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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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HILLARY WANTS A CO-PRESIDENCY.
AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!!!
I thank her for letting us know just that yesterday.
Posted by: Sally | Jun 4, 2008 3:45:36 PM
With CAROLINE KENNEDY on Obama's new Veep search committee...there is just no way Hillary will be Veep.
Posted by: Betty | Jun 4, 2008 3:42:59 PM
I COULD BET YOU 100,000 BUCKS.
HILLARY WILL NOT BE VEEP.
THIS TRAIN IS HEADED FOR THE WHITE HOUSE WITHOUT HER.
Her speech yesterday sealed her fate.
Posted by: Martha | Jun 4, 2008 3:41:13 PM
Nat Turner, I don't think you took time to read my posts at all.
Please do so - you will realise we are actually on the same page.
Posted by: Harriet | Jun 4, 2008 3:39:24 PM
Wait until Obama dictates to other leaders:"you do this and this, otherwise...."
The honeymoon will be over in an instant.
Maybe the Germans loves to be dictated to. Not the rest of the world.
Posted by: wait | Jun 4, 2008 3:38:52 PM
Hillary is stating an important fact: EIGHTEEN MILLIONS PRIMARY VOTERS VOTED FOR HER.
Facts mean nothing to Obama spinners.
If Hillary suppressed the facts and became a lying sychophant to Obama, she is doing Obama and the country a disservice.
EVEN OBAMA HIMSELF ACKNOWLEGES THAT :"HILLARY HAS MADE HIM A BETTER CANDIDATE."
I know, OBama camp is demanding the the display of absolute loyalty from everyone now.
THIS IS MY FEAR AND WORRY, THEY ARE TOO SMALL TO HANDLE AND USE POWER. THEY WILL ABUSE IT BEFORE LONG.
Posted by: noABUSE | Jun 4, 2008 3:35:53 PM
AGAIN, EXCELLENCE COMMENDS ITSELF; From Washington Post:
"In Iran, government officials have taken no official position on the U.S. race, but several people interviewed said the government and average Iranians would welcome Obama and direct talks between Tehran and Washington.
"The majority of Iranians feel that the Democrats support what they want: a major and drastic change in relations with the U.S. So for them, the coming of Obama would be a good omen," said Hermidas Bavand, professor of U.S.-Iranian relations at the Allameh Tabatabai University."
Posted by: Harriet | Jun 4, 2008 3:34:11 PM
NOT CRUEL WE DON'T GLOAT, HE IS SIMPLY AN AWESOME INDVIDUAL (see below from Washington Post):
"Obama also has strong support in Europe, the heartland of anti-Bush sentiment. "Germany is Obama country," said Karsten Voight, the German government's coordinator for German-North American cooperation. "He seems to strike a chord with average Germans," who see him as a transformational figure such as John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King Jr."
Posted by: Harriet | Jun 4, 2008 3:31:42 PM
The gleeful gloating of Obama supporters may very well win Republicans a lot of votes.
Most Americans are not cruel enough to rub salt onto the wounds of others except Obama supporters.
Posted by: notcruel | Jun 4, 2008 3:29:34 PM
Hillary's UNGRACIOUS behavior yesterday GAVE BARRACK ALL THE EXCUSES HE NEEDED NOT TOO CHOSE HER FOR VEEP.
Posted by: Mel | Jun 4, 2008 3:29:34 PM
VP and other offices are awards for personal clonnies.
Hillary is in the camp where Obama wants those to vanish.
Posted by: vanish | Jun 4, 2008 3:26:52 PM
She said it. That's just the way it is.
Posted by: Texas Voter | Jun 4, 2008 3:26:12 PM
OBAMA IS MOVING ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He has formed a V-P search committee that includes CAROLINE KENNEDY!!!!!!
Hillary in refusing to acknowledge Obama's nomination yesterday shot herself in the foot.
Posted by: Eva | Jun 4, 2008 3:23:59 PM
All the true patriots of America should just write in in November ballot for Hillary.
Obama does not have the bigheartedness to run with Hillary. He is more likely to put his own personal peevishness above the interest of the party.
What is more, HE IS ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT HE CAN WIN ON HIS OWN WITHOUT ANY RUNNING MATE.
Posted by: smallheart | Jun 4, 2008 3:23:06 PM
Who would take political advice from the guy who brought us all the booty-shaking rap videos on BET (Bob Johnson)?
Posted by: Que | Jun 4, 2008 3:22:19 PM
Obama already has a tough swim ahead. Hillary and her negatives are not a life raft. SHE'S AN ANVIL
Posted by: Omentum | Jun 4, 2008 3:20:26 PM
Why do some people always put the worst spin on an innocent statement about RK?
When all the clamor for Hillary to quit long before June, she said that her husband was not nominated until way in June, 92 and RK was assassinated in June.
RK was still campaigning in June 68 was the intended message. But the shock of his assassination still affects many of us.
SOME OBAMA SUPPORTERS SEEM TO SEE EVIL EVERYWHERE AND CAN TWIST A TOTALLY INNOCENT STATEMENT INTO AN EVIL INDICATOR.
So according Texax voter, Hillary is preparing for Obama's demise. How paranoid can any one get?
Posted by: seenoevil | Jun 4, 2008 3:18:40 PM
Most Hillary supporters don't want Hillary on the ticket either....let's face it...one half of the party hates him and one half of the party hates her...it won't work.
McCAIN IF NOT HILLARY....GO TO HIS WEBSITE AND DONATE....MONEY SENDS A SIGNAL TO THE DEMS...WON'T CHANGE ANYTHING, BUT THEY SHOULD KNOW THE MILLONS OF US WHO ARE NOW BACKING McCAIN!
Posted by: Debra | Jun 4, 2008 3:16:18 PM
The same haters say the exact same thing on every post continuously. I can look at dumb and dumber over & over.......BYE
Posted by: enough | Jun 4, 2008 3:15:43 PM
The Obama campaign has done everything in its power over the last year to get people to hate the Clintons; and they have succeeded. The hatred of Hillary in the Obama campaign is virulent. That hatred is not going to disappear merely by taping Hillary for the VP spot.
If Obama becomes the nominee (and we will not know until the convention in August if that is the case) then Hillary needs to play a different role in the Democratic party.
Make no mistake, however. Hillary has millions of supporters. If she does not have a substantial role to play in the party then they will not be satisfied, and they will seek revenge against the party.
Posted by: David H | Jun 4, 2008 3:11:15 PM
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