Sen Clinton "wonders which fights Sen Obama wouldn't fight" as president

[Bucky]

Seriously....

Hillary hits Obama on transparency, rhetoric
By: Mike Allen for Politico

"So when I hear Senator Obama talk about that, I wonder which fights he wouldn't fight. Would he have not fought to get to a balanced budget and a surplus and help create 22 million new jobs? Would he have not fought to get assault weapons off the street and get them out of the hands of, you know, criminals and gang members?

"You never hear the specifics. It's all this kind of abstract, general talk about how we all need to get along.

"I want to get along, and I have gotten along in the Senate. I will work with Republicans to find common cause whenever I can, but I will also stand my ground, because there are fights worth having."

I love the Clintons and I realize they got tagged as being divisive because they themselves were being attacked for no reason at all. But their insular management style--the same insularity that made their much villified "triangulation" approach to passing legislation necessary--led to them fighting a whole bunch of fights that didn't need to be fought.

Besides the fact that she's basically pulling out of thin air the insinuation that Obama won't fight for the right things, the fact is that with a President Clinton, the front lines of that fighting, and the sides people would take when it comes time to choose who you'll fight with, are already pretty much set in stone. With a President Obama, we get a clean slate.

I don't doubt that the Republicans will pull the same old shit in 2009 that they did 1993 (and then not let up for the next 8 years). But with Obama, there's also the possibility of a clean start, a longer honeymoon, and a significantly broader electorate mandate to call on when it comes time for the next two Congresses to close the doors and call the votes.

With President Obama, I'm betting that there'll be just a few easier fights than with a President Clinton. We all know what the Republican smear machine will do. I'm just saying that Obama has a little more teflon and a little less velcro when they start smearing the shit on us.

[HeraldSquare212]

1. Would he sign the Defense of Marriage Act? Would he sign welfare reform?

Clinton fought - and then caved.

[blm]

6. Bill had a War Room for NAFTA - none for healthcare, gays in military, or accountability

for outsanding matters of BushInc's crimes of office - nope - he had a BROOM for those.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Which fights did she fight, besides healthcare in 1993? She got spanked, and

then "retreated" into a traditional First Lady role. I haven't seen too much "fight" against Republicans and Bush beyond occasional scrappy campaign-trail rhetoric since then. She's selling a myth of herself.

[damntexdem]

5. At least she wasn't invisible on healthcare reform in 1993:

instead she screwed it up!

[Bucky]

8. She fought. I remember. They fucking hammered her mercilessly.

I buy that myth. I'm not going to vote for her (Until November, that is) in part because of her myth. But she kept fighting, even if she did, wisely, have to shift ground to the traditional first lady act. It was an act--Clinton was always her husband's key advisor.

[blm]

3. Hillary was INVISIBLE on Tora Bora fight. Would NOT back up Kerry on Rumsfeld's firing in 2003-4.

Would NOT show up against Bush's DECISION to go to war when weapon inspections were PROVING force was not needed.

Would not STAND with senators for inquiry into Downing Street Memos.

Did NOT want to filibuster Alito and spoke AGAINST it in Dem caucus siding with Chuck Schumer, and later publicly said she would support it, and still had her staff attacking Kerry in the press for it.

Stood AGAINST withdrawal timetable on senate floor in June 2006 - now THAT she was willing to lead.

And OH YEAH - THIS is how she fights AGAINST other Dems WITH BUSH:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk1k0nUWEQg

[dchill]

11. Didn't show up for the telecom vote, either.

She's too busy.

[damntexdem]

4. She ought to shut up before she convinces many of us NOT to vote for her if she is the candidate!

And woe to the Democratic Party if she is.

I get into 'tone it down in the Party and pull together to win in November' - and then HRC pulls more crap like this!

[Bucky]

10. Fuhgetabowddit! This is boiler plate rhetoric. It's shallow, but hardly a cheapshot.

If she's nominated, she'll make you proud. Even if she doesn't, you'll goddamn fake it through November or the blood McCain needlessly spills in Iraq will become more likely.

What she said is stupid and wrong; but it's nothing close to what it'll take to keep you from voting for whoever our nominee is.

[leveymg]

7. The Bombing of Tehran, the Landing at Bushehr, and the Battle for the Khuzistan oil fields

That ought to save several million lives on both sides.

Hillary might do it, though.

[Bicoastal]

9. Hah, can't disprove a negative! Take THAT, Barack!

:eyes: