Yesterday NBC's Today show pondered if Hillary Clinton was referring to Bill as one of the 'evil men' she had much experience with but never got around to fully answering the question. Well NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, on this morning's Today, attempted to answer the question and found, via a Clinton surrogate, the 'evil men' Hillary was talking about were Ken Starr, Newt Gingrich and George W. Bush. During the piece Mitchell ran a soundbite from Lisa Caputo claiming: "Certainly Ken Starr and Newt Gingrich would be at the top of that list as would be this White House." Having addressed that question Mitchell moved on to analyzing the Clinton's "complicated marriage" and how the former President "overshadowed his senator wife," but concluded that Bill’s presence was mostly positive as she regurgitated this old Clinton-line: "So as they used to say back in 1992, 'Buy one, get one free.'"
The following is the entire segment as it aired in the 7am half-hour of the January 30th Today show:
Meredith Vieira: "Funny thing happened on the road to the White House. Bill Clinton was the butt of a lot of jokes back when he was president but now many are saying he took a shot over the weekend from a very unlikely source, his wife. NBC's Andrea Mitchell is in Washington with more. Andrea good morning to you."
Andrea Mitchell: "Good morning, Meredith. Well one week into her solo campaign for the White House Hillary Clinton is already juggling questions about that other Clinton, her husband Bill."
Hillary Clinton: "...who said I am Hillary Clinton and I am running for President."
Mitchell: "In Iowa, a caucus state her husband skipped when he ran for the nomination."
Hillary Clinton: "My participating in the Iowa caucuses is the only thing I'll ever do in politics that Bill has not done."
Mitchell: "Her famous husband is never far from people's minds. So when a voter asked if she's tough enough to handle evil and bad men like Osama Bin Laden and she quipped-"
Hillary Clinton: "And what in my background equips me to deal with evil and bad men?"
Mitchell: "Some in the audience thought she was joking about him and the heartbreak of Monica."
Hillary Clinton: "I thought I was funny. You know you guys keep telling me, 'lighten up, be funny.' Now I get a little funny and now I'm being psychoanalyzed."
Mitchell: "So whom was she thinking about?"
Lisa Caputo: "Certainly Ken Starr and Newt Gingrich would be at the top of that list as would be this White House."
James Carville: "She said she was referring to Osama Bin Laden but, but you can, the good thing about a joke like that you can fill in your own male villain."
Mitchell: "But Bill Clinton?"
Hillary Clinton: "I don't think anybody in here thought that, I'm sorry."
Mitchell: "The misunderstood joke, if it was, only underscores the unique nature of her campaign. Theirs is a complicated marriage and she is the candidate but he is the biggest star in the Democratic Party. In fact when they appeared together to eulogize Coretta Scott King the former President easily overshadowed his senator wife."
Bill Clinton: "I don't want us to forget that there's a woman in there."
Mitchell: "Still experts agree any Democratic candidate would want Bill Clinton on their team."
John Harwood, CNBC: "The fact that Hillary Clinton is married to him, is around him, can benefit from his advice, his fundraising and his presence on the campaign trail that's a tremendous asset for her."
Mitchell: "Still advisers say the Clintons will not be appearing on the same stage too often. But still she gets the party's best surrogate to campaign for her. So as they used to say back in 1992, 'Buy one, get one free.' Meredith."
Meredith Vieira: "Andrea Mitchell thanks very much."
—Geoffrey Dickens is the senior news analyst at the Media Research Center.



















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EVIL - the term ok for Dems, but not OK for Repubs
January 30, 2007 - 11:21 ET by kwOK for a Democrap to call President Bush "evil", but NOT OK for a Republican to call Iran, North Korea and Iraq the axis-of-"evil"...what a crazy, upside down, liberal, whaco world we live in...
Not to mention Reagan's use o
January 30, 2007 - 11:29 ET by Chris NormanNot to mention Reagan's use of the term "evil empire", accurately describing the Soviet Union. Remember the firestorm of criticism that caused? "Upside down" is right.
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
why would starr, gingrich and
January 30, 2007 - 11:26 ET by buddycwhy would starr, gingrich and bush be evil ? when she smiled at the comment the only reasonable implication anyone can draw is that she meant bill.
what dealings has she had with bush and gingrich that wouold cause her to call them evil. as i recall with gingrich never ever commented on her personal shortcomings. bush has been stupidly courteous with her.
is she saying that anyone who disagrees with her is "evil". sounds like richard nixon to me. isn't there a mental discorder associated with attributing evil to anyone who disagrees with you?
So whenever a lib says someth
January 30, 2007 - 11:29 ET by Mica the MagnificentSo whenever a lib says something they regret later, the spin is that 'it was just a joke."
Kerry's slam to the troops was 'just a joke.'
Hillary wasn't talking about Bill, but about Ken Starr or Bush, but it was 'just a joke."
Got it!
Warning! Warning, Will Robinson! Liberal spin is overloading my circuits! - Robby the Robot
Botched Joke or Check Yourself into Rehab
January 30, 2007 - 11:40 ET by kwAnd if the "botched joke" doesn't work, check yourself into rehab. Aaahhh - then all is right in the world and you are forgiven (unless you have an (R) after your name - then get the cross - cause you are about to be crucified).
Just wondering, if the Clinto
January 30, 2007 - 11:31 ET by Senior ChiefJust wondering, if the Clintoids are still sleeping together in the same bed as married couple does since she found out about Monica or the other women Bill been involved with? Or theirs is a married of convenience...With Bill's lifestyle, would it be possible that he has other children beside chelsea? Is Chelsea really their child together?
Again, I'm just asking, I could be the evil man, hmmmm.
Chelsea is definitely a product of Bill and Hillary...poor girl
January 30, 2007 - 11:38 ET by kw1. Chelsea is definitely a product of Bill and Hillary...poor girl 2. I would guess that they do not sleep in the same bed and have not since they moved to Arkansas 3. I would also guess that the "quality" of Bill's women has increased now that he is a private citizen out of public office and out in public. He had to take what came through the Oval Office doors when living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Hillary can find that evil
January 30, 2007 - 11:36 ET by happyuscitizenHillary can find that evil man if he is home laying right next to her as punishment for running around and embarassing the pre-eminent feminist her highness is.
Wait if she were a true feminist she would have divorced Billy, because he was an evil man, and would be pounding the drum that she dumped the bum because he was keeping her down. Maybe then I might even respect her.
"I'm just a big fat hairy American Winning Machine!" - Ricky Bobby
I dunno happy, it'd be a tossup.
January 30, 2007 - 11:41 ET by acaiguanaI dunno happy, it'd be a tossup.
At one time my statement was to the effect that the only shred of respect I had for Billy Jo Bob was that he did run around on Hillary.
Now, if your scenario were to have played out, she'd still be an 'ex-wife' running for President, in my opinion.
:-)
ACA
...
Acaiguana says: "I love blind Monkeys and any inference that I am making fun of blind Monkeys would be wrong.
I hear you on that but I sa
January 30, 2007 - 11:49 ET by happyuscitizenI hear you on that but I said I might respect the Queen of Darkness, but that would only happen if I was kicked in the head by a horse or something.
Right now if she were on fire in front of me and she weren't a messenger of the devil & I had a full bladder I would ask her where the bathroom is.
"I'm just a big fat hairy American Winning Machine!" - Ricky Bobby
Theirs is a complicated marri
January 30, 2007 - 11:45 ET by Dave RTheirs is a complicated marriage....
Uh, sorry Andrea. It is no marriage. It is actually a business arrangement. If it is, as you suggest, a marriage, then why are they almost never together?
Lisa Caputo: "Certainly Ken Starr and Newt Gingrich would be at the top of that list as would be this White House."
Exactly in which box of Cracker Jack's did Lisa find her journalism degree?
Newt is evil?Just when you th
January 30, 2007 - 11:50 ET by JPR1Newt is evil?
Just when you thought they might get along!
His feelings have got to be hurt now.
It took them, what, two days
January 30, 2007 - 12:39 ET by aeroIt took them, what, two days to come up with a direction to spin this? They're going to have to get quicker on their feet than this if they want to prop Hillary up all the way back to the White House.
On another note, this has got to help Gingrich's reputation to be labeled as one of Mrs. Clinton's top three "bad and evil men."
James Carville: "She sai
January 30, 2007 - 12:56 ET by JerryJames Carville: "She said she was referring to Osama Bin Laden....."
Uh.... unless she was serving him breakfast in bed after a "White House sleepover", when did she ever have any experience in dealing with the evil Bin Laden?
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
Jerry...Let's see her answer
January 30, 2007 - 15:25 ET by Clear thinkerJerry...
Let's see her answer your question with a straight face! Or, are you on to something here... her husband refused to kill the scum many times, so what gives?
Buy one ... get one free ...
January 30, 2007 - 14:08 ET by Evil KlownBuy one ... get one free ... that's nauseating.
What is going on with Andrea Mitchell's face????
January 30, 2007 - 15:09 ET by Guy Arthur ThomasThis is in no way an argument for or against the validity and professionalism of Andrea Mitchell's work as a television news journalists and in no way is it a reflection of any argument regarding her personal ethics or integrity. With that said....
What the he!! is going on with Andrea Mitchell's face?????
If you claim to be a conservative, please don't disgrace yourself and conservatism by thinking and arguing like a liberal. Go Rudy!
With respect
January 30, 2007 - 15:20 ET by misterbillWith respect--Ms mitchell has been in the trade about 30 years now. We all age. This shot may have not been air brushed.
Ah...
January 30, 2007 - 16:53 ET by Guy Arthur ThomasAh yes...that might explain it...well maybe she should consider twilight career in radio? ; )
If you claim to be a conservative, please don't disgrace yourself and conservatism by thinking and arguing like a liberal. Go Rudy!
Hillary and Obama
January 30, 2007 - 18:48 ET by Jerry MackThis ties in perfectly with the msm agenda. The presidential race is between Obama and Hillary. Not a bad word about either of them.