Clinton apologies for Kennedy remark

AP via SFGate ^ | 5/23/8 | DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer

[SmithL]

Sioux Falls, S.D. (AP) --

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton quickly apologized Friday after citing the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy as a reason to remain in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination despite increasingly long odds.

"I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and in particular the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever," the former first lady said.

The episode occurred as Clinton campaigned in advance of the June 3 South Dakota primary.

Responding to a question from the Sioux Falls Argus Leader editorial board about calls for her to drop out of the race, she said: "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know I just, I don't understand it," she said, dismissing the idea of abandoning the race.

Clinton said she didn't understand why, given this history, some Democrats were calling for her to quit.

Her remark about an assassination during a primary campaign drew a quick response from aides to Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama.

"Senator Clinton's statement before the Argus Leader editorial board was unfortunate and has no place in this campaign," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said the senator was only referring to her husband and Kennedy "as historical examples of the nominating process going well into the summer and any reading into it beyond that would be inaccurate and outrageous."

Even so, Clinton decided within a couple of hours to make a personal apology.

[SmithL]

She’s made her point, she can afford to back off a little.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Well...I guess there’s nothing more to see here, right Mrs. Obama? ;-)

[Rebelbase]

a·pol·o·gy    Audio Help   /əˈpɒl ə dʒi/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[uh-pol-uh-jee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun, plural -gies.

1.	a written or spoken expression of one's regret, remorse, or sorrow for having insulted, failed, injured, or wronged another: He demanded an apology from me for calling him a crook.

2.	a defense, excuse, or justification in speech or writing, as for a cause or doctrine.

3.	(initial capital letter, italics ) a dialogue by Plato, centering on Socrates' defense before the tribunal that condemned him to death.

4.	an inferior specimen or substitute; makeshift: The tramp wore a sad apology for a hat.

[The_Republican]

Yeah, she says, Kennedy’s were on her mind a lot recently.......Bobby Kennedy to be specific.

LOL!

[SandyInSeattle]

Way too late.

[InMemoriam]

Not to mention what happened to JFK’s son on his way to the NY Senate seat. Anyone else read this as a final warning from the CCM? (Of course, Pallidino is in jail this time...)

[isrul]

I'm disappointed in her. She's not the man I thought she was. Her point was valid. Now she backs of just because this metrosexual POS is part black.

[Harley]

Oh, I think her Thighness has really put the pin in the party hog now. I can see this slip pick up legs and come back to haunt her.

[DCPatriot]

“So....other than that, Mrs. Lincoln....how did you like the play?”

[Revolting cat!]

Make a threat, then say, “Oops, sorry!” Yeah, that’ll work. The MSM reaction will be most interesting.

[DCPatriot]

Maybe she REALLY doesn't want to be Vice President right now?

Maybe she wants to be far, far away from Obama's [possible] election victory?

For if Michelle Obama was pissed off before, she's livid after this.

[Uncle Hal]

I suspect Hillary is losing it. She is not qualified to the the President of the USA.

[Arthur McGowan]

Hillary! was merely pointing out that the assassination of Bobby was a good mnemonic. It helps everyone remember that the Californiz primary is in June. The “offense” is feigned.

In other words, the usual gaffe-”I’m so offended”-apology kabuki.

[Bon mots]

[KoRn]

Wow! That was a major league gaffe on many levels!!

[onedoug]

But...but...but...I thought she was the smartest woman in the world.

[Sacajaweau]

I'm trying to remember...Howard Dean maybe: "Hey, anything can happen....

Then there's why Sirhan Sirhan shot Bobby (June 5)...His policy on Israel...

[WilliamofCarmichael]

As David Horowitz said, for the Left the "issue" is not the issue. Issues are weapons.

Kennedy was defeated in Oregon. California was crucial for him in his contest with Eugene McCarthy. RFK barely won the primary; but still it was not over. McCarthy got ready for New York another extremely close contest.

The point is Party leaders were deciding who. Who could do best in the general election. RFK had the Kennedy name and "charisma." Alright, so the similarity (HRC V. RFK) starts to fall apart with "charisma."

(Did you know that a man named Kennedy was elected mayor of Cleveland during those years -- he hardly campaigned, he was not connected in any with with the mainstream politicos; he had the name. Period. If memory serves he stepped aside and never served as mayor.)

What does HRC have to apologize for? This is nuts! These phony issues are weapons!

They are used against the right all the time and the stupid right has for decades been derailed trying to explain -- as the leftist pukes let loose with round after round of more "issues." There's never debate because they are smears.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

lolz

[ought-six]

“Not to mention what happened to JFK’s son on his way to the NY Senate seat.”

Another fortuitous event for a Clinton. Funny how those thigs just keep happening when a Clinton would so clearly benefit. The Clintons are...well, lucky. There’s no other word for it. I mean, things couldn’t have worked out better for a Clinton if they had planned such misfortunes.

[muawiyah]

She should have made a reference to George Wallace as well. Arthur Bremmer successfully took Wallace out of the race. Bremmer was set loose by the courts recently so he's out there lurking.

[Dazed_Catt]

The woman never ceases to amaze me. “Hey maybe somebody will shoot Obama and then I’ll have a chance”.

Nice Hil, real nice. What a dog and pony show this has been and will continue to be.

She’ll never quit. EVER.

[ken21]

what was her point?

[Twinkie]

Oh. So, what Hillary seems to be saying is that Obama *could* be assassinated before the convention. She surely can’t be that thick; she has to know she and Bill have been seriously linked to numerous mysterious deaths and that comment sounded . . well, sinister.

[Lizavetta]

[Revolting cat!]

Yeah, and what about John Hinckley Jr? I hear Jodie Foster is available again having recently broken up with her, uhm, ‘domestic partner’.

[muawiyah]

Yup, John’s on the loose. So many assassins, so few candidates. No doubt it’s something on their minds. (Would be on mine too).

[Lijahsbubbe]

But...but...but...I thought she was the smartest woman in the world.

You know she's been lording it over Bill for years, running the show, telling him he'd be nowhere without her. She thought she had this nomination wrapped up. Bwaha.

[Bender2]

[bobby.223]

she jumped a long time ago.

[penelopesire]

“Wow! That was a major league gaffe on many levels!!”

OMG...I can’t believe she said that.....LOL!!

[TigersEye]

I don't know how many times she has said this but the clip I saw it sounded to me like she was merely making the point that primaries commonly aren't over until well into June. But if she thinks an apology is necessary...

(What a wuss!)

[Caipirabob]

[MaryFromMichigan]

Her next campaign strategy:

[Feckless]

Can you say “Arkancide”?
I knew you could.....

[RepublitarianRoger2]

Gotta love the way the Clintons always "apologize."

"I apologize IF..."

You know, if this was indeed a gaffe or a slip rather than what I seriously suspect it was -- a coldly calculated statement -- then the only gaffe would be in mouthing the thought that was running through her brain. 'Cause you know she was thinking it.

Otherwise, why mention the assassination? There have been other contests that have run late -- and even if '68 were the only one, then she could have just mentioned the late contest rather than the assassination. Or better, she could have just left out mention of Bobby Kennedy altogether and still made her point about staying in a late race, especially out of sensitivity for Ted Kennedy's current condition.

So here is a presidential candidate who issued a veiled death threat to an opponent. Unbelievable.

Let's hope the press rips her a new one...

[kinghorse]

Dear Hillary, Weak human weapons don't concern Neobama.

[kinghorse]

I questioned posting that. It was ripped from F$rk. It’s too good. For a journalistic rationalization I guess you can say you talk about it enough and it kind of deters the conspiratorially inclined from making a move.

[Deo volente]

This is not the first time she’s made these assassination references.
This is from an interview in TIME Magazine, published March 6, 2008:

TIME: Can you envision a point at which—if the race stays this close—Democratic Party elders would step in and say, “This is now hurting the party and whoever will be the nominee in the fall”?

CLINTON: No, I really can’t. I think people have short memories. Primary contests used to last a lot longer. We all remember the great tragedy of Bobby Kennedy being assassinated in June in L.A. My husband didn’t wrap up the nomination in 1992 until June. Having a primary contest go through June is nothing particularly unusual.

http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/05/hillarys_bizarre_rfk_comment.html

And here’s what she said after the Indiana primary:

“But I also think it’s still early. I mean, everybody is so focused on where we are right now. I guess I remember that in June of 1992, that’s when Bill really wrapped up the nomination, the middle of June after the California primary. You know, I remember very well what happened in the California primary in 1968 as, you know, Senator Kennedy won that primary.”

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0805/07/cnr.04.html

[Nonstatist]

Hillary! was merely pointing out that the assassination of Bobby was a good mnemonic. It helps everyone remember that the California primary is in June

Maybe, maybe not. Lots of people werent even alive in 1968. She could have just mentioned that just about every primary before 1992 wasnt decided until June.

She's just saying she may get lucky and something will happen to Obama. Not a threat, just the typical bad taste and coarseness from this old battleaxe. Unsurprising .

[Chode]

[supremedoctrine]

And I’m sure Teddy Kennedy, in the compromised situation he’s now in,would not appreciate having this passed on to him, and is saying to himself “Boy, I was right to get behind Obama. This woman is whacked-out”

[supremedoctrine]

I knew Vince Foster reminded me of someone.
Robert Chambers.

[supremedoctrine]

Good work, I don’t think anybody has mentioned either of those “trial balloons” before. THe first one from ten weeks ago, is almost verbatim from what she just said ....wonder why it was only noticed now, the second time?

[weegee]

Hillary said words.

Obama practices DEEDS:

Reagan's would-be assassin aided by top Obama adviser

Greg Craig, who has been termed the "lawyer of the left," represented John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate Reagan in 1981 by firing six bullets at the president as he left a hotel. Craig was reportedly the architect of Hinckley's successful defense in which he was found not guilty by reason of insanity, even though reports by the federal prosecution found Hinckley sane.

[the invisib1e hand]

the things that “can’t be talked about” is getting pretty long these days.

[the invisib1e hand]

Oh, I think her Thighness has really put the pin in the party hog now. I can see this slip pick up legs and come back to haunt her.

Well, if she was really putting out the call to some looney, it won't matter.