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Bill Clinton: Obama Played Race Card On Me
April 22, 2008 12:20 PM
ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: Bill Clinton accused Barack Obama's campaign of "playing the race card on me" and told a Philadelphia radio station that the Obama campaign took his Jesse Jackson comment and "twisted it for political purposes."
And as the interview concluded, Clinton turned to an associate and said, "I don't think I should take any s--t from anybody on that, do you?"
Making a campaign stop and enjoying another interrupted breakfast at Pamela's P&G Diner Tuesday morning in downtown Pittsburgh, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was asked to respond to Clinton.
The Democratic nomination frontrunner seemed confused by the comments.
"So, former President Clinton dismissed my victory in South Carolina as being similar to Jesse Jackson and he is suggesting that somehow I had something to do with it," Obama said laughing, "Ok, well, you better ask him what he meant by that. I have no idea what he meant. These are words that came out of his mouth, not out of mine."
Watch the VIDEO HERE.
And at President Clinton's first polling stop in Pittsburgh, he too appeared unwilling to discuss the incident.
"No, no, no, that's not what I said," Clinton told a reporter who asked about the radio comments, "You always follow me around and play these little games. And I am not going to play your games today. This is a day about election day, go back and see what the question was and what my answer was. You have mischaracterized it just to get a another cheap story to divert the American people from the real urgent issues before us, and I choose not to play your game today."
Watch the
VIDEO HERE.
Clinton was talking to station WHYY about the fallout over his comparison of Obama's South Carolina primary victory with the support of black Democrats to Jesse Jackson's primary wins. Those comments were portrayed by critics as an attempt to highlight Obama's race.
The former president fumed on Monday that it was Obama's campaign that injected the race issue.
"I think that they played the race card on me. And we now know, from memos from the campaign and everything that they planned to do it all along," Bill Clinton said in a telephone interview with WHYY's Susan Phillips. "I was stating a fact, and it's still a fact."
The former president says the comment was "used out of context and twisted for political purposes by the Obama camapign."
Clinton goes on to say that "you have to really go some place to play the race card on me." He lists a number of his accomplishments on behalf of African Americans, inexplicably putting the fact that he has "an office in Harlem" at the top of the list.
Clinton's outburst began when Phillips asked the President how he feels about one Philadelphia official who says she switched her support after interpreting Clinton's remarks in South Carolina as an attempt to marginalize Obama as "the black candidate."
Clearly, Clinton seems frustrated by the question or the suggestion by anyone - either the reporter or the Philadelphia official whom she quoted - that he was somehow making a negative statement about Obama (or Jesse Jackson) based on their race.
His frustration comes through towards the end of the recording when, apparently unaware that he was still on the line, Clinton asks whoever is with him, "I don't think I should take any s--t from anybody on that, do you?"
Listen to Clinton on WHYY by clicking here.
ABC News' Sunlen Miller and Sarah Amos contributed to this report.
April 22, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (421)
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Bill is IDIOT
Posted by: Linda,Fl | Apr 22, 2008 8:38:09 AM
Again, here is where the media does not provide all the truth. Senator Obama supporters and campaigners may have jump on these comments but after average voters made comments first, highlighted by the media airing and posting them. What a farce! This is so ridiculous. The media is to blame for a lot of mis-information put out there. Understand, they are racheting up their ratings.
Posted by: Citizen AJ | Apr 22, 2008 8:38:20 AM
Bill - I feel your pain.
Posted by: Mark | Apr 22, 2008 8:38:31 AM
WAY TO GO BILL! For anybody to accuse either of the Clintons of being racist is just plain crazy. He made a truthful statement that was twisted into something that it wasn't. I personally feel that Obama and his wife and his "spiritual mentor" are the biggest racist in the country.
Posted by: Judy | Apr 22, 2008 8:38:46 AM
I think it's absolutely hysterical that all of keep taking Obama's side. Obama is not right. He is not trying to make this country better. He has another agenda. GET A CLUE!!!!!
Posted by: Nikki | Apr 22, 2008 8:41:35 AM
Not a problem with what he is saying,
and he should be worried that the press and Obama will twist everything he says about race. The press once again trying to make this into something it is not.
He has every reason to be frustrated with the press and Obamas campaign.
Obama does play, has played, and will continue to play the race card.
Here's a number for Chris Matthews who clearly supports Obama with bias reporting: 90% that is percentage of black vote Obama has gotten. Let's not pretend there is not a race issue going on here. Clintons have a track record as good or better then any other politicians especially Obama, but where does the black vote go? Obamas racial attacks don't have anything to do with that?
Wait, Obama doesn't campaing that way right? He's different then any other politician. Give me a break.
Same old politics. He will do and say anything to win.
Posted by: tejasoutlaw | Apr 22, 2008 8:42:21 AM
Hillary Voters are Secret "Bill for a 3rd term" voters. Come on guys, what experience does she "really" have? The media won't say it so I will, if Hillary was not married to Bill, she never would have made it this far, any credibility she had when she started was only because he was president before and her husband. The wool has been pulled over many eyes. Don't believe the hype, a vote for Hillary is a vote for Bill in the Oval Office again.
Posted by: B | Apr 22, 2008 8:43:17 AM
Appyarently, people have not moved on from this issue is reporters are still revisiting the question. President Clinton has a right to be upset about it because there has been nothing to warrant such an accusation. This is precisely why issue on race cannot progress because everytime it is mention by someone white, someone black pulls the race card. The truth is President Clinton has advance more issues for black people than Obama has. I did not get upset when he said then and I am not upset now because what he said is obviously true.
Posted by: winning0853 | Apr 22, 2008 8:44:32 AM
I am an avid Hillary supporter. But, I would so love Bill to shut up.
Posted by: dissertator08 | Apr 22, 2008 8:44:36 AM
The Clintons have done their job, they brought the democratic party down...
Posted by: Joe | Apr 22, 2008 8:44:40 AM
I wish i could vote for Bill for a 3rd term..The economy was doing so much better quickly once he started office and stayed on the upbeat the whole time he was in office. Bill has said he would be a big help to Hill if she wins and i support the Clintons whole heartedly. If obama wins the nomination my vote will go to Mccain. Obama will ruin this country even more than Mccain will.
Posted by: ryan | Apr 22, 2008 8:47:53 AM
I hate to burst your bubble but Blacks work and pay taxes also. You don't take care of me and mine, you take care of you and yours. I am not out here begging for a darn thing. I am sick and tired of people like you thinking blacks are welfare recipents. More Whites recieve welfare than Blacks, don't forget, we have worked hard for hundreds and hundreds of years, with low to no pay. So get off your high horse and get with the program, we are here to stay and we are strong, just like we have always been. I don't need your charity, I probably have a better income than you!
Posted by: Emilianna | Apr 22, 2008 8:55:16 AM
If Hillary hadn't decided to attack Obama for running, as if she was the only one that deserved to, then maybe they would have BOTH been doing the job. All she had to do was save her dirty tactics for the Repubs, but instead she chose to attack her own. For Obama's credit, he has been trying to fight fair and getting called names like 'OBAMBI" for being decent to a fellow Dem and trying to get his point across without attacking her. She has been attacking him like a vicious dog. I loved the Clintons back in the day, would have loved the duel ticket that would have surely beat any Repub, but Hillary made the decision that if she wasn't going to be Prez, no Dem would be so she and Bill decided to destroy the party.
Posted by: B | Apr 22, 2008 8:55:29 AM
Nothing is more fun than to watch these leftist crybabies whine and pout at each other.
Posted by: rplat | Apr 22, 2008 9:01:31 AM
Let me ask Bill Clinton a question: What exactly did you mean when you dismissed Obama's win saying that "well Jesse Jackson won in South Carolina".
I would like to ask Bill Clinton, why did he pick Jesse Jackson of all people to compare Obama to, why did he not pick John Edwards who won South Carolina, in 2004. Why didn't Bill compare Obama's win to John Edwards? Why did he choose instead to compare Obama's win to Jesse Jackson who won South Carolina in 1984 (OVER 20 YEARS AGO).
Bill Clinton, like the rest of America knows what Bill was trying to say, and it was that -- yes Obama won, but it's not a big deal, remember folks 20 YEARS AGO, the other black candidate Jesse Jackson won South Carolina too --
Bill Clinton's problem is that he has deep seated racial issues with blacks, and now he is just ###### that everyone else knows it too.
Posted by: SARA | Apr 22, 2008 9:02:19 AM
whaaa!!!!! we're losing, whaaaaaa!!!!
=(
ps - how's that sisterhood vote workin for ya? oh, how did you put it?... "I was stating a fact, and it's still a fact." So why not admit that Hillary is staying in the race simply because of her gender? Both subjets are just BS at this time in history.
If you want to play the game finger pointing game, suck it up (and stop trying to change the rules). This whole primary is messed up and we're all getting fed up. This is why Obama wants to bring people together and not be so abrasive. We can't accomplish anything if we have a president that has tunnel vision of "us vs them". This "tough" attitude has to go, the whole world will continue to look down on us.
Posted by: whiner | Apr 22, 2008 9:02:59 AM
I have no problem with Obama being proud of his heritage. I expect more black votes to go his way because of this. Hillary has never tried to accuse Obama or anyone in his campaign of being chauvinists. There is the difference. To compound the point, Obama tries to be above the frey and say he does not use dirty campaing tricks, and that race is not a key part of his campaign.
Just because he says he is running a clean campaign does not make it a fact.
For some reason he and his supporters have a problem with facts and reality.
He has fooled many, he is delusional in some of the retorhic he gives out.
He alone is going to change Washington and Politics. Get real. This is coming from a guy that has not even submitted any sugnificant legislation since he has been a Senator, much less gotten anything passed. Just ask the Governor of Wisconsin that supported him. He drew a blank when asked that specific question. This is not a football game where everyone stands up with the wave because it is fun without knowing what they are standing up for.
Think!
Posted by: tejasoutlaw | Apr 22, 2008 9:03:57 AM
Obama hasn't won anything but caucuses with the exception of one or maybe two. That is why he will not win in November if he is the nominee. He can't carry the big states that are must wins for the Democrats. There are no caucuses in the GE.
Posted by: J | Apr 22, 2008 9:06:36 AM
You sure do use a whole lot of words to say nothing. Why should we give someone who has not proven to be anything more than a bag of wind a chance at presidency. He has proven nothin, and has no experience. Yes, Hillary being first lady gave her much much experience. She got to see first hand how the president should act, Bill did a wonderful job, all but the one Monica Lewinski thing, which doesnt bother me at all. Cheating goes on all the time and his wife forgave him so everyone else should to. I bet most people here know someone close that has cheated on their spouse and it was forgiven. Get over it
Posted by: ryan | Apr 22, 2008 9:07:07 AM
Old whinning Bill is lying again. Everthing that piece of puke says is a lie until proven otherwise.
Posted by: John | Apr 22, 2008 9:08:26 AM
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