When Pres. Obama did the Fox-less Full Ginsburg last week, his toughest moment came when George Stephanopoulos cited Merriam Webster to suggest that PBO's proposal to force people to buy health insurance amounts to a "tax."
Some were surprised that Stephanopoulos would put a Dem president on the spot that way. But appearing on today's Fox News Watch, Jim Pinkerton posited an intriguing provenance for the tough question—none other than . . . Hillary Clinton [video after the break].
JAMES PINKERTON: Karl Rove made a good point in the [Wall Street] Journal this week. He said if you're going to go on all these shows, have something to say. Otherwise, you have George Stephanopoulos pulling out a dictionary and saying "define tax." That was pretty good. That shows, in case you ever wondered that there's still a pipeline between Hillary Clinton and Stephanopoulos, there was your proof.
The panel reacted with mirth, but contacted by this NewsBuster, Pinkerton made clear he meant his comment in earnest, citing a recent WaPo article containing this [emphasis added]:
Clinton arrived at the department with a large and loyal staff collectively known as Hillaryland. At times, it fits uncomfortably within the State Department establishment, which views the influx as a jobs program for her campaign acolytes. Some close aides still privately harbor hopes she will run again for president.
Readers will also recall that in the presidential debate he moderated, Steph subjected candidate Obama to tough questioning that brought down the ire of his supporters.
In any case, Pinkerton's suggestion should make for an interesting moment next time Hillary and PBO get together . . .
