MOLINE, Ill., Aug. 26, 2008
Clinton Knew She Was Unlikely VP Pick
Washington Post: Obama's Decision To Pass Her Over Remains Central To Ongoing Story Of Strained Relationship
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Big Dem Pitches Party Unity
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who supports Sen. Hillary Clinton, talks to Harry Smith about why her supporters should get behind Sen. Barack Obama instead of Sen. John McCain.
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Michelle Obama Kicks Off DNC
Michelle Obama kicked off the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The first lady hopeful's challenge was to speak to average Americans and Clinton supporters. Bill Plante reports.
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Dems Descend On Denver
Sen. Hillary Clinton and her supporters will play a key role in shaping the convention. Bill Plante reports and Harry Smith talks to Bob Scheiffer about the Democrats' attempt to unify the party.
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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton talks with supporters before touring the New York State Fair in Geddes N.Y. on Friday, August 22, 2008. (AP)
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Photo Essay
Hillary Clinton
A look at a life and career full of firsts.
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Photo Essay
Assembling In Denver
The Mile-High City hosts the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
From Our Partner:
In a private meeting with Sen. Barack Obama after she conceded the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton made a request: that he consider her for his vice presidential running mate, but not put her through the charade of being vetted if he was not serious.
Obama told Clinton then it was unlikely he would choose her, people familiar with the conversation said. Obama did not want to lead her on and, after campaigning against her for more than a year, already had a sense that their pairing would not be the right fit.
As Clinton prepares for her address to the Democratic convention Tuesday night, Obama's decision to pass her over remains central to the ongoing story of their strained relationship. It has also contributed to what associates say has been a difficult emotional period for the former first lady in the two months since ending her bid. One adviser described her as outright "depressed" in July, while another said she was "moving forward" and a third said she has simply been trying to get through November before making decisions about where next to take her life.
Clinton has done second-guessing from time to time, they said, reexamining how certain elements of her primary campaign turned out so badly. She has returned to senatorial tasks such as attending the New York State Fair and digging into Congressional Budget Office reports. Twice this summer, she disappeared on vacation in New York -- once to the Hamptons and earlier this month to the Hudson Valley. Both trips went largely unreported, the media crush that followed her for more than a year having been allowed to fade away.
"It's back to business, just not as usual," Clinton told her staff members when she got back to work, using a phrase that has become something of a mantra for the vastly reduced team.
The question of how seriously Obama considered tapping Clinton for the ticket has become a source of unhappiness for both sides of late. Clinton was never asked for the official vetting paperwork when other potential running mates were. Obama never invited her to have a real conversation about potentially joining forces, although the two spent time together at several events.
Those revelations, coming as the two camps converged on Denver and Obama chose Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. to join him on the ticket, angered many Clinton supporters who felt she had at least earned the right to greater consideration after winning 18 million primary votes.
The arguments against Obama choosing Clinton were evident from the start: Her campaign, rife with internal struggles, bore no resemblance to his tightly run operation; the two had little personal chemistry; and hard feelings lingered after what had been a bruising primary.
Obama advisers said they did not want to raise expectations for Clinton knowing they would probably be dashed, especially after she asked not to be put through an artificial process.
They also said they had far more information about her than they did the other contenders after doing so much research during the campaign. "We spent an enormous amount of money and time and a full-time unit of people looking under every stone. It wasn't like we did not know anything about her," said one senior Obama adviser involved in the process. "And we thought her position on this was pretty reasonable."
At the same time, aides said, Obama did, in fact, consider whether he should revisit the idea of an Obama-Clinton tickt as he went through the selection process.
But in effect, he did not really consider Clinton for the No. 2 spot. Even toward the end of his decision-making process, as he was weighing alternatives and leaning toward Biden, Obama raised the idea of Clinton once more with the close circle of associates helping him make the decision -- but ultimately concluded that it was not the correct course. The campaign has declined repeatedly to delve into specifics about exactly what it was that Obama did not feel comfortable with.
People who spoke to both candidates offered slightly conflicting accounts of how their early closed-door conversations went -- and some acknowledged that the talks, held in private, may have been interpreted differently by two people who did not see eye-to-eye. Some Clinton allies said she was not as much actively seeking the No. 2 slot as conveying that she was open to it. And people on both sides said it was not clear how forcefully Obama let her know in private that she was not a front-runner, although in public, his reluctance was clear.
On Monday, Obama sought to minimize the issue. "I've tried not to have long discussions about short lists, long lists, but I've said publicly before and I will repeat again that, you know, Senator Clinton would have been on anybody's shortlist. And so I took her very seriously," Obama said in response to a question on the airport tarmac here, during his first question-and-answer session in weeks.
Asked whether Clinton had been specifically on his shortlist, Obama replied: "I think you can draw that conclusion."
But if Obama thought about reconsidering Clinton, he did not share that with her, and some of her associates said she never had a chance to make the case for how she could help him win. Obama expressed "no interest," had "no meetings, no conversations, no requests for information, no real consideration whatsoever," said a Clinton loyalist who talked with her throughout the process.
And so Clinton, aware that she was essentially out of the running, did not dwell on pursuing the vice presidency. She turned to helping Obama campaign where she could, making public appearances on his behalf and raising money for him -- before arriving in Denver, where she turned to the mammoth task of persuading her most intransigent supporters to back her former rival.
Obama advisers privately said what the presumptive nominee said aloud: that they were satisfied with her efforts and grateful that she was helping push back against Sen. John McCain, who has been trying to drive a wedge between the warring camps. McCain is running an advertisement, titled "Passed Over," criticizing Obama for not picking Clinton. On Monday, she countered with: "I'm Hillary Clinton, and I do not approve that message."
Clinton aides said she is genuine in her desire to see Obama elected, and not simply because she is a committed partisan. She has looked for opportunities to help Obama "both because she wants a Democrat in the White House and because she does not want to be blamed if we don't have one," one confidante said. "She wants to go above and beyond to ensure that if it doesn't happen, nobody points the finger at her."
Clinton is also managing her return to the public eye carefully: She has not done any in-depth interviews and has barely discussed the primaries. That is a stark contrast to her husband, who had angry words about the primaries as recently as July, when he conducted interviews during an annual trip to Africa. Some in Sen. Clinton's circle said they learned that the former president had begun speaking about politics publicly again only by reading about it in the newspaper, suggesting that the two Clinton operations have drifted apart, back to the state they werein before her presidential bid.
Obama predicted on Monday that Sen. Clinton will deliver "a rousing speech" on Tuesday night. The address has been crafted by a trio of her speechwriters and is expected to "echo the themes of the campaign," primarily the economic hardships of average Americans. It is not only a coda to her presidential campaign but also a preview of what may lie ahead, as Clinton, in the words of one ally, "finds her niche."
Clinton has begun thinking about how to harness the support she earned this year and is weighing how to be not only a leader of women but also a populist voice, advisers said. She is likely to write another book. She will stay in the Senate, where she won reelection in 2006, unless another, better opportunity should arise. But there are no signs thus far that she is thinking about the jobs others have mentioned Obama might consider her for, such as a Supreme Court justice.
"She's emerged from this campaign as an even more powerful force, and she's going to map out a strategy where she can make a difference in people's lives," said Rep. Jim McGovern (Mass.), a staunch Clinton advocate during the primaries. McGovern, who traveled with Clinton in the final days of the race, said he had spoken with Clinton on a couple of occasions since then and marveled at her resilience.
"In the aftermath of the election, she has been incredible. I'm not sure I'd have the ability to just pick up all the pieces and go on," he said. "But I think in a way this campaign has been an education for her. She's come to appreciate that for a lot of people in this country life is tough and they're looking for a champion, looking for a voice. And people are counting on her and expecting big things from her even if she's not going to be the nominee."
By Anne E. Kornblut
© 2008 The Washington Post Company
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See all 389 CommentsMcCainism:
"There''s no doubt in my mind that we will prevail and there''s no doubt in my mind, once these people are gone, that we will be welcomed as liberators." --on the Iraq war, "Hardball" interview, March 24, 2003
More divide and conquer politics from the neocons.
How else are they going to get Americans to vote against their own interests?
Plus, these men are not similar. To date, I''ve read nor heard anything about Mr. Obama being a philanderer of the lowest order.
I would implore Mr. Obama to have Mrs. Clinton on his foreign adviser staff.
That''s because Obscammer is jealous that Bill had so many succeses in his life, and Obscammer has NONE, except get elected scams!
Bill Clinton was a Rhodes scholar. Something Obscammer could not get. More jealousy!
The Obama campaign wants no part of those old ''60s aggrandizements. As spokesman Burton put it, "We''re trying to fight a new fight."
Obscammer claims he doesn''t want an 60''s 70''s yet he chooses a VP straight out of it...and he surrounded himself with old Marxist 60''s terrorists who taught him to hate this country!
Obscammer CONTINUIALLY is so mired in BULL *****, it''s pathetic!!!
He''s just an EGOTISTIC CHILD wallowing in an identity crisis and intends to be powerful enough to act out his wet dreams against those he HATES!
John McCain passed Barack Obama in the daily Gallup tracking poll Tuesday, suggesting the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has received no bounce after naming Joe Biden as his running mate.
The three-day average poll, taken after the vice presidential announcement Saturday, shows McCain with 46 percent and Obama at 44 percent, within the margin of error. It%u2019s the first time since Obama sealed the nomination in June that McCain has surpassed him in the polls numerically, if not statistically.
...which also includes the other half of their party.
Posted by thisandthat1
As a non-sdupporter of either Obama or Hillary, lets give Hillary her due. She gave a beautiful speech supporting Obama. Although I may not agree with her ideas, the Democrats got more than their money''s worth with Hillary''s speech.
Obama represents some type of change!
Hillary can sell Obama well, but that cannot replace the ALL talk but no Substance of him.
Democrats for NOOOOOBama.
P.U.M.A. = Party Unity My A$$
Celebrity of 1 year / Washington Insider of 36 years
Where the FCKKKK is the Change???
Posted by Screan_name at 12:43 PM : Aug 27, 2008
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I don''t think most Americans are interested in becoming a Socialist society.
Celebrity of 1 year / Washington Insider of 36 years
Where the FCKKKK is the Change???
Posted by metroduck75
CHANGE WILL COMING SOON ??????
Are they hoping that they can Shame people into voting for someone who is NOT ready to lead??
P.U.M.A. = Party Unity My A$$
Posted by mrmazerati
SO SHE CAN ANSWER THE PHONE AT 3:00AM
That Clinton won the presidency was a fluke caused by an ignorant electorate. An ignorant electorate is something that all politicans depend on to help them to win.
Posted by mrmazerati
AT 3:00AM,,, HELLO THIS IS HILLARY, CAN I HELP U, OBAMA IS SLEEPING RIGHT NOW , CAN I TAKE A MESSAGE.
But you can really shame people into voting for someone who cannot Lead.
Obama has managed to Divide the DEM party, how is he able to "unite" the Country?????
Obama is friends with Bill Ayers, the terrorist that bombed the Pentagon.
Obama went for 20+ years to a church with a pastor that hates America.
Obama is married to a woman who says ''The United States is a downright mean nation.''
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Is this guy really the best the Dems had to offer? Pretty pathetic.
the DEM party has LOST it when they Selected someone who is ready to Lead.
"Change" is just a Word, when you pick Biden as VP.
"No, I''''m calling you a f*cking jerk." Mccain to fellow Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, when Grassley asked "Are you calling me stupid?"
"Only an a**hole would put together a budget like this ... I wouldn''''t call you an a**hole unless you really were an a**hole." Mccain to Budget Committee Chairman and fellow Repulican Sen. Pete Domenici, during a Senate budget hearing
"At least I don''''t plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you c*nt." Mccain to his wife, Cindy, after she playfully twirled his hair and said "You''''re getting a little thin up there," as reported in the book The Real McCain by Cliff Schecter
Mccain treats his friends like this. It is no wonder he addresses everyone "my friend". I wonder how many wars he can start with his "diplomacy"
How many ignorant people who commnet here are very misguided and watch Fox News too much.
Republican Tax cuts results
National debt before Reagan tax Cut $900 Billion
National debt after Reagan Tax Cut $4.5 trillion
Bush tax cuts
National debt before Bush tax cuts $5 trillion
National debt after Bush tax cuts $10 trillion
Mccain/bush tax cuts will add $3 trillion to the national debt according to one Mccain economic adviser. Mccain says he does not know much about economics.
Republicans the party of borrow and spend
and dam the debt, full speed ahead
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Posted by mrmazerati at 01:12 PM : Aug 27, 2008I
I heard from a reliable source MCcAin will be in charge of janitorial service at the White House & Homer Simpson will be in charge of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission if Obama gets elected
2. Raising - and Slashing - Defense Spending
3. First Term Balanced Budget Pledge.
4. The Media%u2019s Treatment of Hillary Clinton.
5. The Estate Tax
6. FISA, Domestic Surveillance and Telecom Immunity.
7. Restoring the Everglades.
8. Divestment from South Africa.
9. Fighting Job Losses in Michigan.
10. Opposing Hurricane Katrina Investigations.
11. Alternative minimum tax, was for repealing it, now wants to phase it out.
12. Litmus test for judicial appointees, was against it, now he''''s for it.
13. 1999: was against off-shore drilling, now he''''s for it.
14. 2001: "Cannot in good conscience support tax cuts"
15. 2005: McCain anti-torture amendment, 2008, voted against the ban.
16. 2006: McCain immigration bill, 2008 DID NOT vote for it!
17. 2000: Called Jerry Falwell and Pat Roberts "Agents of Intolerence"; 2006, pandered to Falwell
and spoke at his college.
Just some of McCain''s "flip-flops"; ther are more than 60 of them posted at www.crooksandliars.com, check them out!
On Oct. 8, 1989, The Arizona Republic revealed that McCain''''s wife and her father had invested $359,100 in a Keating shopping center in April 1986, a year before McCain met with the regulators.
The paper also reported that the McCains, sometimes accompanied by their daughter and baby-sitter, had made at least nine trips at Keating''''s expense, sometimes aboard the American Continental jet. Three of the trips were made during vacations to Keating''''s opulent Bahamas retreat at Cat Cay.
McCain also did not pay Keating for some of the trips until years after they were taken, after he learned that Keating was in trouble over Lincoln. Total cost: $13,433.
When the story broke, McCain did nothing to help himself.
"You''''re a liar," McCain said when a Republic reporter asked him about the business relationship between his wife and Keating.
"That''''s the spouse''''s involvement, you idiot," McCain said later in the same conversation. "You do understand English, don''''t you?"
He also belittled reporters when they asked about his wife''''s ties to Keating.
"It''''s up to you to find that out, kids."
The paper ran the story.
america cant get 50 people to work together let alone congress, Senate.
On that score, McCain admitted he had fouled up. He said he should have reimbursed Keating immediately, not waited several years. His staff said it was an oversight, but it looked bad, McCain jetting around with Keating, then going to bat for him with the federal regulators.
"I was in a hell of a mess," McCain later would write.
Meanwhile, Lincoln continued to founder.
In April 1989, two years after the Keating Five meetings, the government seized Lincoln, which declared bankruptcy. In September 1990, Keating was booked into Los Angeles County Jail, charged with 42 counts of fraud. His bond was set at $5 million.
During Keating''''s trial, the prosecution produced a parade of elderly investors who had lost their life''''s savings by investing in American Continental junk bonds.
Want change? Be careful what you ask for...you might just get it. Then you''re stuck with it.
Change? Absolutely...that''s all you''ll have left in your pocket.
The so-called "boom" of the Clinton years turned out to be little more than smoke and mirrors. Ridiculous runups in stock market prices for companies with no earnings could not be sustained, and Clinton did much to send our technological and manufacturing bases, the source of our future wealth and well-being, off to Asia in exchange for money for Bill Gates and Larry Ellison. He was the "president from Microsoft" just like Hillary is the "Senator from Rajasthan".
The bubble in the stock market was followed by a huge bubble in housing prices. Both those bubbles have now burst, as bubbles do. Guess you could call those "Bubba''s bubbles."
There was no real lasting prosperity for which Bill Clinton can claim credit. It''s all ego with Bill.
Time to move on.
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Posted by zorar at 01:21 PM : Aug 27, 2008
Homer would be better than "Brownie"
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