Redstate

Posted at 10:48am on Jul. 1, 2008 *Becoming* Bill Clinton is no way to get his support, Senator Obama.

I don't think that you could pull it off anyway.

By Moe Lane

By all accounts, former President Clinton was and is one of those people who, five minutes after you've met him, you wonder why on earth you were ever infuriated with the man in the first place*. You seem to have a more, ah, ethereal charm.

Anyway, let's discuss welfare reform. You put up a nice little ad (H/T: Hot Air) where you talked about dignity, work, so on, so forth; and in the process, you had your people do a nice little rhetorical whirl that suggested that the legislation you signed reduced welfare rolls by 80%. A little fib, that, but we'll tentatively allow it for right now. At least you're pleased that the rolls were cut.

Yeah. About that.

ABC News' Teddy Davis and Gregory Wallace Report: Barack Obama aligned himself with welfare reform on Monday, launching a television ad which touts the way the overhaul "slashed the rolls by 80 percent." Obama leaves out, however, that he was against the 1996 federal legislation which precipitated the caseload reduction.

"I am not a defender of the status quo with respect to welfare," Obama said on the floor of the Illinois state Senate on May 31, 1997. "Having said that, I probably would not have supported the federal legislation, because I think it had some problems."

Oops.

Read on.

Posted in 2008 | Bill Clinton | Obamafiles | Welfare Reform — Comments (11)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:34pm on Jun. 24, 2008 The coveted Bill Clinton's spokesman's statement of support for Obama email.

Glorious.

By Moe Lane

Via Tommy Christopher of Political Machine comes this... simply, this:

"President Clinton is obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Senator Obama is the next president of the United States," Clinton's spokesman Matt McKenna told Reuters in a one-sentence e-mail.

Let us take a moment to examine this statement. I find it to be a deeply cynical exercise in political double-speak. I also find it to be a easily deniable piece of semantic-free fluff. I further find it to be a marvel of legalistic evasion that seeks to evoke the letter of a position while blithely evading its spirit - and if anything in these three statements are contradictory, well, the text itself aspires to a paradoxical state where it means nothing and everything simultaneously, thus allowing the reader to define whatever he or she chooses to. It is in fact a Rorschach made of pure, flavorless pap - but yet, it somehow seems to glory in that status.

In other words, it is precisely like the Obama primary campaign, and is thus all the response that the junior Senator from Illinois deserves.

Well played, former President Clinton. Well played, sir.

Moe Lane

Posted in Bill Clinton | Endorsements | First Cobra Civil War | Obamafiles — Comments (6)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:23am on Jun. 17, 2008 Obama promises that this time it will work

The magical power of Hope and Change

By Kevin Holtsberry

Obama continues to insist that his plans to use government to solve our energy challenges will work despite a long history of failure. Bill Clinton tried and failed but Obama won't because things are different:

The overall Obama economic approach echoes the 1992 presidential platform of Bill Clinton, who also launched his bid for the White House seeking a big expansion in infrastructure spending. But those plans were quickly shelved once he reached the White House. Congress rejected a proposal to steeply increase energy taxes, which could have been used to pay for the spending.

Clinton deficit hawks, especially then-White House economic adviser Robert Rubin, successfully argued that slashing the deficit would have a bigger impact on growth than boosting spending because markets would react favorably to a shrinking deficit. "Rubinomics" became the reigning Clinton economic strategy, and many labor leaders backing Sen. Obama worry that the 46-year-old senator ultimately will turn to Mr. Rubin, as Mr. Clinton did.

Sen. Obama waved off that concern. "I've got Bob Rubin on one hand [as an adviser] and [former Labor Secretary] Bob Reich on the other....I tend to be eclectic." Mr. Reich, has long championed infrastructure spending to boost jobs and the economy, and is a favorite of labor. He frequently and famously feuded with Mr. Rubin early in Mr. Clinton's term over the administration's ideological direction.

The chances of pushing through an infrastructure spending program are greater now than they were in 1992, Sen. Obama said, because of new concern about energy prices. Many alternative-energy projects -- clean-coal technology, wind-power generators and the like -- could be packaged as infrastructure. "The difference I would suggest is that there is a strong recognition in the public mind that we can't continue on our current energy path," he said. That means "there's a bigger opening to bring about change."

Its the magic of Change, you see. Obama is for it and so is the public. Presto! Outdated industrial policy magically works!

What's that you say? Haven't we tried this before? Yes, in fact we have. For more on that read on.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | Energy Policy | Jimmy | Obamafiles — Comments (1)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:32am on Jun. 6, 2008 Obama, Bill Clinton, and the Race Card

Was Bill Clinton right?

By Kevin Holtsberry

Now that the Democratic Primary is finally over and Hillary has admitted defeat - or at least agreed to a phased withdrawal or whatever - allow me to throw something out there that I have been thinking about lately.

Was Bill Clinton right when he claimed that the Obama campaign played the race card on him? The conventional wisdom has always been that the former president used race to try and diminish Obama in South Carolina and it backfired. Then when asked about it he ridiculously claimed that the infamous race card had been played against him. But I am coming around to Bill's side of things.

This new perspective comes from having read A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can't Win by Shelby Steele. Steele's book is well worth your time for its insights into the issue of race in America and into the unique position of Barack Obama as a presidential candidate.

For an explanation of why Obama had to play the race card, read on.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | Race In America — Comments (2)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:13pm on Jun. 2, 2008 Did Bill Clinton just announce that if his wife isn't nominated, he's sitting out the general election?

Transcript! Transcript! We need a full transcript!

By Moe Lane

Update as soon as I see the transcript, but check this out:

"I want to say also, that this may be the last day I'm ever involved in a campaign of this kind," the former president said at a town hall at the Milbank Visitor Center.

Matthew Berger's couching it in terms of him just campaigning for his wife (Allahpundit read it the same way), but there was nothing in there to suggest that he was limiting it to just this primary.

To be blunt about it, was this a threat?

Moe Lane

PS: Well, if you don't think that it was, surely you do think that somebody should get him to confirm that it wasn't, yes? Should be as easy as pie, if you're right.

Posted in Bill Clinton | Breaking News | Hillary Clinton — Comments (24)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:26am on May 28, 2008 "That's Right. Fight Amongst Yourselves." (The Bill Clinton Edition)

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

The former President is quite the partisan for his wife's candidacy. That's understandable. What is less understandable--but perfectly delightful for Republicans--is that he is going around and saying that if Barack Obama makes it to the general election, he will lose:

Former President Bill Clinton said that Democrats were more likely to lose in November if his wife Hillary Clinton is not the party's presidential nominee, and suggested some people were trying to "cover this up" and "push and pressure and bully" superdelegates to make up their minds prematurely.

"I can't believe it. It is just frantic the way they are trying to push and pressure and bully all these superdelegates to come out," he said at a South Dakota campaign stop Sunday, in remarks first reported by ABC News. "'Oh, this is so terrible: The people they want her. Oh, this is so terrible: She is winning the general election, and he is not. Oh my goodness, we have to cover this up.'"

The former president added that his wife had not been given the respect she deserved as a legitimate presidential candidate. "She is winning the general election today and he is not, according to all the evidence," he said. "And I have never seen anything like it. I have never seen a candidate treated so disrespectfully just for running."

"Her only position was, `Look, if I lose I'll be a good team player. We will all try to win -- but let's let everybody vote, and count every vote,'" he said.

The former president suggested that if the New York senator ended the primary season with an edge in the popular vote, it would be a significant development. "If you vote for her and she does well in Montana and she does well in Puerto Rico, when this is over she will be ahead in the popular vote," said Clinton.

"And they're trying to get her to cry uncle before the Democratic Party has to decide what to do in Florida and Michigan" - which the party would need to do "unless we want to lose the election."

He went on to say that Hillary Clinton holds an advantage in the Electoral College and that the press was not reporting on the issue--all of which indicates that the Clintons are more than willing to go down swinging and that they are perfectly prepared to wreck the Democratic party if they are not allowed to lead it in the fall election.

This is bitterness, of course. But it is bitterness with a purpose. Working class Democrats who have been averse to Obama's candidacy may find in these comments an excuse to sit on their hands come election time in the fall. Make no mistake: Bill Clinton knows exactly what he is doing when he makes these statements.

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | The Best Democratic Primary EVER — Comments (5)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:21pm on May 4, 2008 On Albert Hunt's Mishmash Column

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

Albert Hunt has written an editorial in which he wonders--at long last, one might add--what has happened to Bill Clinton:

Hillary Clinton will have nightmares about her botched run for the presidency; it'll be worse for Bill Clinton.

Clinton's impressive Pennsylvania primary victory exposed Barack Obama's general-election vulnerabilities. However, there is nothing to suggest Clinton would be a stronger nominee.

Thus, Obama remains the clear favorite to win the nomination, and the New York senator's painful legacy, in the most important professional endeavor of her life, will have been picking the wrong people and putting together a deeply flawed campaign.

In time she will have fresh opportunities; perhaps a Senate leadership role, or she may emulate Edward M. Kennedy as a truly great lawmaker, or, if Obama loses, make another run for the White House with lessons learned.

It's going to be tougher for her husband. The most talented and resilient politician of this generation has damaged his standing with gaffes, political miscalculations and a series of paranoiac, volcanic eruptions.

A common question these days among political heavyweights, including longtime Clinton devotees, is this: How can a guy this smart act so dumb?

Read on . . .

Posted in 2008 | Bill Clinton — Comments (9)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:17am on Apr. 11, 2008 Super Rich Clintons continue to bleed taxpayers

It's not about giving so much as taking.

By Kevin Holtsberry

Not content to have parlayed their public service into great wealth, the Clintons continue to cost the taxpayers money. It seems that, despite having written a book on it, former President Clinton feels more comfortable getting paid for charity than giving it:

The Clintons have made a $100-million fortune since leaving the White House, but a Politico analysis found that hasn’t kept Bill Clinton from taking full advantage of the publicly funded perks offered to ex-presidents.

In fact, his presidential retirement benefits cost taxpayers almost as much as those of the other two living ex-presidents combined.

The price tag for Clinton’s federal retirement allowance from 2001 through the end of this year will run $8 million, compared to $5.5 million for George H. W. Bush’s and $4 million for Jimmy Carter’s during the same period.

Since 2001, Clinton has received more of almost every benefit available to former presidents — from his pension to his staff’s salaries and benefits to supplies. His $420,000 phone bill and $3.2 million office rent tab both nearly surpassed the totals rung up for those purposes by Bush, Carter and the late former presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan combined. As a group, they spent $484,000 on telephone service and $3.8 million on rent in the same span.

For why this is emblematic of the Clintons see below.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Bill Clinton | Hillary Clinton — Comments (17)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:25pm on Apr. 9, 2008 Pardongate Flashback: The Return of Hugh Rodham

By Kevin Holtsberry

Hugh Rodham has been on the campaign trail for his sister:

The brother of Senator Hillary Clinton told about 60 farmers on Thursday that he heard their concerns about dairy pricing and would bring them to the presidential candidate.

"I really appreciate what you told me today," Hugh Rodham said. "I will convey what you said in the strongest terms to my sister."

Rodham was speaking at a farm along Schoolhouse Hill Road owned by Ken and Connie Teel, during a rally organized by the Progressive Agriculture Organization.

The rally was the first stop in a bus tour by Rodham across the region in the next seven days at 18 locations, including New Milford and Towanda on Thursday.

Why is this important? Well, Hugh Rodham has a rather colorful past and one that you would think would keep him as far away from Hillary's political career as possible.

Posted in 2008 | Bill Clinton | Hillary Clinton | Pardongate — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:21pm on Apr. 9, 2008 Bill And Hillary Split

By California Yankee

The Hillary Campaign acknowledges that, like Hillary's recently demoted strategist in chief Mark Penn, Bill Clinton "supports a free trade agreement with Colombia that she [Hillary] strenuously opposes:"

Posted in 2008 | Bill Clinton | Columbia | Hillary Clinton | Mark Penn — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 4:11pm on Mar. 20, 2008 Hillary and the character question

Is Hillary's scandal filled past relevent?

By Kevin Holtsberry

This is a question that has been nagging me for quite some time. Is there any way that Hillary's past ends up having a major impact on this campaign? Obviously, that past has already had an impact in that it has played a role in a certain segment of the population choosing not to vote for her; some indications are that it is a sizable and committed segment of voters.

But what I am getting at is whether that information is already "baked in" or whether there are voters considering voting for Hillary, or who are noncommittal, who could be reminded of the huge pile of baggage Hillary carries and change their minds.

The media focus on Hillary's release of her schedule this week is a perfect example. I understand the desire to find new information, to break a story, but there is so much information we already know about her that is less than flattering that I wonder if people think it is a legitimate subject of discussion.

Do Democrats simply not want to believe that Hillary played a role in all the scandals and problems of the Clinton White House? Does character and integrity not matter?

Read On.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Bill Clinton | Hillary Clinton — Comments (5)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:23pm on Mar. 15, 2008 Hillary's Scorched Earth Tactics

Why would she suddenly decide to rise above it all and put her party first?

By Richard H Collins

Democrats have to be asking themselves how they got to this point. Hopes of a quick and definitive primary have disappeared and they find themselves embroiled in a bitter stalemate punctuated with accusations of racism and sexism while the GOP nominee uses the time to raise money and mend fences.

The irony of course is that Hillary Clinton has gone from being the inevitable and early nominee to waging a desperate battle until the convention; from planning an above the fray campaign with feints to the center to throwing everything she can think of at her opponent no matter the ideological coherence or potential damage to the party.

And with the awkward question of what to do with the delegates from Michigan and Florida still left unresolved, Democrats have to be wondering how far and how ugly this can go.

A few things are clear: Hillary won’t give up as long as there is a slim chance for victory and she will use all available weapons. If there is a remotely plausible scenario where she wins, she will hang on. If a tactic has a chance of giving her an advantage, no matter how temporary, she will use it.

What sometimes gets lost in the mythology and nostalgia surrounding the Clintons, particularly among hardcore Democrats, is that their primary mode of politics is to attack in order to survive.

Read on for more on this pattern and its implications.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | Hillary Clinton — Comments (18)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 4:11pm on Mar. 11, 2008 Obama backers getting fired for telling the truth about Hillary?

By Kevin Holtsberry

Crossposted at the Stop Her Now blog.

First we had the whole Samantha Powers "monster" comment. Now, Hillary may not be an actual "monster" but everyone knew what she meant and a sizable portion of the country agrees with her. Hillary may very well be a wonderful daughter, and a great mother - and all indications are just that - but she is a cold hearted operator when it comes to political combat.

She once told a close friend in the White House: "Your problem is that you are not mean enough." She was hell on wheels when her husband was president and caused untold damage in the process. Find me a person who worked with her regularly in the White House who enjoyed it. I bet you can't do it.

And does anyone want to argue that she has changed in this campaign? She and her advisers are willing to throw out any accusation not matter how specious and any spin not matter how farcical just to stay in the game. They play to win not to make friends.

This is really all Powers was saying. Was she a bit naive for thinking that Hillary would act differently with fellow Democrats or for thinking she could say something like that "off the record"? Sure. But she simply blurted out the truth in a moment of weakness.

So along comes an Obama supporter who has just about had enough of the Clintons, but who made the cardinal sin in the Democratic Party: he brought up the huge pile of skeletons in Hillary's closet. This is a Republican tactic! It is just like Karl Rove! It can't be allowed. Said supporter is promptly asked to resign and the Obama campaign repudiates his statements.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | Hillary Clinton | Samantha Powers — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:15am on Feb. 21, 2008 How Hillary Got Here

Her unique blend of arrogance and stubbornness has been her undoing.

By Richard H Collins

Everyone, with the possible exception of Mark Penn, must realize that Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign is hanging on the precipice. Her opponent Senator Barrack Obama has more money and a better organization; he has won more states and built more momentum – Tuesday's Wisconsin and Haiwii wins were his ninth and tenth in a row. Even her husband has admitted that she needs to win Ohio and Texas if she expects to continue.

Remarkably, however, the candidate herself refuses to admit this obvious fact. In a recent interview with the Columbus Dispatch she denied that Ohio was a must win state. Some might view this as typical political spin, but anyone familiar with Hillary’s history will recognize her unique blend of arrogance and stubbornness.

Hillary has a long history of refusing to acknowledge obvious truths and stubbornly clinging to her own version of events. This pattern can be found in the scandals and failures of her husband’s administration and in her faltering presidential campaign. It is a constant in any even perfunctory review of her public life.

More after the jump.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Bill Clinton | Hillary Clinton — Comments (1)/ Email this page » / Read More »