This was inevitable...

[babylonsister]

Since I very well might be supporting Clinton in a few weeks, how will the Clintons combat this? Sure, they can ignore it, but I don't think it's going away any time soon.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/01/romney_takes_swipe_at_clinton.php

Romney takes swipe at Clinton WH years

Romney Says He and His Wife Won't Embarrass the Nation As in White House in 'Clinton Years'

Staff
AP News

Jan 02, 2008 10:04 EST

Republican Mitt Romney said Wednesday that if elected president he and his wife will not embarrass the nation by their conduct in the White House as happened in "the Clinton years."

In an interview on CNN, Romney was asked about comments he made at recent house parties in Iowa that he and his wife, Ann, would not embarrass the nation in the White House. He is campaigning for Thursday's Republican presidential caucuses in Iowa, while Hillary Rodham Clinton is campaigning on the Democratic side.

"We'll try and represent ourselves and our nation well also to our kids because I think, I think kids watch the White House and there have been failures in the past in the White House — if you go back to the Clinton years and recognize that — that I think had an enormous impact on the culture of our country," Romney said. "And we'll do our very best, our whole family will to — well, if we can't be perfect, we'll do our best to uphold and to be a good example for the kinds of values I think people expect from our leaders."

Romney also said that in his comments he was "not referring to anybody, referring to ourselves. We will do our very best to uphold the kind of values that people expect of a White House couple."

The last part of Bill Clinton's second presidential term was dominated by a scandal involving his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

The Romneys have been married 38 years and have five sons and 11 grandchildren. The former Massachusetts governor has featured his wholesome-looking family prominently in his presidential campaign.

[mike_c]

1. it's unfortunate that this meme WILL have traction with many in America...

...because for ANYONE to talk about the Clinton WH embarrassing America at this point is pretty laughable. Bush has done more to "embarrass" the USA than anyone in my memory.

[babylonsister]

2. I totally agree with you; I'd take Bill back in a NY minute, but this

will have traction.

[yardwork]

3. I'm sort of speechless, actually. The W Bush years have made the Clinton years look like Camelot.

I really can't imagine anyone but a freeper taking this seriously. And let's take a look at the Romney years in MA. Big Dig?

[mtnsnake]

4. Yeah, Mitt, just what we want in the WH is the second coming of Ken and Barbie

No wonder he's getting beat by the Huckster. At least the Huckster knows how to rock and roll, well sort of.

[Sparkly]

5. I don't think they should respond directly, but instead attack back...

In other words, they shouldn't be baited into mentioning the Lewinsky scandal in ANY context, even defensively.

Instead, I think they should counter-attack with their own charges against the Republican(s). Put them on the defensive.

[rodeodance]

6. oh goodie. a perfect couple.

[enid602]

7. embarrassment

Romney's astute in detecting that people across the globe feel embarrassment for America, but I think he's misdiagnosed its cause.

[rodeodance]

8. bill played into the hands of the congress!! It was congress who pushed this.

[babylonsister]

20. Bill lied; let's not blame Congress for that. nt

[Clintonista2]

9. I seem to remember most of the world *liking* America during the Clinton years

[annie1]

10. i don't think independents and dems will care about that. people...

who like b. clinton are over it, and a lot of people like b. clinton.

[gateley]

41. I never liked Bill Clinton and I'm over it.

[rodeodance]

11. GOOD GAWD!! ITS AN AP STORY!!

Romney Says He and His Wife Won't Embarrass the Nation As in White House in 'Clinton Years'

Staff
AP News

Jan 02, 2008 10:04 EST

[bunkerbuster1]

29. Horrible, innit?

Thank you, Corporate Media, for telling us what to think.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. Why, of course, war mongering and torture are such good values!

[BeyondGeography]

13. Since they've been married so long they'll probably keep the White House fellatio-free as well

[BenDavid]

14. well bush did not have fellatio performed on him and he has

embarassed this country more so then clinton ever did. Hell, maybe fellatio would have been good for bush.

Yeah, and if this silly sombitch says this to anyone in the msm and said reporter from the msm does not ask Romney: has bush embarassed this country by attacking iraq and making so many foreign policy blunders?

[monmouth]

15. Romney just gets smarmier and smarmier...Is that a word??

[truebrit71]

16. Thankfully this won't be a problem and he can go back to tying dogs to car rooftops...

...whilst wearing his magic underpants...

[murbley40]

17. Only the beginning if she wins nomination.

[Yael]

19. Yep. And before the confetti even hits the floor in Denver they will cut loose

with everything they have.

[jenmito]

18. If Hillary becomes our nominee, everything old will be new again...

NOT just the good things. That's why the Repubs. WANT to run against her (and Bill).

[yardwork]

43. If that is true, then the Republicans aren't good at math.

Bill Clinton's popularity - even at the height of the Lewinsky scandal - would have guaranteed him a third term in the White House if he'd been allowed to run. Al Gore, even while running away from Clinton's legacy, won the 2000 election.

If the Republicans hope to win based on Bill Clinton's unpopularity, they are in for a big disappointment. But then, Republicans aren't very bright. They always have to cheat to win.

[Clark2008]

21. I wasn't embarrassed.

I've been more embarrassed by the dumbass in office for the past 7 years.

:shrug:

[Canuckistanian]

39. The rest of the world didn't gave a hoot, either

We really just sit back and laugh at hypocrite conservatives who made a mock horror show out of a personal affair.

Hell, Newt Gingrich practically invented the "I never had sex with that woman/it was only a blowjob" routine.

[SaveElmer]

22. It's the ones that aren't inevitable that we have to worry about...

How many saw the Swift Boat attacks coming...

[awoke_in_2003]

23. You're right, Mitt,

Eight years of economic growth and relative peace were so embarrassing :sarcasm:

[tekisui]

24. He would come up with all new ways to embarrass the nation.

[cornermouse]

25. You do realize that this is an attempt to try to pull back

those republican voters who the democratic party has been trying to entice and cajole into switching their vote when they made a wild charge toward what used to be called extreme right but which is now ridiculously called the middle, don't you?

[Vickers]

26. This guy probably has some "history" just like Henry Hyde, Newt, etc.

ALL of these sanctimonious asshats are hiding something.

I must admit, what Romney said that is pissing off so many people is the same stuff posted here every day about the Clintons.

[bunkerbuster1]

30. Did Hillary strap the family dog to the roof?

Just sayin'.

[Vickers]

42. It would be fantastic if it turned out he felated the dog beforehand.

:thumbsup:

(note to doglovers: not fantastic for the dog, of course)

Love,

Vickers (one beagle, one terrier)

[AtomicKitten]

27. K&R

[Forkboy]

28. I don't really even think this stuff will play with the majority of people.

It's good red meat for the hardcore 25%, but I suspect most people weren't embarrassed anyways. I wasn't.

[question everything]

31. And consulting an astrologist did not embarrass the nation, right? (nt)

[maddiejoan]

32. The problem with this argument is

-- Bill isn't the one running.

That and nobody cared THEN either.

[MGKrebs]

33. I'm pretty sure the second question that Hillary asked potential staffers

(after "Are you available"?) was how to deal with this. I think Penn & Co. are probably looking forward to it. Surely they have done more preparation and have more ammo to fight that battle than any other single thing, and I don't think high-level consultants would take the job if they weren't confident they could handle it. It was never a mystery that this would be an issue, and it's probably the main reason why someone who is otherwise as distasteful as Mark Penn is on the staff.

And frankly, I'm looking forward to it too. It's almost like we can't move on until we have this battle. Like a funeral or some other sort of closure. I am confident that freepers will get crushed in this fight, and I would even expect that the GOP is trying to discourage disparate candidates and groups from going down this road. There just aren't enough votes to gain.

[WillTheGoober]

34. Hillary is prepared ...

I'm not worried.

Hillary is the most prepared candidate in this race.
Hands down.

[hoozyorsugadaddy]

35. Romney is a puke. The Republicans simply control what is said about them.

[Jai4WKC08]

36. How is this any different than when Bush claimed...

He would restore honor and dignity back to the White House?

Given the Bush record of criminality and cronyism, how hard will it be to convince Americans that there's a lot more to honor and dignity than just talking about it?

Don't get me wrong. I'm sure that if Clinton wins the nomination, whoever wins the Repubican nom, not just Romeny, will attack her for every flaw, real or perceived, during her husband's administration, whether she was was responsible for it or not. And there is a certain percentage of voters who will swallow whatever the GOP dishes out.

But what they will do to Hillary is really no worse that what they will do to any of our candidates. Didn't the swiftboaters prove that? And how they painted Gore as a habitual liar (I heard that meme just the other day, from Craig Crawford, about inventing the internet)?

There is NO one who is immune to what has been called the Republican "freak show."

What matters is, who is best able to defend herself and take the battle to the Repubs? I believe Hillary is the most capable in that regard. Your milage may vary, but at least she has a proven track record. The others not so much.

[KennedyGuy]

37. Do you think that if Obama is the nominee they'll say, "Oh, never mind"?

[Zynx]

38. Uggghhhh.....Make me ill.

[Catherine Vincent]

40. Who cares what that Mormon says? nt

[goldcanyonaz]

44. Romney is like the Manchurian Candidate. nm

[paparush]

45. A blowjob is much easier to get your head around (pardon the horrible pun potential there)

Sex is simple. People understand it.

This issue will be HUGE if Hillary is the Dem nominee.




Joe: Bill got blowjobs in the Oral er..Oval Office.

Moe: But, but, but...Bush and Cheney have waged an 8 year campaign to transition our constitutional republic into a fascist state.

Joe: Huh?

[ecstatic]

46. I'm almost certain that Romney leads a double life

A secret, double life that would be embarrassing for him and his family were it to be revealed.

I think this because of recent news about how he lies about trivial things that don't even matter. That's the classic sign.

[Armstead]

48. He doesn't have the imagination to lead a double-life

[lpbk2713]

47. Just like Smirky was going to 'restore honor and dignity to the White House'?

... and we all know what happened there.