Democracy Has Prevailed.

March 7, 2008

Obama Foreign Policy Adviser Resigns Over Monstrous Remark

MONSTER BASH

Samantha Power, a foreign policy adviser to Obama's presidential campaign resigned today after it came out that she had called Clinton a "monster" to the foreign press.

If you missed the news this morning, Powers said the following to The Scotsman newspaper:
"We f*** up in Ohio. In Ohio, they are obsessed and Hillary is going to town on it, because she knows Ohio's the only place they can win. She is a monster, too -- that is off the record -- she is stooping to anything."
Power said, "you just look at her and think: ergh. But if you are poor and she is telling you some story about how Obama is going to take your job away, maybe it will be more effective. The amount of deceit she has put forward is really unattractive."
It probably didn't help that during a telephone press conference held by the Hillary Clinton for President campaign this morning that three House members, Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) called for Samantha Power to be dismissed.


Lowey said, she was, "Calling on Obama to make it very clear that Samantha Power should not be a part of this campaign."

Wasserman Schultz said that Obama had "set a tone of hope" and that the campaign should not degenerate into personal attacks and name calling.

Meeks added that while it's understood that politics is a contact sport, that it should be about the issues and not personal attacks. He said that this was "the worst kind of politics" and that this was what was expected from the other side and that Obama should "stand up and take action."

Later in the phone call, Wasserman Schultz responding to a question from Slate about off-the-record remarks noted that from her own experience, if you've already agreed to an on-the-record interview and then say something you regret and try to make it "off record" the press generally always believes that the comment is fair play to air publically.

According to MSNBC, Barack Obama initially responded to the controversy with this:
[He's] said to have made it very clear that statments such as one from his foreign policy advisor Samantha Power have no place in American politics.
However, back in December Obama made the following statements in regard to personal attacks:
...Obama said he had "been very clear to my campaign. I do not want to see research that is involved in trying to tear people down personally. If I find out that somebody is doing that, they will be fired. And I have been absolutely crystal clear about this, and I have been clear about this for a very long time."
Of course it's not as if the Obama campaign hasn't gotten personal with Hillary Clinton before, though usually the comments are coming from Barack's own mouth in the form of sexist dogwhistles:
  • First there was the "tea parties" comment:

    Obama merely declined to comment in this case, but he hasn't gotten to New Hampshire with clean hands, having recently reduced Hillary Clinton's experience as first lady to attending tea parties; then, responding to being called out by the Clinton campaign on the obvious sexism of that jab, he denied he was referring to her gender (really?—he'd describe a man's experience as having "tea" with people?) and resorted to a thinly-veiled update on the old "hysteria" chestnut: "Those folks must really be on edge."

  • Then, the "claws" comment:

    Obama saved most of his criticisms for Bush, but he seemed to have Clinton in his sights when he said, "You challenge the status quo and suddenly the claws come out."

  • And this period piece:

    “[OBAMA] I understand that Senator Clinton, periodically when she’s feeling down, launches attacks as a way of trying to boost her appeal,” he told reporters.

    ’Cause you know how women are….

    Driven by feelings…. Worried about their [sex] appeal… Prone to tears… The whole phases of the moon thing…

    And did you catch the dogwhistle in “periodically”?

    NOTE: Apparently, Andrea Mitchell and Nora O’Donnell noticed as well. Even if the boys on the bus didn’t — or approved.

  • PA PLAY

    In Pennsylvania news at the same morning press conference there were hints that there may be at least one PA Presidential debate.

    Also, when a WTAE reporter (Aaron Saykin maybe?) asked if Clinton had to win PA, Howard Wolfson said that the campaign would not make any blanket statements but said that PA was "absolutely critical to the campaign." Well, yes!
    .

    10 comments:

    Schultz said...

    So will this blog be overrun by pro-Hillary posts?

    Obama did say the following:

    "I understand that Senator Clinton, periodically when she’s feeling down, launches attacks as a way of trying to boost her appeal"

    And you disagree with Obama's statement here? HA! You're telling me that Hillary Clinton is not known for playing the victim and then, without warning, she unleashes her "claws" like the way she went off the day after the Texas debate. Get over the sexism BS already, because its a mute point in a race against an African American, even though HRC did say that she wished that she had a level playing field. Hahaha, good one.

    Did you know that you are supporting one of biggest corporate hacks in politics. If you really want progressive policy changes like universal healthcare then you wouldn't be supporting a candidate who was second to your pal Rick Santorum for taking money from the Healthcare Industry. Even Michael Moore, a huge fan of HRC, was disappointed by this fact.

    Here is the full chart of the top recipients of contributions from the Health Care Industry.

    Anonymous said...

    It would be almost impossible for this, or any other blog, to be be "overrun" by pro-Hillary posts.

    There just isn't enough pro-Hillary material for that.

    Even Sen. Clinton's campaign has run out of pro-Hillary material, and has resorted to attacking her opponent.

    Pinky said...

    Very true, but like the sad pathetic Clinton campaign I'm sure the pro-Hillary bloggers are going to start bitching and moaning about how Obama is attacking Hillary. "He said that her 'claws were out!'" Boo freakin hoo!!!!

    David - if you read this - can you blog about low class Hillary's statement about how both she and Senator McCain meet the threshold for commander-in-chief and Obama does not? This is the first time I can recall a Democrat, or even a Republican, making a public statement that their primary opponent was inferior to the other's party's nominee. What a disgrace.

    Gloria said...

    I'm an undecided Democratic voter.
    (Maria & Dave-o let the full court press begin).

    The blame on this one rests squarely on Samantha Power's shoulders.

    This is a person who is a Pulitzer Prize winning author, a Harvard Professor, named by Time Mag. in 04 as one of that year's 100 Top Thinkers.

    A Top Thinker without a lick of common sense.

    Shouldn't she have gained at least a smidge of media relations savvy in light of all of her accomplishments?

    I don't care how tired/angry/etc. an upper level campaign staffer / advisor gets during a campaign, you don't say stuff like that to a reporter.

    But they do, remember Billy Shaheen?

    Anonymous said...

    <bullshit>The blame on this one rests squarely on Samantha Power's shoulders.</bullshit>

    The wise, attractive, and honest Ms. Powers made an off-the-cuff remark -- and many would say an accurate one -- OFF THE RECORD. If there is anyone to blame, it is the journalist for releasing an off-the-record remark.

    What's more, her resignation was as classy as it could possibly be, and the Obama campaign handled this like the professionals they are.

    Now Obama supporters, and I am a reluctant Obama supporter, have a unified tag to pin on Sen. Clinton. It is already beginning to stick, and for good reason.

    Anonymous said...

    Did they ever get around to firing Howard Wolfson for suggesting that Obama was Ken Star? Did they ever get around to firing union-buster Mark Penn for his repeated use of the word cocaine? Did they ever get around to firing Bob Kerrey for his use of the word Madrassa and spreading a false smear? Did they ever get around to Bill Clinton for a half dozen purple faced rants at voters?

    The idea that the Obama campaign is the negative campaign is ludicrous. But then lots of things are ludicrous in Clintonworld. To even suggest that Obama approved of this attack is Clintonian--of course, we can always argue about what exactly is the meaning of is. Been there, done that. Let's not go Back to the Future.

    Anonymous said...

    John K. says: It doesn't matter who you left wingers vote for, Obama or Frau Hillary. It is the super delegates that are going to determine who your nominee is. It is typical Democrat politics. Make the voters feel good about themselves by allowing them to think their voice matters. Should I resign from this blog for referring to Hillary as Frau Hillary and her brown shirts. LMAO LOL LOL LOL I don't think so.

    Anonymous said...

    John K. says: Look at my dicky! I'm the only 12-year old who has one of these! Look! Look!

    Anonymous said...

    .
    Firing Powers was a mistake, Obama has shown himself to be subservient to the PIAPS.
    Great post. Obama’s aide was right. Hillary is a monster. Of course not the same kind of monster as Hitler, Mao or Stalin, but a monster nonetheless.
    .
    absurd thought -
    God of the Universe says
    don't call monsters monsters

    never expose their evil
    never upset a monster


    .
    absurd thought -
    God of the Universe says
    claim to care for people

    call yourself progressive
    your policies hurt poor folk


    .
    absurd thought -
    God of the Universe says
    elect women presidents

    who cover for their husbands
    who rape other women


    .
    if you’re MAD
    punish your country
    VOTE for Hillary

    .
    http://www.hillaryproject.com/

    Go here and watch ‘The Hillary Show’ with Howard Dean. It’s Hillarious!

    http://www.stophernow.com/

    http://absurdthoughtsaboutgod.blogspot.com/

    :)
    .

    Anonymous said...

    Excuse me but wasn't it Ken Starr who demanded the Clinton's taxs? Not unlike Barack to sound repukelican.I saw Samantha Powers on Democracy Now and thought that SHE sounded so much like a monster that I had to turn the volume down. She out and out lied saying that the foreigen policies between the two candidates were worlds apart. Yeah, they are! HE was not in the senate to vote and when he did get there has voted more times than her to keep the war going, i.e. he has never voted for troop withdraw, she has. The bar of credentials to be president has been lowered further than what bush brought to the table. But oh yeah he's a man.