Clinton Camp Stokes RFK Flap by Blaming Obama

[hendo]

So, not only will she make horrific comments, she will later blame the media reaction on Obama. I guess Hillary can do no wrong in her own mind.

Clinton Camp Stokes RFK Flap by Blaming Obama

By Zachary A. Goldfarb
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign accused Sen. Barack Obama's campaign of fanning a controversy over her describing the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy late in the 1968 Democratic primary as one reason she is continuing to run for the presidency.

"The Obama campaign ... tried to take these words out of context," Clinton campaign chairman Terence R. McAuliffe said on "Fox News Sunday." "She was making a point merely about the time line."

The issue is particularly sensitive given longstanding concerns about Obama's safety as a presidential candidate. (He first received Secret Service protection last May.) The Obama campaign called Clinton's words unfortunate and circulated a TV commentary criticizing them, although Obama himself said Saturday that he took Clinton at her word that she meant no harm.

Hours after mentioning Kennedy's assassination, Clinton said, "I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation, and particularly for the Kennedy family, was in any way offensive."

Obama senior strategist David Axelrod dodged questions about why the campaign was still circulating commentaries criticizing Clinton even after suggesting it wants to move beyond the controversy.

"We're beyond that issue now, so certainly we're not trying to stir the issue up," Axelrod said.

Asked if Clinton has personally called Obama to apologize for the reference, McAuliffe said she has not, "nor should she." He added, "Let's be clear. This had nothing to with Senator Obama or his campaign."

McAuliffe noted that Robert F. Kennedy's son -- who endorsed Clinton last November -- has said that Clinton's reference to his father's death did not cross the line.

"If Robert F. Kennedy Jr. doesn't find offense to it, why is it that everybody else should?" McAuliffe said. "They shouldn't. They ought to take Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -- he did not misinterpret it or misjudge it."

Appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation", Clinton senior strategist Howard Wolfson said McAuliffe is "absolutely right" that Clinton didn't want to apologize to Obama for the remark and said: "I think it was unfortunate to attack Senator Clinton's remarks without knowing fully what she had said."

McAuliffe said Clinton is staying in the race to give hope to the millions of women who have voted for her and "she is winning races." And the campaign chairman made clear that his boss would strongly consider pressing on if the Democratic National Committee does not allow Florida and Michigan delegates to vote at the party's convention this summer -- a decision that would boost Clinton's delegate total. The DNC's rules and bylaws committee is scheduled to meet Saturday to discuss the issue.

"We are prepared to fight this so that all 50 states are included, that the delegates be seated. Let's have no questions about that. This race is still very close," McAuliffe said.

Wolfson said the campaign believes the DNC will reinstate Florida and Michigan "100 percent. That's what they should do. That will obviously help us, but it's the right thing to do."

The Obama campaign, meanwhile, delivered a strong signal that it expects the nomination contest to wrap up in the next 10 days, after the final primaries.

"We expect on June 3rd that this process will come to an end," Obama senior strategist David Axelrod said on ABC's "This Week."

"People in this country want change. They've identified Senator Obama as the candidate who can bring that change," he said. "And we're going to be united as a party after June 3rd."

Axelrod acknowledged, "There's an enormous amount of pride and investment in Senator Clinton among millions of women across this country," and that unifying the party after a tense nomination contest will produce "some tumult in the short run."

However, he said, Clinton's "strongest supporters understand how desperately we need change in this country, and I think that they understand that this is a critical election."

One prominent Clinton supporter acknowledged that virtually all hope for her winning the nomination is gone now.

"Obama clearly has the momentum. I am a proud Hillary delegate. But I predict the race will be over soon," said Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.). "The loser will concede graciously. "And I hope that we build what I call a unity ticket, either with both of them on the ticket or with the people on the ticket strongly representing the two bases which we will need to combine if we're to win in November over a very strong Republican challenge."

House Members Looking Ahead to November

The leaders of the Republican and Democratic House campaign committees clashed over their parties' chances in November.

Republicans have been particularly nervous recently after losing three consecutive special elections to Democrats in recent months.

"We've got a challenging landscape, no doubt about it," said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chairman of the Republican National Congressional Committee. "But I think the fall elections are fundamentally different than a series of specials."

"We actually, if you'll recall, won all the special elections in 2006 and then got our clock cleaned pretty good at the end of the year," Cole said. "So I think once we're in a presidential year, the dynamic changes and we'll be in a lot stronger position."

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Cole's counterpart at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, wouldn't predict a number of wins for Democrats.

"t is a rough environment for the Republicans, and it's a rough environment because of the mistakes that they've made and the fact that we, on the Democratic side, have been pushing an agenda for change and they've been trying to stand in the way of change," he said. "They have really become the party of no, veto and the status quo."

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-talk/2008/05/clinton_camp_stokes_rfk_flap_b.html?hpid=topnews

[slinkerwink]

1. It's Obama's fault that Clinton made that assassination remark!

[Deja Q]

4. So it's not even Obama's more paranoid SUPPORTERS but his own CAMPAIGN?

Wow. Clinton's camp is really getting limp. Time for another Cialis, methinks...

[L0oniX]

25. LOL

[virtualobserver]

5. it's like he put some sort of muslim hex on her

[nichomachus]

2. Can we use the C-word now?

[Pirate Smile]

13. No

You can never use that word.

[nichomachus]

15. Wow -- I didn't know "conniving" was such a bad word

[sniffa]

28. I thought you meant "cannibalistic"

[mckeown1128]

31. hmmm... I though they meant catastrophe. nt

[baldguy]

37. Crazy, childish, contemptible

How about a few more?

[dchill]

55. cold.

[Pirate Smile]

29. Ahhh, so you're a smart ass, a wise guy?

I like that. :)

[Bensthename]

23. YES

You can say it, just dont type it..

[Raksha]

62. How about the B-word?

I have to admit it was my first reaction to the OP, and I'm a woman (Hillary's age) and a feminist!

[Shae]

88. mine too . . .

but I put f'ing in front of it.

I'm so bad.

[Cha]

75. I wanna use the fucking B

word so BAD.

[WeDidIt]

3. SHAME ON YOU BARACK OBAMA!

MArk my words, she'll be screeching that at the inauguration.

[RazBerryBeret]

50. no, this is what she'll be screeching at the inauguration:

[Warren DeMontague]

6. Of course. Obama says "let it go" and Hillary's people, "reasonable" as they are

want to see if they can use it as a political football.

It's like these fucking Hillary threads that say "let's move on"- okay, move on to what? The primaries are almost over. What do you want to move on to?

Look around, and it's not too hard to figure out what they want to move on to:

"She's the winner of the popular vote"

"MI and FL must be seated as is"

"Unelected elite superdelegates must not overturn the will of the people and hand the nomination to Obama"..

Yeah, let's "move on", shall we? So we can continue Hillary's non-stop bullshit train, headed for the convention.

[City Lights]

7. Aa padded cell awaits you, Terry.

You're flippin' nuts!

Axelrod said today the Obama camp wants to move on, but YOU want to keep this going? :wtf:

Pssst, Terry. This is a LOSER issue for your side.

[lob1]

8. I blame Bobby Kennedy for getting shot and causing this mess.

And he never thought once about the problems it would cause Hillary. What a bastard.


(Heavy, heavy, heavy sarcasm)

[Cant trust em]

20. Too bad you had to include the disclaimer.

Pretty funny stuff.

[Pirate Smile]

9. They just can't help themselves, can they? What is wrong with them?

:eyes:

[99th_Monkey]

10. HIllary's got her "playing the victim" mantra honed to a fine science ... gag me.

[BlooInBloo]

11. Meanwhile Fox is literally wishing for his assassination, based on Clinton's words.

[genna]

43. Ugh!

:nuke:

[BlooInBloo]

51. I can't wait for Clinton's "I don't think anybody could have anticipated" statement.

[Garbo 2004]

12. Great way for Clinton camp to tamp down a story...they keep saying things to keep it in the news.

They should have publicly taken Obama's statement at face value as he did hers, quoted that and said let's move on. But no, they go back on attack and keep the story going. And to what purpose?

The Clinton campaign doesn't seem to be playing to the superdelegates at this point.

[hendo]

34. After all of the SDs go to Obama

HRC can turn around and say that the SDs are overturning public opinion. She will just keep digging her own grave, deeper and deeper. There is an upside though, she may open a fast new trade route to China pretty soon.

[JFN1]

14. We are now all the way through the neocon looking glass

Is it Bush? Or is it Clinton? It's getting so hard to tell anymore...

[SeattleGirl]

17. I was just thinking that too.

I feel like I'm back fighting the neocons.

[Mass]

16. The only good news is that Terry McAuliffe is finished in politics. He has shown the buffoon he is.

And I am not sad about that. It was more than time, after 2 lost cycles in 2002 and 2004 and another election lost for Hillary Clinton, it is about time for him to retire.

[genna]

57. Have you ever watched Terry, Baghdad Bob, on Morning Joe?

It is the worst piece of political buffoonery I've ever NOT wanted to see. Every time he flirts with Mika or kisses Pat's ass, I wanted to THROW something at them.

Its like watching him say Fox news is fair and balanced. It is as if he wants us to go ape all over his sorry tail.

What is the problem there?


At least with the White House press secretary, you know she is trying to be cute and cuddly but knows that you know she is a barracuda. With Terry, it feels like he believes what he is saying. Just like with HRC, I think she is pathological enough to know she is lying at the same time she believes she is telling the truth.

It is war is peace and hate is love kind of scary doublespeak.

Where is her cognitive dissonance?

[moobu2]

18. I’m kinda glad Obama made such a big deal out of nothing

It really makes him look foolish and not ready to be POTUS

[Lerkfish]

22. you forgot the sarcasm tag

or, if you weren't being sarcastic -- seek help.

[dcindian]

19. Hillary is really good at blaming the victim.

Just like that poor young girl in Arkansas who was raped then blamed for it in 1975 by Hillary.

[MrScorpio]

21. She staddles the third rail of election politics like Slim Pickens straddled an A-Bomb

And it's Obama who's to blame?

Somebody get that woman a Klondike Bar.

Just for sheer cojones alone.

[Bensthename]

24. Hillary = always the victom, even of her own mouth..

Such a sad wittle girl..

[AtomicKitten]

26. Crazy brought to you by Clinton.

[L0oniX]

27. Silly millionair...Hillary.n/t

:eyes:

[Kierkegaard]

30. Clinton and her minions are F*****G ridiculous.

I keep thinking that we've finally seen the bottom of their depravity, but the hole just keeps getting deeper.

[Mz Pip]

32. That's will show him!

That's what he gets for defending her. What a disingenuous and conniving person she has become.

[Window]

33. See, it's shit like this that makes me NOT feel sorry for her.

It never fails, every time I give Hillary the benefit of the doubt, she gives me her ass to kiss. That's it. I've had it with Hillary.

[havocmom]

38. Yes indeed. SHE has access to health care and that probably means mental health care too

She COULD get help if she wanted it. But she won't because she's fine, the rest of the world is crazy.

Reminds me more of bush every fucking day!

Bill: Give up. Montana isn't gonna vote for her. Get on a plane and get to her. Get her some help.

[Window]

92. Exactly!

[MethuenProgressive]

35. The actions of Barack Obama and his minions have been disgusting since the SC race.

No one was surprised they would take "races last til June" and push it as "She wants our candidate killed!"

[havocmom]

40. um, REALITY CHECK

oh, fuck it. Reality is more than some can manage.

[DLnyc]

71. Reality is for people who can't handle delusion.

[ima_sinnic]

70. oh, stuff a sock in your ridiculous bullshit

Obama was very gracious about her dumbass "misspeak" and she turns around and tries to make it his fault, keeping it going and calling even more attention to it. She's apparently too stupid to see what that looks like, and how depraved it makes her look. There is now nobody in the world who can top that pathetic POS Hillary for "disgusting." She is nothing but a clown, a joke, a buffoon. She is holding the entire Democratic Party hostage to her own bizarre, sad, tragic, sick need for attention and her obsession with manipulating and distorting to her own end, everybody else be damned. She is the exact OPPOSITE of someone who is "presidential."

she is more like a crazy, lunatic, raving bag lady from whom people would avert their eyes as she came clawing out at them on the sidewalk, if her name wasn't "Clinton."

[MethuenProgressive]

83. Thank you for providing all an example of how victims of the ObamaCamp have been taught to 'think'

"dumbass stupid depraved pathetic POS disgusting clown joke buffoon bizzare sad tragic sick crazy lunatic raving bag lady"
David Axelrod and Donna Brazille would be proud of themselves if they could see what they've done to you.

[ima_sinnic]

86. Axelrod and Brazille have "done" nothing "to me"--I've been observing HRC for a while now

I am hardly aware of Axelrod and Brazile because I watch very little TV and do not really pay attention to pundits. I've listened to Obama's speeches, and I've watched HRC act more and more like the spoiled little a-hole heiress she thinks she is, and more and more like the ridiculous train wreck that she really is.

so again, I say, stuff a sock in it, DLC Operation KKKaos. We've had it up to here with the dynasty of war mongerers and global plunderers.

[MethuenProgressive]

89. Very proud, I say very prould, if they could see what they've done.

[symbolman]

93. You people seem to have some kind of extra apendage..

A ear finger that plugs both ears, and a brain that shouts to itself. "La la la la la la" as long as anyone brings up the subject of your delusion, HRC.. The poster is absolutely correct, and many people are in full agreement with him, including me.. He's just laid out the banquet of avarice and decline associated with HRC by so many, and while some nibble and use a smaller plate, in toto the sum is exactly what they laid out in their post above..

It doesnt take Obama's staff to show how pathetic and surreal Clinton's obsession with non-Reality is.. Anyone who pays attention to pictures alone can see how it's proceeding.. Obama with a crowd of 75 THOUSAND supporters next to a pic of Clinton showing maybe 100 puerto ricans standing around on DIRT..

Its SAD that fellow Democrats such as yourself even Bother to PRETEND (and that's being Kind) that there is any kind of Level playing field, when all the Team has gone home, game over, and the Bat Boy (Batty Lady) is running all over the field DREAMING of large crowds and Winning the Game with a single heady "Save" or Hitting that Home Run..

And that's not even bringing up how she's defrauding these poor Elder "invisible in our culture" (unfortunately) and pushing them to Defraud their Nation on top of it..

She's reached the point where she's a Grifter ( Bill Too), and Shamed many of US who stuck up for Bill against all that Right wing garbage, or even thought about voting for HER!! I'd thought about making Herstory (History) and voting in the First Woman Prez, would have been an Honor, but when she voted for that Fake War I told my wife that HRC had lost my vote forever - SHE KNEW Better than that..

Then the LYING, so fucking Blatant and Provable with Video.. She HAD to be stupid or Nuts to pull crap like that..

I actually wonder if she lives in a Fantasy World at this point, and I worked in the Mental Health Industry for YEARS..

Anyone who Fools Themselves to the same Degree are feeling the Wrath of those who are incensed by More Fraud, just like the Bush Years, and seek to Crush it.. I'll wager that if HRC could be Impeached right now, she would be, by a large margin..

But she IS in a way.. The System works, NO one Wants her, the more they see how wacky she is the less likely they are to vote for her..

She's been flatlined for months in polls, as in the end the only ones who really want her are older women.. And they can make her the Queen of TupperwareLand for all I care, but NEVER President of this country.. The Stakes are too high for another delusional liar, rife with "issues" occupying the seat of the most powerful nation (so far) in the world..

I'm sure many folks could think of THOUSANDS of Other women vastly more capable..

That poster is right, she's a basket case, pure and simple, and anyone who defends such insanity is Suspect...

[Arkana]

36. Hillary! Protip: If you want something to go away, STOP TALKING ABOUT IT.

[BigBearJack]

39. Change your title

The title says that the Clinton camp blamed Obama, but your own reporting shows that it was the Obama campaign that was blamed.

[smiley_glad_hands]

47. Everytime she opens her mouth its sets the dem party back. Change your name much? eom

[Perry Logan]

41. Logan's Law: All anti-Hillary threads are bullshit.

If not downright libelous.

[BigBearJack]

42. They are only bullshit if the title is a lie

Case in point: This thread title.

[hendo]

44. The title is an article title. Follow the damn link and stop complaining n/t

[BigBearJack]

48. It's like saying that the article labeling David Vitter as a Democrat was accurate

Because it was an article.

Great logic.

[apocalypsehow]

46. Oh, lookee here: another Lazarus come to set us all straight - again.

:eyes:

[BigBearJack]

49. Damn right. Lazarus just set you straight

You are welcome.

[apocalypsehow]

53. You didn't set anybody "straight," pal. But nice to see you admit to trolling.

[BigBearJack]

59. I noticed your post was empty

Saying nothing usually constitute a bad argument.

Can you find a part in that article where the Clinton camp blames Barack Obama?

[apocalypsehow]

60. I notice your replies are empty, i.e., devoid of actual content. Babbling idiotic talking points

always constitutes a worthless argument. By the bye, after you get your pizza delivery (again), tell Jimmy "hi" for me, will yah?

[apocalypsehow]

61. And I notice this under-the-bridge dweller come-lately doesn't even attempt to deny it's trolling.

I find that quite refreshing. :thumbsup:

[BigBearJack]

64. They are not empty

And my original post has an argument, unlike yours, where you simply talk about pizzas and about other people's comments being empty, without providing the reasoning behind your claim.

[apocalypsehow]

65. They are quite empty - devoid of even the slightest scrap of intellectual foundation or common sense

Indeed, it's just garden variety typing out of rote talking points.

[BigBearJack]

68. Again, making a claim without providing reasoning behind it

Sad.

Anyway, will you bother to prove that the article cites examples of the Clinton camp blaming Barack Obama for hyping the RFK story?

Allow me to anticipate your answer:

pizza! pizza! That was an empty question!

:rofl:

[apocalypsehow]

69. Again, posting silliness that doesn't make a lick of sense. Pitiful.

:rofl:

Boy, after one whole day you sure do know how to use DU's smilies and HTML tools. Curious, that... (:eyes:)

Enjoy your abbreviated stay.

[Underscoring facts]

73. Again, you don't explain why the post was silly

Or empty.

[apocalypsehow]

79. And he's back - the zombie troll who posts idiotic babble and calls it "proof."

:rofl:

[apocalypsehow]

72. Poor, poor BigBearJack - let us all pause for a moment of silence...

:cry:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Underscoring facts]

74. Another post without an explanation of your arguments

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[apocalypsehow]

80. Nah, I was just calling for a brief, faux memorial for a tombstoned troll. Just as I will again

here in a bit when you get your second pizza delivery of the day...

:thumbsup:

[apocalypsehow]

81. Check this cute little cave-dweller out: it gets itself banned, then comes back for a second helping

of that pizza. Someone ought to do a psychological study on the pitiful mental condition of repeat trolls.

[smiley_glad_hands]

45. Reality: Hilliary is full of shit. eom

[BlooInBloo]

54. Logan's Heroes suck.

"I see nut-ink!"

[Canuckistanian]

52. They couldn't just let it go, could they?

It was a moment of sheer political nightmare.

Why do they want to prolong it?

When you make a humongous mistake, you don't go pointing fingers. You let it go and hope that everyone else does.

[BigBearJack]

56. Aww poor Obama supporters just hate to hear about the RFK story over and over again

Puhlease. If someone stands to benefit from, and wants to prolong, this issue it is Obama supporters.

[hendo]

63. I'm sorry, I don't keep up with the hillary directives.

Please stop trolling and go somewhere else.

[apocalypsehow]

67. Yeah, notice this one doesn't even deny it's a troll. Just trying to get in as many of those

trollish posts as it can before the inevitable pizza delivery.

[ima_sinnic]

76. no, we love to hear it over and over, because it proves she's crazier than a shithouse rat

she is now like the insane, raving, desperate bag lady who comes clawing out at you on the sidewalk, spewing nonsense and bullshit, from whom everybody would avert their eyes and walk widely around if she wasn't married to Bill Clinton. At this point, her husband is her only claim to the real world--she is in serious need of mental health services. She is about as far from being "presidential" as her buddy widdle GW, the Great Pretender.

[Major Hogwash]

78. No, it's called "push back". It only works, however, when you aren't on the edge of a cliff.

In this case, there will be blow back that will blow her over the edge and into the abyss of forgettable Democratic candidates.

She has done a tremendous amount of damage to the women's movement however.
I don't think anyone will take another woman running for President seriously for 8 years.
Maybe 12.

[DerekJ]

58. I'm not even mad, I'm laughing, it’s becoming a comedy.

:rofl:

[dailykoff]

66. They are truly shameless and shameful.

Just like Bush and Cheney, basically, only without having finagled a national election, praise be.

[Major Hogwash]

77. They're insane. They think just because they say it, it's true. "I did not have sexual relations...

with that girl".

Yet, 7 months later we find out that not only did he have sexual relations with her, he lied to a grand jury about it.

How much more proof does one need to know who is telling the truth here about what Hillary said?

Her and Bubba are now actively doing the work of John McCain, inflicting as much damage as they can on the Democratic party.
The DNC can't raise funds, and down ticket Democrats can't afford to be seen in photo-ops with either Hillary or Bubba now.

Enough is enough.

[PurityOfEssence]

82. So, Obama supporters make a vicious accusation about NOTHING, and she can't defend herself.

This is just juvenile.

Once again, the faith-based candidacy divines whatever universe it pleases and all others must be brought to heel or feel the wrath. You guys have a "feeling" that something is, and it's HARD, COLD INCONTROVERTIBLE FACT, and if anyone disputes this blinkered idiocy, he/she is eeeeevil.

Listen to the less crazed Obama supporters a little more often.

Watching the videotape after reading all the flap was astonishing: there's nothing there. She talks about two campaigns that weren't determined by June. Big deal. Sure, she could have just said "when he won the California Primary", but I see nothing the least bit sinister.

There's no "proof" of anything here, and it is colored by one's allegiances. It's been hyped to such a degree that she and her camp need to respond.

This is the problem with disciples: they brook NO impediment to their cause. Not fully supporting the greatness that is this movement is tantamount to the desire to destroy all that is good and true.

Outraged and infantile demands for some kind of privilege and immunity from the standards of comportment that the rest of us mere mortals see fit to obey will alienate many, and it just doesn't get through.

[ramapo]

84. She is totally fucked up

There's just no other way to describe it. She is beginning to scare me as much as the Bushies.

John McCain is a lucky man. Maybe his wife is funneling money to the Clintons.

[rocktivity]

85. "Obama senior strategist David Axelrod dodged questions about why

the campaign was still circulating commentaries criticizing Clinton even after suggesting it wants to move beyond the controversy."

WHAT commentaries? Circulated to whom? Exactly what was Axelrod asked, and exactly what was his answer? WHAT KIND OF JOURNALISM IS THIS?

:mad:
rocknation

[iconicgnom]

87. To blame the victim. That's standard operating procedure for

That's standard operating procedure for any purely negative campaign. But then, negative/positive is entirely relative. From the POV of Murdoch, Scaife, Penn, Black, Republicans, McCain, her campaign has been entirely positive, and her endorsement of McCain's phoney "gas tax holiday" was the clincher. It's only from the Dem POV that her campaign is negative. Tearing the party apart.

Interesting how the Republicans are the only ones who've benefitted from her polarizing divisiveness.

But FOX and co. will throw her out with the trash when this is over, however it turns out.

[Clear Blue Sky]

90. Typical for the Clinton's.

Always someone else's fault.

[TexasObserver]

91. Hillary is such a liar, such a phony victim. It was media who jumped all over her.

Don't you love the way Hillary claims it was the Obama camp that caused the media blitz over her comment? Yeah, the media didn't want to cover it, but there was the Obama camp, beating on them!

Reality check. The media universally attacked Hillary for her comments, and there has been almost nothing from the Obama camp about it. They've only responded to inquiries by media.

But Hillary is dishonest. Every problem is due to her opponent, and she never does anything to bring these things upon her. She's a poor, widdle, innocent girl. Poor thing! She's so worthy of our sympathy!

I wonder if her dad taught her to play the victim any time she's caught lying, cheating, stealing, or just plain screwing up.