Hillary and RFK

It is interesting to read the op-ed piece in Tuesday's Los Angeles Times (Jan 29, 2008) written by three of Robert Kennedy's children -- Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Kerry Kennedy, endorsing the candidacy of Hillary Clinton. The match-up of RFK's offspring with Hillary Clinton is, on one level, a personal and passionate embrace of a woman whom all of them greatly admire for her political prowess and broad vision. But, on another level, it is a symbolic reminder to America of how similar Hillary's and RFK's political experiences have been -- and what lessons we can draw from them.

First, all political analogies are imperfect. Still the similarities are quite atonishing. Both individuals, we should remember, started their political careers with famous last names. Like RFK, Hillary ran for the U.S. Senate in NY State as an outsider and won. Like him, she won the adoring support of New Yorkers. But, like him, the moment she jumped into the presidential race, she was labeled ruthless and unprincipled. And like him she has faced an opponent who is considered a "breakthrough" candidate, a man of change. In the case of RFK, voters were eventually able to see through the din and dust to his true progressive beliefs. In the case of Hillary Clinton, her triumphs in New Hampshire, Nevada and Michigan suggest that as more and more people listen to her, the more they are willing to embrace her as the most reliable liberal trailblazer in the contest.

Comments

[cseper]

Our party could be 100% united, but Obama wants what he wants and he wants it NOW.
In a saner time, the fresh-faced newcomer would work to help the leading Democrat win,
but Obama feels like he's the most qualified person in the country to lead the planet.


...and they accuse Hillary of chutzpa?

http://www.bartcop.com/

[Janelynne]

The hysterical tenor of the so-called Obama people who hate Hillary is antitheitical to Democratic politics. Support for one candidate does not match up with hate for the competition. The two polar opposite emotional reactions don't go together. If we were discussing that one candidate believed that the war should go on and the other did not, (like is actually happening between the two parties) I could see a little vitriole, perhaps. But even that kind of vitriole usually comes from Republicans who would be calling our candidate "weak on defense." Or they might create stupid rumors like Obama being a Muslim. Good Democrats just do not campaign like the GOP, and they don't campaign like this. When I see this hysteria, it doesn't comport with my party. It looks like outside agitation to me.

[serena1313]

I understand Hillary's supporters are passionate about Hillary, but calling criticism hatred, just like criticism against Bush was called hatred, is just not necessary.

Iam sorry to say this, but the comments are a perfect example of how divisive the race has become. Equally disturbing are the posts that deny facts about Hillary. For instance yes she did serve on Wal-Mart's board of directors. No one is perfect, but just because you do not like certain facts about a candidate does not make them irrelevant nor change them.

Furthermore the tone of the comments remind me of the right-wing defending Bush and ignoring facts.

Is that something we can be proud of?

What happened to civility and common courtesy?

[vbond]

"Like RFK, Hillary ran for the U.S. Senate in NY State as an outsider and won. Like him, she won the adoring support of New Yorkers. But, like him, the moment she jumped into the presidential race, she was labeled ruthless and unprincipled."

The difference is that she actually IS deeply "ruthless and unprincipled."

Bobby was ruthless, but in the service of far higher ideals than Hillary can imagine or has in any way demonstrated when it counted.

I understand those Kennedy kids' endorsements of her, but don't you dare even remotely equate her to Bobby Kennedy.

[riverhouse]

RFK and Hillary Clinton are polar opposites. He spoke with passion and eloquence, she hectors and bores. He cried over the sufferings of other people, she cries only for herself. He fought for the underpriviledged, she's the corporate greed queen. He opposed war, she promotes war. He used his skills as a lawyer on behalf of minorities and the poor, she used hers to make money and engage in scandals. He participated in the civil rights movement, she sat it out.

[Geoark]

Does it matter which candidate (Clinton or Obama) gets elected since they both take money from corporations?
Of course it does.
I will vote for Barack Obama because he inspires me and gives me the hope that he is open to new ideas.
The one idea that I hope he will embrace is Earthrights Democracy -- the concept that the Earth belongs to all of us and we must share it equally. Let us remove all taxes on labor and business enterprise while we charge user fees on the monopoly and destruction of our planet. This will give us the incentive to heal our environment and produce resource-conserving technologies.
Removing taxes from labor also will provide full employment to everyone who wants to work.
Are you listening Barack?
GeoArk
Arkansas
Tax Waste, Not Work
Tax what we take, not what we make
Tax pollution, not production

[broadbrush]

RFK did not embrace Barry Goldwater but earnestly fought for civil rights and voting rights,RFK was no favorite of corporate boards and the destruction of workers rights,RFK would not have approved of the use of cluster bombs as Hillary does, RFK would not not embrace Rupert Murdoch and sign the Telecommunications Act of 1996 or the Welfare Reform Bill without modifications, RFK would not have never tolerated caving in to George Bush and voting for this war in Iraq he would have fought this folly with every ounce of his being, and his children should know this or they did not know their father. This comparison is ludicrous and is in fact a lie. I knew RFK, I was a supporter of RFK, Hillary is no RFK

[marcialosangeles]

I agree and I also wanted to point out that I have been very disappointed in the lack of media attention to these Kennedy endorsements for Hillary. Actually, it's infuriating.
And as for the coverage of her unbelievable vote of confidence in FL--over 850,000 votes--that was over 150,00 more votes than the top republican, McCain. The media bias is rearing its recognizable head. This makes Hillary's accomplishments even more remarkable.

[ClaytonTrapp]

This is all so sad.

Remember when Bobby, Jr. got married to that beautiful girl and Bob Dylan sang "Forever Young." He coulda been a contendah instead of endorsing Wal-Mart employees.

RFK = heroic anti-war candidate

HRC = gutless pro/anti/pro war ("What do the polls say today, Silly Bill?") candidate.

[Feettotheflame]

Hillary Clinton will run an administration like Bill Clinton. And he is greatly responsible for the grand theft of wealth from the middle class to the filthiest of the rich. Reagan and Bush deserve great credit for this, but make no mistake this is why America is failing.

Hillary is not inclined to change course, she is the filthiest of the rich and does not wish for change. Change would not bode well for her family and friends.

Vote Hillary if you want 4 more years of corporate fascism.

[Perrier007]

Are there actually those of you who believe that ANY of the people who can win the presidency of the US are NOT corporate-owned? Wake up! We have no real choice, because they have all passed the corporate litmus test to even be allowed to run.

The political process in this country is a sham, and the fact that so many people actually believe the lie that their vote "counts" are the most deceived of all.

[wrabbitt]

Two entrenched old feeble minded reminders of why we are where we are. Two Washington insiders, both with hands out to lobbyists, both with no intentions of ever doing anything for the people. Two coin operated lobbyists puppets, out to get rich. Money has made them who they are, and money will keep them where they are.Sometimes when i look at our government and see how it only works for the wealthy i wonder when it will all crumble. and how much if any of the worlds economy will fall with it. The Downfall of our government is a when, not an if.

[ibsteve2u]

People get so miffed that anybody would think ill of HRC...but is she really all that squeaky clean? Is she really a "friend" of America's working people?

I'm personally (gently, now) disappointed in both Clintons for being so eager to offshore America with their "free trade" stances.

And - even overlooking HRC's ties to Wal-Mart, a massive corporation who benefited massively from Bill's free trade stance - they have personally benefited from it...

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/261976/the_clintons_indian_connection.html

http://infousa.com/VinGuptaCharitable.htm

[MaDem]

I watched every second of the State of the Union address. Obama did turn away from Hillary Clinton when Teddy boy shook her hand. (B.O. and T.K. were sitting next to each other like new BFFs.) Obama WAS however willing to firmly shake Bush's hand, whereas Hillary did not.

[MaDem]

Whether you like John Grisham's novels or not, the guy is a peach. Anyone catch him on Bill Moyers? He is a kind, thoughtful, intelligent, well-intentioned Democrat who is miserable over what Bush and the neocons have done to this country. As he said last night on Charlie Rose, the president we need in November is ... Hillary. He knows her well and says she is one of the most impressive people he has ever met. Grisham says her intelligence, ideas and dedication are awe inspiring. We listened to what Grisham had to say on many other subjects before giving his informed opinion full credence, and could not find a flaw in his other considerations, so we have to take his word for it on the character of Sen. Clinton.