You know, I’ve heard a lot of things since Hillary Clinton won three primaries in a row on Tuesday and showed this nation that she’s still in this race. And while I may disagree with how the Obama folks want to see Tuesday’s results, I’d think that we all wouldn’t resort to nasty namecalling. I guess I can’t say the same about Obama foreign policy adviser Samantha Power.
“We f*** up in Ohio,” she admitted. “In Ohio, they are obsessed and Hillary is going to town on it, because she knows Ohio’s the only place they can win.”
“She is a monster, too that is off the record she is stooping to anything,” Ms Power said, hastily trying to withdraw her remark.
Wow. Just wow. Where do I start here? I don’t know what Samantha Power first learned about Democratic Party politics, but I guess she never learned the part about not calling your fellow Democrats “monsters”. Oh, and what is she trying to say about us working-class Democratic voters? That we’re stupid for supporting Hillary? That we’re crazy for “obsessing” over the plight of working families in this nation?
Sorry, Ms. Power, but I don’t think Hillary is “a monster” for caring about working people. I don’t think she’s “desperate” for working her hardest every day to serve this nation. And no, I don’t think all of us supporting Hillary are “stupid” or “obsessed” because we trust her to do what’s best for working people as our next President.
Ms. Power, if you don’t like what happened on Tuesday, then tell your boss Barack Obama to change his message and start acting more like someone who’s ready to go to bat for America’s working people. But if you and anyone else in the Obama campaign seek to win by tearing this party apart and smearing other Democrats with dirty namecalling, then don’t expect to get anywhere. Far too many of us refuse to go there.
That this is getting so much attention in the media is crazy. The comment was inappropriate, and someone who has as much experience as Ms. Power should know better than not to say such a thing to the press, whether it’s on or off the record.
But the way it’s being presented makes it seem like no one in the Clinton camp has EVER said such a thing about Obama. I’d wager that things have indeed been said; they just weren’t caught and published by a reporter.
It fascinates me that some try to equate this remark with the ones Senator Clinton herself has made to imply that John McCain has more experience that Barack Obama. Those were made directly by the candidate, multiple times. Those were intentional, and in my mind more troubling.
Ms. Power did not believe that Ms. Clinton is a monster for any of the good works she does. It was in the context of how she is campaigning. It doesn’t make her comments appropriate, but they should be considered in appropriate light.
And Obama is being called to fire Power. To me, rather than show strength, it would show weakness, to remove a trusted advisor just because a stupid comment that was never meant for publication is being made big news. If he does any such thing, then I’ll really wonder about his judgment.
Ms. Power has resigned, as she should.
But to say that this post is a melodramatic overreaction would be the understatement of the century.
Samantha Power has also apologized. Case closed.
Everyone-
Gimme a break! If this were a Hillary Clinton advisor calling Obama a “monster”, I’m sure a lot of you would be calling for Hillary’s head right now. And yes, I’m glad that Power resigned. Whenever anyone in Hillary’s camp gets out of line, they’re dealt with IMMEDIATELY. It’s about time that Obama start holding his own accountable for engaging in unnecessary personal attacks on Hillary.
I normally agree with you Andrew, but this is an area where we disagree. I prefer Obama as the Dem nominee, but I think Hillary has a lot of strengths and I would support her in the general.
But I don’t think the magnitude of what the two campaigns are doing re: negative attacks is comparable, at least as far as this incident is concerned. I also don’t believe the Clinton campaign deals with everyone who’s out of line immediately. The candidate herself should make some apologies in my view for the McCain support.
Power has resigned. It’s a loss and I think it’s wrong that she had to do so, but I think it’s what had to be done under the circumstance. We can thank her for lacking the tact to suppress her comment but even more thank the media for making it the top story of the election. There are way more important things they should be spending their time on, but this was the easy gotcha.
OK, Andrew. You want to get into it? Let’s talk about Billy Shaheen. Let’s talk about the Iowa staffers sending emails. Let’s talk about the photograph. Let’s talk about who actually contacted the Canadian government about NAFTA. Oh, I know. Let’s talk about what your candidate herself said about Obama’s religion.
Or shall we say that no one’s perfect – not even Hillary Clinton – and Samantha Power did what she should: immediately apologize and resign.
I smell desperation. Obama can’t attack now without cutting off his own head, so he sends a lackey in to do the dirty work using the guise of an ‘off the record’ comment by an underling.
And someone explain to me why he kept shoving ‘yes we can’ down our throats after Hillary clearly thumped him in 3 out of four primaries and trumped him with ‘yes we will!’ Obama needs to add substance to that incredible charisma or voters will quickly realize that Bill Clilnton, for better or worse, was right when he called Obama’s success a ‘fairy tale.’
He needs to find a new voice or he’ll find himself to be a historical footnote. If his camp has to stoop to this level to beat a fellow Democrat, then I’m sorry ‘my friends,’ but John McCain will manhandle him, especially in the experience department.
Yes Barack, like it or not, when it comes to Presidential politics, Hope without real solutions is just the town in which Bill Clinton grew up!
SMS
Oh… and another thing. What could possibly be said about Hillary Clinton that we don’t already know anyway? Whitewater 2 anyone? I seriously doubt it. I don’t even think Ken Starr would (or could) touch the Clinton’s with a 10 foot pole at this point!
SMS
I applaud Obama’s quick action in requesting Power’s resignation. Along with Clinton’s action in asking for her staffers resignation for innapropriate comments earlier in the campaign, show that both of these candidates are behaving ethically.
This is a tough campaign and while some are getting riled up by political tactics, when the campaigns have crossed the line, these leaders have done the right thing. Thats more than can be said about the 8 years of Bush/Cheney.
We’ll be ok with either one of these two leaders!
Whenever anyone in Hillary’s camp gets out of line, they’re dealt with IMMEDIATELY.
Uh-huh. I’m holding my breath over here waiting for Howard Wolfson’s apology and resignation after his over-the-top comparison of Obama to Kenneth Starr.
(Or maybe not … I mean, spending over $40 million of public money on a Republican-orchestrated witchhunt to persecute the President? Having the audacity to ask the Clintons to release their post-White House tax returns? I could see how anyone might get confused!)
Andrew – How many people have had to apologize on the Clinton side for comments? Too many to count. Wolfson is the worse, he compared Obama to Ken Starr yesterday.
This woman who called Clinton a “monster” is an idiot, yes, I said it. She’s been fired as she should have been. But to jump and down and point fingers when Clinton has had surrogates say much worse and there be crickets for days before it’s addressed or handled seems to have escaped you at this time.
OH and Clinton herself likes to compare herself to McCain and how they are both so much more qualified than Obama. I’m at the point now where nothing out of her mouth could shock me.
Hey, Andrew, guess what? I think Hillary is a monster. She had me for a little while before New Hampshire, but her crap about McCain being better qualified than Obama? Nice. She’s gone negative because she loses when you compare her policies directly with Obama’s. Nor do I understand her lifetime of experience line. As opposed to Obama’s what? Non-lifetime of nothing? She’s been a corporate lawyer and a first lady, and wow, she’s in her second whole Senate term. Does he not have the judgment to answer the phone? As opposed to Hillz, who recently voted to authorize invasion of IRAN? Fuck her.
This whole story is crap, and you are acting like a hysterical ninny.
Love,
Becca
1) Power made a stupid remark and she apologized. I would have been fine with it right there barring some serial repetition. She resigned either because a) she realized her staying on would be a distraction and a target for Andrew and/or b)the Obama campaign figured this out for her and gave her the graceful way out. As Bill said in a spinless moment, no one’s perfect. Well said.
2) This stuff happens in campaigns. Two bloggers on John Edwards campaign payroll resigned for some anti-Catholic garbage(unrelated to the campaign) and when Edwards refused to fire them the formula in #1 kicked in and they resigned. Bill Shaheen, Hillary Clinton’s New Hampshire campaign co-chair resigned after telling the press that the Republicans would go after Obama for Barack’s youthful drug use. Red and yellow cards get used in this game.
3) Politics is a contact sport. Primaries are like spring training, they get you ready for the fall. While its good to remember we’re all on the same team, vigorous debate and discussion will best prepare the eventual nominee for the fall offensive. Most of this noise rolls off the rank and file with no residue. It’s the dedicated activists and the newbie activists who get their panties or boxers all up in a bunch about it.
4) Campaigns will always whine and use screw ups by their opponents or their opponents staff to raise money or make points. Big deal. That;s politics. Andrew and Chris are providing some of the best spins, the best facts and the best entertainment on the blogs right now. They’re on a roll and the hits keep on coming.
5) Nothing out of any of the candidates mouths should shock you.
6) Cut Andrew some slack for his spin—he reportedly drank TOO liberally last night on his birthday.
Before Rebecca is inspired to drop another F-bomb, Pete Fundy would just like to jump in and say that the repeated use of the word “monster” when talking about Hillary Clinton gives us conservatives great pleasure.
As you were.
Warmly yours,
Pete Fundy
Senior Editorial Writer
OCLegend.Com
Sarah-
My thoughts exactly! I couldn’t have said it better. 🙂
just asking-
Thank you. 🙂
Heather, eph89, & Bill-
Yes, the Obama campaign did the right thing today by accepting Power’s resignation. Good on them. Frankly, it’s about time they start holding their own accountable. Again, Hillary’s always taken care of those that go too far in challenging Obama. But until today, Obama never returned the favor. Whether it was the “D-Punjab” attack or the Gerth “20 year plan” attack or the “Harry & Louise 2” health care attack or the “Hillary = desperate she-devil” comments or now the “Hillary = McCain” attack, no one has EVER been held accountable for these unfortunate moments. I hope Obama starts doing more of what his campaign finally started doing today.
NCS-
Thanks for sticking up for me… And for NOT buying me a drink last night. 😉
A compliment from Northcountystorm! I am humbled and honored – and nearly tempted to frame it.
Good grief! Hillary IS a monster. No one should be fire for uttering the plain and simple truth.
Look, Bill Clinton voted for DOMA and NAFTA. Why didn’t Hillary object then? I am told she actually was a huge supporter of DOMA. Why are you guys giving her a free pass now?
Hillary will do and say ANYTHING to win. I truly doubt she has ANY core beliefs. The lady was even a Wal Mart board member! I thought you guys hated Wal Mart?
She has made a sham of marriage, by staying with a guy that doesn’t lover her. And by staying even after he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, many, many times. You could even say Hillary enabled Bill. Didn’t she form a “bimbo squad” to control the “bimbo eruptions?” If that is not monstrous, I don’t know what is.
Art-
I’m sorry but that’s just plain unfair. Many people think that Hillary is running to give Bill a third (and hopefully) fourth term. That said, why is that not OK, but Hillary should take the onus for Bill’s mistakes? Yes, she had some input, but he made the final decisions for himself, something I’m sure Hillary will do as well. If she says she tried to talk him out of making his blunders, then I for one believe her. We weren’t in the White House so how can we ever know for sure?
I agree that DOMA and NAFTA were both huge mistakes (I doubt anyone here will disagree as they were both VERY flawed), but overall Bill was one of the greatest Presidents of the last century and Hillary will surely be one of the greatest of this one.
SMS