by Mark Silva
DENVER -- Sen. Hillary Clinton finally got a chance to say something personally about the TV ad that Republican Sen. John McCain is airing which features her.
"Now I understand that the McCain campaign is running ads trying to divide us and let me state what I think about their tactics and these ads,'' the senator said at breakfast with the New York delegation. "I am Hillary Clinton and I do not approve that message.''
The message is that Barack Obama "passed over'' Clinton in his selection of a running mate because Clinton had been so bluntly outspoken about the senator from Illinois in their primary battle. It's a message aimed at capitalizing on a rift that still exists between camps Clinton and Obama as delegates assemble for the convention here.
"Every one of us could stand up and recite all the reasons why we must elect Barack,'' Clinton said this morning. "The Supreme Court is at stake; our educational system needs the right kind of change. We've got to become energy independent; we have to create millions of new green collar jobs. We've got so much work to do around the world.
"None of that will happen if John McCain is in the White House,'' she suggested. "I just want to make it absolutely clear we cannot afford four more years of George W. Bush's failed policies in America and that's what we would get with John McCain.''
She did not, however, explain why she wasn't chosen as running mate.
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Comments
Notice that she didn't say it was wrong. Just that she didn't approve it.
Posted by: Jeff | August 25, 2008 2:54 PM
Sorry, Hillary - I own MY vote. You are true class, and you want to heal the party the Obama tore apart. But it doesn't matter - the damage he did is done. The media and Obamabots don't get it, anyway. It’s not that we aren’t rushing to Obama because we’re hung up on Hillary. It’s because Obama does not represent our interests the way Hillary did throughout the primary campaign, and still does today. THAT’s why we don’t like Obama. Hillary talks about substantive issues, and nuts-and-bolts policy details. Obama does not. We have no idea what we’re getting with Obama. He has zero track record of success, no real resume, he admits that he’s intellectually lazy (”I can never find any paperwork in my office,” “that’s above my pay grade” etc.), and he DOES NOT REPRESENT US. He hasn’t TRIED to represent us.
Our issue is with HIS lack of engagement on issues. Hillary, you are truly engaged, and a true superstar. What a shame what some very bad characters would do to a woman of your stature to put an unqualified chameleon into the Oval Office. No justice - no peace - no vote for Obama.
Posted by: Bemused | August 25, 2008 3:12 PM
This ad is a sign of desperation for McCain. The man has no ideas, no passion, no reason for running for president. All he has is the failed Bush policies and negative ads. How embarassing.
Posted by: Paul | August 25, 2008 3:18 PM
Initially, when they asked Hillary to drop out from the race after the Indiana result, she persisted, and these are the consequences of her stubborness. The AD depicts exactly what she said, even if she approves it or not. This AD was well organized by excellent republican strategists. These people who make these ADs are really smart. Indeed, Hillary caused DISUNITY, and it will be difficult to change. There will be more ADS to come out on her, wait and see.
Posted by: rajah kahn | August 25, 2008 3:26 PM
This could be countered by an ad listing all of the Republican radio talk show hosts negative comments about McCain. Rush, Hanity, and most all of the others who don't think McCain is a conservative. They said some very negative things about him.
Posted by: pd | August 25, 2008 4:21 PM
I saw Guilliani on the Sunday shows and he said the Democrats should have made Hillary VP because she had come in second to Obama and it was only right to do that sort of thing. Putting aside the fact that fair Rudy wouldn't know what was politically correct to do for running a successful campaign, this would mean McCain would have to go with Romney for VP (following Rudy's VP logic). This would be tragic for the Republicans as it would put at the top of their ticket two very "priviledged" people who have not exactly had any experience (or want for that matter) making inroads with the middle class that seems to be the battleground for votes this time around. Wouldn't picking Romney be a kind of "let them eat cake" kind of message?
Posted by: kg123 | August 25, 2008 4:37 PM
Anthing to get her ten million back-
Posted by: George | August 25, 2008 5:13 PM
HA HA HA she said it, and SHE doesn't approve it..... that's right up there with the Biden video putting down the possibility of Obama as a our president.
They would all love to take those words back now, but it's to late, and there's more vide where that came from....their mouths ha ha ha!
Posted by: OPEN MOUTH INSERT FOOT | August 25, 2008 6:09 PM
Bemused: Anyone who STILL says they don't know Obama doesn't WANT TO know him.If you think he hasn't done anything, why don't you look up his senatorial record??? As far as the comment about the abortion controversy being 'above my pay grade", as long as the abortion issue has been unresolved, why do you think Obama can solve the problem all by himself??? He realizes the compexity of the issue and gave an honest answer, unlike McCAIN, who fired off answers as if they were rehearsed, and given the fact that he WASN'T IN THE SOUNDPROOF CONE,( but never fessed up to it), they probably WERE rehearsed!!!!! .
Posted by: Dawson | August 25, 2008 7:28 PM
Hey Dawson, I don't think Bemused is a Democrat at all, just another republican trying to create dissension.... if she is a democrat, her real name is Joe Lieberman.
Posted by: Flo | August 25, 2008 8:50 PM
I just want to let Obama know that I will not be voting for him or anyone since Hillary did not even make it for VP. At least if there was half a ticket that I could believe in I would vote. Also I know alot of other people that feel the same way. So it looks like another 4 years down the drain.
Posted by: Katie | August 25, 2008 9:16 PM
Dawson, I believe the question was when does life begin. A simple answer like McCain said would have sufficed. They were not asked to solve the abortion problems in this country, just answer the simple question. As usual Obam didn't have a teleprompter, so he came up with a stupid answer.
Posted by: RFB | August 25, 2008 9:40 PM
The closing line of this article is based on an assumption that choosing the also-ran for VP is the standard protocol from which the Obama campaign has strayed. I don't find that to be factual, or even supported, at least since 1804 when we began voting for president and vice president on a single ticket.
Watch your presumptions, please, they can be mistaken for bias.
Posted by: Esther | August 25, 2008 11:19 PM
Very classy, Hillary. You are a jewel to speak up with the words that you did. Take that, Mr. McCain! It's time for you to realize you can't push this woman around. I'm sure there's more where that came from! You go girl!
Posted by: Diane Kristy | August 26, 2008 7:53 PM