Bill Clinton: Politics must change after Arizona attack

[kpete]

Source: BBC

11 January 2011 Last updated at 14:13 ET

Former President Bill Clinton has told the BBC the US political climate must change after the shooting of a US Congresswoman and others in Arizona.

"No one intends to do anything that encourages this sort of behaviour," he said. But political rhetoric "falls on the unhinged and the hinged alike".

He said political differences should not "degenerate into demonisation".

Some commentators suggest the vitriolic political rhetoric in the US may have contributed in some way to the attack.



Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12164122

[kestrel91316]

1. "No one intends to do anything that encourages this sort of behaviour..."

Oh yes they do, Mr. President. With all due respect.

[leftofcool]

2. I think Bill is being cautious here.....

for good reasons.

[kestrel91316]

5. Why does he need to bother being cautious - they already hate him and want him

deader than the rest of us.

[jobycom]

3. Clinton got that same treatment from the right, and had several attempts on his life.

Someone tried to crash a plane into the White House and luckily hit the lawn first, another shot at the White House (may have happened more than once). There were several arrests of people plotting against him, and I'm sure there were cases we never heard about.

[valerief]

4. Just like repairing infrastructure happened after Katrina. nt

[Jefferson23]

6. Then talk about what you believe IS the intent. It certainly is worthwhile

to have an honest and candid conversation and connect the dots as to what is the motivation.

Considering Bill Clinton was responsible for the Telecommuncations Act 1996, let us begin the conversation there and
take a look at the fallout since that time.

[faz]

7. Michael Savage should be banned

He's just too much. I can't believe he has a PhD degree. How hateful!

Made me sick listening to him.

[Zavulon]

11. Nobody should be banned.

Savage is a better advertisement for our side than all of Air America combined was. Further, if we set that precedent, imagine what the Repugs will ban when they're in power again.

[PuppyBismark]

8. Don't See President Obama Stepping Up to The Plate on This

Now is a great time for our president to start a serious dialog on this issue, but where is he?

[Whisp]

12. I'm sure he'll apologize to you in person for not being on your timetable.

He will speak about this. Don't strain your juice.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

9. No its the media stupid. Right Wing owns most of it

especially hate talk radio. About 80-90 percent.

Thanks to media consolidation and also the end to the fairness doctrine.

[DeSwiss]

10. "It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles." ~Niccolo Machiavelli n/t

[unkachuck]

13. '...should not "degenerate into demonisation".'

....we should not disarm unilaterally, lives depend on us continuing our good fight....

....the right-wing started this vitriolic speech years ago for political gain....the Left has been very slow in responding and have paid a heavy price at the polls because it....we look like incompetent political wimps when the pukes continuously fire their verbal cannons while we respond with our verbal pea-shooters....

....if change is to come, let it begin with the right-wing....when they clean up their act, we should clean up ours, not until then....remember, what we stand for is the protection and saving of human life, human conditions and human values....

....the fact is, 'truth' and 'good' ARE really on our side....Christina Green might be alive today were it not for thirty years of right-wing vitriolic speech, vitriolic legislation and vitriolic governmental decisions and attitudes....

[TomClash]

14. Dear Bill

The ghosts of 500,000 Iraqi children say hello.