Chelsea Clinton Finds Her Voice

Washington Post: Former First Daughter Evolves From Quiet Supporter To Self-Assured Campaigner

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Anne E. Kornblut.

---

With little fanfare the other day, Chelsea Clinton did what no one around her is ever supposed to do: She voluntarily brought up the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Speaking to a packed crowd of college students and recounting her mother's history of working with Republicans, the youngest Clinton talked for a minute about Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), who as a House member during the impeachment hearings against President Bill Clinton was "one of the people who prosecuted my father in the 1990s," she said. Not "someone you would think would be an ally for someone with the last name Clinton," the 28-year-old added wryly.

Nor someone her audience would expect her to mention. But if her self-assurance was a surprise, it was also part of a rapid evolution by Clinton, who has gone from a behind-the-scenes supporter of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to her mother's most effective surrogate, capable of engaging in detailed policy discussions as well as explaining how the senator from New York "misspoke" in describing landing once in Bosnia under sniper fire.

She bristled the first time she was questioned about Lewinsky, telling a college student last month, "I do not think that is any of your business." But since then she has learned to handle even that subject, refining her answer every time it has come up. "If that's what you want to vote on, that's what you should vote on," she said when asked about the impeachment during an appearance at Purdue University on Monday.

In light of a string of setbacks for her mother's campaign, including impolitic remarks by her father, Chelsea is arguably the most seamless part of the struggling Clinton operation. After spending the first year of the presidential campaign watching quietly from New York, and after a lifetime of relatively little public exposure, she now maintains a schedule of public appearances to rival her parents' -- an event at Villanova University on Thursday will be her 100th college campus appearance.

The once and perhaps future first daughter is branching out in ways that the Clinton campaign -- which practically had to beg the candidate to allow her to appear in Iowa late last year -- never imagined. She regularly calls donors to thank them for contributions, an important task usually reserved for her parents; she records automated telephone calls to voters; and this week she posted a "welcome note" on her Facebook page, launching her first real effort to use the networking Web site on her mother's behalf.

"Please check in to see when I will be in your area," it reads. "My event info should be posted on my page going forward. I would also love your help in building my Facebook network, so please suggest me as a friend to all of your friends!"

Yet a certain tension persists between the high school and college student of the 1990s, whose private life was zealously guarded while her father was president, and the accomplished professional woman courting pulicity and playing a familiar role in American politics: enhancing a candidate's image as a parent and an embodiment of family values.

Clinton has declined interviews; only a few authorized insiders are allowed to talk about her; she is even shielded by her mother at difficult moments as the campaign has tried to use her wattage to attract votes without exposing her to the rigors, such as talking with the news media, that most adult public figures expect. That has produced some hostility between her and reporters, and led to criticism that she is trying to have it both ways.

Tagg Romney, who with his four brothers played a prominent role in the unsuccessful campaign of their father, Mitt Romney, recalled that when his father was entering the Republican race, outside advisers warned the grown children: "If your dad is going to run, you're the collateral damage." He thinks a certain amount of scrutiny is inevitable.

"I don't know if it's fair to go deep into candidates' children's personal lives, because I'm not sure that really affects the way the candidate makes decisions," said Romney, 37. "But if you're willing to put yourself out there, then you need to be able to answer questions."

In public, Clinton displays her mother's memory, wit and mannerisms -- and can look and act so much like her that audience members frequently call her "Hillary." Privately, she shows the same sharp instincts as her father and the same seemingly inexhaustible capacity for campaigning.

As a measure of how fully formed her political world is, there are now distinct "Chelsea people" -- two longtime Clinton loyalists, Bari Lurie and Philippe Reines, who travel with her and handle everything from media requests to the unwieldy "Hillblazers" banner she hangs at appearances; an advance staffer, Paige Fitzgerald, who arranges her increasingly crowded events; her scheduler, Kyla Pollack; and Capricia Marshall, who manages the unit from campaign headquarters along with adviser Minyon Moore.

This week, as members of the group traveled around Indiana, they had their own plane.

[blackspirit3]

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 DIDNT HILLARY LEAVE BILL?

[mikeant50]

And why should I care??????????

[mudrose-2009]

THE CLINTON WOMAN FIND THEIR VOICES THE SAME WAY THEY TRY ON HATS. OH, HATS AREN''T IN. WELL I GUESS THAT SETTLES THAT.

[jockh]

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 herself and 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 lose 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 !!

[moeen1000]

Its just IDIOTICILLY HYPOCRITIC, that an adult nearing her age of 30 campaiging for a presidential candidate would not want to speak to the media....

...its as hypocritical as her mom''s charactarization of a STRAIGHT FACED PATHOLOGICAL LIE to MISSPOKEN STATEMENT

[rowdytexan2]

Good Going, Chelsea! Hang in there for HIllary! She''s absolutely worth it!

[herons-landi]

Chelsea is nothig but another grasp at any method at all to campaign on her mother''s behalf. Chelsea is being schooled everyday, to be sure, on how to answer questions and how to ''work'' a group....just as her mother does. Too bad these qualities don''t count a whit as far as what''s important in a US President! Why doesn''t Hillary listen to colleagues and advisors, as one would hope a truly great leader would do, and quit muddying up things and get out of the race instead of continuing to teach Chelsea social skills designed for her own selfish curriculum? Bull headed woman with no proven qualities that would make her a quality US leader...that''s what Hillary continues to demonstrate...not a leader, not a wise person, nothing as far as proven leadership experience....who does she think she''s fooling??? Ah ha....immigrants, young impressionable kids, minorities who ''want'' to believe her song and dance...that''s who...not educated, realistic, knowledgeable citizens...

[antoniof123]

Clinton bashers abound.

Too funny they hate so much they can''t see the trees from the forest.

[drivelphobe]

The "Hag" gene is manifesting. Hillary and Bill are thinking Chelsea for President so, as grandarents, they might once again reside in the Whitehouse and ransack the place a second time. They hope to influence Chelsea to give even more scandalous pardons.

[larry996-2009]

Great job Chelsea !!!
see
www.ThisIsNoSecret.com

Let us all have peace between Obama & Hillary camps. Eventually TRUTH will prevail. Love and peace & Truth will be the winners. Let the process continue !!!

[timdgrim]

Well at least she''s not a BOOZE HOUND like.....

[bookout2]

Chelsea should have been involved in this campaign
from the start. Hilliary you have a very wise
and mature daughter.

[jack3213]

IF HER VOICE IS SO EASILY LOST I CERTAINLY DON''T NEED TO HEAR HOW ANOTHER CLINTON IS SO FORGETFUL, TOO MUCH ALREADY!

[jockh]

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 herself and 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 lose 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 !!

[ouronlyhope]

It sounds like Chelsea is becoming the kind of woman I might actually vote for...Chelsea Clinton for Pres in ''24 or ''28?

[obamagrls-bf]

40 million dollars from speech!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill''s speeches were written by others..

This proves Bill SOLD presidency.


how a lier..infact the LIERs-family award goes to them..

[jack3213]

OURONLYHOPE:- I CAN ONLY HOPE I AM LIVING OUT OF THIS COUNTRY BY THEN, (2024-8) I COULD NOT BEAR TO HAVE THE CLINTONS RUN THIS COUNTRY NOW OR AGAIN IN 2024 ETC, LET ALONE WHEN OUR CHILDREN ARE GROWN. GOD HELP US ALL.

[rowdytexan2]

You rock, Chelsea! Tell them to just say NO to Obama the Scama!

[blackspirit3]

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 DIDNT HILLARY LEAVE BILL?

[mike71067]

Q: Why dies Hillary take Chelsea with her everywhere she goes?

A: Because she''s too ugly to kiss goodbye.

[antonn2]

The womens'' haters has been exposed..the policy differences between Obama and Clinton are not significant, in fact many of Obama''s advisors are Clintonians..so when making a choice between a man and a women..THEY GO FOR THE MAN.

[phillysage]

Say No to Obama the Obamanable!
Do Not Put America at Risk.
vote for Hillary Clinton
and insist that Michiganders and Floridians vote too! Of course the Obamites don''t want them to vote since Obama is not a real Democrat. What''s worse he''s not even a patriotic American.

[sjbj2322]

obamagrls-bf..."Bill''''s speeches were written by others.."

Uh Darlin, Can you say Sorenson? Believe me, Obama can.

[jack3213]

How do you know they are Christians? Maybe they aren''t. Why does that matter?

[erasmus6]

Q: Why dies Hillary take Chelsea with her everywhere she goes?

A: Because she''''s too ugly to kiss goodbye.

Posted by mike71067


Chelsea Clinton may not be the most beautiful woman in the world but she most certainly isn''t ugly. The part that matters the most is the inside. She is a beautiful person INSIDE.

You on the otherhand are ugly on the inside and would probably bet on the outside as well.

[erasmus6]

"oh am i looking forward to the show!" Posted by ccfsdca

Me too!

[dinkydog1]

Funny. The most hateful people I see on message boards are "christians." Not very christian, are they.
...............

Amen brother

[popstom1]

THE BS IS DEEP HERE TODAY

[tracy1morgan]

You have got to be kidding. This election has gone on too long.

[libra127]

Chelsea Clinton is quite right to focus on talking to voters rather than talking to reporters. She does not need to have her message filtered and distorted through biased and often stupid media reports. Much better to have voters hear her message directly from her. She is a smart young woman and is doing an excellent job campaigning for her mother.

[ozonmojo]

Good luck to Chelsea.But the fact is we lose shame by degrees till we let it all hang out and defy the world.

[colonieny]

PUFF PIECE.


DIDN''T CBS HAVE THE SAME HEADLINE ABOUT HILLARY A FEW MONTHS BACK. SHE TOO FOUND HER VOICE ? IS THAT A GOOD THING?

[mike71067]

"Funny. The most hateful people I see on message boards are "christians." Not very christian, are they."

Hardly. If anything, athiests do more vile bashing of Christians than anyone on this web site. But they''re allowed to, because when you don''t have a moral code, you can do anything you want.

[colonieny]

SAME PIECE REPORTED FOR HILLARY - 1-8 08. ALMOST SAME PHRASES USED ! WHO WRITES THIS STUFF ? THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN ?

[b-easy63]

After Chelsea''s corroboration of her mom''s Bosnia lies--(which makes her a liar too) I have about as much respect and belief in her as I do in Hillary and Bill.

[b-easy63]

Q: Why dies Hillary take Chelsea with her everywhere she goes?

A: Because she''''''''s too ugly to kiss goodbye.

Posted by mike71067


Actually, Chelsea has an exotic beauty that transcends the superficial. Her features taken separately are not the norm for beauty but together she is gorgeous and what is even more important--she may be fascinating. If so, beauty fades--but a fascinating woman only gets better with age--I''m just hoping she has more integrity than Hillary--she might even be someone who we can vote for later.

[tbweb]

The experts claim kids have 50% of their moms DNA and 50% of their dads DNA which based purely on that should make Chelsea Clinton a powerful little package.

[b-easy63]

The experts claim kids have 50% of their moms DNA and 50% of their dads DNA which based purely on that should make Chelsea Clinton a powerful little package.

Posted by tbweb at 01:53 PM : Apr 10, 2008


Only if we think in physiologic terms. I prefer to think Chelsea can set her own course and things such as compulsive cheating and or pathological lying, sociopathology and meglomania are more environmental characteristics than genetic. If not, Chelsea does not stand very good odds. I noted, when she was on the verge of lying for her mom during the Bosnia snafu--she seemed extremely uncomfortable with answering. That indicates a conscience in there. And that can only be a good thing.

[prinzowhales]

Instead of asking her about lewinsky...they should ask her about her father''s trading cocaine for s.ex with an underage girl in the government offices of Dan Lassiter, as revealed in open court in Arkansas...His good buddy who went to prison and received a pardon from Clinton...or, about her uncle''s remark that Bill had "a nose like a vacuum cleaner." Or, whose blond hair did she think it was that was found in the dead Vince Foster''s underwear.

[element51]

I sincerely hope that some of you who have posted here have done so just to get a reaction to your posts. I find it hard to believe that there are such shallow people out there. What I find even harder to believe is that the American people are going to put another republican in the White House. Maybe McCain will turn out to be a maverick after all. If he does call his own shots maybe things will not be as bad as they could be. It''s funny, when all this started I thought well, the democrats have this one for sure. Just shows you that you cannot second guess the will of the American people. All I can say is good luck to whoever gets elected.

[erasmus6]

"Does anybody share my cynicism of putting Chelsea out there as a shield for Hillary?" Posted by bullyforhim

If Chelsea does have 50% of her mother and 50% of her father then she has a mind of her own and therefore nobody put her out there to do anything. She is capable of making her own choices. If she didn''t want to do this, she wouldn''t be doing it.

[pepperp1]

Another WAPOS obama netwrok hit piece on Clinton this is why he is opting out of public funds he needs the money to buy off the media with ADs payola, give up Dems will trun out in mass to stop this fraud St. Obama vs Clinton the White Rich Wtch brought to you by the same News Orgs that drum beat that Iraq had WMDs, NBC, WAPO, NEwSWEEK

[prinzowhales]

I sincerely wish people who spend their days trying to insure that every unpleasantness that they hear about is rationalized as just some ploy to get a reaction would extract their heads from their nether regions and check out just what kind of contemptible creatures this little Clinton is shilling for!!!

Do you know forty-plus people who have committed ''suicide'' or been murdered...THE CLINTON''S DO!!

[libh8er]

''Chelsea Clinton Finds Her Voice''

We can only hope that it''s more truthful than mom and dad''s. I have a feeling that the fruit didn''t fall far from the tree.

[prinzowhales]

On the Obama article the Corrupt Broadcasting Company has their usual ridiculous, ''we not posting your comments so everyone will get a chance to comment''... There are no comments there at this time!

Obama doesn''t need public financing...He has Lester Crown and the war pigs at General Dynamics...many of the Pritzgers of the Hyatt chain...the Rockefellers...who own just about everything...

He has the Trilateralist, CFR and Skull & Bones goons handling him...monsters like Ziggy "Khymer Rouge" Brzezinski, Anthony Lake and Austan "S&B" Goolsby.

The same folks are managing Hillary and McCain...they even have Liebermann to change McCain''s Depends.

[ajmarine1]

sum dae eye wil lern tu spel rite?! sory.

Posted by dragonwagon5 at 02:45 PM : Apr 10, 2008


For a minute, I thought you were speaking Spanish;.........my mistake.

[ajmarine1]

erasmus6,

Good afternoon,....I saw a cat the other day and thought of you.

[prinzowhales]

They don''t allow comments on Obama...they put this piece of fluff out there to talk about...God knows why...Why don''t they just put a picture of Barney the Dinosaur up there and ask us what he''s thinking?

WE have a Demopublican Regime that is allowing elements in the CIA and DEA to import tons of drugs into this county.

We have the outstanding murder of 3,000 Americans on 9-11 that still needs investigating...The Official Story is a Worldwide Joke!

We have two wars based on lies and hundreds of thousands dead and hundreds of billions squandered.

And CBS wants us to talk about Chelsea...

[prinzowhales]

Is Chelsea, Bill, Hillary or Barack going to talk about the 5.5 tons of drugs found on a CIA plane that went down in Mexico that has been linked to renditions as well? No! And you can bet your arse that CBS is not going to ask about it.

[prinzowhales]

A 19th century financial writer in Britain once noted that if you asked two Englishmen whether dogs lived on Sirius, they would not be satisfied until they came down on one side of the question or the other...

In a since what this school girl thinks about anything is irrelevant. We have wars based on lies, we 9-11 lies, we have the importation of dangerous narcotics into this nation by the people and agencies that are supposed to prevent such attacks!...

We have a paper dollar--raw buying power!--created out of nothing by a gang of bankers at the FED for their own pleasure and profit.

We have de-industrialization, open borders, the most people in prisons of any nation in the world and an assault on our natural rights by a Regime headed by a man who says our Constitution is just "a God D*amned piece of paper"....Is is really time to talk to Chelsea?