Newsweek' s R. Wolfe: "Hillary put the knife into Kerry's back"

[Sensitivity]

It is hard to imagine something more harmfull to the Democrats than
a Leader of the party bolstering the Republicans phony
"Kerry was attacking the troops" campaign.

But that is exactly what Hillary Clinton did today.
Every Network played a clip of Hillary slamming Kerry's words (
which were really about Bush) as "completely inappropriate!"

It was cold, harsh and dismissive. Richard Wolfe on MSNBC
referred to it as a "knife in the back."

Hillary is a brilliant woman, lawyer, senator. I believed she had both
principle and brains.

She is certainly savvy enough to know what Rove was doing and should
have been knocking it down and showing how they were abusing the "troops"
in their political ploy.

I am trully disgusted. I have met Bill Clinton. He is a great guy.
I hope his GOTV campaign tour bear great results.
Kerry's efforts were also untiring and deserves respect and I am sure
Bill would never had shown the disrespect to Kerry that Hillary did.

I am sorry that Bill has to be associated with such a self-serving
manipulation engaged in today by his dear wife.

I hope the Party understands what it is getting with Hillary.

[GainesT1958]

1. She's setting herself up...

For an early 2008 implosion, and I look foward to backing someone who can best help her do that!

B-)

[lostnotforgotten]

2. I Live In NY State And Will Not Vote A Straight Ticket Because Of Hillary

eom

[blm]

3. Well, then Hillary will enjoy herself immensely debating Kerry about Iraq

and many other issues - like will she open the books on BushInc - over the series of TEN DEBATES.

[IndianaGreen]

13. Hillary has been a "stay the course" supporter from day one

Her views on Iraq mirror Judas Lieberman's.

Kerry is the only candidate with the financial means to compete against Hillary, and spare us all a Hillary debacle in Fall 2008.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Why in the world would she do that?

Her Senate seat is quite safe, so she doesn't have to suck up to Republicans. Does she think it will help her get the nomination in 2008? By then this brouhaha will be forgotten. Is she trying to screw Kerry so he won't get the nomination? I've tried to like her, but she keeps doing shit that makes that very, very difficult.

[IndianaGreen]

12. Kerry is a rival for the nomination, and Hillary, like Lucretia Borgia

will dispose of her enemies by any means at her disposal.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

77. No, it definitely WON'T be forgotten

They say that elephants never forget, but neither do donkeys. Of all Hillary's recent idiotic stunts-- the big-time Iraq War support, the unstinting support for the harshest of GOP legislation targeting the poor and middle-class, such as the "bankruptcy reform" bill-- this takes the cake. Turning on one of her most prominent and respected Democratic colleagues, repeating the filthiest and most inexcusable Republican Swift Boat-style smear attacks, AND doing this on the eve of a Congressional election when Democrats are working in overdrive to prevail?

Hillary has shown beyond any doubt that she'll screw over anybody, even her fellow Democrats, at a most inopportune time for what she perceives as a bit of political currency. She has to be opposed vigorously by any Democrats for 2008.

[Imagevision]

96. Why in the world would she do that? - simple!! because Kerry fucked up!!

Bothed joke?!! John Kerry is a bothched joke, who can kiss his 2008 presidential aspirations buh-bye!!

[chill_wind]

5. I like that last sentence. My sentiments as well. K&R nt

[evlbstrd]

6. I emailed her Senate office

expressing just that sentiment, adding that I would not support her in the primaries or vote for her in the general election.

[MannyGoldstein]

9. I Understand She Only Accepts Email From NY

But, strangely, she'll take cash from anywhere... odd...

[Captain Hilts]

15. ALL the Senate/House website only take e-mail from home states. nt

[blondeatlast]

53. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Whatever gave you this idea?

I'm an activist for stem-cell research and have received many replies--some personal--from other states representatives.

[Captain Hilts]

66. I've tried to e-mail Sens/Reps from several states, without success.

Experience.

[blondeatlast]

72. My experience--and it's been a lot of it, is different.

:shrug:

[wisteria]

22. I e-mailed her and it went through. Oh, and the cash thing. You got

that right.

[beltanefauve]

29. Lieberman has the same policy!

Imagine that!

[LostinVA]

88. Many members of Congress do

[evlbstrd]

32. I didn't receive an error.

Although it was through her web site. Oh well, another strike against her.

[WildEyedLiberal]

34. Heh.

Odd indeed.

[Hoosier Dem]

60. Well, that's what most prostitutes do.

[wisteria]

19. Me too. n/t

[ClayZ]

41. I emailed her too.

I also said I would not support her. I hope she got an earfull of people telling her ...just that!

:kick:

[Demobrat]

7. Oh please.

If Dean had said the exact same thing during the primaries Kerry would have been all over his ass. Kerry gave his political enemies on both sides an opening and they are driving a truck through it. Just like he would.

[Infinite Hope]

8. Exactly...

They're all aspiring and will take opportunities as they come. I personally think she could have made her point in a lighter way, but we must remember she wants to win in NY with as high a margin as possible to look even more formiddable in 2008. The bigger the slaughter, the more legitimate she looks nationally and the more fundraising comes in.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

79. No, the more she looks like a craven opportunist and alienates her own

political base. Nobody expects anything from John Spencer in NY, the GOP hasn't ponied up much for him-- the Republicans want Hillary to run in 2008 because they know she'll both alienate her own Democratic base while energizing the Republican base to unify as never before. That's why we have to halt Hillary for 2008, even if it means a bitter battle going up to the convention.

[wisteria]

21. Nope, this isn't the primaries yet and this was more of a case of

Kerry words being twisted to mean something they weren't. Today, Clinton and Kerry should of been on the same side. Kerry was wronged by the repubs and the media machine. Anyone could have misread a sentence.
She is real trash.

[Demobrat]

30. Not the primaries yet?

Don't kid yourself.

[AtomicKitten]

38. You're right.

These are the primaries. And Kerry damaged himself with this and anyone that thinks he comes out of this unscathed is fooling themselves. DU POV is often different than that in the rest of the Democratic community en masse. Quite frankly, I wouldn't vote for either Hillary or Kerry. We can do much better than those two knuckleheads. I'm sick of both of them.

[Demobrat]

68. Same here.

They are both self-serving political cowards. I much prefer Gore to either one of those two, and new blood to any of the already-rans.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

80. Yeah, I don't support either of them for 2008, but Kerry would have more class

Hillary has shown herself to be the most crass sort of political opportunists. New York Democrats should reconsider voting for her now, perhaps a less-than-stellar margin over Spencer for her might convince her that she's not respected, and help pave the way for a run in 2008 by someone who could actually win for us-- someone, perhaps, like Obama.

[politicasista]

97. I think it's too early to talk about 2008 n/t

[blondeatlast]

54. Yup, gotta give you that one. It's on. nt

[ginnyinWI]

40. to me, it shows she cares more about herself than the Mid-Terms.

I mean, we don't need this dis-unity just before an election.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

78. Just like Kerry wouldn't

Demobrat, most true Democrats would have a little more tact and class than to engage in such base attacks their fellow Democrats at a period when Dems are pushing hard to support each other and well before a political campaign. Kerry has much more class than that. I think we have better candidates than Kerry for 2008, and he shouldn't run, but Hillary in particular has to be vigorously fought.

[DianeG5385]

10. I hope Clark runs because right now he's the only one I'd support

of the current prospective candidates including Hillary. She triangulates too much for my liking and actually is a tad too conservative in her politics. She reminds me of Margaret Thatcher. I would have loved to support her as a woman but her politics and principles don't coincide with mine.

[pocoloco]

14. Clark would have no problem winning our primary again!!

[young_at_heart]

Our family chooses Clark also!

He is a great man and our very best hope.

[Bucky]

33. I've been a Clarkie since September 17th 2003. But I'd never say THAT.

He's the one I'll support in the primaries. But after the convention I'll support anyone we nominate. Hell, I'd vote for a Zell Miller-Angela Davis ticket if they could get the nominations. I'm a yella dog Democrat: our worst will always beat their best with me. In democratic (small d) politics, it's not just what you believe in; it's who you are beholden to that shapes policy. Whoever we nominate will always be prefereable to whoever they nominate. It's really that simple with me.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

81. I used to be a yellow-dog Democrat, but Hillary has changed me

I became a Democrat for a reason-- for the Progressive stands that the Democrats, on balance, possess as opposed to the GOP. Now, Hillary's gone as far as to echo GOP smear attacks. I won't support her under any circumstances. One of my longtime Democratic activist friends-- another erstwhile yellow dog who's been working for and supporting Democrats for over 36 years in Minnesota-- says she wouldn't vote for Hillary Clinton if she were nominated in 2008, under any circumstances.

She reasons that as painful as a GOP win in 2008 would be (even someone slightly more palatable than George W. Bush, such as McCain, Giuliani or Romney), at the very least, by 2012 we would have the prospect of nominating somebody less alienating and less of a sell-out against our basic principles than Hillary Rodham Clinton. So, she, about as dedicated and unswerving as a Democrat could be, would vote for a Third Party candidate in 2008 if Hillary were on the ticket.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[featherman]

16. Two potential 2008 candidates go down in flames over this

-Sen. Kerry's uncanny ability to get "swift boated" for the mildest of mis-steps should show ANYONE in our party that the media would be just as glad to shill for the GOP against him in 2008 as they were in 2004. He is the "velcro' candidate.
-Sen. Clinton comes across as so calculating and unprincipled in incidents like this that she would be exposed as somebody "not to be trusted" quite early in a national campaign. A tough definition to shake... ask Al Gore.

[zulchzulu]

20. Kerry is already looking better due to the stupid story

In case you haven't noticed, many pundits and even some conservatives are seeing what the Repigs did with a non-story. Once the election is done and the Dems at least take the House, this story will be long gone.

What will be around is the odor of desperation that Hillary and other DINOs displayed when they jumped the gun.

[wisteria]

23. I don't see this as his demise. It was ridiculous and most people

realized it. This trick gets old after a while. Hillary, well as for me, she will never get my vote- ever.

[IndianaGreen]

26. Perhaps it is because Hillary is "calculating and unprincipled" at her core

unlike Kerry, who has grown in esteem in my eyes as he has opposed the Bush dictatorship.

[karynnj]

27. I wouldn't be so quick to rule out Kerry or Hillary

This is a year plus out. In 2003, there were people who thought Kerry's "Regime change at home" statment would eliminate him found out otherwise.

Kerry was the only candidate to endure the 100% Bush team coverage. He does occasionally make mistakes when he is tired - he's human. This one seems to be ending - with the consensus even of truthful Republicans that Kerry simply left out the word "us" that would have made it unambiguous.

But, even if the RW parsed it as they did - it is NOT an insult. Saying SOME are driven to the services for lack of other opportunities is provably true - and there are people who are brilliant and most steps in between.

As to Hillary - I didn't see this - but she always seems cold to me. The comment is simply harsh. Was she saying Kerry shouldn't criticise Bush for his abysmal planning of a war he lied us into or that no poor kid ever opted to go to the service for lack of other opportunities? (If she bought the RW line - it shows that she has no understanding of who Kerry is AND the English language.)

The odd thing is I bet even with this, if the contest in the Democratic primary is just Kerry and Hillary - I bet he gets more of the Vet/millitary vote. She (and Bill) were to the left of Kerry in terms of 60s protesting.

[OzarkDem]

55. Nah, this is not a big deal

Neither of them did anything wrong.

[karynnj]

59. Is it clear this is unique to Kerry?

Sen. Kerry's uncanny ability to get "swift boated" for the mildest of mis-steps should show ANYONE in our party that the media would be just as glad to shill for the GOP against him in 2008 as they were in 2004. He is the "velcro' candidate

This suggests that the media is still allowing swiftboating and both the DLC Democrats and RW in the media are unwilling to defend Kerry - but when someone else is the candidate won't they do the same to him/her unless the candidate "fits" their specifications.

Kerry has always been declared dead when he wasn't - his secret he is who he really is. This hurts - but it may be turned to his favor as he will have even more reason to make bridges with verterans which he already was doing. The fact is that he is in the right place on Iraq and Hillary isn't.

[zulchzulu]

17. She ate the Bait just like the rest of the DINOs and Repigs...good for her

I'm absolutely certain that she will not make it in the 2008 primaries past March. She won't even make it to Super Tuesday. People can smell a rat a mile away.

[wisteria]

24. LOL, a good way to describe her. n/t

[wisteria]

18. I didn't care for her before, but would of supported her,now

I think she is a disgusting POS, with no integrity or honor. I will move out of this county if the day every comes that they play hail to the chief for this low life trash.

[Clarkie1]

25. Kerry is Hillary's opponent now, and she's ruthless. I expect she will treat others the same. nt

[IndianaGreen]

36. Hillary has no core values other than her own ambition, like Nixon

On LGBT rights she told a small group of gays that she was "evolving" on marriage rights for gays. Evolving my ass! Triangulating!

[tuvor]

28. She hasn't exactly showed good judgment here.

But come 2008, we'll all have forgotten about this, guaranteed.

[Lugnut]

37. I won't

I've been really trying to find some redeeming qualities about her. I've given up. There's no "there" there.

[wisteria]

42. Not me! I have a long memory when it comes to slim like her. n/t

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

82. Some things cannot be forgotten, nor forgiven

This is Exhibit A.

[sandnsea]

31. Two peas in a pod

Bill is just the king of schmooze, that's all.

[Diane R]

35. As soon as I heard her this morning I vowed she will never get my vote. n/t

[cui bono]

39. Hillary is the new Lieberman. n/t

[wisteria]

43. Yeah, and with less class. n/t

[WinkyDink]

44. She should have kept quiet. Her words now show her not only to

be an opportunist (as all knew), but also not a particularly savvy one.
She will NEVER be the woman who makes Presidential history. First of all, she'd need to explain her health-care debacle. Second of all, she'd get TMJ from gritting her teeth as she fielded "Monica" questions. Third, SHE SUPPORTS THIS INVASION.

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[blondeatlast]

56. With all due respect, I believe that's the wrong tactic. Vote for her

as the big D Dem--then HOUND HER ON EVERY VOTE YOU CAN FIND THE TIME FOR.

I understand your feelings though--I'd have a very hard time voting for her and am really not sure I could. I've got a near-DINO running for Senate, but live in a reddish state so I gotta do it.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

83. Hillary's worse than a DINO, she's a traitor to everything we stand for

With her war support and support for the harsh bankruptcy bill, Hillary's shown she's against the most basic tenets of what makes us Democrats. Then she even shows she's against not only Democratic principles, but her fellow Democrats as well. She deserves no support-- I can't even count how many of my Democratic friends have decided that they would not support her under any circumstances. She is a disgrace to our party and our most basic principles.

[w4rma]

46. So Hilary put her personal campaign for President ahead of Democrats winning

this election in 1 week. I will, under no circumstances, vote for her in the Democratic primary. And I will *never* fully support her.

[demdiva]

47. I agree with you

but I think in the end that this won't help her. The Democrats in Washington (i.e. the policitcal consulting crowd) are still pissed that Kerry lost the election two years ago .... forgetting that their candidate didn't get anywhere with real Americans. ("If I were running the election...") Seriously ...I hear more crap about him here then anywhere. And Hillary is feeding into that energy because she thinks it will separate herself from him and knock him out. This strategy will backfire in the end because the Democratic base still likes Kerry and they're not going to be swayed by a party member who turns against her own party just before an election.

[primative1]

48. Lighten Up ..

They all will have TWO years to position themselves, begining in January when the new DEMOCRATIC controlled senate gets to actualy use the parlimentary process for positive action (rather than just minority dissent),
Lets see who actualy gets what done and then debate the merits of either.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

84. Hillary did direct damage to the cause of the Democrats winning control of

the Senate. This is not the time to turn on one's own prominent party members *and* attract such media attention, when the Senate is being so closely contested. Hillary is not fit to run as our 2008 candidate.

[Califooyah Operative]

49. her and ford did.

Kerry got screwed. Even Max Cleland was defending them and they made their move's on him.

[Mass]

50. We can fight this fight next week - We need to stay united today.

The focus should be on Bush.

[sendero]

51. All I can say is..

... if you are surprised you haven't been paying attention. Hillary will do anything to further HER cause, not the cause of Democrats.

I could hold my nose and vote for JK, but I'm not sure I could vote for Hillary. She's just too damn blatant with her constant pandering and total lack of accomplishment at anything other than self promotion.

[ProSense]

52. Hillary should have stood with Kerry, but

Richard Wolfe is a giant ass!

[Totally Committed]

57. Hate to say "I told you so...", but...

I told you so.

She is ambitious for power to the point of being amoral about how she gains it.

Sound like any other politician you know? And, how has that worked out for us up to now?

TC

[AtomicKitten]

67. a pox on both their houses

There's an election in progress and both these 2008 wannabees should STFU.

[JerseygirlCT]

58. Very disappointing. Lieberman-esque. nt

[Name removed]

61. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Totally Committed]

63. BINGO!

You said a mouthful!

TC

[Hoosier Dem]

62. Hillary/LIEberman in 2008!!!

They can run on the slogan "IT'S ALL ABOUT US"

While I criticized kerry for his remarks, I have to defend him on this one. Hillary was way out of line in doing this. Yesterday, I pointed out that some Dems running in close races in conservative distrcits might have to distance themselves to avoid a problem on Election Day (like here in my Indiana Congressional District which is poised to flip D!!). However, I can't see how a race in a blue state where Hillary has a 2:1 lead can be considered "close".

We need either Clark or Gore in 2008 to save us from this arrogant, unprincipled witch.

[mod mom]

64. Another reason why I would NEVER vote for Hiliary Clinton. The Dem

leadership better clue in our the public's dislike for her. There are left leaning folks like me who would never as well as independents who despise her. She is too controversial, and too pro-war. The DLC is not representative of the party as a whole.

[AzDar]

65. Really, really disappointing. n/t

[TayTay]

69. That was a completely nasty and shameless thing to do

A lot of people are going to remember that about her. There was no call to do that, her re-election is not in doubt.

A lot of people have long memories on things like this.

[Cha]

70. Maybe Bill advised her to do

it? It wouldn't be the first time he's had some bad strategy.

Don't get me wrong..I like Clinton but I don't like what just happened with hillary sticking it in Kerry when we should be coming together right now..not running for 2008.

[gully]

71. She knifed herself with that double edged sword as well.

DISGUSTING - is right.

[Oleladylib]

73. Bull Crap..Kerry mispoke..apologized..get over it..Hillary

was absolutely correct in her statement...Spitzer, Schumer and Clinton are the reasons I am glad I am a NYS Democrat..she has done us a credit..and all she gets here is a bunch of barfhead comments

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

86. Hillary was not "absolutely correct," she was shamelessly

using GOP attack lines that twisted Kerry's comments totally out of context. As he himself said, his criticisms were of Bush, not against US troops or against the US military in which John Kerry himself served with such distinction. That Hillary would do this at such a crucial juncture, prior to the Congressional elections, shows that she has no place anywhere near the 2008 ticket.

Hillary's statement was worse than a "barfhead comment," it was an instance of unscrupulous, untimely, genuinely idiotic political maneuvering that's made it that much more difficult for Democrats to pull together so as to win the Senate in 2006. I've never encountered so many of my fellow Democrats-- including party activists-- express such anger against a Democratic candidate before, but the disgust against Hillary is visceral. Scores of my fellow Dems would not vote for her under any circumstances in 2008 in the primaries or a general, and this-- combined with her propensity to unify the GOP against us-- shows how much ruin she would bring to the party in 2008. If she were to try to push away other Democrats for the 2008 nomination, she would provoke an intraparty war that would make 1968 seem like a picnic in comparison.

[karynnj]

93. Consider that she has never said anything remotely as negative about Lieberman

as she did about Kerry. Think of all the things Lieberman has said and done and ask if Kerry working harder than nearly anyone else in the Senate on 2006 deserves this. Clearly this is political - and extremely nasty. This is personal destruction. Perpetuating a story that a man with Kerry history is against the military is pathetic and she is now an accomplist.

[blm]

90. Well, then what's stopping her from condemning Boehner for smearing generals

if she is so concerned about the troops that she would condemn Kerry for a DROPPED PRONOUN?

And she also could have stated that though Kerry made a slight misspeak, she knew him to be a leader on veterans and military support issues for his entire career.

But she didn't.

[karynnj]

94. or she could have condemned a number of Lieberman comments

that targetted Democrats.

[Imagevision]

95. Kerry mispoke? - since when did he get stuck on stupid!! - kerry is making

a statement about doing your homework and learning to be smarter, then makes the most ignorant statement (probably in his life). Hillary was wise to shut and dismiss Kerry's so called "bothched joke" - for a while there I really believed there is something to the Skull & Bonesman credo of never going against one another.

Viva Hillary Clinton!!

[SaveElmer]

74. How come we see no posts with the following tag lines...

"Murtha put the knife into Kerry's back"

or

"Tester put the knife into Kerry's back"

or

"Webb put the knife into Kerry's back"

or any of the dozens of other Democrats who did the same thing...or worse!

The reason is because she is Hillary Clinton...

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

87. Maybe because Hillary has the soapbox and so shamelessly tried

to attract media attention to her remarks? She's reaping what she's sown, and the anger against her is well-deserved.

[SaveElmer]

92. Oh please...

No more of a soapbox than any of the others...

[laugle]

98. You are so right!

And last time I checked Kerry DID apologize!!

Kerry screws-up and it's now all about Hillary!!

I'm sooooo sick of people bashing Kerry and Hillary....

End of story..........

[AntiFascist]

75. What does Hillary have in common with the Bushes?

Google "Mena Airport". Kerry, with his background investigating BCCI, could be a big danger to the ruling famiglias.

http://www.idfiles.com/menaairport.htm

[Radical Activist]

76. That's what a coward does in the face of opposition

stabs her allies in the back and runs for cover. Is this what we could expect from a President Hillary Clinton?

[MrSlayer]

85. This is another example of why I can't stand her.

She's all about herself all the time and will say anything she thinks is politically expedient. She'll never be President, not only do all the Republicans hate her but a large portion of Democrats do too. She will get absolutely slaughtered in a general election. Hopefully we're smart enough to not let her get the nomination. I would never vote for her.

[Imagevision]

89. Kerry?? --geeezusss...! that is so-oo old...! next!

[Zero Division]

91. HRC just went from my "meh" to my "no thank you" column.

I can understand the Dems in unsafe seats and new candidates distancing themselves from Kerry (hopefully in a more tactful manner), but this is quite a low blow coming from HRC. We need and should expect unity on matters like this from high-profile Democrats like Hillary, not this Liebermanesque position-yourself-at-the-expense-of-your-allies crap.

[TheDonkey]

99. She's letting it be known she'll throw anyone under the bus to get the nom

Pretty shameful and dissapointing. I will not be supporting her in the primary I'm sure of that.