You're Hillary Clinton [work with me here] tuning into "Today" the morning after you've voted against funding the Iraq war . What's the one image you dread seeing pop up? But there it was.
This isn't shaping up as Hillary's favorite day. As the Washington Post reports here, two books about Clinton have hit the shelves, and neither paint a flattering portrait of the former First Lady. What's more, Hillary won't be able to blame this one on the VRWC. The authors are, respectively, the very lefty Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame, and a pair of New York Times reporters.
But while the Hillary camp is surely less than thrilled about those books, my sense is that in the long run, her candidacy has more to fear from being stuck with the dreaded Kerry flip-flop label. Imagine the paroxysms of pain for the Hillary camp while watching this morning's "Today." Discussing Hillary's 'no' vote on Iraq funding, the NBC show broke out the dreaded footage of Kerry's "I actually voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it."View video here.
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NBC correspondent Chip Reids narrated the segment, and as the Kerry footage rolled, said this:
CHIP REID: Perhaps no one felt the competing pressures more intensely than senators and Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. For them a vote against funding would bring condemnation from Republicans for not supporting the troops. And especially for Clinton who initially voted for the war, charges of flip-flopping that could hurt her in the general election in the same way votes on funding bills hurt John Kerry in 2004.
"Today" aired a graphic of Hillary explaining her vote, which began with her assertion "I fully support our troops."Concluded REID: Their votes do have long-term risks, but in the short-term should help appease those anti-war activists.Let's review: Hillary has flip-flopped in a manner that -- even for an MSM outlet like NBC -- evokes Kerry's $87 billion. In defending her vote Clinton claims to support the troops. It's just that she wants to cut off the funds that will let them survive and fight. How bad things were for Hillary? Reid's concluding comment about Hillary having appeased certain groups was offered as the positive upshoot of her vote!
It's enough to make Hillary long for some relatively positive stories. You know, stuff about her cattle futures and the rediscovered Rose law firm billing records.
Aside: my favorite frame from the Kerry $87 billion flip-flop footage has always been the one I've displayed here, for the image of ineffable horror on the seated veteran's face.
Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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Comments Policy
If you want to "redeploy
May 25, 2007 - 07:52 ET by sublight68If you want to "redeploy," set "timetables" or "milestones" or whatever you want to call it, then draft legislation to that end. But do it independently of any funding issues. If it's truly "the will of the people," then let it pass or fail on its own merits.
While troops are in theatre, whether you think they should be there or not, whether you voted for the war or not, you cannot reduce or cut off funding. Period.
Flip-flopping is for convinie
May 25, 2007 - 07:52 ET by Senior ChiefFlip-flopping is for convinience, and democracks will label it as "people's mandate". She is positioning herself to get the votes of those people poisoned by leftoid media who's providing them erroneous "news".
As a military man, I fully understand when someone tells me that "I fully support the troops", which means supporting our mission. There's no other explanation. Our mission is to kill our enemies- foreign and domestic, to obey the orders of those appointed over me and to uphold the constitution of the United States of America. So help me God.
I fully support our Democrat
May 25, 2007 - 08:00 ET by sublight68I fully support our Democrat congress, but I disagree with their mission. All tax payments and congressional salaries will cease immediately and liberal representatives will be redeployed to McDonald's drive-thru windows.
Great T-Shirt slogan: "I
May 25, 2007 - 09:54 ET by mattmGreat T-Shirt slogan: "I support Liberals - but not their mission."
But, will you fund liberals a
May 25, 2007 - 09:57 ET by Sergeant ROCKBut, will you fund liberals as long as there's a timetable and benchmarks?
I'd earmark 1$ for private sc
May 25, 2007 - 10:03 ET by mattmI'd earmark 1$ for private school vouchers for every Dime they get. I'd load their funding legislation up with so much right-wing pork you'd think it was Jack Murtha's alter ego.
Here's some more, maybe we sh
May 25, 2007 - 12:03 ET by BuffNBoneHere's some more, maybe we should go into business.
"I support the MSM but not what they say or how they say it."
"I support actors -- when they are acting."
"Fighters are fun but bombers make policy"
I'm damn glad someone else sa
May 25, 2007 - 08:16 ET by ArchConservativeI'm damn glad someone else said what I've been saying. You cannot fully support the troops without also saying you support the mission. I hope that someone calls these leftists on their words but you know no one will. To bad you are not a coorespondant that could give Hillary the verbal left hook she needs.
HOOAH
It's like saying I support ba
May 25, 2007 - 10:00 ET by Sergeant ROCKIt's like saying I support barbers, but not haircuts.
You're right. It does bear
May 25, 2007 - 10:00 ET by mattmYou're right. It does bear repeating. Sometimes we get so lulled by the blatant obviousness of a fact that we can't conceive the possibility that others don't see it.
The one I love is the "bring the troops home" line; as if the purpose of an army is to stay away from conflict...
I love how liberals 'spin' th
May 25, 2007 - 07:59 ET by Sergeant ROCKI love how liberals 'spin' things by using terms like 'redeployment' to hide their real intentions.
I'd like to re-deploy Hillary
May 25, 2007 - 09:56 ET by mattmI'd like to re-deploy Hillary to some obscure Law Firm in Jerkwater Arkansas (no offense Arkies) where she can spend her waning years bilking people out of real estate money and shredding all the documents...
Nah... make her a public defe
May 25, 2007 - 09:58 ET by Sergeant ROCKNah... make her a public defender in Jerkwater.
Somehow hillary will find a w
May 25, 2007 - 08:17 ET by vrwc13Somehow hillary will find a way to blame me (VRWC) member and my ilk.
face piles of trials with smiles
And this is on top of already
May 25, 2007 - 08:22 ET by Gat New YorkAnd this is on top of already high and solid unfavorables and well before Republicans start pumping out the truth about Hillary commercials if she becomes the nominee.
I love how the MSM keeps propping up the Democrat Party as having this bouquet of great candidates and how the GOP is struggling to find one. The fact is that none of the three leading Dem candidates have a prayer of winning in '08 and against any of the current top 3 GOP candidates.
Ain't that the truth, the Dem
May 25, 2007 - 09:40 ET by general companyAin't that the truth, the Dems are ridiculously phony
We should have a poll, who's
May 25, 2007 - 08:31 ET by Prester JohnWe should have a poll, who's the biggest phony, die Hildebeast or the Breck Girl?
For me it's a tough call, but the Breck Girl wins.
I'd vote for the msm (Lsm) -
May 25, 2007 - 08:40 ET by FastEdI'd vote for the msm (Lsm) - not a journalist among them!
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
It's Hillary
May 25, 2007 - 09:46 ET by RJHildebeast is the biggest phony. She calculates every move, regardless of what she believes.
Silky Pony is an airhead who convinces himself first and then goes out to sell that conviction. It's how he was able to channel dead babies.
The shrill pantsuit for sure
May 25, 2007 - 09:27 ET by NoMoreClintonsThe shrill pantsuit for sure - she has a lot more practice at it and is more shrewd and cunning about it. Breck girl is an amateur compared to her.
I should've said the Breck Gi
May 25, 2007 - 10:33 ET by Prester JohnI should've said the Breck Girl wins by a hair.
Al-Sadr's boy in Basra killed by British forces...
May 25, 2007 - 08:36 ET by Sergeant ROCKJust reported on FOX News: Al-Sadr's boy in Basra killed by British forces... (*sniff*)
Let's see how fast the old ma
May 25, 2007 - 08:40 ET by Gat New YorkLet's see how fast the old man runs again for cover now.
He'll probably hide out at Ro
May 25, 2007 - 08:44 ET by Sergeant ROCKHe'll probably hide out at Rosie's house - I mean mansion. Meanwhile, the democRATs in Congress will have a moment of silence.
It's 655,001 dead Iraqis now Rosie, thanks to the uniformed terrorists of the United States.
Hey Sarg - those are the rose
May 25, 2007 - 08:58 ET by FastEdHey Sarg - those are the rosedudes numbers, the max, in actuality is about 70k (+1) - but we know that the facts only get in the way of the demolibs, huh.
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
Did you read that Rosie O'Don
May 25, 2007 - 09:04 ET by Gat New YorkDid you read that Rosie O'Donuts is a-scared about coming back to The View. Typical bully that she is, she can't take it when it is given back to her even from meek Elizabeth.
Liberals don't like to be cha
May 25, 2007 - 09:08 ET by Sergeant ROCKLiberals don't like to be challenged.
That could have something to do with the audience
May 25, 2007 - 09:11 ET by RJThere was a report that she got into an argument with members of the audience. That could have something to do with it.
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George W. Bush is destroying the Republican Party.
She probably went home and be
May 25, 2007 - 09:14 ET by Sergeant ROCKShe probably went home and beat her wife as a result.
Yeah, that 655,000 number is
May 25, 2007 - 09:12 ET by Sergeant ROCKYeah, that 655,000 number is just as ficticious as her troops are terrorists analogy. But, they're plenty of liberals out there that believe BOTH.
Liberalism is a mental illness.