Ron Johnson: I Shouldn’t Have Speculated On Clinton’s Emotions

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM


DAVID TAINTOR 9:17 AM EST, THURSDAY JANUARY 24, 2013

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who got into a heated exchange with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a Senate hearing on the deadly Benghazi attack, on Thursday walked back his accusation that Clinton showed emotion to get out of answering tough questions.

"I did not accuse of her crying, no," Johnson said on CNN. "I was responding to a question, Soledad. I probably speculated, and I shouldn't have."

Johnson told BuzzFeed on Wednesday that Clinton "just decided before she was going to describe emotionally the four dead Americans, the heroes, and use that as her trump card to get out of the questions. It was a good way of getting out of really having to respond to me." Clinton, in the exchange, asked Johnson what difference it makes whether the attack sprang out of a spontaneous protest or was a premeditated assault.

On Thursday, Johnson said, "The bottom line here, again, is the reason it makes a difference is the American people deserve the truth from their President and from this administration, and they haven't gotten it yet."

Watch:

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Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/ron-johnson-i-shouldnt-have-speculated-on-clintons

[kairos12]

1. Not Walk, But Crawl Back His Remarks

[emulatorloo]

2. All this guy had was Talk Radio Talking Points. Reliance on Limbocilic statements.

[kairos12]

15. Limbocilic--What Great Word-Can I Try Defining It

Limbocilic-adjective: statements characterized by racist invective that are totally unfounded in reason or empathy usually enunciated by entitled elites who are of no redeeming value to society at large.

[Ken Burch]

42. Is research being done on a cure for Limbocilia?

[kairos12]

43. Cure

Appears impervious to outside intervention, however excessive food, cigars, and viagra might make the condition limiting if not terminal.

[Brigid]

67. There is a cure.

Turn off the radio or at least change the station.

[WCGreen]

28. Great word play...

[Myrina]

3. ... what he was really thinking ...

"I shouldn't have speculated on her emotions ... she is a GIRL after all ... and a LIBERAL ONE at that ... we know how they get ...."

[wilt the stilt]

4. Mr. i did it on my own.

except my father in law bought me a business. what a tool.

[Chorophyll]

5. HE was the one who looked like a crybaby, and the American people know it.

Oh, the endless misogyny and all-around jerkism of the Republicans.

[Surya Gayatri]

6. Well, well, the arrogant asshat must have had some serious

blowback from his female constituents in Wisconsin and women from elsewhere.

Where's the power of your convictions now, Ronny boy? Typical bullying behaviour--backing down at the first sign of return fire.

[liberal N proud]

7. He is a a sexist SOB who thought that he could make Hillary Clinton cry because she is a woman

The whole GOP is full of despicable specimens who think they are superior to all others.

[Flashmann]

8. Speaking of cry babies and arrogant asshats

I haven't seen mention,today,of one of the most prominent......Mourning Joke....Anyone watch his drivel this morning??....Was he whining about Hillary being so mean to all those thugs,yesterday??.....It is what I'd expect.....I just don't have the stomach to tune in to his horse shit,and he runs my blood pressure up......

[Mike Daniels]

9. Joe wasn't on but Mika was carrying his water for him

A number of the male panelists thought Johnson (somewhat) and Paul (without a doubt) diminished themselves through their lines of attack.

Mika summoned her inner Joe perfectly and stood up for both of the blow-hards.

[EC]

36. And Donny D. called Rand a light weight

Said both were but that Rand proved he's not close to ready for prime time.

[Beacool]

10. Joe likes Hillary.

He often refers to her as his "girlfriend". I remember once when she agreed to appear on his show, Joe acted like a boy who against all odds managed to get a date with the prom queen.

[StepnKretchit]

11. He is too Stupid!

Madam Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton slapped the shit out of him on national TV. Senator Johnson (R-Stupidass) is well adept at dodging questions. When asked about the ass-kicking he received, he should have just dodged the question instead of stepping right into the shit that just got slapped out of him.
Dumbass!

[renate]

54. welcome to DU!

[Beacool]

12. Like all bullies, Johnson is a coward at heart.

But I'm done getting upset over comments made by this nonentity Tea Bagger. He's nobody and Hillary already put him in his place.

[nlkennedy]

13. I know this guy's name...

It's ONE TERM SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN

[yellowcanine]

14. Unfortunately not up for reelection until 2016.

By that time this will have blown over. But OTOH, if Hillary is the Dem nominee for President it could remind voters of his caddishness.

[EC]

37. It's ONE TERM SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN

AND HOW THE HELL DID HE BEAT FEINGOLD?

[AllyCat]

47. Never will I understand how he won that election. Never.

How two Senators can be some completely opposite ends of the spectrum in capability, leadership, smarts, social skills...

And my fellow Wisconsinites voted for this weirdo. I have "friends" that voted for him: one because he was her neighbor and another because "we need a change".

[karynnj]

53. Not to mention, had he been reelected, Feingold could have been chairing that hearing.

[Grantuspeace]

56. This reminded me of another Senator from Wisconsin, Joe McCarthy.

I don't know if this will be Johnson's downfall?

But he bought the seat with the blood and sweat from his former employees, his family inheritance and gobs of out of state cash.

[MichiganVote]

16. Ok, I'm an American people. HERE is what happened.

Large crowd
Attack on embassy planned by terrorists
Attack carried out
4 Americans killed
Amb. Rice re telling CIA information
Rice crucified by Republicans
Details emerge
Useless committee formed
Rice withdraws from consideration for SS
Committee wastes time and money interviewing deputy SS
Clinton ill
Clinton crucified by Republicans in press
Press reports SS shorted $$ on security

Clinton returns...slowly she turns...step by ...step

Clinton with the knock out punch for the biggest waste of taxpayer money ever. Case closed, another example of Republicans collecting our money to SIT on their collective dumbasses.

The End.

[indie_voter]

17. That about covers it! Thank you. n/t

[Beacool]

25. Great summary.

[Scuba]

39. You forgot: Republicans shit their diapers.

[MichiganVote]

41. They did that when Obama won a 2nd term

[Lifelong Protester]

52. Can I borrow that list?

I am, unfortunately, one of his 'constituents' and he has heard from me many, many times, and it ain't to throw bouquets his way. I have not written to him on this yet, but will soon, and I'd love to use your list, with your permission.

And sorry about Senator Dumbo, I did all I could to re-elect Feingold. Will re-double efforts and donations next time.

[MichiganVote]

55. Certainly. :)

[Lifelong Protester]

57. Ok, I sent your list to RoJo

you did a great job, thanks for the loan! I used "Quit Embarrassing Us!" in the subject line.

[MichiganVote]

58. Good idea! And that is exactly what they are doing.

[cynzke]

18. After All The Lies

about the need to go to war with Iraq and the cover up, Americans don't believe the GOP's outrage and concern for the truth over Bengazi.

[Ian Iam]

19. Twit!

How did he get elected in a state like Wisconsin?

[Jack Rabbit]

20. By snorting Koch

$$$$.

[Wind Dancer]

34. Priceless!

[magical thyme]

21. Oh, no, Senator. You were right to speculate on the SOS's emotions

By all means, continue to try to demean and insult our well-liked SOS. So all the world could see you for the crybaby that you are.

[lunatica]

22. He didn't learn anything at all in his male chauvinist youth

Or maybe listening to FOX he thought it was cool to describe women as being emotionally manipulative in order to get around the big bad men asking pointed questions.

A good swift kick in the pants would do him wonders.

[Jamastiene]

26. I doubt very seriously that he would have described her answers as "emotional" at all

had she not been female. You never hear MSM and other politicians talk about how "emotional" answers are from male politicians. The entire "emotions" angle to this was sexist garbage from the get-go.

[another_liberal]

23. It's the Karl Rove strategy . . .

It's the Karl Rove strategy for dealing with criticism of all kinds: Never admit you were wrong about anything, and never actually say you're sorry to those you've wronged.

[MADem]

24. He shouldn't have been elected! Let's go back to the root of the problem! nt

[rurallib]

27. "pressure from his constituents" = Koch brothers

[Auntie Bush]

29. So where was he when Bush was in office? (Oh, he wasn't there till '12)

I don't remember ANY ReThugs seeking the truth when Bush was in office. He didn't run on seeking the truth on anything...just Hillary.

[GETTINGTIRED]

30. The American People

said they wanted to go with what President Obama campaigned on but that hasn't meant squat to republicans, yet they always use the excuse they are doing their bullshit on behalf of the America people..,
they don't listen to what the American people want....

[judesedit]

31. What a loser. When will we get the truth about 9/11? When we get that, you'll get the other.

He never even went to the hearings to learn what went on. Like he gives one shit about it. I say it again. Johnson = LOSER

[bongbong]

32. Hillary should've told him to ....

Go cheney himself.

If Hillary is "emotional", but she wasn't anywhere near saying GFY, that would make ex-president cheney so uber-emotional that he would be crying every time somebody didn't get killed by a weapon.

[catbyte]

33. These a-holes all have delusions of grandeur--Ferret Head as POTUS, Johnson intimidating Hil

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

35. The QUESTION for Ron Johnson:

What fucking part of this don't you understand? Anybody with one finger and a keyboard can read any number of accounts of what went down. You're asking the same dumbass questions over and over, even though they've been answered over and over.

It's like this dipstick asks the question then goes temporarily stone deaf when someone is answering him. Then he asks the question again in an accusatory tone as though he's not getting answers. Christ, is he just that stupid that he needs to hear the answer twenty times before it sinks in?

Answer: YES!

[EC]

38. And admits

he didn't go to the briefing that had the film. What a dick.

[WIProgressive88]

40. I would like to apologize on behalf of the state of Wisconsin for sending this supremely unqualified

neanderthal to the U.S. Senate.

[eilen]

60. Really, what is the deal with Wisconsin

this guy AND Walker? When you have a perfectly good Feingold just laying around going to waste....

[Thinkingabout]

44. I am not sure he would have ask anything but dumb questions if he had went to the briefing.

He probably planned to play dumb and by not attending the briefing "his questions would not have been "satisfactory" to him. It was not good enough for his questions yesterday was uninformed he needed to repeat them again today, gotta keep RW talking points going for his dumb uninformed voters.

[BootinUp]

45. Soledad!

I am so wowed by her of late.

As for Ron Johnson, he will not be elected to a second term in my humble opinion.

[AllyCat]

46. Johnson, you even beat Walker in the most useless, worthless elected official from our state.

Seriously, we cannot get rid of this clown soon enough.

[Firebrand Gary]

48. Its a NATIONAL DISGRACE that he sits in the same chair that Russ Feingold once sat. nt

[Shankapotomus]

49. Leave it to Republicans

to add controversy and have to walk back statements after a testimony hearing. How dumb can you be that you turn a hearing about what your Sec. Of State said and when, into a news item about you and your dumb comments. Bunch of embarrassing governMENTAL fuck ups.

[samsingh]

50. every interviewer should be like Soleded. she's great

[Roy Ellefson]

51. The Fool

Johnson is one of those unique fools who is convinced that he is the smartest person in the room. No amount of foolish statements, actions, or reactions to his foolishness can convince him otherwise. He is a smug and confident fool.

[burnsei sensei]

63. Your statements would characterize most of the Republican

members of Congress.

[obama2terms]

59. That was awesome!!

She OWNED HIM!!!!!

[toddmiller]

61. Conservative Robots who have no feelings about the suffering going on in their own state

shouldn't judge human beings with emotions because it's obviously something they don't understand.

[DWinNJ]

64. Don't forget Paul Ryan

Ryan is one of the people asking why Hillary didn’t read one specific cable out of millions that are addressed pro forma to Clinton. During the campaign he claimed to know nothing of letters bearing his signature asking for federal funds.

[libdem4life]

65. The Woman Whisperer...just needs to get near them to express their inner intentions. Many a man has

fared such a ill-conceived consequence. Women expressing men as well, to be fair. Or, anybody for that matter.

[drynberg]

66. SOLEDAD NEEDED TO KEEP GOING BACK TO THE POINT TO EVEN GET

A half ass apology from a RW dipstick. Keep it up, Soledad! And Wisconsin voters will hopefully see this a lot before the Nov 2014 election.