Days before Bill Clinton officially nominates Barack Obama for reelection at the National Democrats Convention, the New Yorker has reported that Clinton once made racially insensitive comments about the President in 2008.
According to the article’s author, Ryan Lizza, Clinton made a remark to Senator Ted Kennedy saying of Obama, “A few years ago, this guy would have been carrying our bags.”
Lizz says he was told this nugget by Tim Russert, the former NBC newsman, who died in 2008. Clinton supposedly made these comments while trying to convince Kennedy to support his wife, Hillary Clinton, for the rival Democratic nomination.
In John Heilemann and Mark Halperin’s book, “Game Change”, from 2010, a similar quote is attributed to Clinton – “A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.”
Edward Klein, the author of “The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House” told the New York Sunday Post that just last year, Clinton told friends and political advisors that, “Obama doesn’t know how to be president…He doesn’t know how the world works.”
According to Klein, Bill Clinton had advised Hillary to run against Obama again this year but Hillary declined.
Klein wrote that Bill Clinton was simply signed up to announce Obama’s nomination this week in Charlotte to remind voters of the glory days of a Democratic president’s economy.
Klein has been widely disparaged by Clinton and other leading Democrats and has made many inflamatory comments in the past that were unproven.
As the New Yorker article puts it, “a carefully orchestrated reconciliation of sorts has been under way for some time now,” and Bill Clinton’s official nomination of Obama for the Democratic candidate will be the culmination of this plan.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seanomelb | Sep 06, 2012, 07:35 PM EDT
After Obama's speech tomorrow the Teabaggers will have a nervous twitch in their collective posteriors
uppinko | Sep 05, 2012, 05:40 PM EDT
What should he have said, "Hey shouldn't we be carrying that n****' bag"?
branagh | Sep 05, 2012, 12:40 AM EDT
Peculiar censorship at IC-will try again! Posted Tuesday re once again a very misleading headline. The supposed gaffes were widely reported in 2010. IC also had a very distasteful headline re Frank Ryan and Nazi collaboration - Wiki deals with this I think fairly (I have some information myself from sources). Another staff writer in a rush of opinionating was unaware that Timothy Dolan was also going to "do" the Democratic Convention. I agree with several posters here that there was nothing racist from Clinton-Obama had made a speech a huge lie-there is no conservative USA or liberal USA only the USA,no red or blue states,etc which of course,was crap then and certainly now. Julian Castro tonight on the other hand made a fine speech devoid of the vacuous Obama fluff. Back to the IC, what BC said to Kennedy was factually incontrevertible; what BC said in Vermont later that Obama and the Iraq war was alot of bull - well, he made a couple of street corner speeches as an Illinois State Assemblyman - not on a par with MLK denouncing the Vietnam War or Robert Byrd the Iraq war. Julian Castro did make a very fine speech tonight-much better than Obama's and not fraudelent. There is a link in the article to the New Yorker-when you get there you'll find a hilarious piece reporting how Paul Ryan was snatched from the Congress gym to head the Seal team taking out Osama Bibi Laden. BTW,voted for BHO 2008,will do again 2012.
MegK311 | Sep 04, 2012, 11:08 PM EDT
CelticQueenUSA, I would like to remind you that when Obama took office the Democrats had control of Congress and the Senate and the White House for 2 years. He got nothing done so stop blaming the Republicans. Presently the Democrats control the White House and the Senate. The Republic xontrol the Congress. Harry Reid has refused to vote on a budget for over 3 years. The Congress has sent job bills to the Senate and Harry Reid has refused to bring these bills to the floor for a vote. Harry Reid is an angry old man who needs to go.
Tom Mo | Sep 04, 2012, 09:58 PM EDT
In all seriousness I feel that the real racists in America are the Media and the left wing liberals. Take Chris Matthews of MSNBC, that dolt talks of nothing but race. He say's that using the words Chicago, food stamps, welfare are racist. Listen to the Vice President Joe Biden, Barack is clean cut, atriculate, and good looking (something like that); then Biden again speaking to a Black audience, "They (the republicans) will put ya'all back in chains." Harry Reid on Obama, he is clean cut and dosen't have a Negro accent. This type of gutterspeak would never pass muster were it spoken by a Republican. Americans are wising up to the liberaledia.
EdMahoney | Sep 04, 2012, 09:40 PM EDT
I think Clinton was correct. He was not being racist. He just looked at this freshman in the senate, still wet behind the ears and thought of him as such. Just like a Navy plebe at the academy; "carring our bags" or "getting us coffee" Clinton's remarks were not out of line. Further, his comment "Obama doesn't know how to be president...He doesn't know how the world works" wasn't inaccurate at the time he said it. In fact, IT'S STILL ACCURATE TO THIS DAY. It's unfortunate that we have a president that never held a real job. If he had worked for a living like the rest of us MAYBE he'd have a better feeling of how we live and done a better job. BO has to be the worst president I've seen in my 47 years of voting; even worse than "JIMMY".
Tom Mo | Sep 04, 2012, 09:35 PM EDT
I think what Clinton really said when chatting over cocktails with Kerry, Kennedy, Dodge, and a bunch of interns at a local watering hole, was, "Hey barack, go home and get your shine box."
seansarto | Sep 04, 2012, 06:28 PM EDT
Don't see it as racist..It just recognizes the fraud that the Obum is...Some people just think too f'n high an' mighty of themselves.
seanomelb | Sep 04, 2012, 06:15 PM EDT
The GOP smear masters are up and running They are running out of propaganda material and they know it's all over for them. 4 MORE YEARS.
Donegal6 | Sep 04, 2012, 05:39 PM EDT
That is a true quote however, I don't believe he is a racist at all. I think he was just referring to his coming out of nowhere.
Jimsales74 | Sep 04, 2012, 05:29 PM EDT
First, so what if he did? BFD. Second, all of you ranting about how it's some GOP plot have apparently never read the New Yorker; It's a totally leftist liberal rag. That said, how can anyone think of giving Obama another 4 years when he has betrayed you Kool Aid drinkers across the board? I voted for the bum the first time around, yea, I bought his BS too. HIS DIDN'T DO ANY OF WHAT HE PROMISED. Did he close Gitmo, or did send even more prisoners there? Did he even try to end the war, or did he expand it? At least Bush was honest enough to not try to tell us that we had to kill for peace! Obama said that if he couldn't fix the economy in 4 years then we should call him Mr. ex-president. I, for one intend to take him up on his offer. And continue my fight against the damage that the commie SOB has done to the Bill of Rights.
CelticQueenUSA | Sep 04, 2012, 05:29 PM EDT
It's ever so easy to quote dead people. This man (Obama) has done a good bit or wrangling with congress which is REPUBLICAN dominant. He can do so much more (like end the wars) if Congress would work WITH HIM. Barack Obama FOR PRESIDENT -- SECOND TERM!!!!
stanchaz | Sep 04, 2012, 05:23 PM EDT
The bottom line is STIll this: ANY Democratic President , whether Bill, Barack, or Hillary...is ...was...would... and will be better for the PEOPLE- the ORDINARY WORKING PEOPLE of America... than anyone that the Republicans can offer this year. Don't believe the hype. For as with John Kerry in 2004, the Republicans will say anything and do anything to get into power, as thy spend and spend and spend in order to attain the goals of their billionaire buddies. Romney/Ryan will try to pull the wool over your eyes. But they don't give a fig about you and those you love. ALL they want is your vote. Don't be a fool.... Don't give it to them!
cillowen | Sep 04, 2012, 05:11 PM EDT
but its the truth of the matter - clinto was right on this one.
EphraimKibbey | Sep 04, 2012, 04:24 PM EDT
Sounds like the Obama MYTH spinners are running out of material if they have to reincarnate this one. This is what happens when you LIE. You can't get the lie exactly the same every time because you can't remember what you said the last time you lied. Unless this is on tape somewhere or Bill Clinton makes a statement to the press saying that one of these versions indeed happened, I think it needs to be circular filed along with all the birther rantings and women able to block a rapist's sperm beliefs of the GOP. It is like Ryan voting against bringing the revenue balanced committee findings to a floor vote and blaming Obama or his scuttling of the Boehner/Obama compromise and then saying that Obama has not proposed an alternative. The GOP is the party of LIES!!! How else can they hope to get a single vote? Hear-say is not admissible in court and this is hear-say twice removed where one of the original parties is dead and the original theoretical eavesdropper is also gone. As a former high school teacher, I have seen the distructiveness that follows when innocent kids start paying attention to "He Said - She Said" rumors. I have always counseled the kids to check the rumor with the people actually involved before getting too excited. In this case, I think that if one considers their voting records, their bodies of written work and speeches and their recorded conversations, both Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy are UNLIKELY to have had this conversation about bags or coffee. DUH!!!
MegK311 | Sep 04, 2012, 04:23 PM EDT
I just wonder what Bill is really up to. I would give a penny for his thoughts. I just don't believe there can be a lot of love lost between Clinton and Obama.
Murph46 | Sep 04, 2012, 03:10 PM EDT
Of course he did,as a liberal ,he can say anything and get away with it.Want proof? Ask yourself what would have happened if a conservative said it.If you are truthful to yourself ,you will see what I mean.
garbo55 | Sep 04, 2012, 02:45 PM EDT
Sounds like a lot of you are making excuses for Clinton's remarks. It would be interesting to see what you would say if it was said by a republican....
Skibberrean | Sep 04, 2012, 02:36 PM EDT
These comments were meant to mean exactly what they perceive to mean. Clinton is no fool. Every time he "phony" hugs Obama with a hand shake, you can see the true feeling in his eyes. Hillary stuck with Bubba for a reason and it was not for love!!
krisdaly | Sep 04, 2012, 02:32 PM EDT
Speaking of Bill Clinton, I am reminded of a book written about him called "Dereliction of Duty".
JoeRoan | Sep 04, 2012, 01:29 PM EDT
Why is it that anytime anyone says something questioning Mr. Obama's ability, or standing in the world, it is automatically "racist". I am not a fan of Bill Clinton or the late Ted Kennedy, but when a former President and a long standing Senator are discussing a freshman member of congress, who thinks he has an inkling of what it takes to be a real leader, it is not unusual to make a comment about the "newbie" carrying bags or getting coffee. They would have said the same thing about Ryan or Rubio 4 years ago. Even then, if Rubio was a Democrat, they would called that was racist, too. Ryan is an Irish Catholic, so the Dems would have let it slide, either way, as the Catholics are open game all day, every day. Can't we all just get along??
MaireCeannt | Sep 04, 2012, 01:13 PM EDT
This story is once again the crap spread by the political opposition: divide and conquer. Shame on this publication for spreading it. Of course I have noticed this is not the best of journalism...
seanfer7 | Sep 04, 2012, 01:12 PM EDT
let me see this dead guy says:
BrianO | Sep 04, 2012, 11:58 AM EDT
Perhaps the American socialist are realizing that Obama wants to re distribute their wealth to other nations outside of America, even they have a limit.
Nicomax | Sep 04, 2012, 11:40 AM EDT
This just reminds us that in 2008 Hillary was better prepared to be POTUS, both from her knowledge of the job and possessing much better political skills. She went on to prove her mettle as Secretary of State. BHO was a rookie brought up too soon to the majors, but has surprised with an higher on base average than could be expected considering the woeful conditions when he arrived. Plus, the Repubs had thrown up all over their shoes with the Cheney/Bush fiascos, and now have drifted so far right that even Bill Clinton knows the difference and is willing to help, even though he still may like BHO that much.
PhlutiePhan | Sep 04, 2012, 11:33 AM EDT
Clinton's remark is funny and actually connotes respect for Obama's rise to power. Obama answered with such as Jodi Kantor's remarks attributed to Michele and Irish Catholic politicians in Illinois. Obama is nothing more than a Marxist who wants to redistribute wealth. He has no ideas like Clinton did. Clinton got the "poor vote" no matter what color. A recent survey had Obama receiving 96% of the black vote. Hilariously, the other 4% went for someone else than Romney. It would have been that way even if it was a "white" Santa Claus. Obama's core constituency is "radical women, non whites, non heterosexuals". Clinton "smoked" the landscape from all sides of the political spectrum.
whiteycat | Sep 04, 2012, 11:01 AM EDT
Bill may remind people of a great economy but other not so pleasant memories. but there is a world of difference in obama's presidency and Clinton's.Clinton is a statesman and very astute. obama neither one.
weeknocky | Sep 04, 2012, 10:54 AM EDT
It all depends on what your definition of "bags" is.
OldMariner | Sep 04, 2012, 10:22 AM EDT
Whether it was regarding coffee or bags, Clinton's remark to Kennedy reflected the truth more than it was racist. Obama's rise from obscurity to the candidacy, at the time this remark was made, was nothing short of incredible.
hermitTalker | Sep 04, 2012, 10:13 AM EDT
Who does not make racial and ethnic and religiously negative comments? Politicians can sweep them aside if they see an advantage, see what Hillary and Barach said about each other when they ran for the 2008 nomination, and Bush 39 and Reagan said when they ran.
Sarge524 | Sep 04, 2012, 09:33 AM EDT
Obama then went on to play the race card on the Clintons, politics is a dirty business.