The Bill Clinton who met privately with California’s superdelegates at last weekend’s state convention was a far cry from the congenial former president who afterward publicly urged fellow Democrats to “chill out” over the race between his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Barack Obama.
In fact, before his speech Clinton had one of his famous meltdowns Sunday, blasting away at former presidential contender Bill Richardson for having endorsed Obama, the media and the entire nomination process.
“It was one of the worst political meetings I have ever attended,” one superdelegate said.
According to those at the meeting, Clinton – who flew in from Chicago with bags under his eyes – was classic old Bill at first, charming and making small talk with the 15 or so delegates who gathered in a room behind the convention stage.
But as the group moved together for the perfunctory photo, Rachel Binah, a former Richardson delegate who now supports Hillary Clinton, told Bill how “sorry” she was to have heard former Clinton campaign manager James Carville call Richardson a “Judas” for backing Obama.
It was as if someone pulled the pin from a grenade.
“Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that,” a red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted.
The former president then went on a tirade that ran from the media’s unfair treatment of Hillary to questions about the fairness of the votes in state caucuses that voted for Obama. It ended with him asking delegates to imagine what the reaction would be if Obama was trailing by just 1 percent and people were telling him to drop out.
The thing I simply do not get is that Bill and Hillary and Clinton supporters honestly seem to believe that if the roles were reversed, and Obama were trailing in pledged delegates, trailing in the popular vote, trailing in the number of states won, trailing in fund raising, people would not be screaming for him to get out of the race. The media would be treating him like they treated Mike Huckabee, his money would have dried up, and people would be pressuring him to drop out of the race for the good of the party because he is young and can try again and probably would be the VP pick.
Hell, as it is, people are already telling him that, and he is winning.
*** Update ***
Another Judas. Doesn’t he know he has to support Clintons from here on out since he was a Clinton appointee? the nerve of these people.
Ellison, Ellensburg, Ellers, and Lambchop
Bill Clinton is a stickler for telling the truth.
Dreggas
Well John, as with several states, voting demographics, caucusses and (according to Ickes just yesterday) the popular vote, alternative realities are irrelevant.
Jen
Why would they even have a face to face conversation five times about endorsements?
Krista
Oh, that’s not cool. And it’s pretty damned insulting to Obama and to everybody who voted for him, to imply that if Obama won a state, it’s only because something was rigged. Because you’d have to be an idiot to prefer Obama, right?
It’s emblematic of the attitude that has caused so many people to lose their respect for the Clintons.
Dreggas
Because the god-father (aka big dog, aka slick willy) was trying to ensure loyalty to the family. Sort of like “One day I will ask you for a favor, and you will do this favor out of respect for me and my family”.
OniHanzo
And may your first child be a masculine child.
Incertus
It’s got to be frustrating for Bill. He leaves office in 2000 immensely popular only to see his first legacy–a Gore presidency and continuation of his policies (in some way) stolen away by the Supreme Court. The conventional wisdom that comes out of that election is that Gore was killed by running away from Clinton, so in 2004, he gets out on the campaign trail for Kerry, and again, can’t close the deal, and now, is having the same problem with his wife. He wanted to be lionized like Reagan was, but his party now looks at him like he was, well, good for his time, but increasingly irrelevant.
sparky
is it possible to have a greater sense of entitlement than the Clintons do?
they remind me of hedge fund folks: privatize the profits and socialize the losses.
Dreggas
The funny thing is that BC has such cognitive dissonance that he forgets:
Showing up at caucus sites in Nevada while they were happening
Trying to shut down Nevada caucusses for Hotel workers
Trying to disenfranchise youth voters in Iowa.
Arguments by Mark Penn pre-Iowa that Caucuses were meant to reward loyal democratic activists and that it wasn’t fair for new voters to participate.
Dismissal of entire demographics that didn’t vote for clinton
Dismissal of states that didn’t vote for Clinton
Claiming Obama can only win states with large AA populations when he has won Idaho, Maine, Iowa, Colorado, Alaska and others with little to no AA presence.
The list just goes on. With each passing day the Clinton Campaign begins to resemble the Bush presidency replete with an utter denial of reality coupled with hypocrisy that goes to 11.
cleek
maybe the conversation went like this:
Clinton (standing before a statue of himself): You will not endorse Obarma, will you ?
Richardson (on one knee): Of course not, my liege.
Clinton: Hmm. I am not convinced. (louder) Mister Richardson, will you endorse Obarma ?
Richardson: Never, my liege.
Clinton: I’m not sure I heard you. (pauses, then rapidly:) Would you endorse Obarma ?
Richardson: No, my liege, I will not.
Clinton (pointing at Richardson): Will not what ?
Richardson: My liege, I will not endorse Obarma.
Clinton: Never?
Richardson: Never, my liege.
Clinton: I see. You may go.
Dreggas
Well considering Chelsea is a hedge fund manager…
Ted
Say what you will about Hillary (and Bill) these days, but Chelsea is still apparently a high caliber lady. She makes a good comparison to the current president’s children. Because if you want to see them, you have to buy a Girls Gone Wild DVD.
Dennis - SGMM
But, but, but, Hillary is supposed to win. See, they had this plan, Hillary would announce her candidacy and then everyone would throw candy and flowers and greet her as a liberator.
Dreggas
True, however I would prefer the “girls gone wild” to the elitist snobbery that just seems to ooze out of Chelsea when she is shilling for her Mother. As someone not born with a silver-spoon in his mouth, one thing I can’t stand is that type of attitude. When she was asked about her mother’s war vote and came back with “well she didn’t have the clairvoyance you seem to have” (paraphrasing) I would have wanted to slap her across the face just for that stupid ass remark.
Dreggas
They did in Bosnia…or was it Ireland?
Zifnab
And, given those circumstances, Obama would most likely be willing to step aside. He’s not fighting the culminating battle of his political career. This is like telling a 40-year-old Bret Farve to take it easy because he can always make it to the Superbowl next year. Or advising Michelle Quan not to push herself because the Gold Medal will still be waiting for her at the next Olympics.
There is no next competition for Hillary. She might last till 2012. But that old bird just won’t keep till 2016. If she’s serious about being the first woman President, she’s got to win now, today.
There is no VP slot waiting for her. There is no “try again later”. Obama has the luxury. Clinton does not. So while I won’t condone the Mike Tyson style bite-the-ear technique Hillary has embraced, I can’t blame her – or her husband – for not laying down to die just yet. Ultimately, I’ve got no problem with waiting till June to hold the correnation ceremony. And if it makes people in Pennsylvania and Indiana feel like their votes mean something – bonus points.
Halteclere
When did the meme that Bill Clinton has “meltdowns” get started – after Clinton’s interview with Chris Wallace? How many other times has Clinton had a “meltdown” to make his meltdowns “famous”? I haven’t followed many of Clinton’s recent interviews of speeches, but the meme that he is prone to “meltdowns” appears to be made out of whole cloth.
Not that I disagree with John’s analysis of Clinton supporters who unrealistically think that there would still be a primary fight going on if Clinton and Obama’s electoral position were flipped.
leinie
Thanks, Bill, you jerk, for reinforcing that I don’t count cuz ID holds a caucus and it went for MUP.
This is the shit that makes me want the nominating season to win. This and the praise of McCain.
The increased voter turnout and interest is a great thing, and I’d say let it continue, if HRC spent her time doing her JOB in this process, which is telling potential voters why she deserves the job by telling me about her stance on issues, etc., instead of spending her time queuing up attacks for McCain to use when MUP is the nominee and telling a bunch of people that they don’t count.
Cuz *that* is the shit that is making this toxic.
Of course, this has all been said before….
Napoleon
Allegedly he has long had a spectacularly bad temper and was known to blow up at subordinates in the White House.
Dreggas
Well according to reports yesterday her surrogates are pitching the super delegates that only she can win because the black guy can’t without actually saying those words. They’re dancing on the edge with it saying it’s a “sensitive” topic.
Dreggas
He’s had them in quite a few interviews especially the finger wagging. The talk of these came out especially after So. Carolina.
Dennis - SGMM
Considering the “Heads we win, tails you lose,” behavior of hedge funds right now I put hedge fund managers on the same high moral plane as seal clubbers.
sparky
what Dennis said.
self-interest sure runs in the family. sheesh.
Liberal Masochist
Dennis – hedge fund managers are in search of alpha returns. Don’t you get it? The returns have to be high when you have a 2 pct assets under management fee and you get a profit share on fund returns in excess 12 pct. Jeesh.
The Other Steve
That fucker can go fuckity fuck himself.
I’m in Minnesota, where Obama carried like 68% of the delegates in the caucuses.
I don’t remember Bill Clinton complaining in 1992 when he carried the state.
Dreggas
Well see back then Minn. was relevant, now you are just irrelevant.
Scrutinizer
Huh? McCain was in the White— oh, wait.
I’m fucking working in the fucking lab today and every fucking thing is fucking well fucked up. Fuck!
joe
“Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that,” a red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted.
Fuck you, Bubba.
Did he tell you, “I did not have endorsement relations with that candidate, Senator Obama?”
Here, Bill, if it makes you feel better, I’ll bite my bottom lip and pretend to tear up for a minute. Asshole.
The Grand Panjandrum
They’ve documented since his White House days. But the one I best recall was during an interview with Pacifica Radio’s Amy Goodman. She was particularly tough with him so he went off on her. I’ve noticed that he hates being asked direct questions about his policy failings, or even perceived failings.
Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzales, the show Democracy Now, or Pacifica Radio would never be confused with conservatives or Fox News. Bill just hates it when reporters don’t kiss his ring and grovel sufficiently before him.
BTW this is the one that sticks out most in my memory but I know I have heard worse, just can’t find the links.
Neal
Ha ha your state doesn’t count anymore! Mine (FL) UBER-counts now which is funny since we were told prior to the vote that it wouldn’t count at all and now states that were supposed to count apparently don’t…
God, the Clintons make me dizzy.
joe
God, I love that Chris Wallace interview.
Hey, everyone, I’m gonna sandbag Bill Clinton! He’s so dead…this is gonna be awesome!
…
Hrmph. Well, he didn’t have to be such a meanie.
ThymeZone
When this is all over, and it will be, and Clinton has lost, and she will, I think that if we want just one guy to blame, Bill Clinton will be that guy.
His asshole behavior during this primary season has been huge in turning off voters and delegates and pols in general. I had forgotten how completely tired I was of him and now I have had to remember all over again.
It’s fitting that a guy who tried to get his wife elected president to give himself a third term is going to be the proximate cause of her failure to get nominated.
Sometimes, things just work out.
Dennis - SGMM
Clinton: “Are you endorsing Obama?”
Richardson: “It depends on what the meaning of ‘endorsing’ is.”
Rick Taylor
Wow. Peter only betrayed his Lord three times before the cock crowed.
Dennis - SGMM
Judas
Doctor Jay
I really don’t get the Bill Clinton hate. He was the best thing about politics in the 90’s, for me anyway. And you know, I really get why the Richardson endorsement would upset him. All Richardson had to do to keep Bill happy was not say anything until the primaries are over.
He’s never been the kind of guy who will turn the other cheek when somebody pokes him. I actually liked that. I liked it in the Chris Wallace interview.
Ted
Myiq bait! Speaking of, where has he been lately? Retreated to the fallback point of TalkLeft?
Dennis - SGMM
He did a GBCW (Goodbye, Cruel World)here a few evenings ago. He’s posting on some other blogs now.
bobbo
This article – at least the part you quote – is weakly sourced and features a ton of editorializing. The unnamed source is “those at the meeting.” All of them? The ones who don’t like Clinton? “Famous meltdowns?” I didn’t know Bill was famous for meltdowns. Famous to whom? (If we’re referring to that interview with Chris Wallace, as I recall pretty much everyone said it was about time a Democrat fought back against the mudslingers at Fox. At the time, he was a hero for this.) “Bags under his eyes”? Who cares, and who said so? “It was as if someone pulled the pin from a grenade.” Pure novelization. Not the job of a journalist. “A red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted.” He erupted? More novelizing. Red-faced? Said who?
Basically, all we have is: some uknown person said Clinton was angry that Richardson endorsed Obama. Wow! What a shocker! Proof positive that the Clintons have the greatest sense of entitlement in the history of the world! Give me a freaking break.
ThymeZone
Uh huh. Useful information if he were running for something. He is a pimp for his wife’s campaign, not a candidate, and his attitude is …. let me put it this way, I think at this point she’d have been better off if he had stayed home the last year.
Fuck him. He isn’t the candidate, he isn’t entitled to anything, he is just swinging his dick as a Dem power monger and trying to make his wife’s opposition run against two people instead of one. At this point, frankly, I want him to lose for that reason alone. I don’t want any more of him. I am sick of his ass.
ThymeZone
I think he went in for a personality transplant.
Original Lee
Ok, I actually went over and read the hit piece linked on Hot Air (it’s not the Onion piece, BTW). Call me young and innocent if you like, but I’m very puzzled as to why these accusations are allegedly nutty. I can understand why Obama’s campaign isn’t pushing the story hard, but the MSM does pick up on stuff that the campaigns don’t, so is the fact that the story isn’t gaining any traction because it doesn’t fit any handy narrative? Or is it the Nixon hatred?
Rick Taylor
No. Peter.”I tell you I do not know the man!”
Dennis - SGMM
Chagrin.
ThymeZone
Fifteen years ago? I remember tales of Clinton tantrums, both his and hers, from their first term.
Not exactly new.
Napoleon
It really is old news.
Zifnab
A little OT, but I just thought you all should know that Heidi Montag is endorsing John McCain.
Just in case you were worrying that political endorsements were getting kicked around without enough bipartisan appeal.
tBone
For real? Where?
PeterJ
TalkLeft, where all insane people go to die.
Dennis - SGMM
He has a blog over at Correntewire.
Pb
Original Lee,
Oh, it’s chock-full-o’-nuts, alright. Not only does this guy have a book (or two) to sell, but he’s also sold some stories to Newsmax. Back in ’96, he wrote a column for the WSJ called “Cancer on the Presidency”, about why he was voting for Dole.
tBone
Good for him. He’s fighting the Obamans over there so he doesn’t have to fight them over here.
Original Lee
Pb – Consider me very low info on Watergate. Why is this guy nuts? He obviously has a book to flack and has a bad case of CDS, but I guess I’m not seeing the crazy.
BTW, is your nom de blog a tribute to Back to the Future?
Jay Jerome
First, Matier and Ross: were those photos of them lifted from police mug shots? I haven’t seen more disreputable looking characters since the time I had to identify a suspected pick-pocket at a police line up at the old Tombs in NYC.
Ah… just kidding. Matier & Ross are OK (for lightweight social analysis) but not as good as Rich “Big Vinny” Lieberman, who also weighs in on their page (he thinks a Gore-Obama ticket would be a can’t-lose duo — the ‘GO’ ticket; Hillary-Obama would be the “HO” ticket (the initials, not the Imus politically-correct censorship knee-jerk). I also like his description of Bill Richardson, who ‘with a little less weight and trimmed goatee, looks like a yuppified, Hispanic pirate.” Yeah, sort of like Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, morphed into Sweeney Todd – both characters reinforcing the knife in the back image (a sword in the chest, a razor to the throat – what’s the diff?).
You have to admit, Richardson does look a wee bit sneaky these days – like a bearded flasher parting the folds of his raincoat from an alley on a city side street. And in fact, it does seem as if he acted more like a treacherous conniving self-serving Gollum than the Democratic Governor of New Mexico: Hillary won the New Mexico state presidential primary — popular vote and delegate vote — therefore Richardson’s Obama endorsement gives the middle-finger to a majority of his state’s Democratic voters. Of course, the self-serving pastry-puff ‘judas’ (with a nod to Carville) doesn’t give a crap what the voters of his state think — he’s exceeded his term limit, and can’t run for Governor again; so he’s probably angling for a political pay-off from Obama, maybe some cushy ambassadorship where he can prance around and strut his stuff: or hopefully a pay-back if Hillary pulls it out — and them maybe it’s off to Afghanistan, where he can practice moving fast, and maybe burn off a few calories in the process.
Bill Clinton was right to go off on the scum-sucking ingrate at the California super delegate meeting last weekend. The little double crosser deserved it.
Casey
Governor Richardson today denied that he had EVER told Bill that he wouldn’t endorse Obama. Oh my. Who do we believe?
theturtlemoves
When did Obamans become the preferred term and how did I miss that memo? I’m seeing it everywhere today. Is that just an invention of the Hillary folk to sound more reasonable, since Obamanics and Obamabots could be construed as a bit derogatory?
“See, we’re saying Obamans. That shows how we’re keeping the dialog respectful.”
Kind of odd how it seemed to pop up everywhere overnight, though. I smell a vast center-right-wing conspiracy.
zzyzx
Two SDs in a day! W00T!
Jay McDonough
from swimming freestyle:
“Barack Obama’s election to the presidency in November would put a serious crimp in Bill Clinton’s power, influence and resulting earnings. Obama and his Administration would, by virtue of their position, become the de facto leaders of the Democratic Party. Bill and Hillary Clinton will continue to be powerful forces in the Party, but the bulk of that power shifts from the Clinton’s to the new guys in town. They become a good deal less marketable.
One can understand why the thought of losing all that might make Bill Clinton a little grumpy.”
http://swimmingfreestyle.typepad.com
Notorious P.A.T.
Huh. When I see that, the first think that comes to mind is that two times (not to his face) I voted for Bill Clinton in the belief that he would do what was best for his country. Now he and his wife are going around playing the race card, talking up McCain’s “experience”, alienating voters, etc. none of which is particularly good for America.
At the risk of sounding like my parents, is that someone I should know?
Brachiator
This is kinda like being endorsed my Paris Hilton’s not-so-hot second cousin. A slice of her Wiki entry:
Meanwhile, as this article about his successful appearance at a gay fund raiser shows, the MUP has now transcended gender and sexuality (hat tip to the andrew sullivan site) Obama Holds LGBT Fund-raiser in NYC:
Ted
He can’t do that! His contract isn’t completed unless Hillary drops out or wins the nomination. It’s clearly spelled out in section 4, paragraph C.
Maybe her campaign stopped paying him, is they are prone to do.
gmc
Actually, 12 step programs are only a start: voting for Obama is step 13, but still somewhere before forgiving the Clintons.
Cain
He must not be allowed to get away, we must visit his blog and give our opinions. We will bridge his blogs with balloon-juice and let the air floooow…
cain
Geoduck
Speaking as someone who doesn’t particularly like Clinton or Obama.. ditto what bobbo said above. You all are taking this article completely at its word, when it offers no names or makes clear how many people were passing along details about this little encounter. You can hate Clinton’s campaign all you want, but always remember that the mainstream press hates her and Bill even more. Show me some video.
Cain
Regarding the Chris Wallace interview. I remember that and I thought “wow, finally a democrat who wouldn’t take their shit”. That wasn’t a meltdown that was a democrat finally kicking some media ass. Especially if you remember how lame all the those other dems were when they were interviewed. He was someone with some backbone.
Bill has his problems and he’s doing whatever he can for his wife, good or bad. Maybe he’s trying to make up for the shit hat happened before and that’s why he’s so aggressive.
I’d still vote for Bill over any republican. But the MUP siren call is still more powerful than the clintons.
cain
cain
Just Some Fuckhead
The cock will not crow until he hath been denied three times.
Ted
I agree, that was awesome. Chris Wallace had the same look on his face that Wolf Blitzer did in that interview with Cheney where he brought up Mary Cheney having a baby.
mere mortal
Doctor, you need to understand where you are. While John may have learned his lesson on Bush and the modern Republican party by 2006, he was a loyal member when the two minute Clinton hate was in full force, and still plays in that part of the Republican sandbox.
justcheckinin
George S on ABC News tonight referred to talking to someone else who was there who said the SF story may have embellished it a bit but that Bill had indeed blown up.
Christine Pelosi was on CNN and wouldn’t confirm the story. Said she had told the bookers when she agreed to appear on the show that she wouldn’t discuss what had happened at a private dinner. The interesting part was that she also wouldn’t explicitly deny it. She definitely left the impression it had happened but she wasn’t going to spill all the shit.
I wish there was some video too because Bill all red-faced and finger-pointy always helps Obama.