January 12, 2011 10:53 AM

Bill Clinton: House Should "Lead the Way" in Charge to Change Political Climate

By
Lucy Madison
Topics
In The News ,
Congress
Bill Clinton

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

(Credit: Associated Press)

Former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday urged the House of Representatives to "lead the way" in softening the tone of American political discourse, arguing that heated rhetoric "falls on the unhinged and the hinged alike."

Speaking from Haiti, Clinton, in an interview with the BBC, expressed sorrow at last Saturday's shootings in Tucson, Arizona, which killed six and injured 14 - including Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head and is currently being treated in the hospital.

Special Section: Tragedy in Tucson

"She is an immensely impressive woman. And I am thrilled that she has survived this long and I hope that she will make a complete recovery," said Clinton, adding that he felt "horrible" about those who lost their lives in the attack.

Clinton said he hoped the moment would inspire debate about how to prevent such violence in the future - and that politicians would "be sensitive to" the fact that "everything any of us says falls on the unhinged and the hinged alike."

"I'm hoping there'll be a lot of debates that go beyond turning this into politics; about how and why it happened and what else we could do to minimize those things," Clinton said.

Giffords Breathing on Her Own, Doctors Say
Poll: Most Americans Feel Rhetoric, Tucson Shooting Unrelated
Jared Loughner's Parents "Hurting Real Bad"

The former president drew comparisons to the Oklahoma City bombing, which occurred during his first term as president in 1995. As many as 168 people were killed when Timothy McVeigh exploded a truck bomb outside Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

"On the fifteenth anniversary of the Oklahoma City incident in April, I wrote an essay in which I said that I could see this level of anger rising as it did once before, when I was elected," Clinton said.

"No one intends to do anything that encourages this sort of behavior - and I think it's wrong for anyone to suggest it," he continued. "But we cannot be unaware of the fact that, particularly with the Internet, there's this huge echo chamber out there."

"I think this is an occasion for us to reaffirm that our political differences shouldn't degenerate into demonization or the sense that, you know, 'if you don't agree with me, you're not a good American,'" Clinton added. "I'd like to see the House of Representatives lead the way."


Add a Comment
by tsigili January 12, 2011 1:21 PM EST
The only people who think that rhetoric is a problem, is the Democrats. Why is that???????

Maybe because of their failings????
Reply to this comment
by cnutsack January 12, 2011 1:10 PM EST
The House? Why the House? Because its Republican? Talk 'bout the kettle and the pot!!
Reply to this comment
by endurorob_5 January 12, 2011 2:06 PM EST
I had actually missed that but. Thanks for pointing it out.
by endurorob_5 January 12, 2011 2:07 PM EST
Wonder why he isn't urging Obama to lead the way on this?
by ken1dall January 12, 2011 12:20 PM EST
The left continues to alienate half the country with undeserved blame for actions committed by a lone mental case nut job and call for further restrictions on individual liberty. This will continue to hurt them come the 2012 elections. You would think they'd have learned something from last November's elections.
Reply to this comment
by crazyname January 12, 2011 12:02 PM EST
The rhetoric is against the liberal left and their do nothing but spend money for no good. Of course the dems want that to stop. It has nothing to do with the shooting, and as long as a political party in the US is doing everything it can to ruin our economy the rhetoric needs to continue. The democrats are using anything they can to try to stop the truth and the facts from being heard! the are the attackers, you see Palin attacked every day inthe media, you see republicans being attacked, while the super liberal democrats call conservatives, tea partiers and repbulicans racists, haters, killers anti old people. The left needs to tone it down. The conservative media is just reporting the news and the failures of the left and they can't stand it so they do what they can to make the dummies on the left think it is all lies. OPEN YOUR EYES people on the left, you are being sold down the river with a big smile on your faces and hate in your hearts!
Reply to this comment
by endurorob_5 January 12, 2011 11:29 AM EST
For you liberals here are some nice tolerant, loving quotes from your hero/leader.-------

"If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,"------

"Get in their faces"---------

"I don't want to quell anger. I think people are right to be angry! I'm angry!"--------

"Hit Back Twice As Hard!"-------

"so I know whose ass to kick."---------


Republican victory would mean "hand to hand combat!"--------

"It's time to Fight for it."----------

"Punish our enemies." (by enemy he meant Americans who disagree with his twisted ideaology.)---------

"I'm itching for a fight."
Reply to this comment
by noloyalisti January 12, 2011 11:26 AM EST
The conservative won't stop promoting and carrying out violence because that is how they win. They appeal to the firm father figure mentality of pain and discipline and keeping the "evil" in line. They know better because they are the father.

We must understand this so we can completely discredit and vanquish all their power. Otherwise we will continue to live in an increasingly violent, divided and unequal country and world. We have been living and voting THEIR world view for FAR too long.
Reply to this comment
by retm-w January 12, 2011 12:04 PM EST
And you're not promoting evil with your far left posts.
by endurorob_5 January 12, 2011 11:11 AM EST
Interesting how when something happnes that the dems want to blame on the republicans they come out with these calls to tone down the rhetoric. Where were these calls when the dems had some moron in front of congress saying the Republicans want you to die? Where were these calls when people in the streets were hanging Bush in effogy? There were no calls to tone down the rhetoric. On the contrary another Clinton was singing the praises of such things. For the dems it is all about free speach unless that speach is pointing out the failures of the current president and the dem congress of the past 4 years. Then we need to "Tone down the rhetoric".
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