AP Fawns Over Hillary’s 'Presidential' Handling of Hostage Crisis

Democrat Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton was hundreds of miles from a hostage crisis that occurred at a campaign facility in Rochester, New Hampshire, Friday, and had absolutely nothing to do with the matter's resolution.

Yet, the Associated Press - almost as if parroting talking points from one of Hillary's campaign workers - managed to not only give her credit for what local officials in the area did to quickly solve the takeover without any injury or loss of life, but also painted a picture of the junior senator as being presidential in the midst of a crisis.

NewsBuster Jason Aslinger reported earlier that Politico.com was similarly guilty of Clinton-sycophancy concerning this unfortunate event.

With that in mind, what follows is nothing less than sick-making, and I apologize for ruining your Saturday by sharing it with you (disgusted emphasis added because misery loves company, h/t to NB reader Damian G):

When the hostages had been released and their alleged captor arrested, a regal-looking Hillary Rodham Clinton strolled out of her Washington home, the picture of calm in the face of crisis.

The image, broadcast just as the network news began, conveyed the message a thousand town hall meetings and campaign commercials strive for-namely, that the Democratic presidential contender can face disorder in a most orderly manner.

You believe this nonsense? What did she actually do to deserve such plaudits? Well, before the AP discussed her roll, she apparently deserved more credit:

It was a vintage example of a candidate taking a negative and turning it into a positive. And coming just six weeks before the presidential voting begins, the timing could hardly have been more beneficial to someone hoping to stave off a loss in the Iowa caucuses and secure a win in the New Hampshire primary.

Still don't know what she did to deserve such praise? Well, how could you, because it wasn't until paragraph eight that we actually learned what her involvement was:

The aides said Clinton immediately canceled her trip and began working the phones. She later told reporters she had New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, a fellow Democrat, on the phone in eight minutes.

Over the ensuing five hours, as a state trooper negotiated with the suspect and hostages were released one-by-one, Clinton continued to call up and down the law enforcement food chain, from local to county to state to federal officials.

Isn't that fabulous? She made a few phone calls, and as far as this AP author is concerned, she should be given a medal.

Amazing. But there was more:

At the same time, the woman striving to move from former first lady to the first female president was eager to convey that she knew the traditional lines of command and control in a crisis, even if the events inside the storefront on North Main Street were far short of a world calamity.

Now read this inanity:

Along with taking charge while giving the professionals free rein, Clinton offered up a third dimension to her crisis character: humanity. She said she felt "grave concern" when she first heard the news of the hostage-taking.

Can someone explain how you take charge while giving others free rein? Hello?

Alas, after sycophantically praising the junior senator, the AP chose now to present her soft, humanitarian side:

"It affected me not only because they were my staff members and volunteers, but as a mother, it was just a horrible sense of bewilderment, confusion, outrage, frustration, anger, everything at the same time," Clinton said.

It was a thawing moment for a stoic figure who once snapped that she opted for professional life instead of staying home to bake cookies.

She buttressed it with one final message. Clinton sought to use the sad moment as a national teaching opportunity, another skill often employed by presidents.

How disgusting. Honestly, this reads like one of her aides wrote it instead of someone calling himself a journalist.

Talk amongst yourselves, for I need to take another shower and disinfect my keyboard.

Post facto food for thought: Having staged questions at campaign events and debates, is it possible that Hillary, in the midst of several very bad weeks on the stump, orchestrated this entire crisis to make herself look battle-hardened? Or, does even considering such lower one to the level of a 9/11 Truther?

I'm just asking.