Jadeite wrote:
Why not? It's not like her campaign hasn't made plenty of other enormous blunders. Hell, their chief strategist didn't even realize California awarded delegates proportionally, and that's not even the stupidest thing they've done. People say stupid things all the time, particularly politicians. She was talking about the fact that nomination races lasting until June have happened before, and brought up a bad example to illustrate it. Nothing more. Quite frankly, this is the sort of bullshit fuss over pointless things that is more appropriate to idiot Republicans.
The fact you seem to want to compare this to Republican blustering just shows you don't actually understand the implications of joking about this sort of thing. . .I'll bet if she made blatantly racist remarks you'd be willing to dismiss it as pointless too.
Christ, give it a rest. Do you get this worked up over all pointless bullshit, or just this?
Do you ever have anything to say that isn't a completely banal non-sequitor?
"It's you Americans. There's something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we'd be romping around naked on the stage here."
Jadeite your missing the point, this is a woman who proudly said "WHITE PEOPLE VOTE FOR ME" When it was not true
RACIST WHITE PEOPLE vote for me is correct.
She spent the last three weeks making this her one and only talking point, I get the Racists white vote much better than the black man does.
And then after weeks of saying this she says "I'm in this race because you never know what might happen in June."
And she ends her speech with "The only way I can win is with your help"
Normally the last is a throwaway line, but for fuck sake you don't go on and on for weeks on how White(Racist) people all vote for you, then make a comment which has the undertones of "Gee if only someone could assassinate this Black guy I could win!"
It's at that level, it's at the level of "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?"
"A cult is a religion with no political power." -Tom Wolfe Pardon me for sounding like a dick, but I'm playing the tiniest violin in the world right now-Dalton
Jadeite, a politician needs to be smart enough and astute enough not to fuck with comments like that. I remember when President Reagan "joked" about declaring Russian illegal and bombing was to begin in five minutes. It displays a certain irresponsibility. She is running for an office that would make her the representative of the American people, and what she says will be listened to.
Hillary knows Obama is hated because of his race, she's made comments about him & Robert Kennedy before... she's not just making a tired slip of the tongue comment, she's running off at the mouth and talking smack like she's at the home town bar with her beer buddies.
Someone who can't watch their mouth in situations like this will make a very poor face to the world-- definitely not what we need at this time. W Bush's only saving grace is that half the time he's so inarticulate no one is sure if he's just insulted them, threatened them, or ordered a decaf latte.
Something about Libertarianism always bothered me. Then one day, I realized what it was:
Libertarian philosophy can be boiled down to the phrase, "Work Will Make You Free."
In Libertarianism, there is no Government, so the Bosses are free to exploit the Workers.
In Communism, there is no Government, so the Workers are free to exploit the Bosses.
So in Libertarianism, man exploits man, but in Communism, its the other way around! If all you want to do is have some harmless, mindless fun, go H3RE INST3ADZ0RZ!! Grrr! Fight my Brute, you pansy!
Mr Bean wrote:
It's at that level, it's at the level of "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?"
You're two pages late with that.
The Excellent Prismatic Spray. For when you absolutely, positively must kill a motherfucker. Accept no substitutions. Contact a magician of the later Aeons for details. Some conditions may apply.
Mr Bean wrote:
It's at that level, it's at the level of "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?"
You're two pages late with that.
"This is no harmless mistake, this is everything but her shouting, "Won't someone rid me of this troublesome Priest!""
See Page 1 and who wrote that FIRST? Oh yeah... me that's who.
It's a good theme so I'm sticking to it.
"A cult is a religion with no political power." -Tom Wolfe Pardon me for sounding like a dick, but I'm playing the tiniest violin in the world right now-Dalton
AGUADILLA, Puerto Rico (Reuters) - Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama empathized with rival Hillary Clinton on Saturday for the firestorm she ignited by referring to the 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy.
"I have learned that when you are campaigning for as many months as Senator Clinton and I have been campaigning, sometimes you get careless in terms of the statements that you make and I think that is what happened here," Obama said in an interview with Radio Isla Puerto Rico during a campaign visit to the Caribbean Island and U.S. territory.
On Friday, Clinton cited the June 1968 assassination of Kennedy during his Democratic presidential campaign to help explain why she was still in the race for the party's nomination.
"My husband (Bill Clinton) did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California," she told a South Dakota newspaper's editorial board.
Clinton's reference to the Kennedy assassination drew a quick rebuke on Friday from Obama's campaign and she apologized.
Kennedy, brother of slain U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, was assassinated in Los Angeles just after winning the California Democratic primary.
Obama has a nearly insurmountable lead in delegates to the party's nominating convention after months of contests that began in January, but Clinton has refused to give up until the last votes are cast and counted. The Democratic nominee will face Republican John McCain in the November election.
With Puerto Rico set to hold its Democratic nominating contest next Sunday, Obama and Clinton both campaigned on the island on Saturday. Fifty-five delegates will be up for grabs in the June 1 vote, with Clinton favored to win the bulk of them. The territory cannot vote in the presidential election.
Clinton made no reference to the Kennedy remark in addressing a rally of several hundred people in the coastal town of Aguadilla after Obama went on a parade-style walk through San Juan.
Instead, she sought to rally the crowd, saying, "If you stand for me, I will fight for you every day in the White House." They responded with chants of "Hillary, Hillary."
TABOO TOPIC
While Clinton's remarks drew headlines and became a hot topic of debate on talk shows, her campaign made it clear it believed the flap had been overblown and would subside.
"Senator Clinton was very clear yesterday when she explained she was simply raising historical references," noting some Democratic primary campaigns had stretched into June, Clinton campaign spokesman Mo Elleithee said on Saturday.
There have long been concerns about the safety of Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president. The Illinois senator was given Secret Service protection 18 months before the November election -- earlier than any other candidate has received increased security.
Clinton's comment brought up the taboo topic of the possibility of a rival's assassination, and political analysts said the remark was a serious gaffe.
"This is serious. It's more serious because there were already questions about why Hillary Clinton was still in the race and what she was hoping for," said Calvin Jillson, political science professor at Southern Methodist University.
"What she articulated was the most catastrophic possibility," he said. Jillson said the reference to Kennedy's assassination made the chance of Clinton being asked to be Obama's vice presidential running mate even more unlikely.
The state-by-state nominating contests end on June 3, when 15 delegates will be awarded in South Dakota and 16 in Montana. Clinton will spend much of the rest of next week campaigning in those two states.
The Democratic nominee will likely be decided by the nearly 800 superdelegates -- members of Congress and other party insiders -- free to vote for whomever they want. Most have endorsed Obama.
Puerto Rico's relationship with the United States is the central issue in the island's politics. Both Clinton and Obama support allowing Puerto Ricans to decide for themselves whether they want to try for statehood or keep their current status.
There are 3.9 million residents on the island, which has a median income half that of the poorest U.S. state, and an almost equal number of Puerto Ricans live on the mainland.
I'd like to re-emphasize this
"I have learned that when you are campaigning for as many months as Senator Clinton and I have been campaigning, sometimes you get careless in terms of the statements that you make and I think that is what happened here," Obama said in an interview with Radio Isla Puerto Rico during a campaign visit to the Caribbean Island and U.S. territory.
After Senator Clinton apologized, Senator Obama appears to have taken her at her word, that it was poorly worded.
"I have learned that when you are campaigning for as many months as Senator Clinton and I have been campaigning, sometimes you get careless in terms of the statements that you make and I think that is what happened here," Obama said in an interview with Radio Isla Puerto Rico during a campaign visit to the Caribbean Island and U.S. territory.
On one hand: Repeating it several times in several different locations would lend one to believe it was a deliberate statement, rather than a careless remark.
On the other hand: Fuck yeah Obama, taking what could be the most *blatant* attack by Clinton ever, and turning it on it's head by going, "Yeah, no biggie, we all make mistakes." Telling someone who just possibly called for your assassination that, hey, it's all good, instead of immediately attacking back (though that would be highly justified at this point) will win huge fucking PR points.
Respect for him continues to go up after this display of smooth charisma and willingness to swallow pride to make a point.
Gaian Paradigm: Because not all fantasy has to be childish crap. Ephemeral Pie: Because not all role-playing has to be shallow. My art: Because not all DA users are talentless emo twits. "Phant, quit abusing the He-Wench before he turns you into a caged bitch at a Ren Fair and lets the tourists toss half munched turkey legs at your backside." -Mr. Coffee
"I have learned that when you are campaigning for as many months as Senator Clinton and I have been campaigning, sometimes you get careless in terms of the statements that you make and I think that is what happened here," Obama said in an interview with Radio Isla Puerto Rico during a campaign visit to the Caribbean Island and U.S. territory.
After Senator Clinton apologized, Senator Obama appears to have taken her at her word, that it was poorly worded.
Washington Post wrote: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."
You have got to be kidding, Obama practically says "It's all good mang" and they turn around and accuse him of fanning a controversy? Just how far out of touch with reality are these fuckers?
But hey I guess anything will do, just keep throwing shit until something sticks
“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” - Oscar Wilde.
Oh wow, she's gone from appearing like a petulant child through politi-speak... to just plain acting like a petulant child.
Hillary: I'm staying in because he might get assassinated!
Many, many people: Wow, that was a really stupid thing to say.
Hillary: Oopsie, I guess.
Obama: Hey, lay off, everyone makes mistakes, right?
Hillary: It's his fault! His his his!
I can't wait to hear the shitstorm that gets kicked up over this. I mean the Obama team's already in full charisma mode, they've got to have a smooth reply up for this.
Gaian Paradigm: Because not all fantasy has to be childish crap. Ephemeral Pie: Because not all role-playing has to be shallow. My art: Because not all DA users are talentless emo twits. "Phant, quit abusing the He-Wench before he turns you into a caged bitch at a Ren Fair and lets the tourists toss half munched turkey legs at your backside." -Mr. Coffee
The Clinton campaign is just looking more and more like a train wreck. Whoever is in charge there is an idiot. There's no way it can serve their campaigns interests to keep this in the news. It's unlikely Senator Obama will clinch the nomination off of the remaining primaries, but after that all Senator Clinton's previously won delegates will be up for grabs, and her campaign is just looking less and less rational as these accusations get flung around, this is probably going to cost her delegates if this thing reaches the second vote at the convention on June 3rd (I think that's the date).
She doesn't know when to shut up, she doesn't know how to shut up.
And this is the woman Ready From Day One™ to outwit terrorists and the GOP, eh...?
When ballots have fairly and constitutionally decided, there can be no successful appeal back to bullets.
—Abraham Lincoln
People pray so that God won't crush them like bugs.
—Dr. Gregory House
Oil an emergency?! It's about time, Brigadier, that the leaders of this planet of yours realised that to remain dependent upon a mineral slime simply doesn't make sense.
—The Doctor "Terror Of The Zygons" (1975)
She's like a compulsive gambler. Even if her losses keep mounting beyond the point of any realistic recovery, she keeps playing her system, because she knows her system works. I'm sure the underlying psychology is very similar, especially in light of the way she keeps using the same tactics even though people are clearly getting sick of them.
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
Actually, she probably IS a compulsive gambler. And like many of them, her habit has put her seriously in debt: $30 million in debt.
I want to think of a quip about her "Day One!" claims and budget management, but I think they've already been used for everything else.
DPDarkPrimus is my boyfriend!
SDNW4 Nation: The Refuge And, on Nova Terra, Al-Stan the Totally and Completely Honest and Legitimate Weapons Dealer and Used Starship Salesman slept on a bed made of money, with a blaster under his pillow and his sombrero pulled over his face. This is to say, he slept very well indeed.
