Bill Clinton: Wall Street Journal Editorials Even More 'Irrational' Than Fox News Pundits

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While Hillary Clinton was assuring the union crowd last night that she knows how to battle the "right-wing machine," Huffington Post blogger Blake Fleetwood reports that Bill Clinton is still taking on the Clinton-challenging media machine. At a fundraiser closed to reporters (but not to bloggers?), the former president asserted "the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal is even more right wing and irrational than most of the commentators on Fox News."

He also asserted that a major American corporation was attacked by the Journal editorial board because it supported Clinton, and didn't care about whether its attacks were factual. Once the company's CEO "sent a check to Bob Dole, and announced it in the newspapers, and the WSJ never said one bad word about his company again." Here's the rundown of Clinton's media claims as the paper is being acquired by Rupert Murdoch:

"With regard to media consolidation, the rules were relaxed too much," Clinton said during his Million Dollar Hamptons fundraising marathon this last weekend.

"Anti-trust law should apply. I think we shouldn't have abandoned the fairness law; if a media outlet were pushing a particular political point of view...then you had a right to demand the opposite point of view. The airwaves belong to the public, not to anybody, particularly not to Fox News.

"But having said all that, the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal is even more right wing and irrational than most of the commentators on Fox News.

"And completely predictable...it's like Pavlov's dogs.

"The WSJ editorial board began attacking a major American corporation in the US every day in the editorial page.

"The representative of the corporation set up a meeting with the editorial board.

"And he said, 'I have brought my books here...I have never done this for anybody...I am going to show you why what you are saying is wrong.'

"He got about two minutes into his presentation and the whole editorial board said, 'wait a minute...we don't care...we attacked you because you are supporting Bill Clinton. We don't believe that a big American corporation should support Bill Clinton.'

"He said, 'if I stop supporting him, will you quit attacking me?'

"Absolutely," they replied.

"The guy called me and...I said...send a check to Bob Dole!

"He sent a check to Bob Dole, and announced it in the newspapers, and the WSJ never said one bad word about his company again.

"This is the pre-Murdoch Wall Street Journal.

"On the other hand, to the best of my knowledge, they never once compromised the journalistic integrity of its reporters. It was, in other words, an old-fashioned newspaper with honest reporters and honest research.

"I never gave a rip what their editorial page said, because I knew what they were going to say. But I read their news articles diligently."

In other words, as long as a writer's not a conservative who challenges the Clintons, they have "journalistic integrity." Anyone who questions their actions must be unethical and "irrational."

—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.


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Tolerant

I suppose in his calculus, the self serving and often contradictory editorials of the New York Times are rational. There is something very intolerant about liberals ....

  To paraphrase a quote

 

To paraphrase a quote from Doc Holiday to Wyatt Earp... "It appears my hypocrisy knows no bounds."

The really sad part... I think he really believes what he's saying.

disagree, bob

"really believes what he is saying"


I disagree, bob.   The Clintons are both cynical liars.   Everything they say is calculated for effect. 

Gee, I wonder if we'll ever

Gee, I wonder if we'll ever be allowed to learn the name of the executive at the major corporation, so that we might check up on any of this?
JMR

Rally online with fans of Dr. Ron Paul.

then you had a right to

then you had a right to demand the opposite point of view. The airwaves belong to the public, not to anybody, particularly not to Fox News.

 

What is he talking about? Where else do you get an opposing point of view. This is just another attempt to defend their decision not to debate on Fox. I know tons of folks that don't watch Fox just because of ridiculous statements like these.

air America

"The airwaves belong to the public, not to anybody, particularly not to Fox News." Hey Bill, what about Air America? Did you complain when they were airing their views, and demand opposite viewpoints be heard? I think not. And what caused their failure? The vast right wing whatever? Nope -- they failed because their message didn't resonate amongst anybody, including all those libs whose viewpoints are being suppressed.

Bill Clinton -- what a joke. Why are we quoting him?

Well I guess since Bill and

Well I guess since Bill and Hill have stock in Fox(not sure if they sold yet), they're being nice. If you can't beat the Right-Wing machine, make money from them

Libs are the enemy of intelligence

Here we have the de facto (if not titular) head of the Democrat party asserting that what most people admit is a reputable, intelligent newspaper is irrational.

This only tells me that democrats have a very odd notion of what rationality is. Seriously. I think the whole meme about libs being smart reality-based citizens, and conservatives being irrational dupes is based on a very primitive understanding of what intelligence is. Leftists think its the ability to be clever with language, to solve crossword puzzles, to remember names and people, to know the details of legal opinions, etc.

That's not what intelligence is. It's actually a very impoverished view of human reason. The root meaning of intelligence is the ability to read into the inner law of things. Liberals explicitly deny that things have inner natures, or objective meanings. Liberals are enemies of intelligence.

Clinton, like most libs, merely knows how to act pompous.

Libs use 2 year old school yard tactics

The facts are in that the media is liberal and biased.

So, liberals can't get around that with facts, so they do what they do best.  Repeat a lie over and over and over until people start believing it as fact.

Hence, you have BC going around "challenging" Chris Wallace, and, in unison, most liberal comentators complaining about the "Conservative" bias.

It's surreal for sure

You're absolutely right.

Libs in the modern era really seem to believe that what they can't win by reason can be won by brute force.

Only a democrat could could challenge the meaning of the word is.

Or declare like a thug that "the debate is over."

Good thing no news media is influenced by the Clintons

Well, I for one am very conmforted by the fact that the only news media that is "biased" is Fox!!! (not).

So Bill thinks people talk in board rooms like 2 year olds?

On the other hand, Jessie Jackson goes on National Television and tells TV stations to take off people who he disagrees with, Nascar, Corporations, etc.   Anybody Liberals disagree with are always in danger of being boycotted, taken off the air or sent to re-education camps.

Of course Boy Clinton liked

Of course Boy Clinton liked the Wall Street Journal's "news articles" written by their "reporters".  Said "reporters" included the likes of such virulent leftist useful idiots as Jill Abramson, Al Hunt, Ron Suskind, Jane Mayer, David Wessel, Jackie Calmes, Jeanne Cummings, David Rogers, Thomas Ricks, et al., who all share his militant leftist fundamentalism.

Tumescent Goat Droppings

"... if a media outlet were pushing a particular political point of view...then you had a right to demand the opposite point of view."

How about starting with NPR and PBS since my tax dollars fund those flagrant Liberal oracles.

"... the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal is even more right wing and irrational than most of the commentators on Fox News.  And completely predictable...it's like Pavlov's dogs." 

Ditto for the NYTimes, except it's the entire rag and not just the editorial page.  Same can be said of LATimes, The Boston Globe, the Washington Post, and far many more.

"The WSJ editorial board began attacking a major American corporation in the US every day in the editorial page."

Mr. President, how about enlightening all of us with the magical name of this corporation.  Or is the company a covert operative like Valerie Plame and cannot be revealed?  This smacks of yet another Clinton smash and grab polemic propaganda hitjob.  Heavy on the innuendo, light on the facts, and the Universe all revolves around Clinton.

"... we attacked you because you are supporting Bill Clinton. We don't believe that a big American corporation should support Bill Clinton."

Fantastical, narcissistic and juvenile.  Shame that the proof of this encounter was lost when Sandy Berger destroyed the secret documents he mistakenly stuffed into his pockets by accident... numerous times all by mistake of course.  The WSJ should have their attorneys publically address this obvious hyperbolic slander.

"I never gave a rip what their editorial page said, because I knew what they were going to say."

If Clinton's going to act like an adolescent then I'm going to frame my replies in kind so he can more easily understand:  Liar, liar, pants on fire.  He cared so little that he discusses it to this day.  As a side note, is this a new side of Bill we are now privy to, Clairvoyant Clinton?  Sign him up for the Montel Williams show where he can work his mojo alongside Sylvia Browne, Miss Cleo and John Edward (of Crossing Over celebrity and not a relative of Democrat John Edwards, although they both channel dead children for profit).

Thanks for the memories Bill.  Let's not make anymore.

Killing them with kindness isn't working.  Time to get scrappy with the Donkeys.

Bill's Opinion

I dont think it's important whether or not Bill believes his own lies - what's important to him (and Hillary) is whether every body else does.

This story to me sounds totally made up. I suppose Bill was a fly on the wall in the WSJ board meeting. And I wouldnt believe him if he was saying this standing on a stack of Bibles.

Oh well, Bill has a right to his opinion, and you know what they say about opinions.

Made millions.....but not in Business

 So, If you're Bill C. and you are a Millionaire, and you made all your Money they way he did......You'd probably disregard a Business oriented Newspaper, and bad mouth it as he did.   After all, Billy didn't need no Stinking Stock tips, or Business Trends, that's Irrational....as far as Business rationale goes for Bill, the white Water thing didn't turn out like he wanted.....uh...or did it ?

With the kind of Money the Clintons have, you can buy a lot of hit men and imitate the mafia.   If Hillary was a Vice President, the President would NOT be Insurable by Lolyds of London.   And if Hillary goes for Speaker of the House.....watch out for the execution of the "Third in Line" strategy.   

What good is a Free Press, if it is a False Press ?   David Foote  GoE

Hey Bill, Fox News is CABLE,

Hey Bill, Fox News is CABLE, the 'Fairness Doctrine" would not have applied.  You might as well say you will make the LGBT channel offer up equal time.

It Depends

It depends upon the meaning of the word "even" means...or "more" or "irrational"...

Bill Clinton is a documented liar (unlike Bush who has only been accused of lying - accused by people who worship this particular documented liar) - Whatever he says - believe the opposite.

Liberalism is synonymous

Liberalism is synonymous with the term "irrational".  With that shrieking fishwife of his, Bill Clinton would have a difficult case to make calling Keith Olbermann irrational...not to mention anyone affiliated with FoxNews.