Clinton apologizes for 1996 remark on ‘super-predators’ after encounter with activist

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Clinton apologizes for 1996 remark on ‘super-predators’ after encounter with activist

By Anne Gearan and Abby Phillip February 25 at 3:50 PM

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Black voters are the linchpin of Hillary Clinton's strategy for winning the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, and as a result, her campaign has put racial justice issues at the forefront of her agenda. But at an event on Wednesday night, Clinton was vocally confronted by an activist questioning her past support for policies that had a disproportionately negative effect on African Americans.

Ashley Williams, a 23-year-old activist from Charlotte, interrupted Clinton during a private fundraiser in Charleston on Wednesday night. Williams stood and demanded an apology from Clinton for the high incarceration rate for black Americans, and confronted her with the words of a speech Clinton delivered 20 years ago voicing support for the now-debunked theory of "super-predators."

"They are often the kinds of kids that are called 'super-predators,' " Clinton said in 1996, at the height of anxiety during her husband's administration about high rates of crime and violence. "No conscience, no empathy, we can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel."

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"You know what? Nobody’s every asked me before. You’re the first person to do that, and I’m happy to address it," Clinton said, but did not elaborate.

In a written response to The Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart on the issue Thursday, Clinton said: “Looking back, I shouldn’t have used those words, and I wouldn’t use them today."

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/02/25/clinton-heckled-by-black-lives-matter-activist/

[thereismore]

1. Where is the apology? nt

[monicaangela]

6. She wrote a note to her surrogate at WaPo

You know the one that tried to smear Bernie with that ridiculous that isn't Bernie photo. An apology televised for the people? I'm with you. Where is it?

[Merryland]

12. That's not an apology at all. So the liar Jonathan Capehart

is her Post buddy. Oh man, access is so great!

[monicaangela]

41. Yep, establisment politics in its ugliest form

[roguevalley]

27. 20 years and people are still waiting. 20 years from now she will show her speeches

its her 20 year rule

[monicaangela]

42. I believe someone is waiting to show those transcripts during

the general election if she wins the nomination. Needless to say they are going to seriously curtail of winning the general. Look for the

[ebayfool]

32. Jonathan Capehart - Damage control n/t

[monicaangela]

43. LOL!

Can you imagine...I hadn't thought of that, however; it's a possibility. She's going to have to do better than Capehart if she plans to control the tons of damage her horrible campaign is going to have to clean up.

[whatchamacallit]

9. Exactly, she's just lamenting the fact that it's come back to bite her in the ass

[monicaangela]

2. And here we have it....

Yet another flip flop. "Oh yes, I know I said it then, but I'm different now, believe me I am."

[Merryland]

15. I literally sometimes think she is PROGRAMMED

and does not have spontaneous personal responses. It's freaky.

[monicaangela]

44. Or inept

[morningfog]

3. That's almost an apology. It's so hard for her.

[Mike__M]

10. Which Hillary?

It was that Hillary who said that; this Hillary uses different words.

So that clears up everything, right?

[Warren DeMontague]

30. My favorite is the "Im sorry you misunderstood me" non-apology

[PonyUp]

4. Release the apology, Hillary! nt

[morningfog]

5. What words would she use today to express the sentiment?

[sabrina 1]

7. Not the only time she 'shouldn't have' done things that have harmed minorities and women.

She's always apologizing for her positions, but only during elections. No one should have had to ask her to apologize, she never should have said it.

Those were NOT her words, btw, they were the words of a Princeton Prof who was specifically speaking about minority children, so the argument that her comment wasn't about minorities, doesn't hold up.

Regardless, her policies throughout her public life have turned out to have been so WRONG that she has to constantly apologize for them in order to try to get votes, when we need LEADERS who get things RIGHT when it MATTERS.

Her and Bill Clinton's stand on all these issues caused immense harm to millions of people. You can't just say now 'I'm sorry'.

Sick of it frankly, when called on something she issues a quick apology? During campaign season well, fine, that's nice but it won't change the awful harm that came to millions of minority families and she WAS told at the time, that her ideas would hurt may poor people and minorities. But she knew better I guess.

[monicaangela]

22. Very well said sabrina 1!

[reformist2]

8. It's actually a decent apology. What I can't get over are her fans who denied she actually said this

[thereismore]

11. An apology usually contains the word "apologize" or "sorry". NOT GOOD ENOUGH HILLARY! nt

[Merryland]

17. thanks for the laugh!

What a snake she is.

[thereismore]

13. Not good enough, Hillary. We can see your crossed fingers behind your back. nt

[Truprogressive85]

14. you call that an apology ?

this what passes as an apology ?

[grasswire]

16. So Capehart is the stooge again, the new Judy Miller????????

Disgusting.

[Merryland]

18. The Post mislead with that headline about "apology"

They have become such a piece of excrement over the years.

[closeupready]

37. Absolutely. She did not apologize. Capehart is being dishonest, IMO.

[closeupready]

39. The personal ambitions of everyone involved in her campaign

make me literally want to puke.

[MelissaB]

19. I'm sorry!

Is it so fucking hard to say?

[Merryland]

20. Hard to believe it could get uglier.

[arcane1]

23. It is VERY hard to say if you don't mean it. She didn't "apologize" for shit.

And she even had to go through her little now-fully-discredited minion to do even that half-ass response.

But she can stand up to Putin??

[Merryland]

21. The real apology would be

"I am so f'ing sorry that people can see right through me."

[monicaangela]

24. LOL!

You nailed it Merryland.

[Merryland]

26. Thanks!

[hifiguy]

25. Same old same old.

[BernieforPres2016]

28. It depends on what the meaning of the word "apology" is

But I wouldn't call that an apology.

Shocking that Capehart got this "scoop". Probably a reward from Hillary for some reason. David Brock must be furious.

[Warren DeMontague]

29. She needs to stop enabling drug warriors like DWS and come out for federal marijuana descheduling.

[elleng]

31. This is her apology, I guess:

'In a written response to The Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart on the issue Thursday, Clinton said: “Looking back, I shouldn’t have used those words, and I wouldn’t use them today."'

[closeupready]

34. So would she have said they were hyperpredators, instead?

Career criminals? What words would she have used?

That is not an apology, IMO.

[elleng]

38. Right, it's not an apology.

She should be able to do better, even considering her busy schedule these days.

[Politicalboi]

33. Where are her defenders?

I guess they're in their Bubble coming up with the next lie to tell about Bernie and his supporters. Video is Hillary's worst enemy. They don't LIE!

[Kelvin Mace]

35. What apology?

In a written response to The Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart on the issue Thursday, Clinton said: “Looking back, I shouldn’t have used those words, and I wouldn’t use them today."

Yes, she wouldn't use those words today, because it would sure as hell would be awkward given her new found concern for AA welfare.

There is NO apology here.

[NCTraveler]

36. Positive all the way around. Nt

[BernieforPres2016]

40. Capehart plants a very subtle lie to try to justify Hillary

"They are often the kinds of kids that are called 'super-predators,' " Clinton said in 1996, at the height of anxiety during her husband's administration about high rates of crime and violence. "No conscience, no empathy, we can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel." (bold for emphasis is mine, not Capehart's)

The "height of anxiety" suggests that the crime rate was at some kind of a crisis level in 1996, when in fact reported violent crime rates had been in decline in the U.S. as shown by this chart:

http://www.statista.com/statistics/191219/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-usa-since-1990/

The "crisis" was that Bill Clinton had a reelection campaign in 1996 and wanted to run as tough on crime.

[monicaangela]

48. Also too,

it helped his donors who were heavily invested in private prisons.

[Aerows]

45. I just had to post this again.

[Joe the Revelator]

46. Well....it depends on what your definition of apology is.

[retrowire]

47. lol not good enough hillary. nt