Clinton Refuses To Renounce Or Reject Racist Supporter

[THUNDER HANDS]

During a series of satellite television interviews, Clinton was questioned by Dallas station KTVT about comments by Adelfa Callejo, a local activist who supports Clinton candidacy. The interviewer quoted Callejo as saying "Obama's problem is he happens to be black" and asked Clinton to respond.
"Well obviously I want all of us judged on our merits," Clinton said. "I believe strongly that the fact we have an African American and a woman running for the Democratic nomination is historical and I'm very, very proud of that."

"I want people though to look beyond, look beyond race and gender, look at our records, look at what we stand for, look at what we've done and I think that's what most voters are looking for," she said.

The interviewer asked Clinton whether she rejected or denounced Callejo's comment.

"People have every reason to express their opinions, I just don't agree with that," she said, adding "You know, this is a free country. People get to express their opinions."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/02/clinton_pressed_on_supporters.php

[Arkana]

1. Who gives a shit?

The longer we talk about this Farrakhan crap is less time it spends rotting in the ground where it belongs.

[Redstone]

4. Amen.

Redstone

[Kittycat]

6. While I agree.. The hypocrisy is just incredible!

[THUNDER HANDS]

8. we're not talking about Farrakhan

we're talking about somebody else. Someone named hypocrisy.

[babylonsister]

9. Did her comments have anything to do with Farrakhan, or Obama's race?

That's what is interesting and more. What was she thinking?

[DJ13]

2. Hey Hillary, remember your snarky comments about Farrakan to Obama?

Pot meet kettle.

[IndianaGreen]

13. Bill Clinton endorsed Minister Farrakhan's One Million Man March

I didn't hear any denouncing or rejecting of NOI.

[Kittycat]

3. Well, it's a good thing Callejo isn't an Anti-semite - that would change things.

Wouldn't it :crazy:

[writes3000]

5. Yep, yep, yep.

I have no doubt that Clinton is against racism but I also know the pressure every candidate is under to think about every word, every action.

She got put on the spot and guess what - she paused just like Obama. Not surprised.

[Kittycat]

7. But Obama didn't pause. He denounced, and rejected. On the spot.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

10. I think we've all learned from past attempts to point out the hypocrisy vis a vis associations

That when Clinton does it it's diiiiifferent. In no time you will be bombarded with justification and equivocations.

"She's not a PROMINENT AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEADER!!"

"She didn't say it front of 20000 PEOPLE!!"

"Stop trying to DISTRACT and POINT FINGERS!!"

[Johnny__Motown]

11. hypocrisy, plain and simple

[invictus]

12. Hillary's strategy is to stir up racial animosity against Obama ...

... among Latinos in Texas and whites in Ohio.

[IndianaGreen]

16. Just as Bill did in SC

Enough of this 50-percent plus one politics.

[jezebel]

14. This racist supporter doesn't COUNT. She's like Wisconsin. Or Maine. NT

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

15. You can't make this shit up!

I had to read the link for myself. I consider Talking Points highly credible.

Later, aide Doug Hattaway said Clinton was taken aback by the question.

"She had never heard of this before," Hattaway said. "If it was actually said, of course she denounces and rejects that kind of politics in any way, shape or form."

But, it's great that she denounced AND rejected the politics. Just too late for anyone to know about it. She is just the worst kind of hypocrite!

[crispini]

17. Adelfa Callejo is not just an activist.

She's kind of a major leader in the Hispanic community. She's not some low-level precinct chair. She's a high-dollar lawyer that gives big bucks to the party and whose endorsement carries some weight. She has a LOT of family in town and is part of one of the old-guard Hispanic "machines" in town.

I haven't seen her quote on the news, but Hillary Clinton almost certainly knows who Adelfa is, for example.

[Colobo]

18. Adelfa, usted puede irse a la mierda.

[crispini]

19. LOL! nt

[Colobo]

20. Doña Adelfa: Váyase a la mierda, y no regrese.

[ruggerson]

21. Once her campaign verified that it was said, she "denounced and rejected" it

Come on, even Obama supporters can see that this is ridiculous. Springing some local activist's words on Clinton in an interview, words she had no way of knowing were true or not, is very different from responding to Farrakhan who has been a national figure for years and whose bigoted words are well known fact.

As soon as her campaign had verified what was said, she rejected it. There is no hypocrisy here, she had no way of knowing what this woman actually said.

Regardless, the entire thing was ginned up by the media to begin with - Russert should never have asked Obama about it either - it's just more dumb "gotcha" journalism.

[BeyondGeography]

22. Cynically played by Clinton

When she was confronted by the statement, "Obama's problem is he happens to be black," the best she can do is, "this is a free country. People get to express their opinions."??? How fucking lame is that? I don't care if a staffer bailed her out afterwards, that was weak.

She probably figured blacks aren't voting for her anyway so she'd salvage the Latino vote and stand by Callejo.

[UALRBSofL]

23. I'm not really going to condemn Hillary about this

because Obama hasn't denounced and distanced himself from Dr.Jeremiah Wright/his spiritual guide and pastor because Wright has made many statements that were racist and anti-semitic. That said I have a list of his statements but I won't post them on GD-P.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

24. hippocritical, but

neither Sen Clinton nor Sen Obama can have a positive influence on people
that they cut themselves off from.

I think its impt to set an example and state - I don't agree with that comment, I think
people/different racest whatevers should try to get along and treat each other equally, etc etc.

If we only hang out with people exactly like us, we will be alone.

If we ditch all of our whacky friends, how will they ever learn a different way?

I realize this doesn't work for all things.

[tishaLA]

25. Sad. Duplicitous.

[woolldog]

26. Once again she proves herself to be a hypocrite.

The double standard here is striking.

[FrenchieCat]

27. But, but, but she said in front of millions yesterday.....

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/02/26/us/politics/20080226_DEBATE_GRAPHIC.htm#video


She stated that she would "reject" support from bigots and if she had to pay a price, she would do it. That she would stand against this on principle against imflammatory language.

[THUNDER HANDS]

28. has she said anything yet?

just curious, because I have yet to see anything.

[FrenchieCat]

30. Waiting......

for her.

[marshall]

29. A racist's vote is still a vote

And if he can get more racists to vote then that's more votes for Hillary. She's scrambling for all the votes she can get.

[ecstatic]

31. More hypocrisy! Amazing! nt