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Another Witness to 'Screw 'em' - Gate
April 18, 2008 9:44 AM
With Sen. Hillary Rodham Mellencamp continuing to make Pennsylvania hay out of Sen. Barack Obama's controversial comments about small town voters (with an assist today from the New York Times' Paul Krugman, one of the few columnists who support her), her 1995 comments at an intellectual retreat about Southern working class white voters -- "screw 'em," she is alleged to have said -- have some added relevance.
And today they have an added witness.
Writing at Talking Points Memo, Theda Skocpol says she does not recall those words per se, "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."
We reported on the comments, reported in Sally Bedell Smith's book on the Clintons, back in October.
Benjamin Barber, a supporter of Clinton's, wrote about the comments in his first-hand-look at the Bill Clinton administration:
“Her hard, angry rhetoric resonated with the ancient ardor of class war," Barber wrote, saying she "was not persuaded that the soft, if well-meaning language of civil society could contend with the hard power of well-entrenched socioeconomic groups. If working white men and white women in the South no longer wanted to support the president, if ethnics were continuing to jump the Democrats’ ship, then—she looked her husband in the eye—‘screw ‘em. You don’t owe them a thing, Bill. They’re doing nothing for you; you don’t have to do anything for them.’”
The Huffington Post's Sam Stein interviewed another attendee of the retreat in question, Harry Boyte, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Democracy and Citizenship, who said: "[Hillary Clinton] sees herself as the champion of the oppressed, but there is always a kind of good guy versus bad guy mentality. The comment before that was that 'the Regan Democrats are our enemies and they weren't on our side,' and she was agreeing with that comment. She said we should write them off: screw them."
And after Clinton campaign spokesman Jay Carson blithely dismissed the comments -- "So, you've got two guys we've barely heard of remembering a verbatim quote from 13 years ago?" Carson said, "sounds totally and completely reliable" --Alan Wolfe, a professor of political science at Boston College, wrote at The New Republic: "Make that three. I was there. I hope people have heard of me. And Barber and Boyte have it right."
- jpt
April 18, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (46)
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When Mr I dont know the answer to these debate questions. Whines before a crowd about Hillary then gives her the finger. This is the person you people want for out nominee?
Posted by: toby | Apr 18, 2008 11:23:19 AM
Screw 'em to the democratic party. Vote McCain, a good man.
Posted by: democraticprocess; now a republican | Apr 18, 2008 11:07:26 AM
Two words said 13 years ago and without context? What a crap! The M$M and Obama campaign really should be ashamed of themselves.
Posted by: Media's job? | Apr 18, 2008 11:00:39 AM
James Danley... Am I wrong or does what you say that whaff of trickle down economics... forgive me if I am wrong but...
I hope that is not what you are saying because it is bad policy in many peoples' opinions.
It is every day Americans (that lower 50%) who bought the majority of homes in that mortgage crisis and when it failed...so goes our economy. It is every day Americans (and that lower 50%) who are fighting to keep food on the table and choosing that over health insurance and then showing up at a hospital emergency room and being taken care of on others peoples bill. The list goes on.
Just because many wealthy are paying moneys that add up to a lot of money in taxes...that does not mean they are representationally sharing the burden for the country that afforded them the ability in which they received that wealth.
It does not mean that a person who owns multiple homes should be equal in taxes to the person who can't afford to pay their apartment rent and their kids daycare...
The idea of tax revenue from the wealthy (and I am finally one of those people now in my life) needs to be at the least "curbed" with the idea that "a rising tide raises all boats"... our country does best when the majority grows of people who have the opportunity to live over basic means...and whose opportunities grow.
...capitalism works when it is touched with an inkling of spirituality and empathy at minimum... rather than protectionism and self-focus.
Posted by: dl | Apr 18, 2008 10:57:23 AM
Count all the votes,
The video of Mr Obama giving Hillary Clinton the finger is not funny. It's appalling.
Can anyone so childish and inexperienced be elected POTUS?
God help us all if he can.
Posted by: s.b. | Apr 18, 2008 10:55:57 AM
Giving Hillary Clinton ht efinge rat a rally soclearly that the crowd reacts is not just childiish, it is unpresidential.
It is dangerous and frightening to think that someone so juvenille could be elected POTUS.
Wars have been started for less.
MSM has a responsibility to tshow this video to the American people to let them decide if this man should be President.
It's standard high school insult stuff. Most people are familiar with the technique. Its was absolutely done and absolutely done on purpose.
Obama is unpresidential and this video needs to be seen to be believed.
Show the video ABC.
Posted by: s.b. | Apr 18, 2008 10:52:53 AM
s.b.,
I agree with you that neither Ayres, nor Wright were breaking news when first covered by MSM. I also knew about them many, many months prior by just searchig around on the web. They were "breaking news" to the MSM only.
Posted by: countallthevotes | Apr 18, 2008 10:50:25 AM
The video clip of Obama giving the finger is funny!!! I have a friend who is a criminal defense attorney and he has done this to the judges at oral argument and has been videotaped also. It is subtle but definitely there.
Posted by: countallthevotes | Apr 18, 2008 10:46:59 AM
didn't she tell NBC they were wrong...that this didn't happen?
but enough about that stuff... let's talk about this umbrella thing she has planned...
You know the protective umbrella for ANY country against ANY attack by Iran. Someone please define cowboy diplomacy to me. Because this sure seems like policing the world...making promises that don't involve the congress' approval (oh yeah that's right she voted to remove that anyway...now it makes sense)... and all of this protection under the umbrella of "MASSIVE RETALIATION!"
but you all want to talk about fluff... and we are missing the real reasons why this woman should not be President.
I am at the point where I don't care what she slipped and said to her husband or that she lied about it again...I care that she is OVERWHELMINGLY NOT ready to be President... and from her statements and judgements ...this is not the job for her. She should be majority leader in the senate or something.
or retire and write books or something.
Posted by: dl | Apr 18, 2008 10:39:59 AM
Counting crows, you wrote: "Obama has said over and over again that Bush's policies have benefited the upper 1% of the population while the rest of us have had to carry the burden."
The top 1% of the nation's wage earners account for 39% of the total tax revenue. The top 5% of the nation's wage earners account for 60% of the total tax revenue. AND the top 50% of the nation's wage earners account for 97% of the total tax revenues? That means that the bottom 50% of the nation's wage earners only pay THREE PERCENT of the total tax revenues.
If Sen. Obama really believes that it is the "rest of us who have to carry the burden," then it is HE who does not understand the economy.
Posted by: James Danley | Apr 18, 2008 10:39:11 AM
WestCoastMessanger, there is no way for cover up- the real Hill the Bosnian General, this shows how calculated Hill is and how she treats people like napkins, used them and throw them away. That is the real Hillary who will smile to have your vote, tell you anything and everything to get it and after that she forgets you. Yes she had her war zones to spin and push simple people like Vincent Foster to kill himself. God bless America and God bless Obama. OBAMA08.
Posted by: BKMC | Apr 18, 2008 10:38:36 AM
This is much to do about nothing. This happened 15 years ago and so what? Who the hell remembers what was said 15 years ago. That's like saying remember 15 years ago when I said "Man I'm hungry", this is stupid. Oh yeah where were all these "witnesses" back when the story broke out in October, hmm? This is such a nonissue as is "bitter" gate, the reason why Obama's comments are such a big deal because there is audio and video, it plays into the "sound bite" generation; that's why their so powerful. It's not what he said, it's that we can hear and see it over and over again. As for those who say Obama is given Hillary the finger, did you watch the video? Seriously?! He is scratching the side of his face. Anyone who scratches their face from a frontal view will look like they are flipping someone off. All this crap is ridiculous! Why are the Democrats addicted to self-destruction?
Posted by: Gonzalo | Apr 18, 2008 10:36:49 AM
"Let them eat cake."
Posted by: Ryno | Apr 18, 2008 10:33:55 AM
"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."
That's exactly what I just wrote down in the other thread on Mrs McCabe's flag pin question.
"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."
That remark goes to the (empty?) core IMO what Hillary Clinton is about. It explains many things about her general attitude, such as the demonization of her opponents. Now that African Americans for instance no longer support her, I think you wouldn't want to know how she's talking about that group of voters when the press has left the building.
The strangest thing is that a lot of her supporters show the same nasty character, such as Carville who calls Richardson a Judas as soon as he does NOT support Hillary. She's worse than Bush jr. in cherishing the idea that everyone who doesn't support her is her enemy. That's why she would make a horrible President of a country that needs a sense of unity and common goals and interests more than ever.
She's no Bill Clinton, the younger Bill that is. She is a total opportunist. Politics is a CAREER for her, more than anything else.
Posted by: ken | Apr 18, 2008 10:28:47 AM
If a candidate for the President of the United States think its OK or appropriate for him to give the middle finger to his opponent, that is news.
That is important and its speeks to the man's maturity, his judgement, his electability and his entire candidacy.
He is unpresidential.
Posted by: s.b. | Apr 18, 2008 10:21:23 AM
I'm not sure why people think Obama's economic solutions are so far left. His solutions are almost identical to Clinton's. It's McCain's "I-don't-really-know-much-about-the-economy" "solutions" that scare me. He will only drive this country further and further down into the gutter. I think both Clinton and Obama know how much people (like us) are suffering economically and Obama has said over and over again that Bush's policies have benefited the upper 1% of the population while the rest of us have had to carry the burden. It's McCain who's incredibly out of touch.
Posted by: counting crows | Apr 18, 2008 10:13:34 AM
Not news worthy
Posted by: Bishop | Apr 18, 2008 10:11:30 AM
I agree, we will be doomed if Obama becomes president. I watched the debates the other night and was very impressed with Hillary. She was very firm in her answers especially regarding not taxing the middle class. Obama stammered around the question and made no promises regarding the middle tax. This is terrible timing for the campaign however because until this Rezko trial is over with we will not be able to find out the truch about Obama until he's already won the nominee. We have nobody to blame but those that will vote him into the nominee. Whether you like Hillary or not you have to realize she is the best out of who we have to choose from.
Posted by: KITOJJ | Apr 18, 2008 10:08:58 AM
Southern working class white guys and soccer moms put G.W. Bush in office. They are are going to vote for John McCain after they voted for Obama to defeat Hillary.
Screw 'em.
Just wanted to add the soccer moms who are bitter because they voted for a man who did that so well while they cheered him on, and now they want to embrace a man who embraces the very enemy they fear.
Screw 'em.
Hillary should quit worrying about offending those who won't vote for her and defend those who will. Even if Obama takes the nomination, he will lose the general election. We'll have four more years of bitter and then 2012 will be another chance to do the right thing.
Say NO To Thugs.
Posted by: len | Apr 18, 2008 10:08:01 AM
quit ur whinning..she is a liar and a cheat..always has been and always will be..snipergate, so true of her and her old man..nothing portrayes her more than that
Posted by: gene kolkhorst | Apr 18, 2008 10:06:46 AM
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