Posted on 03/12/2008 6:30:43 AM PDT by Kaslin
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will not disavow controversial comments made by a high-profile supporter about Barack Obama’s race that his campaign says is part of an “insidious pattern” of attack.
Former congresswoman and one-time vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro told a reporter for the California-based Daily Breeze, “If Obama were a white man, he would not be in this position.”
“And if he was a woman he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept,” she added.
Clinton told the Associated Press “I do not agree with” Ferraro’s assessment, but would not reject or denounce the comments.
“It is regrettable that any of our supporters on both sides, because we’ve both had that experience, say things that kind of veer off into the personal,” Clinton said.
Obama’s chief strategist David Axelrod said these remarks echoed other offensive comments from Clinton supporters.
He told reporters on a conference call Ferraro’s comments was part of a “a pattern that we’ve seen throughout the campaign whether it the Bill Shaheen incident or the Bob Johnson incident, Senator Clinton’s own inexplicable unwillingness to make a direct statement on 60 Minutes about Senator Obama’s Christianity even though they’ve shared prayer groups together in Congress, all of it is part of an insidious pattern that needs to be addressed.”
The string of incidents Axelrod spoke of refers to how Shaheen, former New Hampshire co-chair told the Washington Post he believed Republicans would dig into Obama’s previous drug use in a general election. He resigned shortly after the interview was published. Clinton supporter and BET founder Johnson also publicly discussed Obama’s drug use.
Axelrod’s mention of the 60 Minutes interview comes from an appearance Clinton made on the show earlier this year in which she was asked if she believed Obama was a Muslim. Clinton said “no” and because she knew of nothing to “base that on, as far as I know.”
Axelrod and Rep. Jan Schakosky (D.-Ill.), an Obama supporter, called for the Clinton campaign to dismiss Ferrarro from their fundraising team on the conference call.
“It’s disappointing that Clinton’s supporters have sought to diminish Senator Obama’s candidacy and his support by suggesting he is in someway being given preferential treatment because of his race,” said Schakowsky.
When asked for comment about the scuffle by the Politico, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson only said, “We disagree with her [Ferrarro].”
Axelrod was outraged.
“It is unbelievable that Howard Wolfson who last week called a simple request that Obama meet the same standards of disclosure we have by releasing her income tax return refer to it as 'Ken Starr’ politics but when he is asked about congresswoman Ferraro’s statement yesterday he says ‘we disagree’ and that’s all they offer,” he fumed. Link:
Last week, the Obama campaign was rocked when an interview his then-foreign policy adviser Samantha Powers surfaced in which she called Clinton “a monster.”
She resigned shortly after the interview was made public.
I don’t think Barry’s playin’ the race card much - it’s just that it’s pretty much known that he has that card in his hand.
What a joke that society has become. Geraldine told the truth. While many can claim that Obama is the new JFK, there was never this much excitement over JFK. Face it, there is racism involved by blacks and “white guilt.”
I am proud that I do not suffer from White Guilt. Obama is a Hard Socialist and will destroy our wonderful country.
THAT is all that matters.
I don’t think so either. I believe she hit the nail right on the head
Preferential treatment, under the law, is not an "advantage"?
Obama may not get racial, but his supporters and aides sure do...
We’re not talking about a court of law, though.
We’re talking about the court of PC.
The irony in this is just -- un. freaking. believable.
I think Bill’s silence may be tied to Spitzer’s problems more than anything.
Since she did not heap praise upon him or bow down and worship him, she is obviously a racist./sarc
PC is the greatest gathering threat to free speech in our country today.
racist?
I wouldn’t go that far. Look at it this way, the dems had a white man spouting the same things BO is and where is he? Sitting back on his HUGE estate in NC.
Simple internals and historical polling prove her right. Six months ago the majority of the black vote was polling for Clinton. Now BO is pulling 85+% of that vote.
And when the Clintons steal the nomination, let's hope half of those stay home in disgust, or better yet, vote against her.
“Yes they were. Blacks have a built in ADVANTAGE in this country? Get real.”
If I want to go to the University of Michigan Law School, I need to score in the 58th-percentile on the LSAT if I’m black. I need to score in the 96th-percentile if I’m white. And if you’re white, your average GPA needs to be .7 points higher, as well.
I’d call that a pretty nice built-in advantage, wouldn’t you? The world is your oyster if you’re a marginally qualifed black in this country. Go ask your average Jamaican immigrant as much.
And when the Republican base stays home as well, out of disgust at the appalling McCain....
I wish someone would tell me what this advantage is so that I wouldn’t have to work so hard. Everything we own we’ve had to work for, apparently there’s another way that I’m not privy to.
My first item addresses that -
the right will show up to vote AGAINST Hillary,
and vote on the all important “down ticket” races as well.
Interesting take, considering the fact that Spiter's "little problem" has only recently come to light, publicly, and that "Horn-Dog" has been muted for about two months now... What did BJ know, and when did he know it?
the infowarrior
I've been taken out of context!
Breaking: McCain to apoloigize for Ferraro’s remarks at 3pm Eastern...
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