Irony Alert: Ex-Clinton Operative Stephanopoulos Attacks Cain's 'Honesty' and 'Judgment'
Former top Clinton aide turned journalist George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday derided Herman Cain for his lapses in "honesty" and "judgment." Asked by World News anchor Diane Sawyer if Cain can rebound from accusations of infidelity, Stephanopoulos declared, "No. I think this is it." [See video below. MP3 audio here.]
Stephanopoulos, who, back in the '90s, worked to discredit female accusers of Bill Clinton, sniffed, "There are just too many questions about [Cain's] honesty, his judgment, his experience, his organization. Even if he stays in [the presidential race], he's not going to be a factor."
On page 267 of Stephanopoulos' 1999 autobiography, "All Too Human," the Democrat wrote of his efforts to dismiss the women who claimed to have affairs with, or have been propositioned by, Bill Clinton:
I wanted to keep reports of Paula [Jones'] press conference off television. So I made my case directly to Tim Russert at NBC, Dotty Lynch of CBS and Tom Johnson, the President of CNN. It wasn't a hard sell, and ABC was even less inclined to sensationalize a supposed sex scandal because of their twenty-two minute Whitewater extravaganza the night before."
In addition to these examples, Clinton had several other challenges to his "honesty" and "judgment." But, that, apparently, was different for Stephanopoulos.
A transcript of the November 29 segment, which aired at 6:35pm EST:
Story Continues Below Ad ↓SAWYER: All right, Jon. Thanks. As you said, a big roller coaster ride it has been. And George Stephanopoulos joins us now. So, can he bounce back one more time, George, or is this it? ?
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: No. I think this is it. I mean, Jon just pointed out a lot of problems that Herman Cain has had over the last couple weeks. I also learned today that several of the staff he's been talking to have already been putting out feelers to other campaigns. There are just too many questions about his honesty, his judgment, his experience, his organization. Even if he stays in, he's not going to be a factor.
SAWYER: And the conventional wisdom is his supporters will probably go to Newt Gingrich. Are they right?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Certainly in Iowa. And that is what all the campaigns expected, that this is going to give a big boost to Newt Gingrich in Iowa, that important first caucus state. Although our polling shows that nationally his supporters second choice are split between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. This is an opening for those other conservatives, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry. Can they take this opening and get back in this race? It's their last chance.
- Scott Whitlock's blog
- Login to post comments
Comments
George, is this what you were
Submitted by Van Halen on Wed, 11/30/2011 - 5:56pm.
George, is this what you were told to say in your morning phone briefing from the White House? We haven't forgotten about those, George.
Sawyer
Submitted by grammajane on Wed, 11/30/2011 - 6:08pm.
and Georgie are pathetic!! Discrediting Cain while both of them believe the harm done to women by clinton, is absolutly fine and dandy. Journalists are nothing but a disgrace, especially these two so-called elite and intellegent has beens.
Great references, Scott
Submitted by Galvanic on Wed, 11/30/2011 - 6:13pm.
Stephanopoulus was a Clinton toady -- the same Clinton whose campaign staff included a woman who described her role as handling 'bimbo eruptions."
Obviously, by his own admission, Stephanopoulus handled similar chores in the WH.
SAWYER: And the conventional wisdom is his supporters will probably go to Newt Gingrich. Are they right?
There is no "conventional wisdom" at ABC, dear Diane.
Ex-Clinton Operative Stephanopoulos Attacks Herman Cain
Submitted by Avitar on Wed, 11/30/2011 - 6:31pm.
Someone certainly is attacking Herman Cain with lies and manufactured stories. I thought the manufacturer was Axelrod but I suppose it could be Stephanopoulos. How does ABC feel about claiming responsibility for the most libelous smear of this year?
You are correct
Submitted by djm159 on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 2:10pm.
Your first thought is absolutely correct. It is Axelrod. Is this the civil debate that the HNIC (head narcissist in chief) Obama refers to while he is out campaigning on the taxpayer dime? Herman Cain is experiencing a Bull Conner attack and he needs to fight back with a lawsuit. Democrats are sick, demented individuals with no morals and no shame. Clinton was guilty - he paid Paula Jones $850 thousand as proof. How dare Georgie Porgie say that Herman Cain is disingenuous. Clinton raped a woman, Juanita Broadderick and was still revered by the DNC and all democrats. This is just politics as usual from the DNC and the Chicago thug brigade with Axelrod at the helm.
Just more election tampering by the Marxist State Media
Submitted by Dave. on Wed, 11/30/2011 - 8:46pm.
And yes, I said Marxist.
These freedom-hating traitors to America are bound and determined to put comrade Obama in office for a second term so he can finish his destruction of our country.
I would say what I would like to see happen to every last one of those who enable the Kenyan golfer, but I'd get banned.
I'll just say there was a time in a long-gone America when those who worked for the destruction of this country were not allowed to even draw breath within its borders.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
George, you are a LIAR. Period.
Submitted by gopcongress on Wed, 11/30/2011 - 10:03pm.
George is a liar. NO staff member with decision-making authority has even CONSIDERED leaving the campaign. Herman Cain is NOT STEPPING DOWN. If Cain's staff leaves, don't you think that they would have been identified by now? Besides, I heard it directly from Herman Cain's California head.
George Steffie-nopolis is not just a liar, he is an outright farce of a journalist.
"The news and truth are not the same thing." -Walter Lippmann (1889-1974) FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
Hmm, so Clinton hacks who
Submitted by talkradio55 on Wed, 11/30/2011 - 10:57pm.
Hmm, so Clinton hacks who were paid to slander the accusers of Clinton (who were telling the truth), now claim to have the moral authority to question Cain's honesty.
Nothing to see here, folks.
For the record,
Submitted by neutron on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 12:24am.
Let me state, for all concerned about Cain, or any other Republican who may have a sex (or other) scandal, that I DON'T CARE!
I've had 2 surgeries, and I have no idea if either of the surgeons were having extra-marital or gay sex. I DON'T CARE! I chose my surgeons based on how good they appeared to be at performing surgery.
I have no idea about my dentist's sex life! I have no idea whether he's doing his dental assistant. I DON'T CARE. He's a great dentist.
Don't ask, Don't tell!
Herman Cain has demonstrated that he knows how to perform as a CEO and leader. I DON'T CARE who he did or didn't "do." As Bill Clinton and the Democrats taught us about Monica Lewinski, purgery (lying while under-oath) is meaningless because it's just about sex, or something. . .
Cain in the White House instead of Obama is a HUGE improvement!
BTW, how come nobody dated Obama before he married Michelle, but we get non-stop lists of Cain GFs from Chicago, where Cain never worked or lived, or even visited?
How come nobody has Obama's transcripts, when Perry's college transcripts were released [illegally without his permission] within hours of him announcing his bid, but we still don't have Obama's transcripts?
Et Cetera... the press is in-curious about Dem and LibTard malfeasance, but hyper-sensitive to Rep or Conservative anythings.
Lying cheating MSM / LSM / MSDNC / bought-and-paid-for in the tank accomplices in the press that will do ANYTHING to keep DEM control of the Presidency, the US Senate and House. Gun Running and Lying under oath are par for Obama's golf course.
Don't be a sucker! Don't let them tell you how to vote! If the best you can do is vote for a candidate that mostly reflects your values, make sure you vote for her or him! If you don't, the Dems will elect a candidate that you will hate who will nominate justices who support legal theories and positions that you will oppose.
Political purism is the ruin of the conservative movement. Let's get -- incrementally -- what we can with each election.
Just my $0.02.
Perfect
Submitted by Prisondog1776 on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 2:23am.
need a "like" button.
George and Diane...
Submitted by KyWriter on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 12:32am.
...my vision of one of the worst torments in the worst circle of Hell.
So if one
Submitted by gfrrman on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 2:52am.
helps someone financially, emotionally etc...it is an affair? This lying, Axelrod pay-off, slanderer was on local tv here in Atlanta today and said that there was NO physical relationship, whatsoever.....soooooo. Wth? Affair???
Witch-hunt, and a lynching is what I call it.
They keep throwing crap at the walls and nothing sticks, fact-wise.
G
If a novelist wrote this scenario - you'd think it was laughable
Submitted by greggy on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 5:40am.
Utterly surreal - watching Georgie Boy, the spin doctor for Slick Willie Clinton, the master of the oral office and the disappearing cigar trick, play the Grand Inquisitor of Herman Cain's peccadillos.
To see this punk sit there and prod this despicable woman to say that Cain ought to drop out of the race, when he was the mouthpiece for Bill Clinton, the cooze hound of the west wing, is positively nauseating.
You have to wonder whether media people like Stephanopolous ever look in a mirror for something other than tweaking their hair. The hypocrisy is just breathtaking. Of course, Stephanopolous wasn't Clinton's only famous mouthpiece - Monica was another.