Who will cover this gaffe? In a story headlined "Tongue-Tied Clinton Gets Warm E.U. Welcome," Reuters reported that Hillary Clinton mispronounced several names and claimed American democracy’s been "around a lot longer than European democracy." Reporter David Brunnstrom tried to make excuses – she’s not gaffe-prone, just tuckered out:
Tiredness appeared to show Friday when she answered questions in front of 500 young Europeans at the European Parliament, where she was the highest-ranking U.S. visitor since the late U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1985.
A veteran politician, Clinton compared the complex European political environment to that of the two-party U.S. system, before adding:
"I have never understood multiparty democracy. It is hard enough with two parties to come to any resolution, and I say this very respectfully, because I feel the same way about our own democracy, which has been around a lot longer than European democracy."
The remark provoked much headshaking in the parliament of a bloc that likes to trace back its democratic tradition thousands of years to the days of classical Greece.
One working lunch later with EU leaders, Clinton raised more eyebrows when she referred to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who stood beside her, as "High Representative Solano."
She also dubbed European Commission External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner as "Benito."
Will Katie Couric and everyone else who tried to suggest Sarah Palin wasn't bright enough for the big jobs notice Hillary bumbling around and confessing (like a Couric) that "I have never understood parliamentary democracy"?
Will Tom Brokaw and the Today crew reconsider their declarations of her "mastery" of detail and her sizzling smarts?
The Reuters reporter noted she's still way more popular than those odious Bush officials:
Still, Clinton has been well received in Brussels, where the Obama administration has been viewed as a breath of fresh air after the unpopular leadership of George W. Bush. His secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, often drew protests on her travels.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Democrats never know what
March 6, 2009 - 12:10 ET by DJEddleDemocrats never know what the hell they're talking about. What else is new?
Rational Liberty: Where Reason and Government Collide - The best website ever!
ha!
March 6, 2009 - 12:11 ET by katainkentwonder if all the obama-mania in Britian has imploded...
oh dear Ms Hillary, its not to late to call Condi and ask for some pointers.
→ Greeks?
March 6, 2009 - 12:16 ET by Cool ArrowI know it's silly, but maybe Hillar went to a school that didn't teach Western History.
And the Magna Carta was just a little note written by a benevolent king.
Obama - Change you can bereave in
Give her a break
March 6, 2009 - 12:33 ET by Paul Atreidesshe and Bill think that civilization began the day he was sworn in as President.
She thinks that B.C. means "Before Clinton."
I don't mind the mistakes
March 6, 2009 - 12:38 ET by KC MulvilleSo, she doesn't know how people will react to comments like that. Big deal. It's not like she's a diplomat or anything.
If they didn't jump down the throats of conservatives all the time for gaffes like this, no one would really care. But this is the only material Olbermann has anymore - his whole schtick is to blow these small mistakes into theories of evil conspiracy.
But seriously, what's a little ignorance among friends?
But seriously, what's a
March 6, 2009 - 16:24 ET by Dan The Man 2But seriously, what's a little ignorance among friends?
Not too much but between countries it can start wars.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
? - Secretary of State is a diplomatic role
March 6, 2009 - 22:14 ET by surfergirl54Hilary Clinton has a university degree. She is a lawyer. It would seem that her education is lacking because her grasp of history does not seem to exist. Hilary's role is that of a diplomat. Yet here she is at an important meeting and she makes this kind of gaffe?
Imagine for a moment if Condalezza Rice had made the same kind of gaffes. Every MSM outlet would be running the story about Condie stuffing it up - yet there is not a word in the MSM about these gaffes coming from Hillary.
Someone, anyone with such an important role as Secretary of State should not be making such errors, especially errors about Democracy.
FYI - the first recognized democracy was in the Polis or City State of Athens, Greece. It was not perfect because only the men participated, and the slaves (more like house servants) were the ones responsible for the household duties, including teaching the children, so that the men could go and participate in the government of the city State. Rome also had a form of democracy complete with its emperors - they even had a ruling Senate, and one not so popular Caesar kinda got knifed due to lack of popularity (et tu Brute!!). England and Europe had limited forms of democracy until the emancipation of women. Now if Hillary was talking about emancipation she might be right but she would also be wrong. I am not sure, but I think that Australia was ahead of the rest in giving women the vote.
I would certainly have to go back and look up the facts about these issues, because even though I love history, I have also lost touch with who did what and when. Either way, Hillary Clinton should get someone to check what she intends to say instead of opening her mouth and letting everyone know that if she had been the Presidential candidate she would have still been a very poor choice.
proud to be amongst those who are anti-global warming and anti climate change. The Australian heatwave and Victorian bushfires were not the result of climate change.
God help us
March 6, 2009 - 12:39 ET by Sefton"I have never understood multiparty democracy."
Says our brilliant SoS.
Maybe she was hoping they would make her queen while she was there.
this is the best BHO could do?
March 6, 2009 - 12:45 ET by JIMMY1660HRC is a boob was a boob and will continue to be a boob!!!however, she is typical of BHO staff.
ill equipped for the work of the day. as i watch the news its is almost laughable how bad his TEAM is.
that 63% approval, will reverse very quickly.
BHO- ill equipped to lead America
Hey wach it!
March 6, 2009 - 13:54 ET by jed58You are insulting boobs
BHO and
March 6, 2009 - 20:02 ET by UpNorthhis team.
Worst.
Administration.
Ever.
Clinton is adhering to the Obama plan
March 6, 2009 - 12:48 ET by ekslibObama said that the US invented the automobile.
http://www.livescien...
I hate to say she's right, but...
March 6, 2009 - 12:49 ET by jchutch2She has a point. Depending on how you look at things. America's founding documents can actually be traced back to The Royal Charters in the early 1600s. Also, most nations in Europe have rewritten or enacted new founding documents more recently than the U.S. did. As much as I am not a fan of anything to the left of Reagan, I have to say that I would agree with the point she's making. I still hate dems and libs...don't get me wrong...
Hillary's Right
March 6, 2009 - 15:03 ET by Captain KirockI do not like her, but Hillary is right on this point: The US is the oldest, continuous democratic republic in the world. European claims to ancient Greek democracies ring hollow, sort of like Mussolini claiming to be the continuation of the Roman Empire.
What democratic nation is older? Certainly not Great Britain, which did not reform it's rotten burroughs system until the 1800s. Furthermore, wasn't it Great Britian's failure to extend democracy to the colonies that led to the American Revolution in the first place? Remember "no taxation without representation?"
I agree. Yes Britain had a
March 6, 2009 - 19:15 ET by Jack BauerI agree. Yes Britain had a Parliament with limited representation. But the government was essentially led by the MONARCH.
If it had not been for King George, and his bad advice, it is quite conceivable there would never have been a Revolutionary War (at least not in 1776) or, that the UK would have reached an accomodation with the rebels short on independence. Though that would have occured at some point.
"Remember "no taxation
March 6, 2009 - 20:04 ET by UpNorth"Remember "no taxation without representation?" Remember it? Hell, we're living it right now.
learn your history about the American War for Independence
March 6, 2009 - 22:22 ET by surfergirl54I think you need to go back and learn some of your own history, especially the reasons behind the War for Independence.
What do you consider as democracy? Who is being represented? When did women and blacks get the vote? Once you establish when the vote was given to all then you have the true roots of modern democracy.
I bet Australia was ahead of the USA when it came to voting rights - except that there is one blight and that was allowing Aboriginals to vote.
In other words, no, Hillary is wrong with her claims. The oldest form of democracy is to be found in the Polis or City State of Athens. The modern form of democracy is not the same thing. I do not believe that the USA had a full modern form until full voting rights had been given, ditto for the USA, UK, France, Germany etc. etc.
proud to be amongst those who are anti-global warming and anti climate change. The Australian heatwave and Victorian bushfires were not the result of climate change.
Wrong Surfergal
March 7, 2009 - 16:12 ET by Captain KirockI define democracy as when the the common man was given the right to vote on his representatives at both the local and national levels. These duly elected reps then had the authority to govern and were not subject to the veto of a non-elected authority, such as a king or a church.
In 1788, the United States held it's first popular election under the Constitution. The people selected not just their reps in the Congress but the supreme executive leader of the nation. The US has been doing it every 4 years since. What other nation can claim to have been doing this longer?
While the electorate was overwhelmingly male and white, it was still made up of the common man and not merely an oligarchy. This concept of the common man holding the right to vote would eventually be expanded to include all citizens.
By your own absurd anachronistic standards, the United States is still not a democracy because citizens under the age of 18 are not allowed to vote. Nor are convicted felons.
No, the United States is the longest, continuing democracy in the world, "the last, best hope of earth."
I believe the exact quote
March 7, 2009 - 03:48 ET by katainkentfrom David Brunnstrom of Reuters is -
"The remark provoked much headshaking in the parliament of a bloc that likes to trace back its democratic tradition thousands of years to the days of classical Greece."
Who knows what precisely what was in the mind of the parliament when they were shaking their heads. But, this might help explain the train of thought.
Hillary asserted :
"It is hard enough with two parties to come to any resolution, and I say this very respectfully, because I feel the same way about our own democracy, which has been around a lot longer than European democracy."
The United States is not a democracy. Its a republic. You know : "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic, for which it stands..."
I hope this info helped a little bit.
Hillary "sniper fire" Clinton should have..
March 6, 2009 - 13:47 ET by ConservativeFLHillary should have borrowed Dali Obama's teleprompter.
"Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15." Ronald Reagan
A Republic, If you can keep it
March 6, 2009 - 14:11 ET by VinceP1974Hillary Rotten Clinton, Her Thighness, should know we're a Republic not a Democracy.
Republ......agck....agck...sputter...sputter
March 6, 2009 - 15:09 ET by Pilgrim1949She just couldn't bear to say the word "Republic" since it sounds too close to the name of the Evil Empire of Vast Right Wing Conspiracies against which she must do daily, diligent battle (and NOT with Smart/Soft Diplomacy, either...rather with the hard/dumb kind!).
Besides, like most of her ilk, they think the world revolves around and begins and ends with them, hence no sense of historical context (let's see....the word "democracy".....actually taken from the Greek words "demos" and "kratos" as in, goverment/rule of/by the people). Yeah, it started with the U.S. alright. Airhead!
It gets more morbidly interesting day by day, like watching a slow motion train wreck. It's funny, in a gallows humor sort of way, except we're on the train these bozos are driving right past the "Bridge is Out" sign and over the edge.
doh.
March 6, 2009 - 14:31 ET by katainkentHillary Hillary Hillary.... time to fire some staff. Maybe she should have just stopped at Staples before the trip and grabbed an easy button.
WOW no kidding
March 6, 2009 - 14:52 ET by rightwingchefLying is nothing new to the Hildabeast, she has been shot at so many times one just can't count it up. She is in fine company though, Plugs Biden the human gaffe machine, and of course lets not forget the honourable Lord Messiah Obambi, and junior TU TU BOY Rahm Capone.
Article
March 6, 2009 - 16:03 ET by JDWNYT carried this article from a Russian paper: 'Red Button Democracy'
JDW
DAILY WAVE
The government works for me, not the other way around
To be fair to Clinton, she
March 6, 2009 - 19:08 ET by Jack BauerTo be fair to Clinton, she has a valid point, as others have noted.
When academia and the MSM
March 6, 2009 - 19:53 ET by RR GOPWhen academia and the MSM confer upon one infinite wisdom, erudition and an astonishingly high IQ, who dares to argue despite the evidence to the contrary?
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
Oh my, it seems that I may
March 6, 2009 - 22:45 ET by SterlingOh my, it seems that I may have to give a history lesson to the lesser read. Mrs. Clinton did not make any gaff what-so-ever my dear friends. Speaking of democracies the U.S. Republic is much older than any on the continent. Yes, one could cite the examples of Greece but when one looks at the nuance, it shows that it is just a cheap façade. Let us look at one example to prove this point- Sparta: The citizens of Sparta had no rights at all. The “free men” were breed to be warriors if they looked weak as children they were thrown off a cliff. These “free men” had no choice in the career that they wanted, the government council of elders made every decision for them; even the choice of picking out one’s life partner. The women were treated as objects of only reproducing warriors and the men never lived with them at all. Yes, does this sound like freedom friends?
It is high time that some of you neo-cons stop romanticizing history and look at the facts. Maybe, Mr. Graham took his Greek history from the Hollywood movie 300? Mrs. Clinton on the other hand seems to have taken it from peer reviewed journals.
P.S. I have not even touched on the tyrants of Western Europe throughout history.
Not fair sir! Not fair at all!
March 7, 2009 - 03:10 ET by JWFThe Europeans took one look at our Declaration of Independence and drafted up the Magna Carta in 1215!
Every student in these 57 states of ours is taught that don't you know.
Sincerely,
a Veteran of a 1000 psychic wars.
Just a gaffe
March 7, 2009 - 07:43 ET by Blogger Guy00001When it's a liberal, it's just a gaffe. When it's a Republican, it's all over the news.
Bias?