Clinton: Take back the Tea Party!

[jefferson_dem]

Clinton: Take back the Tea Party!
Stumping for Martha Coakley, the former president urges Bay State Democrats to fight GOP "abusers of power"
By Joe Conason



Former President Bill Clinton, left, addresses an audience as Martha Coakley looks on during a campaign rally in Boston, Friday, Jan. 15, 2010.When Bill Clinton flew up to Massachusetts on Friday afternoon to campaign with Martha Coakley, he brought a special message for Bay State Democrats facing the enraged right-wing activists mobilized around her opponent Scott Brown.

“You need to take back this tea party idea,” he told the wildly cheering crowds in Boston and later in Worcester. “They say that the original Boston Tea Party was anti-government, but that is wrong. The Massachusetts Bay Colony had a strong government. They weren’t liberal or conservative, they were communitarians, which means they knew we’re all in this together. What they opposed was the abuse of power.” But the aim of the Republican Party and Senate nominee Brown, he charged, is to “protect the modern abusers of power” – namely, the corporate and financial leaders whose depredations can only be curtailed by strong, responsive government.

Coakley echoed Clinton’s populist theme, accusing Brown of wanting to spare the nation’s largest banks from paying back the billions of federal bailout dollars – even while the bankers paid themselves “seven or eight-figure bonuses.” The rich and well-connected “will always be able to hire someone to speak for them. But who is going to speak for the rest of us? That is why I’m running for the Senate.”

<SNIP>

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/joe_conason/2010/01/15/clinton_coakley

[Beacool]

1. How ironic.........

The man who Kennedy dissed took time from his Haiti relief efforts to go to MA to help the Dems keep Teddy's senate seat within the party ranks. What a difference a year makes. Who would have thought a year ago that a Democrat would have to fight for a senate seat in MA?

I wonder what Teddy would think of this turn of events and of the health care bill coming out of Congress?

:eyes:

[ProSense]

2. "The man who Kennedy dissed took time from his Haiti relief efforts to go to MA "

Get over it.

[Beacool]

5. Nope

I abhor backstabbing weasels who betray their friends.

:D

[firedupdem]

11. he's dead...you might want to let that go. n/t

[wisteria]

14. Clinton put his foot in his mouth. And, it was politics. In the end we are all united Democrats. n/t

[Beacool]

16. No, we are not, Wisteria.

We are not a united party. We may dislike Republican policies more than we dislike most Democratic policies, but we are far from united.

As for Bill "sticking his foot in his mouth", who knows what was really said? I think that Kennedy felt that he couldn't pass up the opportunity to support the first AA candidate, once he had shown staying power, and he would have found any excuse to endorse Obama. Friendship and loyalty be damned.

:(

[Hansel]

17. This might be saying a lot about you.

"I think that Kennedy felt that he couldn't pass up the opportunity to support the first AA candidate."

Number one, Obama was not the first AA candidate. There were plenty before him. So that is just flat out bogus.

Number two, is the only reason you were supporting Hillary is that she was the "first" woman candidate? Even though she obviously wasn't, but if we are going to pretend Obama was the first Black candidate... Because your contention that that was the only reason Kennedy supported Obama makes one think that same thing could be apply to your choice.

Number three, it is well known that Kennedy was very angry with the call from Clinton so I'm guessing what Clinton said wasn't very classy. The Clinton's were said to have made an issue of Obama's race to others besides Kennedy during the primaries.

Politics is not about friendship and loyalty. As has been famously said, you want a friend in politics, get a dog.

You need to get over the primaries. Hillary lost. She lost because she voted for the Iraq War and it looked like she put her political career over the lives of our soldiers and the Iraqi citizens. There is no way around that. Bill Clinton knew that the Bush was a liar when it came to his reasons for going to war so it stands to reason that Hillary knew this too. She should have stood up and said so when it counted. I would have voted for her if she had. I think this is the real reason Kennedy did not support her and I know it is the reason that I did not. It makes it pretty obvious that this had more to do with Kennedy's support for Obama when you consider that Obama was one of the very few politicians openly opposing the Iraq War at the time.

[firedupdem]

18. +1 thank you Hansel n/t

[Lord Helmet]

21. +1

[Beacool]

26. I'm perfectly aware that he was not the first AA candidate, I should have added the word "viable".

Just as Hillary was not the first woman candidate either, but she too was the first one to have a real good chance to win the nomination of her party.

What does this eternal call to "get over the primaries" mean exactly? Does one have to develop amnesia and support any Dem that comes down the pike just because they have a "D" after his/her name?

As for the IWR resolution, I don't give a rat's ass what speech any state senator delivered at the time. Obama was NOT in the US senate in 2001 and he even admitted to Russert that he didn't know how he would have voted if he had been in the US senate. Of course he took his statement back when he decided to run for president, but that's another story.

[Hansel]

36. It doesn't matter if you give a rat's ass what speech Obama delivered.

But thanks for bringing up another one of those statements that turned many people off to Hillary and her supporters. The "he just gave a speech" garbage. Either you don't understand or don't care how condescending the whole "speech" attack was to both Obama and his supporters.

Obama's stand on the Iraq War meant something to many of the voters and probably Kennedy because he made it when it was extremely unpopular to take that stand. Extremely unpopular.

Hillary lost because she supported the war instead of showing leadership and voting against it. She and her husband knew damn well that the weapons of mass destruction argument was complete BS. But she did not stand up and say so and she pissed me off to no end because of it.

Get over the primaries means stop bringing up ridiculous things related to the primaries on a totally unrelated topic. This OP is not about the primaries but you managed to weave it in with a totally negative and insulting post about Kennedy. An undeserved one at that.

If you are supporting Brown over Coakley then not much more needs to be said on that topic. But she is the only choice if you want anything to get done. Because if Brown wins, they will have to lean even farther to the right on every piece of legislation in order to pick up Snow or Collins to stop a filibuster. We need a Dem right now and Bill Clinton is right about the tea party thing. I tremendously appreciate him bringing that up and I hope the Democrats run with it.

[Beacool]

42. Who wants Brown to win????

Obama's stance on the IWR was not unpopular in his part of Chicago. Once he made it to the US senate he voted parallel with Hillary on most issues, including Iraq. As for the Clintons knowing that there were no weapons of mass destruction, that's plain BS!!! The CIA kept insisting that there were there. Funny how conveniently the left kept attacking Hillary over this vote when the other Dems who also voted for it still get a pass (such as Biden, Obama's choice for VP). How about blaming the true culprits, Bush and Cheney? Aside from the fact that this vote came a few months after 9/11. What state did Hillary represent? Oh yeah, New York......

[Autumn]

44. Obama might have been against the war then,

but he sure is for it now. They can forgive anyone but Hillary for her IWR vote.

[Beacool]

46. I guess so...........

:-(

[Cha]

28. Thank you, Hansel,

for taking the time to explain it to ignore, so well.

And, from that racist quote you begin your post with..I see I'm not missing anything.

[Number23]

22. Once again you are showing your (truly ugly) true colors

I think that Kennedy felt that he couldn't pass up the opportunity to support the first AA candidate

And it could not have anything to do with the fact that maybe he genuinely LIKED and BELIEVED in Obama, could it?? Or that maybe he felt that Hillary was not the best person for the job, huh?? No, it has to be that Kennedy -- a man wealthy, famous and respected enough to not have to give a damn about ANYBODY -- only supported Obama out of some sense of "white liberal guilt." Never mind the fact that damn near every other member of his family, including the Old School, Real Deal Kennedys, also favored Obama over Hillary and let everyone know it. That must grate your cheddar so much.

You have been asked repeatedly to "let it go" and you refuse. That is your choice. You may not see the tinge of racism in your posts in addition to the bitterness and pettiness, but the rest of us do. You claim to love Hillary so much but if I were her, you would be the absolute last person I would want cheering me from the sidelines. What you consider "loyalty" many others see as "bitterly clinging to events that have already passed and cannot be undone." And even though it must kill you, alot of us are very happy with way things turned out.

[Lord Helmet]

23. deja vu

deja vu

[Number23]

24. Beacool makes it damn hard NOT to put her in the same category as the Harriet Christians of the worl

But maybe that is her intent...

[Beacool]

27. Oh, please...............

This habit of labeling as "racist" everyone who is/was not enamored of Obama is tiresome.

I think that he marketed himself very well and ran a very good campaign, but I will never think that he was the better candidate. Maybe in the future when he had some actual experience at the national level, but not in 2008. A more experienced politician with a backbone wouldn't have let the likes of Pelosi and Reid step all over him. This is NOT 1993, with the kind of super majority that we have we should have ended with a far better health care bill than we will. Unlike many true progressives here I have said very little about Obama's handling of this issue, but speeches aside, he could have exacted far more from Congress than he has so far.

[Number23]

35. I didn't call you a racist but it's interesting that you think that I did

YOU brought up race with your "Ted only supported Obama because he was black" comment. I always find it humorous that people who scream "I'm not racist" the loudest are usually the first ones who are incapable of discussing issues without bringing up race.

A more experienced politician with a backbone wouldn't have let the likes of Pelosi and Reid step all over him.

Yes, Obama who has pushed through more legislation than any other politician in modern history is just getting walked all over. Even though the health care bill is far from perfect and will likely be significantly improved in quick time, it's STILL further than Bill and Hillary (who I assume you consider both to be in possession of said "backbones") ever got.

Unlike many true progressives here I have said very little about Obama's handling of this issue

Haven't heard anyone complaining about your lack of commentary, probably because so much of it is fact-free but always brimming with criticism. Funny, that...

[Beacool]

43. This sure sounded like it............

You may not see the tinge of racism in your posts in addition to the bitterness and pettiness, but the rest of us do."

:shrug:

[Number23]

45. Highlighting the racist quality of your posts

and calling you a flat out racist are two different things. But I'm not surprised that someone as hyper-sensitive to perceived slights against you and Hillary (but ONLY against you and Hillary, to hell with everyone else) would have trouble recognizing that.

[tishaLA]

32. "surrogates gone wild," as Peter Daou calls them

this is a prime example.

[deaniac83]

38. News flash: Hillary moved on

So should you. Ted Kennedy had a right to pick whoever the hell he damn well pleased during the primary. That he didn't pick your candidate may not please you, but stop whining about it a year and a half after the primaries.

[shopgreen]

25. no, we are the big tent--lots of groups. we are not united.

[Ildem09]

49. wil rodgers

see my tag line

[karynnj]

34. Kennedy did not owe HRC anything

He did not stab her in the back when he opted to endorse her opponent. He did not owe her an endorsement and it was his priviledge to endorse anyone he preferred. Both Kennedy and Kerry made a point that they were not criticizing anyone, they were endorsing Obama. (If you want back stabbing look at people like Schumer, who supposedly pushed Obama to run behind the scenes, while being 100% in support of her in public.)

[firedupdem]

4. Grow up n/t

[Beacool]

6. All grown up, thank you.

;)

[jefferson_dem]

7. Eyeroll indeed.

Miserable post.

[Beacool]

8. Why? It's the truth.

Who could have predicted that Democrats would have to fight for Kennedy's seat in very blue MA? That's a pretty stunning turn of events.

:shrug:

[Mass]

9. Given that Coakley voted for Hillary Clinton at the convention,

this is paying back debts. Nothing ironic.

[Beacool]

12. I have no beef with Coakley.

Furthermore, I think that she will win. I just find it ironic that a Democrat, any Democrat, would have to fight such a close race against a Republican for Teddy's former senate seat.

;(

[Mass]

13. No, it is not. Kennedy was winning on his name and power. So does Kerry.

Any other Democrat has to fight for their seat. There is a huge independent voting bloc (the biggest) and bread and butter issues matter to them, particularly in these times. Tsongas won by 7 in 2007, after a hard fought race similar to this one. Clinton came, if I remember correctly. the race against Romney in 96 and the one against Weld were hard as well, even with sitting senators.

The error of this campaign is to have forgotten that. The error of the party as a whole is to think that what they do does not affect even blue states.

[Beacool]

15. I agree:

The error of this campaign is to have forgotten that. The error of the party as a whole is to think that what they do does not affect even blue states.

Corzine lost in my state.

:(

[Cha]

33. And, Pres Obama is campaigning for

Martha tomorrow..we're all in this together.

Most of us.

[karynnj]

30. That is beyond convoluted - Clinton is backing a woman who strongly backed HRC

in the primaries.

I assume Kennedy would be glad that many Democrats are out there backing Coakley. I think the surprise would not be that a Republican could take the seat, but that such a weak one was threatening it. He and Kerry were incumbents when they fought Romney and Weld respectively - I would bet that Weld (and maybe the Romney of 1994) could have won an open race for Senate.)

[Fearless]

40. He would say exactly this...

I'm happy something passes. Because that was the biggest regret he had during the Nixon Admin. He refused something to get everything.

[firedupdem]

3. Glad to see Clinton stomping for Coakley.

He's moved on along with Hillary. Working for the good of the party is the bottom line here.

[Mass]

10. Thanks to president Clinton for firing up the troops.\nt

[Hansel]

19. Clinton is right. Setting Coakey aside, why in the hell are Republicans claiming

tea party mantra? They are the party of King George? It is so cynical that it's nauseating.

[Bitwit1234]

20. What bugs me the most is the goof ball...beck who took the name

of an all American incident and hooked it up to a bunch of anti-American, anti-honesty, anti-everything good about this country. And to make matters worst...December 16th the date of the first tea party is the same day of the month as my birthday. No my birthday is not December 16th, 1732.

[freddie mertz]

29. I never took much of a side in Obama vs. Clinton: To me, their politics were virtually identical.

I was right, as it turned out.

[jenmito]

39. Really? How do you know how SHE would've governed? During the campaign,

she was more of a hawk than Obama, she was for pre-conditions before talking to our enemies, etc.

[freddie mertz]

47. I think it would have been pretty much the same on foreign policy and the wars.

She IS the sec of state, after all.

Most of what you mention was obvious campaign posturing by both sides.

On HCR, my guess is that HCR might have taken a more "hands-on" approach earlier on, but that is only a guess.

Policy might have been similar. The mandates were in her policy, for example.

[jenmito]

48. I don't.

I don't think she would've or COULD'VE spoken to the Muslim world like Obama did. The "posturing" you speak of is being followed through on by Obama. He offered his open hand without pre-conditions. Hillary wouldn't have done that, I bet. The speeches, interviews, etc. have made us the most admired country in the world again.

On HCR, she probably would've done exactly the opposite of what she and Bill did last time, which just happens to be what Obama is doing now.

[freddie mertz]

51. Obama has done much for America's international image, I grant you.

In the end, that is why I voted for him in the primary.

But Hillary would have been OK too.

The Clintons actually have a great measure of respect overseas too.

I know, I've lived for years outside the US, during both the Clinton and Bush eras.

I am sure that played a part in Obama's selection of Hillary for Sec of State.

[Captain Hilts]

52. I agree. I don't think HillaryC would have done anything significantly differently than PrezO

other than be a bit more forcefull on HCR.

[Cha]

31. Thank you, Pres Clinton..

Big Guns out campaigning for Martha!!

[mstinamotorcity]

37. They can say what they want

about Bill Clinton but whenever asked to do something he tries and step up for the cause.He has been called on in many charitable and political endorsements.And when asked he does the job.Now i don't know if Coakley will win,but she is on the winning team,the Democratic Team.Now that change we believe in.Holding at sixty and trying to get sixty five.

[graywarrior]

41. I was there and he seemed pretty sincere to me.

He was there for the democrats of Massachusetts.

[Captain Hilts]

53. Mass Dems have been good to the Clintons. nt

[donheld]

50. That's why I still adore Bill Clinton!