Bill Clinton responds to Obama's Swiftboating of the Clintons on race:

[MethuenProgressive]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/04/bill-clinton-ob.html

"I don't think I should take any shit from anybody on that, do you?" - Bill Clinton.

The Clintons had a long and strong relationship with the AA community until the Obama Camp convinced voters the Clintons were racists. No Democrat should take that shit from anyone, let alone the alledged "Hope and Change" candidate.

[butterfly77]

1. Why do they always bring up race..

The problem is that they can't just look at Obama as a man...

[MethuenProgressive]

5. The Obama camp compared Hillary to the murdered wife of OJ, didn't they?

OBAMA'S CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRMAN COMPARES HIS CANDIDATE TO A MURDERER.

But on the night of Obama's victory, Jesse Jr. had this to say to the Washington Post about the inadvisability of Obama going negative against Hillary Clinton: "The natural reminder here is O.J. —how does an African-American candidate attack a white woman?"

Why do they always bring up race?

http://www.slate.com/id/2181356

[Why Syzygy]

7. And BLAME. No responsibility. And wants the keys to the WH and nuke ball.

[Diamond Dog]

2. I'm pretty sure Clinton convinced the voters themselves that he's a racist.

Through his blatantly racist actions.

[MethuenProgressive]

22. Link to expose of Obama Camp's plot to Swiftboat the Clintons on Race:

"the Obama campaign is seeking to capitalize on the view - and push the narrative - that the Clintons are using race-related issues for political leverage."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/12/obama-camps-memo-on-clin_n_81205.html

[shrdlu]

26. And what, exactly, were those blatantly racist actions?

Are you speaking of WJC's entirely accurate observations that Jesse Jackson had won two elections by substantial margins? If so, how is that racist? How does that denigrate either Obama or Jackson?

...correcting initials

[GoesTo11]

54. It is fair to parse Bill's words carefully, is it not?

Depends on what the meaning of is is.

We know what he meant. He knows what he meant.

[cbayer]

77. What blatantly racist actions? nt.

[Drunken Irishman]

3. haha, Bill is losing it.

Did Obama force Clinton to bring up Jesse Jackson prior to and after the South Carolina primary? Did he force Clinton to talk about the South Carolina demographics?

Na'.

Clinton put his own foot in his own mouth and realized it hurt his wife. Now, as in good Clinton fashion, he's trying to throw the blame on to someone else.

It's quite pathetic.

[PoliticalAmazon]

23. I think he is as mentally unstable as Hillary. And his pandering to racists is disgusting. n/t

[MethuenProgressive]

33. Another victim of Obama's Swiftboat pipes up...

How are those prop wounds healing?

[PoliticalAmazon]

39. ? What in the world are you talking about? n/t

[papau]

4. Bill is correct - "race card" (chg the subject) played by Obama to stop NH win momentum

The idea that Clinton was a racist is called nonsense by Obama himself - now

but when it counted he had David on the phone with every media person with every scrap of a quote coughed up by a Clinton supporter trying to imply that the phrasing was code words with racial implications - with Obama not - at that time - saying to call the Clinton's racist was nonsense - indeed Obama did nothing but move that race card along - waiting until the black vote had move from 60/40 Clinton to 80/20 Obama before he even thought of again pretending to be the nice guy again.

[ej510]

9. So basically you are saying that alll black people are stupid and are sheep right?

[grassfed]

11. Bill Clinton Playing the Race Card Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te6RmXTlhY4

[OzarkDem]

6. Glad he did it

There was absolutely nothing to back up Obama's accusations. Total BS. Its disgraceful and not representative of the Democratic party's values.

[ej510]

13. Do you believe that all black people are stupid and are sheep?

[OzarkDem]

28. Trying to play the race card?

I'm a Democrat, I reject the use of GOP tactics.

[ej510]

36. I asume that is the case since you won't answer the question.

I don't understand why some Hillary supporters asume that all of these black people are voting for Obama because of South Carolina. It's not the case Obama had to earn our vote.

[OzarkDem]

46. Sorry, but I have no clue as to what you're talking about

If you can point to something that Clinton said that was racist please do.

As for how black voters vote in this primary, that's their choice. I don't judge them one way or another, though its sad to see Obama supporters attacking black leaders who support Hillary.

The whole racism argument Obama's campaign has been making is nonsensical. His claims are bogus.

[stillcool]

102. God I hate that the Ignore Function..

doesn't work. What are you a one trick pony? Is race the only thing you think will help your candidate win? How's it been working so far?

[grassfed]

14. see #11

[MethuenProgressive]

27. It needed to be said. Obama's Swiftboat has been attacking the Clintons with the MSM's help.

The MSM hates the Clintons. Always have, always will.

[Mags]

35. you said it , it's about time , long over due.

[rodeodance]

50. agreed, I am so very glad Bill spoke up.

[GoldieAZ49]

8. comparing Barrak to OJ early on was a good indicator they would play the race card

But on the night of Obama's victory, Jesse Jr. had this to say to the Washington Post about the inadvisability of Obama going negative against Hillary Clinton: "The natural reminder here is O.J. —how does an African-American candidate attack a white woman?"


http://www.slate.com/id/2181356 /


Obviously playing the race card behind the scene was their decision. They went through Bill to indirectly attack Hillary.

Disgusting and sick.

[OzarkDem]

31. Rove must be very proud of Axelrod & Obama

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

10. a frank response to Bill's claims

This was in my email today, for a list serve that I am on. It is
one person's heart felt response to Bill Clinton's claims of "reverse racism""

Subject: RE: Wild Bill Clinton is talking out of his neck...

Date: Apr 22, 2008 11:06 AM

Excuse my french monsieur, but Bill Clinton is a redneck asshole CASE CLOSED! he's a friggin' demagogue redneck. And the fact that people fall for his redneck rhetoric is sad, he has made me very angry and frankly quite bitter! I'm so glad the black community ( I myself included) are no longer voting for him, he sold us out, by putting so many black young adults behind bars for petty drug offenses not the trafficking but the slight consumption, he signed NAFTA which is now being held as the DUMBEST trade agreement of our time, he signed a welfare reform bill which was as discriminatory as it was prudent. He is a redneck, his wife is a redneck, george bush is a redneck, and frankly i think this country is tired of rednecks, we do need someone with solutions, not just speeches and we've found that person in Barack Obama.

[cbayer]

84. Redneck asshole? Certainly you are not supporting this response.

"Redneck" is a stereotype used to denigrate poor, uneducated, white people. It's a hateful word that has racial implications. If you saw a post like this using the word nigger, would that be all right with you? I would hope not.

[MethuenProgressive]

99. You endorse the racist content of that post?

Really??

[Cant trust em]

12. If anything, Bill fell into the trap of being too open with his opinions

as a white person he needs to be VERY careful. He misunderstood the fact that our country is rightfully sensitive about race and are skeptical when people bring it up as an issue.

[PoliticalAmazon]

25. Horseshit. He is pandering to racists and bigots. He is disgusting. n/t

[rodeodance]

53. your post is digusting for keeping this horrible lie going!!

[XemaSab]

15. And here's the response:

"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."

[butterfly77]

67. This just like the wright thing..

since Wright said they are acting as though Obama said it,they will use any excuse not to look at Obama because Hillary is a WOMAN...

[BenDavid]

16. It is true, and I suspect many of you obama folk know it to be and

the b hussein obama campaign did play the race card against Hillary and Bill. If one really cares to take a look see of what actually happened shows that the charges that the Clintons played the "race card" were not simply false; they were deliberately manufactured by the Obama camp and trumpeted by a credulous and/or compliant press corps in order to strip away her once formidable majority among black voters.This is the latest sad commentary on the malign power of the press, hyping its own favorites and tearing down those it dislikes, to create pseudo-scandals of the sort that hounded Al Gore during the 2000 campaign.

let me ask you a question:. If I say, "Eight of the NFL's top running backs are Black," is that racist? Was that a "racist" thing to say, since the thought involved race? If I say, "There are no Blacks on the US Olympic swim team," is that racist? You're stuck for answers - aren't you? Jimmy the Greek said, "Slaves were bred to have bigger, stronger children," and he was fired from CBS for "being a racist," but how can facts be racist? Bill said, "Jesse Jackson won the primary here in 1988." That was a fact, but America fainted at that vile and vicious and hateful anti-Obama racist trash.

I've never heard a racist word from Bill or Hillary, but Obama supporters hear racist words from them constantly. So yeah, if we Clinton backers said it, WE must be racist. Hillary chose to stay and fight, only to have people insult her who's on the take from the big pharm bastardsand a whole lot more. Yet she keeps fighting, while the nation and the Dems call her a racist whore. Sometimes I wonder why she keeps trying.

There are those who profit from making Hillary and Bill out to be racist. Tell me - who profits most if Hillary and Bill are labled racist?

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mags]

38. of course not, move along and continue to ignore the truth.

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mags]

48. just running scared.

[Cant trust em]

32. I question why people bring up facts, but offer no additional analysis

Jesse Jackson won the primary here in 1988.

What's your point, Bill? Oh, no point. Just stating a fact.

We know the point.

[mmonk]

17. Who brought up Jesse Jackson and compared his campaign to Obama's?

Stop it. No more race baiting please.

[MethuenProgressive]

34. And that's "racist" because Obama told you it was "racist"?

Wipe your chin.

[OzarkDem]

44. What does Jesse Jackson have to do with racism?

No one has ever adequately explained how Clinton's mention of Jesse Jackson was racist.

[MethuenProgressive]

61. "Are you surprised at how well an African American candidate is doing in SC?"

"No, it's not surprising. Don't forget, Jesse Jackson did well here too."
Jesse Jackson is a Hillary supporter, btw.

[Cant trust em]

73. "What does it say about Barack Obama that it takes two of you to defeat him?"

"Jesse Jackson won here twice in '84 and '88."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te6RmXTlhY4

[Cant trust em]

76. Here are some other people who won the S.C. primary

Al Gore and John Edwards.

Why didn't Bill name-drop those two? Obviously Bill picked Jackson because Jackson is black and that's why he won the primary. Obama is also black and that's why he won. Not because he has a message for the state that they are interested in, but because he's black. That's why it's racist. When you diminish a person to being solely about their ethnicity, it is racist.

How do you read this?

[cliffordu]

19. READY! SET! POUT!!!!!

Fuckin' Bill Clinton sniveling again.....Who woulda guessed

[PoliticalAmazon]

20. I'm not about to take any more shit from Bill or Hillary Clinton. n/t

[Why Syzygy]

21. A lot of the Clinton's long standing relationships are in tatters. It's Their Own Fault.

Just because they have some followers who excuse their behavior, the results are the same.
Alienation.

[Mags]

40. some, just about half of the Democratic Party.

[redqueen]

24. Oh, the spin.

:crazy:

[rodeodance]

59. yes, the Obama fans on this board have been spinning the lie for months now.

[MethuenProgressive]

64. "A Swiftboat came by and I got on, that's when it all began..."

The Obama Bandwagon is a Swiftboat on wheels.

[rodeodance]

82. Most follow like sheepies

[MethuenProgressive]

94. and sheep follow the Judas Goat.

To their ruin.

[John Q. Citizen]

29. Senator Clinton is too weak to stand up to the challenge. If she's this weak now,

what would happen in the GE against the Repos? They would completely and utterly destroy her.

This is why the super delegates have been moving to Obama in such huge lopsided numbers. They don't want a candidate without the ability to stand up against any kind of opposition to lose the White House for the Democrats.

I agree with you, MethuenP. Senator Clinton has been beaten very badly in the primaries. She is a victim, and Dems need a winner, a champion.

[Mags]

42. she ain't the one that almost fainted on stage at the debate last

week, scared of George, Charlie. Talk about weak, BO is weak as water.

[John Q. Citizen]

80. So you disagree with MethuenProgressive? That's fine. At least it shows that two

Hill supporters can have diametrically opposing views of their candidate and still support her.

While I agree with MethuenProgressive that Hill was very effectively neutralized by the Obama campaign, I disagree with your characterization of Obama.

Ever see the Grand Canyon?

I would say Obama is strong and powerful as water. I also wasn't aware that he was in danger of fainting. Did you see the medical report, or is excessive exaggeration your idea of good posting?

[washingdem]

30. He isn't racist. But he did play the race card.

Just cause he was good to the AA community while in office doesn't entitle him to play the race card.

[DemGa]

37. I was sincerely shocked when the accusations began

The most disgusting, lowest politics - and right in line with the Obama campaign's systematic assault on Hillary's character.

[uponit7771]

41. It was Obama who mentioned Jesse Jackson? just askin

[OzarkDem]

43. A question

In what universe does mentioning Jesse Jackson in reference to Obama's campaign qualify as being racist?

This is the fatal flaw in Obama's claim. He's never made a case for how anyone could interpret Clinton's remark as racist. He just said it was and the news media took the claim and ran with it.

[MethuenProgressive]

57. Jesse Jackson compared Obama to OJ, and Hillary to his murdered wife.

Jesse Jackson Jr, Obama Campaign Co-Chair:
"The natural reminder here is O.J. —how does an African-American candidate attack a white woman?"
http://www.slate.com/id/2181356

[DemGa]

68. How exactly is mentioning Jesse Jackson playing the race-card?

I mean beyond various assumptions taken as fact.

[MethuenProgressive]

70. President Clinton, are you surprised a black candidate is doing so well in South Carolina?"

"Why would that be surprising? Jesse Jackson did well here too."

[ProSense]

47. Bill: I Didn't Say Obama Camp Played Race Card On Me

Bill: I Didn't Say Obama Camp Played Race Card On Me

By Greg Sargent - April 22, 2008, 1:00PM

Bill Clinton, in a new interview, appears to deny that he said yesterday that the Obama camp was playing the race card on him:

NBC/NJ: "Sir, what did you mean yesterday when you said that the Obama campaign was playing the race card on you?"

CLINTON: "When did I say that, and to whom did I say that?"

NBC/NJ: "On WHYY radio yesterday"

CLINTON: "No, no, no. That's not what I said. You always follow me around and play these little games, and I'm 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 to get another cheap story to divert the American people from the real urgent issues before us, and I choose not to play your game today. Have a nice day."

Yesterday, Bill said: "I think that they played the race card on me. We now know, from memos from the campaign that they planned to do it (all) along."

The Clinton campaign confirms that Bill was refering to this memo written by an Obama campaign aide, which sought to highlight a pattern of race-based politicking on the part of the Clintons. It was never clear who the intended recipient of it was. And it's true that Obama himself said during a debate that he regretted the memo.

But while the memo appeared to encourage people to see a Clinton camp pattern of race-based politics, it didn't reveal any plan to play the race card against him all along, as Bill said.

Separately, Ben Smith offers this poignant observation on Bill's latest: "It is a reminder of what an utterly different era it was in which he was the reigning political master."

Poor Bill, caught in a lie in less than 24 hours.

more

[Rob Gregory Browne]

49. Let's see...

Bill Clinton was the first to belittle Obama and compare his win to Jessie Jackson's. Clinton supporter Geraldine Ferraro was the one to come out and say that Obama has only gotten this far because he's black. And Bill's saying the Obama Camp convinced voters the Clintons are racists?

I think they managed to do a fine job of creating that impression themselves.

Swiftboating is a convenient word, but until I see biased videos and testimonials and trumped up charges completely painting the Clintons for something other than what they are, then swiftboating is the wrong word to be using here. Any negative campaigning that Obama's camp has done -- if any -- pales in comparison to the organized attack on John Kerry.

Hillary Clinton has nobody to blame for her failure to win the nomination but herself.

[rodeodance]

51. and a 5th for the truth.

[SeaLyons]

52. ...

The Clintons are NOT racists. The race card was played very skillfully by the Obama camp early on. They took advantage of white guilt nationwide and used at every turn they could. It's been obvious.

[ellacott]

75. The Obama camp did not call them racists

All these events have spotlighted how there is so little understanding regarding race.

They were the first to cry that someone was calling them racists. This was bad on their part because they should have known better. They lied by saying that people were calling them racists.

It's so sad because it is proof that there still is a long way to go.

You can say something racially insensitive without being a racist. It's amazing to me that you all can't make that connection.

[SeaLyons]

79. ...

the Obama camp allowed the Clintons to be painted as racists. They did it to Ferraro.

Your post is a bit confusing. Who is "they". If you're referring to the Clintons being liars by saying people were calling them racists, then that's just ridiculous. They were being called racists, i.e., mentioning Jesse Jackson's run at the presidency in SC.

[rodeodance]

86. and most Obama fans on DU eagerly called the Clintons racist-and Clinton

supporters also!!

[ellacott]

88. The Obama camp allowed it?

They were not called racists by the Obama camp and weren't called racists by most of the people who criticized them. It is a lie to say otherwise.

It was the Clintons who came out accusing people of calling them raicst. That is not true.

There is a difference between being recially insensitive and being a racist.

I don't think they are racists although I do believe that they used race to create a wedge.

Farraro was wrong in what she said but there couldn't be any discussion because she went running all over TV claiming that people were calling her a racist.

[SeaLyons]

55. K&R for truth!!

:kick:

[Cass]

56. Obama did not deny it when asked directly about it in 1/15/08 debate:

RUSSERT: In terms of accountability, Senator Obama, Senator Clinton on Sunday told me that the Obama campaign had been pushing this storyline. And, true enough, your press secretary in South Carolina -- four pages of alleged comments made by the Clinton people about the issue of race.

In hindsight, do you regret pushing this story?

OBAMA: Well, not only in hindsight, but going forward. I think that, as Hillary said, our supporters, our staff get overzealous. They start saying things that I would not say. And it is my responsibility to make sure that we’re setting a clear tone in our campaign, and I take that responsibility very seriously, which is why I spoke yesterday and sent a message in case people were not clear that what we want to do is make sure that we focus on the issues.

Now, there are going to be significant issues that we debate, and some serious differences that we have. OBAMA: And I’m sure those will be on display today.

What I am absolutely convinced of is that everybody here is committed to racial equality -- has been historically. And what I also expect is that I’m going to be judged as a candidate in terms of how I’m going to be improving the lives of the people in Nevada and the people all across the country, that they are going to ultimately be making judgments on can I deliver on good jobs at good wages; can I make sure that our home foreclosure crisis is adequately dealt with; are we going to be serious about retirement security; and are we going to have a foreign policy that makes us safe.

If I’m communicating that message, then I expect to be judged on that basis. And if I’m not, then I expect to be criticized on that basis. That’s the kind of campaign that we want to run and that we have run up until this point.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/us/politics/15demdebate-transcript.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

[rodeodance]

58. Yes, Obama himself said he 'regretted" this incident-the 4 page memo!

[MethuenProgressive]

62. Some DUbama posted a windy thread today about how that memo never existed.

I wonder if that OPer is smart enough to know they're calling their leader a liar?

[rodeodance]

89. no, they would never admit that. Do you recall Russert waving the memo under Obama's nose??

[MethuenProgressive]

92. The memo the Obama Camp leaked to Tim Russert - that was funny!

Obama looked at it like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar!

[rodeodance]

96. yeah--rather like last week when he was arrogant to believe that the

wright, ayres ect stories were behind him and looked like a deer staring
into the headlights!

[MethuenProgressive]

98. It's the Kennedys and Selma Civil Rights March lies of Obama that were extra arrogant

Didn't Karl Rove tell him about Snopes.com?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

60. Was he drunk?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

63. Apparently because no he's denying he ever said it. n/t

[Debi]

65. And the winner of this weeks 'How To Spin A Headline' competition is....

x(

The Clinton's need to have staffers remind them of what they said in the past each and every time they open their mouths.

[Zachstar]

66. So what about this?

So much for swiftboating. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x117100

[MethuenProgressive]

69. If you hear 'stealing cars' and you think 'black guy' you might be a racist.

If you hear 'stealing cars' and squeal like a pig stuck under a gate 'that's racist!' you might be a Swiftboat pilot.

[ProSense]

71. What about

this?

[MethuenProgressive]

74. I never click on links from questionable sources.

It's probably just some DUer spamming links to old threads, but why chance it?

[ProSense]

78. What about

this: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/04/bill_i_didnt_say_obama_camp_pl.php

[MethuenProgressive]

81. I never click on links from questionable sources.

What part of "from" don't you understand?

[ProSense]

85. Talking Points Memo is a questionable source? n/t

[MethuenProgressive]

87. No, dear.

[tammywammy]

103. Here

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/04/bill_i_didnt_say_obama_camp_pl.php

[Zachstar]

72. He could have said anything else but nice try at spin.

[Occam Bandage]

83. Bill Clinton bringing up race right before an election? Shocking.

[MethuenProgressive]

90. Who does he think he is? Barack Obama? Michelle Obama? Jesse Jackson Jr?

Oh right. IOKITDI.
Never mind. And wipe your chin.

[Occam Bandage]

91. Looks to me like he thinks he's Bill Clinton.

[MethuenProgressive]

93. You do know that talking about racial issues isn't racism, don't you?

This isn't all completely over your head, again, is it?

[Occam Bandage]

95. Nope. Just good old fashioned campaign strategy.

[MethuenProgressive]

97. Jesse Jackson Jr comparing Obama to OJ was "good old fashioned campaign strategy"?

If you say so.

[krkaufman]

100. Well that's embarrassing

You're taking Bill out-of-context, according to the Big Dog, himself.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5619976

[stillcool]

101. Keep playing with Fire...

and you will get burned. Every time the brigade comes out with this race crap, it backfires on you. Part of your 'scorched earth' strategy?