The Initiative on Race, 10 years later: The Clinton dilemma

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.buffalonews.com/180/story/322204.html

By Jerry Zremski - NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF
Updated: 04/13/08 8:59 AM


WASHINGTON — A decade after managing President Bill Clinton’s “Initiative on Race,” Judith Winston is a proud supporter of Sen. Barack Obama — and a disillusioned critic of the former president.

“His instincts for winning have overcome his principles, I think,” Winston said of Clinton, who worked with her on his national dialogue and search for solutions on race in his second term as president.


Associated Press
Sen. Clinton and former President Clinton have a history of racial sensitivity.


The former executive director of the race initiative, Winston faults Clinton for trying to boost the presidential candidacy of his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, by highlighting Obama’s race.

Winston is not alone. Of a dozen former leaders of the Clinton race initiative interviewed amid a presidential campaign where the Democratic front-runner is African-American, four are openly supporting Obama — and seven harshly criticized Bill Clinton’s campaign comments.

Three said they support Mrs. Clinton, and while those interviewed expressed great admiration for her, in general they heaped praise on Obama’s much-discussed speech on race and his response to the riled-up rhetoric of his minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

But most notably, many of the people who tried to help Bill Clinton heal the country’s centuries-old racial wounds a decade ago fear he has been rubbing salt into those wounds in this campaign.

FULL story at link.

[BeyondGeography]

1. His instincts for winning overcame his principles a loooooooooooooong time ago