HRC insulted by comments made by former Clinton supporter now major Obama donor and fundraiser, wants Obama to give money back.
First Geffen is spot on in his assessment. HRC is foolish to call more attention to these accurate remarks and to moreso make her look like one of the easily offended. She is polarizing. Saying that is not an insult, it is an observation.
Second, since when is a candidate not to take money from someone who thinks poorly of the competition?
“Waaah! His supporter said why I’m not the best for this country right now! No fair!” Come on. Calling you “polarizing” isn’t Swiftboating you. The only reason to do this is to soften the ground for later negative attacks on Obama with a false “But he started it!” claim.
Geffen’s comments, while of course debatable, are perfectly fair criticisms of the Clintons. “She’s too polarizing” isn’t any more insulting and below the belt than “he’s too inexperienced”. It’s the kind of debate we’ve had many times on the Dope, and that the primaries exist to consider.
Of course, this is really about Clinton trying to intimidate the contacts and support she and Bill have built up over their career, protecting the only real advantage she has over Obama and Edwards.
Please note, this was not a quote from Hillary Clinton. Rather from a spokesman. Bolding mine: “Sen. Hillary Clinton’s **spokesman ** called on Illinois Sen. Barack Obama to renounce comments made by Hollywood executive David Geffen that were sharply critical of the New York Democrat and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.”
Oh, I don’t think that makes a difference…he is playing the game the way Hillary wants it played, I’m sure.
I am getting the impression that she is pretty nervous about the presence of Obama in the race, and she is going to do anything she can to make him look like a bad guy. Good for him for holding his ground…I wouldn’t give a dime of that money back OR apologize for any remarks Geffen makes. What Geffen said amounts to practically nothing in the world of presidental politics, anyway, as Menoccio pointed out. She is probably annoyed because she knows she is polarizing and wants to downplay that as much as possible.
From the MoDo column (behind the subscription wall):
I guess this is what the Clinton campaign calls “viciously and personally attacking Sen. Clinton and her husband,” and the description isn’t that off base, but they kinda brought that one on themselves.
I’m more bothered by Geffen’s assertion, also quoted in the column, that “I think that America was better served when the candidates were chosen in smoke-filled rooms.” Democracy should mean something more than choosing between what Smoke-Filled Room #1 has decided to offer you, and what Smoke-Filled Room #2 thinks they can sell you on. I’m not sure our current system is that big of an improvement, but at least there’s some opportunity for the people to reject the choices of the big donors.
Bill Richardson has to be loving it. Obama is peaking too early, Hilary is painting her own caricature, and they both are garnering way too much negative press.
Here’s Hillary’s response (via USA Today, whose reporter interviewed her at a Nevada candidates forum):
“Asked whether Obama should denounce Geffen’s remarks, Clinton replied: “I’m going to leave that up to the other candidate.” She said she wants to run “a very positive campaign. I sure don’t want Democrats or supporters of Democrats to be engaging in the politics of personal destruction.””
Suuure she doesn’t condone “the politics of personal destruction” - unless it’s an opportunity to destroy Obama’s person.
You know, Geffen’s right - she does lie with great ease.
Obamba has to learn what they all learn, that when you hang out with scum the scum think they own you, and will use your name to do their dirty work for them.
He has to learn to shuck those users now, or in a year he will be smothered by them.
Yeh, my jaw hit the floor when I came across this story. What a stupid move by the Clinton camp; it highlights a ton of the negatives she’s got to get past.
Obama’s response to this idiocy made him look just fine and made her camp look like petty whiners:
I keep hearing that Obama will be a shoe-in in 2012. Does that not presuppose a Republican victory in 2008? I think it’s at least a coin flip at this point.
If the Dems win this time around without Obama (or with him as the VP) then he will not get to run for president until 2016- barring unforseen circumstances.
