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Rice Says Clinton Full of Beans

March 07, 2008 11:38 AM

Another foreign policy adviser to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, former assistant secretary of state Susan Rice, is taking issue with the way the Clinton campaign characterized her remarks on MSNBC the other day.

(Read more about that HERE.)

Writing in the Huffington Post, Rice says "In this election we have two candidates who will manipulate the truth and one, Senator Obama, who will tell it."

Rice then protests the way the Clinton campaign -- and the McCain campaign -- twisted her remarks to suggest that she'd said Obama wasn't prepared to take that proverbial 3 a.m. phone call."

Her full comments, she said, is that Obama "hasn't claimed that he's been in a position to have to answer the phone at 3:00 in the morning in a crisis situation. That's the difference between the two of them.

Hillary Clinton hasn't had to answer the phone at 3:00 in the morning. And yet she attacked Barack Obama for not being ready. They're both not ready to have that 3:00 a.m. phone call. The questions is and what Barack Obama raised is, when that phone call is received for each of them for the first time, who's going to make the right judgment? Who is going to make the right decision?

"On the critical foreign policy issues of the day, whether it was a decision to go to war in Iraq or the decision to give President Bush the benefit of the doubt and beat the drums of war with Iran, Hillary Clinton has made the same wrong judgment as John McCain and George W. Bush. Barack Obama has made a very different judgment. So neither one of them, and nor John McCain for that matter, have had that 3:00 phone call that others have had. And I think we have to be honest about that."

The Clinton campaign twisted this into a headline on its website saying Rice had said Obama isn't prepared for the phone call.

And writing in the Huffpo, Rice takes umbrage:

"Rather than acknowledge this indisputable truth, Senator Clinton's campaign chose to edit selectively and thus grossly distort my words in a video it sent to reporters and posted on Youtube. Senator McCain's campaign also misrepresented and manipulated my statement. What we need from the next President when he or she answers the phone in a crisis is good judgment -- the kind that Barack Obama has consistently shown. Senators Clinton and McCain failed the judgment test when they voted for George Bush's Iraq war -- a war which has made America less safe and is the greatest strategic blunder of our generation -- without even bothering to read the full National Intelligence Estimate."

- jpt

March 7, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (59)

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Speaking of republican dirt, Hannity will have a special on Sunday night with an indepth look at Obamas associations including the weather underground who bombed the pentagon, the associations of the reverend Wright and other interesting facts.

Posted by: Firefighter | Mar 8, 2008 4:19:10 PM

You Americans are really funny. Your country is in the dumps and you all are going off the deep end. Hill is associated with the past she has no knew ideas that she will use if she becomes predident. She is not trust worthy she has too many faces. Which face is gonna answer the red phone? Obama is fresh smart and if you all don't have hope for your country you have nothing. In these times Americans needs to speak to everyone and then do what is in the best interests of its people. Speaking as a Non Amerian I can testify that American foreign policy is crap. I wish Obama all the best and look forward to seeing American return to a country that outsiders praise rather than cuss

Posted by: Melanie | Mar 8, 2008 9:15:29 AM

Speaking of Michelle, early on she made a comment that they would do a white house run once. Does that mean in 4 years we'll be looking for a new president if he's elected? Go HRC!

Posted by: Bill | Mar 8, 2008 4:18:55 AM

Boy people have a way of ignoring history. Clinton's were found not guilty of everything except Bill's affair.

IRS only requires you keep your records for 7 years. Frankly, I wouldn't have 20 years of records to release. Too many things happen in 20 years.

I'm sure Bill and Hillary had 3:00 a.m. phone calls when they lived in the white house, and I'm sure he shared information with her.

She has the experience to do the job. Let her do it.

Obama is whining now. Wait until the republicans get him. He'll be in a world of hurt then, and there will be no holding back when we're voting for president.

If he's on the ballot, expect McCain to win.

Posted by: Bill | Mar 8, 2008 4:16:29 AM

I like the way the Media is covering this primary election. They are actually trying to pick a candidate for us, Democrats. Too bad for Clinton's campaing it's not Hillary they're nominating. GO MEDIA! DO YOU'RE PAID TO DO!

Posted by: Robeti | Mar 8, 2008 3:12:58 AM

ken: Read the article!
Obama's advisor is Sandra Rice Not
Condi Rice!

Posted by: reaganfan | Mar 7, 2008 11:54:46 PM

Mississippi voters - please tell me you can see through this ridiculous disingenuous claim that a vote for Clinton is somehow a vote for Obama via a possible joint ticket. The only time she says anything nice about Obama is when she needs some votes on Obama turf.

If we are blind enough to elect this liar, we deserve what we get.

Posted by: DVS | Mar 7, 2008 10:31:27 PM

So, Dubya comes out in support of McCain.

Now, Condi is coming out to support Obama instead of her boss.

So, does this mean Obama is leaning towards Bush policy?

Or, does Condi anticipate future employment in an Obama administration?

Posted by: ken | Mar 7, 2008 10:24:27 PM

Six years after the vote to use force,and invade Iraq.Barack Obama has come forward to announce that he was against the war in Iraq and always has been.I ask one question of Mr. Obama if you knew this why did you not appear on all the major media and news outlets at the start of this war?

Posted by: girlinvt | Mar 7, 2008 9:50:18 PM

why do everone run with bad things about barack obama; but if something comes up about hillary the reporter dont say nothing about her;like when one of her aid was takeing voteing papers from the polls and she want show her taxs papers and she cant take it but barack obama is the one.if hillary cant take it she needs to get out

Posted by: green bgw | Mar 7, 2008 9:41:20 PM

Iraq war In October, 2002, a few days before the U.S. Senate voted on the Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq, about 75 senators were told in closed session that Saddam Hussein had the means of attacking the eastern seaboard of the U.S. with biological or chemical weapons delivered by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).In September 2002, the Bush administration said attempts by Iraq to acquire thousands of high-strength aluminum tubes pointed to a clandestine program to make enriched uranium for nuclear bombs. Iraq was not permitted to import such tubes under the U.N. monitoring plan. -wikipedia- 88 senators voted yea to the use of force in Iraq,the age old adage hind sight is 20/20 is true.At the time of the vote 90% of America was behind the plan to use force if needed.

Posted by: girlinvt | Mar 7, 2008 9:33:44 PM

The Clintons were cleared of all wrong-doing in the scandals they were associated with.

She has won the popular vote in most all of the big states, he has won mostly only in smaller states, and with caucuses, which aren't really representative of most people anyway.

He only has 3 years national experience, no international experience, and knows virtually nothing about helping the economy.

He has hardly any proof to back up most of what he says.

Swing voters won't want to chance it on him when there is so little proof.

He would never win against McCain.

Posted by: Lauren | Mar 7, 2008 8:25:02 PM


She won because she is the most qualified candidate.

Posted by: Lauren | Mar 7, 2008 8:17:14 PM

And truth be told, Hillary is in even less of a posistion to handle a call b/c she didn't even bother to read the NIE report. Instead she relied on her staff to tell he what was in the reports. How can she claim she is ready?

Man, I know the Obama camp doesn't want to go negative but if it were me, forget the kitchen sink, I would throw the entire house at her campaign. Wolfson had the nerd to bring up Rezko,, what an idiot. I don't know why the Obama camp didn't respond with the long list of campagin scandals of the Clintons, including leasing the Lincold bedroom! The bottom line is, everything she can say about him, he can turn around and nail on her it. He better forget the angelic image and get down and dirty with her.

Besides, she only won Tx. by a few points. And everyone knows, were it not for voting problems, it would have been a much smaller margin. Anyway, eventhough she did win, he still won more delegates. In the end sympathy is why she won - sympathy and lies.

Posted by: Angie | Mar 7, 2008 7:58:48 PM


They have nothing to hide - the government sees it all.

They just have the right to disclose it when they want to - instead of when the other campaign 'tells them to.' They're not children.

Posted by: Lauren | Mar 7, 2008 7:58:10 PM

Mr. Clinton has allowed donors to use his influence to advance their business interests. That was the case with Frank Giustra, a Canadian mining financier, who won a huge mining concession in Kazakhstan after Mr. Clinton flew all the way to Almaty to introduce him to President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Bloomberg reported this week that Mr. Clinton has also been a frequent flyer on Mr. Giustra's corporate jet.

Mr. Giustra later donated $31.3 million to the Clinton Foundation and has pledged $100 million more. As the New York Times has reported, Mr. Clinton used his trip to praise Mr. Nazarbayev's bid to head the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, even as Senator Clinton was slamming the country's record on corruption and elections. If Mr. Clinton's personal business is going to affect U.S. foreign policy, he ought to tell the world who his benefactors are.

We've seen this nondisclosure before. During the 1992 campaign, the Clintons claimed to be coming clean by releasing their tax returns from 1980 forward. But they steadfastly refused to release their returns for prior years, and only later did we learn that 1978 and 1979 were the tax years when Mrs. Clinton reported her 10,000% cattle-futures trading profit. Remember Red Bone and Jim Blair, and how she claimed she had made the investment on her own after reading the Wall Street Journal? For that matter, remember the other characters who provided cash for the Clintons in return for nights in the Lincoln Bedroom, among other things?

Posted by: Bertrand Russell | Mar 7, 2008 6:28:40 PM

"If the Clintons continue to keep his and her finances under wraps, the public would be wise, given their history, to assume they have something to hide."

writes THE WALL STREET JOURNAL today...

Posted by: Roderick | Mar 7, 2008 6:26:57 PM

That is part of the right wing attack legacy, that they are full of lies.

The first Clinton Administration was one of the most socio-economically successful we've ever had.

Only shallow people focus on their personal relationship issues.

That was a personal marital issue that never should have become public business, wasting millions of tax dollars and time.

Kennedy had many more affairs while he was in the White House, but luckily for him and his family that was before the time of scandalizing personal marital affairs.

If David Geffen got into politics, he would find out how hard it is. Then again - his own record and history would probably make it impossible, and I don't think he would want to.

But I wouldn't be surprised if David Geffen is a better liar than the Clintons.

Posted by: Lauren | Mar 7, 2008 6:19:02 PM

The mere fact that they (Clinton's campaing) are holding her tax returns back, is evidence that they will use it to lay the final blow to the Obama campaign.

Just wait and see!

Posted by: steve | Mar 7, 2008 6:07:32 PM

No, Rezko did do Obama favors.

He helped him buy his house.

While Rezko was under investigation for fraud, Obama had Rezko's wife buy the land next to his house because it was a package deal he otherwise couldn't afford.

If that is not a favor, I don't know what is.

And if that is not a violation of the public trust that he took favors from a major donor who was under investigation for fraud at the time, I don't know what is.

That does not say much for Obama's claims to judgement, integrity, transparency, or the public trust.

He has no right to claim he can run on judgement, and he is not being transparent, and he has no right to demand the Clintons be transparent when he is not.

He may not have broken the law, but he did take favors from a donor who he knew was under investigation for fraud.

And I will not "move on," especially so long as his camp is asking for the Clinton's tax returns.

There is nothing illegal in the Clinton's tax returns or the presidential pardons or the notes - the government sees them.

What voters care about the most is who is most qualified candidate to help our country, and that is Hillary.

Now Barack is getting desperate, and it looks bad.


Posted by: Lauren | Mar 7, 2008 5:39:30 PM

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