Bill Clinton's actual shocking, appalling comments (transcript)

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Here is the actual transcript of Bill Clinton's "disgraceful" and "shameful" comments that "stunned" Obama.

Prepare to be "shocked!" (and keep some smelling salts handy)

"The point I'm here to make to you is whoever you're for, this is a really big election. We saw what happened the last seven years when we made decisions in elections based on trivial matters. When we listened to people make snide comments about whether Vice President Gore was too stiff.

"And when they made dishonest claims about the things that he said that he'd done in his life. When that scandalous Swift Boat ad was run against Senator Kerry. When there was an ad that defeated Max Cleland in Georgia, a man that left half his body in Vietnam...

"Why am I saying this? Because, I had the feeling that at the end of that last debate we were about to get into cutesy land again. Ya'll raise your hand if you're for illegal immigrants getting a driver's license. So, we then let the Republicans go ahead saying all the Democrats are against the rule of law.

"I think it's fine to discuss immigration. We should. I believe immigration needs to be discussed. And it's fine for Hillary and all the other Democrats to discuss Governor Spitzer's plan. But not in 30 seconds, yes, no, raise your hand. This is a complicated issue. This is a complicated issue.

"So do I hope you vote for my wife? You bet I do. It'd be good for America, and good for the world. But, more than that I came here to tell you today, don't you dare let them take this election away from you...Don't be diverted, don't be divided."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2007/11/text_of_bill_clintons_comments.php

[TwilightGardener]

1. This whole Hillary thing has been badly overblown, and I'm saying

that as a NON-Hillary supporter. It's getting stupid now--Republicans can run with it, but it's stupid for Democrats to keep pounding on it. Let's move on.

[beberocks]

7. Absolutely! Seems like there is a smear campaign going on among Dems on HRC.

I won't be voting for HRC in the primary, but if she is the Dem candidate in 2008, she'll get my full support. Too many posters on DU seem to ignore that reality that bashing the Dem candidates only helps the repukes win again. If you have some facts or a point to make fine. Otherwise quit having a hissy fit over minor issues like driver's licenses for immigrants. If the biggest problem this country faced was whether or not to issue DL to immigrants, we'd be in great shape!

[TwilightGardener]

13. Yep--it's not that big a deal. It IS a "gray" issue. I think most people

can see both sides of it, whether or not they agree, and the more we keep harping on it, the more it's getting blown out of proportion. Let the GOPers do it, not us. And I think Hill and Bill should shut up about the licenses, and the debate, and stop trying to do damage control--it's just keeping the debate in the news.

[karynnj]

14. Were you equally outraged

at the fake distinction that Hillary made implying that Obama would not do the setup before a diplomatic meeting that any President would do? That he did not say it does not imply he wouldn't do it, he didn't say he would wear a suit either, but I think we can reasonably assume he would.

[TwilightGardener]

15. That pissed me off, of course, but it wasn't nearly as "overmagnified"

in the media as this driver's license thing is--that little debate spat was just politics: Hillary trying to smack Obama down. That's to be expected.

[karynnj]

26. The two issues likely got about the same coverage

I agree that Hillary was smacking Obama down - just as Edwards, aided by some of the others was smacking HRC down. Same difference, her team (not HRC, but her team) is just whining more. I would suggest that Obama's comment deserved the smack down less.

I really think it was not the debate or even the after the debate comments - but the series of way too big Clinton responses (piling on, BC, and now WC) that are extending the life of this. She is still way ahead, but it does put her in a slightly different new situation. This is the first big slide in her numbers since things got hot this year. If, she does things that support the negative characterizations, then those people could stay out of her count, there would be more stories on the same supposed flaw, and it could lead to greater erosion. If that happened, it could throw everything up in the air. At least at this point, as much as half the difference went to undecided. This may signal an openning for Biden, Richardson or Dodd, especially if these are people newly unimpressed by HRC, who worried about the lack of experience of Edwards and Obama.

Alternatively, HRC could answer questions brilliantly in the debate next week - countering the negative characterization. This would be the best way to defuse this mess. It might be harder, knowing that any thing approaching double talk will be highlighted.

[BlueManDude]

18. Get used to it - the 2008 general election will be another GOP-inspired joke.

It will be about laughs and haircuts and Asian campaign finance "scandals" and Monica Lewinsky and Vince Foster and on and on and on...

[TwilightGardener]

22. It's starting to look that way. It's a shame that Dems can't have their

policy and style differences with each other made known in a debate without the media using it as a hammer on the whole party.

[MNDemNY]

2. I'm so fu**ing shocked, and I used to respect him.

Damn, how could he say such stuff. Now I'll have to vote for BHO. Those Clintons sure are a couple of bad eggs, saying such mean things!!!!!!

[blm]

6. I have seen Dems swiftboating other Dems on occasion, though....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk1k0nUWEQg

The difference is that Dems need to be outraged AT THE TIME the tactic is being used and create a wall of noise behind that outrage.

I tried to find official statements the Clintons made to express serious outrage AT THE TIME both Max was being attacked in 2002 and when Kerry was being attacked in 2004, but I couldn't find any official statement from those two best known Democrats that expressed their level of outrage at those attacks and smears against either Max or Kerry.

[Bitwit1234]

8. I have searched for two days and I can't find a statement from Obama either.

[blm]

12. I don't think Obama easily commanded newscameras in 2002 and 2004. Do you

think he did? I wasn't aware that Obama was seen as the loudest and most influential Democratic voice in the country in 2002 and 2004. Can you share your recollection of his status at the time?

[karynnj]

16. In 2002 and even in 2004, Obama was not the prominent

figure he is now. He did campaign extensively for Kerry in 2004 as his own race was not challenging. Bill Clinton was in a different position.

[jefferson_dem]

3. Thanks. Now i'm really convinced. Criticizing the way Hillary handled that question is just like...

the Swift Boat Liars attacks on Kerry and the wretched smears on American hero and my former Senator Max Cleland.

...

[cuke]

36. I find that hard to believe

seeing how enthusiastically you engaged in the "Hillary didn't leave a tip" smear

[jefferson_dem]

52. Good catch.

Guess I forgot the little rainy sarcasm emoticon.

[PATRICK]

4. Amen

to what Bill said. Joining in the GOP nonsense by using it to attack our individual candidates is the height of moronic complicity. Immigration has to be settled on the big picture. It might not be so complex then and maybe the candidates should be forced to address the federal policies that create immigration waves in the first place. To let the argument shift to the results of vile policy in the angry debates about dealing with the human wave(but not the labor and economic issues) is to be stupidly, destructively divided.

That is what GOP immigration policy is ALL about. Political division to their advantage in every way and economic profit from cheap labor in every way. If Bill had any major influence over the party leadership he should have knocked this into their heads long ago. The fact that he has been making the same rants since Gore got manhandled in 2000 speaks instead to the tragic marginalization of his best political advice.

[karynnj]

21. Immigration is a WEDGE ISSUE - not swiftboating

If it were swiftboating, you would act to counter lies. Here like gay marriage, abortion and terror, the Republicans are trying to make immigration a wedge issue.

If you see it as a wedge issue, you need to work on defining your position so that you grab the people in the middle. You can't do this by simply calling people liars who dislike your position. Here, we need to get people to look at the issue holistically, to see that there are conservatively 12 million illegal immigrants, some who have been here for decades and who have American kids. We also need to see that as long as we let people hire them - either in an underground economy or in the open, there will be a lure pulling them in. The problem is that there is currently no easy way to stop this. We also need to counter the anti- immigration hatred that is very real and not confined to red states.

Here is a link to speeches at a "pro-America" rally in Morristown NJ, where George Washignton spent 2 winters in the Revolutionary War. Morristown is a Democratic town. Read the mayor's speech. This is an issue here - even though the entire Republican County hires these people for things like landscaping.

http://symsess.blogspot.com/2007/08/my-thoughts-on-morristown-rally.html

This is a real issue - but I presumptuously think that Bill Clinton is wrong in thinking that the problem is that people are using lies to attack the good character of Democrats.

[TwilightGardener]

23. The GOPers tried hammering on immigration in VA, and it backfired on them on Tuesday--

people are surprisingly moderate on it, overall. They want to see border enforcement and don't want to be overrun, but they also don't want to see mass deportations of innocent hard-working people--that's my sense, anyway. We'll have to see how it plays out nationally.

[karynnj]

24. True - it will backfire if they go to far

It is great news that it backfired in VA. It suggests that immigration may not work well as a wedge issue. It was suppose to be the wedge issue of 2006 by some accounts - and that did not work either. If it is not a wedge issue it works even less well to think of it as a swiftboating issue.

[durrrty libby]

5. Proof positive that the MSM and many here, desperately need audio/visual

diagnostics and corrective measures asap

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

25. It's the fucking Associated Press. They run endless, false stories against

all the Dems, and then excitable supporters of one candidate or another seize on the AP's bogus spin as gospel when it serves a narrow purpose.

The AP has run at least FOUR stories about Edwards' haircut. Their political reporting is RW garbage, and their characterization of Bill Clinton's remarks was bullshit.

[groovedaddy]

9. This is the result of the $$$ driven, sound bite age that has fueled

the g.o.p. rise to power.
As long as we allow politics to be played out like this, things will only change for the worse.
It has to change from the grassroots up.
Well educated (and some not so) Dems usually have a good grasp of issues and can smell through the b.s. to what's really going.
But the average American voter is making political decisions based on superficial, propaganda oriented soundbites.
We have to go back to the grassroots style of politics to influence these voters and challenge them to think.

[BeyondGeography]

10. Keep trying...Bill fails the equivalency test here

Stunningly.

[cuke]

37. Your judgement fails the test

stunningly

Weren't you one of the poster who got duped by the "Hillary didn't leave a tip" smear?

[flordehinojos]

11. shocking because the man dares to speak the d*mn truth?

Truth may Ritorna Vincitori and bite the whole bush bunch by their asses! Yaaaay!

[Skip Intro]

17. He's right on target. Absolutely correct.

Some of her Democratic rivals and the msm have tried to make this into Gore's sigh or Dean's scream.

It's been bs from the start.

I'm glad Bill's out there calling it like it is.

[jenmito]

30. He's way OFF target...

This was all a result of her dodging the question, evading answering as to not alienate ANYONE. She was called on it. Rightfully. It's just a symptom of her problem of triangulating and it happened during the debate when the other candidates were right there to point it out.

[Skip Intro]

32. She didn't dodge the question, this is bs spin from her rivals and the msm

I understood her debate answer and subsequent answers to the drivers licence question. It's not hard to do, assuming one actually listens to what she's saying. It sickens me to see cheap, right wing tactics used by our own on our own. And it doesn't really seem to be helping Edwards or Obama. Thank God I am part of a party the majority of which can see though such bullshit.

[jenmito]

34. She DID dodge the question. She's STILL dodging the question...

and it has nothing to DO with the RW. I watched the debate. Her rivals were IN the debate. I heard her avoid answering the question AND answered it two different ways. It's not spin to say that. It's the truth!

[cuke]

38. Please tell the truth

Please quote these two differnt answers

[jenmito]

43. Here ya go:

MR. RUSSERT: Senator Clinton, Governor of New York Eliot Spitzer has proposed giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. You told the Nashua, New Hampshire editorial board it makes a lot of sense. Why does it make a lot of sense to give an illegal immigrant a driver's license?

SEN. CLINTON: Well, what Governor Spitzer is trying to do is fill the vacuum left by the failure of this administration to bring about comprehensive immigration reform. We know in New York we have several million at any one time who are in New York illegally. They are undocumented workers. They are driving on our roads. The possibility of them having an accident that harms themselves or others is just a matter of the odds. It's probability. So what Governor Spitzer is trying to do is to fill the vacuum.

I believe we need to get back to comprehensive immigration reform because no state, no matter how well-intentioned, can fill this gap.

There needs to be federal action on immigration reform.

MR. RUSSERT: Does anyone here believe an illegal immigrant should not have a driver's license?

REP. KUCINICH: Believe what?

MR. RUSSERT: An illegal immigrant should not have a driver's license.

SEN. DODD: This is a privilege. And look, I'm as forthright and progressive on immigration policy as anyone here, but we're dealing with a serious problem here, we need to have people come forward. The idea that we're going to extend this privilege here of a driver's license, I think, is troublesome. And I think the American people are reacting to it.

We need to deal with security on our borders, we need to deal with the attraction that draws people here, we need to deal fairly with those who are here; but this is a privilege. Talk about health care, I have a different opinion. That affects the public health of all of us. But a license is a privilege, and that ought not to be extended, in my view.

MR. WILLIAMS: Who else? Senator --

SEN. CLINTON: I just want to add, I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do it. And we have failed --

SEN. DODD: Wait a minute. No, no, no. You said yes, you thought it made sense to do it.

` SEN. CLINTON: No, I didn't, Chris. But the point is, what are we going to do with all these illegal immigrants who are (driving ?) -- (inaudible)?

SEN. DODD: Well, that's a legitimate issue. But driver's license goes too far, in my view.

SEN. CLINTON: Well, you may say that, but what is the identification if somebody runs into you today who is an undocumented worker --

SEN. DODD: There's ways of dealing with that.

SEN. CLINTON: Well, but --

SEN. DODD: This is a privilege, not a right.

SEN. CLINTON: Well, what Governor Spitzer has agreed to do is to have three different licenses; one that provides identification for actually going onto airplanes and other kinds of security issues, another which is an ordinary driver's license, and then a special card that identifies the people who would be on the road.

SEN. DODD: That's a bureaucratic nightmare.

SEN. CLINTON: So it's not the full privilege.

MR. RUSSERT: Senator Clinton, I just want to make sure what I heard. Do you, the New York Senator Hillary Clinton, support the New York governor's plan to give illegal immigrants a driver's license? You told the Nashua, New Hampshire, paper it made a lot of sense.

SEN. CLINTON: It --

MR. RUSSERT: Do you support his plan?

SEN. CLINTON: You know, Tim, this is where everybody plays gotcha. It makes a lot of sense. What is the governor supposed to do? He is dealing with a serious problem. We have failed, and George Bush has failed.

Do I think this is the best thing for any governor to do? No. But do I understand the sense of real desperation, trying to get a handle on this? Remember, in New York we want to know who's in New York. We want people to come out of the shadows. He's making an honest effort to do it. We should have passed immigration reform.


(And then the next day she put out a statement supporting Spitzer's plan. :shrug:

[Skip Intro]

45. She understands Spitzer has to do something, but believes a federal approach is better.

What the hell is so hard to understand about that?



It is playing gotcha, because the answer to the question doesn't boil down to just yes or no.

[jenmito]

49. Then why did she put out a statement the next day in favor of Spitzer's plan?

It's NOT playing gotcha. It's a freakin' question. She wants to be all things to all people.

[cuke]

51. Because she thinks it's a good idea

She said that in the quotes you posted. Did you read your own post?

[jenmito]

54. So she's for it. But she said she's NOT for it. But she put out a statement saying she's for it

after saying she's not for it the night before. :wtf:

[Skip Intro]

57. God this reminds me so much of the Kerry "for it before I was against it" smear

'cept that came from the opposition party.

[cuke]

46. Still don't see any contradictions

I guess we'll have to depend on your "interpretation"

[jenmito]

50. Tim said she said she thought it was a good idea. She went on to explain why she thought it was a

good idea. Then Dodd said he's against it. Then Hillary said she never said she's FOR it. Then Dodd said she just said she thinks it's a good idea. She said she did NOT say that. A minute later she said she thinks it's a good idea. Triangulation is not a good thing. But it's a Clinton thing.

[cuke]

53. Where's the contradiction

She said it's a good idea. She never said she supports it. She never said it's not a good idea

[jenmito]

56. You're being blinded by your support of her.

Saying it's a good idea implied she was for it (until she was called on it at which time she had to waffle back and forth). She came out in support of it the next day.

[cuke]

60. You rely on what Tim Russert said, and accuse me of being blinded

You repeat the claims of a rw tool. You're the one that is blinded

[jenmito]

61. You're repeating the Hillary camp BS that Russert was attacking her...

he is always tough on the front-runner! He repeated her own words to her. Wow-you Hillary supporters are too much. Poor wittle Hillary can't play with the big boys without crying foul.

[KittyWampus]

19. So Clinton uses Swiftboating as a 'preamble' to discussing Hillary's performance during the debate

He frames the discussion to make it appear that Hillary was indeed smeared and lied about in the same atrocious manner as Kerry was swiftboated.

[karynnj]

27. Even ignoring the shamelessness, this also seems really poor strategy

As a Kerry supporter, before he opted not to run for President, I faced many people who argued that he shouldn't be the candidate because he "let" himself be swiftboated and that the Clintons knew how to fight back. Here, Bill Clinton is bizzarrely implying that HRC was swiftboated, even though it was clear there was no attack of that magnitude. It is strange because I responded to hundreds of posts saying "HRC can't be swiftboated" to say that anyone could be attacked. This throws that card out the window.

[cuke]

39. No true

Some people are shameless about this. First it was "Bill Clinton said"

Now that it has been exposed as a LIE, it becomes "Bill Clinton implied"

[Larkspur]

20. I love watching the Clintons shit in their draws becasue they screwed up

Immigration will be Hillary's Achilles heel and the Repukes know it.

[jenmito]

28. And here are the phrases from the speech that show he was talking about the other Dem. candidates

(I put my own comments in parentheses):

"The point I'm here to make to you is whoever you're for, this is a really big election. We saw what happened the last seven years when we made decisions in elections based on trivial matters. (Hillary's evasive, changing answer which the other candidates said they didn't understand.) When we listened to people make snide comments about whether Vice President Gore was too stiff. (Or comments about Hillary from the other candidates about her changing her answer/being evasive.)

"And when they made dishonest claims about the things that he said that he'd done in his life. (Or when the other candidates said she just gave two different answers in a couple minutes.) When that scandalous Swift Boat ad was run against Senator Kerry. When there was an ad that defeated Max Cleland in Georgia, a man that left half his body in Vietnam...

Why am I saying this?

"Because, I had the feeling that at the end of that last debate(when Hillary messed up) we were about to get into cutesy land again.(calling her on it, totally unlike lying about her like the Swiftboat liars.) Ya'll raise your hand if you're for illegal immigrants getting a driver's license. So, we then let the Republicans go ahead saying all the Democrats are against the rule of law.

"I think it's fine to discuss immigration. We should. I believe immigration needs to be discussed. And it's fine for Hillary and all the other Democrats to discuss Governor Spitzer's plan. But not in 30 seconds, yes, no, raise your hand.(Hillary's the only one who couldn't successfully answer this in 30 seconds.) This is a complicated issue. This is a complicated issue.

"So do I hope you vote for my wife? You bet I do. It'd be good for America, and good for the world. But, more than that I came here to tell you today, don't you dare let them take this election away from you...("You" meaning "Hillary".) Don't be diverted, don't be divided." (By "don't be diverted, don't be divided" he means about HILLARY. He doesn't want her non-answer to be the reason she loses.)

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

33. That's some mighty selective reading

[jenmito]

35. I quoted the whole thing and pointed out where he said things that make my (and others') points

and gave you the real meaning of what he said in my opinion as well as others'.

[cuke]

40. No, you inserted your own opinions into it

You can't make your point using Bill's words alone. You have to add your "interpretation" to it

[jenmito]

41. Exactly. Each line I put in bold, I gave my opinion as to what he meant...

using Bill's words. Just as another poster said that Bush never SAID Iraq was responsible for 9/11.

[cuke]

42. Nope, you made stuff up

[jenmito]

44. I did NOT! I gave my interpretation of his words.

When people say things, their words have meaning. Different people interpret words differently.

[cuke]

47. So now you change your story

First, you there was a clear contradiction. Now it needs "interpretation" in order to see the contradiction

[jenmito]

48. What are you talking about? What contradiction? I'm talking about Bill accusing the other Dems.

of swiftboating his wife. I boldened the parts that make my point by explaning them to you. He's a talented politician. He's not going to come right out and SAY the other Dems. did this. Just like Bush never SAID Iraq was responsible for 9/11.

[cuke]

55. Bill didn't accuse any dems of anything

He was criticizing Russert and the debate moderators.

"He's not going to come right out and SAY the other Dems. did this."

And even you agree that he didn't say that, except when you claim he said it

[jenmito]

58. He DID say it in so many words. Again, Bush never SAID Iraq was responsible for 9/11...

yet we ALL know he said it in so many words to give the impression that Iraq was responsible. The boldened phrases show he was definitely talking about her competitors.

[Ronnie]

29. Thank you for posting this.

However, as I read this thread I saw once again that it will make no difference to some people. They will continue to mis-characterize what he said. I've known people like this. I stay away from them.

[CyberPieHole]

31. great post, Kurt and Hunter...

I prefer to see the attacks aimed at the repugs...the U.S. has had nothing but corruption for the last 7 years, we should be pointing the finger at them, not at ourselves.

[Imagevision]

59. Obama; “My understanding is President Clinton’s not on the ballot.”

<snip> ALBIA, Iowa – Campaigning in western Iowa, former President Bill Clinton said he should receive more blame than his wife for the failed attempt to reform the health care system more than a decade ago.

<snip> “She has taken the rap for some of the problems we had with health care the last time that were far more my fault than hers,” Mr. Clinton said.

Obama; “All I know is that part of the record she’s running on is having worked on health care,” he said, “so it’s kind of hard to gauge if one of her claims is to have experience in this issue to then suggest that somehow she doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that it didn’t work.”...

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/president-clintons-not-on-the-ballot/index.html?hp

[yellowdogintexas]

62. the Message: "DONT YOU DARE LET THEM TAKE THIS ELECTION AWAY FROM YOU!"

Don't be Diverted, don't Be Divided

and that my friends is the real point of his message! He is of course hoping we all vote for Hilary. But he is directing our attention to the real battle after this nomination is settled.
He is telling us to be wary, be prepared and stay together...this is just the preamble.


He is also criticizing that they all have so little time to answer the complicated questions they are being given seconds to answer, but he is mostly addressing the real election

[BenDavid]

63. And just who the hell are these that will take this

election away from the Dems? It is not the dem candidates WJC was speaking about. Re-read and you will see it is the REPUBLICANS.
SIMPLE AS THAT....

BEN DAVID

[yellowdogintexas]

64. I disagree, I think he is talking about the Republicans, doing their

divide and conquer trash