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Hillary Responds to "Pimp"-gate

February 09, 2008 1:44 PM

In Orono, Maine, this morning, following a rally at the University of Maine, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., made her first public remarks about MSNBC's David Shuster having referred to her campaign having "pimped out Chelsea," Clinton's daughter.

"I am a mom first and a candidate second," Clinton told reporters, per ABC News' Eloise Harper. "I found the remarks incredibly offensive. I can take whatever comes my way, that’s part of what I signed up for as a candidate as an office holder, but I think that there’s been a troubling pattern of comments and behavior that has to be held accountable. So I have sent a letter to the head of NBC expressing the deep offense that I took and pointing out what has been a troubling pattern of demeaning treatment, and I would expect appropriate action to be taken."

Shuster has been temporarily suspended for his comments, and he has apologized. He has said he was trying to make a larger point about how Chelsea, 27, has been enlisted to work for the campaign though she refuses to talk on the record to the media.

But Clinton suggests a "pattern" by MSNBC hosts, because she has also been offended by comments made by MSNBC's Chris Matthews, who -- among other comments -- has implied Clinton only has her senate job because of her husband's infidelity with Monica Lewinsky. Under pressure, Matthews apologized on air for that comment.

The campaign has threatened to boycott pending debates on NBC and Clinton would not say today if she would participate in the NBC sponsored debates.

"We have accepted a lot of debates from a lot of different sponsors and were going to wait and see how this plays out," Clinton said.

-- Jake Tapper and Eloise Harper

February 9, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary | Permalink | Share | User Comments (550)

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Hillary is not being slammed because she is a woman. She is being slammed because of who she is and what she does. Quite frankly I"m sick to death of the Clinton's and all the garbage they bring with them. Their sense of entitlement aggravates me and shows how shallow they are. "Can't stand the heat", well, you know the rest!

Posted by: Margie Le Clair | Feb 11, 2008 11:43:56 AM

Whosoever think that White men are not voting for Senator Clinton because they just doesn't want to see a women in office must not have any knowledge of the long criminal history of the Clinton's. White men are voting as wise men. They are voting their hearts. They love the Democratic Party. And there are some other bonuses to be gained, a closer working relationship with people of color.

Posted by: Martha Ann | Feb 11, 2008 10:44:00 AM

Martha Ann Roots-Woods

Whosoever think that White men are not voting for Senator Clinton because they just doesn't want to see a woman in office must not have an knowledge of the long criminal history the Clinton's. White men are voting as wise men. They are voting their hearts. They love the Democratic Party. And there are some other bonuses to be gained, a closer working relationship with people of color.

Posted by: Martha Ann | Feb 11, 2008 10:39:43 AM

I guess when Michelle Obama campaigns we will call upon Don Imus to make the appropriate comments. Then posters who feel it is okay to slime the Clintons One standard for all.

Didn't hear the Romney boys were pimping for their father?

Double Standard is well. I really want Obama to win. Then his followers will react to the Republican slime machine with a : oh well that's okay. We did it to the Clintons. McCain/Rove are just doing the same.

Posted by: Alan | Feb 11, 2008 10:33:47 AM

Again it is worth noting, that the stinky pile the IMESS laid on that network will affect them and the nbc parents.

Posted by: daddyblue | Feb 11, 2008 10:11:50 AM

Tulcat again you miss represent the facts.

Posted by: Jim Rod | Feb 11, 2008 10:10:08 AM

Let's not put Hillary in office

Hillary Clinton's Culture of Corruption: The Scandal Queen
The Fraudulent Senator: Part 1 of a 7 Part Series
Joan Swirsky, Featured Writer
March 13, 2006

Once upon a time the woman who former Democrat House Ways and Means Committee Chairman and convicted felon Dan Rostenkowski was credited with calling "the smartest woman in the world'' decided that departing the pinnacle of world power at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – where she was co-president of the U.S. for eight years – was unacceptable.

In no time, she decided that the fastest route to regaining that power was to spend as few years as possible as the junior senator from New York and then move onward and upward to reclaim what she believes is her rightful place in history as the first female president of the United States of America.

Hillary Rodham Clinton promptly relocated to the Empire State and moved into an upscale house financed by the former chairman of the



Posted by: Martha Ann | Feb 11, 2008 9:53:23 AM

Diane M, and all you can say is "Monica Lewinsky"?...

Posted by: tulcak | Feb 11, 2008 9:42:29 AM

forgot "katrina", "ARMPAC", "diebold", "secret energy meeting", "lies about Iran", "world-wide ridicule and hatred of the US", "the devaluation of the dollar", "failed and sleazy business deals", "AWOL from Vietnam", "the victory rally on an aircraft carrier", "no child left behind", "Iraq's nuclear program", "downing street memo", "idiocy"...

Posted by: tulcak | Feb 11, 2008 9:40:57 AM

Diane M, can you say "lying us into war", "haliburton", "WMDs", "wire-tapping", "patriot act", "torture", "water boarding", outing a CIA operative", "destroying tapes of torture", "destroying emails at the JD", "not signing kyoto", "recession", "increase in terrorism", "begging for oil from the sauid family", "moron"... President Clinton got a bj in the white house and lied about it - seems pretty tame compared to the treasonous and impeachable offenses mentioned above about bush...

Posted by: tulcak | Feb 11, 2008 9:33:35 AM

Martha Ann Roots-Woods,IN

Hillary's campaign manager didn't "step down". Oh my beg, she stepped aside. And look ah there the old party players are coming forward.

Posted by: Martha Ann | Feb 11, 2008 9:21:52 AM

I'm amazed - the world is turned topsy-turvy, when President Clinton uses the characterization of "fairytale" when speaking of a stance of Obama's he is attacked from all sides and requested to go sit in the corner and never come out again. When a journalist uses the term "pimping out" in a characterization of President Clinton's daughter, the general consensus seems to be "whatever" what's the big deal? If this type of thing had occurred in a public school, where a teacher characterized one of the students with "pimping out", or referred to something the student did or thought as a "fairytale" which do you think would be more offensive?

Posted by: american2 | Feb 11, 2008 9:02:35 AM

Clinton & McCain do alot of traveling around together; This is what a Top News Paper lady said on the Matthews Show, Sunday Morn.So if this is the case then Hillary needs to STOP, saying she is the best canidate to run against who? her travel buddie!

Posted by: Demo Rules | Feb 11, 2008 8:47:21 AM

Can you say Monica Lewinski? Wake up people, they are the same Clintons, different day. Don't let them make fools of the USA again.

Posted by: Diane M | Feb 11, 2008 8:43:48 AM

Hillary's campaign manager didn't "step down". My guess was she got canned. Hillary's got to blame someone for what's not going right in her campaign. Kind of like changing pitchers in the bottom of the 7th with bases loaded and a 2-run lead. It probably won't make any difference.

Posted by: Sandra Johanson | Feb 11, 2008 8:29:13 AM

Martha Ann Roots-Woods, IN

MSNBC's David Shuster should be reporting today. I appreciate reasonable and a sense of balanced reporting that is not too tailored. Bring it on! We are all adults, including Chelsea Clinton. Bring David Shuster back so he can give us the real scoop on the zigzag politics Hillary is using and rushing to Senator John Edward’s home. Hillary just can’t come straight to the people of America to save her life. She is working under-the-table as much as she possible can. It is shameful how the first woman that has a possible chance to be president of the United States is behaving; shame on Senator Hillary Clinton. Why doesn’t she just find a way to get to the people and let the people decide?

Americans has been focusing on Senator Barack Obama in record numbers and that is because we believe that he is our hope for a change and the turning of a great page in the United States of America. History is being made and we turn our focus on another very important person to make a very important decision to do the right thing for all Americans. Senator Edward my respect to you; I have thought about the fact that now that you are no longer in the race for president and the good side of it being that you are now able to get some much needed rest. God bless you and your family.

Posted by: Martha Ann | Feb 11, 2008 8:28:39 AM

for those of you who think that Hillary is overreacting or being hypocritical, what if reporters referred to bush's daughters as "pimping" for votes? would it be "ok" then? YOU are the ones who are hypcrites. if 9/11 had happened on President Clinton's watch, you would have blamed him. anytime 9/11 comes up, you republicans don't blame bush for his lack of effort or ignoring important intelligence, you just blame President Clinton and you blame a reporter's lack of decency on Hillary.

Posted by: tulcak | Feb 11, 2008 6:57:23 AM

America has become ‘oversensitive. Words that ordinarily mean simple things are taken out of contest. I didn't think someone the caliber of Hillary Clinton would find offensive the word 'pimp out'. Pimp is a MAN who gets customers for prostitutes. Hillary's campaign is not operating prostitution and therefore cannot use her daughter to get customers. It is just a matter of expression. David Shuster, a fine reporter for MSNBC, did not mean any harm, so stop being too sensitive over nothing. I am a mother too.

Posted by: Kizeem | Feb 11, 2008 2:20:13 AM

I don't see anything wrong with the comment.

The campaign should have and could have used the comment to there advantage. They could have flipped. Yes I'm out there working hard trying to get my mother the nomination. They could have used Jay-z song Big Pimping spending cheese in the back ground. She could have pulled a lot of young voters with that one. But neither can chelsea or hillary connect with the young people.

Posted by: IDK924 | Feb 11, 2008 1:23:46 AM

Hillary's own Campaign Manager stepped down today, maybe her supporters will wake up and see her own staff is abandoning ship!Im sure her Campaign manager has enough info on her to send Obama straight to the White House!

Posted by: Listen Up | Feb 10, 2008 10:06:22 PM

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