Feb. 8, 2008
Polls Offer Mixed View Of Bill Clinton
CBS' Kathy Frankovic: Former President Standing Among Blacks Falls, But Only Slightly
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Former President Bill Clinton campaigns for his wife, Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., in Independence, Mo. Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008. (AP)
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Clinton Rekindles Race Issue
Diversity expert Joe Watson tells Harry Smith that Bill Clinton's comparison of Sen. Barack Obama's S.C. primary win to Jesse Jackson's victory there 20 years ago was designed to cause sparks.
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Hillary Defends Bill's Support
Political commentators are blaming former President Bill Clinton for his wife's primary election loss in South Carolina. Hillary Clinton tells Bob Schieffer about her husband's campaign support.
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Bill Clinton's Impact On S.C.
Former President Bill Clinton has played a big role in his wife's campaign. But after Hillary's significant loss in the South Carolina primary, things may in fact change. Jim Axelrod reports.
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William Jefferson Clinton
Follow the ups and downs of President Clinton's years in office, see photos and learn about his life before and after the presidency.
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Hillary Clinton
A look at a life and career full of firsts.
A few weeks ago, I discussed how politicians tend to be seen more favorably after they’ve left office than during their terms. But the last few weeks have given us the opportunity to see what can happen when one of them re-emerges -- perhaps not in a very positive way.
That earlier column was about Al Gore -- this one is about Gore’s first running mate.
Bill Clinton campaigned for his wife in South Carolina. That January 26 primary now seems like a long time ago, but the former president’s statements there are still echoing in the campaign. The most recent CBS News Poll was conducted a week or so after that controversy began. Did the voters think Mr. Clinton been derogatory towards his wife’s competition, Barack Obama?
We needed additional time to see if there had been a sustained impact on voters. That’s because Democratic primary voters in South Carolina - especially African-American voters - had remained positive about Hillary Clinton (in fact, 70 percent of Obama voters would be satisfied if Clinton were the nominee). And when asked specifically about the importance of Mr. Clinton’s campaigning in their vote, the 26 percent who said it was very important actually were more likely to vote for Hillary Clinton than were those who did not think that campaigning mattered a lot.
That specific question did not measure much negative response to the former president.
Now, however, the nation’s opinion of Mr. Clinton has declined. Back in July, favorable ratings of Clinton outnumbered unfavorable ones, 51 percent to 37 percent. In the latest poll, 46 percent are favorable and 39 percent are not.
Not surprisingly, given the racially-charged component of the comments and the coverage, the change took place more among African-Americans than among whites. Whites had split 46 percent to 41 percent on Clinton last July. Now their 43 percent-43 percent split isn’t much different. But in July, blacks were favorable towards Clinton 79 percent to 7 percent. Although blacks are still among Bill Clinton’s strongest supporters, their opinions today are 63 percent favorable and 19 percent not - a drop of 16 points on the positive side, and an increase of 12 points on the negative.
There were other changes, too. After the New Hampshire primary, 31 percent of African-American Democratic primary voters nationally said Bill Clinton’s involvement in the Clinton campaign would make them more likely rather than less likely to vote for her. Now just 15 percent say that, while the proportion who says it would make them less likely stayed at about 13 percent.
Clinton’s involvement in his wife’s campaign received heavy media coverage. In fact, in the week surrounding the South Carolina primary, there was more coverage of him than of any of the Republican candidates, according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism.
By last week, that coverage and commentary had made many American voters think as pundits. When we asked Americans if President Clinton’s involvement helped or hurt his wife’s campaign, 41 percent said his involvement had hurt. Just 28 percent said he helped. African-Americans were more evenly divided. But still, 36 percent of blacks said he had hurt Hillary Clinton’s campaign while 31 percent said he had helped.
The larger question, of course, is whether or not President Clinton’s campaigning will hurt his wife’s campaign in the long run, and whether feelings about her would be affected. In South Carolina, just 19 percent of African-Americans voted for Clinton. They gave 78 percent of their votes to Obama. That was not much different from the 16 percent of the African-American vote Clinton received in the Super Tuesday primary states combined. And half of those who voted for Obama still said they would be satisfied if she became the nominee.
In the national CBS News Poll, 63 percent of both white and black Democratic primary voters had a favorable view of Hillary Clinton. Only about one in six voters were unfavorable. Those results were also not much different than they had been in the CBS News/New York Times poll conducted just after the New Hampshire primary, and before the South Carolina controversy.
If Hillary Clinton were elected president, the majority of Americans -- Democrat, Republican and independent -- expect it will, after all, be her presidency. After asking about Bill Clinton’s impact on the campaign, CBS News asked this about another possible Clinton presidency: “If Hillary Clinton becomes President, do you think Bill Clinton will have too much influence, too little influence, or about the right amount of influence on the decisions Hillary Clinton makes as president?” Just 22 percent of Democratic primary voters said he would have too much influence.
And Fox News asked this of ALL Americans: “If Hillary Clinton were elected president, who you think would really be president -- do you think Hillary would really be charge, Bill Clinton would really be in charge, or would there be a co-presidency?” Fifty-nine percent said, for better or worse, the “real” president would be Hillary.
By Kathy Frankovic
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 55 Comments%u201CWhat is governing to him who cannot rule himself? Who cannot rule himself, how should he rule others?%u201D
GO ASK MONICA
HIL-LA-RY!! HIL-LA-RY!! HIL-LA-RY!!!!
%u201C%u2026 How many deaths will it take till he knows_That too many people have died?%u2026%u201D
%u201CHow could man rejoice in victory and delight in the slaughter of men, women, and children?%u201D
%u201CLook at the means which a man employs, consider his motives, observe his pleasures. A man simply cannot conceal himself!%u201D
Oh where, oh where were my tears when I needed thou?
http://thegooddemocrat.wordpress.com/2007/02/06/barack-obamas-speech-on-iraq-2002/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhpKmQCCwB8
"... But we ought not %u2014 we will not %u2014 travel down that hellish path blindly. Nor should we allow those who would march off and pay the ultimate sacrifice, who would prove the full measure of devotion with their blood, to make such an awful sacrifice in vain."
"The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution."
"Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death."
%u201CHe who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it."
"Hold faithfulness and sincerity as your first principles."
"Kindness in thinking creates profoundness."
"From caring comes courage."
"He who conquers others is strong; He who conquers himself is mighty."
No other candidate has ever delivered a speech with such insightful wisdom, profound justice, and universal truth than Senator Obama.
"... They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they''ll listen now..."
Obama is a snake oil saleman. He promised %u201Cchange%u201D in Illinois -- but failed to deliver anything. He did not inititate or support any fundamental changes that would improve the lives of Chicagoan. He benefited politically and financially from the corrupt system. Obama has done nothing as a senator except cutting deals to enrich himself as Rezko partner. Michelle tripled her salary at the hospital job immediately after he was elected to the senate. The Obamas are scam artists with the smooth talk.
GO HILLARY!
Obama is born leader.
"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and Third by experience, which is the bitterest."
All I can say is, Obama falls into that First and Hillary falls into that Third.
Posted by Xzonz at 02:58 PM : Feb 08, 2008
This WORSE-EXAMPLE-TO-ALL-YOUTH slick willie was, is, and will always be a WORLD PAIN!!
%u201CWhat is governing to him who cannot rule himself? Who cannot rule himself, how should he rule others?%u201D
GO ASK MONICA
Posted by Xzonz at 02:58 PM : Feb 08, 2008
This WORST-EXAMPLE-TO-ALL-YOUTH slick willie was, is, and will always be a WORLD PAIN!!
%u201CWhat is governing to him who cannot rule himself? Who cannot rule himself, how should he rule others?%u201D
GO ASK MONICA
%u201C%u2026 How many deaths will it take till he knows_That too many people have died?%u2026%u201D
%u201CHow could man rejoice in victory and delight in the slaughter of men, women, and children?%u201D
%u201CLook at the means which a man employs, consider his motives, observe his pleasures. A man simply cannot conceal himself!%u201D
Oh where, oh where were my phony tears when I needed thou most?
Posted by Xzonz at 02:58 PM : Feb 08, 2008
Anyone who cares more than just the "I" and "Me" would be setting good example to others, especially the young. What becomes of America or the world if every American is slick willie??? What becomes of America or the world if every American flocks with this liar slick willie and pretends he/she doesn''t see???
This WORST-EXAMPLE-TO-ALL-YOUTH slick willie was, is, and will always be a SELFISH-WORLD-PAIN!!
%u201CWhat is governing to him who cannot rule himself? Who cannot rule himself, how should he rule others?%u201D
GO ASK MONICA
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Posted by jamurphy4 at 03:30 PM : Feb 08, 2008
Please recall the famous statement of a vast right wing conspiracy which was totally false or her failure in getting health care reform. Yeah she''ll make a good president:) She has no integrity or root values and will do anything to get and maintain power.
Anybody want to place some bets on how long before Bubba goes ballistic on another beat reporter asking a routine question?
Clinton Let Bin Laden Slip Away and Metastasize
Sudan offered up the terrorist and data on his network. The then-president and his advisors didn''t respond.
By MANSOOR IJAZ
President Clinton and his national security team ignored several opportunities to capture Osama bin Laden and his terrorist associates, including one as late as last year.
I know because I negotiated more than one of the opportunities.
From 1996 to 1998, I opened unofficial channels between Sudan and the Clinton administration. I met with officials in both countries, including Clinton, U.S. National Security Advisor Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger and Sudan''s president and intelligence chief. President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir, who wanted terrorism sanctions against Sudan lifted, offered the arrest and extradition of Bin Laden and detailed intelligence data about the global networks constructed by Egypt''s Islamic Jihad, Iran''s Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas.
Among those in the networks were the two hijackers who piloted commercial airliners into the World Trade Center.
The silence of the Clinton administration in responding to these offers was deafening.
As an American Muslim and a political supporter of Clinton, I feel now, as I argued with Clinton and Berger then, that their counter-terrorism policies fueled the rise of Bin Laden from an ordinary man to a Hydra-like monster.
When I returned to Washington, I told Berger and his specialist for East Africa, Susan Rice, about the data available. They said they''d get back to me. They never did. Neither did they respond when Bashir made the offer directly.
And that was not the end of it. In July 2000--three months before the deadly attack on the destroyer Cole in Yemen--I brought the White House another plausible offer to deal with Bin Laden, by then known to be involved in the embassy bombings. A senior counter-terrorism official from one of the United States'' closest Arab allies--an ally whose name I am not free to divulge--approached me with the proposal after telling me he was fed up with the antics and arrogance of U.S. counter-terrorism officials.
The offer, which would have brought Bin Laden to the Arab country as the first step of an extradition process that would eventually deliver him to the U.S., required only that Clinton make a state visit there to personally request Bin Laden''s extradition. But senior Clinton officials sabotaged the offer, letting it get caught up in internal politics within the ruling family--Clintonian diplomacy at its best.
Clinton''s failure to grasp the opportunity to unravel increasingly organized extremists, coupled with Berger''s assessments of their potential to directly threaten the U.S., represents one of the most serious foreign policy failures in American history.
Translation into reality from the Clinton Broadcasting System Hillary-for-President spin:
The majority of Americans think if Hillary were elected President, Bill Clinton would have too much influence . . . including Republicans in the interpretation is key because having a majority of Americans believe that electing Hillary would thwart the 22nd Amendment means a majority of us are hesitant to elect Billary into office . . .
Compared to 8 more years of seeing the horndog''s face with it''s alcohol-reddened nose on TV, if Obama doesn''t win the nomination, McCain looks better and better. At least his spouse is easy on the eyes.
Compared to 8 more years of seeing the horndog''''s face with it''''s alcohol-reddened nose on TV, if Obama doesn''''t win the nomination, McCain looks better and better. At least his spouse is easy on the eyes.
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Posted by gkc99 at 05:12 PM : Feb 08, 2008
+ report abuse
Well speak for yourself Sparky! Personally I would LOVE to have the man back in the White House right now. The 8 years he was there were 8 of the best I''ve known in a LONG LONG time. Can''t you remember how everyone felt when Gore and Lies-A-Lot were debating... a Surplus!! What are we going to do with it?! A BALANCED Budget!! We''re not sucking the Tax Payer dry paying interest on a GROWING debt anymore. Wow! Now look at us? If Bill would come back, could come back, this wouldn''t even be a close race Sparky!! Sieg Heil Bush!
As an American Muslim and a political supporter of Clinton, I feel now, as I argued with Clinton and Berger then, that their counter-terrorism policies fueled the rise of Bin Laden from an ordinary man to a Hydra-like monster.
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Posted by mbcsmith at 04:17 PM : Feb 08, 2008
+ report abuse
You know you Nazi''s post trash like this but NEVER explain why it is that those who attacked the WTC under Clinton are in JAIL and those who attacked it under Sir Lies-A-Lots watch are in a safe haven in the mountains of Pakistan.. SIX YEARS and a TRILLION DOLLARS later!! LOL Honestly I really would question the sanity of ANYONE who listened to you folks right now! Sieg Heil Bush!
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Posted by Bec67 at 05:03 PM : Feb 08, 2008
+ report abuse
LOL YOU know TWO people who would believe it?? Where??
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Posted by bobacorn at 05:10 PM : Feb 08, 2008
+ report abuse
Why? You don''t like Peace, security, a balanced budget and a surplus? Give me that and I''d be VERY happy to look at them.. again and again and again. Sieg Heil Bush!
oh stop this, it is group grudge politics the white man beating the black man down, to move the black vote and inflame ..........wait for the next one if you could not figure this one out and it wont be a intra party play...............Gullible poodles
-Posted by MCVet
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I meant to say dont make me look at Chelsea for four more years, but her mom is bad enough. In any case, it was Bill Clinton who eighteen years ago led America to do those things, not the Narnia ice-queen Hillary. Unfortunately we are now at war and I don''t think Hillary is the one who can put Humpty back together again. If you think she can, you are even more of a dreamer then me, my friend. Hillary won''t do squat but rip this country apart. BTW - I am watching TV right now and her shrill arrogant bossy voice is crackling through my speakers and I am starting to feel like I am going to vomit - i GTG
Those ballots still haven%u2019t been counted, but they have been retrieved by the state party.
Several sources told me the ballot boxes spent the night at the home of Rio Arriba County Democratic Party Chair Theresa Martinez, whose state-lawmaker husband, Sen. Richard Martinez, endorsed Hillary Clinton. But Richard Martinez told Santa Fe New Mexican reporter Kate Nash that the boxes actually spent the night in the homes of three polling-place managers. He gave Nash no explanation for why the results from those ballots weren%u2019t reported to the state party last night and why they were instead kept overnight in officials%u2019 homes.
Realizing the growing problem with Bin Laden, Bashir sent key intelligence officials to the U.S. in February 1996.
The Sudanese offered to arrest Bin Laden and extradite him to Saudi Arabia or, barring that, to "baby-sit" him--monitoring all his activities and associates.
But Saudi officials didn''''t want their home-grown terrorist back where he might plot to overthrow them.
In May 1996, the Sudanese capitulated to U.S. pressure and asked Bin Laden to leave, despite their feeling that he could be monitored better in Sudan than elsewhere.
Bin Laden left for Afghanistan, taking with him Ayman Zawahiri, considered by the U.S. to be the chief planner of the Sept. 11 attacks; Mamdouh Mahmud Salim, who traveled frequently to Germany to obtain electronic equipment for Al Qaeda; Wadih El-Hage, Bin Laden''''s personal secretary and roving emissary, now serving a life sentence in the U.S. for his role in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya; and Fazul Abdullah Mohammed and Saif Adel, also accused of carrying out the embassy attacks.
Some of these men are now among the FBI''''s 22 most-wanted terrorists.
The two men who allegedly piloted the planes into the twin towers, Mohamed Atta and Marwan Al-Shehhi, prayed in the same Hamburg mosque as did Salim and Mamoun Darkazanli, a Syrian trader who managed Salim''''s bank accounts and whose assets are frozen.
Important data on each had been compiled by the Sudanese.
Clinton Let Bin Laden Slip Away and Metastasize
Sudan offered up the terrorist and data on his network. The then-president and his advisors didn''''t respond.
By MANSOOR IJAZ
President Clinton and his national security team ignored several opportunities to capture Osama bin Laden and his terrorist associates, including one as late as last year.
I know because I negotiated more than one of the opportunities.
From 1996 to 1998, I opened unofficial channels between Sudan and the Clinton administration. I met with officials in both countries, including Clinton, U.S. National Security Advisor Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger and Sudan''''s president and intelligence chief. President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir, who wanted terrorism sanctions against Sudan lifted, offered the arrest and extradition of Bin Laden and detailed intelligence data about the global networks constructed by Egypt''''s Islamic Jihad, Iran''''s Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas.
Among those in the networks were the two hijackers who piloted commercial airliners into the World Trade Center.
The silence of the Clinton administration in responding to these offers was deafening.
As an American Muslim and a political supporter of Clinton, I feel now, as I argued with Clinton and Berger then, that their counter-terrorism policies fueled the rise of Bin Laden from an ordinary man to a Hydra-like monster.
Posted by tbweb at 10:28 PM : Feb 08, 2008
I agree, this election is about Hillary, not Bill Clinton, get over it, when all the Bush mishaps are added up we will wonder how did this guy ever get away with being impeached, and how many lies now did he say so let it all rest.
"There were cheers when an aide placed the presidential seal on the podium. Cheers when the binder holding the president''s speech was put in place. And chants of ''Four more years!'' when Sen. Mitch McConnell introduced Bush, and a few more times during the speech. McConnell sat on his left, American Conservative Union president David Keene on his right.
"It was one ovation after another as Bush ran through red meat issues: making tax cuts permanent, extending the surveillance law, winning in Iraq, defeating terrorism, limiting stem cell research, upholding life, appointing conservative judges."
But a telling moment came when Bush was talking about people "swept up in a cycle of addiction, and crime, and hopelessness." Said Bush: "We know that people can change their behavior. Sometimes all it takes is the help of a loving soul -- somebody who puts their arm around a troubled person and says, I love you, can I help you."
Suddenly, as Gillman reported, a woman shouted out very loudly, "I love ya Dubya!"
Bush responded: "My soul is not that troubled, but thank you."
"Just 61 percent of Republicans gave Bush positive reviews; his previous low was 65 percent last month. Only 28 percent of them expressed strong approval."
A Telling Moment
Bush described himself as being in high spirits. He started his speech by mocking his parents -- calling *** Cheney "the best Vice President in history" and then adding: "Mother may have a different opinion. But don''t tell her I said this, but my opinion is the one that counts." He insisted that "when the history of our actions is written, it will show that we were right."
And the crowd loved it. As Dallas Morning News reporter Todd Gillman wrote in a pool report: "Bush with greeted with near ecstatic thrill. It was hard to imagine that the 1,200 or more folks crammed into the room had been up for hours staking out seats for the 7:15 a.m. speech -- because they spent so little time sitting.
(cont)
(cont)
Bush told a room full of whooping Republican die-hards at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference: "We will face other challenges ahead that will require new energy and before long, new leadership. I''m absolutely confident, with your help we will elect a President who shares our principles. As we take on the challenges, we must be guided by the philosophy that has brought us success. Our policies are working. The American people support our points of view. They share our philosophy."
But outside that room, Bush''s philosophy has been found wanting. For instance, while he specifically mentioned health care and education as areas where conservatives hold an advantage, a new poll out today shows that an overwhelming 68 percent of Americans disapprove of his handling of those issues. Even among Republicans, his support is at an all-time low.
Alan Fram writes for the Associated Press: "It''s almost as if people can barely stand the thought of President Bush and Congress anymore. Bush reached his lowest approval rating in The Associated Press-Ipsos poll on Friday as only 30 percent said they like the job he is doing. . . .
(cont)
By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Friday, February 8, 2008; 12:56 PM
President Bush this morning gave his stamp of approval to the presumptive new leader of his party -- but he may not have been doing John McCain any favors.
"Listen, the stakes in November are high," Bush said. "This is an important election. Prosperity and peace are in the balance. So with confidence in our vision and faith in our values, let us go forward, fight for victory, and keep the White House in 2008."
But it''s a sound bite more likely to show up in a Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton commercial than a McCain one.
(cont)
This does not mean the Clintons cannot be valuable assets in lending their experience, when asked, to the cabinet or some other form of consultancy. If they really want to serve their country, that should be of interest to them.
Otherwise, it just seems like a power grab, but watch out, here comes one of them elephants right atcha!
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