Bernstein: Hillary Clinton: Truth or Consequences
Hillary Clinton has many admirable qualities, but candor and openness and transparency and a commitment to well-established fact have not been notable among them. The indisputable elements of her Bosnian adventure affirm (again) the reluctant conclusion I reached in the final chapter of A Woman In Charge, my biography of her published last June:
“Since her Arkansas years [I wrote], Hillary Rodham Clinton has always had a difficult relationship with the truth... [J]udged against the facts, she has often chosen to obfuscate, omit, and avoid. It is an understatement by now that she has been known to apprehend truths about herself and the events of her life that others do not exactly share. " [italics added]
As I noted:
“Almost always, something holds her back from telling the whole story, as if she doesn’t trust the reader, listener, friend, interviewer, constituent—or perhaps herself—to understand the true significance of events…”
The Bosnian episode is a watershed event, because it indelibly brings to mind so many examples of this tendency– from the White House years and, worse, from Hillary Clinton’s take-no-prisoners presidential campaign. Her record as a public person is replete with “misstatements” and elisions and retracted and redacted and revoked assertions...
When the facts surrounding such characteristic episodes finally get sorted out - usually long after they have been challenged - the mysteries and contradictions are often dealt with by Hillary Clinton and her apparat in a blizzard of footnotes, addenda, revision, and disingenuous re-explanation: as occurred in regard to the draconian secrecy she imposed on her health-care task force (and its failed efforts in 1993-94); explanations of what could have been dutifully acknowledged, and deserved to be dismissed as a minor conflict of interest - once and for all - in Whitewater; or her recent Michigan-Florida migration from acceptance of the DNC’s refusal to recognize those states’ convention delegations (when it looked like she had the nomination sewn up) to her re-evaluation of the matter as a grave denial of basic human rights, after she fell impossibly behind in the delegate count.The latest episode - the sniper fire she so vividly remembered and described in chilling detail to buttress her claims of foreign policy “experience” - like the peace she didn’t bring to Northern Ireland, recalls another famous instance of faulty recollection during a crucial period in her odyssey.On January 15, 1995, she had just published her book, It Takes a Village, intended to herald a redemptive “come back” after the ravages of health care; Whitewater; the Travel Office firings she had ordered (but denied ordering); the disastrous staffing of the White House by the First Lady, not the President - all among the egregious errors that had led to the election of the Newt Gingrich Congress in 1994.On her book tour, she was asked on National Public Radio about the re-emergence of dormant Whitewater questions that week, when the so-called “missing billing records” had been found. Hillary stated with unequivocal certainty that she had consistently made public all the relevant documents related to Whitewater, including “every document we had,” to the editors of the New York Times before the newspaper’s original Whitewater story ran during Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.
Even her closest aides - as in the case of the Bosnian episode18 years later - could not imagine what possessed her to say such a thing. It was simply not true, as her lawyers and the editors of the Times (like CBS in the latest instance) recognized, leading to huge stories about her latest twisting of the facts. “Oh my God, we didn’t,” said Susan Thomasas, Hillary’s great friend, who was left to explain to the White House lawyers exactly how Hillary’s aides had carefully cherry-picked documents accessed for the Times in the presidential campaign. The White House was forced - once again - to acknowledge the first lady had been ‘mistaken;” her book tour was overwhelmed by the matter, and Times’ columnist Bill Safire that month coined the memorable characterization of Hillary Clinton as “a congenital liar.”
“Hillary values context; she does see the big picture. Hers, in fact, is not the mind of a conventional politician,” I wrote in A Woman In Charge. “But when it comes to herself, she sees with something less than candor and lucidity. She sees, like so many others, what she wants to see.”
The book concludes with this paragraph:
“As Hillary has continued to speak from the protective shell of her own making, and packaged herself for the widest possible consumption, she has misrepresented not just facts but often her essential self. Great politicians have always been marked by the consistency of their core beliefs, their strength of character in advocacy, and the self-knowledge that informs bold leadership. Almost always, Hillary has stood for good things. Yet there is a disconnect between her convictions and her words and actions. This is where Hillary disappoints. But the jury remains out. She still has time to prove her case, to effectuate those things that make her special, not fear them or camouflage them. We would all be the better for it, because what lies within may have the potential to change the world, if only a little.”
The jury - armed with definitive evidence like the CBS tape of Hillary Clinton’s Bosnian adventure - seems on the verge of returning a negative verdict on her candidacy.
– Carl Bernstein, 360° Contributor Editor's note: Read other blogs from the 360° team of contributors at cnn.com/360
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Filed under: Carl Bernstein • Raw Politics |
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Our country has been misled and lied to for the last 8 years under the current administration and I can't figure out why in the world we would even consider putting another dishonest person in the white house.
I was a Hillary backer, but no longer because of her boorish antics regarding race and now the Bosnian bold face lie.
Senator Clinton claimed that she mispoke about the sniper incident blaming it on being tired. OK, maybe once. But people, she has told this story on more than one ocassion – was she tired everytime???
Great piece. I love it when people say "stop picking on Hillary" as if we all have nothing better to do. Let me be honest...our president, must, in every regard, be given the highest scrutiny of our nation to prevent the personalities and conduct of the ex-Clinton and Bush administrations to perpetrate again.
If she lied, I do want to hear about it. If Obama lied, I do want to hear about it. Our elected leaders are and should be held to the highest moral burden.
At least we can say that Hillary is a "congenital" liar now instead of when she is in office. People should be saying "thank you" instead of bemoaning the media's attention to this topic. What American voters say, "I don't want to hear about our candidate's history of lying and manipulation, let's get on it education, healthcare and defense!"?
The problem that I have now with Clinton, is that it is obvious that she will do whatever she can to win. What started as a great campaign has now turned brutally ugly. I'm switching my vote because she has shown when the times get tough, she gets nasty. No different from Rush, or Hannity.
We can see why her comments are now coming out against Wright. Because she is in trouble, and realizes this is the last shot she will ever have.
I'm upset that the contest has turned ugly after a great show.
Operation Chaos is ripping the democrats apart. Glorious indeed.
Hillary is claiming basically the entire 8 years of the Clinton presidency as her own . .
Except, of course, for the stuff that didn't work out in which case she says she has nothing to do with it.
this woman is steep in controversy that why she does not want us to look at her records during the bill's presidency as echoed by her daughter's response to the latest question about her mom. . .
i am about to throw out as i write these words. . . can hardly contain my disgust to this candidate– an embodiment of everything we hate about politicians and people in general. . .
If your neighbor lied to you about something important,....would you trust their answer the next time you asked them a question?
The woman was asked a question by the news media...what was she supposed to do, clamp up and walk away like Obama has the habit of doing? She did what she had to do and answered their question...and she answered it well. The media needs to get a life!
I think it's time to move on. We have an economic crisis brewing, and a war that has cost thousands of young men their lives. Too many are defending a person that appears to be a pathalogical liar. Evading sniper fire is truly a surreal and unforgettable event. Not something one misspeaks of, a number of times. Where are you Howard Dean? She's holding the party hostage.
Re: Velma
I had that exact same thought when I watched the conference yesterday. Plus, why did she have to even read notes? Even for something like the Wright comment, couldn't she speak from the heart? This lady is just too disturbing for words, and when you couple her with Bill-it's all just too much!
To make a simple point:
Hilary's need to exaggerate is habitual, and I don't see it stopping if she takes office. If that is the case, then we have an even bigger problem to deal with, because as the news gets worse the exaggerations will become lies, and we don't need a President that "Makes Mistakes" of the Honesty variety.
Yes, I understand that someone is going to read this and say "Well look at how often Bush has lied to us over the Global War on Terrorism."
My answer? I'm a soldier, I knew what my job was going to be long before 9/11. The rest of America needs to wake up from the delusion that Wars are won simply by killing the 'bad guys'. What we do overseas isn't a video game, it's reality.
Pro-Republican '08... Because it's what America needs.
Liar, Liar pants on fire.
The question are: Is she honest enough? Can she be trusted?
Good Lord People...when will the "hurting" stop? Hillary "misspeaks", Barack 'hedges" and McCain "is confused". Enough already! We need a to start a movement that DEMANDS all the candidates only talk about something that matters. You know, boring stuff like fixing our economy, health care or creating some jobs that actually pay a living wage. And as far as the "honesty question" goes...if we really held our politicians to an honesty standard Washinton DC would be a ghost town.
Why does Hillary have to wait for a month before she submits her tax returns as she has stated?????. Could it be that the primaries are in a month's time and she would like it to be over first? Is there something in it that could hurt her? Are there more lies to be disclosed?
Obama submitted his , why does she have to wait?..mmmmm
Many ppl on this thread have said......'Who cares if she embellished. She didn't hurt anyone." Are you serious? She's running on her 'experience', her 'veracity', leadership skills, etc., etc. Well, if the Bosnia thing didn't happen.....she just blew her experiece cred out of the water. She's lying. That's not embellishing!!! When Bill lied to the Feds he was impeached!!! If we look the other way when Hillary lies, she will presume she has a mandate to continue in that same vein. The truth in her Bosnia adventure would have been enough to make her point but she had to add the lie!
hey – if she lied about something this small, what will she lie about when she's waking up at three am to defend our nation. it was unnecessary. i feel like obama is far more open and even when he's wrong he'll admit it. to me he's transparent, while clinton is not.
The truth matters. I had a boss that was a compulsive liar, and it was a disaster. I can not imagine giving the most powerful job in the world to someone that can not keep a firm grip on the truth.
God knows Bush has been a disaster, and he has often been wrong. But to follow this administration with a compulsive liar will not change the way our country is viewed in the world.
Character counts in all things, and especially in leadership.
All politicans stretch the truth. Hillary was in Bosnia and there was probably snipers in the area. This is not any different than Obama talking a message of togetherness and belonging to a church where Rev. Wright was preaching a message of separatism and hate.
Update: Hillary's now floating the idea (via her blind supporters) that the VP position could be a possibility for her. My first thought: NO WAY!!! But then sound reasoning set in and I thought...hmmm (remember the old adage, keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer!).
There would have been sniper fire if she had know then that the story would poll better with sniper fire. She would have arranged it. "Just make it look real." Maybe she remembered what she now wishes had happened instead of what really happened. You must admit that the sniper stuff makes a better story. I'm sure her staff will conduct a poll and tell her what she ought to say and do now. Yesterday they made sure she did the Wright thing.
Reagan used to get confused about what he actually did and what we did in a role he acted. A lot of this had to do with war reals that he made and his memory of actually being in the war instead of a studio. His loyal/blind fans thought that was a charming sign from an old man and forgave him. I betting HRC fans are more like Reagan fans than they'd like to admit.
Carl Bern-nut is the number 1 Clinton hater and basher in America. Why he is even allowed by CNN to write or speak anything on the air or posts is totally beyond me.
To give credence to anything this has-been now spews, particularly about the Clintons, is simply to encourage the fool...
Go Hillary '08
The fact that we (American public) were lied to and misled into believing the current war with Iraq had valid reasons, is one of the main reasons people should be wary of Mrs. Clinton. Her willingness to lie about things, and then state that she "misspoke" is a dangerous sign that she is too willing to get what she wants, even if the truth is a casualty of that desire. We definitely do not need someone else in the White House whom will lie, mislead, cover up, or otherwise conceal the truth from the American people.
I think too many people who are supporting Hillary are doing so because they believe Bill Clinton did a good job as president, and thus, by her relationship with him some of that has just automatically become part of her intellectual make-up. I beg to differ. I don't trust her. She has always seemed like a phony to me; too willing to do or say what was expedient, or whatever she thought she could get away with.
You people do make mistakes. We are all fallible. i truly believe Hillary is the best for president. She however, has more to prove than men being a woman and all.
Respect, integrity and honesty are great qualities i still belive she has all.
Race and gender. Obama played the race card from day 1. Hillary needs to come with her own speech on sexism.
I believe we women do more today than. staying in teh kitchen bare-foot and pregnant. However, people out there cannot accept we have come a long way. Hillary keep smiling. people will drag you down no matter what. Look at bill Richardson, perfect example. it isn't because you are a Clinton it is becausse you are a WOMAN. The media is so bias. Get a LIFE. Jack in particular and as for the women journalist's they just want to be Hillary. Rule Girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HILLAY O8
I support Hillary and will continue to because I believe in her and what she will be able to do as President. I did read this with an open and objective mind, and I only hope that maybe she will also. I wouldn't want any candidate to lose the ability to look at themselves critically, acknowledge weak areas and grow from the process.
This is a real issue. If you tell 1 lie, it leads to another...if you tell 2 lies...oh brother! I was voting for Hillary but now im switching to Obama.
All of the personality traits referred to in this piece remind me of the same as our current president George W. Bush has. Want more of this continuation of gutter politics...not me. HILLARY DROP IT AND GO HOME!
Cindy- "Give it a rest and get back to the real issues PLEASE!!
We do not care about this!! "
Tyler- "The one who is perfect should throw the first stone. Hillary is not perfect."
Annie Kate- "We all at some point or another tell lies."
Rose- "Please tell me, who is the honest candidate? Which one has NEVER lied, misled, misspoke or exagerrated?"
Has our political discourse become so cynical and debased that a deliberate fabrication intended to mislead us voters is so easily acceptable? Who, excepting soldiers or idiot gang bangers, could be unsure about dodging gunfire? We ALL KNOW this was an intentional lie (and worse, how could she have been so stupid to believe it wouldn't come to light???) and it lies at the very heart of her argument as being best prepared.
If I made up an experience point on a resume for a job flipping burgers I'd expect to be dismissed if discovered. Hillary consistently does this and she is running for president!
I'm a democrat who in earlier days would have been a big HRC supporter. But looking at the video when she tells the sniper-fire story, so heartfelt, so evocative; and to find out it was a complete act.... I find I don't know Hillary at all.
Absolutely unbelievable, both her and her defenders.
I'm glad I'm not the only person that sees how she attempts to manipulate the public, as an American and Latino is disgust me to think that this lady can actually fool us again for her own benefits. Sure we had good economic times during the Clinton administrator but who gives her the right to make fool of us. If there is a slight chance in hell that this lady can win the domination I would become independent
Great, thoughtful article, particularly the reminder that these very real deceptions usually get sorted out after they are uncovered.
My hat's off to CNN for responsible reporting on the disturbing reality of the Clintons' dishonest strain and the Press's consistent instinct to give them a free pass.
This is more than 'misspeak' – on at least 3 occasions Clinton outlined this supposed experience in detail – the last time, defensively, challenging Sinbad's accurate recollection, and ending with, 'Now that is what happened.'
The best liars are offended when they get caught lying – and Hillary got caught – again.
Senator HRC psyche is a context of mis-step, mis-speak, misunderstood...that's a misnomer for habitual lying. Its one thing to be upfront, but to be a day late ...no a week late, when its key to deflect attention somewhere else speaks of desperation. Now the constant harangue on pledeged delegates not having to vote for the pledged candidate speaks volume of her honesty and integrity...where is it? I believe her public service is for self, her excellence is cloaked in secrecy...never totally up-front...do we really know her; we hear numerous books have been written about her, but infact, America doesn't know her yet, folks will vote for her in PENN, because they are not able to change and look to the future. Last time I checked, the same old stuff (Wash politics) was still the same old stuff. Its time for a different approach. Why not?
I believe that Hillary stands for a lot of good things, but I think she has ruined her campaign by saying what she thinks she should say to win instead of being herself. Right from the beginning with that over-rehearsed video she released to start her campaign. It's just like dating someone pretending to be who they think they should be to win someone's heart. It doesn't work in either case. One can't help but wonder what she would do in a foreign policy situation where there is a disconnect between what needs to be done and her perception of what should be done to win people to her side of a conflict. I really enjoyed her Living History book, and I have supported her since reading it. However, her presidential campaign has significantly eroded that support.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN, ARE YOU SEEING THIS?
WE CAN'T TOLERATE LYING ANYMORE.
THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR THE CHILDREN SEEING THE ADULTS LYING.
BY FAR THE SADDEST PART OF THIS CAMPAIGN, SO UN-PRESIDENTIABLE.
Living in the USA - good try, but this is posted on military installations around the world and USN ships all:
Hillary answering the 3:00am call.
Phone Rings: BRRRRRRRRIIIIGGGGGGGGGGG
Hillary answers: Hello?
Voice: Madame Presidente, we have just been attacked in NYC, LA, and Chicago by dirty bombs. Casualties are expected to run into the 10s of thousands.
Hillary: Who is this?
Voice: This is the JCS office Crisis Team. The nation has been attacked, Madame Presidente.
A long pause follows.
Hillary: Don't worry about it. It's just part of a vast right-wing conspiracy.
Right up there with her slapping military personnel on AF One, repeatedly, when something didn't suit her or Chelsea had the temerity to talk to the military folks.
So if she would lie about something this dumb, where would she draw the line? That's the point, I dont' think there is a line she wouldn't cross... if you want that type of President you can vote for either Clinton or McCain – same thing.
What makes me saddest is reading everyone else's comments.
Obama supporters bashing Clinton's and vice versa. Its disgusting.
At the end of the day they both want the same thing for our Country, CHANGE.
we are all americans whether we are white, black, tan, yellow, blue red. whatever, and I don't know about the rest of you but we need to start getting along with each other, and stop putting others down.
We are one of the greatest nations in the land, and what do we do with it? We sit around and bash people we don't even KNOW.
does it make you feel good about yourself to put others down?
How about instead, go outside and try to make a difference in someones life.
Joan:
First off he did not throw his grandmother under the bus, what he spoke was the truth...deal with it. I have lots of friends of different races and cultures and at any given point someone including myself may say something that is racially insensitive, but stereotypical. Does that mean we're racist? NO it does not. It does not mean we are intolerant either, it means we are saying something on our minds in a non-diplomatic/tactful matter.
Secondly, Obama has said several times in many speeches that his father abadoned his mother when he was 2 years old. Obviously you only hear what you want to hear. People have the right to buy whatever homes they want, if they can afford it. As for the pastor issue, if we all had to be accountable for what our loved ones have said at one time or another we would all be facing hate crimes. Obama needed that pastor to make in roads into the black community, it was a political move, and it has proved beneficial and also detrimental, you've got to take the good with the bad.
As a former Hillary supporter who has switched to Obama, all I can say is this Bosnia issue showed me that I made the right choice once again.
Hillary needs to accept the VP post so the party can begin to heal itself before we lose to MR.100 years more in Iraq McCain.
Sen. Clinton has been caught in a bold faced lie. If I lied about some previous work experience on my resume, to gain an advantage in obtaining employment, I would be immediately dismissed...and I am only a state employee for the healthcare industry. We are speaking of the higjest office this nation has to offer...and a candidate tells an intentional lie. This candidate has intentionally lied to the American people-the same American people she claims to covet and advocate for. I just hope the pundits who probed every angle of the Obama-Rev. Wright controversy will be just as ruthless and unrelenting on probing the untruthfulness of this candidate.....chance are we will never hear another word about this......Sen. Obama....I hope you are not fooled into thinking you would be given the same free space to lie to the American people!
We need a new way of politics the way Obama describes. I don't care to relive the era of the Clinton administration: so long as we have jobs, and the economy is strong...that's all we (the American people) need to concern ourselves with. No, its not enough: our leaders are there to safeguard American's safety and well being, but they must be ethical and true to their convictions. Issues matter; policies matter; but so does principled leadership. Because when the American people are not looking, its those principles that will guide our leader's actions. HRC, through her surrogates, ridiculed Sinbad's characterization of the trip (he was "just" a comedian) and was dismissive of Sinbad's recollection. She even became very defensive about the event, defiant even. Rather than apologize to those she ridiculed (who happened to be right), she shrugs the episode and dismisses it. Then her surrogates say the people only care about jobs, healthcare. I do care about those things, but after 8 years of Bush–who doesn't even try to shield his ambivalence, I'm tired of "gotcha politics." As far as I am concerned with the Clintons, fool me once shame on you...fool me twice...shame on me. Obama is the only choice for genuine and principled leadership, plus we get the policies that America so desparately needs.
When you get shot at and have to duck bullits you NEVER forget it! I was willing to give Clinton the benifit of the dout but after this whopper (not to mention the others) and the dirty politics she lost my vote. I can't vote for McLame who I consider Bush light and too old and out of touch with reality.
I am still waiting for something solid from Obama. He speeks well but I have not heard any specifics about HOW is he going to turn things arround. I do however disagree with his plan to cut back on the manned space program.
Guess I will have to vote for the Libertarian whoever he/she is for a protest vote.
Never trust anything that comes out of anyones campain!
Even when questioned on the issue of the “Sniper Fire” incident Hillary felt it necessary to ridiculously exaggerate her excuse for lying in saying that she “speaks millions and millions of words a day” thus a few misspoken words should be expected. Using simple math Hillary would have to speak 11.57 words per second for 24 straight hours to accomplish even 1 million words. (Not to mention “millions and millions”) That's a LOT of fast talking.
Hillary has always been “truth challenged”. Come on America, is this the best we can do?
Anderson, I really enjoyed hearing your "sleep-deprived memory" comment re: Hillary on your show last night; you're always spot on as well as being very easy on the eyes.
Your banter with Erica is always welcome too and I respect that you admitted openly to making a stupid question as so few modern day commentators would.
I hope your face wound heals quickly.
Well lets see Bill: I never had sex with that woman – just a little white Clinton lie.... Now it's Hill's turn What else will she lie about? Are you really prepared to have a White House full of liers? The President and First Husband of Lies!!!!!! lol, It makes perfect sence that she stayed with him because lies don't matter in their life. They can live with it. Why can't we? Wake Up America!!!!!
It’s interesting to read through all these comments….I find some people with knowledge that qualifies them to make comments, and some other folks who would speak based on passionate bases – not wrong of course, but definitely NOT ENOUGH !!
Here is my own perspective, not as a reader, not as someone who has been reading and educating himself for years about politics and worldwide events, not as someone who has any preferential tendencies towards any candidate….but as an ARAB AMERICAN guy who has lived enough, studied enough, mingled enough with the right and wrong people in both worlds : the EAST and the WEST
Everywhere else, but in America, this is how you would define a patriotic person: someone who cares for his country, his beliefs towards his people and nation, and who has the energy and determination to protect his passion and precious identity…..everywhere, but in the Middle East!! Over there, patriotism is towards religion, and can be against anything – ANYTHING – that threatens that religion even if it’s your own country itself….for those who don’t believe me or don’t know what I am talking about, ask non-Muslim folks from the Middle East. It is that scary.
Why am I bringing this issue and what this has to do with Hillary or Obama – it has everything to do with this election – choosing between these two is like choosing between raising 2 pets: a coward dog to protect your home or a python snake to raise inside your house !!!! my meaning: with a dog, you can bring additional security measures: security alarm, extra locks, motion detectors, etc….it’s gonna cost you more but you can still make it. Now, think of the python snake: for a second, it’s cute with smooth muscle and cool sliding movement- turn your eyes for a minute, and it’s killing your own precious son or daughter – the loss here can not be recovered. The minute you allowed the snake inside your house, the minute you chose to die !!
Applying it here: choosing Hillary maybe not your best choice because she lied, 2-faced, etc. whatever you call it – at least she’s one of us. Even if she messed up or tried to, there’s the congress, senate, media, 2nd election chance, etc….many forces to improve the situation or many good things that can balance the bad stuff happening. She won’t be the first (not-so-perfect president), and definitely won’t be the last.
With Obama…oh Boy!!! You are changing the whole identity of the USA – it’s like giving your own child to cannibals to raise him for few years – would you trust him back in your house after that? Would he ever care about you, being his parent? My point is: Obama may claim he is American, he is Christian, he is honest, he is straightforward, he is seeking CHANGE…words are as easy and soft as cracking the child’s bones by a python and then swallowing him smoothly!!! if you don’t get what I mean, ask many American women who felt victims for Arab Muslims – the first impression: he is honest, straightforward, handsome, seeking new beginning and rosy life….the rest is well known. I am sure that most of you don’t know that (lies) and (pretending to be something else) is an integral part of islam “if you have to” or “in order to spread Allah’s word” Another example: compare the riots worldwide regarding the Danish cartoon and their rationale to attack it vs what’s happening over there towards non-Muslims just to practice their religion…other horrible stories are worth a separate web site.
Morale of my note here: Obama is not the worst selection as a president – he shouldn’t even be among the list of candidates…..Wake up Americans from your ignorance, and look over the bench @ what’s happening worldwide and have been happening for hundreds of years. Say (no Obama) as much as you said (no Osama) before !!!!!
Will you Clintonistas please stop lieing about Obama saying he wasn't in church during the clips that were shown and then saying he was in his speech. If you had taken the time to actually listen to what he has said and read the speech, you would know that he said that he was not in church when the sermons the clips came from were given but he has been in church when Rev. Wright has said things he disagreed with.
The problem is that your candidate has been caught in a lie and simply will not come clean about it. Obama has not been caught in a lie and has even come clean about mistakes he has made in the past.
One last thing, when I was in college, we called all of the lecturers we had 'Professor' without distinction of whether they were visiting, adjunct, temporary or tenured. So, yes, Obama was a law professor.
OK folks, this is how Democracy as we know it will die. Point of cause, THE MEDIA. Are you shocked? You should be. People, you need to draw your conclusions on your own, not based on media outlets and the biased snipets of information and peronal points of view they are feeding you.
I am shocked at how the Democratic Party (all of you to claim being Democrats) is reacting to eachother. McCain is finally moving onto real issues, where it is very obvious he lacks on experience and all the MEDIA and you can do is drive daggers into eachother.
This is ridiculous. Yes, she embelished on the truth. But did most of you forget that Obama has done the same? In a few months one of these two hopefuls are going to be representing the Democratic Party, and all of this is not going to help the Party fight against the Republicans. What you are doing is making a mockery of the Democratic Party. Grow up people and start helping the candidates of your Party move on to important topics that matter to you, me, and our neighbors.
I am so fed up with you CNN, especially 360 being so one sided. I honestly advocated for you and stood behind you, now you are showing me who you are standing behind and I don't like it one bit. You the MEDIA are not suppose to stand behind anyone. Your outlet is to share the facts/truth, not weigh in with your personal opinioins. I don't care who you like or dislike, just present the facts and let me decide on the rest, or let me take that and research it more thoroughly if you are not.
By the time the Democratic Party goes head to head with the Republican Party, it will be so torn and Democrats are going to start voting Republican based on popularity or unpopularity of the person. At the end of the day, it boils down who can get the job done, how will they get it done, and how we as a Nation are going to deal with it and make it work.
The misrepresentation that Hillary gave of her trip to Bosnia isn't disturbing until one hears that even after her story was refuted and she had a chance to save face, she went against fact. This happens all the time in politics and wouldn't be a big deal if her whole campaign strategy wasn't to belittle Obama with her experience and qualifications. Unfortunately for Hillary, that is her agenda. To lie and pad a resume while criticizing ones opponent for lack of one is one more example of the hypocracy that the nation has associated with the Clintons. Her campaign complains that Obama is ahead because he is black and that if he were a white man she would have locked up the nomination. Well, what if Hillary were a white man? Better yet, what if both candidates were white men? Chances are, Obama would have already clinched the nomination, running on a tcket of believable change. Hillary offers the same Washington garbage we've had to digest for the past 40 years, it just seems different because she is a woman.
Matt is correct, talk is cheap, Obama is not the first to say he will give us change, the republican party said it in the 90's and all they did was do the exact same thing the Democrats did. Made it worst for the day to day person. Both parties don;t care. If they did. They would get rid of the taxes on pay. An start lowering the taxes on other things. Stop giving hand outs to people and start helping people help themselves. All the social programs in the past 47 years has done is put more people on the programs. Not helping them to get off it and get a real job.
Plus social programs for corporations should stop. Companies that make mistakes or can not stand on their own should not be bailed out. Where is is my fault that people and corporation make bad choices and I and other people pay for it.
I don't trust any person running for any office to fix the problems. All they are out to do is make themself powerful and to stay in power. Plus give money to the people or companies that put them into power.
Clinton only wants to socialize our country, So does Obama. Mccain has no idea how to correct the problem. But at least he says it like it is. If you screw up, why should the government bail you out.
If you people want the government to bail out everyone. Why not just tell the leaders to give everyone a milion dollars.
Then history will repeat itself. The romans had a Republic. An burnt it down and destoried it by learning that they could vote themselves money, lol.
Well What are our choices for a President come 09.
Obama:
He threw his grandmother under a bus, she is just a typical white women to him.
He has a shady relationship with a crook.
He gone to a church for 20 years and hasn't been influence by the preaching.
He was quick to throw Mr. Wright under the bus and later un-threw him from under the bus.
His wife is just now proud to be an American.
He is playing the race card by running as an African American, when he is an European African
American. Sound like he has disconnected him self from half of his genetic make up.
Hillary Clinton:
A story teller...reminds me of my sister who could never tell a story with out embellishing it.
label liar by people who love to hate her.
McCain:
Dementia on the rising.. TOO OLD.
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So above are the candidates chosen by America. We choose them.
So man up and stop the back lashing and complaining.
The name calling and nick picking is really too late.
It appears to me our fate is in the hand of Congress and the Senate to keep these three unqualified candidates in line.
So it really doesn't matter which three get into office, since America did not elect the most qualified individual to run for office.
Experience does matter. Here is a challenge: each state to elect the best qualified men or women for the US House of Representatives and the US Senate offices. Lets get it right on this level. Lets be pro-active, before we have a bigger mess to clean up
An honest politician just like military intelligence..... A huge contradiction