Carl Bernstein wrote an incisive opinion piece the other day for Anderson Cooper’s 360 blog. Bernstein, author of the Hillary Clinton biography, A Woman in Charge, is a CNN analyst this year and appears on Cooper’s program.
His post is so damning that Clinton loyalist Lanny Davis requested and got the chance to rebut.
In speculating what a Clinton presidency would look like, Bernstein says it is increasingly likely to look like the first Clinton presidency: “…high-minded ideals, lowered execution, half truths, outright lies (and imaginary flights), take-no prisoners politics, some very good policy ideas, a presidential spouse given to wallowing in anger and self-pity, and a succession of aides and surrogates pushed under the bus when things don’t go right. Which is to say, often.”
The recent departure of Mark Penn from the Clinton campaign (under whatever circumstances might be true) is, to Bernstein, evidence of an increasingly-bankrupt campaign with an accomplice: “The willingness of so much of the press, sensitized to the Clintons’ off-center complaints about one-sided coverage, to buy into this line is stunning.”
He also writes about something I’ve long felt strongly about: her sense of entitlement to a career in elected politics after her public humiliation because of her philandering husband. He says her “unique star power, her performance as a senator and fundraiser on behalf of her party are what gave legitimacy to the idea that she might be a credible presidential candidate: all premised on her changed demeanor in the Senate years, compared to her embattled tenure as first lady.”
And while her colleagues and many reporters, including Bernstein, assumed her presidential campaign would be a different sort of Clinton campaign, events have proven them wrong. Without doubt he sees this as another “two for one” Clinton campaign, saying, “The choice ahead -– in Pennsylvania, and the remaining primary states, and for the super delegates, and perhaps even the arbiters of a deadlocked convention -– is clear enough at this point, at least in terms of what the 2008 Clinton campaign is about: the Clintons — plural.”
The Davis post calls Bernstein’s a personal attack on Hillary and a few things stand out. First, Davis seems to ignore the nature of Bernstein’s as an opinion piece; therefore, most, but not all, of his objections to statements not followed by stated facts fall flat. And it’s interesting that while Bernstein barely mentions Barack Obama and does so almost in passing, Davis writes extensively about him. It should be noted that Davis not only raises funds for the Clinton campaign but was employed by the Bill Clinton White House. [In the interest of full disclosure, I should say he was also a Maryland congressman many years ago, my congressman. I liked him then.]
Bernstein is not just a good thinker but, in my opinion, a gorgeous writer always worth reading whether one agrees with him or not. I happen to agree.
His blog post can be found here and the Davis rebuttal is here.
Related posts on From Scratch: Carl Bernstein archive
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Well said. Ideally, I think Obama should ‘win’, with Clinton as his ’second’. This would also keep Bill ‘out of the oval’ office, so to speak. Unhappily, from up here in the North, it seems very unlikely that the democrats will get in at all. Here’s hoping. The United States certainly does need a ‘change’, including a re-routing of many of it’s foreign policies. It is a shame that Colin Powell is not anywhere to be seen, and that Gore has left the arena. Where are the GOOD MEN? the GOOD WOMEN? Or is it all just getting so mammoth/unwielding & POWER orientated that the GOOD have gone elsewhere? Does that actually MEAN anything anymore? The GOOD?
canadada’s last blog post..Who IS the ?Queen Bee? ?? ?.. ? ?..? (another short story)
I totally agree that a big improvement in foreign relations is called for. When I think of the goodwill W had after 9/11 and how quickly and thoroughly he squandered it, I am dumbfounded and stunned. He has been an absolute disaster in every way.
Think about this scenario: Obama wins the nomination and the White House — no HRC as his vice president. And her consolation prize — entitlement again! — would be Governor of New York.