Bernie Lied! Hillary Clinton Actually Refused to Call Him Unqualified… Three Times

[Beacool]

by Tommy Christopher
April 7th, 2016

Democratic presidential candidate and independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has initiated a mass fainting spell among the political media by rattling off a list of reasons why he considers rival candidate and current frontrunner Hillary Clinton “not qualified to be president.” The attack has also galvanized Hillary’s supporters, who have responded with the trending hashtag #HillarySoQualified. Unlike a lot of pundits, I’m not that bothered by the charge, I love a smash-mouth campaign, and if it is indeed to be on like Donkey Kong, Hillary Clinton can handle herself.

What is a problem, though, is that Bernie Sanders launched his attack by first telling a big, fat, insane lie about Hillary. Here’s the full context of Bernie’s remarks, but pay close attention to the first part:

She has been saying, lately, that she thinks that I am quote-unquote “not qualified to be president.”

As Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon noted on Twitter, Hillary never said that, but it’s actually worse than that. Hillary Clinton not only never said that, she actually was aggressively pressed to say that exact thing, three different times in a row, and like some kind of reverse-Apostle Peter, refused each time.

http://www.mediaite.com/online/bernie-lied-hillary-clinton-actually-refused-to-call-him-unqualified-three-times/

IMO, Sanders crossed the line. Barring some unforeseen event, Hillary will be the nominee. Her opponent has a right to run a campaign that he considers effective, but he shouldn't have tried to disqualify the woman who will in all probability face Trump in the GE.

[Kalidurga]

1. Good she should have done like Bernie and just said it.

Her weasel words aren't very presidential.

[Beacool]

6. As if.......

She's the most presidential candidate in this election.

[Kalidurga]

11. Prove it

specific policies she has done that has benefited people in need besides getting health care for children and very few other people.

[Betty Karlson]

22. DOMA, DADT, NAFTA, TPP, TTIP, Panama, IWR, for-profit prisons for "superpredators"...

Yes, I guess you could call the Clinton legacy "presidential" - but I prefer calling it "bigotry, war, and greed".

[Lordquinton]

37. Very true statement there

As if she's the most presidential candidate in this election

[Crabby Abbey]

56. If you like war and bad trade agreements. She doesn't have the integrity or morality for the job.

[daleanime]

60. And responses like that....

keep driving her untrustworthy ratings up. Please continue Madame Secretary.

[frylock]

92. Poised and polished.

[Beacool]

96. A lot more poised and polished than the senator from VT.

[frylock]

100. There's no penetrating the bubble.

I provide documented video evidence while you provide your misguided opinion.

[Kalidurga]

46. Well people with listening comprehension heard it.

Hillary supporters are all like nah she didn't say that. It's funny though how they can hear sexist remarks that were never said nor meant.

[Kalidurga]

65. Yeah it must be hard to navigate life with blinders on and ear plugs in place

But, I guess as long as they can still post on DU life is good for them.

[frylock]

93. They also heard Susan Sarandon say that she was voting for Trump.

[Kalidurga]

94. Well they have creative hearing gotta give them that.

[highprincipleswork]

2. She didn't say Obama was Muslim either. Just that she couldn't say for sure.

[revbones]

4. She also couldn't say she wouldn't lie. nt

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

14. She also didn't flat out suggest Obama could be assassinated, but she sure did insinuate it...

[revbones]

15. But hey, if she doesn't use the exact word, just every synonym then it's ok... nt

[redstateblues]

18. Bernie lied again. Simple as that

[ohheckyeah]

41. It's becoming more

And more of a habit.

[Iliyah]

3. Yep

[highprincipleswork]

5. By the way, #HillarySoQualified is a great trending hashtag, for humor. Please visit and add.

[Beacool]

8. Nope, I'll leave bombarding the internet with nasty posts to the BernieBros.

[wiltom99]

21. Shouldn't your banner say Hillary for Hillary?

[Beacool]

49. Nope.

[highprincipleswork]

34. They didn't start the hashtag. They didn't start the "disqualify" movement. Hillary did.

She just doesn't like the backlash of it all.

By the way, as usual the comments are not so much nasty as true.

[highprincipleswork]

67. Maybe Hillary supporters don't care about her record.

[Lucinda]

7. KNR

[AgingAmerican]

9. She refused to call him qualified

[Beacool]

12. She's running against him.

She wasn't about to help him, but she didn't cross the line. He did. Therein lies the difference.

[AgingAmerican]

19. Case closed

[rock]

110. Yes

I believe it really is.

[all american girl]

20. You realize she that's not her job, she's running against him.

candidates generally don't do that.

[Agschmid]

23. She actually said he would be a much better president than the republicans.

Bernie handed the Republicans a commercial.

[Lil Missy]

59. It's not her job to endorse her opponent. He did a shitty interview and got called on it. n/t

[pnwmom]

72. So what? She persisted in directing the reporter to SPECIFICS and ISSUES.

And that was entirely reasonable. What he said, OTOH, was a flat-out lie.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/sanders-clinton-not-qualified-to-be-president-221666#ixzz45BHZUdMq
Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook

"Now the other day, I think, Secretary Clinton appeared to be getting a little bit nervous," he began. "We have won, we have won seven out of eight of the recent primaries and caucuses. And she has been saying lately that she thinks that I am, quote unquote, not qualified to be president.

[uponit7771]

99. She also refused to call him BirdieBro so what!?

[florida08]

10. no she didn't outright

the media did..she simply alluded to it

Clinton questions Sanders is qualified to be president
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/04/06/clinton-questions-whether-sanders-is-qualified-to-be-president/

[pnwmom]

73. She didn't at all. She purposely AVOIDED saying that. But Bernie said "quote unquote,

not qualified to be President."

He accused her -- falsely -- of using those precise words.

[noretreatnosurrender]

89. You are partially right

You are correct that she purposely avoided saying the words but it wasn't because she was doing something noble. She purposely avoided saying the words because she knew after her comments that the media would do it for her. Think about it. The only conclusion the media and Sanders could draw from her comments was that she was basically saying he was unqualified. She knew she didn't need to use the words for the attack to land. She got exactly what she wanted and she thought she left no fingerprints behind but she forgot that we've seen her in action before. We know what she was doing - the media knew what she was doing and Sanders knew what she was doing. The only people evidently who didn't know what she was doing were the Hillary supporters. It was a clumsy attempt to go after Sanders but cheer up she will go after him again and again and again.

[Bjornsdotter]

101. Exactly!

It's the same crap she pulled with Obama in 2008.

[Armstead]

13. What is so hard about simply saying "He is certainly qualified" in response?

[Beacool]

16. What is so hard not to lie and state something that she didn't?

Furthermore, what was he thinking to say in a rally that she wasn't qualified to be president and then give a laundry list of reasons?

He crossed the line and now the gloves are off.

[Armstead]

25. She fed into it and you damn well know it.

You are certainly entitled to prefer her brand of politics.

But please don't pretend you believe she is some innocent victim of a twisting of her intent and words.

[noretreatnosurrender]

85. Delusional

I hate to burst your bubble but this whole narrative was created by the Hillary campaign to try to bring down Sanders honesty numbers. The whole thing was planned out and put into motion after her huge loss in Wisconsin. All you have to do is view all the video that's out there of her various appearances to see it.

90% of Wisconsin Democrats Think Sanders Is Honest, Compared to Only 59% Who Think Clinton Is Honest

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-hanley/90-of-wisconsin-democrats_b_9621052.html

And it's not just Wisconsin Democrats who believe this. Hillary has a problem. A majority of voters think she isn't honest or trustworthy but they do think her opponent is. And guess what? They will still believe this after this poorly manufactured attempt to tar Bernie with the dishonesty label fails to gain traction. She's lied so much during her career that people just don't believe that she's the victim in all of this. And rightly so. This campaign tactic will hurt her not help her. I don't expect you to believe this because you are one of her supporters but focusing on this contrived narrative will only draw more attention to her problem. But please, as a Bernie supporter, keep pushing it. It gives us more of an opportunity to talk about our honest candidate.

[Beacool]

90. I don't give a flying fig about polls on honesty and trustworthiness.

They mean nothing in the long run. The truth is that more people have voted for Hilary than have voted for Sanders and she will be the nominee. Sanders chose to overreact and misinterpret what she said based on a WAPO headline that was incorrect.

[noretreatnosurrender]

91. It's very clear

that you don't care about honesty and trustworthiness polls.

[all american girl]

24. Why is it her fault that he lied?

Doesn't he bear some responsibility to read the story and not just the headline?

[Armstead]

27. he was reacting to what she and her campaign are actually doing

This legalistic parsing of words is just a longstanding Clinton "It depends on the meaning of what is is" tactic.

[all american girl]

28. What exactly did they do that made him so mad?

[Armstead]

33. She consistently lies and distorts

She loves to take things out of context and use them against her opponents.

Just one example from the Florida debate. Twisting the complex relationship between the US and Latin America and directly implying that Sanders supports brutal dictatorships -- when she knows better. It was a vicious, knowing smear.

And I just want to add one thing to the question you were asking Senator Sanders. I think in that same interview, he praised what he called the revolution of values in Cuba and talked about how people were working for the common good, not for themselves.

I just couldn't disagree more. You know, if the values are that you oppress people, you disappear people, you imprison people or even kill people for expressing their opinions, for expressing freedom of speech, that is not the kind of revolution of values that I ever want to see anywhere.

[all american girl]

35. I thought we could all agree the Cuba thing wasn't really a great thing

not saying the guy before was great, both were bad.

[Armstead]

45. I don't understand what you are saying.

Sorry, i'm missing your point.

[all american girl]

50. Yeah, sorry about that.

After I hit send I realized what a crappy post that was. I went to bed last last night, got up early this morning. It's only 9:30 at night here and I'm ready from bed. I think I will call it a night. Sorry again.

[pnwmom]

87. She appropriately directed the reporter to specifics about issues -- not useless global judgments.

[Armstead]

95. Common campaign courtesy (and smart iof you don't want to alienate people she will need) is...

to say something decent and straightforward, and move on. Take up specifics seperatly to sell herself.

Otherwise it devolves into this personalized back and forth over trivial parsing. That's the old politics of personal destruction.

Personally, I wish Sanders had not risen to the bait either.

But this kind of stupid shit is what has turned so many people off of politics and created an environment of cynicism and apathy, and ultimately turns the nation over to the bad guys.

[beedle]

17. There's this that was pretty explicit

Rachael Maddow (who now fawns over Hillary, said at the time it sounded like Hillary was vying to be McCain's VP)

[Beacool]

26. She was saying that she was more qualified to face McCain in the GE because

they would be more evenly matched. They both had a lot more political experience than Obama, who had only been a US senator for two years before he ran for president. She never called Obama unqualified to be president. Sanders just did call her unqualified and gave a list of reasons why he thought so.

A Democrat doesn't do that to the front runner in the latter part of a primary season. Then again, he's not really a Democrat.

[Armstead]

30. If that was her only intent then she was not very bright

She habitually does what she accuses Sanders of doing. Smearing her primary opponent without thinking of what the GOP will do with it.

[beedle]

104. No, she did worst

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511673057

[beedle]

107. But if you want to get all particular and exact ..

Bernie never called Hillary unqualified.

He preceded every 'unqualified' with an 'IF' ... so, if Clinton wants to admit to the 'IF' stipulations, then sure, Sanders called Clinton 'unqualified', otherwise why does Hillary and her fans think Sanders meant 'Hillary' when he was explaining the parameters of what it means to be 'unqualified'?

"IF you steal money, you're a criminal": when you take that sentence as a personal insult, then you are a criminal! If you are not stealing money, then don't claim I called you a criminal!!!

[anotherproletariat]

29. Face it...he's just as much of a politician as the rest of them.

To win, you have to play the game. Exactly why I don't fault Hillary for going by the standard for modern political candidates and having super-PACs. You don't bring a knife to a gunfight...

[ohheckyeah]

47. AMEN

[Beacool]

51. Yes, but his supporters think that he's above the fray, contrary to his past history.

As a Socialist and Independent he knows how to fight and fight dirty to stay relevant and win elections. Acting above the fray was just a pretense. Well, he's stopped pretending and reverted to form.

[Surya Gayatri]

32. Enormous K & R.

[TheSarcastinator]

36. that's not what the Washington Post said

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511673350

[Bettie]

38. She used weasel words

but made it very clear that she believes that.

If she wanted to shut it down, she would have said "Of course he's qualified, I just think I'm more qualified and a better choice".

However, she would never, ever say anything so direct. She uses innuendo to avoid ever actually saying anything.

[uponit7771]

42. She never said he was unqualified, no matter what the podium bird tells him

[Bettie]

58. As I said

she never said the exact words, but she made her meaning quite clear by refusing to answer the question at all.

But, it is what I expect from her: no real answers, weasel words to cover her real intentions.

[uponit7771]

39. Podium bird says Sanders NEVER EVER lies dammit !!! /sarcasm

[TheFarS1de]

103. You seem to be suffering bird withdrawls

Just for you because I know how much you like bringing this subject up . Enjoy .

[uponit7771]

105. Birdiebro hasn't told Sanders how to break up the big banks, I'm not the one missing the bird guy

[TheFarS1de]

106. Even Rachael found a reason to smile

It must be so sad to be so hateful of a little bird . Sad.

[bkkyosemite]

40. No she made sure it was done on CNN before the MSNBC interview

[Lordquinton]

43. So she learned something from 2008

when she called Obama unqualified to be president, or her vice president.

[Motown_Johnny]

44. She also refused to say he is qualified three times.

The only legal qualifications being a natural born citizen who is at least 35 years of age.


Hillary crossed the line, again.


She is going to lose this one. I think she knows it too. She went into full retreat mode earlier today.


http://crooksandliars.com/2016/04/hillary-clinton-responds-sanders-ill-take

^snip^

"Look, I didn’t — I don’t know why he’s saying that. But I will take Bernie Sanders over Donald Trump or Ted Cruz any time. So let’s keep our eye on what’s really at stake in this election," Clinton reminded.




She had an easy opening to counter attack, but she ran scared instead. This is what happens when most (D)s think the person you are attacking is more honest than you are.

[Beacool]

54. You keep posting that portion of the ABC/WAPO poll as if it means anything.

Why don't you post the entire poll results, not just the "trustworthy" portion? Where's the link to the entire poll?

[Motown_Johnny]

64. Google is beyond your comprehension?

I use the trustworthy numbers because this is about believing her side of the story. Most (D)s (and far more (I)s) will believe Bernie over Hillary.

I like that graphic, although it is getting a little old, her numbers seem to be even worse now. Here is where I get that graphic from:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/clintons-advantage-hits-campaign-low-lags-trust-leading/story?id=36524847


Here are a couple other links, although I don't really like the sources for them. That is why I was using ABC. Plus that graphic focuses on "Leaning (D)".

http://dailycaller.com/2016/02/17/poll-hillary-clinton-least-honest-and-trustworthy-of-all-presidential-candidates/




https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/03/08/hillary-clintons-honest-and-trustworthy-numbers-are-lower-than-ever-it-might-not-matter/

^snip^

In a brand new Washington Post-ABC News national poll, just 37 percent of people believe Hillary Clinton is honest and trustworthy while 57 percent say they don't think she is.

[Beacool]

70. I wanted you to admit that it was the only graph that favored Sanders in that poll.

[Sheepshank]

48. Good for her for staying our of the steaming pile Weaver has plopped Bernie into

Bernie is being led by the nose rings right now and it's too bad really. His reputation is completely obliterated.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

52. You're using all the right words, but the post lacks credibility. That's not your fault. It's hers.

The post lacks credibility because there's no politically-aware person who doesn't already know that Hillary Clinton, not Sanders, is the person with a constant and abiding honesty problem. So when people read words such as the ones you wrote in the OP, you may get MLA points for style, but you're not convincing anyone. In order to convince people, you'd need to get them to drop the strongly-held belief that she's a dishonest person. And you won't be able to do that, because she just keeps going. So it's a nice post, but it doesn't map to reality.

[Beacool]

76. No, what lacks credibility is Sanders saying that Hillary said that he was unqualified

to be president. The WAPO's own fact checker gave this claim 3 Pinocchios.

[notadmblnd]

53. May I direct your attention to....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511673459

[merrily]

55. Did she say Sanders IS qualified to be President? Did she "take him at his word" as with Obama,

when asked if she thought Obama was a Muslim?

This is too funny.

[Lil Missy]

57. Bernie is getting pretty prickly because he knows he can't win. n/t

[PatrickforO]

61. If that's the best you got, I'm still for Bernie.

Because this shit doesn't have a thing to do with issues I care about, and that Bernie supports.

And I've voted against my own economic interest FOR THE LAST TIME. Here's why I'm for Bernie.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1673279

[Bill USA]

66. good, informative post. Now get ready for the RAGE. How dare you speak of things not part of the

Bernie supporters Doctrine!!

[Beacool]

82. Well, some people choose to go through life wearing blinders.

[JudyM]

68. Let's continue this media BS circus instead of focusing on the Panama papers.

Look, she was certainly unquestionably implying it, even if she didn't say it outright as the headline had suggested. And the answer is: "Hillary continues to describe her opponent’s policy platform as ‘pie in the sky’, yet corporations paying their fair share of taxes could easily fund many of Sanders’ proposals."
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-panama-papers-could-hand-bernie-sanders-the-keys-to-the-white-house-a6969481.html

[bettyellen]

69. How is Hillary connected to the Panama Papers- or are we automatically blaming her for every

international scam that ever happened- because she is more in favor of trade between nations? Honestly, it would seem like the second to me. There really doesn't even have to be a connection for people to manufacture a CT and claim they see "smoke".

[betsuni]

71. K&R

[Beacool]

74. Here's WAPO's own fact checker correcting the record.

Sanders’s incorrect claim that Clinton called him ‘not qualified’ for the presidency

She [Hillary Clinton] has been saying lately that she thinks that I am, quote unquote, not qualified to be president.”

— Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), at a rally at Temple University, Philadelphia, April 6, 2016

Many readers have asked about these remarks by Bernie Sanders, which led him to list the ways that he thought the former secretary of state was “not qualified” to become president. Did Clinton really say Sanders was unqualified?

-----

The Pinocchio Test

Sanders is putting words in Clinton’s mouth. She never said “quote unquote” that he was not qualified to be president. In fact, she diplomatically went out of her way to avoid saying that, without at the same time saying he was qualified. The Washington Post article appropriately noted that she raised questions about his qualifications, but certainly never said or suggested she said Sanders was unqualified.

Sanders would have been on safer ground if he had said Clinton is raising questions about his qualifications and now he would like to raise questions about her qualifications. But he can’t slam her for words she did not say.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/04/07/sanderss-incorrect-claim-that-clinton-called-him-not-qualified-for-the-presidency/

Ahhhh, the devil's in the details.......

[jfern]

78. "Clinton questions whether Sanders is Qualified to be President" - Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/04/06/clinton-questions-whether-sanders-is-qualified-to-be-president/

Either way the Washington Post is wrong.

[Beacool]

80. Yes, their own fact checkers called them out on their mischaracterization of her words.

Sanders chose to allude to the WAPO's headline and not to her actual words. Today, he had the opportunity to correct what he said and he doubled down. Therefore, I have ceased to give an iota what else he has to say on any subject.

[jfern]

84. She did really imply he wasn't qualified

[zigby]

75. This is the time I suggest logging off and getting some perspective.

Nobody except the already embattled partisans give's a flyin rat's ass about this kind of thing. So why raise your blood pressure with it?

[Beacool]

79. Because it was hitting below the belt.

He made an assertion that was simply not true. He then had the nerve to state that she was not qualified for the job. As far as I'm concerned, he can go and rot.

[zigby]

83. If that's the worst they come out with against each other, then it's a tame season.

I mean, look at the Clown Car Party, at least nobody on our side is tweeting pix of each other's wives!!!!

[Beacool]

98. To be fair, I don't think that there are out there nude pics of Mrs. Sanders or of Bill.

[jfern]

77. She didn't even have the decency to say "as far as I know"

that she used when she was asked if Obama was't a Muslim. And she got a lot of shit for that.

[Beacool]

81. Deflecting much?

Sanders lied and he was caught on it. He can double down all he wants, but still gets 3 Pinocchios for it.

[jfern]

86. It's pretty clear she was trying to disqualify him. Don't play dumb.

[Beacool]

88. The one playing dumb is Sanders. He knows she didn't call him unqualified.

[jfern]

97. She strongly implied it. A lot stronger than she implied Obama might be a Muslim

[itsrobert]

102. He's a freakin' LIAR

Tired of his act.

[SusanCalvin]

108. Oh please.

She went aaaaaaaamooooooost there, and "journalists" took care of the rest.

[basselope]

109. False

[Gothmog]

111. Bernie Sanders has been caught in a large number of lies recently