just HAD to be a pony in there somewhere, and that that delusional naivte will get us through the dark days until noon on January 20, 2009 when Hillary is sworn in. That day can't come soon enough for me!
Carl Bernstein is trying to be as well known and rich as Woodard. Woodard got all the attention,and Bernstein is jealous. We'll probably see a new movie called Bernsteins part in deep throat.
Huh? You had Bush right. Hillary had Bush completely wrong since she "trusted" him on the Iraq War. And yet you admire Hillary's judgment?
I am not a big fan of Hillary. If she is nominated, I will vote for her. I think she will run a competent presidency but her secrecy thing scares me. So does her positon on Iraq and Iran. I think the other candidates would eliminate the secrecy policy and get all our troops out.
I also think she is a little too close to big business...though not as bad as bush and company who are in bed with big business.
I also prefer other candidates stand on helath care. Just make medicare the health care system of the nation or as some candidates want, an option for people to join.
why choose the lesser of two evils again?
call and write your representatives and get this bill passed! HR 3835 The American Freedom Agenda Act.
I am confident Hillary is NOT supporting it.
You're right! This lesser of two evils is BULL!
I look forward to a positive choice.
my question exactly!
Only Paul or Kucinich will break this absolutely decadent and pathetic Federal GOvernment up enough to see even mild change.
Hillary will allow an iran attack to go forward!
It is standard Neo-con/lib policy!
oh, and to the above poster:
Hillary CAN be comparedto Bush because neo:lib/con are 2 sides of the same greedy anti-american corporate coin.
If sex issues are what you see most then, sure it looks like they are from different planets, but otherwise? It will be just real compassionate conservatism!
"why choose the lesser of two evils again?"
Because the alternative is to accept the greater evil. If you truly believe Clinton is evil (which I don't), then the place to vote against her is in the primaries.
It will be difficult for Clinton or anyone else who might become president to give up the usurped powers that this president has accrued for himself! Hey, there is nothing more exciting than being an imperial president, is there? Of course, it isn't consitutional, but since this administration has rewritten the constitution why would a new president want to change it.
Unless, the next president returns our country to trying once again to be a democracy - to having congress perform oversight on policy and budgets, to respecting the rights of all citizens and those under our protection!
Clinton just might do that!
Don't count on Clinton to do it. The Clintons, Bushes, and Cheneys are all one of the same. Its time to put an end to this two family domination of the White House. Its disgusting Americans are so easily fooled time and time again in the elections.
It is disgusting but hey, if the media says it over and over....
Carl, you have it right. Being a Dem in this era of politics is difficuly but correct. We must choose wisely. She will not be my choice for many reasons.
Hillary isn't much more than Bush in a skirt with a three digit I.Q. Yet more insane military spending, more secrets, out of Iraq (maybe, possibly) by 2013, and same old same old Bills Republican record. Don't say I didn't warn you. But since lots of Democrats have already said they'd stay home before they'd vote for her, what's the sense of even running a Democrat? Especially when they're nothing more than a Republican with a smile, a promise they love you, (and a tube of Vaseline)? Unless a candidate arises that says the first year will be spent revoking all the very un-American laws passed by a one party legislature under a sadistic, drunk, mentally unstable brat, I'm votin for a qualified 3rd party. And don't you dare say I'm 'wasting' my vote! Ha! You who choose the 'lesser of two evils' choose evil just so you can be part of a pack. How the hell do you think we got in the mess we're in? By their actions, not their words (proven liars, all), what exactly's the difference anyway? Oh yea, the Democrats say one thing (save the Planet) and quietly hold hands and serve the same corporate pimps as their Republican counterparts, or the Republicans, who come right out and give the bastards an office in the West Wing? A party that unanimously approved all of Bushs cabinet nominees, Ashcroft and all the rest, is going to save America and serve the best interests of the U.S.? I don't see how you can still harbor that illusion. Denial so deep that there's no bottom, so we just keep on sinkin...more NAFTA anyone? Out of Iraq by 2013 (maybe, possibly...er...yea that's it!) How about bring back Janet Reno to keep an eye out for some religious nuts to burn to death because they won't answer the door? And what is the public really doing? Rearranging the deck chairs on the friggin Titanic and arguing about it while the water keeps pouring in. YIKES!
Bravo Paladin2. I feel that the public is really rearranging the chairs on The Hindenburg. As for Mr. Bernstein, SHHHHHHH... your not suppose to tell what you know about Queen Cankles.
Are you sure that's the Hindenberg toochie? I always thought it was the Titanic.
Otherwise a great post. Thanx.
>Hillary isn't much more than Bush in a skirt >with a three digit I.Q
Above is such a stupid statement, just look at hillarys voting record, she has the 19th most anti bush andd proggressive voting record.
http://www.voteview.com/
LOL. The Hillary haters don't give a damn about how she actually votes. But thanks for the link, very informative.
"How the hell do you think we got in the mess we're in?"
Ever heard of Ralph Nader? How about George W. Bush?
Hillary has a snowballs chance in Hell to win. So why are you discussing it?
You overlook the fact that Bush has made a cold day in hell commonplace.
yes!
With Bush's policies a snowball doesn't have a change on earth anymore.
Which republicans are you scrubing for, you really think they are worth voting for, you just hate democrats.
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