Clinton Says Democrats Can't Be Afraid to Take on Tough Issues

ap.tbo ^ | Oct 29, 2005 | Liz Austin

[ncountylee]

AUSTIN (AP) - Democrats can't be afraid to talk about hot-button issues, including abortion, and should fight back against personal attacks from conservatives if they want to regain power in Washington, former President Bill Clinton said Saturday.

"You can't say 'Please don't be mean to me. Please let me win sometimes.' Give me a break here," Clinton said. "If you don't want to fight for the future and you can't figure out how to beat these people then find something else to do."

Clinton, whose 2004 memoir "My Life" was a best seller, drew roaring applause during his speech from the several hundred people gathered in the Texas House chamber to kick off the 10th annual Texas Book Festival, an event started by first lady Laura Bush when her husband was governor.

The event, which raises money for public libraries, is expected to draw as many as 30,000 people and authors including novelist Salman Rushdie, historian David McCullough and children's author Lemony Snicket.

Clinton attributed Republicans' control of Congress to Democratic candidates' inability or unwillingness to "stand up and be heard" on issues that matter to people. For example, he said, Democrats too often are unwilling to talk about abortion because they're afraid of virulent reactions from anti-abortion groups.

"So how come we can't talk about it?" he asked. "Because we basically let political ads turn every player in this drama into a two-dimensional cartoon instead of a three-dimensional person."

Clinton also criticized political reporters and authors for failing to use reason and common sense in their writing and failing to dig deeply into stories. Instead, he said, reporters let officials get away with saying things that aren't true so stories include comment from both sides.

The former president did not take questions from reporters and did not talk about the possibility that his wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., will run for president in 2008.

He also did not address the Friday indictment of the vice president's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr., on charges of obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements, other than to say the Republican Party has had "a few bad days here lately."

[ncountylee]

The former president did not take questions from reporters

LOL

[FormerACLUmember]

The utterly corrupt indicted bribe-taking serial sexual rapist/predator pontificates. The lapdog media has a collective orgasm.

[penelopesire]

Speechless..BTTT

[Just A Nobody]

Democrats ... should fight back against personal attacks from conservatives

This is a joke, right?

Right???

[Just A Nobody]

You forgot impeached.

[penelopesire]

"..So how come we can't talk about it?" he asked. "Because we basically let political ads turn every player in this drama into a two-dimensional cartoon instead of a three-dimensional person."

HENCE..WE NOW HAVE CLINTOONS!!...lol

[umgud]

I hope the dems start pounding on abortions rights, gun confiscation, national health care, tax refunds for the poor, blah, blah, blah.... Yup, sream it loud and scream it loud.

[ncountylee]

Unbelievable gall of this scum.

[goldstategop]

The Party Of Clinton is still madly in love with the Great Impeached. Ahh, the irony of it all. His sage advice is good but the Democrats cannot be who they are. They can't come up with a positive agenda since they don't agree on anything. The only thing that unifies them all is hatred of Bush.

("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")

[pepperhead]

Democrats, for the good of your party, please talk about abortion and gun control. (/sarcasm)

[pepperhead]

I hope the dems start pounding on abortions rights, gun confiscation, national health care, tax refunds for the poor, blah, blah, blah.... Yup, sream it loud and scream it loud.

Your not the only one.

[willyd]

We have lost 2000 of America's children to the Gulf War and about 27 million to abortion during the same time frame. I would like to hear how he reconciles that stat.

[A Citizen Reporter]

"Clinton, whose 2004 memoir "My Life" was a best seller,"

Really? In all the houses I've been in, I've seen it in exactly ONE. A neighbor, and after that, I really questioned her judgement.

[NeoCaveman]

Bill never took on tough issues. He's the godfather of triangulation.

[RJL]

Clinton attributed Republicans' control of Congress to Democratic candidates' inability or unwillingness to "stand up and be heard" on issues that matter to people.

Previously Clinton himself credited the loss of 20 Congressional seats to his gun banning efforts.

It would seem that the people heard what the Dems had to say and then voted Republican.

[NeoCaveman]

Why does Bush 41 hang out with this scumbag????

[Just A Nobody]

I thought we were rid of IT. Blech

[penelopesire]

"..So how come we can't talk about it?" he asked. "Because we basically let political ads turn every player in this drama into a two-dimensional cartoon instead of a three-dimensional person."

HENCE..WE NOW HAVE CLINTOONS!!...lol

I forgot to add: "PRAISE JESUS"..lol

[penelopesire]

"Why does Bush 41 hang out with this scumbag????"

I suspect a loosening of the screws...or a wily old silver haired fox..lol

[Proud2BeRight]

Did he say that without taking a poll?

[harpo11]

"Democrats can't be afraid to talk about hot-button issues, including abortion, and should fight back against personal attacks from conservatives if they want to regain power in Washington," former President Bill Clinton said Saturday."

We all know the impeached ex-president never was afraid talking about anything, and nothing, even when he makes it up.

far as the personal attacks, I would ask Mr. Clinton, why did he and his adoring wife feel compelled to own and read over 1000 FBI Files of whom they felt were their political opponents?

[goldstategop]

Correction: it was a LIBERAL best-seller. Which goes on to show the Democrats don't have any one with his stature. Quick Question: who is the last living Democratic President in our lifetime besides Bubba? The one the Democrats kept as far away from them as possible until he showed up with Michael Moore as a guest of honor at the party's Boston Convention last year.

("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")

[FormerACLUmember]

Impeached and bent in every way!

[Cicero]

I can just hear Howard Dean now, screaming out the new war cries of the Democrats: "Kill all the babies! Lock up all the white males and execute them! More jobs for women! We need a federal program to subsidize suitable bathrooms for LGBT users! From now on, all Scout Leaders must be gay! Bring the troops home and shoot them for war crimes!"

[A Citizen Reporter]

You must be joking. That's Jimmah Carter, who has his face in front of every PR opportunity that he can imagine.

[Just A Nobody]

Well, I can't speak to the latter from personal experience. Wouldn't want to perjure myself.

[goldstategop]

That when his Presidency wasn't consumed by Monica and sex. To call Clinton a profile in courage is to give principled politicians a bad name. He wouldn't know the meaning of taking on a pitched battle unless it was an easy win. Heck with him and his wife around, the Democrats have had nothing to show for it. Its a good thing they still won't cut them loose or else we'd be in trouble right now. Clinton... the gift that keeps on giving!

("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")

[NZerFromHK]

Isn't Carter the same one who said the American War of Independence was after all a bad mistake? And that the US should rather use gradual "peaceful" route to independence in the manner of "old" Commonwealth countries via the Statute of Westminster?

I can almost hear him wanting to say "God save the Queen!". He would be a good Canadian conservative if he moves to Canada.

[FormerACLUmember]

Jimmah Carter, who beats out the vile Clinton as the worst President in US history... and the worst EX-President in US history!

[Salvation]

But they are afraid.

Basically they have nothing to offer! LOL! (Sorry, Willie)

[Libloather]

Democrats can't be afraid to talk about hot-button issues, including abortion...

Will the impeached *Rodman Crinton run on the pro-abort ticket? Please?

[Bars4Bill]

Clinton attributed Republicans' control of Congress to Democratic candidates' inability or unwillingness to "stand up and be heard" on issues that matter to people.

They have been heard and won't STFU to this day. That's why they LOSE, impeached trailer-trash rapist.

[goldstategop]

They can't. If they ran on a platform of I'll raise your taxes, I'll release killers from prison, I'll abort babies on demand and I'll kiss Osama's behind, they wouldn't stand a prayer of getting elected dogcatcher in most of the country. The Democrats know their beliefs are anathema to most Americans and yet they realize that if they ran on them, they wouldn't get too many votes. So like Slick Willie, they'll keep triangulating. Its the only means they have off staving off impending political demise.

("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")

[KamperKen]

Why should anyone care what this traitor thinks about anything?

In formerly civilized times, he would've already been shot by a firing squad.

[bray]

So where does HilaryCare stand on abortion, homomarriage and tax-cuts???? Screach it to the rafters Harpy!!

Pray for W and Our Troops

[goldstategop]

The Democrats honor their felons; we shun ours. If Scooter Libby gets convicted, you'll never hear from him again. The difference between the values of the two parties is like the difference between night and day. Which fortunately is good news for us. When the Democrats grasp what morality really is all about, maybe they'll still be around. As long as they're in love with Clinton, they'll be in denial about their problems. We should consider Clinton the greatest asset the GOP has. He's emblematic of the straits the Democrats have found themselves in today.

("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")

[Spirited]

He's preaching to the wrong crowd.
It's the Republicans who need to heed the advice but they seem to have congenital fears about anything in general and everything in particular.

[Let's Roll]

From Bubba who made kicking problems on down the road into an art form.

[cubreporter]

surprise

[Christian4Bush]

Clinton:Democrats can't be afraid to take on big issues?

That kinda describes his entire presidency. RWR and GWB spent the better part of their first terms cleaning up after the lib-tards' messes, iirc...

[Cobra64]

Too bad this POS made it through his heart by-pass surgery.

Nomex and Kevlar on.

[God luvs America]

the perfect liberal; practice what I preach...not what I practice!

[TigersEye]

For example, he (Bill Clintion) said, Democrats too often are unwilling to talk about abortion because they're afraid of virulent reactions from anti-abortion groups people who find murdering helpless babies repugnant.

[rcrngroup]

Why does Bush 41 hang out with this scumbag????

Perhaps it's because Bush 43 keeps appointing Bush 41 and Clintoon to head up major relief efforts. Personally I fault Bush 43 for lending credibility and praise to Bubba Clintoon more so than I do Bush 41 (NE Repub liberal).

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Clinton Says Democrats Can't Be Afraid to Take on Tough Issues

They create them they can't fix them so they gotta be afraid of them !

[Dan Lacey]

Clinton's still a smart cookie. He's encouraging his wife's political opponents to get hot, bothered and commit political suicide. He's Deaniac-ing them. The Libs still want to hear that they just haven't been yelling loud enough; not that they've been wrong on every major issue for the past forty years.

[Whitewasher]

Holy buckets, what a load of crap. Where do you start unraveling the stink?

[dbehsman]

"Really? In all the houses I've been in, I've seen it in exactly ONE. A neighbor, and after that, I really questioned her judgement."

That's a very good point that you brought up. I go to estate/moving sales all the time in the Minneapolis area(very liberal). Usually I look for history books and tools. In all of the sales that I have been to, and I can tell you that the sales were from people of all walks and classes, I have never run across a copy of Clinton's book. I have been to sales that had predominantly Democrat books and sales that had predominantly Republican books. I honestly cannot think of a single example of running across his book at any of them.

A little interesting side note. IN GENERAL I have noticed that the poorer homes have very few or no books in their homes. The wealthy homes have a few decent books (usually expensive coffee table books). But the best history and truly informative books have been found in some of the middle class homes. One home that I would classify as middle class had a fantastic military history library. At the sale I hauled out over 200 books in that little adventure. Some people say I'm an addict, but I can quit at anytime. : )

[dbehsman]

"Clinton's still a smart cookie. He's encouraging his wife's political opponents to get hot, bothered and commit political suicide. He's Deaniac-ing them. The Libs still want to hear that they just haven't been yelling loud enough; not that they've been wrong on every major issue for the past forty years."

That's a very astute observation, and it correctly points out what needs to be said. The Clinton's are about themselves and that is all. They do not care about their party when it all boils down. Oh, they'll try to underhandedly sneak in the liberal agenda whenever they can, but they are about themselves. One of these days the Clinton's (more specifically Bill) will break the Democrats hearts. I don't know when or how it will happen, but one of these days the Democrats will realize that they have been played all along. The Democrats may be little dummies and suckers for slick packaging, but sooner or later they will have a moment of clarity. And in that moment they may reject the Clinton's totally. No human being can suffer a constant con artist forever.