Despite Differing Views on Trade, Hillary Vows Not To Muzzle Bill

By: Fernando Suarez
Topics: Hillary Clinton

(CBS)

From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

ALQUIPPA, PA. -- During a press conference today, Hillary Clinton said that despite the fact that she and her husband have different views on trade issue, she respects his decision to speak out about it.

"This is a great debate," Clinton said, "There are two sides to this debate, you know, it is not a hundred to nothing." Clinton echoed a statement put out by her campaign yesterday where she points out that its common for married couples to disagree on issues.

"I have a long record of being on a different attitude on trade than my husband does. I don't think any married couple I know agrees on everything and we disagree on this," Clinton said at the press conference.

News reports began showing up on the Internet yesterday stating that former President Bill Clinton had accepted money on behalf of the Colombian government in order to promote a free trade deal. His wife has been an outspoken critic of the deal, primarily because union workers, a strong base of support for the Democratic party, claim the deal will make it easier for corporations to ship jobs outside the U.S.

"You know very credible people who care very deeply for this country who have a commitment to improving the economy for working people, have a different view, so that's what debates are about and we're going to have a chance to step up and vote on it and I intend to step up and vote on it as I have said I would," said Clinton.

Clinton was also asked about the recent sacking of Mark Penn as chief strategist, someone who has worked with the Clintons for years, but was a source of controversy for the campaign in many ways.

Most recently, Penn who works for Burson-Marsteller, set up meetings with Colombian officials to discuss the pending free trade agreement, a move that angered Clinton and her staff. But despite Penn's blunder, he remains an adviser to Clinton who was asked to explain Penn's role in her campaign.

"His firm continues to provide polling and advice, but he is no longer chief strategist," she answered.

Clinton added, "there wasn't any connection between my campaign and with what he did with his independent business capacity."

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by blackspirit3 April 10, 2008 1:19 PM EDT: JUANITA BROADDRICK-- The interview, broadcast in February 1999, centered around Broaddrick''''''''s accusation that Bill Clinton had raped her on April 25, 1978 during his first campaign for the governorship of the U.S. state of Arkansas, at a time when Clinton was that state''''''''s Attorney General. In the interview, she declared that Clinton suddenly "turned me around and started kissing me, and that was a real shock. I first pushed him away. I just told him ''''''''no.''''''''... He tries to kiss me again. He starts biting on my lip... And then he forced me down on the bed. I just was very frightened. I tried to get away from him. I told him ''''''''no.''''''''... He wouldn''''''''t listen to me." In an interview for the Wall Street Journal editorial page, Broaddrick claimed that Clinton told her not to worry about pregnancy, because childhood mumps had left him sterile. WHY HILLARY MUZZLE BROADDRICK?; Reply to this comment


by realpatriot1 April 10, 2008 1:14 PM EDT: jack3213,

The sme could be said for McCain, if h weren''t a former POW we would be focusing on his admitted lack of understanding of the economy and his unadmitted ignorance of Shiites, Sunnis, Al Quaeda, and Iran.

I for one am not voting for Obama because of race or possing Hillary because of gender. We all back the candidates who generally share our views on the issues most important to us and the polls show those to be the economy and the war for all people accross the spectrum.; Reply to this comment


by jack3213 April 10, 2008 12:24 PM EDT: IF OBAMA WERE NOT BLACK WOULD HE STILL BE SO POPULAR? IF CLINTON WERE NOT A WOMAN WOULD SHE HAVE HALF AS MANY VOTES? ANSWERS: NO. WHY? NEITHER IS QUALIFIED AND IF THEY WEREN''T WHO THEY ARE THEY WOULD BE SERIOUSLLY MOCKED FOR BEING SO INEXPERIANCED.; Reply to this comment


by jockh April 10, 2008 11:47 AM EDT: The Clintons are tight fisted money grabbers. Despite lining their pockets with 109 MILLION, Hillary merely LOANS her campaign 5 MILLION. Why doesnt she GIVE it to her campaign instead of LOANING and put her money where her mouth is? After all, other candidates like Mitt Romney put millions of their own money into their own campaigns.

That way she would be showing that she has complete confidence in her campaign and this in turn would encourage other donations.

However, she loans instead of gives to her own campaign because she knows she is going to lose so she would rather waste donors money in her futile campaign and keep all her millions nice and safe; so she can sleep in a solid gold bed with a mattress stuffed with 100 dollar bills. And solid gold pant suits for herself and Chelsea !!; Reply to this comment


by oldtimer331 April 10, 2008 10:51 AM EDT: Isn''t it time that we begin looking at the morality of the Clinton campaign? Something is functionally wrong with the dysfunctional Clintons and their marriage, moral attitude, respect for others, as well as our Nation? Do we really want a dysfunctional couple, who lie and divert attention from an illicit afair with a young senseless girl, back in the Whitehouse? Who routinely through their lives became wealthy through shady financial deals (in the background)? Who have a history of partaking in demonstrations against the US on foreign soil and burning the US Flag? I look at the fiber in the person, what were there actions getting to this point in their lives? I compare these people and whether or not they are WORTHY of leading our country. I much prefer the person who has been down working ''where the rubber hits the road'' with the poor and underprivilidged. Specifically, Obama in Chicago. Who cares whether Hillary muzzles Bill? The two of them should be muzzled and shipped back to the chicken farms in Arkansas. Next Greyhound Bus.; Reply to this comment


by b-easy63 April 10, 2008 2:40 AM EDT: Hillary and Bill--your 2 for 1 deal. Look out CAFTA here comes the team from NAFTA!!!! Bwah hahahsahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!; Reply to this comment


by leef531 April 10, 2008 1:59 AM EDT: ccfsdca:
Can''t stand it, huh? Driving you nuts, watching her lose it. You were pushing so hard, and she blew it, there is no hope now, and you know it. Like a itch that won''t go away in the middle of your back, and you can''t reach it to ease the discomfort. Obama itch. And its spreading. Soon, very very soon to consume your whole body mind and soul.
Relax. Accept Fate. It will be easier.
Obama 08; Reply to this comment


by karela33 April 10, 2008 1:45 AM EDT: Hillary, in speaking of the trade deal and Bill''s opinion says, "This is a great debate. There are two sides to this debate." How nice. I think that''s the beginning of explaining to us that she changed her mind and now whatever jobs haven''t already gone to China or Mexico can go to Columbia. If you would trust the well being of anyone you love to this two-fer couple, you''re taking an awful chance. Ohio got fooled. Pennsylvania, are you listening? The Clintons brought you NAFTA. Hillary helped ram it through and Bill still thinks it was his greatest success. Now, here comes another one. The guts have been torn out of our manufacturing jobs and out of our standard of living and the Clintons had more to do with it then anybody else who is standing around to see. Do you really want to see if they do it again???; Reply to this comment


by anappleadae April 10, 2008 1:09 AM EDT: I am always amazed at diversionary tactics used as stories. I''m not discounting the Penn story; Or Hillary''s position on the issue; or even Bill Clinton''s position. The real life, death and security issues always seem take back seat to monica, or superfluous Candidate embelishments, while right beneath our noses serious National Security issues are all but ignored.

I really wonder about the average level of integrity of a U.S.Citizen. Some gossip; some drama, or some ridicule about the integrity of a candidate when the critics themselves have no genuine understanding or concern for vital issues.

Is it because we are the decendants of a social environment brought about by the Constitution that we have become seriously ignorant and complacent about the declining value of our standard of living and social environment?
Are we little more than a credit card mentality,thinking "don''t worry be happy"?; Reply to this comment


by randynason April 10, 2008 12:53 AM EDT: That''s right, Hillary. Keep stirring that rancorous pot of hot verbiage stew you''re so famous for serving. Hillary is actually a Republican wearing Democratic pants-suits.; Reply to this comment