Big Dog to Teddy? "A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee."

[jefferson_dem]

Teddy's anger - Ben Smith: Teddy's angerJanuary 09, 2010

One of the enduring mysteries of the 2008 campaign was what got Ted Kennedy so mad at Bill Clinton. The former president's entreaties, at some point, backfired, and the explanation has never quite emerged.

I've finally gotten my hands on a copy of Game Change, in which Heliemann and Halperin report:

s Hillary bungled Caroline, Bill’s handling of Ted was even worse. The day after Iowa, he phoned Kennedy and pressed for an endorsement, making the case for his wife. But Bill then went on, belittling Obama in a manner that deeply offended Kennedy. Recounting the conversation later to a friend, Teddy fumed that Clinton had said, A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0110/Teddys_anger.html

I call bullshit on this one. This much is obvious...most of the leaked bits are loaded to embarrass Dems.

[NJmaverick]

1. It's from Politico so I would think you are right

[jezebel]

3. It's in the book, Ambinder also reported Clinton saying it. I think Obama has the right attitude

THE BOOK IS CLOSED on the campaign and any assholish comments people made then.

OR we can let this hurt the Democratic Party and have some bloodletting. Which one do you think right wing Halperin is hoping for with his book?

[NJmaverick]

4. Agreed

and thanks for correcting my mistake

[Cha]

7. I agree..I am so over the primaries

and on the same page as our President, VP, and SOS.

[AspenRose]

2. Politico. Enough said

[Fire1]

5. Double bullshit. n/t

[grasswire]

6. consider the source: Halperin

No friend of Democrats.

I consider Halperin as much responsible for the politics of destruction as Drudge, Colter, Goldberg, Murdoch, Scaife, and the rest of the insane clown posse. He nannied the press corps every day with his own agenda, shaping coverage.

A pox on him.

[CTyankee]

14. Halperin seems to think that gossip shit is important so he reports it all the time.

He is a superficial "reporter," doing stuff on gossip and the like and never really concentrating on the hard issues. He is a smirker and I can't stand him.

It's hard for me to believe that his father, Mort Halperin, was a hero of the anti-Vietnam war era, when he gave the Pentagon Papers to Daniel Ellsburg...

[grasswire]

15. he's a lot like Tucker Carlson..

...and Chris Wallace. Smarmy punks who rode on Dad's coattails.

[CTyankee]

16. halperin is a shithead. No respect for him...nt

[Diamonique]

8. It seems they are really out to hurt Dems with this book.

Whatever else is in it, I don't care.

This book is poison to everyone. Some stuff should just remain "behind the scenes".

[grasswire]

9. would Bill Clinton do that?

Honestly, I don't think it's in him. Not his style.

[stray cat]

10. A junior senator with no experience to speak of going against Bill - I could see it

not in a racist sense. However, Bill doesn't like to be challenged by someone he sees as wet behind the ears and Teddy didn't support Bill in 2008

[CakeGrrl]

11. Well too bad, Bill

maybe there's a lesson in adopting that attitude.

IF this is true, I'll allow that it could be meant in a "Who does this greenhorn think he is to challenge the Clinton machine?" sense, but it was still bad form to say nonetheless. Given the tenor of the primaries, I could totally believe Bill said it, but the President is a class act and is wisely not falling for the trap of divide and conquer distraction, so good on him.

[Arkana]

12. The election and the primaries are over.

Even if Bill said this (and I doubt he did), I don't think there was any racial meaning behind it.

[Mass]

13. Well, the book is by Halperin. No surprise it is against Democrats and Drudge like,