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BET Founder Johnson Signals Pal Clinton Wants Veep Slot
June 04, 2008 2:50 PM
The magisterial Dan Balz of the Washington Post talks to BET founder Bob Johnson, who says his pal Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, is "absolutely ready" to chat with Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, about the vice presidency.
Johnson is an odd (though clearly self-appointed) emissary for this mission. In January he publicly mocked Obama's youthful drug use.
Then in April Johnson backed Geraldine Ferraro's comments that "if Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position."
"Geraldine Ferraro said it right," Johnson said then. "The problem is, Geraldine Ferraro is white. This campaign has such a hair-trigger on anything racial it is almost impossible for anybody to say anything."
Now, however, Johnson says he's interested in healing.
"Let me be clear," Johnson said this a.m.. "She said if asked to do this, she must accept because she believes that it is in the best interest of the party that the party come together and win in November."
Johnson claims he told Clinton he wanted to start getting this train going. "She said, 'Go ahead,'" he said.
Johnson understands that there must be some conditions. "I think she recognizes that people want a definitive statement from her hailing Obama as the nominee and announcing that she is no longer in campaign mode," Johnson said. Also, "if she wants to work with him as his vice president, she has to focus on getting him elected and not celebrating what has been a monumental achievement in her campaign. That's the message some of us will be saying to her now."
And further, "He can say to Hillary, 'I want you to be vice president. I don't want Bill to be vice president.' I think Senator Obama has to lay down those markers and he's got to be comfortable that when Hillary says, 'I can deliver those things you're concerned about,' they should have a meeting of the minds."
- jpt
June 4, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (52)
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What many dont understand is from the first day Hillary and her camp played the race card and tried to ignite a race war, her chances to ever be VP or anything more than dog catcher in the Obama Admin were dead and buried. As far as blacks are concerned (sane ones at least!) she committed the ultimately deadly sin against us. We were not amused after how they played us for 15 years! Like others on this board, I would like to see Caroline Kennedy ON the ticket as VP, now there is a woman everyone could get behind. And I would like to see her cousin, Bobby, as Cabinet Secretary of the Environment.
Posted by: Every Blackwoman | Jun 5, 2008 6:46:29 PM
NO HILLARY FOR VP
BOB JOHNSON CAN GETHER UP THAT MONEY TO PAY HILLARY 20 MILLIONS, SHE RACKED UP
OBAMA TOLD HILLARY LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
HILLARY RUNNING WITH HEAD DOWN, HAD NO CLUE, JUST CLUENESS
NO HILLARY FOR VP, SHE NEED TO FIND HER ANOTHER LINE OF WORK, MAY BE DENOUNCE BILL, OBAMA HAD TO DENOUNCE EVERYBODY, EVEN LEAVE HIS CHURCH, HILLARY SHOULD HAVE DENOUNCE DISBARRED AND WOMENIZING BILL
Posted by: chu13ck | Jun 5, 2008 4:12:28 PM
Like father, like son. Obama's father was also corrupt.
Posted by: Mary | Jun 4, 2008 7:44:28 PM
Senator Clinton lost because of a corrupt system. The DNC commnitte Democratic VIP and the MSM did everything they could, some illegal, to make sure the socialist/marxist/commun- ist Obama was the candidate.
I will never vote for Obama or another Democrat candidate. This corruption is too much.
Posted by: Mai | Jun 4, 2008 7:41:30 PM
She lost because of this kind of tin ear.
Johnson is still in her campaign after what he did. But Obama had to fire some one who called her a monster. She wants respect. Let her show some.
She talks of getting 18 mill votes. However you count, many of those votes were for the party, not for her. They were Democrats, people who oppose racism & war & gender politics. Democrats who oppose cronyism. McCain has serious problems w/ ties to the Bush establishment. How are her ties to Wal-mart & the Colombians & Dubai going to bring anything to the ticket to counter that.
McCain's foreign policy experience is better than hers but both showed terrible judgment about the Iraq war.
She has "0" administrative experience. So what exactly does she bring to the ticket.
And she uses Johnson as a point man. Her lack of sensitivity is stunning.
OC, we in NY are used to it.
Posted by: Miri NY | Jun 4, 2008 6:27:05 PM
I can only laugh when I read comments from BO supporters.
No matter what, Hillary is wrong.
Now she is clever enough, because all you can do is throwing more negative, and next thing no one can say that she does not offer an alternative. You all have rejected it.
So after that you deal with your own empty speculations and you will find out they can hurt, because then your BO will be the target and no more Hillary to dump your frustrations on.
It's good to be a bit self-centered, at least it gives a sense of responsibility for what one says and thinks.
Posted by: jane | Jun 4, 2008 6:02:06 PM
RELAX...Hillary supporters don't want her near the VP slot....we want to him go down in a blaze all his own. He will never be able to run again....no lefty liberal in the Dem party gets to run again....McCain wins, Hillary runs in 2012....hopefully there will not be another black candidate that the dems pass through as to look PC. Maybe the next one will be vetted and not as radical as Oabma and his wife.
McCAIN FIRST - HILLARY SECOND.
Posted by: Debra | Jun 4, 2008 5:28:00 PM
Hillary's arrogance is sickening.
She hasn't conceded and expects to be offered the veep.
The world crushes for those who think they are at its center...
Posted by: Jess | Jun 4, 2008 4:23:06 PM
Hillary for Veep? She should be home
in the kitchen baking cookies and
waiting for Bill to come home.
Posted by: hombre | Jun 4, 2008 4:18:10 PM
BBC ON OBAMA'S VEEP PLANS:
"Mr Obama's three-member panel comprises Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John Kennedy, former deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and Jim Johnson.
Mr Johnson performed the same selection task for John Kerry in 2004.
"Senator Obama is pleased to have three talented and dedicated individuals managing this rigorous process," said Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Illinois senator.
"He will work closely with them in the coming weeks but ultimately this will be his decision and his alone."
Don't look back Barrack!
Posted by: Bertha | Jun 4, 2008 4:17:35 PM
This will be fun to watch.
Hillary digging her political grave with her overgrown ego.
Posted by: Janice | Jun 4, 2008 4:10:42 PM
Hillary Supporter: YOU DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THE NEWS!!!!
CAROLINE KENNEDY IS PART OF THE VEEP SEARCH COMMITTEE AND IS NOT UNDER CONSIDERATION HERSELF!!!
Posted by: Ida | Jun 4, 2008 4:09:04 PM
"Obama's new Veep committee will come up with a brilliant choice, win the election and shunt Clinton into political oblivion."
Only time will tell. However, I reserve the right to say "I told you so."
Posted by: Stephen Gianelli | Jun 4, 2008 4:07:53 PM
Hillary wants to turn this election into a referendum on her candidacy.
Meanwhile the Iraq debacle continues and the economy is sinking into muck.
Posted by: Debbie | Jun 4, 2008 4:07:34 PM
PS:
unlike most of the cable outlets, I do not fault Clinton for not expressly conceding last night.
You have your nomination, it serves no purpose to force Clinton to kneel like King Leonidas at the feet of Xerxes.
Posted by: Stephen Gianelli | Jun 4, 2008 4:04:32 PM
Please tell this SMUT OF A HUMAN BEING TO STOP SPEAKING (BOB JOHNSON). Just like Father Flagher did horrible things for Obama's camp THIS MAN was horrible for Hillary. His VOICE AFRICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE AND LOTS OF OTHER DO NOT WANT TO HEAR! Why? Because he created the most digusting cable network channel known as BET which peddles booty shaking, gansta rapping videos,things you would NEVER WANT YOUR DAUGHTERS TO GROW UP AND SEE and Bob Johnson never stood againist THIS FILTH, no instead he choose to profit off the most digusting images that this generation had to OFFER. TELL HIM to go AWAY. Any congress person that is bought off by him WILL NOT BE RE-ELECTED, THEY CAN CONTINUE TO REMOVE MY POSTS, BUT MY GROUPS E-MAIL THE BLACK CAUCUS, THIS IS NOT THE REPRESTATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE FOLLOWING OBAMA PRESIDENCY.
Posted by: girlofthefuture | Jun 4, 2008 4:03:40 PM
Actually Stephen, I see a different ending.
Obama's new Veep committee will come up with a brilliant choice, win the election and shunt Clinton into political oblivion.
Obama and Hillary SIMPLY CAN'T WORK TOGETHER. HER EGO IS TOO BIG.
Posted by: Holly | Jun 4, 2008 4:03:13 PM
I agree with Howard Finemen on this one: Not going to happen.
HRC will stand back, watch the trainwreck, then run against president McCain in 4 years.
Posted by: Stephen Gianelli | Jun 4, 2008 4:01:13 PM
ABCNews.com reports:
"Swinging into general election mode, the Obama campaign announced Wednesday that it had tapped three people, including President John F. Kennedy's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, to lead his search for a vice-presidential nominee."
Thank God the man is forging ahead!!
Posted by: Melissa | Jun 4, 2008 3:50:50 PM
(Thanks Nat)HILLARY'S DOWNFALL - HER HUBRIS.
Her "deranged narcissism" as one commentator put it.
TOTALLY LACKING IN HUMILITY NEEDED TO BE VEEP.
Posted by: Harriet | Jun 4, 2008 3:47:46 PM
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