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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
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Still dending the destruction of millions of the lives of millions of people by "bringing them freedom?" Freedom from sure death or mutilation? Are you all still in a cloud of inmorality? You can go in, Kill Saddam and get out. "Love it or leave it." No American loves Iraq, so leave it!
the apology was already posted -- shouldn't you update this?
UPDATE: Statement from Samantha Power: These comments do not reflect my feelings about Sen. Clinton, whose leadership and public service I have long admired. I should not have made these comments and I deeply regret them. It is wrong for anyone to pursue this campaign in such negative and personal terms. I apologize to Sen. Clinton and to Sen. Obama, who has made very clear that these kinds of expressions should have no place in American politics.
Statement from Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton: Sen. Obama decries such characterizations, which have no place in this campaign.
----------------
not to mention Ms Power is on tour promoting her book and she asked the remark to be off the record as said in frustation --
What a pile of horse-pucky. Of course they reflect her feelings about Senator Clinton. Otherwise she wouldn't have blurted it out and then tried to take it off the record. Quoth Max Bialystock in The Producers: "You mean "Oops," don't you? Just say "oops" and close the door!"
And exactly what is wrong with Ms. Power's statement? Since she was not speaking on behalf of the campaign, I don't think it reflects one bit on the campaign. It is her personal opinion. I am becoming more and more convinced of the same myself after watching the Clinton campaign's dirty tactics this past week.
What's wrong with Power's statement? Think about this. This is a top advisor to a presidential candidate's campaign, talking to the foreign press, dropping the F-bomb without thinking twice, and calling her candidate's opponent -- a sitting sitting U.S. senator and former First Lady -- a "monster."
If you don't find this disturbing, then you need to take a step back and breathe. This would be disturbing coming from any of the three remaining candidates' advisors.
And let's not forget that Power insulted the voters of Ohio. You may not think that especially important, but if Obama wants the Buckeye State's supporters in the GE should he win the nomination, certainly insulting Ohioans is downright stupid. As an Obama supporter, you should be alarmed by how fallout from this could affect your candidate, at the very least.
After the carnage (literal and figurative) of the current administration, I find it more offensive for Clinton and her people to compare Obama to Karl Rove --- Satan's spawn in my opinion.
I agree that it was not an appropriate comment but I also don't think it's attributable to the campaign. It was said during her private business and not in a U.S. forum. I would feel the same way if I heard an advisor of Clinton's had said the same thing about Obama while acting in a non-official capacity. I would be livid but would find it an allowable if petty blow.
Hopefully, the people of Ohio would not put their futures and their children's futures at stake in November by putting McSame(as Bush) in the White House instead of Sen. Obama because a private citizen on a personal book tour called Hillary Clinton a monster in an off the cuff remark.
Ah Martin. Could you explain a little why you're such an ardent supporter of Clinton? What has she done for you or the country? Don't bring up Bill--he's not running.
I don't think this was out of line at all. I think she is a monster. It's not just the dirty politics she's playing now but what she's been playing for years. Explain away all this Mr. Lewis and explain why the biased media hasn't gone after her on all of it. She should start explaining now and not wait until the Republicans bat her around like a toy--
Judicialwa
I must have posted too many words because my post is cut off--
Anyway, answer the 10 questions judicial watch is asking of Clinton:
http://www
And why isn't anyone but them asking these questions?
Good grief! I advice you to go to www.Judici
The Clintons are "monsters" who eat everybody whose in their way. Power for power's shake. She will not do anything much different in Iraq than McCain or Bush. She will not do much for the so-called "middle class," which is a very loose term: By income or mentality? The mentality of her middle class is the fear mongering, change nothing for real, do nothing for the difranchised (same as Bill), care nothing about the World except traveling with Chelsea and drink tea, and blame everybody for not getting the National Health Insurance. Just preserve POWER (as Clinton did) while losing Congress and the Senate to the Republicans. What a couple!
I remember seeing Samantha Power on Charlie Rose a couple of months ago, and she came across as a really eloquent, thoughtful speaker. So, I'm very surprised to hear this.
But, I agree: her comment crossed a line, and she needs to be dismissed from the campaign.
Ms. Power is also a private citizen and was not speaking on behalf of the campaign so I see no need for any "discipline". And if the Clinton and their campaign feel otherwise, I would suggest they also fire Wolfson, Penn and Hillary Clinton herself for comparing Sen. Obama to the likes of Karl Rove. Monster is a promotion from what many of us are calling her in the privacy of our own homes and offices.
She's just like the Obamanut posters here. To them it is scorched earth against all things Clinton all the time. They repeat every right wing smear against the Clintons. They revise the Clinton presidency into one of the worst in American history. They are fanatics and their "new politics" is the same old right wing crap.
Scorched Earth tactics from Obama???? Do you live in ReversoLand??? Cause you are not seeing the same campaign that I and millions of others are seeing.
Samantha is a beautiful and intelligent woman.
Considering Hillary's use of a Canadian leak to lie about Obama (just the most recent lie), I'd say the adjective was apt. I'm sure exhaustion led to the "off the record" slip, and Obama should keep her around to make the point.
Hillary's ends justify the means Bush mentality to attain power sickens me to my stomach, and it's about time somebody said it. Hillary will feed the GOP what they need if she can't win. Fair play and ethics are disturbingly missing in action.
Your little PS tidbit that does not speak for the Obama campaign is just one more example of the deceptive tactics and mean tone... just as your characterization of her book is designed to negatively convey a smear on a successful author. How dare she make a living?
More and more are saying about Hillary and her tactics-
"It may have helped her in Ohio, but it didn't help her with me."
The Clintons were not involved in the Canadian thing.
That's Obamabot propaganda.
really? try reading a newspaper, josey. they're filled with facts, like the one that definitively has the canadians saying that it was the clinton campaign giving them the wink-wink over the nafta criticism. disgusting that clintonistas have turned into rovians overnight. i guess dems aren't different than rethugs after all, at least clinton dems.
if i were hillary, i would congratulate her flor slipping up and showing us what the politics of hope looks like. this is too rich to demand her getting fired. naw....
That is an unfortunate comment by ms Powers who is not part of his political team, but rather is one of his foreign policy advisors.
But it is not nearly as curious as the way that Clinton is now campaigning for McCain. Why is she trying to make the argument that he is more qualified to be president than the leading Democratic candidate? Would a candidate who cared about the party be providing blurbs for the Republican posters in the fall?
Obama is a gift to the Republicans. He's bashed universal health care, trial lawyers, called unions "special interests", praised Reagan, concluded Bush and Cheney have NOT committed impeachable offenses, etc. Obama hurts the Democratic Party!
Wow...you don't look anything up do you? Are you on the Clinton payroll or just blind to facts?
You're defending a person that's voted for the war that Bush/Cheney should be impeached for.When did he call unions "special interests" and so what if he did....I'm in a union and they are "special interests.
Look up something. You've obviously got a computer or access to one. The internet full of information. It's not hard at all....tru
Yup, we're down to three more or less identical candidates. Obama talks the best game, but what has he done in Congress to distinguish himself? What initiatives has he brought to the table that might have actually brought about the "change" that he supposedly seeks? Not having the votes isn't a viable excuse, because even failed bills generate talk and can change opinions, and they can be valuable in that they force the other Senators to either take a stand or to show themselves for the gutless, spineless, corporate marionettes that they are. Don't be fooled, if he was actually about change he'd have done SOMETHING to prove it by now.
Well he hasn't actually bashed universal health care. He has opposed a proposal in Clinton's health plan mostly for being politically unpalatable, which it is. He praised Reagan's ability to move the country which is not a bad thing since what the Democrats need is someone with the ability to similarly move the country in the other direction. He has not praised Reagan to the same degree that Bill Clinton did when running for office. But how is this a gift to Republicans anyway? What Clinton and Obama recognized with their remarks about Reagan is that you win general elections by attracting independents and moderates, why does it help the Republicans for democrats to try to expand their pool of voters?
I don't know the context of the other comments you refer to, but I am not particularly impressed by the argument that if one distorts his record, there is something there that works to the benefit of the republicans. This is particularly true since the examples seem to be example that show he does not campaign as a doctranaire democrat, something that is a plus in the general election. And his voting record indicates he is more liberal than Hilary Clinton. So he seems to be someone with a better democratic voting record who has more appeal to the general electorate. That seems to be all pluses as far as I can see.
Your comment is not intelligent. You said "That is an unfortunate comment by ms Powers who is not part of his political team, but rather is one of his foreign policy advisors."
Lon, this is simply incorrect. She is his senior foreign policy advisor on his "political team." Her job his to advise his campaign on foreign affair issues. If Obama wins, she is in line to become an ambassador for the United Nations or some high political post in his administration.
And of Bush's main policy advisors, which of them play this kind of diplomatic role? In general top foreign policy advisors move into the white house and do not do much representing of the country's public face. SO why is this a problem?
And assuming that you are a democrat, why are you more bothered by this than by Clinton's talking up McCain as a more qualified candidate than Obama? After all by the simple minded standard that Clinton is appealing to here McCain is also a more experienced candidate than Clinton. So Powers comment affects basically nothing. Clinton's comment helps the republicans regardless of who wins the nomination for the democrats. Isn't that a more important issue?
My thoughts exactly.
Campain (sic) Hillary has said and done much worse. The flabbergasting fact is that Clinton is doing McCain's work for him while he's resting up and cruising all over Europe collecting photo ops with world leaders and dignitaries.
While our party leaders seem afraid to stand up to Clinton, and at least request that she refrain from bashing her own party, she's lying and 'fear mongering' us all directly into a McCain presidency.
I can't believe we're doing this to ourselves again. The infamous circular firing squad.
Barack Obama is not stupid. She's gone in the morning.
Why should she be gone? She said it on her own time and not in an official campaign capacity.
Before the Clinton crew run too fast with this "news item" they might want to think over whether they want to give more publicity to a statement that their candidate is a "monster".
Is this the Politics of Hope Obama has been promising?
Nope.
It is the "Wink Wink" Candidacy of Barack Obama.
Talk of hope, of change, of "yes we can" but...
One week of media pressure and vetting an we get ... Nafta-Gate, Rezko-Gate, and now...
MONSTER-GATE
This artice didn't quote that this senior advisor also called Ohio voters "obsessed.
As an Edwards Democrat - I concluded Obama has run a very dirty campaign!
And Obama attacked universal health care to advance his own political career. Democrats have been working to get universal health care since Obama was a baby. And then he tears it down!!!
In just about every instance, putting the shoe on the other foot proves Hillary is just a brilliant politician and there is nothing monstrous about her. The fact that Obama's friends are so eager to promote the venal Republican characterization of her proves that they are not committed to the party but to the man. But who is the man who has friends like this?
He better give her a free pass. Samantha Power said what many of us are thinking..
Well - if Obama does fire her - you''ll be proven wrong.
I suspect if he does fire her it is just so it doesn't become a story. She made a mistake, I agree, and she should not have said it in public. However, Wolfson, in his official capacity, called Obama Ken Starr. Clinton said that McCain would be a better president than Obama and said Obama wasn't a Muslim "as far as she knew." Samantha Powers should not have said Clinton was a monster, but I think her opinion is correct.
I wouldn't say she is a "monster" - I'd just say she's running a vile campaign.
As in:
- Sending out a lying mailer to NH women just prior to the vote (search YouTube for "Lorna Brett Howard")
- Orchestrating a racist campaign to "ghetto-ize" Sen. Obama in South Carolina
- Darkening Sen. Obama's face on their own website (more ghetto-izing - and that was really bad)
- Jumping on NAFTA-gate - when their own campaign started it:
http://www
- Utilizing Rush Limbaugh listeners to win the Primary in Texas
- Shamelessly praising the Republican McCain over her Democratic opponent - never seen that before in my lifetime.
Maybe she should start a Experienced Neocon Party (the ENP) and run with Joe Lieberman - and good riddance.
abt, all good points... but exactly what else does she need to qualify as a monster... wait, don't say it. it might make their to-do list!!! with the clintons, forget "kitchen sink"... we're talking toilet bowl here.
ms. power said what many of us have been thinking.
in fact, "monster" is a promotion from what I've been calling her lately.
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