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Hillary to Obama: You're No JFK (or MLK)

January 07, 2008 9:45 PM

Perhaps hoping to pivot away from her unusual comments criticizing Sen. Barack Obama by comparing him to Martin Luther King Jr., who delivered great speeches, and herself to President Lyndon Johnson, who actually passed civil rights laws (Read more on that HERE). Clinton said the following this evening in Salem, N.H.:

"Today Senator Obama used President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to criticize me," she said, according to ABC News' Eloise Harper. "Basically he compared himself to two of our greatest heroes saying, 'Well, they gave great speeches.' President Kennedy was in the Congress for 14 years. He was a war hero. He was a man of great accomplishments and readiness to be president. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. led a movement. He was gassed, he was beaten, he was jailed. And he gave a speech that was one of the most beautifully, profoundly important ever delivered in America.

"And then he worked with President Johnson to get the civil rights laws passed because the dream couldn't be realize until finally it was legally permissible for people from all colors and backgrounds and races and ethnicities to be accepted as citizens."

Thoughts?

- jpt

January 7, 2008 in 2008: Democrats | Permalink | Share | User Comments (155)

User Comments

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"He gratulated college..."

He "gratulated," did he?

From Columbia and then Harvard Law? And then was a professor at the University of Chicago? And then was a legislator for the next 11 years...which is longer than Hillary has been writing laws? And twice as long as George W. was in government before he became president?

Did you have a point, other than you know nothing beyond the chain emails you get sent?

Posted by: Really Mariann? | Feb 19, 2008 11:09:33 AM

Are we really going to hold someone's name against them? Oh my dear! His middle name is Hussein! He lived overseas! His skin is dark! He must be a sleeper agent!! Grow up, people. We didn't hold George Bush's name against him...and speaking of plagiarism, I doubt "W" ever had an original thought or knew anything about Kennedy, Roosevelt or King.

Posted by: hussein?bigdeal. | Feb 19, 2008 11:02:54 AM

What about all the poor youth who think Jimi Hendrix wrote "All Along the Watchtower?"

Give me a break! This is a non-issue.

Posted by: thepooryouth | Feb 19, 2008 10:57:48 AM

Of course Obama knows where the original quotes came from. He's a Harvard-educated former professor. The Clintons are shamelessly throwing mud at Obama hoping something will stick. It's utter nonsense. Do you think Hillary came up with the line "it takes a Clinton to clean up after a Bush??" No chance! Another thing to think about is that perhaps it's neither Obama's or Patrick's line, but came from their shared campaign manager, David Axelrod. It's not a secret that candidates use speechwriters! Kennedy used Sorenson, who not only wrote his speeches, but helped write his book. Note: Sorenson is now helping Obama's speechwriters.

Posted by: youpeopleareidiots | Feb 19, 2008 10:55:36 AM

Whether Obama had permission from Patrick or not to use his words (which weren't his to begin with since they belong to Lincoln and FDR), the horror is that Obama may not know who they belong to if he says Patrick allowed him to use them.

Electing a President who doesn't know whose words he is using when he plagiarizes is even worse than the plagiarism.

Running for office using the words of former Presidents is not just deceptive, it is ignorant. What about all of the youth who hear those words and attribute them to Obama, or Patrick, not Lincoln or FDR?

Posted by: Pat | Feb 19, 2008 12:11:30 AM

Patriot: And your don't know what you are talking about. Obama would like to be like JFK and MLK that's why he listens to their speeches so he can talk in the same manner. Where have you been all this time. Get real. Wake up. Hillary is right. I knew all along he couldn't create his own speeches without some help from theirs. He even tries to talk like them. He is the fake of all fakes and if he wins the nomination I am willing to bet McCain will definately wipe him out.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 18, 2008 11:45:12 AM

COCO: What is so christian about Obama the Muslim. Of course he is a Muslim but doesn't want anyone to know the real truth. For your information he belongs to a church that does not like white people. Where have you been? That church is all black and and praises the leadership of Farrakah. He has people like you and many of this young generation fooled but he doesn;t have me fooled. I can read him like a book without the cover. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 18, 2008 11:41:06 AM

AJ: For your information I would be a fool to vote for Obama a good talker but a know nothing when it comes to politics. He only wants to make history as the first black president of our country and this generation of dummies can't see thru him because they are too dazzled by his speeches of RFK,JFK & MLK. He doesn't have the brains to create his own. Wake up, get a life and read some history books. JFK, RFK were very educated on politics and were in it longer than Obama. He is so desperate to make history I willing to bet he doesn't sleep nights thinking about it.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 18, 2008 11:33:26 AM

UA: You mean Obama's false statements that he has people like you that don't know any better eating up his garbage? Educated? On what leg. He doesn't have enough experience to become president of our country and if he wins the nomination McCain will wipe him out. He is a liar, a fake and can't think for himself that's why he copies the speeches of JFK, RFK & MLK. He gratulated college and it did nothing for him. Get a grip on life and wake up.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 18, 2008 11:20:10 AM

JOHN: I agree with everything you are saying. Obama is a liar and a fake and does not makup his own speeches he copies from RFK, JFK & MLK. He doesn't have the knowledge or capabilites of Hillary Clinton and never will. He should read history books on past presidents and get some experience. He really should not be running for president because he is only a junior senator and if he won the nomination McCain would wipe him out. He can't compare to McCain or Hillary when it comes to knowledge.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 18, 2008 11:15:45 AM

Dr BLT: And its you that will be crying if Hillary gets the nomination. By the way did your mother every cry or does she just laugh at everything that's not funny.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 18, 2008 11:09:06 AM

mike: Obama is a smooth talker and he has people like you eating up the garbage he talks about. If he won the nomination McCain would wipe him out. I would like to see those two in a debate. McCain is more educated and has more knowledge of politics than Obama will ever have. He needs to read several history books on former presidents. He is only after making history and this generation of dummies are falling for his speech because they don't have the brains to know better.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 18, 2008 11:05:28 AM

Ray: What have you been smoking? Obama doesn't know the first thing about leadership. And Obama talking about uniting the country? Give me a break. No president can unite a country. People are people and they have to learn to get along with each other. That's how to unite. Its dummies like you that eat up his garbage and he has all this generation believing what he says. Get a grip on life. He is a first class liar and a copier of others speeches. Apparently college didn't do anything for him. He needs to go back.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 18, 2008 10:59:30 AM

I always was aware of the fact that Obama was listening to the speeches of JFK,RFK & MLK because he does not have the capability of forming his own speech. He used the words of all three of them but this generation is so dumb they don't know the difference. They are blinded by him and don't know the truth from the lies. How did they ever enroll in college. Obama is a fake and wants to make history as the first black president elected in our country. He should be running for president in Kenya where he really belongs. He was raised there and he should have stayed there with his people. He doesn't have the knowledge and know how about foreign policy but of course he has two senators, Kerry and Kennedy to teach him. Hillary doesn't need teaching she already knows what has to be done. And the jealousy against the Clinton's is overwhelming by people who never accomplished their goals in life like the Clinton's did plus the millions that they have. I understand Obama's wife made him quit smoking and who knows if he is still boozing it up again. Voters getter wake up and face reality.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 18, 2008 10:53:12 AM

Hillary is a huge fake!! She has not done anything worth mentioning besides crying!!

Obama is the way to go folks! He has the leadership skills to bring this country together and end lift us back up.

Posted by: Ray | Feb 18, 2008 10:47:51 AM

It wouldn't bother me to vote for a woman, but it would bother me to vote for a woman who obtained her status simply because of her marriage.

Hillary would be just another lawyer in Podunk if she wasn't married to Bill. That is no reason to vote her into any office, especially the presidency.

Posted by: Bob | Feb 18, 2008 10:26:04 AM

If you want to determine how independent a thinker HRC is, just compare her comments to the media when she's campaigning alone with those when Wild Willie there with her. She is a proxy Presidential candidate, just as she has been a proxy wife all these years. Theirs is a marriage of convenience, and I'm betting Bill hopes she loses, because the word outside is that they are headed to divorce court if she loses. I also invoked the memory of her tears over the weekend. That rogue cop who killed his lover and her unborn baby also tried tears too. Took a page from the Hillary Clinton Public Relations textbook. Problem for him was he's a male, she's not. So...guilty verdict...end of story. Hillary is a sham, and so is her philandering husband. We stupidly voted them in twice, and I'm fearful that we're just as stupid now. I WILL say that this time it doesn't really matter who wins. Whether it is Clinton, Obama OR McCain, America loses. So, flip a coin, throw a dart at a voting guide and cast your ballot for the loser du jour.

Posted by: Dan | Feb 18, 2008 10:01:07 AM

I'm not apposed to a woman president, nor a black president, but I can't see voting for either of them for that reason.
Hillary is making empty promises, because she ran the country for 8 years, and never did any of those things. Why should we believe her now. As a matter of fact. She CAN'T run for president because she's already served 2 years. So There!!

Posted by: John | Feb 18, 2008 9:54:09 AM

hi

Posted by: D | Feb 9, 2008 3:39:01 PM

I love Hillary and i know that she would be good president, i just wish people will see that, and stop the bull that she is a women, get over that fact, Lets have a change for once and let a women show that she can also do the job and god knows maybe she will do a better job then any men in the house..

Posted by: leo | Jan 28, 2008 11:19:03 AM

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