NY Mag on the Clooney's Beef with Biden

[flamingdem]

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/george-clooney-joe-biden.html

--- But two months ago, Amal Clooney, the esteemed human-rights lawyer who happens to be the actor’s wife, sat on a review board that essentially greenlit the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s decision to apply for a warrant to charge Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant with war crimes over the invasion in Gaza. -- As the administration supplying Israel with its munitions to carry out the war, the Biden camp wasn’t thrilled by this action, coming from an international body that the U.S. is not even a party to. White House officials called the decision an “overreach,” while Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly told Republican senator Lindsey Graham he would “welcome working with you” on sanctioning ICC members.

With the prospect of his wife facing sanctions by the U.S. government, the Washington Post reported that Clooney texted Biden fundraiser and adviser Steve Ricchetti to express his concerns — and hinted that his support of the president was not unconditional. It appears that the beef was partially resolved: In June, Clooney hosted a star-studded event for Biden’s reelection that raised $28 million. But after Oldgate, Clooney went in on just the issues.

[Silent Type]

1. Yeah, Clooney had a fundraiser in June that raised $13 M because he and his wife were ticked at Biden. Don't think so.

[flamingdem]

2. Guessing he was locked into the fundraiser and got social status for that

He waited to unleash on Biden. Sure, he may have seen Biden being old at
the fundraiser but that doesn't justify using his fame to diss Biden now.

He's putting a thumb on the scale in a vengeful way, imo.

Luckily, most people don't take him seriously.

[Silent Type]

3. Think his characterization today and video I saw from event are confirmation, as sad as it is.

At my age, take no pleasure in saying that.

[flamingdem]

10. Don't you think he judged him too harshly?

Lawrence O'Donnell had Biden at a union event today and he didn't miss a beat.

So exhaustion seems to explain both the debate and the fundraiser. Biden
does a ridiculous amount of travel. But he does recover and speaks well.

[Silent Type]

13. Look, I love Biden, but exhaustion is not a winning excuse, anymore than a cold.

[GoreWon2000]

17. Biden is running our country while campaigning while tRump plays golf

and speaks gibberish. You don't question where tRump has been since the debate? He sure wasn't campaigning, he was playing golf

[Silent Type]

19. I'm not voting for trump. Don't care where he's hiding. But he's still ahead and you think it will evaporate for some

reason.

[edisdead]

51. All this jibber jabbering

Who do YOU put up against Trump right now?

Meaning lets have it right now. What is YOUR suggestion.

Let’s hear it.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

80. 27 hours later....

....still waiting.

[GoreWon2000]

52. Dukakis was ahead by 17 points in July 1988

Dukakis lost by 8 points in November 1988. Again, your attacking Biden only helps dictator tRump. You sound like a maga troll.

[Silent Type]

54. Seems "MAGA trolls" are satisfied running against a candidate still behind in polls.

[Silent Type]

74. So, how did your candidates fare over those 20 years?

[LiberalFighter]

63. Polls are too early.

It doesn't help when the media is attacking Biden without providing extenuating circumstances. Or leaving out new information intentionally when it comes to light.

Not does it help when Democrats attack the presumptive nominee that has gone through the process. Instead of rallying behind him.

You seem to think it is a simple process to select someone who hasn't campaigned, raised money, or other aspects involved.

You seem to think the primaries don't matter and shouldn't be considered.

[LiberalFighter]

61. Do you think Biden attending the G7 in Italy on June 14

And then flying all the way to California to attend a fundraiser on June 15 should not be considered? Or being in France for D-Day?

[GoreWon2000]

14. You haven't seen Biden AFL-CIO headquarters visit today-Joe looked great and was totally unscripted

You're ok with media ignoring tRump mental decline and the fact that most of tRump's cabinet isn't supporting him? tRump's Mar-A-Lago speech this week was gibberish. You're also in favor of disenfranchising 14 million dem primary voters. How anti-democracy of you.

[Silent Type]

18. No I'm not OK with anyone who supports trump. But he's going to win if we keep screwing around.

[GoreWon2000]

20. Traitors like Clooney and a few Congressional dems are helping tRump!

You think it's ok for Clooney to get more media for attacking Biden then most of tRump's cabinet NOT supporting tRUmp! Why are you spreading this anti-Biden rubbish?

[Silent Type]

22. Have a nice night.

[Big Blue Marble]

25. Clooney is not a traitor. Why are you using hyperbolic language?

You may disagree wiith him. But he wants what we all want to defeat Trump and his thugs.
He sees Biden as not up for the job. I have no doubt that he will vote for Biden if he remains
our nominee as will most Democrats. It is the independents we need to worry about.

[GoreWon2000]

27. Disenfranchising 14 million dem primary voters is not how to win

Clooney has never worked on a campaign so he has no idea. Women will defend their right to control their own bodies regardless of party or being an independent. I spent more than 20 years watching them do so. Clooney's and the other mostly white guys shenanigan's have taken the spotlight off of the terrible harm women will face if tRump gets back in the White House.

[GoreWon2000]

50. Clooney doesn't run the dem party and neither do you!

You can't handle the fact that it's we the people who run the Democratic party and not a few rich people. You're advocating dictatorship. BTW, Clooney left the fundraiser 3 hours before Biden left. FYI, Biden had crossed 9 time zones to be at that fundraiser. Not so for Clooney

[ZZenith]

23. How are "we" screwing around?

Please explain.

[GoreWon2000]

26. You're wasting time wrongly attacking Biden when you should be warning about dictator tRump

The small, anti-democracy, rich white guy's cabal has wasted 2 weeks attacking Biden. They should've spent that 2 weeks warning about dictator tRump. They were stupid to take the NY Times bait and our country may pay a terrible price for their stupidity, most especially women, people of color and the environment. The maga's well understand the importance of this election. Look at what they're putting up with candidate wise but they have their eye on the prize which is total control of the federal government. This is why they're so united while this little dem cabal is busy tearing our party apart. Enough rich white guy, dems are too stupid to figure this out and their anti-democracy antics could turn our country into a dictatorship.

[ZZenith]

34. Where did I attack Biden?!

Are you confusing me with someone else here who should live up to their screen name?

[edisdead]

53. Once again if you don't have a concrete plan

the you are screwing around by sewing doubt against Biden.

Who do you support?

If it is blue no matter who then please stop critiquing Biden. It doesn’t help.

If you have someone else then say the name.

[GoreWon2000]

55. You and rich white guys are screwing around!

You attack Biden while you ignore dictator tRump. Do you see any magas attacking tRump for being old and experiencing cognitive decline? It's time for you to knock off you maga troll routine.

[Butterflylady]

77. You definitely don't know the American people.

We WILL win.

[GoCubsGo]

57. Was that the video that Fox Propaganda put out,

where they edited it to make it look like Obama was having to guide him around because he appeared lost?

[Silent Type]

58. Have not seen that video, don't watch FOX. Do you have a link?

[GoCubsGo]

60. Here is one of many that discusses it.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clee77n5n78o

It was actually the New York comPost that put out the video, but it's same organization as Fox Propaganda.

[Big Blue Marble]

12. Where do you get the idea that people are not taking him seriously.

Clooney is not some actor. He is a major player in the Democratic Party. His statement
is a big deal. That is why there is so much push back coming from the Biden Campaign.

Clooney is not just speaking for himself. He went out on a limb for others as well. You
can bet on that. Lots of donors are very unhappy right now and have stopped donating.

[flamingdem]

15. He WAS a major player in the party

I doubt that all the donors at that fundraisers are happy with his Op Ed.

If they are they are idiots. Really, these are wealthy Hollywood people and
one can just imagine the egos. Old man gate. As if they could do the job
Biden does..

[Big Blue Marble]

21. I think many of those donors encouraged him to write it.

From what I have read, the donor class is frozen in place and are not giving until this
debacle is settled one way or another. Not a good thing with four months to go
and needing a steady flow a big money to make to the finish line.

[flamingdem]

28. Yes, it's possible that they agree

But that's really not going to help the situation.

One thing I've learned from this mess is that supposed saavy pundits and donor elites
are not smart or practical about politics.

[GoreWon2000]

30. Disenfranchised dem primary voters will stay home

because they'll be furious that their votes were taken away. Rich donors don't choose the dem party nominee, we the people choose the nominee. You want another disenfranchisement like 2000? That's how we got here.

[Big Blue Marble]

38. No they will not stay home. They all will vote for our nominee just like all of us.

I love your board name by the way. And completely agree with the sentiment.

But this is different. We all want the same thing most of all to defeat Trump
and most would walk over hot coals to vote against him.. This is more like 2008 when everyone
said the Hillary voters would stay home. And we all know how that worked out.

[GoreWon2000]

47. In what alternate universe are you living in?

The disenfranchisement efforts of a few, mostly white, rich men trying to disenfranchise 14 million Biden dem primary voters is straight out of the disenfranchisement of our country by 5, corrupt, repug SCOTUS judges in 2000. That's what started this whole mess. Your continuing attacks on Biden and your calling for 14 million Biden dem primary voters to be disenfranchised only helps tRump/maga

[Big Blue Marble]

64. According to the Ipos Poll out today,

your premise of concern for the 14 million primary voters is overstated. As a majority of
regular Democrats want Biden to drop out.

"Most Democrats want Biden to drop out, but overall race is static, poll finds
More than half of Democrats say Biden should end his candidacy. Overall, 2 in 3 adults say the president should step aside, including more than 7 in 10 independents."

"The poll results contradict Biden’s claim that only party elites want him to step aside. He has said that positive interactions with supporters on the campaign trail have helped persuade him to stay in the race after a debate in which he trailed off and occasionally appeared confused. But the poll finds that 56 percent of Democrats say that he should end his candidacy, while 42 percent say he should continue to seek reelection. Overall, 2 in 3 adults say the president should step aside, including more than 7 in 10 independents."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/11/poll-biden-drop-out-election/

[GoreWon2000]

71. Typical pro GOP media rigged poll

Polls aren't worth the paper they're written on. I learned that very early in my political activism career. You have no such campaign experience. Once again you sound like a maga troll.

[Big Blue Marble]

75. Interesting that you would be make such accusations as I just celebrated 20 years on DU two days ago.

I was here long before MAGAs' existed. I have worked on many campaigns probably
going back before you were born. Polls are not perfect; but do indicate trends.

I also know that when people do not like the data, the first thing they do is bash the polls
rather than look at the trend. It is clear that the trends are being noticed by many that
matter.

[edisdead]

56. Bernie Bros enter the chat....

Even tho they were never actually cheated

[Big Blue Marble]

36. Why do you think big money donations have dried up?

Are they all idiots?

[flamingdem]

37. Maybe a pause. Poll numbers appear to be going up

so I suspect they will resume.

[Big Blue Marble]

39. Let's hope that they do.

Next week after the convention thought Trump will probably get a bump.
And things are going to remain in flux. It is going to be a very rocky ride. We
cannot put it all back in a pre-debate bottle and make it go away.

The issue of Biden's fitness will remain, as Hillary's email, a hot topic until Nov.
and any slips or gaffes from Biden will inflame it all over again.

In other words, the media will focus on Biden not on Trump when we need that
to help us stop the monster.

[GoreWon2000]

24. You think it's ok to disenfranchise 14 million dem primary voters?

Rich white guys don't decide the dem party nominee, we the people decide that! BTW, Clooney's never actually worked on a campaign.

[flamingdem]

29. I agree. Their egos are inflated

but glad they shelled out up until now! From here on we have to float the campaign.

Sometimes the messaging is worth more than hundreds of TV ads.

[Big Blue Marble]

32. Raising 28 million seems to be working on the campaign to me.

A of lot rich white and black guys and gals donate the big money that makes this party happen. An
they have a lot to say about just what happens.I assure you that Clooney is not the only big
donor that is concerned right now.

The three factors that will keep Biden in this race going forward are first and foremost how Biden
does, Every speech, every comment, and every move he makes is being scrutinized like never
before; second whether the big donors stick with him and third the polls in the swing states.

Those 14 million voters want to beat Trump like we all do. The question is knowing then what we
know now would they vote the same way?

[GoreWon2000]

49. Rich people don't run the dem party!

We the people run the Democratic party. Showing up for a fundraiser is a drop in the bucket for what it means to work on a campaign. I know because I spent more than 20 years working on dem campaigns. Your words show that you have no such experience.

[Celerity]

7. 28 million USD

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/16/us/politics/biden-fundraiser-los-angeles.html

[flamingdem]

11. Well at least Biden can thank him for the funds!

The Op Ed was garbage though. Brought to us by the seditious NYT.

[captain queeg]

4. He's been a staunch anti Trump voice. I hope he doesn't get petty and keeps eyes on the goal-defeat Trump

And I hope he realizes Joe is our best bet.

[flamingdem]

6. He might be surprised at the push back

He played his hand and I'm not sure why exactly.

This could have been handled in a more discreet way.

He must have known he'd be out of the inner circle of
celebrity supporters after this. And doesn't care.

[captain queeg]

9. Well celebrities can be pretty importand during elections or even just ongoing support

Hopefully voters realize being good at politics is not the same as being good at government. I think Dems are generally better at this realization. The rethugs seem to think the two things are the same.

[Silent Type]

8. I think he's been clear on what said and saw at the fundraiser.

[GoreWon2000]

31. Why are you continuing to spread this rubbish?

Have you not seen Biden's AFL-CIO headquarters stop today? Stop helping to divide the party and get back to focusing on dictator tRump. Your behavior is only helping tRump.

[Big Blue Marble]

16. He will remain a stanch anti Trump voice.

He is a strong little d and big D democrat. He just does not think Biden is the best person to beat Trump. He said he saw a Biden at the fund rally as we saw him at the debate.

[GoreWon2000]

33. Clooney doesn't decide. We the people decide!

Stop spreading this rubbish and focus on dictator tRump. FYI, Biden was perfectly fine today at the AFL-CIO headquarters stop. You've obviously not seen that.

[Big Blue Marble]

35. I saw it.

Please do not tell me what to do. Do you really think the voters have that much influence?
It is big money that has the votes and owns our government.

[GoreWon2000]

48. Stop trying to tell everyone else what to do

You don't understand that we the people run the Democratic party, NOT a few rich, white guys who won't suffer the way the dem base will suffer if dictator tRump gets back in the White House. Shame on you for saying that a few, white, rich men should run the Democratic party and not we the people. You sound like a maga troll.

[farmboy]

66. I'm 60, never voted any but Democrats. Have very little $ or assets. I'm very "we the people". Stop name calling.

I changed my mind of Biden’s likely ability to govern for another full time based on what he did at debate and after. New info since the primaries. I’ll vote for him, but think our chances are now higher with strong, competent, more energetic contrast to Trump. Don’t care about anyone’s age. If Biden was 35 and he performed as he did, I’d be worried about him just as much. We’ve long talked about the deep field of worthy Democrats. Let’s show them!

[GoreWon2000]

70. So you want to disenfranchise 14 million democratic party primary voters

and ignore how unhinged, incompetent, confused, using violent rhetoric dictator tRump? is? I don't think so. 5 unelected GOP SCOTUS judges did that in 2000 to the entire country and put our country on the path to dictatorship. We the people decide the democratic party nominee, NOT a small group of mostly, white, Anglo, male elites.

[Celerity]

5. the entire article (it is very short) with proper hyperlinks

In an op-ed in the New York Times on Wednesday, tequila magnate and actor George Clooney wrote that President Joe Biden should not run as the Democratic nominee in 2024. “I love Joe Biden,” Clooney wrote. “But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time.”

Clooney may know a thing or two about this: If anyone is winning the battle against time, it is him. But by joining the whimpering chorus of Democrats calling for Biden to step aside after his disastrous debate performance, Clooney is taking on a noted grudge-holder in Joe Biden. Their relationship has been a little tense for a couple months now.

Before May, Clooney was in lockstep with the Biden campaign, bundling millions for his effort in 2020 — as he did for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama (a friend) before him. But two months ago, Amal Clooney, the esteemed human-rights lawyer who happens to be the actor’s wife, sat on a review board that essentially greenlit the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s decision to apply for a warrant to charge Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant with war crimes over the invasion in Gaza. (A recent calculation by The Lancet puts the civilian death toll in Gaza at around 186,000 people, roughly 8 percent of the territory’s population.) As the administration supplying Israel with its munitions to carry out the war, the Biden camp wasn’t thrilled by this action, coming from an international body that the U.S. is not even a party to. White House officials called the decision an “overreach,” while Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly told Republican senator Lindsey Graham he would “welcome working with you” on sanctioning ICC members.

With the prospect of his wife facing sanctions by the U.S. government, the Washington Post reported that Clooney texted Biden fundraiser and adviser Steve Ricchetti to express his concerns — and hinted that his support of the president was not unconditional. It appears that the beef was partially resolved: In June, Clooney hosted a star-studded event for Biden’s reelection that raised $28 million. But after Oldgate, Clooney went in on just the issues. “Is it fair to point these things out?” Clooney asked in his op-ed. “It has to be. This is about age. Nothing more.” With presidential powers at an all-time high, thanks to the Supreme Court, we would advise that Clooney does not take any unchaperoned drives upstate anytime soon.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

44. So Clooney's support for Biden was basically a quid pro quo

With the line that his support was "not unconditional". Interesting.

[lapucelle]

65. The *recent calculation* was not "made by The Lancet".

It was made in a much criticized, highly speculative letter to The Lancet.

The author may have included hyperlinks, but this one clearly does not support his claim.

[Mosby]

76. Side note Clooney is not a tequila magnate

His share of Casamigos was unknown, and he and the other investors sold the brand in 2017 to the people who distribute Don Julio for 1 billion dollars. Also, the origin story is BS.

Just saying.

[SunSeeker]

40. Amal/ICC members should have been sanctioned.

The ICC both sides-ing the Hamas attack on 10/7 and Israel's response was ludicrous. The ICC has lost credibility. George, your wife Amal may be a beautiful woman, but her judgment sucks.

And George, if you're not going to help Biden, then please stop hurting him with nasty smears about his abilities. Please go back to making tequila and annoying the locals at Lake Como.

[Cha]

42. Okay.. love the info.. Mahalo!

[flamingdem]

45. Lol! Wondering what he does to annoy the locals

[SunSeeker]

69. Just by being there. The paparazzi are insufferable.

He almost sold his villa on the lake there last fall because of it, but decided to stay.

[Cha]

41. This is too bad. does Clooney, and all those geniuses jumping ship have a plan

without Biden, the POTUS, to Beat our Némesis, TSF?

I would have posted this sooner But we lost our Power at 7:40pm Hawaii time.

[SunSeeker]

43. They have no plan.

Clooney's suggested replacements, Newsom and Whitmer, have both refused to step in to replace Biden, and neither one would have access to Biden campaign money, unlike Kamala.

Clooney argued that it was “disingenuous” to say the matter of Biden’s nomination is settled when “we just received new and upsetting information,” and that a new candidate would “in all likelihood” be able to make use of the Biden campaign’s millions in funds. Clooney encouraged Democrats like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to throw their hats into the ring and partake in debates where they agree not to attack one another.

“Would it be messy? Yes. Democracy is messy. But would it enliven our party and wake up voters who, long before the June debate, had already checked out? It sure would,” the actor said.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/george-clooney-biden-drop-out_n_668ea511e4b0fabe6c568cee

And how do Clooney and all the pundits think skipping over Kamala will "enliven" the black vote, our base?

[Cha]

67. Sounds like Traitor Clooney is the

one who's being Disingenuous.

And how do Clooney and all the pundits think skipping over Kamala will "enliven" the black vote, our base?

Never thought those words would come out of my keyboard.

Mahalo, SunSeeeker.

[ms liberty]

78. So this is all because he thinks the party needs to be "enlivened" and woken up?

Apparently, they thought we were apathetic because we weren't beating down doors and we're just going about our lives waiting for election day to turn out.
I have lost all respect for him over this. He's a party to a slow-moving non physically-violent coup, IMO.

[SunSeeker]

79. We're not like MAGAts cultists. We don't run around waving our candidate's flag in people's faces.

We look at our candidates as public servants we are hiring to do a job, not idols. We have a life, our candidate is not our life. It was even like that under charismatic Obama. There were no "Obama trains" barreling down our streets. Do these nay sayers not know the difference between Dems and MAGAts?

[flamingdem]

46. Cha, hope all's well over there

Must be challenging to be offline these days! Maybe good now and then.

[Cha]

68. Hey flamingdem.. Not only offline but

It was Dark and I Cuon'd t cook the dinner I had planned Wah! lol

Power slowly returns after island-wide outage on Kauai

The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative says an early analysis shows a fault at Kapaia switchyard caused all generators to trip offline.

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2024/07/11/island-wide-power-outage-impacting-customers-across-kauai/

Makes me appreciate Electricity even more... I love it!

[MustLoveBeagles]

62. That's the thing Cha

There is no plan. Getting rid of Biden at this stage would be political suicide.

[brush]

59. I don't agree completely on the admin's policies on suppplying...

Last edited Fri Jul 12, 2024, 04:06 PM - Edit history (1)

warmonger Netanyahu weapons to keep killing in Gaza but I still support his efforts to achieve a ceasefire.

I would say very few people agree on every single issue of elected officials policies.

[shrike3]

73. I have issues with some of the ways Biden has handled things.

But only some. Overall, I think he's done a good job.

[brush]

81. Yes, my feelings too.