WASHINGTON - “Scurrilous” and “disingenuous” were among the words a top Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives used on Thursday to describe Hillary Clinton’s campaign tactics in her bid to defeat Barack Obama for their party’s presidential nomination.
House Democratic Whip James Clyburn, of South Carolina and the highest ranking black in Congress, also said he has heard speculation that Clinton is staying in the race only to try to derail Obama and pave the way for her to make another White House run in 2012.
“I heard something, the first time yesterday (in South Carolina), and I heard it on the (House) floor today, which is telling me there are African Americans who have reached the decision that the Clintons know that she can’t win this. But they’re hell-bound to make it impossible for Obama to win” in November, Clyburn told Reuters in an interview.
Obama holds a sizable lead in delegates won in state-nominating contests which could be hard for her to overcome.
The purported theory is that an Obama defeat in November against Republican presidential candidate John McCain would let Clinton make another presidential bid in four years, Clyburn said.
Clyburn has not yet declared whether he supports Clinton or Obama. But in January, he raised his concerns about the heated exchanges between the two campaigns before the South Carolina primary.
On Thursday, Clyburn took Clinton and surrogates to task, complaining that they want the popular votes in Michigan and Florida counted, even though both states violated party rules for the early scheduling of their nominating contests.
“I think it’s so disingenuous … (adviser James) Carville and Sen. Clinton were all on TV. I’ve seen them two or three times this week, talking about counting Florida and Michigan.”
Obama did not campaign in those states because the Democratic Party said Florida and Michigan wouldn’t be included in the formal tally for the nomination. “Her name was the only one on the ticket in Michigan and still 42, 43 percent of the vote was against her,” Clyburn said.
Still, Clyburn said “I don’t think she ought to drop out.”
But he added, “There’s a difference between dropping out and raising all this extraneous scurrilous stuff about the guy (Obama). Just run your campaign … you don’t have to drop out to be respectful of other people.”
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
- Photo credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst (Clyburn with presidential candidates at a debate in January)
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So the black vote doesn’t count well,I say if billary gets the nomination - we dont’t vote. This is the “land where our fathers died,” but our loyalty is questioned. people who just got off the boat are treated as american, hell i am madd as hell and i won’t take any more. Black America! their always talking about playing the race card after playing it 1st - I say play it “Don’t vote!” let the “americans” get the goverment they deserve. that’s what happen with bush, as for those who ask “what about black folks,” have you heard of katrina, how much worst can it get. out of the 40% of this nation poor 16 -17% are black, mexican, and others about 24% are white get a brain white people this estabishment doen’t give a d#@* about poore people.
- Posted by karenTwo questions for Obama
1) Your father was from Kenya, but the only father figure in your life until your teenage years was your stepfather, who is your stepfather?
2) You have stated that Pastor Wright converted you to christianity some twenty years ago, what was your religion if any prior to being converted?
- Posted by julius silvaHi Phrank,
- Posted by CarlYour argument is quite valid. If Hillary is nominated, the African Americans will still “cling to” Hillary because they are so “bitter”. On the contrary, centrists like me strongly believe Obama is such a bad candidate. McCain will be a better choice than Obama.
Mark my words: I’m not alone, a lot of voters more than the African Americans combined know this “unite, change Washington” stuff is just crap. Obama can’t even unite Democrats. How can he “unite” the whole country? Not mention his pathetic knowledge about international issues.
If Hillary is the nominee she will face Condoleza Rice who will be the next president as Mr. Mc Cain stage II melanoma has a 50% survival to 5 years, and he was diagnosed before year 2000 and alaready had a recurrence.
- Posted by Alma ludivinaUnknown yet if he has stage III?
What a misleading title! The title should be “another black politician jumps at Hillary”. Shame on you, the divider Obama!
- Posted by CarlSure, I’ll vote for Clinton if I must, to defeat McCain, but I no longer have any good will for her. She trashed her pretended reputation in just a month. The party grows bitter.
- Posted by Ivo TailleferMs. Clinton’s calculation is to divide the people into blacks and whites. This is the easiest way to make people mad and keep people them from focusing on what problems they face. As is obvious poor uneducated, who are easily gullible, and are the one who have fallen prey to her tactics.
Of course we cannot advise those who cannot see this. What should be credited is many people have woken up to the fact even in Pennsylvania thus reducing her margin of victory.
- Posted by kalyanThis isn’t the first time Clyburn has thrown a tantrum of this sort and blamed Senator Clinton for Barrack Obama’s own poor performance. And I doubt it will be the last. As for Florida and Michigan - something will obviously have to be done. You can’t shut millions of people out of the primaries and expect them to turn out to enthusiastically support the party’s nominee in the Fall - especially if their disenfranchisement causes their preferred candidate to lose the nomination! You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
- Posted by MarkFinally people is ponting the real problem from the Clinton Campain. Mrs. Clinton is also misleading her fallowers with false hopes taking money from them for her death end campain, She seems to be addicted to the short term rush adrenalin high.
“All propaganda must be so popular and on such an intellectual level, that even the most stupid of those towards whom it is directed will understand it. Therefore, the intellectual level of the propaganda must be lower the larger the number of people who are to be influenced by it.”
Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf
- Posted by Alma ludivinafrom Chapter VI: War Propaganda
To Manny: Your “Nobody can say or do anything because they immediately say we are racist or are conspiring against black community” and “This guy can take Barry Hussein and Wright to his home and leave us all Americans alone…” is truly an oxy … MORON! Leave all Americans alone? Who are the Americans anyway? Does that include Native Americans? Columbus could have left them alone?
- Posted by JoeGood for Clyburn for saying so. I’ve thought so too and I’m a white woman who wants a woman president. But not one without a conscience, without grace, and without responsiveness to the whole context.
The speculation that she’s intending to be a spoiler so she can run in 2012 has been around for a few weeks. It is possible that she thinks she can win by sabotaging the convention. We can soon enough know.
- Posted by Gaias ChildThat’s a great idea, Dave. But it sure wouldn’t hurt to have Hillary stop the destructive behavior in the meantime.
- Posted by BobThe apt Clinton campaign descriptor has begged to be said, and has been long over due. Thank you Representative Clyburn, and thanks to Reuters for its publication. And now it cry’s for a strong concurrence of other Democrat leaders. Now before the Clinton’s insatiable lust for power destroys the Democratic party, and with it, the hopes and ideals of this new generation of Americans.
- Posted by Ron AltmanI can’t believe this guy. If he isn’t setting the scene for Obama who is? He is playing the race card, getting African Americans to believe Clinton is out to destroy Obama. When will this end? Obama has brought his bad press on himself, even then the media has blamed Hillary and idolized him. Why shouldn’t she point out his weaknesses, he has always done that to her behind the scenes. If there is racism in this election it is that everyone is called a racist if they say anything about Obama. And it’s black voters that are suspiciously voting on race. Never before would an African American turn their back on a Clinton after all the good they’ve done to promote diversity. Obama is not the best candidate. If he is elected in Nov.(which is doubtful)he will be setting himself up for failure because he CAN’T DO THE JOB. Maybe next time, but not now.
- Posted by Lesley - Vancouver“That means she’s tough and he can’t take heat” - it’s like hitting the other team with your bat during a baseball game and blame them for not guarding themselves. Playing dirty is not the same as play fair and tough.
“We should count MI and FL votes… and Hillary would be ahead” - I’d support a re-vote, but counting the previous results is like playing a couple warm up runs in a baseball game knowing it won’t count, and halfway through the real game the losing team want to count the result from the warm up.
“Hillary would be the nominee if played by republican rules” - yeah and I’d be married to Angelina Jolie if I were Brad Pitt. So she’s saying she’d be the democrat nominee if only the democrats were republicans =).
Come on, I see many good reasons to support Hillary; but some of her main arguments like the above are getting more and more ridiculous even laughable.
- Posted by fooHey, all you Hillary and Obama supporters,
Stop fighting like my 2 kids!
I swear I’ve seen better cooperation in day cares and kindergartens! Y’all sound like it’s a fight between 2 extreme ends of the spectrum. Well, I think you’re nuts! They’re about as far apart as 2 peas in a pod. I like Obama BUT if Hillary wins then I’m voting for her.
The LAST thing we need is another Republican in the White House.
Hillary Supporters – If Obama is the nominee and you vote for McCain then you better not call yourselves democrats!
And all you Obama supporters – If Hillary is the nominee and you don’t vote for her then you’re a pack of 2-faced idiots and low-lifes!
After 7 1/2 years of Babbling Bush we need a president who is intelligent, articulate, cooperative, reasonable, tough, a fighter, and can read his/her own newspaper in the morning. Both our candidates can fit the bill. If they would stop fighting themselves then they could BOTH be on the ticket in November (at this point I don’t really care who’s on top)! But we’re not going to get there by fighting amongst ourselves. If anything we NEED to band together and cheer BOTH on to a victory against the Republican smear machine. Just like what they’re doing right now.
- Posted by DaveIt won’t be happening for Hillary in 2012. The demographics will be totally against her, as they probably will be against McCain this year, if Obama is the Democratic nominee. Hillary knows this. She knows that this is her last chance because she should have run in 2004.
- Posted by Antero PietilaThose interested in delving into demographics further should read an excellent book, “Millenial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube & the Future of American Politics.”
Hillary’s repeated attempts to assert to validity of the Michigan and Florida primaries rank even in my mind with her repeated fiction of her experience in Bosnia.
Some of us thought she was ‘pretty good’ before this contest, but both she and Bill have shown they are peas in a pod, ethically unworthy to return to the White House.
- Posted by Paul TinkerThis represents a serious problem for the Clinton campaign. Without stong and enthusiatic turnout in the African-American community, she CANNOT WIN (especially after her disaterous performance among Independents, the largest voter group, in all primaries to date.) If she cannot immediately make peace with the African-American, the most loyal base in the Party, the superdelegates, who understand the danger, may well start going to Obama in droves.
- Posted by PhrankWow…wow..wow… Another black fanatic.. Man, what’s going on with these guys?. Nobody can say or do anything because they immediately say we are racist or are conspiring against black community, Stop it!!. This guy can take Barry Hussein and Wright to his home and leave us all Americans alone…
- Posted by Manny