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Bill Clinton Keeps 'Bitter' Alive

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April 14, 2008 4:21 PM

ABC News' Sarah Amos Reports: Former president Bill Clinton's campaign rally this morning at the junior high gym in Corydon, Indiana was a wealth of Hillary Clinton surrogates, among them many who had their own thoughts about Sen. Barack Obama's recent comments about small town voters. 

The former president was introduced by Indiana's Former First Lady Judy O'Bannon, who spoke of rural pride and reminded the small town crowd it was not a sentiment shared by the all the presidential candidates. 

"All over Indiana there are people in communities like ours, and we aren't just blind fools who live here because we don't know where the road is that goes out, are we?" Some candidates would imply that, wouldn't they? Read the newspapers and see what some candidates say about places like the hometown where you belong," said O'Bannon, after talking about how her husband Governor Frank O'Bannon was a Corydon local. 

Citing concern over the economy, health care, and Iraq, O'Bannon passionately continued, "We're worried about that. And that is why we know that you just don't do the things that the other candidate implied - sit around and quake and cling. You get up and you do something about it."

President Clinton, Hillary's number one surrogate, then used O'Bannon's remarks as a springboard to share his own experiences of reactions to Obama's comments at a recent San Francisco fundraiser where he said small town voters were "bitter" and "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Over seven stops in North Carolina, Clinton said "Everywhere I go there are all these people with signs, saying I'm not bitter - I'm not bitter."

Clinton said during a stop in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania "this fellow said to me... "President Clinton, we are not bitter, we just want to turn the country around."  Clinton said another supporter in North Carolina said  "I hunt 'cause I like to and I go church 'cause I need to. And if I were a millionaire, I would still hunt and go to church.' He said what we need is to get this country together, get it on the road and go forward. So that is what this election is about. And we all gotta go forward together. We all have to go forward together."

The strong sentiments were appreciated by the crowd, but were not entirely accurate.  During Clinton's seven stops in North Carolina on Saturday there were no "I'm not bitter" signs.  There was a small assortment of people at his later events wearing stickers with the slogan, but many of those sporting the stickers weren't even sure what they meant.  Clinton also was a bit confused about his encounter in Pennsylvania.  The conversation actually took place at an earlier event in Bloomsburg, PA - or so Clinton told the crowd in Bloomsburg.

Despite the evolving anecdotes, the fact that the Clinton campaign needs this story to stay alive in Indiana and other rural states was crystal clear.

And just in case the reporters in the room weren't totally sure what the message of the day was, the Clinton campaign's Indiana co-chair, Joe Hogsett was ushered out to the press riser to talk with reporters before the rally began.

The former Indiana State Secretary told reporters "apparently Senator Obama believes that those of us in Indiana only practice our faith because we are mad at the government, or that we seek refuge in recreational activities because we are frustrated by our economic plight.  Nothing could be further from the truth. As I said earlier, we pray because we love God. We hunt and fish because that is what we have been taught to do. Those are values that are time honored here in Indiana and values that apparently Senator Obama doesn't understand"

Hogsett also made it clear that he did not believe Senator Clinton has attacked Obama over these remarks.  "Oh, it is not our attack, it is Senator Obama who attacked Senator Clinton this morning saying that she would say anything to get elected, even carrying news crews around behind her to take a shot and drink a beer, trying to suggest that she shares Hoosier values. When it is in fact Senator Obama himself who suggested in California last week that he is out of touch with Hoosier values," said Hogsett.

April 14, 2008 in Bush, George W. | Permalink | User Comments (137)

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Greg:
Obama has "gone after" Clinton through his surrogates primarily. Also, most of the liberal webpages on line have been highly vitriolic in their coverage of Clinton (Huffinton, Daily Kos, and Politico). Obama even sends them his campaign statements sometimes so that they can receive rapid circulation. Also, the mainstream media have been solidly behind him. Accordingly, he can refrain from doing any type of attacking. He has a lot of free and very public help on this issue.

Second, why on earth would you call me a "race idiot"? Please indicate why you feel that way.

Posted by: tony | Apr 14, 2008 4:56:59 PM

Greg:
Obama has "gone after" Clinton through his surrogates primarily. Also, most of the liberal webpages on line have been highly vitriolic in their coverage of Clinton (Huffinton, Daily Kos, and Politico). Obama even sends them his campaign statements sometimes so that they can receive rapid circulation. Also, the mainstream media have been solidly behind him. Accordingly, he can refrain from doing any type of attacking. He has a lot of free and very public help on this issue.

Second, why on earth would you call me a "race idiot"? Please indicate why you feel that way.

Posted by: tony | Apr 14, 2008 4:57:04 PM

Those comments are NOT the same as him going after her. If you don't know the difference, shut your mouth. I'm trying to give your ignorant, classless....etc, candidate a pat on the back for standing in the race and doing something to overcome the mountain she has to climb. However, don't lecture me on what was said to whom and who is this or that.....or anything else. I know the difference of what is political and politics...what is disallowed and what is allowed....I know a good candidate and a mdeicore one...and facts are Hillary is a medicore one. Period.

She has run the worst campaign to date. Now she wants to run the country and idiot supporters want to let her. Now you tell the rest of us who is drinking the kool-aid. I'm beginning to think her supporters are the same people that were taken out of the David Koresh compound. What a bunch of wack jobs.........total brainless idiots.

Posted by: Hannah | Apr 14, 2008 4:58:05 PM

Lauren

I just read where Hillary was sharp and Obama was in one of his stuttering modes.

Posted by: S | Apr 14, 2008 5:01:20 PM

Sadly Tony if Obama stays above these politics he will lose. I agree the dems are looking pretty sad. I just don't agree with the modern day republicans. Remeber Abe Lincoln he was a republican pretty "libral" thinker too. I just don't see how republicans can look to the future when they continualy base themselves in sever right wing thinking. But democrats can be way to libral for me some times so I think the conservatives do some good there keeping them in check. I think Obama is a good man for the job and it will be refreshing to see a new face in the white house. But I agree with E.L. he needs to put her out of her missery and focus on the repubs.

Posted by: Joe | Apr 14, 2008 5:01:34 PM

As A Canadian, I am astounded Americans put up w/ outright LIES from this couple AND YET STILL consider them potential LEADERS? THAT is unbelievable to me! Wow...

Posted by: cheryl | Apr 14, 2008 5:06:25 PM

StanCH AKA DCVoter

Posted by: S | Apr 14, 2008 5:07:04 PM

Hey Lauren pandering is the name of the game. You don't really believe Hillary wanted to be in the position at this time do you? My gawd being forced to drink like that and appear as if she is on of "them" hell she deserves to be POTUS! People like you just don't understand, it is hard being rich and living amongst the common folk.

She might be richer than they are but she needs them. She has to tell them what they want to hear. She has to behave as if they do. When you become waelthy perhaps then you will understand, until that time please get back to walmart and leave Saks and Rolex's to folks like Hillary, McCain, Romney's and other millionaires

Posted by: Angela | Apr 14, 2008 5:07:12 PM

Obama is not god, I am! Everyone makes mistakes. Unless your Hill Dog never lies just misspeaks you know no big deal, doesn't apologizes so why should he? Oh wait! he did! Besides I'm a small town guy I support Obama the only thing it makes me want to see is Obamas gun control policy.

Posted by: Joe | Apr 14, 2008 5:08:54 PM

Sorry Hannah - you are blinded by the Obama Light. You said it was "disgraceful and idiotic" to "attack another Democrat." By saying this, you show that you are either so in the tank with Obama that you have abandoned any ability to engage in objective discourse OR you know absolutely nothing about politics. I listed the ways in which prior candidates have done even tougher attacks than Clinton - even taking the fight all the way to the convention. Only when Clinton attacks O-Lamby is it a "disgraceful" and "classless." Sorry - packaging these comments in a paragraph which says "at least she is a fighter" does not make them less troubling (or less inaccurate).

Gary Hart, who criticized Clinton for going after Obama, said Mondale was completely inept and was a part of a failed administration of Carter/Mondale and that Ronald Reagan could not wait to run against him, instead of Hart. I guess that was ok. Ted Kennedy was so nasty to Carter, that he refused to pull out despite him trailing Carter in the delegate total -- much greater difference than in this race -- and he refused to shake hands with Carter at the convention. With respect to his opposition to the Iraq War, Kerry said that Howard Dean lacked credibility and fitness to even run for the presidency - not to mention occupy the White House.

Would you describe these MEN as "disgraceful" and "ignorant"? Just yelling and saying you know the difference does not make your arguments persuasive. What is the difference between their rheotoric and Clinton's?

Posted by: tony | Apr 14, 2008 5:09:47 PM

S,
That's not DCVoter's style, he has much more class than that. I'm not talking Obama class, because we know that Obama is way above us, he's got down home class.

Best part of the above story: I hunt because I like to and I go to church because I need to. That brings tears to my eyes, I used to love hunting back in the day.
========================================
Obama, trying to make hunters ashamed of themselves.
Obama must have a better religion than us!
========================================

Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Apr 14, 2008 5:11:54 PM

Lauren,
You are still running in way overtime trying to divert attention off of BITTERGATE. Is it working? I don't think so.
========================================
Obama, bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter, Obama
========================================

Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Apr 14, 2008 5:14:18 PM

If Barack loses he can always make money selling ice cream, call it Baracky Road, and it'll have a slight bitter taste to it.
========================================
Barack Obama, it doesn't get any bitter than this guy.
========================================

Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Apr 14, 2008 5:16:40 PM

Joe - I do not agree that anyone needs to be "put out of her misery." If anything, the Democratic Party needs to be put out of its misery. The Democrats have only had one two-term president since Harry Truman in 1952. Wow. What a bunch of losers. The only other one was Bill Clinton. Yes - the one that Democrats, including Obama, have dismissed. Well, Bill was the last Democrat to appoint multiple justices to the Supreme Court. He balanced the budget, oversaw a surplus, appointed liberals to the federal courts, veoted conservative legislation, and we had economic prosperity. You guys are revising history in your descriptions of Clinton. The Republicans launched NUMEROUS investigations into the Clintons and only proved one thing: he had oral sex with Monica but denied it. Big Deal! Yet - Bush has led thousands of soldiers to their death, given us the second Bush recession, and is completely incapable of doing anything. Yet, you guys portray the Clintons as monsters? You Democrats deserve every loss you get. And trust me, you will lose with Obama. It is too late for Clinton to win this time. I definitely admit that. But I am actually excited. As a Democrat who is frustrated by the awful decisions this party makes, I cannot wait to see McCain defeat us. Unfortunately, I am sure Obama will just blame Clinton and Bush for his loss. They seem to be responsible for everything else that goes wrong in his life. I'm sure they wrote Wright's sermons!

Posted by: tony | Apr 14, 2008 5:17:45 PM

WestCoastMessanger, the Lincoln bedroom is for sleep overs and Bill the Hotel manager would like to make money out off the White House again. Hill the Bosnian General has not finished swalling more alcohol and get drunk, and Bill has not finished making money out of middle class Americans. Colombia' 800 000 is not enough. At all, no class, the Clintons have no class. If Hill wins the nomination this way, then my vote is discarded, maybe I have to go to vote for Berlusconi in Italy. God bless America and God bless Obama.

Posted by: BKMC | Apr 14, 2008 5:23:17 PM

Cheryl, spare us the Canadian elitism. I respect Canada a great deal, but you really should take care of the North of the border issues. Stephen Harper? LOL.

Posted by: tony | Apr 14, 2008 5:25:32 PM

Bill's great!!! He should say that Senator Obama talked about Senator Clinton going "up a blind" with a "six shooter" to shoot ducks!!! She is Annie Oakley!!! We love her!!!!

Posted by: kt | Apr 14, 2008 5:26:10 PM

Joe,

Right on point! So many people have been saying this for a long time, he needs to fight hard and dirty. Simply stated, it is time for him to get down on her level. He doesn't want to do that but if he doesn't then he needs to get out of the race. He promised a different type or campaign but he can't deliver that when dealing with a Clinton. The public will understand because the simple fact is, the Clinton's do bring out the worst in people. Only diehards love them to death, reasonable people understand everything and everyone has a shelf life!....Anyway, I agree with many of you, he needs to go after her foul ups hard and heavy from this point on. I mean he needs to go after her in the same manner she is going after him. No more playing nice with her, no more holding her hand, no more nice-nice and kiss-kiss stuff. She is not doing him any favors and he had better stop doing them for her.

Posted by: London | Apr 14, 2008 5:31:15 PM

OBAMA FANS

I dare you to read this article in SLATE:

http://www.slate.com/id/2188487/#foursins

Posted by: A | Apr 14, 2008 5:36:52 PM

Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton is a Liability to the Democratic Party. Dems will cut their losses and unite behind Obama and unify the party around Obama.

If anyone is Elitist (109,000,000.00) it’s the Clintons.

Obama all the way!

Posted by: Lookup | Apr 14, 2008 5:49:17 PM

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