Hillary is taking Obama to task over Geffen's comments

[Herman Munster]

She takes no shit for nobody.

Game On!

I can't think of an attack machine better equipped to take on the republicans. They are fast.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=1344

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. LOL! are you series?

she is coming across like a hypercritical fool, and her aides look like asses. which, apparently, they are.

[Skidmore]

3. I agree. Apparently she is so thin skinned that a private citizen cannot

offer criticism about her without being shut down.

[WinkyDink]

62. She is thin-skinned, and now seems just plain stooopid.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Yeah, well, I'd like to see her take on the Republicans

for a change instead of triangulating around them. This attack on Obama just looks petty and nasty.

[quiller4]

4. They may be fast

But by over reacting they are extending the life of comments that hurt only Clinton. There are times when it is smart to allow a small story to die a quiet death. This was one of those times.

[Herman Munster]

5. just like kerry did

with a little group called the swift boaters.

Don't worry about them....they are harmless....let's ignore them...

[karynnj]

41. He struck back quickly twice in the spring and they retreated

by the time they struck in August - the media had had Kerry's full Navy records (except medical which they had had a week or so to review) which included glowing fitness records for the entire time period some written by the liars.

They also had Brinkley's book. Brinkley, a historian, had interviewed many people including the SBVT - and their comments a few years before 2004 were more consistent with the 1960 vintage records then the 2004 lies. They also had many interviews with the people actually on Kerry's boats - all positive. (There was one Kerry crew who surfaced later who was RW - but he quickly was caught in a web of lies - saying he was at events that happened after he left Vietnam.)

This is far more substance than should have been needed to counter new accusations made on 35 year old events with no proof. In addition, the Kerry team debunked many accusations.

Here Hillary responds to the charge that Bill shouldn't have pardoned Marc Rich - with a snark attack on Obama. Does that change whether the pardon was troublesome???

[blm]

68. RW machine protected Bush from true charges against him. How did Dem machine

do protecting their candidate from lies?

BTW - do you recall when Clinton was being called a draft-dodger in 1992? You know who showed up and defended him in the media? John Kerry. He used his cache then as a war hero to defend Clinton.

How did Clintons reciprocate? By siding more with Bush on his military decisions throughout his term than with Kerry, even when he became the nominee.

[newyawker99]

48. Hi quiller4!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Lerkfish]

6. then why isn't she taking on the republicans?

:shrug:

[itsmesgd]

8. two years of in-fighting and backstabbing is fun

I guess nothing will get accomplished in the Congress for the next two years. If this keeps up, they need to make you retire from Congress in order to run for Prez.

[WI_DEM]

7. One thing is clear Hillary knows who her main obstacle to the nomination is

[Colobo]

12. Yep

She has just recognized Obama as the man to beat.

[MGKrebs]

18. I would guess that any other campaign that makes similar comments

would be subject to similar rebuke.
This is politics in the 21st century.

[Radical Activist]

9. Obama already discredited her point

completely and totally. This is old news. Hillary is just mad that she lost a major donor to Barack.

[cali]

10. and Obama fired back

just as quickly. And even more devastatingly.

[MethuenProgressive]

11. What did Geffen say?

link?

[bbinacan]

16. It's getting pretty nasty. Link below.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003548043

[Colobo]

17. Nasty and interesting

because from this one of the candidates will emerge stronger than ever. It could be Hillary, it could be Obama, it could even be Edwards using all this controversy to his advantage...

[mod mom]

19. from that link:

Obama camp responds:

“We aren’t going to get in the middle of a disagreement between the Clintons and someone who was once one of their biggest supporters. It is ironic that the Clintons had no problem with David Geffen when was raising them $18 million and sleeping at their invitation in the Lincoln bedroom. It is also ironic that Senator Clinton lavished praise on Monday and is fully willing to accept today the support of South Carolina State Sen. Robert Ford, who said if Barack Obama were to win the nomination, he would drag down the rest of the Democratic Party because he's black."

[Herman Munster]

22. that's a dumb comment

especially since Obama offered the man just as much money as Hillary did.

[Colobo]

31. So that justifies Ford

C'mon, what that Senator said was stupid and tasteless. A black man would bring down the Democratic ticket. Had a Republican said such thing, you would probably be all over it.

[cool user name]

21. Juicy ...

-- "I don’t think anybody believes that in the last six years, all of a sudden Bill Clinton has become a different person,” Mr. Geffen says, adding that if Republicans are digging up dirt, they’ll wait until Hillary’s the nominee to use it. “I think they believe she’s the easiest to defeat.”

-- She is overproduced and overscripted. “It’s not a very big thing to say, ‘I made a mistake’ on the war, and typical of Hillary Clinton that she can’t,” Mr. Geffen says. “She’s so advised by so many smart advisers who are covering every base. I think that America was better served when the candidates were chosen in smoke-filled rooms.”

-- Once, David Geffen and Bill Clinton were tight as ticks. Mr. Geffen helped raise some $18 million for Bill and slept in the Lincoln Bedroom twice. Bill chilled at Chateau Geffen. Now, the Dreamworks co-chairman calls the former president “a reckless guy” who “gave his enemies a lot of ammunition to hurt him and to distract the country.”

-- They fell out in 2000, when Mr. Clinton gave a pardon to Marc Rich after rebuffing Mr. Geffen’s request for one for Leonard Peltier. “Marc Rich getting pardoned? An oil-profiteer expatriate who left the country rather than pay taxes or face justice?” Mr. Geffen says. “Yet another time when the Clintons were unwilling to stand for the things that they genuinely believe in. Everybody in politics lies, but they do it with such ease, it’s troubling.”

Edit: from the same link

[mod mom]

24. Marc Rich YES but Leonard Peltier NO. hmmh...

[mitchum]

44. I take exception with "...when the Clintons were unwilling to stand for...

the things that they genuinely believe in"
I believe that Geffen is being overly generous.

[cool user name]

46. Me too. n/t

[Cha]

53. So be it..

"We aren’t going to get in the middle of a disagreement between the Clintons and someone who was once one of their biggest supporters. It is ironic that the Clintons had no problem with David Geffen when was raising them $18 million and sleeping at their invitation in the Lincoln bedroom. It is also ironic that Senator Clinton lavished praise on Monday and is fully willing to accept today the support of South Carolina State Sen. Robert Ford, who said if Barack Obama were to win the nomination, he would drag down the rest of the Democratic Party because he's black."

Geffen protested to Arianna Huffington today that he has no role in the Obama campaign beyond co-sponsoring his giant Hollywood fundraising event this week.

Among other things, Hollywood and music mogul Geffen had told Dowd, "God knows, is there anybody more ambitious than Hillary Clinton?" and "Obama is inspirational, and he’s not from the Bush royal family or the Clinton royal family. Americans are dying every day in Iraq. And I’m tired of hearing James Carville on television.”

I'd like to underline that sentence twice!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

20. Here -- Maureen Dowd's latest column.

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/opinion/21dowd.html

[CBGLuthier]

66. The Truth

Ugly as it may be, with the possible exception of his comment praising Obama, he spoke the truth.

[Geek_Girl]

13. My take is this is just politics as usual

But it is coming across quite silly and kind of makes her look ridiculous.

[Kahuna]

14. Hillary doesn't believe in free speech...

I used to actually like her a lot. Not so much any more.

[BobRossi]

15. Fuck Hillary..

She needs to stand up and denounce her vote to go to war say bye-bye to the DLC.

[Cha]

54. That won't happen so

Fuck shillary.

[MethuenProgressive]

23. AHA! It's all about Leonard Peltier!

Geffen's crying because Bill wouldn't pardon a murderer.
(see the Dowd comments)

[mod mom]

27. On Peltier:

"Amnesty International considers Leonard Peltier to be a political prisoner whose avenues of redress have long been exhausted.... Amnesty International recognizes that a retrial is no longer a feasible option and believes that Leonard Peltier should be immediately and unconditionally released."

-- Amnesty International, April 6, 1999

"I have been reading in Leonard Peltier's book, and about an hour ago I spoke with him .... He is a remarkable person and the depth of his spirituality shows .... I would hope that the campaign to have him freed will succeed. I certainly support it very passionately .... Because it is a blot on the judicial system of this country that ought to be corrected as quickly as possible."

-- Archbishop Desmond Tutu, April 18, 1999

"(Regarding FBI use of falsified testimony) .... I have nothing on my conscience at all."

-- U.S. Prosecutor Lynn Crooks

http://www.freepeltier.org/peltier_faq.htm

[MethuenProgressive]

30. What else would be on

http://www.freepeltier.org/peltier_faq.htm ?

[mod mom]

32. I don't think Amnesty Inter'l & Demond Tutu choose their words/support lightly,

[MethuenProgressive]

34. I'm sure they put in more thought than Geffen - but two FBI agents...

are dead and LP was convicted. You just can't expect/demand a Presidential pardon in this case.

[mod mom]

35. but one is ok for Marc Rich? Check out this DU link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=252817

[MethuenProgressive]

37. So he should've pardoned a 2Xmurderer, too?

That makes no sense.

[mod mom]

38. I'm sure Desmond Tutu and Amnesty Intern'l really reviewed the evidence b4

they expressed their opinions. I don't claim to be an expert on this case but I will say with great ease that I would accede to them before I would to Hillary, Wolfson and their ilk.

[karynnj]

42. I would argue NEITHER should have been pardoned

That Marc Rich was in the middle of many things - an investigation and trial was needed. He might then have been seen as someone ok to pardon or his crimes may have been too much - we don't know.

[karynnj]

43. I would argue NEITHER should have been pardoned

That Marc Rich was in the middle of many things - an investigation and trial was needed. He might then have been seen as someone ok to pardon or his crimes may have been too much - we don't know.

[WinkyDink]

64. I agree. Apples. oranges.

[blm]

60. Marc Rich's armsdealing for BFEE and global terrorists helped lead us to 9-11 and Iraq war.

Let's all pretend that Clinton really believed he was merely a tax evader.

[mucifer]

25. I'm very impressed with Geffen who has principles. The Leonard Peltier

move was the perfect reason to dump Clinton. He could easily find another 50.

[MethuenProgressive]

29. Peltier, serving lifeX2 for killing two FBI agents, gets pardoned?

I'm not OK with that. You have a right to your opinion, though.

[dflprincess]

47. There are many who think Peltier was set up.

I knew a couple people who knew him and they never believed he was guilty. The Feds were pulling a lot of crap out on Pine Ridge and Rosebud back then in their efforts to break AIM. Manufacturing evidence and convicting an innocent man tehy considered a thorn in their sides would have meant nothing to them.

[liberalpragmatist]

26. Geffen's comments were harsh and unfair...

... but he's a private citizen who's allowed to say what he wants. And why should Obama be blamed for something a private supporter of his said?

The Hillary camp made a big deal out of nothing, here. I just hope both camps will respond this ferociously to a right-wing assault.

[Nedsdag]

40. His comments were neither harsh nor unfair.

It made perfect sense to me.

You also have to realize he wasn't happy that Bill strong armed Geffen's business partner Steven Spielberg out of endorsing Obama. This is his way of getting back at them.

I can't say I blame him.

[roamer65]

57. Yep, Geffen's comments were simply Geffen's comments.

He's free to speak his mind. If Hillary doesn't like it, big whoop.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

28. Is this intended as sarcasm? n/t

[Geek_Girl]

33. This logic from the Hillary campaign doesn't make sense

Many on DU have made some very negative remarks about various democratic candidates. So by her logic none of us should be able to contribute to her or anyone else's campaign?

:crazy:

[Forkboy]

36. All her campaign accomplished today was to make her look like an ass.

[The Straight Story]

39. WTF does that mean really? Why is hillary bitching about obama when someone else

said something?

:shrug:

[mitchum]

45. Because Her Highness is just that way

[City Lights]

49. I don't get it either.

If her feathers were ruffled by Geffen's remarks, seems she should take it up with him rather than Obama.

[sniffa]

50. Look out!!

this outta make any ceLebrities that aren't backing her think twice before they put her down.

[Lerkfish]

51. or make any celebrities think twice before backing her in the first place

[blm]

52. WHY didn't they EVER use their attack machine to counter Bush2 from 2001-2006?

Why did they let the party take shit from Bush2 all those years Rove spread the meme that Clinton coddled terrorists and Democrats are weak on terror? Heck, they even let the Clintons trashed the White House lie go uncountered for 9 months.

The first time they ever even fought back against the Clinton to blame for 9-11 lie was in the fall of 2006.

Why didn't they speak out against Rove's lies against them earlier? Because it would have benefitted the Democratic PARTY at a time when they weren't yet running for president?

[Lerkfish]

55. correct. Political self-interest trumps allegiance to country

[Cha]

56. Oh, they're a crafty bunch.

Too bad for shill that the constituents are getting smarter and catching on to their tricks.

Hell, on some level Clinton made damn sure with lewinsky that Gore would have trouble getting in.

[sendero]

58. Exactly..

... Hillary gets tough when HER interests are threatened. The country can go straight to hell, she could care less.

Fuck HRC.

[k_jerome]

59. you go girl. don't let them swiftboat you. nt.

[Beelzebud]

67. When did she serve in the military, and when did Geffen insult her service?

Don't forget what "swiftboating" was.

It was a concentrated effort to smear someone's military service.

Geffen or Obama, or anyone else has done nothing like that to Clinton.

[Larkspur]

61. I have much harsher criticism of Hillary

She's a whore to Rupert Murdoch and to corporate interests in general.

This brohuha proves that Hillary is thinned skinned and not much different than Dubya in that regard.

[Zavulon]

63. If Hillary gets in a snit over crap like this,

just think of how bad it would be if she gets the nomination and the Repugs start slinging mud. They'll make her look like a psychotic shrew.

She's a thin-skinned, angry person who disgusts me more and more every day. God, I hope she doesn't get the nomination. Pulling the lever for her would be my only option unless someone like Clark or Obama switches parties and gets the GOP nomination (this is not a serious idea, mind you), but I'd feel like a whore.

[Beelzebud]

65. Her spokesman says his words don't speak for Hillary, but Geffen speaks for Obama?

If this is the way she "fights", then I hope to god she isn't our nominee...

Her spokesman on Hardball the other night was an idiot. He made the argument that his words didn't speak for Hillary Clinton, even though he works for her campaign; yet somehow Geffen directly speaks for Obama even though he isn't a part of Obama's campaign.

Confused? So were most of the people that watched the show.