Just Words? Clinton Camp Uses Obama's To Defuse Race Comments

By: Ryan Corsaro
Topics: Hillary Clinton

(CBS)

From CBS News' Ryan Corsaro

PHILADELPHIA – While Barack Obama's campaign continues to hammer away on Hillary Clinton for comments Geraldine Ferraro made about him, the Clinton camp tried to turn the tables on Obama today. Clinton campaign manager Maggie Williams brought up an interview Obama did in January in an attempt to defuse the situation.

In an e-mail sent to the press, Williams quoted Obama from an appearance on "Meet the Press" where he talked about race and comments from his supporters: "I think that, as Hillary said, our supporters, our staff, get overzealous. They start saying things that I would not say. And it is my responsibility to make sure that we're setting a clear tone in our campaign, and I take that responsibility very seriously, which is why I spoke yesterday and sent a message in case people were not clear that what we want to do is make sure that we focus on the issues."

Williams added, "We agreed then. We agree today. Supporters from both campaigns will get overzealous."

Clinton herself told the Associated Press today that Ferraro's comments were "regrettable."

The comments made by Ferraro, widely recognized for being the first woman to run for vice president in 1984, were published recently by a California newspaper.

"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position," Ferraro told the local newspaper "Daily Breeze." "And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."

The Obama campaign expressed outrage at the comments made by Ferraro, saying that the Clinton surrogate was attempting to drag race into the context of Obama's popularity in a "divisive" manner.

An immediate connection was also made to the Obama campaign's dismissal of a top foreign policy advisor, Samantha Power, for calling Clinton a "monster" last week.

Williams ended her email by saying, "Senator Obama's campaign staff seems to have forgotten his pledge. We have not. And, we reject these false, personal and politically calculated attacks on the eve of a primary."

41 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 41 Comments


by missglo March 12, 2008 9:32 PM EDT: E-mail sent to the Press? This is something that the Clinton Camp has been doing all along. Spreading wicked gossip.; Reply to this comment


by buddhabman March 12, 2008 6:43 PM EDT: I for one do not think Geraldine Ferraro is a racist. Her comments were maybe not intentionally racist but they were certainly insensitive to the nature of character or message over Race and Gender.

Now this hyper-sensitivity is what you get as a result of going negative in a campaign. The Clinton campaign started down this road so now they have to deal with the mess.

If the Clinton camp can call for Samantha Power to resign for her unfortunate comments then the Obama campaign has every right to expect the same.

Excellent Take here -

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/geraldine-ferraros-ugly-_b_91075.html; Reply to this comment


by laurenbrillante March 12, 2008 3:23 PM EDT: First of all Ferraro is not just another ''supporter''. She is an official memeber of Hillary''s campaign. In her do anything to win strategy I have to believe that she knows exactly what she is doing with these racial remarks and they may have helped her in Mississipi which is sad but now she is read to play the Pennsylvania crowd but I think she let''s them stand as long as they help her get more votes. She''ll take em any way she can get them.
I am so sickened that to women with so much power and influence are wielding it in such ugly, horrible ways. This is not feminine power. I do not consider them good examples of women in power. I am glad my daughter can see right through all of this.
And by the way. I am a 44 yr old, educated, white, single mother, small business owner in Colorado and I wrote to Senator Obama and asked him to run for president. The first time I saw him and heard him speak I sincerely wished he was our president. He was not running at the time. He is a brilliant man of integrity. His race had nothing to do with. I just wanted this man to be our president. I could tell our country would be in excellent hands with his leadership. So there''s a fact for you Geraldine.
I hope that my wish comes true!
OBAMA/EDWARDS ''08; Reply to this comment


by smashwl7 March 12, 2008 3:14 PM EDT: There are only 20 Black people in Utah and I am one of them. He won with over 20% of the vote.; Reply to this comment


by smashwl7 March 12, 2008 3:11 PM EDT: Hillary is only wining some states because she is a White Woman she would not be even be in this race if she was a White Man. Geraldine Ferraro is A FEMALE CHAUVINIST, RACIST PIG that is a disgrace to the good woman of America

"Chauvinist" means someone who assertively maintains that his or her kind -- usually people of the same *** or nationality they think they are superior; "chauvinism" refers to an extreme and bigoted form of patriotism.; Reply to this comment


by sandershowar March 12, 2008 3:11 PM EDT: To all the Black women, I am a white woman and I am disappointed. To say that it is true that Obama is only here because of his race and if he were white is so untrue. Do you even study the candidates track records? Barack has more legislative experience than his opponent. He is brilliant in that he has electrified the electorate and brought many Republicans, Independents, and Democrats together on some common ground - something his opponent has yet to achieve.
During the first-8-eight years of his elected service he sponsored over 820 bills,introduced 233 regarding healthcare reform,125 on poverty and public assistance,112 crime fighting bills,97 economic bills,60 human rights and anti-discrimination bills, 21 ethics reform bills,15 gun control, 6 veterans affairs and many others his first year in the U.S. Senate, he authored 152 bills and co-sponsored another 427. These included **the Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 - became law, **The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act, - became law, **The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, passed the Senate, **The 2007 Government Ethics Bill, - became law, **The Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill, In committee, and many more. In all, since entering the U.S. Senate, Senator Obama has written 890 bills and co-sponsored another 1096.An impressive record.He''s not just a talker. He''s a doer.; Reply to this comment


by socrates392 March 12, 2008 3:03 PM EDT: Hillary is only where she is today because she''s Bill''s wife! How do you like dem apples Hillary supporters?!

I''m not sexist. In fact, if you think I''m sexist, then you yourself are sexist! Does this idiotic line of reasoning sound familiar?; Reply to this comment


by thecrown4u March 12, 2008 2:17 PM EDT: Thank God for all those black folks in Vermont and Wisconsin. Obama wouldn''t be where he is now without you.

Geraldine, yo buddy is getting her butt kicked. I understand that it''s hard for you to accept. After all, an uppity scrawny black man ought to stay in his place. After all, Hillary wouldn''t be in the position she''s in if it wasn''t for her husband''s rather tattered coattails.

The worst part is that the black voters were not even supporting Barack until caucasians lifted him up on their shoulders.

And just because you say your not racist is no reason to accept that notion as fact. Particularly when your actions stand in such stark contrast to your words. Your not racist, black folks just need to know what place they belong in.; Reply to this comment


by rowdytexan2 March 12, 2008 12:43 PM EDT: Posted by fjstratford at 03:11 AM : Mar 12, 2008

Well said!; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 March 12, 2008 12:43 PM EDT: Some day, (maybe real soon) we won%u2019t look at someone being a woman, black, hispanic, asian, jewish, or handicapped as president. We shall only refer to them as %u201CPresident%u201D.; Reply to this comment