I guess Hillary could see the political writing on the wall with regard to the vile MoveOn.org "General Betray Us" ad:
"I think it's important that we end these kinds of attacks on the patriotism of those who serve our country," Clinton said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program. "This is not a debate about an ad. This is a debate about the direction we should pursue in Iraq."
Pretty tepid and very un-Sister Souljah-like but a denunciation just the same. Of course the nutroots took this as a full-out turn by Hillary and a betrayal to the cause as laid out in highly unconvincing fashion here.
What Hamsher (the most solipsistic of the crowd who cares about small victories and has zero grasp of the larger picture) fails to see is that majority of the American public--you know, the ones who will actually vote for candidates--were appalled by the ad as well:
Twenty-three percent (23%) of Americans approve of an ad run in the New York Times "that referred to General Petraeus as General Betray Us." A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 58% disapproved. Those figures include 12% who Strongly Approve and 42% who Strongly Disapprove.
Pretty serious numbers, especially the "Strongly Disapprove". This just reinforces the theory that Americans want to win and do so with honor. Since Petraeus has taken over, things have improved dramatically and that's reflected by the consensus of nearly everyone who has seen events first-hand. Hillary does not want to get too entwined in the defeatist mentality that permeates the nutroot left and not be able to extricate herself when it comes time to woo the centrists in the general election.
Hamsher and others of her ilk see any Republican victory as a major loss (showing her complete lack of understanding of protracted battle) when in fact, it was smart of Hillary and the others to pan the ad. It only gives more credence to GOP charges of defeatism and that won't play to well in the states Hillary needs to win the longer the issue hangs out there.
Hamsher backed Nate LaMont, a candidate who lost by huge numbers to Sen. Joe Lieberman so I don't expect her to take this advice but Hillary is the single most polarizing candidate to ever run for high office. Half the people despise her and half like her so to lose even a single vote of that precious not decided minority would be suicide. But hey, it makes us on the right giddy when people like Hamsher slam their candidates on a major forum. Continue on Jane, continue on.
Update: It seems that MoveOn is even touchier than Hamsher. In a case about free speech, MoveOn is doing everything possible to squelch it.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. RECORDS SET
- The only president ever impeached on grounds of personal malfeasance
- Most number of convictions and guilty pleas by friends and associates*
- Most number of cabinet officials to come under criminal investigation
- Most number of witnesses to flee country or refuse to testify
- Most number of witnesses to die suddenly
- First president sued for sexual harassment.
- First president accused of rape.
- First first lady to come under criminal investigation
- Largest criminal plea agreement in an illegal campaign contribution case
- First president to establish a legal defense fund.
- First president to be held in contempt of court
- Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions
- Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions from abroad
- First president disbarred from the US Supreme Court and a state court
* According to our best information, 40 government officials were indicted or convicted in the wake of Watergate. A reader computes that there was a total of 31 Reagan era convictions, including 14 because of Iran-Contra and 16 in the Department of Housing & Urban Development scandal. 47 individuals and businesses associated with the Clinton machine were convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes with 33 of these occurring during the Clinton administration itself. There were in addition 61 indictments or misdemeanor charges. 14 persons were imprisoned. A key difference between the Clinton story and earlier ones was the number of criminals with whom he was associated before entering the White House.
Using a far looser standard that included resignations, David R. Simon and D. Stanley Eitzen in Elite Deviance, say that 138 appointees of the Reagan administration either resigned under an ethical cloud or were criminally indicted. Curiously Haynes Johnson uses the same figure but with a different standard in "Sleep-Walking Through History: America in the Reagan Years: "By the end of his term, 138 administration officials had been convicted, had been indicted, or had been the subject of official investigations for official misconduct and/or criminal violations. In terms of number of officials involved, the record of his administration was the worst ever."
STARR-RAY INVESTIGATION
- Number of Starr-Ray investigation convictions or guilty pleas (including one governor, one associate attorney general and two Clinton business partners): 14
- Number of Clinton Cabinet members who came under criminal investigation: 5
- Number of Reagan cabinet members who came under criminal investigation: 4
- Number of top officials jailed in the Teapot Dome Scandal: 3
CRIME STATS
- Number of individuals and businesses associated with the Clinton machine who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes: 47
- Number of these convictions during Clinton's presidency: 33
- Number of indictments/misdemeanor charges: 61
- Number of congressional witnesses who have pleaded the Fifth Amendment, fled the country to avoid testifying, or (in the case of foreign witnesses) refused to be interviewed: 122
SMALTZ INVESTIGATION
- Guilty pleas and convictions obtained by Donald Smaltz in cases involving charges of bribery and fraud against former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy and associated individuals and businesses: 15
- Acquitted or overturned cases (including Espy): 6
- Fines and penalties assessed: $11.5 million
- Amount Tyson Food paid in fines and court costs: $6 million
CAMPAIGN FINANCE INVESTIGATION
- As of June 2000, the Justice Department listed 25 people indicted and 19 convicted because of the 1996 Clinton-Gore fundraising scandals.
- According to the House Committee on Government Reform in September 2000, 79 House and Senate witnesses asserted the Fifth Amendment in the course of investigations into Gore's last fundraising campaign.
-James Riady entered a plea agreement to pay an $8.5 million fine for campaign finance crimes. This was a record under campaign finance laws.
CLINTON MACHINE CRIMES FOR WHICH CONVICTIONS WERE OBTAINED
Drug trafficking (3), racketeering, extortion, bribery (4), tax evasion, kickbacks, embezzlement (2), fraud (12), conspiracy (5), fraudulent loans, illegal gifts (1), illegal campaign contributions (5), money laundering (6), perjury, obstruction of justice.
BLACKMANVISION at 10:40AM on Sep 25th 2007
2. If you wanted to be real about stats why not include the hundreds of Bush happenings that have taken the country into the toilet!
Richard Crist at 2:08PM on Sep 25th 2007
3. I love it. Hillary is the Republicans best "white hope." Dems are stupid enough to nominate her and thus are on the same old self-destruct path. Hill. will never be president. The only ones who will actually vote for her are the far left nutcakes and thank God there are more normal folks than lib loonies. Dems bend over and kiss you hinnies goodbye.
audrey hobbs at 4:19PM on Sep 25th 2007
4. What Scott and the likes did not state is that what SwiftBoard ad against Kerry who served this Country honorably was aired, no Republican questioned the ad, why should it become the focus of the Republicans now?
Scott should understand that nobody owns this Country, as such Hillary Rodham Clinton has a right to aspire to the highest Office in this Country. And whether Scott or other like-minded people believe it or not, Hillary will be the president of this great country, come 2009. Mark my word, it is a prophecy that will be fulfilled whether the Republicans like it or not.
Kennedy Mokwunye at 5:01PM on Sep 25th 2007
5.
In an attempt to "swift boat" General Petraeus on the day of his testimony MoveOn shot the Democrats in the foot by putting the anti-war pandering Hillary, and others, on the spot.
Without time to take polls or gauge public sentiment Hillary and the anti-war Democrats remained silent while many condemed the "Betray Us" ad.
Without time to take polls or gauge public sentiment Hillary was afraid to incur the wrath of MoveOn and voted AGAINST a Senate resolution condeming the MoveOn "Betray Us" ad. Skillfully put "on the record" she will no doubt not hear the end of that vote should she get the nomination.
The poll results are in and 58% of Americans disapprove of the MoveOn "Betray Us" ad.
With 58% of Americans disapproving of the MoveOn "Betray Us" ad it is no surprise Hillary, on FOX NEWS no less, finally supports the man she called a liar and condems the "Betray Us" ad.
Pete at 2:44PM on Sep 29th 2007