Posted on 02/12/2008 3:56:20 PM PST by mdittmar
Corrected on 2/12/07: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported the church that Bill Clinton visited. Clinton visited the Temple of Praise.
The morning after his wife, Hillary, was routed in three state contests by Sen. Barack Obama in their dead-heat battle for the Democratic nomination, former President Bill Clinton made his case for her before a packed Sunday service at one of the largest black churches in Washington, D.C.
But first he offered an apology of sorts for racially tinged comments he made about Obama and his candidacy that have triggered a backlash in the black community and among many other Democrats.
Clinton invoked his "worship of a God of second chances" in pronouncing himself glad to be at the Temple of Praise, which claims nearly 15,000 members. His invocation of second chances echoed comments he made early last week at black churches in California, where he campaigned for his wife before that state's Super Tuesday primary, which she won.
Clinton had been criticized for asserting that Obama's characterization of his position on the Iraq war is a "fairy tale" and for comparing Obama's resounding victory in South Carolina to failed presidential candidate Jesse Jackson's wins there in the '80s. He has softened his tone on the trail considerably since, and a few days ago, he told an NBC reporter in Maine that he has learned he can promote his wife but that she has to defend herself.
His mini-mea culpa on Sunday, which came two days before voters in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland will go to the polls and just hours before his wife's campaign manager stepped down, was politely received. He did get a warm initial standing ovation after church leader Bishop Glen Staples, a longtime Baptist minister, introduced Clinton as "one of the greatest—if not the greatest—presidents."
Staples didn't mention candidate Hillary, but ticked off a list of Clinton administration accomplishments that he said helped the black community, including job creation that contributed to lowering African-American unemployment more than 6 percent.
And Clinton followed by hitting the economic message hard, touting his wife—who Sunday lost to Obama in the Maine contest—as the only candidate who would place a freeze on foreclosures for those hit by the mortgage crisis. In a message with resonance in the black community, particularly in Washington, where diabetes is a major health crisis, Clinton spoke of his wife's universal healthcare plan and his foundation in Harlem that has been working on reducing type 2 diabetes.
As he wound up, Clinton invoked God again.
God works in strange ways, he said, in this case, setting up a monumental and historic choice: the decision of voting for a woman or voting for an African-American for president. Both of which, he said, he's wanted to do all his life.
"Wonder why God gave us this dilemma?" he asked, before assuring the crowd that whatever they decide, "we honor."
Which was greeted by gracious applause. Or as Obama might say, gracious enough.
NEW YORK (CNN) At Emanuel AME Church in New York, Pastor Simon Bouie called on worshippers to forgive the president.
"Regardless of how many times he has lied or disappointed us, the challenge is always the same," Bouie said. "Jesus says we are to forgive."
The message apparently hit home. Afterward, one man who attended the service said of Clinton: "We should forgive him. Give him a second chance. We all need a second chance."
Me thinks bill and hill have used up their "second chance";)
the saying goes,you learn something new every day!
It’s all about Bill.
dilema? wtf? sheesh! we are voting for a CIC! dilemma.....argh!
“Clinton invoked his “worship of a God of second chances” “
I would have preferred he not be giving a political campaign speech in a church-—period. But that is SOP for the RATS.
Amazing the media and ACLU don’t ever say boo about that.
Uh let me think about that....you have already had chance number two, three, four ....etc,,,,,,so.....no.
And the Klinton’s are only sorry their race-bating comments didn’t work.
Did he find that Bible he was carrying around during the impeachment? It was next to Ted Kennedy’s neck brace in the political props department, I think.
Any Black man or women who votes for the Hildabeast or works on her campaign has abso..effin..lutely no self esteem whatsoever.
The Clintons are racists. Most Americans have moved on past racism to see all people as people not a race.
Clintons need to get with the program...
Hopefully, the Hispanics will see how the Blacks have been treated by the Clintons and they won't vote for the psychos.
I'm still tryin to wrap my brain around all this...I'll need 3-4 more beam and waters to figger oot why this isn't being plastered all over the evening news....aren't we not to be treatin minoritees and wymens as equals? is this a rip on white males????....I hope my fridge can catch up on ice cubes....
Once bit twice shy
Well, Bill, maybe you will get to do both at the same time? Barack for POTUS and the little wife for VP? (Perish the thought!)..
sw
post 10 ;-)
Kick his ass, God. Please.
Worshipers pray at The Temple of Praise after former President Bill Clinton spoke during the service in southeast Washington on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008.
10-4,unless you have a (D) after your name,pimp um! ooops,suppose dats racist?
This is exactly why I think Rush Limbaugh is DEAD wrong about Hitlery getting the nomination. That husband of hers is simply too much baggage.
What a bunch of crap, when I was running for office I could not even say anything political in Church yet these bozos continually admit they “Campaign” in churches.
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