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Democrats Tear Into Bill Clinton for Going After Obama
January 24, 2008 3:55 PM
ABC News' Kate Snow and Sunlen Miller Report: Robert Reich today lashed out at former President Bill Clinton, calling his recent statements "demeaning." Reich, who served as Labor Secretary under Clinton, also accused the former president of injecting race into the presidential contest.
"I write this more out of sadness than anger," Reich wrote in his blog. "Bill Clinton’s ill-tempered and ill-founded attacks on Barack Obama are doing no credit to the former President, his legacy, or his wife’s campaign. Nor are they helping the Democratic party."
The Clinton campaign responded by calling Reich's complaint old news.
"Robert Reich has a long history of false and negative attacks on Bill and Hillary Clinton. This is nothing new," Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson told ABC News Thursday.
"While it may be that all is fair in love, war, and politics, it’s not fair – indeed, it’s demeaning – for a former President to say things that are patently untrue (such as Obama’s anti-war position is a 'fairy tale') or to insinuate that Obama is injecting race into the race when the former President is himself doing it," Reich wrote.
Reich's comments came on a day when the Obama campaign unleashed two surrogates, Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Governor Janet Napolitano, D-Ariz., to push back against Bill Clinton’s recent statements about Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill.
In a conference call intended to discuss "electability," the two surrogates argued Hillary Clinton is campaigning hard to win South Carolina. They discussed the large amount of money the Clinton campaign has invested in the state, and pointed to the time former President Bill Clinton has invested.
This strategy may be intended to inflate a possible Obama win in South Carolina, as the two candidates search for momentum heading into the Feb. 5 states.
Both surrogates denounced the manner in which Bill Clinton has been speaking of Obama while campaigning for his wife.
“Because of the large microphone he has as a formed president, he needs to be careful with the truth,” McCaskill said, “This is not a time to play fast and loose with the facts. The fact that he has shaded things, tried to manipulate the facts in a way that is unfair, I think that is wrong, flat out wrong and demeaning.”
Napolitano agreed and suggested that Bill Clinton is not the “average political spouse.”
January 24, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (14)
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OK people, 2 WOMEN and a former Clinton official is calling him on his BS.
And all I hear are CRICKETS.
Clinton is claiming playing race issues because blacks are voting for Obama. Was he saying this last month when Hillary was ahead with blacks??? Please wake up, the Clintons are counting on your gullibility and ignorance.
Posted by: ROB | Jan 24, 2008 4:31:04 PM
It's funny that in the Press, surrogates, supporters and candidates are subtle and nuanced, yet in blogs, many anonymous posters spew venom and negativity with abandon.
I support Obama, but Hillary is not the Anti-Christ. I do think the number and caliber of Dem leaders who characterize things as out of hand lend some credence.
Bill should pull back and let Hillary fight her own battles. Yes, he cares, of course, he cares. Who wouldn't? But he must realize that his unique position as a former President (and leader within the Dem party) calls for restraint. If Hillary can't earn the nomination on her own, then she doesn't deserve it. Right now, his stories are overshadowing hers. Tough as it is, he should pull back. Even without his help, it's not as if Hillary's in this alone. There are plenty of other people to speak on her behalf.
Posted by: Kevin | Jan 24, 2008 5:19:09 PM
Bill is making a shameful display of himself. In addition to being a proven liar he is also apparently a man without shame and a former-president with no dignity.
But on the other hand it's good to know that Hill can't make it on her own— or at least Bill doesn't think so.
Posted by: Colfax | Jan 24, 2008 6:19:40 PM
Bill -
Keep the pressure on. The truth is coming out about Obama. Now Obama and his supporters are doing what they do best, whining and saying 'leave me alone'. Well whining and 'leave me alone' beat John Kerry and Tom Daschle.
Posted by: Brian | Jan 24, 2008 6:20:35 PM
Ha ha Robert Reich talking against Hillary, this guy have written books, made speeches and smeared the Clintons since he left the Clinton government. Why even pay attention to what he says against Hillary!
LOL
Posted by: Marie | Jan 24, 2008 6:24:30 PM
Oh poor Obama, all his surrogates are coming to protect him just because every time he speaks gets worst. Like in the case of Rezko where he has changed the story 5 times. Now are they going to blame Hillary for his affiliations and shady business with the Rezkos????
And for you Governor Napolitano you should be working here in Arizona doing the job we elected you to do.
Posted by: Carlos- Arizona | Jan 24, 2008 6:29:52 PM
When student asked Chelsea, she discussed her own work experiences, saying "I work in finance, I am a numbers dork". I don't blaim her for that. I balim the genotype and phenotype suggested by Mindel's first and second laws.
Posted by: Daneil | Jan 24, 2008 7:10:05 PM
A simple statement of fact. I am for Hillary but If Obama wins, I am voting for McCain. As will other independents I'm sure. Regardless of what Obama says about Hillary's deligates going to him if he wins and his saying that his deligates will NOT go to her if she wins. What a crock!
Posted by: gcbfred | Jan 24, 2008 7:12:50 PM
There they go again. Looks like the corrupt clinton cronies are at it again.
Looks like we have all the classic lines going again.
1) "It's all the Republicans fault" - Monica
2) "Smear the messenger" - Marie
3) "Mock pity" - Carlos
4) "Who cares, I am voting for hillary anyway" - gcbfred
Do we really need a president who slanders and attacks their FRIENDS and former coworkers?
Posted by: NickAtNight | Jan 24, 2008 11:03:56 PM
Do we really want a president who enables men to attack and intimidate women?
At the very best the corrupt clinton's exhibit poor judgment.
quote "I want to go back to this. On the eve of your testimony in the Paula Jones case, there was — you lost your cat. And there was somebody came up to you, a stranger, and mentioned...
WILLEY: He had run away, or he had — just turned up missing.
HANNITY: Your cat did. But you ran into a stranger who mentioned the loss of your cat, and your cat's name, and your children by name.
WILLEY: I didn't run into him. He approached me one morning. He alluded to the fact. He alluded to my cat by name in the past tense. He said, "How is that — how is — he was a nice cat." He said, "That Bullseye was a nice cat."
HANNITY: And that was a direct threat, you believe, on the eve of your testimony to let you know the cat's gone?
WILLEY: That was followed by — that was followed by, "How are your children?" And he named them by name. That was followed — that was followed by this naming of very dear friends to the children. That was fired by, "Did you ever get those tires fixed?" I had three out of four tires of my car flattened by a nail gun.
He said — let me finish — he said, "You're just not getting the message, are you?" That was the threat to go in and lie under oath." endquote
Posted by: NickAtNight | Jan 24, 2008 11:05:47 PM
The Clintons love people of color, if they serve beneath them. Look what Bill did to Lani Guiner and Sista Soujah! The Clintons have a long history of racism. Why didnt Bill appoint a minority to Secretary of State or Supreme Court?
The Clintons took over the democratic party and gave it to Wall Street, Wal-Mart, and corporate america...
Posted by: Ronald Brown | Jan 24, 2008 11:06:11 PM
Sal...
So...Muslim mom and Muslim dad equals Muslim Son? If we were in the Middle East, I'd say yes. But right now, I'd say you just full of it. :-)
A person's name is not a key indicator of a person's faith. Never has been.
Posted by: Dingodude | Jan 25, 2008 7:02:56 AM
I wonder if those who run the world decided that USA must be run by two families.. Bush and Clintons,and when one of them finish his term the other one runs for the presidency and easily beats those who run against them... now it is Bush's time then Clinton then Bush's till you people smell the coffee and realise that have been fooled and tranqualized by these two family
Posted by: Osman | Jan 25, 2008 10:18:53 AM
I read all these comments and can`t help notice just how scewed (not the bad word) people are in thier thinking.
Don`t believe everything you read and think for your self. One can research things and make your own truth without listening to the big mouths that push thier agendas on people. Can`t help but notice the bullies of the world are alive and well, beware!
Posted by: bob | Jan 25, 2008 1:30:02 PM
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