Clinton Accuses Obama Campaign of Twisting Words on Race
RENO, NEV. — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday faulted chief rival Barack Obama’s campaign for twisting her comments about slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Clinton was questioned by reporters about South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn’s reaction to her comments last week that seemed to suggest that President Lyndon B. Johnson should get more credit for passage of major civil rights legislation rather than King.
Clyburn, in an interview in The New York Times, had expressed disappointment in the Clinton campaign over what she had said as well as former President Clinton’s remark in New Hampshire about Obama telling a “fairy tale” in his opposition to the Iraq war.
“I regret the way that this matter has been used,” Clinton told reporters. “The comments about it are baseless and divisive. I was personally offended at the approach taken that was not only misleading but unnecessarily hurtful.”
She suggested reporters consider the sources of the criticism, much of which has come from the black community.
“I think it clearly came from Senator Obama’s campaign and I don’t think it’s the kind of debate we should be having in our campaign,” she said.
Clyburn, one of the leading Democrats in South Carolina and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, has said he will remain neutral in the Democratic presidential primary. South Carolina Democrats vote on Jan. 26.
But the reaction to Clinton’s remarks — and comments by surrogates for her candidacy — have riled many in the black community. On Friday, her husband, former President Clinton, called the Rev. Al Sharpton’s radio program to say his comment about Barack Obama telling a “fairy tale” about opposing the war in Iraq has been misconstrued as a criticism of the senator’s White House bid.
“There’s nothing ‘fairy tale’ about his campaign. It’s real, it’s strong, and he might win,” Clinton said in a phone interview for Sharpton’s Radio One network talk show.
Clinton said his “fairy tale” remark on the eve of the New Hampshire primary — won by his wife — was only intended to describe Obama’s claim to have exercised better judgment about the war, not as a sign of “personal disrespect.”
Race looms large in the South Carolina primary, where half the Democratic electorate is black. Obama, the winner in Iowa, and Hillary Clinton, the victor in New Hampshire, are counting on a win in the state ahead of the mega-contests on Feb. 5.
Separately, the Clinton campaign named finance co-chairs Maureen White and Hassan Nemazee to help with fundraising.
A previous poster declares, “Bill and Hillary are not racists… .”
Maybe not… they just seem to always be pandering to those who are.
Way to go Hillary, bash others and then complain when you get called out for being exactly who you are, a Washington politician that will do anything to get elected. Someone who cares about themselves and not the country. Clinton does not and should not become the nominee let alone President. I think our country would benefit from a woman President. But the right woman, not just a woman. Clinton politics must leave the american landscape. The way of destroy everybody so we can win is bad for America. Obama, Guilianni, Romney, Thompson is who I am looking at for my vote.
I have watched this campaing coverage for some time now and I have discovered somthing. The only ones who are arguing against each other on racial issues are the Democratic candidates. And, not surprisingly, they all are adamantly defending themselves as champions of the Afican American community. Somthing does not add up about all this racial banter. Too much time spent on proving themselves to be something they’re not and less time spent on issues that conceran all Americans. If a candidate is not the champion of ALL Americans, regardless of race, then they are not the champion of anyone except themselves! My granddaddy used to say, “Why are you defending yourself so hard? Are you guilty of something?” I suggest that these candidates fit the quote from William Shakespear, “Methinks thou protesteth too loudly”. Vote for those who are for ALL Americans.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA: IS A VERY GOOD SPOKSMAN AND HE HAS BEGAN TO SCARE ME, HE FALLS TO VOTE ON KEY ISSUES, DOES NOT HOLD HIS HAND OVER HIS HEART FOR THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG OUR FLAG OF THE U.S. OF A, IN WHICH ALL OF OUR PEOPLE OF THE PAST AND PRESENT HAVE AND ARE DIEING FOR. THE TRUTH ALL THE TRUTH, ABOUT THIS MAN NEEDS TO COME OUT AND BE SHOUTED ON THE MOUNTIAN TOP, BEFOR ITS TO LATE. MY VOTE IS GOING FOR ONE WHO CARES, THAT IS NOT AFRAID TO STAND UP AND DO WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO GET THE JOB DONE, THAT TRULEY CARES FOR ALL THE PEOPLE OF OUR GREAT NATION,”VOTE SEN. HILLARY CLINTON 2008.”
Make Hillary president. Or make Obama. I don’t care. I’m funding them both in order to get the ball rolling for extinction of 90% of the planet. I use “terrorists” to sway your vote, but you’re not scared of what’s real. Just the illusion of what is real. What I want you to see. (You’re the ones who should be wearing tin foil hats.
And whatever you do, don’t vote Ron Paul. That would be SCAAAAAAARRRRRRYYYYYY!!!! Oooooooooo!!!
THE MEDIA IS TRYING TO SWAY THE PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR OBAMA. THEY WOULD HAVE A FIELD DAY WITH HIM. OBAMA IS MAKING THE BLACK/WHITE AN ISSUE..even more
Barrack Obama ……….Will stop the war in Iraq and many others ……..that is where all our young men are or gone, and he has the strength to do it , do you think all these young college kids would vote for him if they thought different, its
their brothers and sisters and friends dying over there, its not the old generation
out there fighting ,those are the ones sending them to war WAKE UP AMERICA
Or maybe we need someone even younger……
Obama 2008
USA
Some of you have yourselfs very confused or you are not paying
attention it is the Clintons playing the race card Mr. Obama never
once lowered himself to their level …….. We need this intelligent
young MAN for president even if it just brings peace to this country!
I believe he is going to be the only one that will be able to communicate
with Africa and alot of other countrys, hes young ,hes brilliant, he is full
of energy, and most of all NEW and refreshing…………….is there not
one person out there that is not tired of the same old, same old ! I
really think you should give this MAN the chance to become President Of The United States ! Obama 2008
USA
HR
For Trudy… I guess that’s why Mrs. Clinton was re-elected to the Senate!
Get informed and get your facts.
Tears of fear for being a loser, I guess you must know Mrs. Clinton well and she told you or you have devine powers. Neither I assume.
Talk about the issues, go on line and look up all that Mrs.Clinton has accomplished..Get informed! If you don’t like her thats OK, but idiotic uninformed bias comments are low blows.
I
Obama is BIRACIAL the news doesn’t put in front of their audience that is what he is!!! He is ashamed of his white family. Last Christmas he didn’t even go to his Grandmother’s house his white grandmother’s house he chose go see his KENYA family instead supposely they are POOR ( according to an article in a chicago newspaper I saw online. Kenya family poor but he buy a 1+ million dollar house what has he done for that family!!!! We never see him with his family in Illnois his mom, his grandmother, and his sister. If anyone in the news has the Guts to exploit the REAL OBAMA what he has cleared himself of. If an white person points out this they are RACISTS but what is he….. It is wrong to be BIRACIAL he expresses to us and all biracial children….. Being BIRACIAL is such a terrible thing to him. Then why did he and his wife bring children into this world. What would he have done if one of his children were born white since both parents are BIRACIAL…. I can’t even watch him on television or listen to him on the radio if he is not true to who he is then how can I believe any political promises he has….. Him bad mouthing his opponents all white tehn he is RACIST why is it only RACISTS if a white person opens their mouth????!!! And OPRAH backing him just shows what the world has come to. She has been taped making funny that her whole staff is WHITE….. Boy is that changing the world reverse HATRED…… What RACE will be next till the world works together so everyone can succeed and enjoy life….. Everyone is out for themself…..!!!! Why won’t the media have the GUTS to help bring reality on the front page…… OBAMA stop with the lies what are you teaching your DAUGHTERS….. I don’t care what color a person is but ignoring oneside of one’s heritige is disgusting!!!! How can one support FAmily Values when they have none! Stop running OBAMA you are a FAKE…… You don’t like it here go back to KENYA and start hate wars there because the United States has had ENOUGH of the HATE how can we continue to teach children to be kind to others and help others….. Have to sign off I am so sick of it all…