Did Bill Clinton Call Obama Unpatriotic?
Obama Campaign Official Criticizes Former President's Comments, Comparing Him To McCarthy
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Former president Bill Clinton speaks as he campaigns for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., at the VFW Post 1160 in Charlotte, N.C. during a campaign stop on March 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
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Retired Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, left, speaks as Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., applauds at a town hall meeting in Medford, Ore., March 22, 2008. McPeak said he was astonished and disappointed by recent comments Bill Clinton made while speculating about a general election between Obama's Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Republican John McCain. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., left, smiles with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, March 21, 2008, at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Ore. where Richardson announced his endorsement of Obama. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Retired Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, a co-chair of Obama's campaign, said he was astonished and disappointed by recent comments the former president made while speculating about a general election between Obama's Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Republican John McCain.
Standing next to Obama on stage at a campaign rally in southern Oregon, the retired Air Force chief of staff repeated Bill Clinton's comments aloud to a silent audience.
The former president told a group of veterans Friday in Charlotte, North Carolina: "I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country. And people could actually ask themselves who is right on these issues, instead of all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics."
McPeak then said to his Oregon audience: "As one who for 37 years proudly wore the uniform of our country, I'm saddened to see a president employ these tactics. He of all people should know better because he was the target of exactly the same kind of tactics."
That apparently was a reference to Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, when he was accused of dodging the Vietnam War draft.
Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for Hillary Clinton's campaign, said Saturday that McPeak's comments were a "deliberately pathetic misreading of what the president said." Wolfson said the remarks had nothing to do with Obama and were merely meant to underscore the need to keep the presidential race focused on issues.
Hillary Clinton, the New York senator, had no campaign events scheduled Saturday.
It was not the first time Bill Clinton has been criticized for comments while campaigning on his wife's behalf. Before and after South Carolina's primary in January, the former president was accused of fanning racial tensions for appearing to cast Obama as little more than a black candidate popular in a state with a heavily black electorate.
The latest controversy came at the end of a rough week for the Obama campaign in which the Illinois senator was battered over incendiary remarks by his longtime pastor that were portrayed as unpatriotic.
However, Obama engaged in damage control with a major speech Tuesday on the issue of race. That speech helped Obama gain a key endorsement, the backing of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, himself a former Democratic presidential candidate.
The nod from Richardson had been sought by both Obama and Clinton. Bill Clinton even went to Richardson's New Mexico home in January to watch America's premier television sporting event, the Super Bowl football championship.
Richardson had served the former president as U.N. ambassador and energy secretary and the endorsement was seen as a rebuke to Hillary Clinton's candidacy.
"You are a once-in-a-lifetime leader," Richardson said, speaking at a spirited rally Friday in Portland, Oregon, with Obama at his side. "Above all, you will be a president who brings this nation together."
Oregon does not hold its primary until May 20. The next Democratic primary contest is on April 22 in Pennsylvania.
The Richardson endorsement was a blow to the Clinton campaign which has been urging remaining uncommitted superdelegates - party officials and elected officials who are free to vote for whomever they choose at the party's national convention - to hold off on endorsing a candidate until the end of the primary season in June.
I grew up, I was going to college when Joe McCarthy was accusing good Americans of being traitors, so I've had enough of it.
Retired Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeakRichardson's backing of Obama, who aspires to become America's first black president, could help bring other superdelegates to the Illinois senator's side. The New Mexico governor could also help boost support for Obama among fellow Hispanics, who have largely backed Clinton.
Richardson, who has been mentioned as a potential vice presidential candidate, told Democrats it was time to stop bickering and get behind Obama as the party's nominee. The Clinton campaign dismissed the endorsement.
Senior strategist Mark Penn, noting Clinton's February victory in the New Mexico primary, said, "Perhaps the time when he could have been most effective has long since past." Penn added that he did not think it was a "significant endorsement."
Whether intentionally timed or not, the Richardson endorsement came as Obama needed the boost after the widely circulated inflammatory snippets of sermons that showed the Rev. Jeremiah Wright claiming the United States had brought the Sept. 11 attacks on itself and asking God to damn America for racial bigotry.
While condemning the remarks, Obama refused in a major speech on race this week to "disown" Wright, who married the candidate and his wife and baptized their children.
Richardson heaped praise on Obama's speech about the nation's racial divide.
"As a Hispanic-American, I was particularly touched by his words," Richardson said. "Senator Obama has started a discussion in this country that is long overdue and rejects the politics of pitting race against race."
There were also personal aspects to Richardson's swing behind Obama. He noted that both are the sons of one foreign-born parent - Obama's father was from Kenya, Richardson's mother was from Mexico.
McPeak also had made off-the-cuff remarks to reporters Friday in comparing the former president's comments with the actions of Joseph McCarthy, the 1950s communist-hunting senator.
"I grew up, I was going to college when Joe McCarthy was accusing good Americans of being traitors, so I've had enough of it," McPeak said.
Wolfson called that comparison outrageous and called for a retraction.
"I think most Democrats were shocked to learn that a two-term Democratic president was compared to Joseph McCarthy," he said.
With the Republican nomination secured, McCain was free to burnish his foreign policy and national security credentials on a weeklong overseas congressional trip that took him to the Middle East and Europe, including a stopover in Iraq.
On Friday, the veteran Arizona senator met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Afterwards, he said China is harming its world image with its crackdown in Tibet and expressed hope Beijing would seek a peaceful solution to the crisis.
McCain did not discuss the issue with Sarkozy, but told reporters later in the courtyard of the French presidential Elysee Palace that the subject of Tibet would be "one of the first things I would talk about if I were president of the United States today."
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.




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See all 1476 Comments"Well Obama is unpatriotic so even if Bill did call him that (which he didn''''t) he would of been right on the money."
Would someone please tell this geriatric sexx feind to please put a cork in it!
This gets more brutal every day! If John Mc Cain is still alive in November he is going to walk away in a landslide!
This gets more brutal every day! If John Mc Cain is still alive in November he is going to walk away in a landslide!
Posted by JEGibbons at 07:22 PM : Mar 22, 2008,,,
You are correct!
In the meantime the only candidate who is a War Veteran who has demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice for his country is quietly watching from the sidelines.
Anyone able to think MUST vote MCCain this fall. IF you choose NOT to vote for MCCain then FIRST give YOUR psychiatrist a call. Have him bump up your meds. All this Democratic Negativity has put you into a depression.
This election could easily be the beginning of the END the Democratic party altogether.
The idealism that was once characterized the democratic party is long dead. These democratic candidates will do and say what ever they have to put one over on the electorate.
Anyone who is seriously considering the character of these candidates will have no choice but to vote for John McCain!
That Pastor Wrong has shown your judgement to be seriously flawed and you are falling in the polls!!
Maybe if you can prove to the people that you have learned from your terrible mistakes and grown to love all people, you can run again in 8 years!!
It''s time to quit this fairy tale and let that "typical white woman" be the president!!
NOBAMA 08
STOP THE HATE!!
Sorry if voting for Joh Mc Cain is so PAINFUL, but the alternative might well be disasterous!
Posted by mlwriter8 at 07:53 PM : Mar 22, 2008
Well, I think what''s really going on here is you have a very pathetic and lazy media in the U.S. who couldn''t think of an intersting story to save their lives, so they are on a relentless campaign to stoke the fires wherever they can. And, both Hillary and Obama seem to be taking advantage of our media''s laziness when the opportunity presents itself.
WHERE DOES AN ARKANSAS BRED NY SENATOR GET $5M DOLLARS BETWEEN LAST YEAR AND NOW WITHOUT STEALING FROM CAMPAIGN FUNDS?
ANY WIDE HIP HILLARY SUPPORTER CAN ANSWER THAT?
THAT IS STEALING,
THAT IS FRAUD,
THAT IS HILLARY CLINTON!!
CHINESE WEB SPAMMERS SAY $5M COMES FROM BILLS BOOK DEAL, B S!
LETS SEE THE FINANCES HILLARY!!
NOW, SHOW ME, PROVE IT%u2026 LETS SEE HILLARYS FINANCES!!!
ITS WHITEWATER ALL OVER AGAIN SETTING UP,
THE DISTRACTION LIKE BILL CLINTON, WHILE REPUBLICANS ARE RIPPING YOU OFF!
BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON ARE CLOWN CON MEN (HILLARY IS A SHE-MAN)!
HILLARY FLIP FLOPS AFTER 100% SUPPORT OF GW BUSHS IRAQ OIL WAR!
HILLARY WAS HOME ON ALLEGED DAY OF SLICK WILLIES HUM JOB!
HILLARY HAS FAILED EVERY ATTEMPT AT HEALTH CARE!
EXPERIENCE? AT WHAT, BEING A LIEING FAILURE?
WHERE DOES AN ARKANSAS BRED NY SENATOR GET $5M DOLLARS BETWEEN LAST YEAR AND NOW WITHOUT STEALING FROM CAMPAIGN FUNDS?
ANY WIDE HIP HILLARY SUPPORTER CAN ANSWER THAT?
THAT IS STEALING,
THAT IS FRAUD,
THAT IS HILLARY CLINTON!!
CHINESE WEB SPAMMERS SAY $5M COMES FROM BILLS BOOK DEAL, B S!
LETS SEE THE FINANCES HILLARY!!
NOW, SHOW ME, PROVE IT%u2026 LETS SEE HILLARYS FINANCES!!!
ITS WHITEWATER ALL OVER AGAIN SETTING UP,
THE DISTRACTION LIKE BILL CLINTON, WHILE REPUBLICANS ARE RIPPING YOU OFF!
BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON ARE CLOWN CON MEN (HILLARY IS A SHE-MAN)!
HILLARY FLIP FLOPS AFTER 100% SUPPORT OF GW BUSHS IRAQ OIL WAR!
HILLARY WAS HOME ON ALLEGED DAY OF SLICK WILLIES HUM JOB!
HILLARY HAS FAILED EVERY ATTEMPT AT HEALTH CARE!
EXPERIENCE? AT WHAT, BEING A LIEING FAILURE?
Posted by sueg48 at 08:03 PM : Mar 22, 2008,,,
At one point Bill Clinton was thinking about divorcing Hillary and making Monica Lewinski the First Lady but it got too complicated, at least thats what he told Monica when she was on the pipe! lol
OBAMA08, courage to take a stand!!
America is doomed.
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No kidding.
It looks again like the Democratic Party will just hand over this election like the last two.
Dirty games and dirty people.
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Bill gets about a million bucks a pop now for speaking in front of a group.
How much money do you think the shrub will make in public speaking fees after he''s out on hisass in January? hahahaha
I don''t want to see $20 Trillion dollar debt.
100 year Iraq and Iran wars
$7 dollar gasoline
high priced process food at the grocery due to farmers splitting soil for ethanol production.
This country needs a fresh start, somebody who hasn''t been turned stone cold for being in Washington for so long.
My vote is for Barack Obama.
Obama supporters will likewise vote for McCain if Hillary wins.
There is no doubt that McCain will be elected President.
3 years from now, when we are still fighting in Iraq, don''t any of you on here complain or wonder what happened. You guys did it.
His attempts to eliminate his opponent clearly display his attempts to eliminate opponents from the outset!
Look what happened to Joe Biden before the campaigns even geared up! Mr. Biden made statements which were in effect compliments this this twerp, and his words were twisted into racism! RIGHT AT THE FIRST STEP OF THE CAMPAIGNS! Then Obama gets to go awwwwwwww, I know Mr. Biden didn''t mean it all gracious and smiley! If that''s the case, why did he accuse him of it? That action eliminated Mr. Biden''s credibility and he didn''t get a look in at the nomination.
This street punk thug Chicago politics busward just won''t stop!!!
Wake up America!
Well, ONE of them will, because if they didnt, there would only be McBush come Novmber running against no one, so this numbers game is stupid. Clinton doesnt have anywhere near Obama''s count and there''s no possible way she can get them, so Clinton is basically OUT and she would do well to simply announce her pulling out so we can get on with this.
Posted by shanev137 at 08:12 PM : Mar 22, 2008,,,
The cost of his security detail for the rest of his life will be the largest expense to Tax Payers of any former President in American History and will be the size of a small Army!
"The former president told a group of veterans Friday in Charlotte, North Carolina: "I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country. And people could actually ask themselves who is right on these issues, instead of all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics."
You have to be very stupid to infer that Clinton questioned Obama''s patriotism.
The media should also have better judgment than to report this stuff. Maybe the General missed the limelight?
In response to your comments suggesting that the Obama camp is somehow responsible for Senator Biden''s words is indicative of ''Lil Hillary''s finger-pointing tactics, especially when lil missy doesn''t get her way. After PA. votes next month she will know her place. Word on the street is that somewhere in NY a lonely kitchen stove needs a woman''s touch.
The only hardball ''Lil Hillary can play is coming to grips with reality, particularly facing the harsh reality that her pipe dream is about over. After PA. votes next month maybe missy will drop her campaign and don an apron and get back to real girl work.
Rest assured that it won''t come down to a tie with super-delegates. Missy won''t garner a majority, so prepare yourself for the worse if you are a Clintonian.
The media should also have better judgment than to report this stuff. Maybe the General missed the limelight?
Posted by ramos937 at 08:32 PM : Mar 22, 2008,,,
I think many people are missing the point, for example, what is a former Democratic President promoting a Republican for President candidate for? I never heard of such a thing, whether Sen. John McCain is a good candidate or not, this is a contest for the Presidency and no Democrat should be bragging about how great or patriotic the Republican candidate is, thats political suicide! If I was Sen. John McCain I would have Bill Clinton saying that in my TV campaign Ads! What better endorsement than Bill Clinton, the potential competitions own husband!
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