Clinton Briefings Preceded Dean Gaffes

Newsmax ^ | December 28, 2003 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[nwrep]

Some of Democratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean's worst campaign gaffes have followed briefings by former Clinton administration officials who were sought out by the Vermont Democrat to tutor him on foreign policy.

In August, Dean's campaign staff turned to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who conducted a six-hour "private class" for the Vermont Democrat on Middle East issues, reported the Boston Globe in Sunday editions.

A few weeks later, Dean caused an uproar by suggesting Israel and the Palestinians should be treated in an "evenhanded" way, the paper noted.

After that blunder, President Clinton began personally advising the Vermont Democrat, ostensibly in a bid to head off any further poltically damaging gaffes. But the results have been anything but stellar for the presidential front-runner.

Shortly after his talks with the ex-president, Dean began touting Clinton as a special Middle East envoy, saying that President Bush should tap Clinton for the job now, and that he would do so if elected. In the weeks that followed Dean loaded up his campaign staff with ex-Clinton officials like Anthony Lake and Susan Rice.

Lake was regarded by critics as a security risk when he was nominated by Clinton to be National Security Advisor in 1993.

Rice has been accused of spurning efforts by Sudan in the late 1990s to improve relations with the Clinton adminisration, which included an offer to arrest 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden and turn him over to the U.S.

Coincidentally or not, since he's been under the tutelage of Clinton, Albright, Lake and Rice, the Democratic front-runner has careened from one rhetorical blunder on foreign policy after another.

In the last four weeks alone, Dean has accused the White House of being complicit in the 9/11 attacks, citing suspicions that President Bush received advanced warning from the Saudis but decided not to act on the tip.

Under sharp questioning by Fox News Sunday's Chris Wallace a few days later, Dean declined to back away from the conspiracy theory or apologize, saying of the bizarre allegation: "We don't know [if it's true] and it would be a nice thing to know."

Two weeks ago, Dean insisted that the U.S. was "no safer" after the capture of Saddam Hussein, and that security measures undertaken by the Bush administration had left the country no less vulnerable to terrorist attack than it had been before 9/11.

And in what promises to be the most damaging gaffe of all, Dean told a New Hampshire newspaper on Friday that it was wrong to prejudge bin Laden's guilt, even though the 9/11 mastermind had bragged of plotting the attacks in a videotape released by al Qaeda two years ago.

In what may be a window into the kind of bizarre advice Dean has been getting, Albright herself was caught ten days ago indulging in some wild-eyed conspiracy mongering, when she told Fox News commentator Morton Kondracke that she wondered if the Bush administration had already captured bin Laden, but was keeping the news on ice until just before the 2004 election.

Albright later said she had been joking.

[nwrep]

PING

[al baby]

Does tutor mean the same as minister?

[LibWhacker]

The blind leading the blind.

[Quilla]

Hmmm. Could Clinton be feeding foolish suggestions to Dean in an effort to pave the road to the WH for Hillary?

[Abcdefg]

I guess Dean will have the very best advice on how to kiss Kim Jong's little wrinkled ass.

[Tired_of_the_Lies]

I thought the Clintons were behind Clark.

[11B3]

Would you take advice from this human tapeworm?

Here it is seen just after a ceremony in which the mayor of Paris made her an honorary French citizen. Yup. That's where I'd get my advice..........

I hope that she's the model for the 72 virgins that Allah must be mass producing these days.

[aruanan]

After that blunder, President Clinton began personally advising the Vermont Democrat, ostensibly in a bid to head off any further politically damaging gaffes. But the results have been anything but stellar for the presidential front-runner.

Macadamia Nuts 101
Cigar Tricks for the Rudderless Head of State

[cajungirl]

What is happening is that clinton is a sociopath, a smart, glib one. He is tutoring DEan who lacks his ability to charm the birds from the trees. Without the charm and fancy talking and pseudo just like us manner, we can see the real thoughts. Dean is Clinton's mouthpiece without the fog of Clinton's ability to lie and charm. It is amusing. We are seeing the Clinton truth, unvarnished, and it is not pretty.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Dean began touting Clinton as a special Middle East envoy, saying that President Bush should tap Clinton for the job now, and that he would do so if elected.

If that comes to pass, Israel will probably nuke Washington as a pre-emptive defensive measure.

[al baby]

[petercooper]

one ugly hag

[BigWaveBetty]

Democrats schooling Dean on foreign policy (Maddy the school marm)

[Maria S]

"Hmmm. Could Clinton be feeding foolish suggestions to Dean in an effort to pave the road to the WH for Hillary?"


Now, where EVER could you have come up with such an outlandish conclusion as that?!? (tongue planted firmly in cheek)

[Peach]

Despite the media's constant mantra that Clinton was brilliant, I never found him so. Articulate, yes, until one actually reads what Clinton says and then you realize it makes no sense but is only a bunch of feel-good crap.

IF Clinton is coaching Dean, it must be quite interesting, considering that Dean has said if elected president he would remove the Clinton's bagman, Terry McCauliffe.

This would explain the gaffes that Dean has made, seemingly EVERY day. Clinton doesn't want Dean to win, for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the Clinton's need McCauliffe.

[putupon]

President Clinton began personally advising the Vermont Democrat

Clinton, briefs, Vermont DimRAT?

Do we have a new twist developing in the ongoing saga of the Bent Member's legacy?

[McGavin999]

Is Dean stupid enough to believe that the Clinton administration would actually HELP him?

[bandleader]

Wait a minute,what did BeelzeBubba EVER know regarding foreign affairs?I thought it was"The Economy,Stupid"!!

[bandleader]

Dear LibWhacker,WELL SAID!!!!!!!!

[bandleader]

It's all a sham to DEFEAT the DemonRats in 2004 thus paving the way for HildeBeast to run in 2008!

[bandleader]

RIGHT Onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AlbionGirl]

I have never seen that infamous footage, and all I have to ask is how can people claim this guy is soooooooo smart? He is such an overrated President, IMO.

I was astounded that the media treated his 'that depends on what the meaning of is, is' tactic as some sort of genius. I, and millions of other kids perfected that at around the age of 8. I'll say it again; he ain't as smart as the chatterin' classes say he is, and he and his wife are as beatable as the red-headed stepchild so similarly disposed.

[mewzilla]

Hmmm. Could Clinton be feeding foolish suggestions to Dean in an effort to pave the road to the WH for Hillary?

Could be. But Howie hired these people. On that basis alone, Dean is just too STUPID to be president....

[185JHP]

A photo of that thing and a photo of the Reno - a crushing rebuttal to the "there's no difference between the two biggest parties" canard.

[raptor29]

"Despite the media's constant mantra that Clinton was brilliant, I never found him so."

Amen to that. And the same goes for Hillary. What an incredibly overrated intellect. But I guess in the valley of the Democrat blind, the one-eyed is king.

[umgud]

bump

[Luke Skyfreeper]

Dean is an idiot, pure and simple. I don't care if he earned a medical degree somewhere; the statements that come out of the man's mouth betray that he is clearly an absolute functional idiot. Why anybody thinks he's the kind of materials to run for President of the United States is just completely beyond me.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[mvpel]

Another point in favor of casting my vote for Dean in the New Hampshire primary.

[Diogenesis]

THE REAL DEAL: Unlike the weasels, democrats, and terrorist appeasers,

[Theresawithanh]

If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, a la Clinton and Jesse the Jack*ss, EEEEEWWWW! Dean & Madeleine Albright? EEEEEEEW again!

[Stultis]

In August, Dean's campaign staff turned to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who conducted a six-hour "private class" for the Vermont Democrat on Middle East issues

Woulda done better having Maddy teach him to make beds and dust furniture.

[trek]

Bingo!

[leadpenny]

If by pave the road you mean to ensure his loss in '04, I agree.

[Stultis]

But I guess in the valley of the Democrat blind, the one-eyed is king.

Please in future avoid references to the Impeached One's bent member. Thank you.

[Southack]

If you look at the so-called "leadership" of the current Democratic Party, all that you see are amateurs like Terry McAuliffe and James Carville and Al Gore running around trying to tell Black voters that they are their best chance (among other such nonsense), etc.

It's revolting at a moral level. It's revolting at an intellectual level. It's revolting to even picture these lilly white asses claiming to be pro-Black, among other such rubbish.

None of these clowns know word one about real foreign affairs. They all think that foreign affairs are when you sleep with a married French woman.

It's pathetic. More specifically, THEY are pathetic.

In fact, the only reason that they have avoided political disaster for this long is because Ross Perot drew enough votes to give two elections to Clinton, who never once won a majority of the popular vote (a plurality, yes, but not a majority).

And the only reason that Clinton could eek out more votes than Bush and Dole (with Perot in both races) was because he had the unique charm to be able to unite all politically correct drones throughout our nation, including our news media.

No one speaks of "Clinton's policy" on *anything* today.

He did nothing. He has utterly no Presidential legacy. His tax increases have already been rolled back by Bush, as has his veto of the Partial Birth Abortion ban.

There is no Clinton Doctrine. There is no Clinton Treaty.

8 years in power and all that he managed to do was enlighten the American public as to why they should elect Republicans to clear out fellow Democrats like himself.

Yet the Democrats are still run by his ilk.

God only knows that loyal Democrats such as former NYC Mayor Ed Koch, Senator Zell Miller, former California Governor Jerry Brown, and even players like Andrew Cuomo in NY are all screaming at their fellow Democrats to kick out all of these Clintonian amateurs...but nooooooo...they all keep thinking that if they just "blame Bush" for enough things, and if they just scream loud enough, that somehow the American public will rush back into their idea-less Party in droves.

Ain't gonna happen.

[Rebelbase]

"In August, Dean's campaign staff turned to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright,"

This campaign just gets better and better. The next 11 months are going to be a riot-fest of politcial entertainment.

[uncbob]

I have never seen that infamous footage, and all I have to ask is how can people claim this guy is soooooooo smart?

Well he did get 43% in 92 and with a booming economy and peace as an incumbent he got 49% in 96
And of course it was shear genius how he engineered a GOP takeover of the House and Senate in 94

[Eaker]

Ping to a Southack homerun!!!

[Lazamataz]

While all your points are salient, I think you missed the point of this thread....

It's as simple as this: Clinton et. al. want Dean to muff it so Clark can run as the nominee. Hillary will take the Veep slot and not need to surrender her Sentorial post, a'la Joe Lieberman.

Clinton advises, Dean messes up. Coincidence? I think not.

[Eaker]

I think that you are close ..... but it will be Hillary at the top of the ticket, with Clark as #2.

[Southack]

"While all your points are salient, I think you missed the point of this thread... Clinton advises, Dean messes up. Coincidence? I think not."

Yeah, but it's an article from *newsMAX*, so it's hardly worth commenting on directly. I don't deny that you are correct about what the article said, but I'm on a different track, pointing out the more important point that the Democrats are run by amateurs, have no new ideas, don't have the "charm" that Clinton had to unite all politically correct groups, and that the Democrats have such a shallow pool of talent that White-Guy Gore is claiming to be their "draw" for Black votes.

If Sam Rayburn were alive today he'd be kicking the crap out of these amateurs who have somehow climbed to the top of the Democratic Party. Lyndon Johnson would keelhaul Carville and Clinton. The powerful Democrats of old make today's Democratic Party misfits look like cartoon characters in comparison.

[e_engineer]

He did nothing. He has utterly no Presidential legacy.

What about the BJ's in the Oval office?
The failure to take Osama into custody on several occasions?
His impeachment?
Redefining sex to exclude fellatio?
The last minute pardons?

Please don't try to take that poor man's legacy away!

[al baby]

[expatpat]

I hope that she's the model for the 72 virgins that Allah must be mass producing these days.

Actually, the Islamists are having production problems, and they are having to recycle used virgins for newly dead idiots. Sloppy seconds are now in operation.

[PJ-Comix]

How many times is Charley Brown Dean going to keep trying to kick Lucy's football?

[CFC__VRWC]

Here it is seen just after a ceremony in which the mayor of Paris made her an honorary French citizen.

Well, that makes her equivalent to the cop murderer Mumia Abu Jamal. How fitting. Actually, Maddie would probably consider being honored like Mumia as a great compliment.

[Lancey Howard]

Awesome clip!
"Hahahahahaaa.... (oops, a camera)....(Sniff)... Poor ole Ron. What a tragedy. (Sniff)"

[TexasCowboy]

"but it will be Hillary at the top of the ticket, with Clark as #2."

Naw, Hillary won't mind being number two.........for a few days.
Then old Clark is going to grow a hole in the top of his head.