Bill Clinton speaks against 'demonizing' political leaders

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

6/17/2006, 7:26 p.m. ET
By PEGGY HARRIS
The Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton said Saturday that, if he returns to the White House in 2008 because his wife becomes president, his role would be to "do whatever she wants" because that's what a good citizen would do.

Clinton said he didn't know if U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a Democrat from New York seeking re-election this year, would run for president in two years as some have speculated, but he predicted a woman could win the most powerful office in the world.

Asked at an Association of Alternative Newsweeklies convention what his role would be if his wife were elected, the former two-term president said, "I'll do whatever she wants, and I have no idea what that is. I honestly don't know whether she's going to run."

Clinton said he believes his wife would make a good president and has been a better senator than he expected she would be, becoming knowledgeable about national security, commerce, political relationships, and other issues.

More: http://www.silive.com/newsflash/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1150587254155040.xml&storylist=simetro

[wtmusic]

1. He says nothing of the sort

The quote:

"Reminding his audience that he grew up in the South as a native of Arkansas, Clinton said right-wing ideologues and "ultra-conservative, white Southerners" have "demonized" those who think differently from them."

A little editorializing? :eyes:

[ismnotwasm]

3. Good catch.

My favorite part:
"While he doesn't agree with much of the Bush administration policies, Clinton said, he has come to understand President Bush better. Clinton said Bush has "an intuitive intelligence," provoking laughter from the audience. But Clinton said he meant that seriously."

But seriously folks...

[progressivebydesign]

8. "intuitive intelligence" is a nice way to say Bush is illiterate.

Seriously... he's saying that Bush is not organically stupid, but not educated either. I believe Bush is a functioning illiterate, and is ashamed to admit it. Many people are.. but I believe that's his secret. I also believe he's not religious at all... he's acting.

[AndyTiedye]

12. We Know He Has Read At Least One Book

It was obviously one of those books you just can't put down, no matter what...

[MichiganVote]

9. Where was that intuition on 9/11? Must be where the WMD's are.

And how about Katrina? All that intuition combined with the incredible technology we give these government bozo's to work with and * couldn't do anything more than fly over the place?

George Bush is dumber than a rock.

[greekspeak]

20. His "intuition" told him to go with the KKKorporations on those issues

I wish his "intuition" would tell him to quit, turn himself in, go to trial, take his sentance, and spend the rest of his life under house arrest at his Crawford pig farm--with EVERY unwanted swine in the world sent there for him to take care of.

[Toots]

23. Clinton said a long time ago "Underestimate Bush* at your own peril"

Bush* is no dummy..

[On the Road]

5. I Think It's Careful Parsing of Words

What the headline meant was that Bill Clinton "speaks" against "political leaders" who were "demonizing" Democrats.

No one just looking at the headline would ever take it to mean that. And the editor (who would normally write the headline) knows that.

[wtmusic]

28. Ahhh...

Didn't read it that way.

[BooScout]

26. As usual the Associated Press is editorializing....

Someone should make them remove the name "Press" from their title because since they changed the rules of their reporting it pretty much sucks.

[Mojorabbit]

2. A good citizen does whatever the prez says???

Hmmm

[carolinalady]

10. Only if the Prez is his wife! LOL. n/t

[0007]

4. ....and Hopalong Cassidy lassos those crooks with a smile too!

[reprobate]

24. Thanks for the memories, 0007. Boy, Hoppy was a LONG time ago.

[rodeodance]

6. I do not think the headline is accurate at all.

........What concerns him more, he said, is a particular strain of the Republican Party that he said has gotten control in Washington. Reminding his audience that he grew up in the South as a native of Arkansas, Clinton said right-wing ideologues and "ultra-conservative, white Southerners" have "demonized" those who think differently from them.

Their "divisive" approach has made it more difficult to make substantive change, he said.

"My problem is I don't think this way of doing politics and making policy is good for America," he said. "We've got to find ways to get back to evidence-based politics."

Government has become more secretive while the level of discourse over such issues as gay marriage, immigration, and the war in Iraq has become more heated.

He said global interdependence, the Internet, and the proliferation of nongovernmental organizations means ordinary citizens feel the effects of and have more impact on developments worldwide.

[wordpix2]

7. "We've got to find ways to get back to evidence-based politics."

Instead of BushCo's religion-based, corporate greed-based, corruption-based and "I looked into his eyes"-based politics.

[anotherdrew]

17. when has this country EVER had evidence based politics?

how about we deal with reality as it confronts us? instead of pumping up a generation with a bunch of bullshit "you can make it if you dream it" bullshit... We need organization, money and power. nothing else will work. nothing else ever has or ever will.

[unkachuck]

11. and just for the record....

...."I honestly don't know whether she's going to run."....I'm telling you Bill, once and for all, she's running in '08....

[Tellurian]

13. Almost forgot this little ditty:

"You have to make a world with more partners and fewer terrorists," he said. "And we know how to do that."

Whoa, Billy- Now your talking about an idea that potentially could disrupt the Sum na Rich Oil Trust's sensibilities. You would be suggesting "they" SHARE the wealth; rather then keeping their future generations sequestered, separate and apart from the toils of the ordinary working man?

The homogenization of society rather than terrorism? Perish the thought!

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rodeodance]

21. I think we do indeed know how to do this--yet, we do not have the will.

[Vidar]

14. I was going to yell at Bill, but it was the headline that lied.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[reprobate]

25. Anyone who pushed so hard for NAFTA can't be all good.

NAFTA is directly responsible for our immigration troubles today. So Ol' Bill caused direct harm to millions of American workers. Sure he supported some of the social policies of the left, but it was his support of his corporate donors that marks the major influence of the Clinton years.

I'm not particularly proud of Bill as a president. And Hillary is made from the same corporate mold.

[RelativelyJones]

18. The Clinton era has passed

The gap between the Clinton era and the post-Bush era is a million miles and the old-guard Clintonites will never understand this until they are "Robert MacNamara old." I suspect the person to lead Democrats to power will be Eliot Spitzer, a mountain-state politician like Schweitzer, or protege of Al Gore who is also a person-of-color.

[dingaling]

19. Bill Clinton

is the one person responsible for the condition of the democratic party today. But for his trying to be republican-lite, the democrats would be in power. He has no problem kissing ass if that means getting votes for his wife or himself. I do not think his statements need to be taken seriously.

[kurth]

22. Our current political leaders are fucking EVIL

They're murderous and corrupt to the core. They deserve to be demonized.

[drduffy]

27. Always thought Bill was a Republican.....

he is certainly a corporatist. POS.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

30. That much worse than Bush???????

[w4rma]

29. The AP editors are sneaky. (nt)