Bill Clinton Slams Media, Obama Campaign

(CBS)  Former President Bill Clinton made it clear he's had it with complaints that his wife's campaign is playing a dirty game of racial division, CBS News anchor Katie Couric reports.

"This is crazy. This rhetoric is getting a little carried away here," Clinton said.

"She did not play the race card, but they did," he said.

According to reports, a South Carolina Democratic official who supports Barack Obama claimed the Clintons were borrowing a page from the Republican playbook: injecting race into the campaign.

That, apparently, was too much.

"This, this is almost like once you accuse somebody of racism or bigotry or something, the facts become irrelevant," Clinton said.

He suggested the Obama campaign and accomplices in the news media were promoting the charge.

"They're feeding you this because this is what you want to cover; this is what you live for, but this hurts the people of South Carolina," he told a reporter. "What you care about is this and the Obama people know that, so they spin you up on this and you happily go along."

"The people don't care about this. They never ask about it," he said. "And you are determined to take this election away from them." (

Watch the whole exchange.

)

The former president, with a habit of grabbing headlines as if he's a candidate himself, was clearly not pleased, Couric reports.

"One more story. Shame on you," he said. "Shame on you."

The exchange happened as Clinton was campaigning on the coast of South Carolina.

"I never heard a word of public complaint when Mr. Obama said Hillary was not truthful," and had "no character, was poll-driven. He had more pollsters than she did," the ex-president added. "When he put out a hit job on me at the same time he called her the senator from Punjab, I never said a word."

It was not clear what he meant by "hit job."

The former president has accused Obama of exaggerating his anti-war record and handing out undeserved praise to Republicans. Clinton said he personally witnessed Obama's union forces intimidating Nevada caucus-goers and said an Obama radio ad suggested how Democrats could keep votes from his wife.

Last year, Obama's campaign circulated a memo describing Hillary Clinton as "D-Punjab," a reference to her Indian-American donors. Obama has said that was a mistake.

Bill Clinton said civil rights leaders Andrew Young and John Lewis have defended his wife. "They both said that Hillary was right and the people who attacked her were wrong and that she did not play the race card, but they did," he said.

The Obama campaign strongly denied it's trying to make issues out of race or gender and called the Clinton charges "a sideshow."

[one_american]

WASHINGTON (CNN) %u2014 John Kerry, the Democratic Party''s 2004 nominee for president, took aim at Bill Clinton Friday, telling the National Journal the former president does "not have a license to abuse the truth."

The Massachusetts senator, who endorsed Barack Obama''s White House bid earlier this month, said Clinton''s criticisms of the Illinois senator have been "over the top," and suggested the former president is getting "frantic."

Targeting Clinton''s recent spate of attacks on Obama, Kerry said, "I think you had an abuse of the truth, is what happened. %u2026I mean, being an ex-president does not give you license to abuse the truth, and I think that over the last days it''s been over the top.

"I think it''s very unfortunate, but I think the voters can see through that," Kerry added. "When somebody''s coming on strong and they are growing, people get a little frantic, and I think people have seen this sort of franticness in the air, if you will."


What John Kerry is REALLY trying to say is what everyone else has known for a long, long time - THE CLINTONS ARE PATHOLOGICAL LIARS.

[eddynewhope]

I agree with the Republicans on this one. I have been a lifelong Democrat but this latest bout of Clinton-itis is really making me itch. I am a big supporter of Senator Obama and hope he wins the nomination, but if the Clintons sleaze their way to the nomination, that will mark the end of my membership in the Democratic party. I see a very promising indi candidate waiting to see how the primaries play out. If it''s a Hillary/Romney, Hillary McCain, or even better: a Huckabee/Hillary race, this gentleman could sweep November.

[colonieny]

CLINTONSPEAK ?

A TRUE PROGRESSIVE would put down her campaign and support Obama for President. Isn''t this what we have all been wanting for so many years to have a Black as our leader !! What does she want , just power ??
As a progressive I am very offended by the Clinton-SPEAK.

[colonieny]

CLINTONSPEAK ?

A TRUE PROGRESSIVE would put down her campaign and support Obama for President. Isn''t this what we have all been wanting for so many years to have a Black as our leader !! What does she want , just power ??
As a progressive I am very offended by the Clinton-SPEAK.

[colonieny]

How can we all come together with such rancor. If the Clintons were true Progressives, they would support O.
Is he running against both of them ?? This is such a weird thing to do, run as a couple . Will Bill please shut his piehoe !

[logicgal1]

The Republicans own the patent on the smear machine.
Posted by jon2012

Ha! That''s rich. I seem to remember Hilary blaiming the "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy for Trying to Smear her husband" and it turned out he''d done it to himself (I did not have sexual relations with that woman). Did Hil ever apologize to the Republicans for accusing us of soemthing we didn''t do? No, she didn''t. They are both liars.

[n4432793]

There is no doubt in my mind and in the facts on tape and paper, that the Obama camp began the race card and will continue to do so, unless someone like a "Bill Clinton" and well respected media, speak out. The unfortunate few that do not really listen to what and how things are being said, will always read it in a negative context. Some of those few know better, but will continue to do so due to their support for Obama or whomever. That is politics. Fortunately, the Clinton''s history shows that they are most definately not racist in any way, shape or form. I believe that the Obama camp is in deed the ones who are worried and "sideshowing the facts", as their camp stated, not the Clinton''s. I believe along with many Americans, that the Clinton''s are sincere in their quest for a better America in our own eyes and in the eyes of the world.

[old300d]

L.F. is a smart, good looking, well spoken person. He could have done much better for himself if he had not fallen for the racist stuff.

It is really bad to point the young people in that direction !

Racism is a weakness, a fault in us. Some of us are more prone to it than others. It has nothing to do with skin color.

[old300d]

That racist *** seems to play well in Chicago ! The rest of the country won''t buy it !

And that fake lame southern accent ! Oprah too. Give me a break !

I know when a racist is trying me ! Learned a long time ago !

[old300d]

Hi chitown639,

It''s a racist cult ! Let''s be true ! Did you see the video with L.F. standing for the truth ! That is the way a true race baiting con artist talks ! Watch Rev. Wright and L.F. speak in the videos ! Truth and hope and all. Obama has learned much from his mentor Rev. Wright ! Where does Obama draw the line ? How much of that trash does he truly believe. Maybe he is just at that so called church to take con artist lessons ?