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Bill Clinton Invokes the "Bad Dreams" of a Former P.O.W.
July 06, 2008 11:36 AM
Former President Bill Clinton spoke at the Aspen Ideas Festival where, in a conversation about global issues and philanthropy with Aspen Institute vice president Jane Wales, he made one comment that at least one attendee -- The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg -- took as a shot at presumptive GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
In a conversation about former South African president Nelson Mandela, Clinton talked about Mandela's ability to forgive his captors.
"Didn't you hate them?" Clinton recalled asking Mandela privately, referring to Mandela's final steps as a prisoner walking to freedom.
"'Sure I did,'" Mandela said, per Clinton. "'I felt anger and hatred and fear. And I realized if I kept hating them, once I got in that car and got through the gate I would still be in prison. So I let it go because I wanted to be free.'"
Continued Clinton: "Every living soul on the planet has some often highly justified anger. Everybody… If you know anybody who was a P.O.W. for any length of time, you will see, you go along for months or maybe even years and then something will happen and it will trigger all those bad dreams, and it will come back, it may not last 30 seconds…"
But Mandela has avoided that, Clinton said, because he has "disciplined himself and his mind and his heart and his spirit."
Watch HERE. The P.O.W. reference comes at about 4:28 into the clip.
Writes Goldberg: "Not too subtle. Astonishingly, his interviewer, former Clinton Administration official Jane Wales, didn't follow-up. One subject Clinton didn't talk about at all: Barack Obama. He seemed to go out of his way, in fact, not to mention Obama's name. Which, when you think about, calls into question whether the P.O.W. shot was actually an intentional shot at all. On the other hand, I believe that Bill Clinton doesn't say things by accident."
What do you think? Was Clinton referring to McCain, who was a Vietnam P.O.W. for 5 1/2 years? Or is Goldberg reading too much into it?
- jpt
July 6, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (79)
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However, Bill didn't say it but I will. I would not vote for anyone Democrat or Republican, that is 71 years old and was a prisoner of war for over 5 years. To think that this man has the mental and emotional stability to be president is plan stupid. I would not trust the security of my dog's house with this man let alone the security of the country.
Posted by: Sims | Jul 6, 2008 7:05:09 PM
Goldberg needs to find a real story to report. A sure sign of a slow news day.
In these times of serious issues it is hard to believe that Goldberg has resorted to makeing up news.
Posted by: Sims | Jul 6, 2008 6:56:37 PM
Lame... find something worthwhile to comment on. He, in fact, when talking about carbon said both would make necessary changes. I think you are reading something unintended in his remarks.
Posted by: Brian | Jul 6, 2008 5:49:26 PM
Hillary and Bill Clinton are prisoner in Obama's money cave. Obama has changed what he used to defeat Hillary. The couple keep silent. They are caged birds in the illusion of VPresidency. To me, they are no more crusaders but just plain politicians and to some extent, void of conscience. They keep silent to accept the manipulation of Howard Dean's group in their detriment. They pretend not to know Hillary's supporters still spearhead a campaign against the Dem Party. This attempt may be Quixotic or Sisyphean but that is the most speaking token of their conscience, the veneration of justice, truth, fairness. That's for the sake of the future, not necessarily only for Clinton. If they cross the line for McCain, please don't blame Hillary, not at all. They switch the camp, not because of their love for Hillary but because they don't want to be prisoners of a backward political party.
Posted by: tuethatton | Jul 6, 2008 5:38:31 PM
well once again, it was plain what he meant and who he was talking about. only the msm will try to make something out of nothing.
remember,some in the msm are not earing their keep unless they are tearing down a clinton.
Posted by: jgaw | Jul 6, 2008 5:36:49 PM
Don't angle for a floor fight. It never bodes well for anybody, well, nobody except the other side. Your nominee is Obama, make a note.
Posted by: CC | Jul 6, 2008 5:34:46 PM
Well here's a novel idea, how about asking Bill what he meant?
Posted by: irma | Jul 6, 2008 5:32:00 PM
Obama will win this thing in a walk. In Texas where I grew up, there were "Yellow Dog Democrats," who would vote for a yellow dog over a Republican. The mood of the country is like that now. The Demo primary season WAS the general election. That's why both Obama and Clinton fought s hard to get the nomination.
Sterling Greenwood
Aspen Free Press
Posted by: AspenFreePress | Jul 6, 2008 4:55:19 PM
Bill Clinton does NOT have to mention obama - ever -he owes him Zero.
Obama and his group made sure they would never get the Clinton full support when they called him racist.
obama is a slick, radical, fraud - his entire campaign is like a Stage Show - and we are the props.
Wake Up America - this guy is NOT qualified to lead our country.
McCain - good 2nd choice
Posted by: Jack | Jul 6, 2008 4:49:58 PM
No, he was not talking about McCain. McCain has made trips to Vietnam to foment relations with the US, Cindy McCain has done, and continues to do, much humanitarian work there. In fact, don't Vietnamese prison guards and soldiers support his candidacy for president:
-Dai and other Vietnamese veterans said they held no rancour and even backed his presidential bid, citing his post-war efforts to restore diplomatic ties.-
Posted by: rw | Jul 6, 2008 3:52:44 PM
Okay. Those of you who LOVED 90's give credit where credit is due. The Prresident is not a KING. He does not set policy. The Congress hold the purse strings. In 2006, when the dems took over gas was 1.79 a gallon. Since 2006 (Dem Congress) gas has sky-rocketed to 4.70 a gallon. we are on the road to socialism. Whoever we chose as President will have the power of the veto. Checks and balances. If Obama is elected, we will be socialists in a year. If McCain is elected, it will be little longer. we need another revolution. But we have NO leaders!!!
Posted by: Misty1-CA | Jul 6, 2008 3:50:03 PM
i am not trying to aggrandize sen.clinton, I am satisfied to not talk about her at all, i did start out talking about the article listed above.
and made comments.
---------------------------------------
and i have read obama' website, HE sends people to it often,
I want to hear from obama, I do not want to be sent to his website to see where he stands.
He should be able to articulate that now.
Posted by: jgaw | Jul 6, 2008 3:33:35 PM
"Obama is the nominee, let's focus on that. "
Presumptive nominee. You know he doesn't have enough pledged delegates to win the nomination outright. Party rules provide that superdelegates will have to cast their votes during the convention in order to actually decide the nomination. Start writing with some accuracy and precision and then we can talk.
Posted by: 57 states and counting | Jul 6, 2008 3:30:41 PM
Do you want a democrat in the white house? Obama is the nominee, let's focus on that. To aggrandize Hillary Clinton or anybody else who is not the nominee, is to sabotage the democrats current advantage. It is not a feeling, it's a fact. Get it together.
Posted by: CC | Jul 6, 2008 3:22:44 PM
i will say i am resigned that obama will be president.
so i will be happy for the history he will make, and be glad to see the day,
but also will be on tenderhooks that our ecomony will not recover under an obama presidency.
Posted by: jgaw | Jul 6, 2008 3:13:42 PM
jgaw,
You're an exception. Not many Clinton supporter think as you do. I don't think Clinton is fit to be president. She claims Obama has never been tested? When has she been tested?
She failed in 2002.
Visit websites for Obama supporters or on social networking groups their feelings run deep. Many of us don't believe Clinton is fit to be president.
Posted by: Vanessa | Jul 6, 2008 3:13:39 PM
I think making the B.J. quote about "about McCain" is reading too much into it. Does anyone recall a quote by McCain that indicates that he is bitter about the Vietnamese? The cold war is over, and we're not enemies with Vietnam. So I don't see the relevance.
Posted by: craig | Jul 6, 2008 3:11:32 PM
with all due respect vanessa, really,
that reasoning sounds so, so, young.
If obama could not sway clinton supporters it is not because of anything negative she said about him. nor do i believe it is because of the negative, divisive things he said about her.
I am african american, and a staunch clinton supporter, and i promise you i don't not hate obama-but i strongly believe from listening to him (even now that sen. clinton is off the scene) he is not ready to be president.
i want very much to be a part of the "movement" but i want to be a part of the movement backing the person who leaves no doubt he/she is the one.
it is going to look good in skip gates book african american history book obama being the first black president.
but i am not so sure (and i base this just from listening closely to obama) it is going to be so good for black or any other people in "anywhere" usa.
Posted by: jgaw | Jul 6, 2008 3:05:12 PM
Vanessa said: "Obama supporters are VERY passionate about Obama that's why we're labeled as a movement." (The Barack Movement? That's healthy.)
ARe you VERY passionate in your hopeful dreams of Change? Even if I was still an idealistic Demo (not a NP) I wouldn't have a clear idea exactly what the empty suit BO was 'giving' us Hope about, which dreams and which Changes.
As far as I can tell, it's the socialist dream he's selling and he's using the same old political schtick: Tell the audience what they want to hear, then do as the puppet masters tell him to do.
McCain ain't much better. There is no one who can lift us out of this morass. Face it folks, the gov't media complex picked the candidates for us. There is no one to vote for. Say goodbye to the country you grew up in; no, say 'adios,
Posted by: Christie | Jul 6, 2008 3:02:19 PM
"Her divisive language during the primaries have cause her supporters to hate Obama on a personal level. "
Are you kidding me? Clinton supporters have their own minds, thank you.
You don't think the Obama campaign handing out KO's rant about HRC and assassination was divisive? That was the lowest point of the entire campaign.
Posted by: 57 states and counting | Jul 6, 2008 2:58:56 PM
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