Klobuchar said she wouldn't let VP's child sit on foreign board

[BeyondGeography]

Last edited Sun Oct 6, 2019, 11:57 AM - Edit history (1)

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), a White House hopeful, said Sunday she would not let her vice president's child sit on a foreign board.

The comment comes as President Trump pushes an attack on leading 2020 candidate former Vice President Joe Biden centered on Biden's son sitting on a gas company's board in Ukraine.

CNN's "State of the Union" host asked Klobuchar on Sunday if she would allow her vice president's kid to sit on a foreign board.

"No, I wouldn't," she said. "And I can promise you right now by own daughter, who is only 24, does not sit on the board of a foreign company."

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/464538-klobuchar-said-she-wouldnt-let-vps-child-sit-on-foreign-board

[Pachamama]

1. Bye bye Amy...

Sorry - while there may be a million reasons for no child of any elected official (especially at the higher offices like POTUS, VP..) including all members of Congress, the reality is that currently there is no law prohibiting it and what Hunter Biden did was not illegal.

Her statement implies that VP Biden and his son did something wrong.

I am sick and tired of Democrats, especially those running for President, to attack other candidates and criticize - especially at a time when Democrats are under attack, especially Joe Biden.

[blm]

14. Harris, Warren said something similar. No one is saying Hunter did anything illegal.

But, there should be regulations and guidelines for these issues going forward. as part of an anti-corruption campaign by all Dem candidates.

This shouldn’t be interpreted as an attack on Hunter Biden, but, as an example of why Democrats need to develop an anti-corruption strategy that addresses every possibility.

For Democrats, the unfair double-standard has existed throughout my lifetime. Republicans beat up Democrats for even the appearance of an ethical breach while they and their family members participate in full blown crime sprees.

[highplainsdem]

18. All Trump and the RNC need for ads is the clip of Klobuchar saying, "No, I wouldn't." And, if they

want a longer ad, throw in the line about her daughter.

Start the ads with "Other Democratic candidates think what Joe and Hunter Biden did was wrong."

[blm]

21. And what Trump and his kids are doing is FAR WRONGER.

Bottom line to whole Hunter issue is that he did nothing illegal AND Democrats should include strict guidelines for ALL government officials as part of an anti-corruption government reform platform. One with language that includes immediate family members.

Turn this whole Hunter issue around and back Trump and Republicans into a corner on the overall issue.

[highplainsdem]

22. I agree. Both Democrats and the media need to hammer that point.

[BeyondGeography]

26. So our candidates have to finesse their answer to a straightforward question for what again?

Welcome to the here and now. Anyone running for President would and should answer the question the way she did. Simple question, simple answer. It’s a competition and the front runner is fair game. Plus it’s the right answer.

[highplainsdem]

36. Didn't you post an OP recently that argued against Warren giving a simple answer to a simple

question if it might be used in Republican attack ads?

Yep. Found it:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287277800

[BeyondGeography]

37. Republican attack ads against HER for a policy she cares about

Just as if she ran interference for the strong whiff of insiderism that accompanies Hunter Biden’s $50k/mo Ukraine gig while she was making anti-corruption the cornerstone of her campaign that would be used against her too.

[Pachamama]

32. Precisely why this pisses me off about Klobuchar and she is smarter than that

All the candidates for the Democratic Party nomination need to be aware of this and not play into giving Trump and the RNC their ads.

I was one of the first people to be very upset with my candidate of choice Kamala Harris when she went on the attack against Biden and I frankly predicted it then and I believe we are seeing it, where she also was harmed as a result and while she had a little bump, it declined after and she has never really recovered. I have long believed that the dream ticket was Biden/Harris or Harris/Biden and I still hope for it. But her going after Biden (or even she had done it against any other) was not a good move.

Maybe Klobuchar meant it differently, but she is too smart to not know better.

[cwydro]

38. Nowhere does she say it is wrong.

She simply said she wouldn’t allow it in her administration.

I see nothing wrong with candidates speaking out on this issue since it IS in the news.

[happy feet]

29. Agree

I could urge my son/daughter not to do so because of appearances but a parent can't make their adult child's decisions in the end. This is ridiculous with the MF45 grifter family running their businesses benefiting while their father is POTUS!

Repubs always get away with democrats taking the bait of "look over there"....sick of it.

[Skya Rhen]

2. Proves why she is at 1%...

[Pachamama]

31. +1000

Exactly

[blm]

3. Only Republicans and THEIR kids get away this. There has ALWAYS been an unfair

Last edited Sun Oct 6, 2019, 11:15 AM - Edit history (1)

Double-standard for Democrats imposed by Republicans.


Time to END that double standard.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. If your child is an adult, how can you say you won't "let" them do something?

Maybe you could advise them or urge them or explain why you don't think it's a good idea, but that adult has their own agency. You are not responsible for the actions of your adult child, and you certainly aren't responsible for the legal actions of someone else's adult child. Joe Biden wasn't responsible for Hunter. President Obama was even less responsible for the actions of his VP's adult son. Maybe Hunter should have been more aware of the "optics" of joining the board of Burisma, and maybe Joe even cautioned him about it, but his decision to do it wasn't under Joe's control. Sorry, Amy, you stepped in it this time.

(When they are working for you, however - like Ivanka and Jared - that's a whole 'nother story.)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Yeah, violates rights of adults who don't control who they are born to or what their parents become.

[highplainsdem]

12. Agree completely. It was a naive answer from Klobuchar and played into Trump's hands.

[mainstreetonce]

5. How do you stop an adult

who is related to your VP from doing anything?

[highplainsdem]

8. +1,000,000. All you could do is demand the VP step down or recuse himself/herself based on

something done by an adult child. Which gives a ridiculous amount of power to the whims of any adult offspring. Not to mention throwing a monkey wrench into the VP selection process (with such a rule in effect, you'd probably look for VPs who are childless or whose children are very young) or any policy process involving the VP.

[Captain Zero]

10. I keep hoping we will find Hunter was OUR CIA asset

In some manner.

But my first impression when I first heard it as fact and no bs surrounding it was that this was bad optics. And maybe did not avoid the appearance of impropriety. That being said how many appearances of impropriety has Trump's three spawn avoided? None. Absolutely none.

[cwydro]

39. Hunter as a CIA asset?

That’s too funny.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. Many presidents, VPs and presidential candidates have had relatives

whose behavior was subject to scrutiny in some way. There was Tony Rodham's business venture in Georgia (the country, not the state), Donald Nixon's dealings with Howard Hughes, Roger Clinton's drug problems and conviction, Billy Carter's dealings with Libya (from which Jimmy Carter publicly distanced himself), Neil Bush and his involvement in the Silverado scandal while his father GHW Bush was Vice-President, and who knows what else. To what extent do we have to not only vet a candidate's entire family, but hold the candidate responsible for their actions?

[durablend]

6. Poisoning the well...

"Hmmm...if a Democrat thinks something is wrong with it I guess he actually did something wrong"

Thanks Amy! Russia appreciates it!

[ritapria]

7. Joe treats his employees with great respect

Unlike a certain candidate I know

[at140]

11. Tangential inference to Biden?

Isn't there enough attacks from the other side?

[ritapria]

17. Tangential Inference to Klobuchar

[exboyfil]

13. There goes the VP nomination

and I have to rethink my support before the Iowa caucus.

Lots of better ways to answer the question and right now do not speak ill of another Democratic candidate. Do what they do. Turn it back to the other side. Like I would not have family members on my White House staff conducting policy and giving advise. I especially would not let them engage in business activities, much of it crossing our own foreign and domestic policy.

Adult children have their own agency.

[Pachamama]

33. I am afraid so that she can say goodbye to the VP nomination

Sorry, because she is clearly been your candidate of choice. I think her chance for the Presidential candidate have been long gone, but she had a shot at the VP nomination. I don't think so after that.

I say this as someone who has been a Harris supporter from the beginning and felt she would be harmed when she went after Biden. I think she still might have a chance at the VP nomination but at this point, I am rethinking seriously who I think I will vote for in the CA primaries. I love Kamala Harris. She is also a fantastic Senator from our State. But given the events in the last few weeks, I am at a point where I lean to Biden as the one to support. Warren after that.

I will support our nominee no matter who. But I think we all need to get really serious and are in a National emergency.

I think a Biden/Harris, Biden/Warren, Biden/Buttigieg ticket would all be fantastic.

[highplainsdem]

15. Your link doesn't work. It's incomplete, missing one word at the end. Correct link:

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/464538-klobuchar-said-she-wouldnt-let-vps-child-sit-on-foreign-board

[highplainsdem]

19. RW Washington Times already has this as a headline.

[MineralMan]

20. Ugh. Amy...not a good look...

[Hoyt]

23. She was asked a question. She responded fairly/honestly. If one of trump's sorry assed kids

did the same, we'd raise hell (I know they have done pretty much same, and we raised hell).

While nothing illegal happened with Bidens, it doesn't look good. Klobuchar answered the question honestly and doesn't deserve criticism.

In any event, nothing trumpsters claim the Bidens did changes the fact that trump abused his power and needs to be removed from office.

[Buckeyeblue]

24. That's bullshit. So because my dad or mom is VP I have to put my life on hold?

[Hortensis]

25. I'm disappointed in her. She'd be president, not dictator.

That's just plain a very dishonest claim that exploits ignorance and gullibility in those who should be able to trust her.

Btw, Hunter Biden's 49 now, so he was about 44 in 2014.

Neither he nor his brother Beau ever needed to ask their father's permission before entering into business arrangements. BUT, it's also long known that when young they all agreed the sons would not discuss their business dealings with the father to avoid genuine involvement or influence.

Dishonest accusations and insinuations of "questions of involvement" are a different matter, but no amount of integrity can eliminate those. And no one who pushes dirty lies and insinuations is clean.

[DrFunkenstein]

27. That Sort of Talk Would Get Her Banned For Repeating RW Points

"There is no evidence that ... the vice president did something wrong here," she said.

This is no time for ethics talk, Senator. But you are right that Biden DID NOT invite this on himself by failing to recuse himself to avoid these sorts of smears. The REAL point is that they are baseless smears. The appearance of a conflict of interest IS NOT an actual conflict of interest.

Biden could have told Obama that he didn't want to get personally involved in the negotiations, but there is nothing actually wrong with him doing so. Not sure if your message is helping keep that clear.

Don't expect to balance his moderate ticket anytime soon, Senator. If he remembers Harris and busing, he'll DEFINITELY remember this existential threat to his candidacy.

[iamateacher]

28. There is a real difference from a 24 year old offspring...

And one in their 30's. You have no say so other than hoping you taught them well. They have kids, mortgages, etc. Speaking from personal experience.

[Peacetrain]

30. Amen to that!!

[DrFunkenstein]

35. I Have a Cousin in His 30's That Basically Stole Everybody's Inheritance

By getting our grandparents tied up with his mortgage schemes in the mid-2000's. Basically, everything they had worked for vanished, including the family house where so many of us played as children.

I wish somebody would have had a word with him and told him that what he was doing was putting the family at risk. I never really thought twice about the inheritance, but I certainly wouldn't pretend now that what my cousin did was acceptable.

[poli-junkie]

34. Shame on her! nt

[Happy Hoosier]

40. I appreciate the sentiment.... but how?

These are adults with their own rights. How does she plan on stopping them from doing it?

I'm not defending such practices from an ethical point of view, but I cannot see how it can be legally prohibited.

[BeyondGeography]

41. There's no law against a President insisting on ethical standards that would apply to this issue

[Happy Hoosier]

42. To who? To people who never agreed to such a thing?

I'm just saying that the law can apply to the office holder, but I cannot see how it can apply to adult children. What would the basis for such a law? I can't see it holding up to legal scrutiny.

[BeyondGeography]

43. You have a very limited view of presidential power

is all I’ll say.