Read it yourself: Clinton-Wallace fireworks on Fox

[kpete]

Clenis


Fox Transcript.




Wallace: When we announced that you were going to be on Fox News Sunday, I got a lot of e-mail from viewers. And I have to say I was surprised, most of them wanted me to ask you this question. Why didn't you do more to put bin Laden and al-Qaeda out of business when you were president? There's a new book out, I suspect you may have already read, called The Looming Tower. And it talks about the fact that when you pulled troops out of Somalia in 1993, bin Laden said "I have seen the frailty and the weakness and the cowardice of U.S. troops." Then there was the bombing of the embassies in Africa and the attack on the Cole.

Clinton: OK let's just --

Wallace: May I just finish the question sir? And after the attack, the book says, that bin Laden separated his leaders, spread them around because he expected an attack and there was no response. I understand that hindsight is always 20/20 --

Clinton: No, let's talk about it.

Wallace: But the question is, why didn't you connect the dots and put him out of business?

Clinton: Let's talk about it. I will answer all those things on the merits, but first I want to talk about the context in which this arises. I'm being asked this on the FOX network. ABC just had a right-wing conservative running their little pathway to 9/11, falsely claiming it was based on the 9/11 commission report with three things asserted against me directly contradictory to the 9/11 commission report. And I think it's very interesting that all the conservative Republicans who
now say I didn't do enough claim that I was too obsessed with bin Laden.

All of President Bush's neo-cons that I was too obsessed with bin Laden, they had no meetings on bin Laden for nine months after I left office. All the right wingers who now say I didn't do enough, said
I did too much, the same people. They were all trying to get me to withdraw from Somalia in 1993 the next day after we were involved in Black Hawk Down and I refused to do it and stayed six months and had an orderly transfer to the United Nations.

OK, now let's look at all the criticisms, Black Hawk Down, Somalia, there is not a living soul in the
world who thought Osama bin Laden had anything to do with Black Hawk Down or was paying any attention to it, or even knew al-Qaeda was a going concern in October 93.

Wallace: I understand.

Clinton: No, no, wait. Don't tell me that -- you asked me why didn't I do more to bin Laden, there was not a living soul, all the people who now criticize me wanted to leave the next day. You brought this up, so you get an answer. But you -- secondly ...

Wallace: .. bin Laden says, but it showed the weakness of the United States.

Clinton: Bin Laden may have said it -- but it would have shown the weakness if we left right away. But he wasn't involved in that, that's just a bunch of bull. That was about Muhammad Aidid, a Muslim warlord, murdering 22 Pakistani Muslim troops. We were all there on a humanitarian mission; we had no mission, none, to establish a certain kind of Somali government or keep anybody out. He was not a religious fanatic ...

Wallace: Mr. President ...

Clinton: ... there was no al-Qaeda ...

Wallace: With respect, if I may, instead of going through '93 and ...

Clinton: No, no -- you asked it. You brought it up.

Wallace: May I ask you (INAUDIBLE) question, and then you can answer?

Clinton: Yes.

Wallace: The 9/11 commission, which you talk about -- and this is what they did say, not what ABC pretended they said ...

Clinton: What did they say?

Wallace: They said, about you and President Bush, and I quote, "The U.S. government took the threat seriously, but not in the sense of mustering anything like the kind of effort that would be gathered to confront an enemy of the first, second or even third rank."

Clinton: First of all, that's not true with us and bin Laden.

Wallace: Well, I'm telling ... (CROSS TALK)

Clinton: Let's see what Richard Clarke said. Do you think Richard Clarke has a vigorous attitude about bin Laden?

Wallace: Yes, I do.

Clinton: You do, don't you?

Wallace: He has a variety of opinions and loyalties, but yes. (CROSS TALK)

Clinton: He has a variety of opinions and loyalties now, but let's look at the facts: he worked for Ronald Reagan, he was loyal with him; he worked for George H.W. Bush, he was loyal to him; he worked for me, and he was loyal to me; he worked for President Bush, he was loyal to him. They downgraded him and the terrorist operation.

Now, look what he said -- read his book and read his factual assertions -- not opinions, assertions. He said we took vigorous action after the African embassies, we probably nearly got bin Laden ...

Wallace: But what ...

Clinton: Now, wait a minute -- wait, wait, wait. (CROSS TALK)

No, no -- I authorized the CIA to get groups together to try to kill him. The CIA was run by George Tenet that President (Bush) gave the medal of freedom to, and he said he did a good job setting up all these counter terrorism things. The country never had a comprehensive anti-terror operation until I came there.

Now if you want to criticize me for one thing, you can criticize me for this: after the Cole, I had battle plans drawn to go into Afghanistan, overthrow the Taliban and launch a full-scale attack search for bin Laden. But we needed basing rights in Uzbekistan -- which we got after 9/11. The CIA and the FBI refused to certify that bin Laden was responsible. While I was there, they refused to certify. So that meant I would have had to send a few hundred special forces in in helicopters, refuel at night. Even the 9/11 commission didn't do that.

Now, the 9/11 commission was a political document, too. All I'm asking is, anybody that wants to say I didn't do enough, you read Richard Clarke's book ...

Wallace: Do you think you did enough, sir?

Clinton: No, because I didn't get him.

Wallace: Right.

Clinton: But at least I tried. That's the difference in me and some, including all of the right-wingers who are attacking me now. They ridiculed me for trying. They had eight months to try, they did not try. I tried. So I tried and failed. When I failed, I left a comprehensive anti-terror strategy and the best guy in the country, Dick Clark, who got demoted.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/09/read_it_yo...

[Mr Rabble]

1. Looking forward to seeing this @ Youtube.

Wallace is a smarmy little punk.

[Truthiness Inspector]

12. Part of it is already there

And it ain't flattering.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UwJabtvSUQ

Tensions are so high, I wish there was a universal chill pill everyone could take.
(Not directed at President Clinton, just the state of tension the world over.)

[Rufus T. Firefly]

23. Nice editing.

They have Clinton saying "I tried and failed" to end the segment.

Fox assholes.

[Smarmie Doofus]

30. Good argument for *not* going on Fox. But also a good...

argument... indeed exhibit A... for making Fox bias, and electronic media bias in general... a central tenet of the modern DEM critique.

[civildisoBDence]

46. Fox has apparently peaked...their ratings success is mainly due to

the fact that they're the only conservative cable news network, while CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, CNN Headline compete for the left and the center.

Neal Boortz had a challenge out to anyone who could demonstrate that FoxNews has a conservative bias. As a mass media professor I took the challenge and called in. Before I could start my second sentence, the coward hung up on me, called me a "jerk," and asked, "Is that all you bring to the table intellectually?" What a putz.

My attempt to rank online news politically is right here. But what do I know--20 years of scholarly research can't possibly compete with the mercenery opinions of a talk radio blowhard...

[RaleighNCDUer]

71. If you've been doing a long term study of the media you've surely

noticed that nobody is competing for the left, and precious few address the center - if Fox's ratings are falling it's because CNN, MSNBC, et al have been encroaching on their far right territory.

But on your other point, I agree -- Boortz is a putz.

[Smarmie Doofus]

112. Great website. I bookmarked it. But if ABC news is ....

left of center...... that's quite a commentary.

[kenfrequed]

122. Well

I think you are correct in this case, Fox news is sort of an exception in the mainstream media being a media network that is emminently politcal and makes no bones about it. In some ways it seems to be a high tech version of the 19th century party papers. With the exception that it does not state what party it supports on the outset.

However with regard to the rest of the media I don't think your "V" really works completely. Describing media sources as right-left is sort of constraining considering that most mainstream media sources are corporate in nature and beholden both to that structure and to advertisers.

Of course maybe I just read too much Noam Chompsky for my own good.

[iamjoy]

32. Yeah, Maybe A Mistake On Clinton's Part

He's such a political maestro, but he said that, and of course, the right wing spin machine is going to be "Clinton failed" "Clinton didn't do enough" (admits it himself).

I think this shows that Clinton has matured since leaving office. Remember this is the same man who said, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" and then tried to claim what he'd done with Monica wasn't sex (horse manure) and who also said, "It depends on what your definition of the word 'is' is."

Maybe it's just Clinton doesn't feel he has to be so calculating now that he is not a sitting president, he is being very frank. He didn't do enough to catch bin Laden, because bin Laden is still free. Clintn's humbleness is refreshing compared to the current White House occupant's swagger and avoidance of responsibility.

[mopinko]

53. those quotes are not the least bit representative of clinton

while he was in office. not the least. he always was a thoughtful and intelligent speaker and leader. matured

[iamjoy]

57. Usually

but those quotes were stupid and low moments.
And if not actually representative of his overall performance in office, they are (sadly) among the most remembered.

I was very disappointed in Clinton for that. I was disappointed in him for Rwanda and Welfare Reform too, but at least I could see a logic in that (even if I disagree) other than self preservation.

[mopinko]

58. i think you need to see the bigger picture, then.

you sound quite naive about what clinton faced, and how much he managed to get done, anyway.
but the point i was trying to make is that he has not changed, "matured". this is who bill clinton is and always was. i never heard him give a simple answer to a question, except those that should not have been asked in the first place.

[Felinity]

65. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!

Can we have a moratorium on all aspects of Monica-gate? How can we expect moderate and under-informed Americans to see the validity of our point of view if we are constantly bringing this up when our current administration is the most secretive and criminal of our history?

Don't you hear enough about this from the neocons every chance they get? Do we need to keep harping on it? The menial cause of Clinton's impeachment hearing is a trifle compared to spying on Americans, torturing prisoners, rendering to secret prisons, and how about dispensing with Habeas Corpus? Not enough? How about using the Constitution for toilet paper?

Please don't take this personally, iamjoy, because you are not the only one; I apologize that you were the last straw for me on this topic.


Sorry, is my sense of panic showing through?

[iamjoy]

80. Blowing It Out Of Proportion

perhaps my use of the word "matured" was a mistake, what I was saying was that I like this kind of candor from Clinton better than when he played word games - you know, acted like a politician. It doesn't take such a great man (or woman) to admit a mistake when the situation is black and white, but it DOES when the evidence is not as clear cut.

Clinton could have played word games with Matthews, strategically, that would have been the better thing to do. "Well, Chris, what do you mean by..." and "I did everything right, but..." He chose nto to do that, to be candid. And that took courage. I wish he'd had that courage 8 years ago when asked about Monica.

As for Dubya, there really is no comparison. Dubya is a child who lacks any sense of personal responsibility. I can't point out an example of Dubya's infractions because there are so many, and I can't figure out which one or ones are most important.

But with Clinton, he was pretty good. So I am going to notice his low moments a little more. And truth be told, I was disappointed in him with the whole Monica thing. He knew the RWers were looking to get him, and he handed them something. Maybe that's not fair, maybe my expectations were too high - he is after all, human. But that's the way I feel.

[krispos42]

104. Self-delete: see below comment

Oops, did a duplicate. Moderator, remove if you want.

[krispos42]

105. And when they repeal the 22nd amendment....

I just had a lovely vision. The righties repeal the 22nd amentment, removing the 2-term limit on the presidency. Bush runs for a 3rd term, and an irate Bill Clinton comes storming out of retirement and KICKS HIS ASS!!!!! With Wes Clarke by his side, Clinton wins 49 states (all except Utah) in the biggest electoral landslide since Reagan and leaves a big dusty footprint on Dubya's ass on January 20th, 2009.

And a few months later, Dubya&Co. being arrested by US Marshals at his estate in Texas for war crimes and crimes against the Constitution.

After a lengthy trial, BushCo is convicted and sent to that supermax prison in Colorado. When asked by reporters if he would pardon them, Clinton says "Fuck no!" on live TV.

And as Bush&Co reports to prison, breaking news comes in from the Middle East about how a Predator-launched Hellfire just turned Bin Laden into chunky salsa.

Ahh, the world is now a brighter place.

(P.S. I would have preferred Howard Dean, but as head of the DNC I believe he in ineligable to run for prez in 2008 )

[iamjoy]

113. Make It A Little Better

In this third term, Clinton has a Democratic Congress and Senate.

We get Universal Health Care
We (with UN Support) rebuild Darfur and help the people recover from years of horrible violence
We have a budget surplus again
Scalia and Thomas resign (hey, it's fantasy)

[VolcanoJen]

73. Totally edited, and of course Drudge is linking to it.

Drudge's headline says something like "Clinton Anger Unleashed."

[George II]

31. Wallace is a smarmy little punk

Yeah, he learned nothing from his father who rarely took on partisan side. Too bad the acorn fell too far on the right of the tree!

[newyawker99]

37. Hi George II!!

Welcome to DU!!

[Brundle_Fly]

42. welcome!

[Demonaut]

47. Show starts at 6pm est, 4 pm mnt, set my dvr to record...uugh..

Fox News disgusts me...we need a version of the BBC funded by taxpayers and not influenced by any party.

[MODemocrat]

79. I thought it was going to be on tv around noon tomorrow

At least that's what we thought our local news said. Can someone tell me if they heard it?

[FloridaPat]

2. Nice to see a Democrat fighting back. Always nice to see the Big Dog

[marmar]

4. Clinton always handled their bullshit...

There were a lot of Clinton policies I had major beef with - NAFTA and workfare among them - but he did not let right wingers roll all over him. If Kerry had displayed 25 percent of Clinton's defense-to-offense skills, we wouldn't even be talking about bullshit elections in Ohio today. I think that if Al Gore were to run again, he'd be a lot better defending attacks and turning it around on them.

[Blutodog]

25. GORE!!!

We desperately need Al Gore to run for many reasons. If Hillary runs we'll lose for one and only Gore has the stature to take on McCain.

[disndat]

48. Yes! Run, Gore, Run.

Only Gore can beat McCain. Only Gore can beat loser Hillary's big war chest. Only Gore could navigate the country out of the abyss that the country has sunk into, after 8 years of Bush II hell.

[Blutodog]

51. GORE 4 SURE !!

I agree. Had Sandra Day O'Connor not put party above nation we wouldn't even had been suffering through these years. I heard her all but admit just that in an NPR radio interview last month. She knows what she did that Dec. day 2000 was dead wrong . The rest of them could have cared less but not her. She disgraced herself.

[krkaufman]

120. Any chance you have a date for that interview?

I'd like to hear it.

[Rose Siding]

3. Very good.

I wish it hadn't taken a direct attack on him to get him to ID the WH as right wingers, but still, very good.

[rodeodance]

5. the best is the last 4:

Now, the 9/11 commission was a political document, too. All I'm asking is, anybody that wants to say I didn't do enough, you read Richard Clarke's book ...

Wallace: Do you think you did enough, sir?

Clinton: No, because I didn't get him.

Wallace: Right.

Clinton: But at least I tried. That's the difference in me and some, including all of the right-wingers who are attacking me now. They ridiculed me for trying. They had eight months to try, they did not try. I tried. So I tried and failed. When I failed, I left a comprehensive anti-terror strategy and the best guy in the country, Dick Clark, who got demoted.

[indepat]

96. Clinton tried and failed, but neocons didn't try and succeeded: succeeded

in a Pearl Harbor-type event happening on our own shores and the unleashing of the full PNAC agenda including the already-written US Patriot Act. Hmmmmm! Should give cause to wonder, but what the hell, few seem to give a shit.

[MichiganVote]

6. I don't know why Dem's complain about FOX and then go on the shows

[iamjoy]

33. Better Than Not Going

if we don't go, we risk getting painted as cowards.

Furthermore, if we don't go, no one who watches Fox News will ever hear our side of it. But we can't go on Fox News and act like we're going to be talking to Larry King.

We have to be tough, prepared and calm. Not all Democrats can do that.

[beltanefauve]

78. "Keep your friends close,

and your enemies closer." -Sun-tsu

[whistle]

7. I wonder if Fox News and Wallace will give Cheney and Bush

...equal time. One smarmy question to either one of the devils will land Wallace in Staten Island Sound wearing concrete boots!

[BootinUp]

8. He made a strong case. But the myths around this thing are

hard to overcome.

[texpatriot2004]

9. Thank you President Clinton nm

[The Count]

10. Thanks, Big Dog!

I so needed to hear this! I knew it, but I had to hear YOU say this!

[Straight Shooter]

11. Indeed, it does appear that Wallace brought a toothpick to a knife fight.

All the right-wingers can roll their eyes over Clinton's assertions, but facts are facts. I can only imagine how he would demolish Little Boots if those two had a debate, a real debate.

I'm glad Clinton kept using the term "neocon." A lot of Fox viewers were probably scratching their heads and saying, "Huh? Whutza neocon?"

[Raffi Ella]

13. WOOF WOOF

Don't mess with tha Big Dawg.


Bill gave'em hell

[MethuenProgressive]

14. Chris Wallace is not the Devil

... he's the guy who runs into the 7/11 and get the Devil a pack of cigarettes.





[apologies to the West Wing writer I stole this from...)

[Vidar]

18. Good steal.

[upi402]

15. Phenominal mind and a great debater

Wallace????? Fox?????
less than NOTHING

[Dinger]

16. Oh My God . . . Is This The First Time Bill Has Been Asked About BSP&9-11

?

I am SOOOO looking forward to this!!! Wow, absolutely perrrrfect Bill!!! You gaddman faux ass-kicker you!!

[jaxx]

17. This was good.......blunt truth.

I hope Wallace peed his pants while he was getting slammed for his snarky attitude.

Thanks for posting.........I had missed this one.

[Vidar]

19. Great transcript. Bravo, Mr. President.

[boolean]

20. Fuck I hate Chris Wallace...

...How this little shithead came from the loins of Mike is beyond me...

[quiet.american]

21. Go, Big Dog--& he uses my fave term for conservatives -- "right-wingers."

I'm sick of every media outlet, including "lib'rul" papers like the NYT referring to "leftists" and then "conservatives."

If they want to play that game, then so-called conservatives deserve nothing better than to be labeled "right-wingers" in the MSM.

As for Chris Wallace, put down the damn Kool-Aid.

Go, Big Dog.

All these rabid hyenas love to forget that the Republican-controlled Congress blocked you at every turn when it came to this country's national security.

[usregimechange]

22. Sig em Big Dog!

[RangerSmith]

24. Glad to see him address this and really glad it will be on fox.

Man, I wish he could run again.

[Smarmie Doofus]

28. Let's see how they edit it. nt

[Divine Discontent]

107. wouldn't Bill demand it run in it's entirity or he not do the interview??

I mean, if it was me, knowing how DIRTYYYYY they are, and Bill knows this, why give them the opportunity.


We'll see.

[LynneSin]

26. Why do democrats even bother going on Fox News

Seriously, the only people who watch Fox News are the freeper idiots and rignt-wing nut jobs along with a few dem supporters who feel we much watch it in order to see what lies they're spreading.

Democrats should just boycott doing Fox News. CNN is bad but tolerable and MSNBC is at least trying (but not that good). Fox News is a joke, not like any democrat is going to convince anyone who watches Fox News to change their mind because these viewers are borderline BRAIN DEAD

[opihimoimoi]

29. Clinton and Carter will go down in the History Books as GIANTS

Bush 1 & 2 will be known as Failures.

[George II]

98. Why do we have to wait for the history books?

We already know it!

[Aviation Pro]

114. Because Democrats are not cowards....

...go ahead Little Monkey, let's see you get interviewed by Randi Rhodes. I don't think she'll tolerate your bullshit and will reduce you to the petulant teenager you are.

[Smarmie Doofus]

27. Fox is a millimeter to the right of ABC which is a...

millimeter to the right of NBC which is... etc etc etc.

They're ALL biased toward the RW. Clinton and other DEMs have to speak DIRECTLY to the issue of *systematic* corporate media bias in favor of the RW and the GOP specifically.

If they don't start doing this (not just complaining about specific *blatant* examples like the road to 9-11, but instead, bias a as a *consistent* characteristic of these corporate dinosaurs... which it certainly *is*) they , and we, are in for more of the same RW advocacy journalism masquerading as objectivity.

That said... Clinton did a good job of ramming Wallace's BS back up his craw.

But it's much bigger than just Wallace or FOX... it's big $$$$ using its media outlets to disinform and mislead their intermittently attentive and largely uncritical news consumers on a massive scale.

Systematically.

[jazzjunkysue]

34. Good. Finally the truth. The CIA didn't certify that it was Bin Laden

on the Cole, so, he couldn't get a base in the neighborhood.

There's the crux of it.

And I love how he keeps promoting the book. It's called "Against All Enemies." Richard Clark's minute to minute account of 9/11 and all the rest of it.

I read that after we lost in 04, and it helped me move on.

And he's right: They fired all the CLinton terror people and threw out all the materials. The Clinton people tried to tell the incoming Bush people about al Qaida and they refused to listen.

I think our battle cry needs to be "It's all Bush's fault." so they'll stop saying everything is Clinton's fault.

[warrior1]

35. I'll

bet they will cut what he says to make him look bad.

[Felinity]

66. "Not like Clinton"

B*'s administration had their own ideas, and they threw out a lot of quality work the Clinton administration did for them, because in their ideologically hidebound, formaldehyde-soaked brains, they were determined to be "not like Clinton." Unfortunately, it's the only thing they've succeeded at.

[vickitulsa]

74. "It's all Bush's fault." That shouldn't be a hard sell at this point.

And besides, IT'S TRUE!

What always burned my butt to the max was the way every time WJC tried to take some steps against bin Laden, the neocon idiots would start their little chant: "Wag the dog, wag the dog!"

They blocked him at every turn, as he says, and now after 9/11 they conveniently forgot about all that and started to blame him for NOT taking action. Disgusting, lying, doublecrossing, dirty-trick-playing Rovite BS from the git-go... and they knew it.

But it worked ... too well, and for too long. Things are beginning to change now, but for several years this criminal bunch have had their way with destroying everything America is all about.

I was never enamoured of the guy I remembered as a neighboring state's governor, but I gave him credit where it was due while he was in office. I predicted the "throw the R bums out" move in '94 after Newt & Co put out the "contract on America." (That was '94, wasn't it?)

I'm more fond of the "big dog" now than I've ever been, and I hope to hell he SUES those bastards at ABC/Disney over the slanderous, libelous tripe they put out recently.

Keep talking, Bill, we need to hear your voice a LOT right about now!....

[Fluffdaddy]

36. You Go Boy

[madrchsod]

38. big dog grabbed chrissy the little bitch by the neck

and shook the shit out of him..i may have issues with clinton`s presidency but there is no doubt he is the big dog in the pack

[liberal N proud]

39. The Big Dawg, Unleashed

Glad to see one Democrat stand up to these thugs and not let him shut them down.

[originalpckelly]

40. HOLY CRAP! YOU GO BUBBA!! TEACH THEM A LESSON!!!

I want to see this so bad now!

[MannyGoldstein]

41. The Dems Should Use This!!!

Instead of pretending to be roadkill, the Dems should loudly and clearly announce that Bush was responsible for 9/11 because he stopped Clinton's anti-terrorist programs. Grab the high ground (instead of handfuls of cash)!!!

[robbedvoter]

43. This morning on Faux. "They didn't even try" Words to remember!

Sums it all up, doesn't it?

[scone]

44. nobody does it better

But, is it "unacceptable to think" that the bigger picture in all of this features both Democrats and Republicans vying for preeminence in the furtherance of Empire through the proliferation of a global economy and the "Global War on Terra" by perpetrating a unilateral foreign policy of cultural supremacy, economic subjugation, and environmental degradation?

[dave123williams]

45. Anybody got the video link for this?

[Divine Discontent]

49. oh good GOD help us

are the right wing fanatics EATING this up like dog shit (they love dog shit). there's thousands of posts already with their asinine statements like, "bush is a visionary in 50 years what he's trying to do will be hailed, clinton will only be remembered for failing to stop bin laden" and "if clinton wasn't too busy playing cigars 9/11 would've been stopped!"

there's some negatives to what he said, sure, very minor in my opinion, but he BLASTED wallace about the fact that Richard Clarke approved of their actions and made the assessment on Bin Laden that Clinton made his determinations off of. You don't wanna piss off Bill, I don't CARE if he's bitchy, he's right!!! And filled with some pretty strong righteous anger at these bastards!

here's what I put in the comments on youtube - (you can't put web addresses)

blogs.usatoday./ondeadline/2006/09/read_it_yoursel_2.html
ADD THE .COM in the link above and READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT to hear why Clinton is so right and awesome for telling the truth and what did Bush do with the briefing "bin laden determined to attack within the United States"? Go on a month's vacation to dig in the bushes like a retard.

[Amonester]

60. in 50 years, every coast will be well underwater...

and the right wing fanatics (actually, their kids with their kids's kids who'll have had all their properties sunked) will sure be all bankrupt, but they'll still ask to see the torture-puppet-for-big-oil's-CEOs's-bloated-retirement plans' stupid face carved into Mount Rushmore...
They'll always vote against their own self-interest: that will never change and we know it.

[melody]

88. exactly

Democrats, everyone move to higher ground. We know how to live on next to nothing. The RW doesn't.
We'll outlive them and outlast them.

[Time for change]

50. Why doesn't a journalist ever treat Bush like that during an interview

Oh, I forgot, Bush wouldn't consent to a one on one interview with any journalist who had an ounce of integrity.

[Divine Discontent]

52. cuz they know they'd lose their job

not that their boss would fire them, but the owner of their news company would... i hate what this country is currently standing for... but I say, reading that transcript tells me clinton held his own, but to see wallace interrupt him so much in that transcript is beyond the pale of acceptable journalism in respect to the former president, anyone does the same to bush he throws a pissy fit and they back down, clinton just keeps right on discussing the issue.

[Time for change]

81. Yes, the fear of losing their job is there, but

some journalists would ask tough questions of Bush if they got the chance anyhow. For example, Keith Olberman, Helen Thomas, or Robert Parry would ask tough questions if they got the chance, regardless of any considerations of losing their job. But Bush would never consent to interview with any of them.

And I'll say this too. I wouldn't mind Clinton being interviewed like that IF the same could ever be done to Bush as well. But there is a double standard here that is so conspicuous that it is a terrible shame that more people don't realize it.

Hey, all you right wing Bushbots out there. Did you ever stop to wonder why our "liberal media" never interviews Bush like that?

[ComerPerro]

92. becasue sycophants can't attack their idol

it goes against their nature

[Divine Discontent]

54. I love how that son of a bitch at fox says

"he is speaking out......... angrily"


umm... f you asshat...


I hate these people, this is why I don't watch them, and sorry, very few people believe fox is a reliable news source, so why go on there. why couldn't he have told tweety he'd like to be interviewed about them blaming him for 9/11, he would've been slightly (slightly I said) more respectable to Clinton.

[comtec]

55. The difference between Huffinton and here is light years!

I first read about this thru the HP pages.

I must say reading the DU blogs is more than a breath of fresh air. I go to HP so that I can see the other side's responses. And for those of you who have not gone to huffintonpost.com dont't bother. The blogs are fileld with hate filled RW bloggers who have no use for real facts. The moderation there is non-existent, and the flag abusers is pretty much pointless.

It's not the frothing haters so much, as the people who frequently post 100+ line posts that just eat up screen space. I have always appreciated the policies here at DU that require such informational posts to be done with a link, and said post to be no more than a summary.


That more than anything is rather annoying. the Forum system is also rather primitive. and post responses are simply posted in order of receiving.

Sorry had to get that off my chest. Since DU's main stories have been a little slow and quickly read through , I've been going there. but it's been unpleasant look into the heart of the average GoPer.... sad and pathetic souls the lot of them.

One last word on Clinton... GOD I MISS HIM!!!!!!!!

[Divine Discontent]

56. I agree with your last line

someone that can talk about the issues. Bush ain't on there (when was he last interviewed on fox?) because he can't discuss the issues like the big dog!

Clinton sticks it to them, and the youtube freeper who titled the video clip "clinton freaks out" is laughable... they call him getting ticked off freaking out... they want freaking out I'll SHOWWWW them freaking out. Clinton was testy but still was very factual.

[kpete]

59. Hey thematyred

I am TOTALLY "freaked out" too..

and personally I think everyone should be!!!

[Divine Discontent]

108. LOL... right on!

doesn't part of you wish Bill woulda reached over and started strangling Wallace? lol.

I need my little dreamy thoughts since I have no money, the gov't hates me, and I battle right wing idiots all day where I go. haha..

thanks for posting this thread, AGAIN, kpete.

[Kierkegaard]

77. PISSED OFF != Freaking out

Of course, who could blame the freeps for not knowing the difference; they have trouble remembering which end to wipe.

[Clinton Crusader]

61. Bravo Bill!

Go Bill Go!

First I heard of it was on Olbermann last night, when Keith said Wallace sandbagged the Prez., then went on to say coming up was The Ultimate Betrayal and no it's not about Faux..

They are just crawling out of their skin that Big Dawg is more popular and more respected than Asshat could ever ever be in 4 millenniums. They'll do ANYTHING to make him look bad. He couldn't ever turn them down because they would paint him nine ways to Sunday as being a coward for not going on. I do wish someone anyone would ask why Asshat 1 and 2 refused to go under oath to the 9/11 Commission - that is never ever addressed.

[kellenburger]

62. WOW! he talks like he knows shit!

It's just different hearing someone with the title "President"
that doesn't babble a bunch of incoherent bullshit.

I really miss having a President with a brain !

[GoddessOfGuinness]

102. A President with a brain cannot exist

if the people don't vote with their brains.

I hope voters are getting smarter; but I'm afraid. There are too many Americans out there that seem to think Iraq had something to do with 9/11...

[DFW]

63. Over here in NATO-land

The difference is night and day. If Bill Clinton shows up anywhere,
people will stand in line for hours in any weather just to see him,
hear him, or shake his hand. If W shows up, they will stand in line
to throw tomatoes at him, throw eggs at him, or just shout that he is
not welcome in their land.

Clinton still need plenty of security--in order to keep the masses of
admirers from overwhelming him. Bush still needs plenty of security--
in order to protect him from the masses of people who want to trample him
underneath, and spit on the remains.

Be thankful there is still a difference. When the radical right whines
about anti-Americanism, it's all hogwash. They don't adore Bill Clinton
because they're anti-American. They just love the fact that he isn't Bush.

[young_at_heart]

64. youtube.com has the headline "Clinton Freaks Out"

There is a tiny video snippet of this and lots of comments, many of which are disgusting.

[Catherine Vincent]

68. That's because a freeper posted it.

And the comments are being freeped via drudge.

[Divine Discontent]

109. there's the connection!

thank you for explaining how. I was like, I've never SEEN youtube so crawling with knuckle-walkers.

[sufrommich]

69. That will work out

in his favor as thousands tune in to watch a president freak out and end up pining nostalgically for the days when presidents had three digit I.Q.s.

[w4rma]

67. Didn't anyone record this exchange? I'd like to watch it. (nt)

[Divine Discontent]

110. didn't you watch the youtube video? it's not on til Sunday n/t

[stevietheman]

70. The right wingers' "8 years" has no basis in reality

The idea that Clinton had "8 years" makes little sense when one realizes that the first attack on American interests by al Qaeda took place in 1998 with the African embassy bombings. So Clinton had two or so years, and we do have evidence of him trying to get bin Laden during this period. Clinton tried, and failed, and has admitted his failure.

Right wingers apparently keep betting on the meme that the 1993 WTC bombing was conducted by al Qaeda -- however, it was conducted by an Egyptian Islamic organization. This is fact.

"Clinton had 8 years to get bin Laden" has no basis in reality.

[AnnieBW]

72. Go Big Dog!!!

This is the first that I've heard of the plans to go in to Afghanistan, but no basing rights in Uzbekistan. I'm glad that he's setting the record straight. And that he's crediting Richard Clarke.

[Generic Other]

75. Glad to see Clinton defending himself against these charges

NMice how the rightwing deflects, casts blame, and denies responsibility...They make me sick.

[Catherine Vincent]

76. The conservative media sure did get the word out:

"When we announced that you were going to be on Fox News Sunday, I got a lot of e-mail from viewers. And I have to say I was surprised, most of them wanted me to ask you this question. Why didn't you do more to put bin Laden and al-Qaeda out of business when you were president?"

They worry about asking Clinton that question and not Bush? What a bunch of sorry mofos.

[Jo March]

83. I highly doubt that his viewers wanted that question asked

I'm quite sure that the good old "fair and balanced" folks at fox wanted that asked because the question is BULLSHIT.

[Divine Discontent]

111. ya...

like we're (and Clinton is) supposed to believe that's what people were asking....


sure. and there's little green men on mars.

[Hippo_Tron]

82. Clinton is being called hostile WHAT THE FUCK DO THEY CALL O'REILLY?

Wallace knew that he was getting owned so he tried to change the question about 20 times, but Clinton wouldn't let him do so until he had finished answering. Bill O'Reilly and other Faux News assholes pull this same bullshit day in and day out where they control the show and don't let their guests answer the damn questions unless they like the answers.

Wallace got his ass handed to him because he has maybe a tenth of Clinton's intellect and because Clinton's stature as a former President allows him to call a so-called "journalist" like Wallace on his bullshit in the middle of an interview.

[young_at_heart]

84. KO dissed Wallace last night for this "sandbagging"

Does Wallace actually call himself a journalist?

[melody]

91. Just part of their mindless recitation of talking points

The RW has their little sheep brigade pre-loaded with phrases like "hateful left", etc,
because they don't have the critical capacity to see that they're the principle hatemongers
in the media.

[durrrty libby]

85. K & R

[Cascadian]

86. If anybody has a video download of this please email me or....

put the link on this thread.

Thanks in advance!

John

[melody]

90. Part of it is over at Youtube n/t

[Cascadian]

95. Already seen it.

I want to see the whole thing.


John

[melody]

97. It'll be up at Youtube by the end of the day, I'm sure. lol n/t

[Presidentcokedupfratboy]

87. It's about effin time

Someone told the Rightwing idiots where to get off. And who better than the Big Dog himself?

This should be some entertaining viewing.

[melody]

89. Big Dog Munches the Bully

It was a wonderful sight to behold. I guess Little Smirk forgot he was dealing with
a formerly poor, smart kid who grew up in Arkansas and knows how to handle a bully.

[lamaar mundane]

93. Bubba take cw to woodshed

Did yall see Dim Son's interview with Matt Lauer, I thought he was gonna wet his pants trying to answer the softball question's Lauer was lobbing at him. Chimpy doesn't have the cajones or the intellect to sit down for an interview with someone like Olberman. Bubba's interview on Faux just made me nostalgic for the 90's.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

94. Email just sent subject "To Chris Wallace re Clinton interview"

His email address: [e-mail]

(Fox News Sunday)

My email:


"I can already tell that the hype is in full gear over your interview with former President Bill Clinton. I won't bother watching it since it is obviously meant to exploit rather than inform.

If you check your facts, Richard Clarke, counterterrorism expert under Clinton AND W. Bush testified to the 911 commission that President Clinton was obsessed with Al Queda and Bin Laden, but Bush dropped the ball.

I wonder if it is possible you actually consider what you do at Fox News "journalism" in even the most "liberal" definition of the word.

Your father was a great journalist.

What shame he must feel regarding your behavior and affiliation with Fox News.

Do yourself and the world a favor, become a real journalist, which likely means leaving Fox."

[brettdale]

99. kick

kick

[Penndems]

100. Looks as if I'll have to temporary suspend my twelve-year self-imposed

boycott of Fox News to watch this interview.

Just one question for former President Clinton: What took you so long, Sir?

[Michael G.]

101. Three Cheers for President Clinton

It's nice to see Clinton giving Wallace and Fox News a good fight. I'll bet that's one interview that won't get shown more than once on their network, if it gets shown at all. Fox news' pro-Republican drone material, dished out daily to the masses, makes me sick with it's outright lies and distortions. The only thing I have felt inspired to do when I view Fox News is to switch the channel as quickly as possible. In this case I'll make an exception, just to see Fox News get a much-needed dose of truth and a reality check.

[muntrv]

103. If Clinton is scum, it's because he got it from going on faux news.

[Danger Mouse]

106. Big dog...

bites hard! Man, reading stuff like that fills me with hope...

[Aviation Pro]

115. Pic of Clinton eating Wallace for breakfast....

Wallace looks like every scared shitless, cowardly, neo-con, CC RepubliCON when confronted by the presence of truth and ideas. Hey, Chrissy, why don't you change your panties?

[number6]

118. Great Pic..

I saw it this morning, was Great!

Clinton was whoopin Chrissy's little candy fox ass.

[livingonearth]

116. Just saw the interview on FOX

I don't blame Clinton for getting pissed. Wallace asked, and then acted like he didn't really want an answer. Wallace just kept interrupting.

[krkaufman]

119. Exactly. Wallace throws out a bunch of accusactions ...

... laying out "evidence" that Clinton didn't do anything to stop al Qaeda, taking forever to get to a question. And then Clinton then tries to respond to all the accusations made by Wallace, but once it becomes apparent that Clinton was on top of the topic, Wallace tries to interrupt and return to his questioning/accusing. Clinton would have none of it.

Wallace's journalistic bias was consistently apparent through his smirk.

p.s. Clinton told Wallace to check Richard Clarke's book to get the facts, but post-interview Wallace instead chooses to report on a couple off-the-cuff comments by Clarke from TV appearances. No attempt to actually check the facts.

----

edit: p.p.s. ...

Dear god.

If you *do* record the Clinton/Wallace interview (5pm/Faux News), whatever you do... do NOT watch the post-interview "analysis" by the Faux News panel of idiots. (Brit Hume, Chris Wallace, Maura Liasson & Juan Williams) Of the four participating, only Juan Williams seemed to have a grasp of reality. Definitely stroke-inducing.

You've been warned.

[rosesaylavee]

117. Clinton's remarks on Rove - VERY VERY SMART

Saying he just loved Rove because he was so good at playing the game. Maybe some hapless RWers will watch it and figure out they have been played and taken for fools.

Maybe. Some of them still exhibit critical thinking skills despite the long abuse of koolaid.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

121. Every even numbered year there is some terror issue

Bill nails it, as usual.

God, the contrast between Clinton's brilliant command of issues and W's rum-dumb voluntary ignorance is mind boggling.

Republicans must prefer idiotic leaders.

[rosesaylavee]

126. Not sure where it is on DU but

Olbermann has a list of events that he is keeping track of regarding the rolling out of terror incidents every time *co needs a distraction. This time they will need a big one as it looks like they will lose big time!

It sure was nice to hear Clinton put sentences together coherently. Had almost forgotten we had leaders once that made sense.

Republicans are not what they used to be. I think the last honorable Republican (beside my mom and dad) was Eisenhower.

[krispos42]

132. I'd argue with you, but you're right.

Bill, come back! We need you!!!!

[Divine Discontent]

124. that's a great point

but I worry they're still too stupid to get that point. They'll probably just go, "see, Clinton knows the Republicans are better at handling terror".

lol...

saw the full video at crooksandliars.com today, my only comment, because maybe one person will read this - Bill looked MUCH better than Fox made him look, and that's great, because it backfires on FOX in my opinion, because they made everyone watch it who cares about the war, and the dems were going to anyhow, but the repubs only watched because they THOUGHT Clinton got nailed, but instead, he gave great crisp answers. Even if 5% of people changed their opinions a little, Bill used Wallace and flushed him.

[rosesaylavee]

127. I think any individual with

two brain cells still synapsing can figure out that Clinton had several points that made sense. The big question is how many Republicans are still thinking? Some are waking up to the fact that the electronic voting machines are not a good thing as their candidates could be adversely effected by them too, that the media is not asking questions of *co, that the dollar per minute cost of this war will bankrupt the country if there is no checking it soon.

I wish more Dems had the ability to slam back without getting out-of-control angry. I bet Bill anticipated what the weasel was going to say and had his answer ready.

[Divine Discontent]

129. true

and how could he be ANYTHING but borderlining on harsh with Chris when he went from 2 min. of talking about Clinton Global Initiative then RIGHT into the path to 9/11 my readers want me to ask you this (bullshit)!

and your point about the war cost per minute will bankrupt us in a short period... that's a HUGE commercial that could be run by a senator, I have no say, but man, I'd use that and say the obvious stuff to start with "weapons inspectors said they found no WMD, the US gov't itself found no connection between Saddam and 9/11, and yet, we continue to pump billions of dollars per month into a warzone that's killed thousands this year - Iraq is in a civil war but George Bush and the Republicans want to keep our troops there though the CIA reports that America is LESS safe because of the war - Vote for (dem senator/rep)!"

Wouldn't that be a kickazz commercial???

I love writing them, no one listens... lol.

here's one I made WITH EarlG's photos, I just figured out appropriate music to put to it, and timed the images to it. I got banned on youtube for it, because of the "republican national committee" that he put in the last image, but I loved what he did so much I had to make a commercial and put it on youtube, this time I put PARODY in the title! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYO1C7ly434

[rosesaylavee]

130. I love it!

I get ideas for commercials but don't the software or the time to create.

[Divine Discontent]

131. aw, thank you!! :)

if you have video clips on your computer, you can go to "start", then "all programs" then "accessories", then, "entertainment", then "windows movie maker" and do what I did or make family vids or hobby (cats, dolls, hot air balloon, etc) videos with a pretty song you like.

you just click the "add" button to add video and then parse it up to how you want it, but yeah, it's time consuming!

[GreenEyedLefty]

123. The blame for 9/11 should stay at the feet of Bush

I appreciate President Clinton's honesty in admitting that he tried and failed to get bin Laden, however, the main issue was and always will be that 9/11 occurred under the watch of GWB. While Richard Clarke's hair was on fire over a potential terrorist attack on American soil, Dumbass Bush was presiding over Little League baseball games on the White House lawn.

So, let's not forget who's really to blame here.

[newsguyatl]

125. wallace should be fired immediately

for this treatment of a former US president.

his actions, comments, and demeanor are all absolutely INEXCUSIBLE -- even for Fox.

[rosesaylavee]

128. If anything, this interview

will define his career. I would imagine that when the circle turns again, he will be without a job... maybe he will have the end of news commentary at some remote Nevada TV Station...

Poor Mike Wallace. What a terrible day for him.

[erpowers]

133. About Damn Time

It is about damn time Bill Clinton did this. For five years the people on the right have tried to blame Clinton for 9/11 when every intelligence report noted that Clinton had done everything possible to get Osama Bin Laden. Also in the days leading to 9/11 some in the intelligence community like Paul Bremer came out and said Bush was doing a terrible job of continuing Clinton's work on Bin Laden. I am very glad Clinton finally did this. Only he should have started doing this five years ago.

[TaleWgnDg]

134. This is an excellent example . . . of the basic legal rule . . .

.

This is an excellent example . . . of the basic legal rule . . . that if someone is to decide an accurate, true conclusion regarding a past event that was video taped and/or written transcript made then that entire interview be viewed (either as an uncut video from start to finish or as an accurate written transcript from start to finish) so that a sound, accurate, true and just conclusion be made. Here, obviously, the opposite was rendered by FOX NEWS (what a misnomer!), because FOX edited out some very pertinent and important information stated by President Clinton, all to the twisted bias of Fox News as it's fed to its audience and all for commercial (financial) gain to Fox News. It's not news; instead, it is an attempt to entertain but unknowingly as such to much of its audience. P E R I O D.

Simple, really.

The law, i.e., the legal recourse, to counter such misrepresentations (lies) to