Wow...didn't see this one coming. Obama's wife makes a claim that she has never been proud of America until now. Bill Clinton makes it a campaign issue. The Obama camp reaches back to the 1950s to find a villain to liken Clinton to. Bill Clinton = Joe McCarthy? SALEM, Ore. - Hillary Clinton's campaign is trying to clarify comments by former President Clinton that seemed to question Barack Obama's patriotism — comments an Obama aide likened to Joseph McCarthy. Clinton's campaign said the comments were being misinterpreted and quickly posted a clarification on its Web site. But retired Air Force Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak said he was disappointed by the comments and compared them to those of McCarthy, the 1950s communist-hunting senator. The former president made the comments while speculating about a general election between his wife and Republican John McCain. "I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country," said Clinton, who was speaking to a group of veterans Friday in Charlotte, N.C. "And people could actually ask themselves who is right on these issues, instead of all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics." Obama aide: 'I've had enough' McPeak, a former chief of staff of the Air Force and currently a co-chair of Obama's presidential campaign, said that sounded like McCarthy. "I grew up, I was going to college when Joe McCarthy was accusing good Americans of being traitors, so I've had enough of it," McPeak said. Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer rejected the comparison. "To liken these comments to McCarthyism is absurd," Singer said. He said McPeak was "clearly misinterpreting" the remarks and suggested that might be an intentional effort to divert attention from a recent controversy involving controversial statements by Obama's former pastor. In a posting on Hillary Rodham Clinton's Web site Friday, the campaign said the former president was simply talking about the need to keep the race focused on issues, "rather than falsely questioning any candidate's patriotism." Former president attracts criticism McPeak, who served under Clinton and the first President Bush, was skeptical. "It's a use of language as a disguised insult. We've seen this before, this little clever spin that's put on stuff," McPeak said. "I have no idea what his intentions are, but I'm disappointed in the statement. I think Bill Clinton is, or ought to be, better than that." The former president has attracted criticism over earlier comments during the heated Democratic primary race. Following South Carolina's primary in January, he was accused of fanning racial tensions for appearing to cast Obama as little more than a black candidate popular in state with a heavily black electorate. He also criticized the news media for making a race story out of his comments.
I don't approve of Bill's comments (I think he was definitely implying something inappropriate) but I am so sick of this crap already from both Clinton and Obama. (McCain, with no one to fight against recently, is coming across as the most likable candidate left) Maybe it's because this is the first election where I've spent time in D&D regularly, but I'm about to just doze off and have someone wake me in December.
I agree with Bill Clinton. This video should be required viewing for any voter in August... <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/72B3tUAqpo4&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/72B3tUAqpo4&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
Refman, with all due respect, what BS! Enjoying the hyperbole? "I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country," said Clinton, who was speaking to a group of veterans Friday in Charlotte, N.C. "And people could actually ask themselves who is right on these issues, instead of all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics." What did his say that is even remotely comparable to McCarthy? Show me where Bill said Barack Obama didn't love his country and wasn't devoted to the interest of this country in the blurb that you quoted. All I can say is that McPeak is running real hard for a position in the Obama administration, assuming he gets elected (and I hope he does). McPeak's comment is absurd and an example of "politics as usual" by the Obama campaign. In fact, I'd say this is one of the worst political attacks I've seen from his campaign yet. Impeach Bush.
What the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth were to 2004, Youtube will be to 2008. NHaleMedia is already mopping the floor with Obama and his closest spiritual advisor, Jeremiah Wright. Obama is so incredibly flawed... Honestly, the libs may be better off with Hillaroid running. WOW
Perhaps I should have been a little more careful with my thread title. I was in a hurry, and you know how that usually goes. My purpose in posting this article was not to adopt McPeak's comments as my own. My purpose was to point out some of the tripe coming out of the Obama camp these days. If Obama could keep the mouths of his allies shut, then maybe he could keep the mantra of change. His message of change seems to be getting a little tarnished recently. The fact of the matter is that Obama is a politician. I just thought it would take longer for the wheels to run flat on the not politics as usual bus.
Thank god! I knew you were smarter than that. Really, as I pointed out, and as you, in your own way, are pointing out, this is as blatant an attempt at "old school, politics as usual," as you are going to see from any campaign, and I'm dismayed to see it come from Mr. Obama's. I would hope that he would distance himself from McPeak's comment. Of course, if he does, it's what a politician would do who deliberately had someone make that kind of comment. Senator Obama needs to get a grip on his campaign and prevent this stuff from happening. That's assuming he wants to, and I would like to think he wants to. Impeach Bush and Send Him to Tibet to Report the News!
Not quite Joe McCarthy, but come on. Can't you see that he is clearly implying that Obama isn't devoted to the interest of this country? If he believes ALL the candidates love this country, then this statement doesn't make any sense. He's basically saying "It would be great if Hillary won, because then we would have an election with two people who loved this country." How does that sound? Bill is clearly establishing a pattern here, the first dirty quote was the comment about how Obama is like Jesse Jackson. And it's funny that Billary is complementing McCain. First he is a better commander in chief than Obama, now he loves his country more than Obama. Are they gonna vote for McCain if Hillary doesn't get the nomination?
I would like to think that they would all want to. I would like to think that all candidates put aside their own agendas and focus on the betterment of the country. I just don't think that Obama is any different than any of the others. I think that recent poll numbers are showing that the populace at large is getting that message.
