Just how much is former President Bill Clinton throwing his weight around in pressrooms across the country to ensure favorable coverage of his wife and her campaign?
As NewsBusters reported in September, Clinton killed a negative article about Hillary that was about to be published by GQ apparently by threatening the magazine with not having access to him in the future.
On Sunday, the New York Times' Frank Rich admitted that after he wrote a column in November that included some criticism of the junior senator from New York, her husband sent him a letter valiantly coming to her defense (emphasis added throughout):
In a two-page handwritten letter in response to a recent column of mine criticizing Mrs. Clinton's Senate votes on Iraq and Iran, Bill Clinton made a serious and impassioned defense of her foreign-policy record. On the subject of her support for the so-called Kyl-Lieberman amendment on Iran this fall, Mr. Clinton wrote: "If Senator Obama, for example, had really believed it was an indirect authorization to attack Iran, he would not have stayed away on the campaign trail, but would have come back to vote against it." That's a fair point - and a fair criticism of Mr. Obama as he continues to vilify this particular Hillary Clinton vote. If voting for Kyl-Lieberman was as grave a step toward war as Mr. Obama claims, there's no excuse for his absence.
Yet, much as NewsBusters has suggested that Bill's criticism of NBC's Tim Russert might have backfired on him and his wife, Rich still seemed willing to call a spade a spade after receiving the former President's correspondence:
Mr. Clinton's narrow defense of his wife's Iraq vote in 2002 - it was not "a blanket authorization to go to war," he wrote - doesn't persuade me. But even if it did, her choice for foreign-policy director in 2008 makes me question her ability to profit from experience and make a clean break with the establishment thinking in both parties that enabled the Iraq fiasco. Judgment calls like this rather than failures of the press may answer her husband's question as to why the public finds her experience "irrelevant."
What Mrs. Clinton clearly has learned from her White House experience, as she reminds us, is to strike back at her critics. Unfortunately, she has assimilated those critics' methods as well. Attacks on Mr. Obama's record and views are fair game. But the steady personal attacks - the invocations of "cocaine" and "Hussein" and "madrassa" by surrogates - smell like the dirty tricks of the old Clinton haters. The Clinton-camp denials that these tactics have been "authorized" sound like Karl Rove's denials of similar smear campaigns against John McCain in 2000.
As Rich has worked for the Times since 1980, it appears he can't be bullied the way the folks at GQ were in September.
However, in how many newsrooms across the country are younger, less confident "journalists" massaging their reports as a result of such pressure from the former President?
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
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These Two!
December 23, 2007 - 13:06 ET by iveseenitallI see these two yucking it up and it makes me sick to my stomach. I can hear them saying, "Boy, I fooled them all and we became rich in the process. Now it's your turn, Hillary. Ha,Ha, Ha!". "It sure is, Bill and there's a sucker born every minute. Cackle, Cackle." These two former hippies are laughing at all decent Americans. Mountebanks! PUKE!
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
It occurs to me that GQ and
December 23, 2007 - 12:55 ET by MikeBIt occurs to me that GQ and other media outlets need to call Bill's bluff. The scumbag is such an egotistical a**h*** that all of the magazines, newspapers, networks, threatening not to interview him or cover him in any way would cause him to fold so fast, the resulting sonic boom would deafen people in a five mile radius.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
Cramps anyone?
December 23, 2007 - 13:01 ET by okiehawk44If Bill's role in life for the next 8+ years is to respond to every negative written or said about his wife (should she become president for two terms) he will develop a serious case of writer's cramps.
Most corrupt politicians
December 23, 2007 - 13:01 ET by WoodyMThe Clinton's make Nixon seem saintly.
Bogus Frank is Rich in Denying the Facts
December 23, 2007 - 13:13 ET by Lame CherryTim Russert hammers Hillary.........oh wow how does that happen?
Wolf kisses Hillary's posterior.......oh wow how does that happen?
Now Frank Rich writes.......oh Bill whined at me and even GQ kills a story with facts about Hillary.
Let us understand LIBERALS. They are all liars and manipulators. PERIOD.
How does one who loves Hillary like GQ does get out from under the penalty of publishing the facts but still allows them the cover of "journalism"?????????
Simple, GQ does the story saying how negative it is so it gets picked up. They somehow send an advance copy to Hillary which Bill somehow reads. Then somehow he protests.........and gee whizzers GQ spikes the story under "threat" which IT NEVER INTENDED TO PUBLISH IN THE FIRST PLACE.
GQ gets publicity by REVEALING THEY ARE COWARDS, GQ gets an INTERVIEW PROMISE FROM BILL and GQ liberals all pretend they are journalists.
It has nothing to do with gonads in doing what is right. GQ NEVER INTENDED JUST LIKE ALL THE MSM to ever publish any negative story. It is a scam and perhaps Newsbusters can cover this aspect as that is what is going on. It is a deliberate scam to pretend they are writing facts but have to stop due to the "power" of the Clintons.
Rich does the same thing cleverly in being their propagandists. Gee whizzer again, write about Hillary and then REPEAT THE SLAMS against Obama to drag him down.
Newsbusters needs to advance the spotting of how the liberals are screwing with the news as they have changed tactics a wee bit in Chris Wallace negative comments about liberals always include slams against the real target...........Mike Huckabee's recent liberal rant ring any bells?
Now he is doing the same thing in olive branch to Limbaugh WHERE LIMBAUGH IS SUPPOSED TO CALL HUCKABEE. Limbaugh will not fall for it and I hope he uses this blog to alert people that Huckster is setting this up to make Limbaugh look like he is crawling to Huck who is king.
In criminal terms, this is the rapist raping a woman and then telling the world, "She was a tramp wearing hot clothes, but I have sorrow over what I did.......but she can call me and I will apologize".
These liberals all operate the same way and the sooner Limbaugh and Newsbusters start exposing them the sooner this new brand of guilt by association will stop.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
Simple Request to Frank Rich
December 23, 2007 - 13:26 ET by BourbeauCall upon Bill Clinton to do the following:
1. Release all of his Presidential papers, particularly those related to activities his wife was involved in immediately.
2. Release all donors to the Clinton Library that have any business or goverment, foreign or otherwise, before the United States.
3. Release all payments made to him for any services by any busines or goverment, foreign or otherwise, before the United States.
4. Give GQ the go ahead for the article you squelched.
Once he's done done, we'll listen to his whining about his wife's record, or lack thereof. Oh, and one last thing. Hillary Clinton has had no leadership experience in her 35 years of meandering thru a career of teaching, lawyering, heading up failed projects in education and health care, and covering up for her husband's extra-marital activities. None of it equates to experience needed to lead a country and anyone who thinks it does, is lost in the politics of deception.
Go after them with the facts
December 23, 2007 - 13:41 ET by celatorI agree with your post. These two political buffoons--Billy and Hillary-- have been given preferential treatment by the MSM for far too long. They have been allowed to skate through mess after mess after mess their entire lives. They have ruined lives, and put the US in great danger by not dealing with terrorists in the '90's. They are criminals and should be wearing orange suits behind bars.
Clinton Politics
December 23, 2007 - 13:31 ET by iveseenitallAll these antics, with more to come, demonstrate what life will be like once again if Hillay gets elected. Petty politics will rule the day. The Clintons represent weakness and divisiveness, small- minded bickering and sniping at perceived "enemies", while the real enemies go unnoticed and ignored. Their way of governing was a major factor in 911. Nonetheless, they love this. It's a way of life for both of them. Sad.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
All these antics,
December 23, 2007 - 14:30 ET by motherbeltAll these antics, with more to come, demonstrate what life will be like once again if Hillay gets elected.
Amen to that, isia!! Sometimes I'm glad to hear him, because it will make people think "Do we really want to go through 4 more years of that?"
But mostly I want to say "Shut up, Mr. Clinton. Just. Shut. UP!!!
aaaaaawwwww isnt that
December 23, 2007 - 13:44 ET by charlietexasaaaaaawwwww isnt that sweet.....did billyboy threatin to beat up the
bad news paper man???? poor Hill cant she handle her own fights?? wow,
shes going make a great president isnt she?? typical
liberal.....weenie......
But the steady personal
December 23, 2007 - 13:56 ET by Jack BauerErr, NO Frank!
They smell like the dirty tricks of the old Clinton LOVERS. Like Wolfson, And Lehane. And Ickes. And McAuliife.
Surely you haven't forgot the band of shillers? It was only seven years ago.
I think he meant the
December 23, 2007 - 14:57 ET by motherbeltI think he meant the attacks against the Clintons by their haters.
Hillary's executive "experience" is highly questionable.
December 23, 2007 - 14:09 ET by RJ"...her choice for foreign-policy director in 2008 makes me question her ability to profit from experience..."
Another example of Hillary's poor judgment is her involvement in the choosing of an Attorney General for the Clinton Administration.
Their first choice, Patricia Wald, backed out upon learning she would not be able to choose her own top deputies.
The second choice, Shirley Hufstedler, also backed out, supposedly due to her age, but probably for the same reason as Wald.
Her third and fourth choices, Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood, were both disqualified for not paying SS taxes for their housemaids.
Finally, she latched onto the disaster of Janet Reno, about whom rumors still persist regarding significant personality disorders and drinking problems. It's said that Hillary directed many of her actions behind the scenes.
The Hildebeast is a leadership and judgment disaster.
RJ -- so judging by that
December 23, 2007 - 14:14 ET by Jack BauerRJ -- so judging by that list, we can expect an all chick cabinet?
Or is that only Bill's fantasy?
Ugh, Jack
December 23, 2007 - 14:21 ET by RJYou think of Janet Reno as a "chick?" :^(
RJ -- My myopia. He
December 23, 2007 - 14:24 ET by Jack BauerRJ -- My myopia. He shoots. He scores.
RJ, HRC in NH
December 23, 2007 - 15:09 ET by motherbeltRJ, this is from Her Royal Clintoness in NH yesterday (emphasis and parentheticals by me added)
"This is not a campaign between lists of advisers," Clinton told reporters in a packed diner. [and yet she expects us to pick her because of her husband]"This is a campaign between real people with experience [Bill's] and qualifications [ditto] to become president on day one."
She added: "It's important to pick the person who can make the best decision, who is tested and proven as a leader." [how? what test? what proof?]
The nerve of this woman, claiming to have experience to become President on day one. What has she ever done that allows her to claim that she is tested and proven as a leader???? What has she led? Not a darn thing. She hasn't even been a committee chairman. Yet she's proven as a leader???
Sorry dear, head of the Bimbo Eruptions Squad doesn't count.
When is someone going to call her on this?
She doesn't get called on much motherbelt
December 23, 2007 - 15:10 ET by RJas you well know. But when she does, she implodes.
Doesn't this go along with
December 23, 2007 - 18:34 ET by Sonny LykosDoesn't this go along with Hillary socialist philosophy of shutting up those who disagree or cold hurt with her? Ron Brown, Ken Star, Filegate, Vince Foster, et al.
Liar
December 24, 2007 - 11:29 ET by iveseenitallRemmber when Bill was campaigning. He would lie and she'd be in the background bobbing her head. Now it's the "jounalists" turn to do the same for her. Sickening.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"