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Defending Integrity (And Hillary)
I am an Obama supporter, but I have to speak out against this headline I now see. I'm not surprised, but once again disappointed in our media.
HuffPo now has a piece up titled, "Hillary's First Lady Schedule Shows She Was Home when Bill had Initial Encounter with Monica Lewinsky." It's also an Associated Press piece.
This type of garbage belongs, well nowhere really, but one would expect to see it in the pages of such reputable publications such as Star and the National Enquirer.
As this has absolutely zero impact on the election, the world and countries problems, or her effectiveness as a possible President, this is not something any respected outlet should report on. Of course, not many media outlets are respected anymore, and this is a classic example of why.
All this does is serve to drudge up old junk from a time I'm sure the Clintons would rather forget. And not just because of the impeachment, and the scandal, etc, etc, but because it hurts the same way it does in regular families, with regular people. The spotlight only makes it worse. It was a betrayal, and I'm sure Chelsea need not be reminded of this unimaginable time for her.
The schedules should be evaluated only from the perspective of evaluating the experience she gained from her time as first lady, as well as to back up the claims she has made about her activities at that time. That's it. As an Obama supporter, I'm saying right now I do not want the discussion to devolve into what room of the White House she was in, I want to focus on where we are in Iraq, how we can get out; how to fix the economy that's tanking; how to make our schools better and achieve health care for all. I'll engage in arguments about electability and even "scandals" that may influence that electability. I will not engage in this. We should all, media included, respect each of the human beings who may one day be the leader of our nation enough not to meddle in their personal family affairs if they are in no way affecting their ability to lead.
Engaging in this ridiculous conjecture and nosiness is the exact opposite of what Lincoln meant when he summoned the "better angels of our nature."
Comments (19)
Thank you...I just read over at Booman Tribune that ABC also ran with that story.
Gross.
I thought the Lewinksy scandal was the lowest point in journalism. Their lack of investigating the blatant lies of the Bush administration leading up to war knocked that off. This new story, is up to number 3.
March 19, 2008 10:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
It just goes to show you exactly what level of discourse the U.S. mainstream media operates at.
March 19, 2008 10:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm an Obama supporter and I agree, that's just wrong.
March 19, 2008 10:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
You all knew it coming, you can't have the Clintons without the GOP dredging up every last "scandal" and beating it into the ground from now until...? As the GOP will frame the election:
a) black guy with racist anti-American spiritual guide, what kind of judgement would stand by that?
b) wife of adulterer/perjurer/look at the semen stains on blue dress, what kind of judgement would stand by that?
Those are the choices, people! (sez the GOP)
Me, I don't buy into that crap either, but get out your raincoats and umbrellas, here comes another right-wing shit-storm!
March 19, 2008 11:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed. What's the point of bringing that up??
March 19, 2008 11:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
One more Obama supporter who thinksthis is wrong. Who are the so called journalist who searched the record for this instead of looking to see if she was doing all the diplomacy she is taking credit for. I guess that would be to relevant for them.
March 19, 2008 11:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
This stuff is crap. Who the hell cares? Chalk me up as another Obama supporter who never thought this bull should have been any business but Bill and Hillary Clintons.
March 20, 2008 12:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree as to the way over wrought deal this became 10 years ago when it surfaced. It did impact Bill's effectiveness in varying degrees and ways. But Bill and Hill are not one in the same.
And, you have to credit Obama for avoiding that and other spurious things that occurred when Bill and Hill were at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
For the same reason - she needs to be careful about which parts of her time in the Whitehouse she wants to tie herself to. Lets not forget - she claims EIGHT YEARS.
Other things however, like the mysteriously re-appearing papers requested by a Grand Jury - do deserve a little consideration. I mean - stalling a Grand Jury for 18 months, whether or not the case had real merit, well, that's just plain contempt for law.
March 20, 2008 2:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't go to Huffington Post at all anymore.
I think Arianna hates HRC(ya think?).
I am a Clinton supporter, but hate Obama bashing just as much as I hate HRC bashing.
They're both great and we're lucky to have this opportunity in our lifetimes!
Let's all promise not to be shills to the radical right by parroting all their talking points from the last 16 years.
March 20, 2008 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like the fact that the press badgered her to release her White House records for the sake of "openness," and when she does release them, this is what they do with the information. Makes a great case for openness.
We live on planet sleaze.
March 20, 2008 5:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gets a collective yawn from most anyone that wasn't born in the 90's. Been there , Done that , Bought the Tshirt. Its like listening to Pearl Jam
March 20, 2008 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
The playbook is called the Arkansas Project and it's the easiest way to sell papers, ads, whatever in the media. It's demoralizing and frankly as embarassing today as it was in 1998. I'm a Clinton supporter and have followed her career with interest. I think it's sad how she's been portrayed in the media. The distortion is juvenile and about on the same level as other celebrity gossip. Media matters has a petition going to complain about untrue and unfair ( biased ) coverage masquerading as news. Also Daily Howler is good for grownups.
March 20, 2008 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Also an Obama supporter, and I agree whole-heartedly. We do not need to be discussing this. There was a picture by one of these articles that had a Hillary/Monica/blue dress collage of pictures. It made me cringe. This has no relevance on anything we are discussing in 2008. The media needs to focus their energy on the issues and not the sleaze.
March 20, 2008 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ditto (Obama supporter, think it's trash and should not be condoned). (I live in NY and have just had a close up view of what the press will do to to focus on a 'juicy' story to the exclusion of the real ones. All we needed to know about Spitzer's hooker was that there was one and he was going to be resigning, and his teenage daughters didn't need to go to school with everyone knowing much more detail than that.) I didn't see this on ABC but intend to leave a note to that effect when/where I do see it. Gather Fox News is jumping all over it, of course. Such class!
March 20, 2008 6:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
We have to figure out a way to keep the press responsible and accountable to us. There's way to much crap that is being passed off as news. And when they're not giving us stupid news, they're repeating Bush talking points and trying to pass that off as news. That's just bad for a democracy.
March 20, 2008 6:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another Obama supporter and also disgusted.
March 20, 2008 7:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another Obama supporter who is saddened by this story. The MSM has being sucking big time.
March 20, 2008 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
I had exactly the same reaction when I read it at the Huffington Post. Just for the record, I'm also an Obama supporter.
March 20, 2008 7:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
It was on CNN -- apparently an AP story! (Good grief!) Comments were closed on CNN. Anyone know how you complain to the AP? --- It isn't just about Clinton, you know. There have been so many non-stories and untrue stories about Obama and other candidates. Just as government ethics need an overhaul, so do journalistic ethics. Maybe "people power" can help some there, as well...
March 20, 2008 8:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
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