The "New" Politics: Top Obama Advisor Caught Calling Hillary Clinton "A Monster"

UPDATE: Friday 11:45am ET. Power has resigned. Good. The only tenable response. Obama initially only "decried" the comment - he didn't act to fire her or ask for her resignation. And Power's resignation didn't happen till AFTER the outrage grew and became apparent. Notwithstanding that - Power should be commended for having (eventually) done the right thing. Now we can get back to the issues. And to hoping that whoever we pick as our prospective president has the judgment to select senior foreign policy advisors who are experienced enough to not make such fundamental mistakes in the first place.

"SHE IS A MONSTER..." - Samantha Power - Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to Barack Obama Direct quote in interview published in The Scotsman (UK) March 7, 2008

Taking time out from her duties as one of Barack Obama's advisors to promote her latest commercially-published book, ["Chasing The Flame" Penguin Press $32.95]- Samantha Power decided to express her true feelings about Hillary Clinton to one of Britain's leading political correspondents - Gerri Peev of The Scotsman.(a respected national daily newspaper since 1817)

Having expleted her way through the Obama campaign's recent stumbles: "We fucked up in Ohio" she turned her attentions to Senator Hillary Clinton.

This senior representative of the "New Type Of Politics" expressed herself in no uncertain terms about Hillary Clinton.

"SHE IS A MONSTER..."

Then - in a moment worthy of the Watergate culprits interviewed by Woodward and Bernstein - she tried the oldest scam in the "we fucked up" book - she tried to claim her comment was off-the-record AFTER THE FACT.

She said: "She is a monster, too - that is off the record - she is stooping to anything,"

Alas - that is not kosher. Just not done. You can't retroactively claim "off-the-record" status in the middle of an on-the-record interview with a national daily newspaper - just because (to use her dainty language) you "fucked up". THAT is "stooping to anything".

Ms Power is not a child or a neophyte. She is a grown woman age 37, who graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School and is herself a journalist for Time Magazine. With a journalism career writing for U.S. News & World Report, The Boston Globe, The Economist and The New Republic. In other words - she knows the rules.

The rules of this interview were established at the outset. As the journalist for The Scotsman noted:

"In this instance, Samantha Power was promoting her book and it was established in advance that the interview was on the record."

Not allowed. Not done. TILT.

So what will Barack Obama do about this?

Will he follow the example set by Hillary Clinton who has dismissed advisors and campaign staff who have made intemperate and inappropriate statements?

Will he denounce and reject Samantha Power for her loathsome comment? And dismiss her from his campaign?

Will he embody "The New Type Of Politics" of which he speaks so often?

Or will he give her a free pass and in so doing condone the description of a fellow Senator and former First Lady as "A MONSTER"?

We shall see.

We certainly know what the uproar would be if a senior Clinton advisor was caught calling Barack Obama "A MONSTER"...

"I have been very clear to my campaign. I do not want to see research that is involved in trying to tear people down personally. If I find out that somebody is doing that, they will be fired. And I have been absolutely crystal clear about this, and I have been clear about this for a very long time." - Barack Obama - December 2007

Incidentally, I apologize in advance to Ms. Power for the use of the word "kosher" in a paragraph adjacent to her name. I am mindful of her long-standing, oft-expressed virulent objections to the State of Israel (in a 2002 speech she proposed that the US spend billions of dollars to impose a Palestinian state by military means) - and I do not mean to offend her by placing a word that she may find offensive so near to her name.

Follow Martin Lewis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheMartinLewis

Comments

[Gibbons]

Martin you have spoken out against some attack dog in the Obama camp and it seems the whole RABID group is out to get you. It does not pay to speak ill of the Anointed One. Of course they never attack Clinton i heard Big O say so.

[eli10]

Trashing the Democrats in Ohio who didn't have enough common sense to vote for Obama doesn't seem like smart politics. Calling your opponent a monster while running as the hope candidate doesn't seem very bright either. But what do I know. It's obviously firing up the troops.

[Seral]

We will see how Obama will react to such low-class comments. If that is the person he wants to get his advices in foreign policy, what can I say, good luck America, you will definitely need that! And, hope that you won't feel the need to look behind and recall Bush with heartwarming words opposite of what you feel right now.

[JoDeeVa]

I have great respect for Samantha Power. She has dared to go places and put forth ideas about foreign policy issues that have often been ignored or just given lip service by governments. She is eloquent in speech and writing, as well as outspoken. She understands the power of words. I have no doubt these words were uttered in frustration and I accept her heartfelt apology. If I understand anything about her, it is that she is sincere and passionate in what she says, about this incident and her opinions on foreign policy, as well as her work bringing awareness to global genocide and human-rights. She is not a neophyte when it comes to Obama; she worked in his Senate office as a senior-fellow in foreign policy..much the same role she now holds.

That said, even on a "private-citizen" book junket, the interview obviously addressed the campaign, in part because of that role. On Charlie Rose, his questions also veered there..it's only natural that they would. Although, I'm sure she is cognizant of that dynamic, because of the power of her words she should exercize more discretion in her dual-role as author and Obama advisor. She walks a thin line and it is difficult, if not impossible, for the press and the public to distinguish between her speaking as representative of the campaign and voicing her own opinion, even as a private-citizen, in interviews about her book. However, HER opinion is that Barack Obama is the best candidate, therefore the perception will always be that they are the same. The impact of that is evident here. I know she will choose her powerful words more carefully, in consideration of the harm they can do the candidate she is as passionate about as her own life's work!

~~Disclosure: I am a Hillary Clinton supporter~~

[GDliberal]

"We fucked up in Ohio"
I've heard her speak in public before, I don't remember her using that type of language. Could it be she already thought she was "off the record" on the topic because she was there to speak about her book and just wanted to reiterate that.
Not that I care because I've call both clintons far worse and admit it.

[Mrrar]

Sorry, Martin. Bending over and taking it from a political troll isn't "New Politics."

New Politics is being willing to talk about the issues, to recognize this isn't a game, as Hillary perceives it. It's our future. It's our country.

[Emmaboverry]

Ms. Power's honesty is refreshing. And her judgment quite sound.

[inthenitemare]

Agreed.

[itmaybetoolate]

So you are okay with me calling Obama a coward because he has refused to stand up to bush's repeated assaults on the Constitution? Off the record, that is.

[SayWhatOneMoreTimeMFer]

Well, Iv'e been infuriated all night , calling her (mcBushery) every name in the book, and Ms. Power has the gall to come up with a better response in a split second than I was able to do in four hours, Monster is exactly the word I was looking for.
Please don't be politics as usual and fire someone for saying what we are all thinking.

[vdog]

The reason that Bill Clinton won't release the names of people who donated to his Presidential library is that he has received millions upon millions of dollars from Dubai, Arab Shieks and Islamic organizations. Do you think they are donating this money to the Clintons without expecting favors? That is why the Clintons won't release their tax returns and other information being asked of them by Obama's camp. This information is coming from Dick Morris, Clinton political advisor for 20 years. He knows a thing or two about the Clintons. It's interesting how the Clinton work. I thinks it's high time to press the Clinton to release their tax returns so we find out exactly who THEY are in bed with.

[sunshower7]

The Clintons IRS records will show exactly who THEY are in bed with and why they tried to frame Obama about NAFTA-GATE


While Senator Obama fought successfully to increase our investment in renewable fuels rather than nuclear fuels, the Clintons received $31.3 million from financier Frank Giustra, . a director and major shareholder of UrAsia Energy Ltd,. a Canadian based corporation which invests in uranium mining and nuclear reactors in Kazakhstan and around the world.

Clinton acknowledged this. NY Times article, January 31, 2008.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/31/us/politics/31donor.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[lynnn]

NAFTA-GATE, boy Hillary learned a lot from Nixon!

[HowardRoarke]

You've given up on pretending you were just asking us to "think", now?

Straight to full on advocacy?

While you're wailing on an advisor, YOUR candidate Hillary is endorsing John McCain.

Get some perspective, dude.

[DAbraha]

Ms. Power is more than right actually she is damn right and more...Hillary is dangerous like Bush...mark my word...it is all about her way or the highway. The true Clinton has been hiding in the Senate trying to take the entitlement to the White House assuming she has no competition. She needs to be vetted as I have not seen much vetting yet.

I love my mother but I am glad it is not Hillary Clinton...she is a real witch if you ask me.

Check out the NAFTA flop...now you know who the Clinton's are...

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/03/06/738264.aspx

[philistine]

He insisted on serving her a big, steaming plate of Haggis before the interview. That would make anyone cranky.

[Tejano1]

hillary mcclinton is a monster. what's wrong w/ calling her one? she's a liar, and she runs an ever-scummier campaign. i'd sooner vote for a snake, or even a nader. and if she manages to slime her way to the nomination, i'll be in the streets of denver w/ the other million obama supporters.

[HaveANiceDay]

Sorry Martin. She (Clinton) is being a monster. There is nothing untrue in the statement. You aren't going to start whining about this too are you? Can't handle the truth?

Talk about mountains out of molehills!