Clinton Spokesperson Defends Assassination Comment

[slinkerwink]

Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithe just said to a group of reporters in South Dakota -- including Memoli -- that this is "one of the more ridiculous" issues that has come up in a long race. The campaign, he said, will soon send out an official comment.

*** UPDATE *** Here is the official statement from Elleithe: "She was simply referencing her husband in 1992 and Bobby kennedy in 1968 as historical expmales of the nominating contest going well into the summer. Any, any reading into it beyond that is inaccurate."

link: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/05/23/1058940.aspx

[slinkerwink]

1. kicking for true colors

[roguevalley]

32. she's lying. the nomination was wrapped up way earlier than June

with only the california primary left. no one else could touch him so he was defacto nom. She is lying about how the nomination for bill dragged out through june. liar, shill, idiot. she should go home. now.

[EFerrari]

2. Fuck them.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. Then she should have kept her mouth shut

[NewHampshireDem]

4. Fuck you Elleithe, Fuck you!

You're not gonna unring that bell, fucktard.

[K Gardner]

5. Of course.. they defend ANYTHING this disgraceful, pathetic woman does or says.

[samdogmom]

6. Ridiculous...did you check your facts? Your candidate said this!!!!

WOW! Talk about trying to have your cake and eat it too! This campaign TAKES THE CAKE!

[WeDidIt]

7. Hillary Clinton has revealed herself to be a vile, despicable

and truly EVIL human being.

[Lance_Boyle]

8. kicking for a dead candidate bounce

No way she recovers from a vulture-like veiled assassination threat. No way. The woman is trash.

[cbc5g]

9. Ummmm no

I know what she said. She said that its wrong for her to drop out because Obama may be assassinated which would make her the nominee. There is no context argument here. It's just not something you say.

[samdogmom]

13. WOW!

"She said that its wrong for her to drop out because Obama may be assassinated which would make her the nominee".

And, for some bizarre reason you guys STILL DON'T GET THE OUTRAGE!

[WA98296]

10. BS, this is NOT the first time she's pulled the assassination theme

[Writer]

11. I hope they speak up even more forcefully about this.

Unbelievable.

[shadowknows69]

12. Bullshit!!!!

Then why mention the assassination at all?

[Ichingcarpenter]

14. "Why am I still in the race? Well, Obama might be winning"

"Why am I still in the race? Well, Obama might be winning in pledged delegates, superdelegates, states won and the popular vote, but, but, but...I can still hope he'll be assassinated!"


Oh, I see! So she's still in the race just in case Obama gets whacked?

[Phx_Dem]

15. Keep it up Hillary

you fucking bitch. Maybe this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back and we can now get rid of his hideous person once and for all.

[NotThisTime]

16. Right, putting it out there in more detail for some radical ass to take up as their cause-no defense

[jefferson_dem]

17. Who's "Mo"?

Forgive the fella - he knows not what he does ---

[elehhhhna]

18. boy does her campaign suck

[jefferson_dem]

19. Halperin is saying Hillary has apologized...

Y'right.

http://thepage.time.com/2008/05/23/clinton-to-meet-with-south-dakota-ed-board/

[Carolina]

22. exactly, it doesn't matter

it's out there and by saying it in the first place, she has revealed her deep and ardent hope. There is no redemption for her at all.

[cui bono]

20. BULLFUCKINGSHIT

There was no reason for her to mention the assassination then.

[Tom Rinaldo]

21. "It's the stupidity, Stupid"

At the very best this was a "Bomb, bomb, bomb; bomb bomb Iran" moment for Hillary Clinton. Except it wasn't an ill advised quip at a campaign rally, it was an ill advised comparison made during a taped interview at an editorial board meeting, and it wasn't the first time she has made it.

Even if those who distrust Hillary Clinton the most are willing to suspend their disbelief and accept that the argument she used here in reference to RFK was terribly misguided but not malicious in intent, how could Clinton not anticipate this firestorm surely coming in response to her saying it? What other obvious cues might she miss before commenting on a delicate matter as head of State? The best case scenario here is that she is exhausted at this point in the process and not thinking three dimensionally about all of the the implications of the words that she chooses to use to make her points. But Presidents are frequently exhausted during tense circumstances in the world.

Hillary received a warning shot across the bow the first time she used the Summer of 1968 as an example of nomination races that were decided late. She just slid by without serious political damage the first time. This time I expect it's going to catch up with her.

[wileedog]

25. Exactly right, and my stance as well

Between this, snipers and "obliteration" she is showing an incredible ability to say some real dumb stuff. One wonders if she has the diplomacy skills for the job she refuses to let go of.

BUt come on, I don't like her but there is no way to infer that she "hopes" it is going to happen, or even expects it. It was just stupid.

[Yotun]

23. Bleh, frankly I couldn't care less. Any 'controversies' at this point just make Clinton appear

worthy of having controversies about her as she is 'part of the race'. I think its time we wake up to the fact that the Clinton campaign is over, the primary is decided and we start ignoring anything coming from her.

Also I think its the whole issue is silly.

[Ichingcarpenter]

24. Now we know what her message of HOPE is!

BITCH!!!!!!!!!

[Hippo_Tron]

26. A better response would be "Senator Clinton used a poor choice of words, she apologizes"

End of story...

[tbyg52]

29. That doesn't cut it. There was no good choice of *words* to say what she was saying.

It was, at the very least, incredibly stupid.

[Swamp Rat]

27. There is no defense. The best thing to do is just apologize.

But she likely won't, which will seal the fate of her campaign.

[populistdriven]

28. Hardball question for Hillary

Can anyone tell us reasons why a political candidate would invoke assassination as a reason to continue running in a race which there is no mathematical way of winning possible?

[SlipperySlope]

30. K&R

[Hope And Change]

31. Fuck the Clintons.