My Recollection of Hillary Clinton at the 1995 Camp David Meeting
After spending much of the day doing the sorts of things that normal teacher/scholars do, I returned to the blogosphere to see a raging debate about who said what at the January 1995 meeting convened by the Clintons at Camp David to help them sort through the 1994 election debacle and help him prepare for the 1995 State of the Union Address. I was there (the only female intellectual-scholar invited), and the tenor of the discussion was one of the instances I was referring to last Saturday in my post on TPM (I also attended a late 1993 intellectuals' dinner at the White House, where similar discussions occurred). The early 1995 meeting at Camp David was a many-hours-long seminar featuring about a dozen intellectuals plus a bunch of White House insiders, talking with Bill and Hillary Clinton and Al Gore. It was a fascinating window into how the Clintons were coping with the massive health care debacle and Congressional election defeats of late 1994.
Ben Barber later wrote a 2001 book about this and other Clinton salons with intellectuals, and I remember him taking lots of notes at Camp David -- which obviously lay the basis for his 2001 account. In that book, which many of us read when it came out years ago, he gave vivid and accurate renditions of the discussions I heard and participated in, and I have spoken to other attendees at various Clinton salons who agree on Barber's accuracy. Obviously, contemporaneous notes and a book written years ago, long before today's arguments, are the best possible evidence -- especially since Barber is reportedly now a Hillary Clinton supporter. His previously documented reports are much better evidence of what was said in 1995 than instant "recollections" now scrounged up by the HRC and Obama campaigns.
Barber reports in his 2001 book that Hillary Clinton said "Screw 'em" about southern working class whites who did not support Bill Clinton. Two other scholar-particiants, Alan Wolfe and Harry Boyte, agree she said this. Reported demurrals (and not a clear denial) come from Clinton staffers Bruce Reed and Don Baer, not from the independent intellectuals in attendance. But independent witnesses who keep notes trump employees any day.
I have gone back to my 1995 notes to check my recollections of the event. My notes do not have any exact words, so I am not going to try to corroborate a particular phrase from Hillary Clinton or any other speaker.
But what is clear in both in my memory and my notes is that there was extensive, hard-nosed discussion about why masses of voters did not support Clinton or trust government or base their choices on economic as opposed to what people saw as peripheral life-style concerns. Hillary Clinton was among the most cold-blooded analysts in attendance. She spoke of ordinary voters as if they were a species apart, and showed interest only in the political usefulness of their choices -- usefulness to the Clinton administration, that is.
I vividly remember at the time finding it impressive that Bill Clinton (NOT Hillary Clinton) showed real empathy for the ordinary people whose motives and supposedly misguided choices were under analysis. Ironically, just as Barber reported, Bill Clinton was the one who combined analysis and empathy, much as Obama himself did in his full San Francisco remarks.
I think this whole angle of "gotcha" politics about snippets of speech transposed from one context to another is ridiculous and pathological for democracy in America -- and I cannot fathom why the Clintons or George Stephanopoulos are descending to this dirt, not to mention the guilt-by-association crap. It is particularly despicable of them to criticize Obama for the sort of observation/analysis that was routine in and around the 1990s Clinton White House. And I cannot help but feel there is a psychological edge of pure envy in Bill Clinton's attacks: Obama is empathetic and charismatic as well as smart, just like Bill was back then, in those so much better days!
Over and out. I am going to try to find a way to preserve in amber my better memories and feelings about the Clintons, so as not to lose altogether the sense of admiration I once felt, but can no longer.
Related: Sam Stein: Hillary Clinton On Southern Working Class Whites In 1995: "Screw 'Em"
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It's going to take a "Village" to hall this woman's happy ass out of this campaign, she feels some sort of entitlement to the Presidency, like My husband was President, therefore I should be! She is cold and caculating, I think we've had enough of the scorched earth politics in this country. We are sinking fast and I believe that Obama is the only one to bring a fresh look at D.C. and the sewer it's become.
I guess Hillary will let us eating cake as well.
It warms my heart when Hillary gets raked over the coals. It will be a win-win presidency no matter who the victor, Hillary will be like comfort food to hate and ridicule, Obama will be like watching Waco in slow motion, first under siege then self immolation as the electorate realizes change can be for the absolute abject worse. McCain as president will keep the Bush haters at their posts, not having to re-vector their hate hurling trebuchets one click...an
I finally realized why Clinton doesn't quit. She knows she can't win, and she probably knows it is hurting her long-term political career.
It's because she is having fun! Instead of playing defense, she gets to attack and savage with no regard for reality or the political consequences. She likes playing the attack dog, shredding her opponent's reputation like it's mailman's leg. Never mind that he will likely be president someday. She just loves bringing up nonsense that makes him look bad.
It isn't even personal. She probably likes Obama. She just likes sinking her teeth into someone, just like she did into Richard Nixon back in the 1970s. Nixon deserved it; Obama doesn't. Anyone who votes for this woman today is voting for someone possessed by the spirit of negative campaigning, not someone vying to become President of the United States.
Interesting theory. Maybe she is venting her repressed hostility to her philandering husband by attacking Obama. But that doesn't excuse the lap dog media for taking the bait?
Theda's recollection is very unflattering to Hillary. I am so sick of the Clintons. Their supporters are like rabid dogs and so entirely blind to her obvious faults. Hillary is the last thing that America needs now.
would you buy a used car from either Hillary or McCaine?
Or maybe it's so simple as to be knowing when she quits the bill collectors will be at the door.
You really should get help. You think you are part psychiatrist and part clairvoyant.
You should be ashamed to write such garbage.
For the last few months, Hillary Clinton has remined me of Eva Peron. All I know about Eva Peron is from the musical Evita. Mrs. Clinton is the wife of a President and now she wants to be President. Now her "screw'em" comment is like Eva's comment, from he musical, "screw the middle class".
You need to read 'American Evita, Hillary Clinton's Path To Power' by Christopher Anderson. A couple of quotes by Hillary include 'I dont' quit, I keep going' and 'I want to run something'.
It's a great read
Screw Hillary Clinton (and DEFINITELY NOT in a sexual sex). I can't wait until this entitled narcissist goes down in flames. I only pray that she doesn't end up taking the whole Democratic party and nominee down with her.
You act like you know who Barack Obama is? You think you know who Hillary Clinton is by one day of sitting in a room with her. You are just as bad as the media that labels a woman who is strong and set in her convictions "cold-blooded" This article is what you say you despise, gotcha politics. I don't care that Obama said what he said in his San Fransisco fund raiser, hell I don't even really care about Wright. But I do care that he was only in the Senate for one year before he decided to rule the world. Experience is worth something to me and when you vote 130 times "present" and have no real accomplishments then you have to look at his character as well. So far I don't like what I've saw. The reason those San Fran comments are sticking to Obama is because he does give off a cocky, smug "better than you" attitude. I remember the 90's and long for those days again. I'm not willing to gamble on someone selling "Hope" Geroge W Bush fooled us with this "i'm a uniter not a divider" crap once. Not going to happen a second time.
your indignity makes your point ridiculous. I find your argument disingenuous. I hope to GOD my President would be superior to me; if he weren't then any asshat could get the job (see exhibit A currently seated).
At this point, the choices we're familiar with are SO BAD, that I'm willing to stake my next four years' future on a relative unknown. the devils we know are so bad that I'd rather the devil you don't.
Darwinita, you are hopeless. You who are looking for a superior president have all right to vote for Obama. Superior he is in deed. Only a person who believes he is superior would have the audacity to run for president before he had collected any experience at all.
On the other hand, the rest of us are looking for a president who has commands of the issues, who has shown us that she does, and who is not superior to us. We want a president who can understand our needs and even some of our wants.
God help you and all those who are willing to put the lead of this great nation into the hands of an "unknown Superior."
The poster was taking issue with the fact that Hillary has soundly attacked Obama for his remarks when it turns out that she has said the same and much worse. It is Hillary's hypocrisy and underlying dishonesty that should be a concern. As far as the bad times facing our country today, one of the worst things we are confronting is the fact that we are bogged down in Iraq and spending over 20 billion a month there that we can't use to bail out homeowners, shore up Social Security, build our infrastructure, extend unemployment benefits, etc. And Hillary's vote to authorize this war is partially to blame calling her judgement into question. It turns out that she is the riskier proposition.
Isn't America Great?!?! Only in this country can a self-made person with humanitarian characteristics with a vast knowledge of people and politics can become President. God Bless this country of opportunity.
The 130 present votes is another canard from the Clinton smear machine. Obama has never once voted present in the US Senate, the present votes were from the Illinois senate, and were out of over 4000 votes cast. My source: Keith Olberman of MSNBC. Oh, and if you want some accomplish
Your point that Obama has decided to "rule the world" makes everything else you say insignificant. He is running for President of the United States, not King of the World. That's what Bush thinks he is. Obama is way different. You are off track.
Thank you for this post clarifying the utter dismissive attitude of the whiskey chugging, woman who has no heart, as we know the meaning of "heart" in this instance. It was getting so I don't even read any blogs on Huff by women anymore because I find the support of a liar, one who voted to allow Bush to kill at will millions and the deaths in the prime of their life of 4007 or more American soldiers. No wonder she could do it so easily. They, and their families, now in agony and mourning meant nothing to her. All that it seems mattered was her upcoming run for president and how it would play in her campaign. Of course, once again, she failed to parse because of that fatal attraction to power and fame. She does not have the good judgement precisely because her mind is not really on what the country needs, but what she needs, and what she has to do to satisfy her need and, as we see, and this is becoming a cliche, she will do and say anything to win. Pitiful woman to be so shackled with her borderline sociopathic personality.
And Hillary's radically agressive approach to Iran is the stuff nightmares are made of. That was the most important point that came out of the very shallow debate this week .
And the Main Stream Media coverage---zero, zip, nada!
"The worms never get satisfied, regardless of how much food you give them."
Another quote from Hillary "Screw 'Em" Clinton? No, these words fell from the lips of Elena Ceausescu, the detested wife of Romania's iron-fisted dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, referring to the Romanian people, who were then starving.
But sadly similar cynicism, don't you think?
Gee, can we get Hillary for plagiarism?
Great review. Thank you for your honesty. I appreciate the section where you said ["I am not going to try to corroborate a particular phrase" because it expresses your desire to be honest. I was then able to focus on the context and tenor of what the discussion was at such time. As you expressed in your diary, what was the topic of discussion was that some voters cast votes against their economic interest, which hurts communities and generations of people. The answer to why this occurs should be openly discussed and honestly debated so that real change can occur. The Republicans are afraid of a real discussion of this issue, and try to work up a frinzy so that people do not focus on real issues.
The Republicans cannot justify their policy or their politics of screwing the poor and the little guy without scaring them to death about gays, terror, and taxes, so they convince them into voting against their own financial interests. NOT THIS TIME! The little guy is waking up and wising up to the tactics of the party of the rich.
Unfortunately there are large numbers of voters, particularly in the southern states who have voted Republican since the mid-60s. The South voted overwhelmingly for FDR and gave Truman solid majorities in EVERY southern state.
It's one thing to pretend that this has not happened and sound nice and inclusive in public and entirely another to believe that it isn't/hasn't happening. That would be called "dumb."
These "topics" are discussed, and they repeatedly get race-baiting GOPers elected in the South.
Read Krugman today:
http://www
What is apparent is that the Clintons are practiced politician
You've hit the nail on the head for me. I couldn't quite find the words to describe what I feel when I listen to Senator Clinton, but "practiced
If Pennsylvania's Democratic voting population is worthy of respect. they will not act as a state of Stepford wives. Clinton feeds off the collective myth (read: cult mentality a la Scientology) that she is the true progressive feminist, let alone "experience" candidate. Her purported experience is that of exercising poor judgment at best and reactionary self-serving decisions (ie. Iraq War, USA PATRIOT Act) at worst. There was once a time I respected her back in the 1990's along with Bill, heck I even campaigned for them via Nassau NOW in NYS, but I was far more naive then. My ideals hadn't yet been spoiled by cynical realism as I developed in Clinton's 1st term. Clinton's overriding hypocrisy led me to vote for Ralph Nader in 1996 & Green in every subsequent Presidential election to date. Obama, is a huge breath of fresh air, even for a chronic asthmatic like myself (no pun intended!) with his articulate intellectual honesty. He welcomes all ideological perspectives into the fold. He knows how to agree to disagree, whereas Clinton attracts Republicans to bury her politically like iron filings to a magnet. If any doubt remains of her ability to unite Republicans against her, you only need to look at my Republican family which routinely makes the most profane remarks against her. Obama has "Obamicans" on his side (Republicans supporting Obama) for the same reason as Reagan created the Reagan Democrat phenomenon. Susan Esienhower & Lincoln Chafee are the tip of this iceberg.
4/18/08
10:53am
Alexandria, VA
RE: "why masses of voters did not...trus
Left out the part of about supporting Clinton but this is STILL the problem of the Democratic party, isn't it?
"Peripheral life-style concerns" are swaying too many voters when we have a war and a real economic crisis on our hands.
Hillary is like a cancerous spot festering on the most delicate part of the Democratic Party. How do we get rid of this parasitic mould? People of the Great Penn state must decide.
I'm thinking Preparation H
Shrinks all hillaries down to size.
As a Pennsylvanian, there is only one thing to do:
We need to hand Hillary a big fat loss here next week. Send her packing.
"Screw 'em"!! No, screw you, Hillary. Before you screw the rest of us.
Oh, most excellent WFV!
PA will show that hypocriticial liar who'll take the nomination. Mark my words.
PA will come thru as a smart, undeterred by Clinton's lies and deceptions body of voters who'll choose the better of these two candidates.
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Posted April 17, 2008 | 05:14 PM (EST)