NBC News: Kennedy appalled at Clinton campaign tactics, plans impassioned plea for Obama Monday

[Tropics_Dude83]

Fascinating video from one of the best in the business:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#22870637

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

1. Wow

[Quixote1818]

2. Doesn't Kennedy understand that it's the media making all this up?

Lets hear it for Teddy! :woohoo: :applause: :bounce: :toast: :party: :thumbsup: :hi: :headbang: :woohoo:

[Tropics_Dude83]

4. Well...here's how I look at it

President Clinton could have said yesterday that John Edwards won the primary in 2004. He ran a good campaign here. Did he win the nomination? He easily could have said that to make an electability point. Instead, he mentioned Jackson's 1984/1988 S.C. victories. That is blatantly playing the race card. He just can't help himself.

[MonkeyFunk]

7. but Jackson WAS a better example to make his point

His point was that winning the SC Primary was no guarantee of going on to succeed. Jackson won it twice and still failed to gain the nomination, so the example is twice as strong as using Edwards.

And... Edwards did go on to get the Veep nomination.

AND... if he HAD used Edwards as the example, he'd be accused of attacking both candidates.

Nothing he said was racially-motivated: his detractors just want to make it appear that way.

[Quixote1818]

10. Even if you are right, the comment was bound to be taken wrong and therefor

it was incredibly stupid to make such a remark! :dunce:

[MonkeyFunk]

12. he can't be responsible

for what hypersensitive reactionary blog-monkeys get excited about.

[Quixote1818]

15. So then you are going to give Obama a pass on the Reagan remarks?

Was Hillary wrong to attack him on that? Thats essentially what you are arguing for.

[MonkeyFunk]

17. You never saw ME get up in arms over the Reagan thing....

But Hillary had every right to bring it up. This is a Democratic primary.

And I'm not saying nobody should bring up the Jackson thing. I'm not one of those who gets weak-kneed at the merest hint of contention in a political race. It's going to happen no matter what, and ultimately, 99% of this shit is unimportant.

[Quixote1818]

31. "But Hillary had every right to bring it up"

:eyes: You are saying she had every right to put words in Obama's mouth as though Obama said Reagan had "Good Ideas"? When he never actually said such a thing? Un-Fucking believable!

Wow, you are willing to admit you are a hypocrite and attempt to make a lame argument for why it's OK to be one.

[MonkeyFunk]

38. And you're putting words in MY mouth now

Shall I call you a hypocrite?

Do people here even THINK about what they're writing? I've seen more people engaged in EXACTLY the behavior they're condemning I just laugh at it now.

[Quixote1818]

44. Wow, you are spinning faster than a Cat 5 tornado to cover that foot in your mouth.

:eyes:

[MonkeyFunk]

47. Nope

you've made an ass of yourself by doing to me EXACTLY what you were condemning at the time. It's not your first time, and won't be your last.

[Quixote1818]

50. I feel like I am back in Kindergarten here

You failed to make a good argument on Hillary's lie, then went into spin, smoke and mirrors mode to try to "win". Wining isn't everything you know. Admitting you made a poor argument is a much more attractive, adult characteristic. Debate me on that point and stop the smoke and mirrors.

[MonkeyFunk]

58. We were having a nice generic discussion

about politics. Then you sprung like a rabid dog, putting words in my mouth, while going off on Hillary for putting words in Obama's mouth.


For added irony, you then called me a hypocrite. You made an ass of yourself.

[ArfDogMNO]

57. As I recall, her husband made very favorable comments

about Ronald Reagan during his campaign in '92, arguably more favorable than Obama's comments.

[Kahuna]

23. "Blog monkeys???" That hurt my feelings.

NOT!!!!

[marshall]

54. Ted Kennedy?

Kennedy rssents being called a hypersensitive reactionary blog-monkey.

[frazzled]

25. Bull ... SC was a small, uncontested caucus, and held much later in the 80s

And in both those elections, the Democratic nominee was already assured.

There is no comparison between the SC caucus of those years and the much earlier, larger scale primary of today. It's clear that Clinton said that, once again, to remind everybody that Barack Obama is, after all, a BLACK man, and just as "scary" as Jessie Jackson was to a lot of southern whites back then (and today).

Bill Clinton: don't forget--he's a BLACK candidate.

But I sincerely doubt this was the whole reason for Kennedy's endorsement: apparently the Clintons have been trying to stop him from doing this for a while now.

[MonkeyFunk]

33. You're pointing out differences

but that doesn't mean there weren't similarities.

And for the point he was trying to make, the only similarity was that somebody had won SC twice and failed to go on to get the nomination.

[JackORoses]

52. the only connection between Obama's campaign and Jackson's is race

[ArfDogMNO]

56. Actually, did SC have primaries for the DNC in '84 and 88?

IIRC they had caucuses, a very different proposition.

[journalist3072]

14. Oh good grief...Give it the hell up already..

I'm an African-American woman, and wasn't offended by Clinton's comments at all.

So now, are we going to say that you can't say anything about Barack Obama, because he's African-American, and anything said about him will be construed as racist?

President Clinton was absolutely correct. I'm an African-American, and I know what's happening in my community. And I will tell you, listening to the Tom Joyner Morning Show every day, there are people calling in, unapologetically voting for Obama because of his race. There was even a caller on Tom's show the other day, who said that we need to vote for Obama first, THEN find out what he is going to do for Black America. I was just dumbfounded by that. It said a lot.

But let me ask you this, was Obama playing the race card this past Thursday, when he told a South Carolina crowd this: "I need you to grab Cousin Pookie to vote," he told a crowd in Kingstree on Thursday. "I need you to get Ray-Ray to vote."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080126/ap_on_el_pr/obama_race

I was actually more offended by Obama's comments, than President Clinton's. When I read Obama's comments about bringing cousin Pookie and Ray-Ray, I was floored. He played into a racial stereotype that every Black person out there knows someone named Pookie or Ray-Ray. I'm an African-American, and I know no one by those names. But that's a stereotype out there, and Obama played into it.

So can we please stop the bullshit about the racist, MLK-hating Clintons.

[ellacott]

21. Funny

[sniffa]

24. Looks like Pookies and Ray Rays put Obama over the top

By over a 2-1 margin. I can understand how upset that makes you as a black, female, journalist. :hug:

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

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

[sniffa]

39. come again?

[loveangelc]

41. wow, someone didnt take their meds

[Kahuna]

35. Hello!!!!! Ray Ray and Pookie got off the couch, got off the playstation

(or whatever game they're addicted to these days. I'm a geezer),and took care of business. Seems some are offended by that. Too bad.

[loveangelc]

37. you're a clinton staffer more likely than not.

[kickitup]

48. Hillary played the gender card

when she teared up before N.H. Was that okay? You see, as a white woman I was really offended that she had to resort to that in order to gain the votes of women.

[Justice Is Comin]

51. Yup, there are multitudes in here

just scouring posts for double entendres about Obama.

God help us anybody should say something like 'black ice.' Truckers you're out of luck. Black gold...nope. The mind shudders.

[Kahuna]

20. Listen up! Politicians know underhanded tactics when they see them.

Some may want to hide their heads in the sand. But, Kennedy, Kerry, Leahy etals are not falling for it. They've been around waaaay longer than most of us. They've seen it all.

[Darth_Kitten]

3. He's a Kennedy and he's appalled at the Clintons' tactics?

I guess no more clam bakes at the Cape. :sarcasm:

[Occam Bandage]

5. Clinton couldn't fool SC, and couldn't fool Kennedy.

[ellacott]

6. Many Dems in leadership told him to chill

He wouldn't listen.

[Adelante]

8. Wow

I guess we weren't imagining things.

[lurky]

9. The Jackson comment came after Kennedy told

him to cut the crap. That had to piss him off.

[Quixote1818]

13. I think they are worried Bill is going to fracture the party into bits

Bill has been out of control lately and I think the Kennedy's are worried the Clinton's may destroy the party. Someone had to do something and the Kennedy's have always looked out for the good of the party because they have the clout to do so.

[rufus dog]

16. with out a doubt that is the case

You have an elder statesman in Kennedy who has worked his entire life, gone through the ups and downs, and was even in a contentious battle for the nomination. Last year had to give him hope that the tide has turned back to his liking and he has a Clinton campaign engaging in a scorched earth methodology that will cost many Dems. So he tells BC to cool it and he doesn't. Don't piss off an Irishman, they hit back hard and fast!

[Catherine Vincent]

40. Kennedy can't tell the Big Dog what to do. nt

[Kahuna]

45. Apparently, no one can.

That's not necessarily a good thing.

[Little Star]

18. The Kennedy's are a family riddled with

alcohol. Ted especially did a lot of harm to this party. Pot meet kettle.

[alcibiades_mystery]

43. The Kennedy's are a family riddled with bullets, blood shed for democracy's sake

And you, sir or madam, are a fucking fanatic.

[lurky]

26. I wonder how things work behind the scenes sometimes.

Do you think the Kennedys have as much juice as the Clintons? They are pretty much the two biggest Dem political machines I can think of. Teddy has been in office 40 years, so I imagine he has a lot of relationships and influence within the party.

When you put it like that, it makes me think this is some kind of Clash of the Titans between the two big wings of the Democratic Party.



Then again, maybe I'm being overly dramatic. :)

[Kahuna]

32. They are absolutely worried also that HIllary at the top of the ticket..

could put them back in the minority if she continues to piss off the Democrats' most loyal constituents.

[Quixote1818]

34. I agree 100%. Thats exactly what this is about. nt

[loveangelc]

11. uh oooooooooh :-D

[Quixote1818]

19. Uh oooo! Sounds like Big Dog is in the Camelot Dog house!

If your shit starts to rip the Democratic Party apart then the Kennedy's have to look out for the party. Good on them!

[rufus dog]

22. That is the best news website!

In regards to the quality and architecture of the site.

[Kahuna]

That it is!!!

:hi:

[Adelante]

42. The video screen itself is a thing of beauty nt

[MelissaB]

49. I noticed that, too. It really is beautiful.

[tritsofme]

27. From the man who helped usher in the Reagan Era

By mounting a divisive and bruising primary challenge against an already weakened President Carter.

Sure...

[AX10]

60. Durbin, Clyburn, Jackson Jr., McCatskill, Kennedy...h

have taken to the right wing talking points right from Insanity's mouth.
:puke:
:thumbsdown:

[Hardrada]

62. McCatskill?

A senator from New York maybe? Love that name.

[OHdem10]

28. This will not Help Obama in Hearland and West.

I, personally have respect for Senator Kennedy.

Criticizing the Clintons by S.Kennedy will only help
the Clintons .

Does Obama need help in the North EAst???

[AX10]

61. True.

Kennedy is not liked in the "red" states.

[Beacool]

30. Didn't Teddy endorse Kerry???

Well, that turned out sooooo well..............

:eyes:

[Occam Bandage]

36. He won the nomination, didn't he?

[Beacool]

55. and was a poor candidate who LOST the election.

:shrug:

[Diane R]

46. That news report is going to be really damaging to the Clinton campaign.

[TeamJordan23]

53. Bill tried to talk him out of the endorsement, but glad didn't Teddy didn't give in to the liar. nm

[Barack_America]

59. Sounds like Jesse Jackson was the breaking point.

At least that's what the Washington Post is suggesting:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/01/27/sen_kennedy_to_endorse_obama_1.html