Obama Hopes Bill Clinton Will Help Him Campaign, Govern; Denies Public Financing Flip-Flop
CHICAGO, Ill — Barack Obama said he’s not worried that Bill Clinton hasn’t delivered a splashy endorsement, and that he’s committed to helping Clinton’s wife pay down her substantial campaign debt in a wide-ranging press conference at the Westin Hotel today.
Obama also objected to the characterization that his decision to opt out of the public financing system he once promised to work to preserve was a flip-flop — denying that he’d ever committed to staying within the system in teh first place. “If you recall my original statement, it was prompted by the fact that everybody had said, including John McCain, that they were looking to opt out of the system,” he said. “It was on our own initiative without any prompting that we wrote to the FEC” to preserve the option of remaining within the system. “So the answer is no, I don’t think that it is going to damage my credibility at all.”
John McCain’s called that an “arrogant refusal to concede that he broke his word to the American people.” Spokesman Tucker Bounds writes that “everyone in American knows that Barack Obama refused to keep his commitment to public financing because of the money,” calling it “typical politics.”
On the Clintons, Obama said he’s looking forward to having Bill Clinton campaign for him across the country — and that the former president’s low profile support in the form of a statement from an aide is understandable. “I’m going to be appearing with Senator Clinton, the former president’s wife who was involved in an epic, historic primary with me, and then I’m going to be campaigning with her on Friday,” he said. “The former president wouldn’t want to upstage what is going to be, I think, a terrific unity event.”
“If the question is do I want Bill Clinton campaigning for us, for the ticket, leading into November, the answer is absolutely yes. I want him involved. He is a brilliant politician. He was a outstanding president. And so I want his help not only in campaigning but also in governing. And I’m confident that I’ll get that help.”
Obama said the same about Hillary Clinton. “I want her campaigning as much as she can. She was a terrific campaigner. She I think inspired millions of people. And so she can be an extraordinarily effective surrogate for me,” he said. Obama acknowledged giving his large donors the go-ahead to help Clinton with her $10 million campaign debt, but said he didn’t have plans to go far beyond that. “We don’t have some ten-point strategy to do this,” he said. “What I said was to my large donors, who are in a position to write large checks, to help Senator Clinton retire her debt, or at least a portion of it. And I think there are going to be those who are willing to do so.”
As for the small donors that Obama says have revolutionized the way candidates finance presidential campaigns, the Illinois Senator said there are no plans to reach out formally and ask for donations to his former rival. “They know that I am going to be working with Senator Clinton. If they want to make contributions than I think there’s nothing wrong with them doing so. And I want to encourage that. But we’re not — I’m not going to be individually contacting $15 donors, because frankly it probably wouldn’t be that effective in terms of making a big dent in Senator Clinton’s debt,” he said.
Obama also dismissed comments by perennial presidential candidate Ralph Nader that Obama has ignored urban issues and may be trying to “talk white” as a blatant grab for attention. “I think it’s a shame, because if you look at his legacy in terms of consumer protections, it’s an extraordinary one ,” he said. “But at this point he’s somebody who’s trying to get attention and whose campaign hasn’t gotten any traction and so what better way to get some traction than to make an inflammatory statement like the one that he made.”
Obama also addressed his controversial support for the FISA compromise that lets telecommunications companies off the hook for allowing the government to wiretap US citizens without a warrant; the Supreme Court ruling striking down the death penalty for child rapists and the expected ruling on the DC gun ban tomorrow; and the electoral crisis in Zimbabwe.Those answers are below:
-FISA: LAST JANUARY – YOU SAID YOU’D SUPPORT FILIBUSTER ON FISA BILL WITH IMMUNITY. LAST WEEK HOUSE PASSED THE BILL, YOU SUPPORT IT.
The bill has changed. I don’t think security threats have changed. I think the security threats are similar. My view on FISA has always been that the issue with phone companies per se is not one that overrides security interests of the American people. I do want accountability in making sure that as I’ve said before somebody is watching the watchers. That you don’t have an admin. That feels it can make its own determinations about when warrantless wiretaps are applicable without going thru a FISA court and that’s what we had—that’s the system we had previously. If you look at why people were concerned about the orig bill it wasn’t simply that we wouldn’t be able to sue phone companies. I would be happy with a system that the discloses what happens and make sure we prevent violations in the amer ppl’s privacy even if the phone companies are held harmless. The issue was can we get to the bottom of what’s taking place and most importantly do we have safeguards going in place going into the future so American civil liberties are not being violated.
It is a close call for me but I think the current legislation with exclusivity provision that says that a pres whether George bush, myself or john McCain can’t make up rationales for getting around FISA court. Can’t suggest that somehow that there is some law that stands about the laws passed by congress in engaging in warrantess wiretaps. The fact that that provision is in there I think is very imp and provides us protection in going forward. The fact that there is an inspector general in place to investigate what happened previously gives us insight what has happened—retropspecitvilvey. So you know hat in my mind met my basic concerns and given that all the infor I received is the underlying program itself actually is important and useful to amer security as long as it has these constraints on them. I thought I WAS more imp for me to go ahead and support this compromise
-SCOTUS ON CHILD RAPISTS:
“I disagree with the decision. I have said repeatedly that I think that the death penalty should be applied in very narrow circumstances for the most egregious of crimes. I think the rape of a small child 6 or 8 years old is a heinous crime and if a state makes a decision that under narrow, limited, well-defined circumstances the death penalty is at least potentially applicable, that that does not violate our constitution. Now I think it’s– had the Supreme Court said we want to constrain the abilities of states to do this to make sure that it’s done in a careful, appropriate way, that would have been one thing but it basically had a blanket prohibition and I disagree with that decision.
-DC GUN BAN
“Why don’t I wait until the decision comes out and then I’ll comment on it, as opposed to trying to prognosticate what the Sup Ct is gonna decide tomorrow.
(You’ve commented before that you support the DC gun ban…)
“What I’ve said is that I do not — what I’ve said is that I’m a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, but I do not think that that precludes local governments being able to provide some kind of common sense gun laws that keep guns out of the hands of gangbangers or children, that local jurisdictions are gonna have different sets of problems and that this is a very fact intensive decision that has to be made. But I do think that the Second Amendment is an individual right, so what I’d like to do is wait and see how the Supreme Court comes down and evaluate the actual reasoning in the case to see how broad or narrow the decision’s gonna be.”
-ZIMBABWE: YOUR SENSE THAT THE UN AND SOME OF THE REGIONAL GROUPS HAVEN’T DONE ENOUGH? IF NOT, NEXT STEP BY UN AND US?
Well I think they haven’t done enough.(2) I actually had a conversation with the, who we anticipate will be the next head of the South African government, Minister Zuma. And encouraged and urged him to speak out more forcefully on what was happening. This was before Mr. Tsvangirai decided to withdraw from the election.
What’s happening in Zimbabwe is tragic. This is a country that used to be the breadbasket of Africa. And Mugabe has run the economy into the ground, he has perpetrated extraordinary violence against his own people, what is remaining of this election is a complete and total sham.
I don’t think that, whatever the results of this election on Friday, that Mugabe will be able to claim any sort of legitimacy, as a democratically elected leader of Zimbabwe.(13) And not only do I think that the United Nations needs to continue to apply as much pressure as possible the Mugabe government, but in particular, other African nations including South Africa, I think have to be much more forceful(33) in condemning the extraordinary violence that has been taking place there and frankly they have been quiet for far too long
17:01:33 And allowed Mugabe to engage in this sort of anti-colonial rhetoric that is used to distract from his own profound failures as a leader.
…
-VP” HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU THAT YOUR VP HAVE NATIONAL SECURITY CREDENTIALS? WHAT IS YOUR CRITERIA IN TERMS OF RESUME?
“I want somebody who can be a good president if anything happened to me, and I want somebody who can be a good adviser and council to me and tell me where he or she thinks im wrong (17:08:31) not just on natl security policy but on domestic policy as well. Beyond that I will give you more details when I announce my VP candidate.”
-CONCENTRATING MORE DNC HERE IN CHICAGO IS CAUSING MORE ATTENTION TO BE FOCUSED ON THIS CITY IN THE MINDS OF PEOPLE. YOU THINK PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT NUANCED WITH CHICAGO WILL FOCUS ON CORRUPTION AND INVESTIGATIONS THIS CITY MAY BE KNOWN FOR?
“Those have nothing to do with my presidential campaign and I don’t think anybody would indicate that the mere fact that I’m from Chicago is going to somehow have any impact on the kind of president that im going to be, so no. The answer is I don’t think that’s going to be relevant at all..
-WHAT’S GOOD, WHAT’S BAD ABOUT BEING A POLITICIAN FROM CHICAGO?
For the local reporters here, here in Chicago, you guys have a sense of where I come from and who I am. Uh, you will recall that for my entire political career here basically, I was not the endorsed candidate of any political organization here. That I didn’t go around wielding a bunch of clout. That my reputation in Springfield was as an independent. And my reputation here was also somebody who would try to work with everybody. And so there’s no doubt that I had friends and continued to have friends who come out of the more traditional school of Chicago politics but that’s not what launched my political career, and that’s not what I’ve ever depended on in order to get elected. And I would challenge any Chicago reporter to dispute that basic fact. I think one thing about Chicago is that people try to get stuff done for their constituents and one of the things I’m going to try to do as president is to get stuff done for the American people who are struggling with high gas prices and lack of health care and an inability to afford college. And I do think that there’s a nonideological approach to politics that’s not unique to Chicago, I think it’s Midwestern in some way, which is important and will represent a significant change from the very ideological, very sharp partisanship that we’ve seen in Washington for a long time now.
Tags: barack obama, fisa, hillary clinton, john mccain, Supreme Court, zimbabwe
Share
From the beginning the Bush 2000 election
was declared illegitimate.
I am getting a head start and likewise
declaring Obama illegitimate and a complete
and total failure of a candidate and a president
elect if it happens. In a tradition of utter rejection
of president Bush by the dumb-o-crats I hereby
sentence Obooger to complete mind numbing
oblivion. A failed failure of a total dork.
Well I wonder if good old Bill will have one of his “tricks” along to help with the campaign. gosh am I tired of Obama and the elections aren’t even here yet. Wonder if his donations get too slow if he will flip and flop back to public finacing again?
McCain supporters… join me in giving at johnmccain.com. I have given $262 in June (so far) - let’s keep the donations going for an American hero. What is your time worth? Quit reading droll comments and put your money where your mouth is!
Obama is a chronic liar. Worshipers please wake up before it’s too late.
Hey, Barach! The flip-flops belong on your feet, not on your campaign. And shame on you, dude. You did too change directions, lie and then try and disguise it as another “misunderstanding.” According to you, every word out of your mouth is misunderstood.
Git a life and at least a tiny pinch of integrety, guy.
Go McCain!
A city of corruption, that just where the dnc belongs. Maybe pelosi and reid can join them.
obama - YOU are a FRAUD!!!!!
YOU are a ZERO!!!!
YOU are NOT qualified!!!
This is a refreshing election cycle with two sitting Senators vying for the Presidency of the US. I am looking forward to voting for Barak Obama in November and supporting his candidacy in other ways. I sincerely hope that he becomes our 44th president and breaks the cycle of corruption in Washington. One can see the quality of the candidate by the way he fields all the outrageous attacks directed toward him. This Papa is for Obama.
Hello! Any one there?
UNLESS HILLARY SUPPORTERS AGREE TO BRING DEMOCRAT PARTY TOGETHER WITH OTHERS OPPONENTS,- WITH SOME PEOPLE OBAMA HAS THERE WILL BE ANY HOPE FOR DEMOCRAS IN THE FALL. ERIC HOLDER AND CAROLINE KENNEDY, OBAMA VETTER HAVE TO VOUCH CONSEQUENCE///
Why would President Clinton campaign for Slick Obama. Slick Obama and his supports couldn’t wait to call him a racist. Govern - Slick Obama made jokes about the Clinton years, why does Slick Obama want President Clinton’s help now.
Has everyone fogot why we have Public Financing, MONEY, LOTS OF MONEY.
Nixon had lots of money ,and they spent it on every dirty trick, legal or not.
By flip-floping Slick Obama wants to do the dirty tricks, and what ever it takes to be elected.
Obama will not release certain contributors to his election but we all know that OPRAH is on the trail with him and promoting him anywhere that she can.
We have Faraquan who states that he is the new Messiah and Oprah who has publicly, on her own show denounced Christ! Let us not forget that she also attended Rev. Wrights church with Obama.
Obama is running a total Anti-Christ campaign!!!
This video of her TV show is on Utube.com here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aT6eyKn2rs
or just type in” Oprah denies Christ”. Also you can see “Faraquan Claims he is the Messiah” and Elisha.
It is worth viewing and will open the eyes of most women who are home in time for the Oprah show each day.
DENIES PUBLIC FINANCING FLIP-FLOP????? HE’S TOLD SO MANY LIES HE CAN’T KEEP UP. HE WOULDN’T KNOW THE TRUTH IF IT SLAPPED HIM IN THE FACE.
OBAMA WAS “SELECTED” — NOT “ELECTED”. HE STABBED HILLARY IN THE BACK. SHE HELPED HIM GET HIS SENATE SEAT.
OBAMA ACKNOWLEDGED “PRIEST PFLEGER” WAS A KEY SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL ADVISEMENT TO HIM.
APPARENTLY ALL “PASTORS” IN OBAMA’S CHURCH ARE RADICAL RACISTS.
REMEMBER JEREMIAH WRIGHT?
OBAMA SAID: “I cannot disown him any more than I can disown my WHITE grandmother (and why does he feel the need to qualify his grandmother as being WHITE anyway??? and how does his grandmother WHO HELPED RAISE HIM, get lumped in the same category with his pastor anyway???)”
Fast forward two or three weeks:
“Oh, wait, he’s gone too far this time…now I can disown him….”
Reverend Wright was no less the same person than he ever was in April than he was in March, but NOW he’s an inconvenience and a political liability.
Kind of makes you wonder how much longer Grandma (with her uneasiness around strange AA men) was left in the beams of his two-faced ray of sunshine.
OBAMA WILL SAY ANYTHING TO GET WHAT HE WANTS. HIS ENTIRE CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN BASED ON LIES. BE CAREFUL WHO YOU VOTE FOR!
McCAIN 2008 — HILLARY 2012.
Interesting observation here. Supposedly Obama has amassed such a large amount of donations due to small contributions from millions of people across the country. Why, if he is truly wants to help Hillary, wouldn’t he ask ALL his supporters no matter how rich, to knock out her campaign debts? “I’m not going to be individually contacting $15 donors, because frankly it probably wouldn’t be that effective in terms of making a big dent in Senator Clinton’s debt”. Well, Sen. Obama, you have allegedly financed much of your campaign from these “$15 donors”. What an elitist. Money from little people probably wouldn’t even make a difference. And no, I’m not a Hillary supporter.
First he looks stupid for flip-floping on public campaign financing and now he looks even more stupid flat out LYING about flip-flopping. What’s next?
Obama will do anything for a vote.
Pelosi put it well “he has no experience just ideas” saying he is just a speech.
I wonder if she is regretting her choice. Or she plans on playing puppeteer.
Obama needs the white vote, so Nader was correct in what the said. Obama does not need to address the blacks he united the them in solidarity. He made his promise crystal clear to them in all the churches he campaign at across America.
He will take his mind conditioning to a new level since he will have the funding with opting out. to do it. one of the major reasons he did go back on his word, He needs and loves money.
The mind conditioning worked good for him in the primaries. So from here to Nov he will be laying it on thicker. it works like those stop smoking and lose weight seminars how they reach masses with mild hypnosis and mind conditioning, Same principles just obama uses refined techniques. With his motivational repetitious speeches, with the catch phrases and slogans he will use for reinforcement. The running of vast amount of ads to keep the reinforcements everywhere
at a constant level. Plus the media, the radio and internet and email and his youth spreading the reinforcements everywhere. Costly But it is what worked for him in the primaries.
It will be incorporated into the remaking of Michelle and reinventing Obama, they will be working long hot summer.
Cha Ching, Cha Ching…………………
When I think of all the money being wasted on all of this, I think of the poor people donating to him. The people going hungry and homeless in American now, and others Hurting.
To Obama anything for a vote.
Oh now Obama needs the Clintons to help him get to the White House. Probably the DNC wants them to help him too, after the dirty way they treated both of them! I would pack my things and take my money out of this country and go spend it somewhere else. Anywhere but here. I would have left the Democratic party the day after I dropped out of the campaign, if I were Hillary.
I will never watch Oprah!!!!!!
Father forgive the Democrats for supporting obama. They know not what they do!
If Obama was white, you would not even know his name.
I begin to think that alliance betveen Obama and Hillary Klinton is political prostitushion on Obamas part. Klinton has to put 20 million dollars to cover expence for her compain. Obama needs more wotes. The deal between is: Obama is going to cover Clintons 20 mill’s, and she is going to compain for him.
This allience has nothing to do with democratic issues, it is a BUSINESS DEAL!
Join the people’s movement, Just Say No Obama;
http://blog.pumapac.org/
I love the fact that his own party members have to avoid answering dirrect questions as in which republican where has used his blackness to try and scare people from voting for him and now his own stupid adds are being paraphrased against him. Obama you can’t have any more of our money for taxes, instead of McCain you can’t have my baby for war. It is too easy to turn his campaign into a joke. If you stop and ask yourself where he will get the money for free medical for all the millions in the U.S. and then the prescriptions, and the college? How much does college for one child cost? He will need trillions to finance all this fee stuff so where will it come from? Then look at his energy polocies, how many of us can afford a new car? In order to get away from oil and into the new cars we all will have to have one so how many of us can afford to go buy one and why doesn’t he drive one? Oh he can afford the high gas prices for his big suv, it is all of us lower incomes that can’t. My mistake. How can he preach at us to cut back buy hybred cars when he is driving a big gas hog suv? Now that is a slap in the face. He can afford to turn his home green why hasn’t he? He wants us to so where is his move to do what he is asking us all to do? He isn’t doing it. At least McCain isn’t asking us to do what he isn’t doing and acting holier than thou while he is.
How dare anyone say he did a flip flop….that was Kerry’s position….BO was so arrogant…it registers as a FLOP/FLIP….sigh….politics at its finest…..me first..country second.
“great politician” an “outstanding president” and by the way, advise him on governing our country. slick willie and a slick obama. the office of the american presidency will never be the same after these two share ideas. bo, too will run from confrontations regardless of the consequences if he thinks that it will affect his ratings (remember somalia), lie to maintain them (remember the bold face lie on nat’l tv), along with crooked dealings (remember whitewater). i didn’t care for bill and ditto on bo.
obama=’s a continuation of jimmy carter/clinton admin. politics makes for strange bed fellows. obama has 267 million, he should give Hillary 20, million, after all she put him in the position he is in. He owes her big time. At this point I will use the little money I have to pay the high price at the pump.
There is no other way to put it. obama is a flat out LIAR! No changing positions , just lies. He is no different than the ruler of Germany in the ’30s and ’40s. He is truly disillusioned if he actually thinks he is not lying. That is even worse!
My (former)candidate,Barak Obama’s comment about not asking the $15 donors to assist in Hillary’s debt,as it wouldn’t make much difference…is an insult to us that gave $1-15-60,etc. that WOULD HAVE paid some or all the debt we had/have.This attitude changes my allegience,sadly.
Wow, this article really needs a copy editor. Did anyone even do a cursory proofread? I couldn’t even count the mistakes.
Obama’s people declared Bill Clinton a racist. So now that Obama needs Bill’s help, he’s not a racist? The hypocrisy stinks. Bill should not help Obama in any way. Go McCain! Hillary 2012!!
BO will continue to talk in circles. That’s what lawyers do. THey call it “clarification”. Please, no lawyers in the WH.
Mccain sucks, he’s too old, has cancer, and doesn’t deserve to be president. Being locked up for 5 years isn’t experience. He’s the worst senator.
TRUTH BE KNOWN!!!!
Both candidates have done their share of flip floping. Therefore to decide not to vote for a candidate based on their flip floping means that you would not vote for either candidate. I think voters are smart enough to see that through all this. Both presidential candidates are flawed.
The candidate that can most distance themseleves from more of the Bush years will win. McCain, the maverick, started out very well on this and was successful in securing the Republican nomination. McCain’s nomination is a confirmation that the Republican base has moved towards the LEFT and wants something other than more BUSH years. Recently, McCain has changed his position to get support from the BUSH conservatives. In he continues to flirt with the conservatives, he will lose the support he had from primaries.
Guys,
learn something before you post comments
http://www.youtube.com/user/bravenewfilms
Bill Clinton should tell Obama that he does not want to get involved in politics anymore. By the way did I mention he was black?
“hat under narrow, limited, well-defined circumstances the death penalty is at least potentially applicable, ” I take that as a NO/YES/MAYBE on the SCOTUS decision. Obama is trying to have it both ways on this decision now as well.
Michael and Tyler crawled out of their playpen and got on the computer.
What a couple of goofy kids.
There was mention in a prior comment about electing Obama to break the cycle of corruption in Washington. It is obvious this comment was made by a party voter, Democrat in this case, rather than one who votes for substance, character, integrety and qualifications in an individual. The corruption is not in Washington as a whole. The corruption is in Congress, which is controlled by Democrats. A good example is the high cost of fuel. The Democrats in Congress, more specifically Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid at present, have been manulipated by wealthy environmentalist extremists and have blocked domestic exploration and drilling for oil and natural gas for over 30 years.
Add Obama to the equation and we have bigger government, higher taxes, limited constitutional rights, plus bonuses of a weak national security, limited border security, no foreign policy, alliance with radical governments and sympathy to terrorists.
Bill Clinton is a very smart man and I don’t
think anyone needs to tell him what to do.
Comment by Skeets
June 26th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Bill Clinton is a very smart man and I don’t
think anyone needs to tell him what to do.
=============================================================
That depends on what the meaning of “IS” is.
ROFLMAO. Obama should get Clinton to campaign for him. After all his backers will be purchasing that work for around ten million. The new Obama mantra, if you cannot beat someone straight up buy them off with millions of dollars!
Why would Barry want help from someone he believes is a racist? Oh I forgot as long as they can help him he doesn’t care.
I give Hillary credit for going as far as she did and for now coming out strongly for Barack … but it is really time to drop concern over Hillary and to deal with reality. The best person, the only person advocating real change from Washington as usual, has won and now needs to win in November so we can have a chance to see things turned around. The War in Iraq, the high cost of oil, the credit crisis, the run away medical costs, the staggering economy, the depressed stock market, the falling U.S. dollar, the loss of jobs, … on and on, are all things that drastically hurt the middle class and even the upper middle class … and are all things that are caused by greed, specifically Special Interests and a select few’s greed, being those who along with the politicians constitute Washington as usual. With Obama there are no guarantees … but he is the only one advocating departure from Washington as usual and thereby offering a chance! Think about it.
Yeah, johny-o-danderwood, Clinton is often as “smart” as they come if you like a man who’s integrity matches Obama’s — None in case you haven’t a clue. Personally, I think Hillary, Bill and Obama fit like a glove — empowerment for selves is their goal and that is the bottom line.
why dont you hillary lovers send her some money.
Oh!!!! now they needs the Clintons?
I respect Bill Clinton Highly. He is a much better person and has done more for the poor and for the black people then Obama ever has.
President Clinton is a wonderful man.
Obama is not.
http://larrysinclair0926.wordpress.com/
It is not Bill Clinton’s job to fix Obama and his disrespectful supporters..
President Clinton should take a stand for Sen. Clinton…. not mentioning himself..
President Clinton should feel the need to resist Obama. Obama has allowed the Clinton’s to be
viewed as racist and incompetent.
I hope President Clinton chooses to stay out of it..
Obama supporters “news pundits” are still.. this very day insulting President Clinton.
President Clinton should stand up for his wife.
I GAVE JOHN MCCAIN $100 today. Lets keep America AMERICAN - I say this as an Immigrant from Latin America. John McCAIN is the only honest person running and ONLY AMERICAN. Obama is a CRUDE - I mean CRUDE politician that will do ANYTHING to get elected -LIE CHEAT STEAL - BUY the election. And his version of CHANGE concerns me and should concern Americans. This country IS great already. He’s all about words. McCAIN is all about action.
Dems & BO to put $90,000.00 in every Americans refrigerator ?
Don’t help him his supporter are so mean. They hate Clintons but want their help.