Kennedy eyes the Clintons as he backs Obama

Ted Kennedy could have confined himself to lavishly lauding Barack Obama today. He did plenty of that, to be sure, in his stemwinder of an endorsement speech in Washington. But he also did more -- taking on a couple of Hillary Clinton's talking points against Obama.

As part of his full-throated support for Obama, Kennedy praised Obama for opposing the war in Iraq before it started, at a time, the Massachusetts senator noted, when not many politicians were willing to do so. And then he added: "Let no one deny that truth."

Camp Clinton, while not disputing Obama's early stance against the war, has questioned his consistency on the issue. Most well-publicized was Bill Clinton's "fairy tale" characterization of Obama's depiction of himself as a sustained war opponent. Kennedy's "truth" remark has to be seen as a rebuttal to that.

Even more direct was ...

Kennedy's use of the phrase Hillary Clinton favors when arguing that her experience level makes her the best choice for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"I know," he said of Obama, "I know that he will be ready to be president from Day One."

Kennedy had a sly smile on his face as he delivered that line. We doubt Clinton and her aides were sharing his enjoyment.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[P. Nielsen]

So "Uncle Ted" is boozed up again.
What else is new?

[commonsensepoliticstoday]

Ahhh. The nectar of justice is sweet when it flows. I'm enjoying it and hoping to drink from it more days than not in the future. After watching the repulsive tactics of the Clintons of the past several weeks, after coming to a bitter awakening of the people that I had previously supported as best representing values of integrity, compassion and the democratic ideals of this country, I was shocked to see two thugs reveal themselves for the slime that they are. Many of us, young and old, were disgusted with the Clintons, still are, and contemplated leaving the party should the Clintons win the nomination employing such Machiavellian tactics. Ted Kennedy's appeal today not to do so – coupled with his valiant affirmation and validation of the ideals that is America and repudiation of the pitiful, contemptuous tactics that have angered us – at least reassured me that the party is listening. The Kennedys' joining in the passionate cries for change, and uplifting us with their own historic embodiment of the sought for change, stirred me to the core. God save America!

[Wanting something new]

Ok....

Here are my thoughts...

I am a young wife/stay at home mother of 2 and for the first time in my life it is VERY important to me who is elected our next President. These are a few of my thoughts and questions if anyone cares.

Change is definitely in the air. We have a woman as well as a African American fighting (verbally LOL) for the chance to become our next President. Even though I call myself a democrat I have to admit I am a little scared with how liberal our country is becoming. I am finding that I want values and tradition the older I get. When I hear the Kennedy name that is what it means to me, values and tradition. I am not a Obama supporter in fact I am pushing for Hillary, but I have to admit its because of Bill. I wish we could have Bill back but Hilary is the closest we will ever get. One of my main concerns is how will the democratic candidate if elected president keep tradition and values in our ever changing country as well as change us for the new to become a better and well respected nation? How will the next President save my neighborhood for the foreclosure mess that it is infested with? How will you Mr. or Mrs. President pull our troops out and prove that Iraq is better off now than it was before? Even though this a mess created by Bush it will now be your responsibility and you cant just blame the last guy, you have to fix it. I wish America could get a detailed plan on these issues not just a quick 5 sentence answer on how it would go. I guess that's the gamble.... Lets see who SELLS us the best game.

Thanks for your time

[Loving USA]

Don't know what makes him that way, but, it looks, Kennedy become a truly senile old evil guy. A sharp knife on kid's hand could be a potential trouble, but its on an old mom's hand can be a cooking tool for family. For 8 years later, he may be a matured driver for 2.5B people, but not now. Is anyone willing to be a passenger of the 1st day's student driver on a freeway?! An apple tree need time to be matured.

[mollymarry]

i always admire the kennedy's, but after coming out and endorsing obama no more they could'nt get a vote from me now including whole family, and friends.
it is true that obama is a very good speaker as well as his wife, but i tell you that is one of their race image. they are very good at that. they can sell you the stars, and moon in the sky.
i choose not to get carried away, it was so sad that the kennedy's went up their stepping the clintons since they've know each other for so long as well as jackie onassis. that show divisiveness in their family.
how could they go for obama whom they do not even know well. he is not a popstar maybe caroline just get carried away by his charm but look woman be realistic.

[David]

Saint Obama's good buddy Rezko was arrested today. Yet that story is going to be buried...just like the story about Obama's chief advisor blaming Clinton for Bhutto's death, his South Carolina chair playing the race card by claiming she didn't cry for Katrina victims, the Obama campaign releasing a memo claiming the Clintons were racist, Obama comparing Bill to Richard Nixon, and the fact that Obama lost among white voters in Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina and is losing among them nationally.

All we'll hear is more stuff about how Hillary is being divisive. Media bias against Hillary is obvious and sickening. Thank you Senator Obama for blowing apart the Democratic party for your own personal ambition. If this is what he calls hope and unity, I don't want any part of it!

[adam]

I am touched by Caroline Kennedy's candor, dignity, and willingness to sacrifice her privacy. To say that Sen Obama reminds her of what she imagines was the inspiration of her father is way beyond a simple endorsement.

Though he does not have the same type of credibility as Caroline, I admire Sen Kennedy for having the insight to see the implications for the Democratic Party and for for the country of the Clintons' cynical willingness to use divisive race-baiting and gender-wedging as a campaign tactic and for his decision to contradict them and endorse Obama's idealism.

That it may not be enough to sway voters in California, makes makes these endorsements profiles in courage, rather than politically expedient.

[Jessie]

Billary are ruthless politicians who will cater specifically to polls and cultural/ethnic demographics not because they’re championing anyone’s causes other than their own, but because at the moment, they need it.

Billary fought to disenfranchise the NV Hispanic voters after agreeing to at large caucusing rules, agreed not to campaign in FL as demanded by IA, NH, NV and SC and accordingly pledged in writing with these states when their votes counted, but AS SOON as SC was over, that very night, they announced, “Hey, we’re counting Florida, because we don’t want to disenfranchise them!” Then proceeded to do campaigning there, while adding the “You’re stupid and I’m not campaigning” insult.

Billary’s specific written instructions to do anything short of illegal (wink, wink) to the NV volunteers, to not hesitate to go negative on other candidates, to take over the caucuses because the caucus chairs are just volunteers, too, and taking advantage of the vulnerable Hispanic voters by filling out their candidates for them and telling them they can leave early, and closing doors prematurely at 11:30 rather than noon to the caucusing rooms — all this is there as a small, very small, part of the evidence that exists of what and who the Billary monster is.

If you truly care about the fate of this country, please say NO, a loud vehement NO, to Billary's poisonous politics, and a loud, resounding NO, to their return to the White House.

[Joseph]

Ted Kennedy gave his blessing to John Kerry, and Kerry's campaign tried to make him Kennedyesque. We all know how much good that did him. This just brings up the old adage about keeping your enemies closer to you than your friends, because Ted is clearly a backstabbing, disloyal friend to the Clintons.

[Mary Bryant]

Please, applaud Obama, he is a viable candidate, but can he take on the problems of this country? He has only been in the Senate for two years. He"s smart, and bright, but can he lead this country out of the mess we are in? I am a black American, but I can't vote black. I have to vote for experience and knowledge and strength. My vote is for Ms. clinton.

[Matt]

It is horrible how the media unjustly crucifies Hillary. Hillary is trashed for her vote authorizing miliary force in Iraq (which she has repeatedly taken responsibilty for and has said she made the best decision she could with the information she has) and Obama is always portrayed as voting "no". However, Obama wasn't even in the Senate in 2002-he was just a candidate for Senate when he opposed the war. It's much easier to oppose something when you don't actually have to vote for it.

[A fellow Black American]

Dear Mary Bryant-
Thank you for making experience not race an issue in this campaign.

[Rachel]

I don't want to be afraid any more. I don't want to worry about who my enemies are, and to think that the enemies of my enemies must be my friends. I don't want to watch statesmen and women fight each other and constantly campaign for the next election cycle and settle old scores. I want them to govern we and justly.

I want something better, personally and for my city and my country and my world.

I read the research, I did the homework. Obama's the one, hands down.

[George Allen]

"Wanting something new" posted exactly the same comment on the NY Times website. So, HRC talking points redux, huh?

Rasmussen Reports put up an essay about two hours ago, speculating that a sea change (my term, not theirs) may be taking place. Their last Fla. poll had Hillary 20 points ahead of Obama, but it was pre-Caroline/pre-Teddy endorsements. If Obama is within 10 or 15 points of Clinton in Florida it will be a defeat for her.

There is a terrific asymmetry about the Obama and Clinton campaigns this week. The Obama operation is running smoothly and getting fabulous press while the Clinton campaign is once again recasting its message and once again trying to figure out how to avoid being caught out at what is a painfully obvious miscalculation on the whole black vs. latino gambit.

The Clintons must have thought that their worst case scenario was breaking even on the African-American vote while picking up about a 2-1 to 3-1 advantage with latinos.

There is something else worth noting: Bill's nasty in-her-face personal attack on CNN's Jessica Yellin ("you live for this; you should be ashamed.") has caused essentially all of the working press beat reporters assigned to Presidential campaigns to close ranks around Jessica. So now HRC is getting zero breaks and even anchor desks are pretty much vehemently anti-Clinton.

In three short weeks the Clintons have managed to lose the African American vote from one coast to the other while simultaneously ticking off the Kennedys.

Look at the prices being paid for the Clinton calculation to try to brand Obama as purely a "Black" candidate in the mold of a Jesse Jackson or Al Shaprton: The California teachers are staying neutral; the black vote in California will go heavily to Obama, perhaps even as high as the 4-1 against margin of So. Carolina and HRC's union support is going mushy. Could she lose California? Maybe. Will she win anywhere by enough to swing Super Delegates heavily to her side? Too soon to tell, but probably not.

How did all this happen? Two words: Mark Penn. The weird thing is that Mrs. Clinton's instincts are really not bad. But, she does not trust her instincts. So instead she polls and stews and overthinks everything and winds up, having thought about it too much, doing the wrong thing when her instinct would have had her do the right thing.

Bottom line: She's awkward. She comes across as cold and calculating because the part of her dual persona which keeps triumphing is the cold and calculating side. Too bad. Sad. Tragic really. One would have thought running her own campaign she might have become her own person. But, no, there was always Bill hovering out there somewhere. And with him comes her obsessive desire to do it in such a way he would approve.

Reminds me of a sign in a bike shop in Honolulu where I took my bike for service: "Labor $15 per hour; $25 if you watch. $40 if you help."

Her problem in this race, right from the start, has been that Bill has been not only watching, but also helping. And while she could sort of deny that the other surrogates were doing the hatchet jobs without her imprimatur, it's impossible to distance herself from her husband.

George M. Allen
Telluride, Colorado

[Lorie]

So much for change.... Obama is being back by Ted Kennedy who has been in Washington when Obama was in diapers. Same old, liberal politician it seems to me. Please give me a break. At least we know what we need to about Hillary. Obama appears sleazier every time he whines about being attacked. Get a backbone wait until the Republicans go after him if he gets that far, which I hope he doesn't.

[George]

Just what Ted Kennedy was looking for a puppet for him.This is his one last chance to get into the white house for Ted Kennedy and we all know what the Kennedy's do with women and the whitehouse.Obama is half white and he dosen't recognize that aspect of his life.He dosen't salute our troops or place his hand over his heart when the pledge to our flag is said.He only bows his head when the national anthem is sang dosen't raise his head as a proud American. Do we want this for president kennedy and obama baggage would be a lot for the people to carry for four years.

[miriam biteng]

Funny thing how we are swirled into the games of big ones. They halves themselves so when the other side lost and the other side won, these big ones did not lose at all! How pitiful sometimes to be meek and poor! yet our consolation, we do not carry the burden of conscience, in fact, we humble and meek are entertained as spectators we only watch we neither lose or win.We have come to accept contentment. This has been since time in memorial.