Bill Clinton is contrite in visits to black churches

[ursi]

Source: Los Angeles Times

In a dramatic day of politicking, former President Clinton made a series of contrite appearances before African American churches in Los Angeles while California First Lady Maria Shriver endorsed Sen. Barack Obama's historic quest for the White House.

With Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton campaigning in Minnesota and Missouri, her husband visited three churches in Gardena, Norwalk and Los Angeles this morning but canceled a fourth appearance to fly to New Mexico to watch the Super Bowl with Gov. Bill Richardson, his former Energy secretary and his wife's former rival for the Democratic nomination. Richardson has not endorsed a candidate.

Talking to the congregations, Clinton did not mention the controversy over his public comments before and after the Jan. 26 primary in South Carolina, in which he dismissed Obama's depiction of his record opposing the Iraq war as a "fairy tale," and in the aftermath of Obama's victory pointed out that civil rights leader Jesse Jackson had also won the state but failed to move ahead in his quests for the Democratic nomination.

Sounding chastened, Clinton talked about the election as the proverbial embarrassment of riches, saying he had waited his whole life to vote for an African American for president and just as long to vote for a woman.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-trail4feb04,0,3210154.story

[Medusa]

1. Good. he ought to be

But I hope those he spoke to today will remember what he was willing to do in SC just to get a W in Hill's column. Shameful.

[chascarrillo]

2. Cancelled a fourth appearance to watch the Super Bowl.

Brilliant!

[montanacowboy]

3. He has a face to do and say anything

to get back into the WH, he is shameful and to think I once thought he was the best thing the Dems had going. He is a huge disappointment and it took me a long time to see it.

[JerseygirlCT]

4. I'm not ready to forgive all for the charm, either

I think he behaved horribly before SC. He ought to have to stew in that for a good long while before he's welcomed again with open arms.

[Dogmudgeon]

7. ... do and say anything ...

What a durable meme!

And people believe it, too.

--p!

[godai]

5. I think this whole contrition thing is a fairy tale n/t

[chascarrillo]

6. Biggest one I've ever seen. n/t

[stillcool]

8. This comment takes some chutzpa

"I say that to remind us that we have to find a way to choose without division. To disagree without discord. To celebrate the shattering of all these phony categories that have kept Americans apart too long," Clinton told about 500 people at Brookins Community AME Church in Los Angeles.

[ursi]

9. no kidding!