Hmm, Hillary Clinton ducks chance to attack new GOP star Sarah Palin

A very interesting thing didn't happen Saturday.

Appearing at a labor rally and stumping for congressional candidates in New York, Sen. Hillary Clinton uttered her most popular line from the recent Democratic National Convention in Denver: "No Way. No how. No McCain." This time she added, "No Palin."

But despite some soft lobs by media with her, that's as far as the female candidate who got closer to a major party's top nomination than any other in American history would go in criticizing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the first female top-ticket member in Republican Party history.

Despite continued grumbling among her supporters about a less than diligent effort by the Barack Obama crowd to help the New York senator retire her immense campaign debts, Clinton has been living up to her promise to fundraise and campaign for the Democratic ticket all over.

She has repeated the "No way. No how" line about John McCain many times and warned against four more....

...years of a Bush-like administration.

But she's been very careful to avoid saying harsh things against her good friend from Arizona, who was among the first to welcome and show the former first lady around the old-boys club of the Senate on her arrival in 2001.

In fact, during last winter-spring's Democratic primary campaigns, Clinton lavished considerable praise on McCain for the lifetime of experience he would bring to the White House while Obama, she said dismissively, only "has a speech he gave in 2002."

On Saturday in New York, reporters eager for a story about a fight between the two female politicians set Clinton up several times to take easy swings at the 44-year-old reform governor, who blew away the Republican National Convention crowd with her speech Wednesday night about her running mate, her own life and some mocking views of Obama.

But Clinton would not bite. Or swing. Not once.

"This election is about issues, and that’s what’s going to matter to people at the end of the day," was all that Clinton would say. This despite the obviously powerful fears that Palin has engendered among many Democrats conducting nonstop, massive behind-the-scenes efforts to smear Palin's reputation and plant negative stories in the media, with some success.

Intriguing to wonder why Clinton wouldn't say more.

Why do you think? Gender solidarity? Friendship for McCain despite their disagreements? A sign of waning enthusiasm for her own party's ticket? So much joy over the New York Giants defeat of the Washington Redskins in the NFL opener Thursday night?

--Andrew Malcolm

Photo credits: Associated Press

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Comments

[bob]

The Clintons owe Obama NOTHING!!!!

[nadezhda]

This is a totally made-up non-story.

Think about it for two seconds, please. It would be idiotic for Hillary to attack Palin directly. She'd just feed fuel to the "Palin as victim" hysteria and wouldn't bring any more of her supporters over to Obama. She can attract the lion's=share of her old supporters to Obama by continuing to stress the "issues we fought for" theme as she did in her speech in Denver. That's what the Obama campaign wants her to do with audiences and in states where Hillary goes over well.

The media line that she's not supporting Obama by not launching a full-throated personality-based attack on either McCain or Palin is just reporters ginning up a non-existent "conflict among the Dems -- the Clintons are undermining Obama" story that the media obsessed over and tried to push the entire week of the Dem Convention. Please stop the BS!

[Mark]

What do I think? I think this is much ado about nothing. Hillary's not going to burn bridges. She likes being an insider, and that's fine with me.

She's campaigning for Obama and for other Democrats, and that's what matters.

[CC]

I think she wants her old friend McCain to win, as to better position herself in 2012. The Clintons have always been about the Clintons, and shame on anybody who is surprised.

[tiredofit]

The VP is supposed to be the "attack dog". If Obama wanted Hillary to go on the attack he should have made her his VP. Obama supporters said they did not need Hillary and they would not help to retire her debt, so in November we will see if Obama excercised good judgement when he ignored and disrespected 18 million Dem voters by selecting Biden without even vetting Hillary. NOway NOhow NObama

[Tony S.]

Hey Andrew, guess who complimented McCain to say that he could win the presidency for either party???
A: Joe Biden!!

Ok try another. Q: Which democrat once tried to get McCain to run as the democratic v.p.??
A: John Kerry!

Okay final one. Q: Which democratic currently running for office claimed this year that obama was too inexperienced to run for president??
A: Joe Biden!!!

Hey thank you Andrew for playing "What Did I Leave Out of My Pro-obama Story?" I'm sure we will see you again soon.

[obi]

Hillary's doing the right thing -- stick to the issues. I am getting tired of these personality attacks!

[plankbob]

More reporting on the "Democrats divided" theme? But she did say while campaigning for herself that McCain was ready to be commander in chief and Obama had a speech.
The Clintons aren't shy about positioning themselves so I am suspicious. And where is Bill? Maybe he immobilized laughing at the joke McCain told that Janet Reno is Chelsea's real father. Maybe they're both laughing at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLQGWpRVA7o

McCain's "respect" for feminism and Democrats in full flower.

[EJDUBYA]

Indeed, it is time for ALL Democrats to stop whining about Hillary not being the personality attack dog. It is time for Democrats to do what she is doing--pointing out that the Republican administration has nearly destroyed the economy, has mortgaged America's future with it's "borrow and spend" policies, has cost America its credibility in the world and has cost America the lives of 4K+ soldiers, sailors and civilians, and maimed many thousand more. Democrats need to stop acting like Karl Rove Republicans. Enough with the personal attacks; talk about the real issues and how they will address them.

[sharky]

I agree with the above. It's a non-story. Clinton is campaigning for Obama and Democrats. She's keeping it about the issues. Why play into the hands of the rabid right and/or "journalists" and make personal attacks that will inflame non-thinkers and obscure the issues? Sarah Palin is doing a fine job distracting from the issues vis a vis being completely ridiculous all on her own, and heck she isn't even available for comment.

[mgultch]

It is pretty funny how the MSM is looking for entertainment value in a battle of words between Clinton and Palin. I do not think it will happen. We should all be watching C-SPAN anyway. But if you do need some humor and entertainment, and, need to register to VOTE! Look at this real-time poll htttp://www.boppoll.com. You can register to vote on-line there and have some instant fun.

[Liah]

Hillary is loyal to her party, McCain tried to switch party before.

Hillary knows what is going on in the Whitehouse, she really knows what she is talking about...

Miss Moose Hunter ? She should go back to the boonduck!

Ah! If the GOP Convention had it more TV viewers than Democrats was because the Football Match that people were expecting to watch!

The media knows that too, just don't want to accept it, isn't ?

[A.Levine]

THE ONLY REASON HILLARY WOULD CARE ABOUT O.HUSSEIN.O. IS THAT SHE WANTS MONEY. OTHER THAN THAT MCCAIN THE CHOICE.
THE ONLY CHOICE.
PRESIDENT MCCAIN WILL BE A GREAT PRESIDENT BECAUSE HE WILL PUT AMERICA FIRST..... AND NO MR. B, HE DOESN'T THINK WE ARE STUPID ,YOU DO, BUT WE WILL SHOW YOU WHO THE STUPID ONE REALLY IS COME ELECTION DAY.........................WILL WILL NEVER HAVE A HUSSEIN PRESIDENT IN THIS COUNTRY.

[JimK]

She knows Dems win if the election is about issues, Repubs win if its about personality. Dems should forget about Palin and keep heat on Bush/McCain/Palin policies.

[the tanker]

Obama made a huge mistake by not picking Hillary and her 18 million votes for VP. Remember the "dream ticket?" In spite of the unity speeches, the Democrats are divided. This gave McCain an opening to exploit Obama's blunder.

It also points out that Obama may not be the great unifier that he claims to be. He could not rise above and put a "sure win" ticket together because of his own personal feelings towards Hillary and Bill.

If Obama loses this election, the big question will be: "What if he had chosen Hillary for VP?" Obama has divided the Democrats and this division will get larger if he doesn't help Hillary with her campaign debt.

[jamespetermay]

It's simple. Both Hillary and Obama (and other successful politicians both Democrat and Republican know) is you must stay positive.

The process of Palin is far from over. She appears anti-fatherhood with the troopergate story.

SHe put her kids--literally--on the center stage yet she doesn't think that motherhood responsibilities would overwhelm her ability to lead (nevermind just attend meetings)

It appears like she is ready to abandon all of her kids, the Downs syndrome kid, the pregnant one and who knows, maybe the one in Iraq?

What assurance do we have that she won't favor his platoon over others?

McCain missed the boat and based his decion on gut, and that is a VERY George W Bush thing to do.

[Ray]

I review the LA Times for the advertisement but I don't subscribe because you have total bias toward liberalism. You do not report the news. You only want to make up the news and report what suites your political agenda. How can you not point out that Obama had less experience than Sarah, if you are going to repeat the democratic line that Sarah is not an experienced politician? Report the news and not be bias and someday I will subscribe again.

[joan ca]

this article just proves, SHE IS A LADY!

[phil- los angeles]

We've learned that NOW is all about left wing causes- the ACLU cares about lefty issues. You want to win national elections or increase newspaper circulation, stopping crapping on middle, small town America. Enjoy West LA land, pay your exorbitant taxes for failing schools and supporting Sanctuary City.
Omaba "ain't The One"
Hillary- your turn will come in 2012!

[Tina]

Senator Clinton was trashed repeatedly by the media as a person. Her policies took a back seat to the frenzy to destroy her campaign and her reputation. She gave the Washington Post an interview in which she rightly noted that everywhere around the world, people can be polar opposites ideologically, but they are united in their oppression of women. Every time a government seeks to control the lives of women they prove it.

[woodstock69]

Possibly Barry can win without Clinton being the virtual candidate, but I think the Democratic leaders should put more pressure on Hillary to personally embrace Obama, if possible, 24/7. When the voter enters the booth in Nov., and sees the name Obama, they should think Clinton, thats how much she should campaign for him. And when they see the name Palin, they should think, Hillary has it all over her.

[Gerry]

Clinton will not become Obama's "attack dog" unless his campaign agrees to pay off her campaign debt. I wouldn't be surprised if her people aren't promoting this story in order to put pressure on Obama.

She's in a tough spot. If Palin wasn't on the ticket, I think she would actually find a way to help Obama lose. She wants the chance to be the first woman president ASAP. However, with Palin in the picture, Hillary can't afford to help the Repub ticket too much. A strong and popular Palin would be tough for Hillary after a "one-term" McCain presidency. Her best position is to stay neutral on any attack that could be considered personal. She doesn't want a public outcry and mass defection of her base (like Oprah).

McCain's selection of Palin has become a thorn in the side of democrats on so many different levels. She has neutralized the novelty of Obama (and added a record of accomplishment to that novelty), she has rallied the conservative base of the republican party (as well as some libertarian types), she causes all kinds of problems for Hillary, and she has caused millions of women around the country to actually think about the possibility that you can be a liberated, progressive and accomplished woman without advocating abortion on demand for everyone (free if possible).

This will be a fun campaign for sure.

[Renagle]

What do I think? That Hillary wants Obama to lose so she'll have a shot at 2012. If Obama dumped Biden and put her on the ticket at this point, she'd be playing sloppy seconds and would be a trinket used by the empty suit holding a losing ticket. Why buy into that?

Plus, she'd ruin her chances at running for Pres ever because if Obama goes down in 4 yrs with her as the the Veep, she would have to wait until unshackling herself from him until 2012--with the reputation of being a one termer VP kicked out of office----and a successful Obama (yeah, right) would mean waiting until 2016 when she's what, 68yrs old? Haha! The woman wants Obama to go down, and go down hard so then in 2012, she can come back and say "See! You moron Dems picked the empty suit when you could have had a fighter like me against the big bad GOP!"

Gotta love it. She did answer the 3am call---from Obama in desperation! Oh the irony is so sweet!!!

McCain/Palin '08

[richard]

I think she is having a hard time supporting Obama for his lack of spending actual time in Washington. He has been campaigning for the presidency since he was elected and has not accomplished or voted on anything of substance and she regrets it. He has gained popularity like Bill who I think she also regrets. She wants reform and doesn't believe Obama can get the job done. She may be offered a job in the cabinet but what would it do for her political career?

[Mehul Kamdar]

Yes, Sen Clinton needs to take instructions from anti-Republican journalists on what she has to do. I refuse to call you lot Democrats because the Democratic PArty is composed of great people, not mud-slingers who seem to be trying to claim the party for themselves these days. If you want to "attack" Governor Palin, you should be running for public office instead of writing for a left-wing newspaper.

[JIM]

if Clinton wants help then she has to give help, I am waiting to see howmujch she helps obana then i will give toi her to reduce her debt. If she doesn;t do more then she has then I won;t give. There is no reason why we should not win this eletion especialoly with clinton's help. SO come on Mrs. clinton and Mr. Clinton Get on the wagon and I assure you you will see a lot more money coming your way;

[Felix]

Hillary Clinton is a classy lady. She has no need to get drawn into political mud with Palin. Palin's own views will get her into trouble (i.e. creationism, homophobia, anti-abortion, censorship, calling the Iraq war a "holy war", etc.). The question is, when is Sarah Palin going to answer any questions other than who her favorite hockey team is? A town of 9,000 people and running a failed carwash counts as experience? Give us a break, this "pit bull" is actually a poodle.

[Paula]

Mocking and smearing Palin is great entertainment, but it accomplishes nothing. Remember that Barack and HIllary are out to get the blue-collar female vote for the Dems in November. Those voters are not going to be impressed by intellectual snide-swipes -- they want to hear about jobs, medical insurance, gas prices, etc. Plus, Obama clearly told his peeps not to engage in personal attacks.

[Steve]

Hillary is keeping the issues at the forefront, contrasting the new ideas and solutions of an Obama presidency with 4 more years of failed ideas that would be a McCain presidency. Obama has refused to lower this important election to personal attacks, and Hillary is following suit. Let the GOP roll around in the mud all they want - America is tired of Karl Rove politics...

[dude1394]

The media line that she's not supporting Obama is because she's not supporting Obama as hard as they are. They don't think she's doing enough so they try to prod her to do so.

[Jay]

Non story, but apparently the Clinton's are still supposed to act like Hillary is the nominee. Barack and Biden are. She's campaigning, not sure what the problem is. That Saturday stop wasn't even about the presidential race for goodness sakes.

[Bill Mitchell]

This is an easy one. Hillary wants Obama to lose so she can run again in 2012.

[floridagal]

Sen Clinton was smart. As a feminist, she may admire Gov Palin's accomplishments in obtaining public office while raising a large family, but as a liberal she will disagree on the issues. Gov Palin is to the far right esp regarding no abortions even in the case of rape or incest; she is supportive of teaching creationism in school and wanting to ban books in libraries.

What is a better question, is why the Republican party, along w/ Rush L. and others, are now are for a mother of five working not only outside the home but possibly being VP?

[Linda]

I disagree. This is, indeed, a story. Look, in order to win, Obama-Biden have to make a compelling case, and put forward substantive proposals as a ticket. Details. They have to sway public opinion. The novelty has worn off. History will be made, whether the 1st African-American president is elected in November, or the 1st female vice-president is elected in November.

I almost blew a gasket when, on the day of McCain's acceptance speech to the Republican Nat'l Convention, Obama, in an interview with Bill O'Reilly, said the surge has succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. Good grief! He walked right into that. He handed the Republicans a clip that will be used relentlessly to argue that Obama doesn't know what he's doing, and changes his mind too much.

He was against it before he was for it! ~ that's how the Republicans sandbagged John Kerry. The Dems should have been ready for that. It was a tactical blunder on Obama's part. It's fine for him to admit that the surge is working. But not in the language he used, and not with O'Reilly, an arch-conservative commentator, and not on the DAY of McCain's acceptance speech. That was stupid. A campaign requires tactics and strategy. It's not just about what you believe intellectually. If Senator Obama doesn't figure that out and make tactical adjustments, he's going to achieve the same results as another Illinois politician, Adlai Stevenson. Smart guy. Thoughtful guy. Limited national momentum.

Don't get me wrong. I loved Obama's acceptance speech. But it's going to take more than that speech to win the election.

[Mark Conlan]

The "Hillary vs. Obama" story is such a good one it's obvious Andrew Malcolm isn't going to let the facts get in the way of it. There are plenty of legitimate criticisms to be made of McCain, Palin and the party and policies they represent without playing the game of "gotcha" politics the media love. Hillary and her husband were the principal targets of one of the most vicious concerted series of personal attacks ever leveled in American personal history — reason enough for them to want to support their party and their party's nominee without putting anybody else through that.

[Susan]

She's doing whats smart and the rest of the Democrats should follow her lead. The way to win is on the issues.
Making personal attacks on Palin is a waste of time because she's likeable and feeds on controversy.

[Max]

Isn't this why 50% of the Democrats don't trust the Clintons? You can't depend on them to help the ticket..especially if they're not the star.

[Maria]

She knows that we must win on the issues worth fighting for.

[Mamie]

The Obama campaign smeared Hillary with stories planted all over liberal websites (Huffingtonpost, Daily Kos, etc.) and now they are smearing Sarah Palin. Obama was supposed to be all about the 'new politics' where personal attacks were unacceptable - and then they tried to demolish Hillary and now they're demolishing Sarah Palin.

If Hillary does more than the strict minimum for Obama then she is truly a magnanimous person - and I don't think she is. In her shoes, I wouldn't be.

[VJ Machiavelli]

Maybe she is turning into a "GOLDWATER GIRL" again or a McCain GIRL" she knows that if she went after Sarah the "New Republican Terminator" she would be "TERMINATED" on the spot.

Or maybe McCain will ask her to serve in his cabinet at a dollar a year. She and BILL are "RICH"

VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com

[greylox]

**Nice try. Poor republicans. Trying to blame the dems for McCain's poor choice. All the "rumors" going around about Palin seem to have more than a whiff of truth about them. Suck it up, republicans. You own a lipstick wearing celebrity who's about as much of a reformer as McCain.

[Scy]

*shrug* Pretty meaningless one way or the other. The press really tries to hard to read much in every little thing a candidate does.

[Jasb]

Hillary would be a fool to go negative against Palin. The democrats, through limitless hubris and unreal idealism, lost this election on their own. Perhaps if the O'Bama campaign had not run such a sexist and "reverse racist" campaign it might have been different. All Hillary can do is smear her own name and women's rights in general. Take the high road Hillary.

[Hollywood Dodger Mark]

Omigod, Now Joe Lieberman is teaching the Palin woman about geo-politics. Read about here:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/09/07/palin-getting-tutored-in-neocon-101-by-professor-lieberman/

[Chris]

It makes sense to say as little as possible about Palin...the point of Palin on the ticket is to provide distraction from the terrible enviroment for the GOP....the key here is "the ecomony stupid" and repeating: Bush/McCain.

The point is Hillary is out there saying it.

[S]

I think Obama can do his own dirty work and fight his own battles..he has used Hillary Clinton enough...

Hillary is a sophisticated, smart, dignified woman and a Senator who is working for to help other Dems get elected and is too busy to get into silly cat fights for Obama...He can send the same women he sent out to attack Hillary to go after Palin...

...Hillary has gone above and beyond for the Obama campaign...enough already!

[Chris]

Bob:

No, they don't. But Hilary and Bill owe the Dems and this country, helping to avert another shoot-from-the -hip crazy four years.

McCain vetted Palin about as well as he vetted the iraq War: see Frank Rich for details.

Chris

[mudlark]

Why should Hillary Clinton be Obama's attack dog? If Obama had picked Hillary for VP (a job that she is way over-qualified for), Sarah Palin would not be on McCain's ticket. But Obama let his personal dislike of Hillary cloud his choice.

Too bad. Stop whining, Obamacans, for once your hero is going to have to save himself.

[hillarygate]

Why isn't Hillary or her husband banding together on their website against Pailin and instead asking for donations? Is she a Lieberman in a skirt? The GOP was smart to choose an extreme causian that practically fit the descriptions of Mr. O and Ms. H.... they were clever indeed but Hillary needs to speak up and where is Pelosi in all this as well as the other so called female politicians - probably waiting to politicize at the right moment - but don't wait too long ladies.

[Vegas]

Palin isn't really worthy of her attack. She's number 2 on the ticket, not the top.

Hmm, Palin misses out on chances to talk with the press. I guess she's too busy with her "Hooked on Politics/Foreign Policy 101" crash course. It won't help. Things change all the time. World and domestic events are subject to change at a moments notice and you can't go hide and read for weeks on end without making a statement of showing your face and giving your thoughts on a matter. Domestic and world events are not Math, they aren't forever the same, things change. Obama and Biden are ready. They don't need the manual anymore. They can change with the circumstances. They can deal with anyone, anytime, any place, anywhere. Palin can't do that. She can't even talk to the enamored media right now, while no one's even slamming her. They're in the honeymoon phase and even so, she's running. She's just a gimmick. A Trojan Horse. They republicans plan on riding it to the White House and when they get there they will open it up and all the Bush policies will fall out. No health care. No women's right to choose, so that sets women back a few hundred years. Palin is a woman in the sense that she goes potty the same way I do, it ends there. Palin is Dick Cheney in a skirt. She's a good ol' boy with a vagina.

McCain is offeringa hungry America a nice shiny new bright red apple. But upon inspection, the apple is rotten and it has worm in it. That worm is Sarah Palin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR6LX7CobEU
Can Sarah come out and play?