www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/16/hillary-clinton-on-workin_n_97017.html
About Sam Stein Sam Stein is a Political Reporter at the Huffington Post, based in Washington, DC Previously he has worked for Newsweek magazine, the New York Daily News and the investigative journalism group Center for Public Integrity. He has a masters from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and is a graduate of Dartmouth College.
Hillary Clinton has presented herself as a working class populist, the politician in touch with small town sentiments, compared to the elitism of her opponent, Sen.
But a telling anecdote from her husband's administration shows Hillary Clinton's attitudes about the "lunch-bucket Democrats" are not exactly pristine. In January 1995, as the Clintons were licking their wounds from the 1994 congressional elections, a debate emerged at a retreat at Camp David. Should the administration make overtures to working class white southerners who had all but forsaken the Democratic Party? The then-first lady took a less than inclusive approach.
Benjamin Barber witnessed and wrote about in his book, "The Truth of Power: Intellectual Affairs in the Clinton White House" -- was prompted by another speaker raising the difficulties of reaching "Reagan Democrats." It stands in stark contrast to the attitude the New York Democrat has recently taken on the campaign trail, in which she has presented herself as the one candidate who understands the working-class needs.
Obama really gets it that people are looking for a president who stands up for you and not looks down on you," she said this week. But those who were at the event say the 1995 episode fits into her larger viewpoint.
sees herself as the champion of the oppressed, but there is always a kind of good guy versus bad guy mentality. The comment before that was that 'the Reagan Democrats are our enemies and they weren't on our side,' and she was agreeing with that comment. A spokesperson for Clinton said the quote was taken out of context and did not reflect her true political philosophy. "This quote differs from the recollection of others who were in the room at the time this comment was allegedly made," said Jay Carson. "To be clear, that's not how she felt then and it's not how she feels now, and the proof is in how she has lived her life, the work she has done and the policies she has pushed and pursued over the last 35 years." Asked to produce a witness who would say that Clinton had been misquoted, Carson wrote: "So, you've got two guys we've barely heard of remembering a verbatim quote from 13 years ago?... Perhaps even more telling than Hillary Clinton's proclamation, however, were the words from her husband that followed. As reported by Barber, Clinton "stepped in, calm and judicious, not irritated, as if rehearsing an old but honorable debate he had been having with his wife for decades." Hardworking, poor, white boys, who feel left out, feel that our reforms always come at their expense. Think about it, every progressive advance our country has made since the Civil War has been on their backs. Now, we are the party of progress, but let me tell you, until we find a way to include these boys in our programs, until we stop making them pay the whole price of liberty for others, we are never going to unite our party, never really going to have change that sticks. If the tone and tenor of the above sounds familiar, it's because the message, Boyte says, is remarkably similar to what Obama was trying to convey in his now controversial remarks about small town America. "Well, yeah, absolutely," said Boyte, when asked if Obama and Bill Clinton were expressing the same political viewpoint (Boyte said he and his organization are neutral in the presidential race). "I think Obama's better-or-worse versions of this have always been that people are complicated. Not to be lost in all this, as Boyte notes, is that Hillary Clinton has consistently been a "champion for the people who were helpless and powerless." "Hillary Clinton has a very strong customer view: the citizen is the customer and the government the vendor," said Boyte. In fact, last Christmas she had an ad of herself writing checks to different groups."
Considering events this past week, the issue has taken on increased relevance. Late Update: The Clinton campaign put me in touch with Don Baer, President Clinton's speech writer at the time, who had attended the same meeting. He says: "I don't remember anything along those lines, at all. And I certainly don't remember Senator Clinton saying anything like that... they have their recollections of that, that is their business. The conversation, from my perspective, was moderated in tone." He did not, it should be noted, directly challenge the interpretations of Barber and Boyte.
The New Republic published a blog post by Alan Wolfe, a professor of political science at Boston College, who was also at the retreat and says he too heard the quote. Noting Carson's remark -- "So, you've got two guys we've barely heard of remembering a verbatim quote from 13 years ago?... Sounds totally and completely reliable" -- Wolfe writes: "Make that three.
I'm a Fan of Tane I find it utterly ridiculous that Hillary Clinton"s experience is legitimized only by proxy of her husband"s Presidency and that somehow her claim to having been vetted is also accepted by proxy. Hillary Clinton has received very little vetting herself. She has never been asked about how her credibility is affected by the scandal-ridden years that she lived in the white house. Apparently people don"t have the guts to ask her directly, so they ask it of her daughter who brushes such questions off with "that"s none of your business." Since the moral scandals that overshadowed the Clinton Presidency can be directly blamed for mobilizing and solidifying the Republican opposition in 2000 and cost Gore the nomination, I"d say the scandals are fair game. Bill"s Presidency reduced the Democratic Party to the immoral party and painted the Republicans as the Family Values party. It should also be noted that 14% of the voters (the youth) in this Primary were not aware of the scandals that played out like a soap opera through the 90"s, and they deserve to be educated about the content of her baggage.
I'm a Fan of Pharos This article doesn't work for one very important reason. There is real doubt as to what he meant in the minds of some people. Hillary is at a campaign strategy session and is asked her opinion about a group that didn't support her husband. There is not a person in the world who doesn't understand her answer.
I'm a Fan of Tane The fact that folks look back on the Clinton years with nostalgia economically and yet ignore the fact that it was the Clinton's who produced NAFTA, which led to these folks jobs being outsourced and thus led to their further economic decline. I guess that is just more evidence that people seem to vote against their economic interests.
I'm a Fan of MikeB08 So this is what they "say" she said 13 years ago and there are those that say it's not what she said. Obama in his own elitist words spoken just a few days ago recorded for all to hear. The only point I can see for the giddiness of Obama supporters about this would be that they can say "so what that Obama is an elitist, Clinton is too".
I'm a Fan of BillyT We also have VIDEOS from the past two months of HILLARY LYING about her 'experience." Oh yeah, by the way, these comments about Hillary saying "SCREW 'EM" are recollections from three different people. That's how Hillary's campaign has been run: as a PANDERING MESS. Obama said the folks are "bitter" because they don't get enough help. If you can't tell the difference you are the typical "high school education or less" Hill-Billy.
I'm a Fan of NikkiT Lies like this post are proof that the media is discriminatory towards Hillary Clinton. To make something like this up, no proof, no video, no audio - just someone's statement - what BS. This is to get back at Obama's bitter comments, but HE SAID THOSE WORDS and YOU have them on tape. Your goal is to take Hillary out and you will do it even if it's a lie.
I'm a Fan of Bobbygoode Her own words, and those of her husband and/or h...
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