ABC Lets Stephanopoulos Go Soft on Hillary

Hillary Clinton secured interviews on all three network morning shows on Monday, but as CBS’s Harry Smith emphasized the New York Post "PANIC" headline and NBC’s Matt Lauer wondered if Hillary thought the voters were being charmed (but weren't doing their homework) about Obama, ABC gave her the softest interview of the day – with her former employee George Stephanopoulos. Which shameless producer makes the decision to let them play Patty-Cake?

ABC obviously presumes everyone knows of their previous professional relationship, since it was not disclosed. Stephanopoulos began: "She has taken charge of her campaign, Diane, running her war room out of her hotel suite, giving orders and I begin my interview by asking her what those orders are."

Pardon the viewer for hearing: "I begin my interview by asking her what my orders are."

Hillary declared "I want people to be able to draw the distinctions that you draw in an election. And, you know, as I've been saying throughout the campaign, I bring, you know, not only the hopes and dreams that I have for America, but a lot of practical experience in making sure that those dreams get fulfilled. And I have been pointing out that there is a difference between talking and doing and between rhetoric and reality."

Stephanopoulos probably thought this was a hardball: "You say you feel good about it. But Diane Sawyer asked Barack Obama about your campaign yesterday and he called it depressing."

Hillary started punching at Obama: "I think that the -- that is the kind of characterization that is, you know, made by candidates who are trying to avoid scrutiny of their own records. Let's talk about somebody else, instead of answering questions about, you know, what I have or haven't done. You know when you rail against lobbyists as he has, and talk about, you're a different kind of politician, then you have a lobbyist running your campaign in New Hampshire. When you say that John Edwards isn't electable because he changed positions between 2004 and 2008 and then you have a long record of changing positions. All of a sudden, you start to ask yourself, wait a minute, what is the substance here? What, as was famously was said years ago "where's the beef?" You know, where is the reality? And I think that's a fair question. And I believe that, you know, voters are beginning to focus on that. You know, I have a great deal of respect for Senator Obama. He is a very talented politician. But if he's going to be competing for president, and especially to get the Democratic nomination to go against whomever the Republicans put up, I think it's time to start comparing and contrasting him as I've been scrutinized for all of this year."

Stephanopoulos then turned to Hillary’s Saturday night highlight, when she grew angry about how she had worked for change longer than anybody:

STEPHANOPOULOS: I want to take you back to that moment Saturday night when John Edwards seemed to join forces with Barack Obama. And he really seemed to push your button on that exchange. We want to show our viewers the response.

CLINTON (soundbite): I want to make change, but I've already made change. I will continue to make change. I'm not running on a promise of change. I'm running on 35 years of change.

STEPHANOPOULOS: When I asked Senator Edwards about that yesterday. He said his teaming up with Barack Obama was an alliance of conviction. Do you buy that?

CLINTON: [After a pause, she cackled.] Well, I have no idea what's behind it. But as you can tell from that, I am passionate about change. I mean, that's what I've believed in ever since I was a young lawyer working for the Children's Defense Fund. I believe in it as strongly as I possibly can today. It's never been a political tactic or a matter of convenience for me. It is rooted in the work that I've done year after year after year. Now, you'll have to ask them what they're up to. I don't have any idea.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So --

CLINTON: You know, when we finally put a nominee on the stage against whom the Republicans nominate, you know, there is no buddy system.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Clinton, thanks very much.

CLINTON: Thanks, George, good to talk to you.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Diane, I also asked Senator Clinton about the rumors that there was going to be a shake-up in her campaign post New Hampshire. She didn't exactly deny it. She says she's happy with her campaign but said she's always looking to bring people in.

Maybe George asked her if she needed someone as talented as him to save her campaign. Then came the 30 seconds of Republican talk of the day:

SAWYER: And what about the Republicans? What's the newest thing in the last 12 hours?

STEPHANOPOULOS: Debate last night. Last night, the Republicans debated on Fox. And Mitt Romney had a bit of a comeback. You know, they piled on Mitt Romney on Charles Gibson. Last night, he tried to fight back. He hit back on Mike Huckabee on the issue of taxes. He hit back against John McCain on the issue of immigration. So, he tried to rally. But he's got a tough job here, Diane. John McCain according to all the polls we've seen, still ahead and still has all the momentum.

Over on NBC, Matt Lauer was tougher, beginning with the panic question:

– "In the three days or five days actually, excuse me, since the Iowa caucuses, every, it seems like, it seems like a month, I'm sure to you. But every major poll that I've seen come out shows Barack Obama gaining in support, gaining in momentum and your numbers eroding. So 24 hours to go before the people in New Hampshire head to the polls. How can you shift that momentum? And I guess, let me give you a chance to address that adjective of panic, within your campaign." [Hillary said "I feel great, actually...I feel very confident. I feel very ready to be president."]

In his second question, Lauer didn’t just toss the are-you-behind line, but wondered if she thought the voters were being fooled by a lightweight:

LAUER: Let me ask you about something you said and it was in Andrea [Mitchell]'s piece just ahead of us there. You said this, and I'm not taking this out of context, but there's a portion of this phrase that I want to ask you about. You said, quote, "When they say to themselves, 'I have a choice between a truly inspirational speaker, who's not done the kind of spade-work, with the sort of experience another candidate has.'" Let me end there. When you refer to Barack Obama as a truly inspirational speaker are you suggesting, in some ways, Senator Clinton, that the people who are now moving in his direction are being charmed by his inspirational tone and aren't doing the homework and the leg work to look at his resume?

CLINTON: You know Matt I have the highest regard for him. I mean he is an incredibly gifted politician. And, again, I think that what we want to do in a campaign to pick the Democratic nominee is to make sure that, you know, we're looking beyond the speeches when the cameras are off. You know, what is it that we expect a president to do? You know in 2000 a lot of people voted for George Bush because he said he'd be a uniter not a divider. And, you know, there were lots of stories about how people wanted to have a beer with him. And, you know, obviously I think that what's at stake in this election is really deep. And I believe that I am best prepared and ready to tackle the problems we face.

LAUER: But are you saying that this is style over substance then?

CLINTON: So what I'm drawing is, well but what I'm drawing, no, I'm saying, I'm saying it's maybe talk versus action. Rhetoric versus reality. I have a history of making change and against some pretty tough odds. I've been knocked down, I've gotten back up. I think I know how to keep going and I think that's critical for our next president. I have a deep understanding of the problems we face around the world. And I'm not asking that people give me a pass. I've been, obviously, out there making my case and people are evaluating it. But I think, as we look forward to what will be a very difficult election in 2008 we want to know, number one, who would be the best president on day one.

LAUER: But you are-

CLINTON: And number two, we want to know who would be the strongest Democratic nominee.

LAUER: You are, you are one of the, the most well-known candidates to run for president in a long time. And, in your own words, you are one of the most well-vetted candidates in the last, what 25, 30 years. So if, if people are saying right now, Senator, that, "we know you, we have experience with you but we don't think you represent change, and maybe we're moving in another direction," how can you change that perception?

Hillary went back to how she was "very calm, very confident" about her campaign. But conservatives were choking on Lauer’s notion she is one of "the most well-vetted candidates" in decades.