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Kerry Accuses Bill Clinton Of “Abusing Truth” On Obama

January 25th, 2008
By JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief

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Add Senator and 2004 Democratic nominee Senator John Kerry to the list of prominent Democrats criticizing former President Bill Clinton for his comments about Senator Hillary Clinton’s chief 2008 Presidential nomination rival Senator Barack Obama — not because of Bill Clinton’s involvement but because of the accuracy of Clinton’s comments and his campaigning as if he is running for a third term.

Kerry has endorsed Obama, but his comments echo that of some other prominent Democrats who feel Clinton is crossing the line. Some have reportedly asked Bill Clinton to tone it down in private:

John Kerry, the Democratic Party’s 2004 nominee for president, took aim at Bill Clinton Friday, telling the National Journal the former president does “not have a license to abuse the truth.”

The Massachusetts senator, who endorsed Barack Obama’s White House bid earlier this month, said Clinton’s criticisms of the Illinois senator have been “over the top,” and suggested the former president is getting “frantic.”

Targeting Clinton’s recent spate of attacks on Obama, Kerry said, “I think you had an abuse of the truth, is what happened. …I mean, being an ex-president does not give you license to abuse the truth, and I think that over the last days it’s been over the top.

“I think it’s very unfortunate, but I think the voters can see through that,” Kerry added. “When somebody’s coming on strong and they are growing, people get a little frantic, and I think people have seen this sort of franticness in the air, if you will.”

The former president has faced criticism for aggressively interjecting himself into the race between his wife and Obama of late. On Monday, Obama said he feels as if he is running against both Clintons, a charge the New York senator’s campaign said was borne out of frustration. The former president himself later dismissed Obama’s comments, saying “I thought he was running against me.”

Clinton’s comment above in itself shows the problem: it has been Bill Clinton who has gone after Obama repeatedly and acted like he was running against Obama. In fact, he has been so aggressive in going after Obama that in the media, opinion columns and on the Internet there is a new nickname for the (Hillary) Clinton two-on-one and two-to-the-White-House campaign: “Billary.”

Here’s a bit of the transcript from the National Journal:

Q: So, senator, you have endorsed Barack Obama, and this week, of course, the campaign was absolutely consumed with these charges and counter-charges, and it seemed to many of us that Obama’s message about hope and change was pretty much drowned out. What happened, here?

Kerry: Well, I think you had an abuse of the truth, is what happened. I mean, being an ex-president does not give you license to abuse the truth, and I think that over the last days it’s been over the top. Things have been said about Barack Obama’s positions that are just plain untrue. It was said in Nevada, it’s been said about Social Security, it’s been said about Yucca Mountain, and it’s been said in South Carolina. I think it’s very unfortunate, but I think the voters can see through that. When somebody’s coming on strong and they are growing, people get a little frantic, and I think people have seen this sort of franticness in the air, if you will.

FOOTNOTE: Hopefully Kerry’s predictions will be more accurate than his attitude about the “Swift Boating” of his candidacy when he ran for President. But it again underscores how Clinton’s intense involvement could win votes and even help win the nomination for Mrs. Clinton but wind up leaving her with a bitterly divided party and some turned off independent voters.



This entry was posted on Friday, January 25th, 2008 at 3:10 pm and is filed under Newsweek Blogitics, Primaries, Negative Campaigning, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, 2008 Elections, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, Politics. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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    As silly as that term sounds, they are a force to reckon with, with a lot of years of experience in DC trenches and flyover land . Its just a matter of people deciding if thats what they want this time around. I have no doubt it will be trotted out endlessly and derisively by talk radio for an entire Clinton presidency.

    As for the candidates... It is a campaign, afterall, not just a popularity contest. Dems will very rapidly makeup from any hurt feelings and bruised histories once the nomination is clear, methinks.
 
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