It's A Pity Party, And We're All Invited!
Yesterday it was Hillary's turn to get emotional, and today Bill gave it a try. He got angry with the press for what he called "sanitizing coverage", providing the rest of the nation a window into the frustration setting into the Clinton campaign as it faces a second big loss in as many tries:
The former president briefly acknowledged that his wife's senior campaign advisor, Mark Penn, was mistaken to claim that Obama had no bounce out of Iowa after winning the state's caucuses because the poll numbers on the day after were relatively unchanged.Then he abruptly changed the subject — suggesting that Obama's campaign had employed underhanded tactics.
"What did you think about the Obama thing calling Hillary the senator from Punjab? Did you like that? Or what about the Obama handout that was covered up, the press never reported on, implying that I was a crook. Scouring me — scathing criticism over my financial reports. Ken Starr spent $70 million and indicted innocent people to find out that I wouldn't take a nickel to see the cow jump over the moon.
"So you can take a shot at Mark Penn if you want. It wasn't his best day. He was hurt. He felt badly we didn't do better in Iowa," said Clinton. "But the idea that one of these campaigns is positive and the other is negative when I know the reverse is true — and I have seen it and I have been blistered by it for months — is a little tough to take. Just because of the sanitizing coverage that's in the media doesn't mean the facts aren't out there."
Well, how many people do we need to pity here, exactly? Yesterday, Hillary let us know how hard it is to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune on a campaign trail. She has to eat fast food, she doesn't get her exercise, and we should all care about how much she's sacrificing for all of us! Today, we should pity Mark Penn because he had a bad day, which of course is because of all of us and the media.
Hey, didn't these people sign up for this voluntarily? Don't they get to lead the Free World if they win? Will the White House host regular pity parties, or only occasionally?
Bill seems to be the party coordinator. He's complaining about underhanded tactics from Barack Obama? Perhaps Bill might want to review which campaign dug up kindergarten essays for a basis of criticism, and whose campaign second talked about how much more black Bill was from Barack. The only people to blame for the negative coverage that has centered on Hillary is the candidate herself and the team that has stumbled constantly since the beginning of November.
If the Clintons want to talk about Obama's voting record and lack of experience, then do so. Quit digging through his elementary school record and lack of appropriate ancestry, and you may have more credibility when you call for the waaaaambulance.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on January 8, 2008 3:30 PM | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
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