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The Mystery of "The War Room" Clip
May 02, 2008 1:43 PM
Mickey Kantor -- Bill Clinton's Trade Representative, a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, and an informal adviser to her campaign -- once seemed to have some not-so-nice things to say about the Hoosiers his chosen candidate is working so hard to pursue.
As seen in The War Room, watching election returns come in, Kantor seems to say in hushed tones to James Carville, “Look at Indiana, wait, wait – look at Indiana. 42-40. It doesn’t matter if we win. Those people are s---. Excuse me."
You can watch it HERE; the moment comes about 4:45 into the clip.
I posted the above yesterday but had the post taken down amidst some debate over its authenticity. I'm traveling and the Clinton campaign said that the clip had been doctored.
(If I'm traveling and a credible person tells me something on the blog is wrong, I will -- very rarely -- take down the blog post until I'm in front of a computer and can verify it. In this instance, I had watched the clip and read contemporaneous accounts that Kantor was referring to Indianans, plus I had spoken to the Clinton campaign which never denied the authenticity of the clip. In retrospect, I shouldn't have taken it down, but I was running through an airport at the time.)
Kantor today denied to the Huffington Post that he had called Hoosiers "s---." "I was talking about the polling and not the people," Kantor said.
(He also denied the legitimacy of another clip, which certainly seems doctored, in which he uses a horrible racial slur. I'd seen that clip -- not sent to me by anyone affiliated with the Obama campaign, I hasten to add -- but I had not posted it.)
Ben Smith of Politico today talked to D.A. Pennebaker, director of "The War Room," agreed that the racial slur was not Kantor's, that someone had doctored the video in that other clip.
As for the "Those people are s---" line, Pennebaker told Smith that Kantor had said, "he says they must be s---ing in the White House."
Watch the clip, what do you think he said? When "The War Room" came out other folks interpreted Kantor to be impugning Indiana residents.
In The Washington Post's review of the film in 1993, critic Desson Howe referred to "a Mickey Kantor comment about the people of Indiana (when it looks as though Clinton's ahead in Dan Quayle's state)."
And a 1995 story in the Sydney Morning Herald said that "As for the good folk of Indiana, they are still recovering from the 1993 documentary War Room, which revealed the grim truth behind the Clinton election campaign. It showed Mr Kantor bursting in on election night to tell other campaign staffers that incredibly, Mr Clinton was doing well even in Republican Indiana. 'And those people are s---!' he declared breathlessly."
Were I not currently eating a chicken sandwich at Liberty East Restaurant in Charlotte, NC, while working on a World News piece about the economy and the candidates, I would go to Blockbuster, rent a copy of The War Room and settle this matter as much as possible.
As it is, all I can do is post this to explain why I took down the original blog entry, and re-post it with all the added context above. Not good enough, but the best I can do from Liberty East Restaurant.
- jpt
UPDATE: Let me make this clearer: I NEVER posted the doctored video with Kantor using the N-word.
UPDATE: Please see THIS POST for the official transcript that shows Kantor was not impugning Hoosiers.May 2, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (164)
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The original film is viewable online. The *original* film and the posted one are identical.
Identical.
Kantor, Hillary 08's campaign advisor (look on her page), called people in Indiana ****.
When he makes the second comment, watch how the others hide from the camera.
This is actually old news and was covered before. But, hey, if you are in Indiana now and Hillary's advisor called you ****, how would you vote?
Posted by: Avril Runyon | May 2, 2008 5:58:45 PM
I am glad that this came out. Hillary has been pandering to voters of Indiana, when she clearly doesn't have their best interests at heart. The Gas Tax Holiday is a harmful idea.
Posted by: Krissy | May 2, 2008 5:58:33 PM
I'm shocked, shocked that political operators are cynical and use bad language! But you have to wonder how this guy, knowing he was being filmed, could say something this crass.
This was obviously before privacy became nonexistent.
Posted by: AST | May 2, 2008 5:56:26 PM
If it was altered, why was this reported on in 1995?
And a 1995 story in the Sydney Morning Herald said that "As for the good folk of Indiana, they are still recovering from the 1993 documentary War Room, which revealed the grim truth behind the Clinton election campaign. It showed Mr Kantor bursting in on election night to tell other campaign staffers that incredibly, Mr Clinton was doing well even in Republican Indiana. 'And those people are ----!' he declared breathlessly."
Posted by: Hmmm | May 2, 2008 5:44:50 PM
"I knew it was and suddenly Wright is quiet. They wanted this to die down." -carolyn
If Obama and Wright were in on this together why would Wright speak at the NAACP? That speech would only hurt his campaign. Doesn't make any sense at all.
I find it strange how you can judge someone based on what you see on tv and never have to get to know that individual yourself.
When you say Obama knew Wright for 20 years and because one or two of Wright's sermon's seemed derogatory that automatically equates to 20 years of Obama listening and agreeing to anti-american and racist remarks.
I find it strange how you can speak on behalf of what Obama believes or disbelieves.
Posted by: blogr214 | May 2, 2008 5:44:26 PM
ABC NEWS
A-ALWAYS
B-BE
for
C-Clinton
....the truth must really hurt.
Posted by: r | May 2, 2008 5:43:00 PM
This is a comment from 15 years ago.
According to his own book what was Barack Obama doing in this timeframe?
Ask your self which is the bigger issue.
Posted by: Dan | May 2, 2008 5:33:07 PM
Clinton wasn't involved in any way. This guy was actng on his own. Clinton wasn't even there. This had nothing to do with the Clinton's and only the Obama supporters would try to make it into an issue to get the real creep Wright off the hook. Obama agrees with his nasty and bigotted pastor and considers him his mentor. Went to his church for 20 years and is bosom buddies with Wright. This denouncement that he made recently about Wright was a brainstorm between Obama and Wright to get the heat off of Obama. I knew it was and suddenly Wright is quiet. They wanted this to die down. It took several days for Obama to do it, but CNN suggested strongly that he denounce him. All the media said that way the Wright situation would go away. Now all the Obama supporters are grasping at straws to find anything on the Clinton's to keep them from winning. Wait until the nominee is Obama. Then everything about Obama and Ayers and all the other radical people that Obama is connected with comes out. That will guarantee McCain a win!!!
Posted by: carolyn | May 2, 2008 5:32:13 PM
Oregon here: Obama is going to win Oregon!
Posted by: ron | May 2, 2008 5:31:39 PM
When we think of the candidates for the Democratic Party, I found it a little amusing and disturbing at where some have positioned their Lane County headquarters. Here is how our local free weekly paper, Eugene Weekly, described their locations.
“It's not just candidates coming through town for a quick speech anymore; the presidential campaigns have come to Eugene and they're setting up shop. Just across from Kinko's on Willamette lies Barack Obama's new headquarters. And Springfield is the home for Hillary Clinton's newly opened local campaign office for Lane County, located across the street from Club 1444 (a "gentlemen's club"), a 60-day loan shop and a panaderia on Main Street.
I hope that it will get some to pause and to think of the two of these candidates on the more obscure issues. For myself I ask, “Why would a women that is running to be the 1st “women” POTUS have her county headquarters in such a location? Living in this area I know of much more suitable locations that would not stare at the belittling of women by being next to a strip club.”
I am a 40ish mixed ethnical background, blonde hair blue eyes woman, guess who has my vote! I might add that I am under the poverty level as I have had to get an education after being downsized 4 times in the last 13 years. 1st one in my family to get a higher education and we go back several generations on this soil. Obama 08
Posted by: Oregon here | May 2, 2008 5:29:47 PM
Can you Hillary supporters this madness and stupid spin? PLEASE!! May gosh, this is so stupid - everything. Do you really think she's so great - look at the s$##$ campaign she's run and try for once to hold your candidate accountable for something.
Obama was down 20+ in ALL NATIONAL POLLS SIX MONTHS AGO, AGAINST THE CLINTON MACHINE!! SHE LOST THIS, IT'S OVER, MOVE ON. shut-up all ready.
Posted by: Shawn | May 2, 2008 5:26:31 PM
Clinton can spin all she wants, but it's VERY clear that Kantor said
of us Indiana folks "Those people are ****!" Then realized he was being filmed and blurts out "excuse me."
Clintons patronize the "little" states
when it suits them. At least Obama treats ALL states, big or small, with
equal respect and importance. Do we really want to bring that old-school
political cabal back into the White House? It is time for a change, from
Bush AND the Clintons. I've had enough. -Susan in Gary
Posted by: susan | May 2, 2008 5:13:31 PM
Rather than this non-story one might note that Hamas is rooting for Obama.
"On Sunday, Aaron Klein and John Batchelor interviewed Ahmed Yousef, chief political adviser to the Prime Minister of Hamas, on WABC radio. The interview produced a scoop which, for some reason, has not been widely publicized: Hamas has endorsed Barack Obama for President. Yousef said, "We like Mr. Obama and we hope he will win the election." Why? "He has a vision to change America."
Farrakhan, Hamas lining up for Obama...
kind of makes you wonder what kind of changes Obama has in mind?
Posted by: hopesprings52 | May 2, 2008 5:13:07 PM
Clinton wasn't involved in any way. This guy was actng on his own. Clinton wasn't even there. This had nothing to do with the Clinton's and only the Obama supporters would try to make it into an issue to get the real creep Wright off the hook. Obama agrees with his nasty and bigotted pastor and considers him his mentor. Went to his church for 20 years and is bosom buddies with Wright. This denouncement that he made recently about Wright was a brainstorm between Obama and Wright to get the heat off of Obama. I knew it was and suddenly Wright is quiet. They wanted this to die down. It took several days for Obama to do it, but CNN suggested strongly that he denounce him. All the media said that way the Wright situation would go away. Now all the Obama supporters are grasping at straws to find anything on the Clinton's to keep them from winning. Wait until the nominee is Obama. Then everything about Obama and Ayers and all the other radical people that Obama is connected with comes out. That will guarantee McCain a win!!!
Posted by: carolyn | May 2, 2008 5:12:40 PM
I heard that Obama hired some of the people who worked on the Clinton campaign back in 1992.
I think someone oughta check into whether or not this man (Kanter) is working for him, some place in a corner maybe.
As far as the video is concerned, in today's day and age of the computer. It is possible it was doctored.
Posted by: whyputaname | May 2, 2008 5:10:09 PM
When will Hillary promise to socialize the Oil companies and give us free gas? Is she with us or against us?
Posted by: Progressive Democrat | May 2, 2008 5:08:59 PM
I own the movie, I just compared the clips. It appears later in the film, something like Ch. 26 or so in the DVD in case anyone wants to rent it or owns it.
1) The "doctored" clip is identical from the point where Mickey walks in and high fives George on.
2) He says "It doesn't matter if we win" . . . "those people are ********" . . . "excuse me" . . . After that, it's pretty indiscernible.
Pretty ambiguous but that's what keeps the blogosphere going, eh?
Posted by: A | May 2, 2008 5:08:21 PM
Google about Obama lies.
Posted by: blue Irish | May 2, 2008 5:06:58 PM
It seems clear to me that Kantor was talking about Hoosiers, and also pretty clear that George Stephanopolous was mortified because the camera was rolling-- see how he shields his blushing face from the camera and shakes his head as if to disavow the remark.
Posted by: King Alexander | May 2, 2008 5:03:08 PM
Naughty! Naughty! Naughty! He should have his mouth washed out with soap!
Posted by: politicalpollcat | May 2, 2008 5:01:40 PM
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