Clinton: A 'mugging'?

Posted: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:04 AM by Mark Murray

Bill Clinton, in an interview, said the criticism he received over remarks about Obama in South Carolina was a "mugging." More Clinton: “‘They made up a race story out of that,’ Mr. Clinton said. ‘There was no disrespect to Senator Obama in that. So I think that our side got a bum rap about what was said about South Carolina. But the point is, that’s political tactics. They thought they could hurt me with that, and so they put a bizarre spin on it, and it worked for a while.’”

“The campaign did not play ‘a race card,’ Mr. Clinton told CNN. ‘We had some played against us,’ he said, ‘but we didn’t play any.’ Mr. Clinton has been campaigning for months, sometimes conducting three or more events a day and speaking to large town halls and rallies. (Mrs. Clinton usually campaigns separately.)

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Comments

OBama is a joke! Obama is a troll!
Bill Clinton is right, the BO camp is always playing the race card! Oh so ready to pounce on any and all mole hills, a mountain they now must climb!
Obama will be bombarded when and If he gets to the GE. There will be SPEAKERS BLASTING WRIGHT SERMONS EVERYWHERE!
McWar will have a talking tee shirt with WRIGHT sermons printed in LOUD letters!
Signs will blink all night with Wright spewing all the wrong WORDS!
The repukes will smash OBAMA!

HP Boston (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:10 AM)

Wow. The hits just keep on coming!

Little Billy must have been on "the wrong side of town" when he was "mugged". Will these people ever stop?

jill forte (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:12 AM)

A "mugging"?

The choice of words here is NOT going to go over well, folks!

Pete - Albany, NY (Under New Management) (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:12 AM)

"The campaign did not play the race card" just like he "did not have sex with that woman." Why does anyone believe a thing that comes out of this man's mouth?

Brooklyn Democrat, NY (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:13 AM)

Being a Bill Clinton fan, I went over his statement about Jesse Jackson in mind over and over again and I just couldn't see how it wasn't racial. I couldn't think of a good reason as to why he would bring up Jesse Jackson's name. I believe he also said Jesse Jackson ran a good campaign and won and so did Barack Obama. Well several people have won South Carolina's primary since Jesse Jackson, why not use them and say they ran a good campaign as did Obama? I'm still not buying it. I am just so disappointed he said that. It's like you really think you know someone, then surprise!!

Carter, Jacksonville, FL (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:20 AM)

Give me a friggin' break! Now we can't use the word mugging because why? Talk about bringing up the race card. The press is complicit as well.

Deanna Gould, Nyack, NY (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:25 AM)

The ultimate political animal...Bill Clinton senses that white America is afraid of Obama due to the Pastor Wright issue, so he picks this exact time to try to play on the fear (mugging??!!). Clinton really has no shame. Frankly, this disgusts me.

Elizabeth, Hot Springs, AR (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:26 AM)

It's outrageous that all the MSM allowed this statement to pass without comment or without revisiting the context of his comments in South Carolina. They have again allowed the Clintons to define and redefine history.

We remember, Mr. President, and your use of "mugging" compounds the wrong-headedness of your characterization.

Jennifer, Austin, Texas (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:28 AM)

How can you tell when Bill Clinton is lying?

His lips are moving. I think the same goes for his wife.

JIMMY CHICAGO IL (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:30 AM)

I have been saying this from the start. It was Daley Chicago politics. Hillary had to many blacks on her side so Obama had to move them. Picked on all he could twisted it cried race and melded the blacks behind him. Now he is trying to use his white and black dna. Now he will be white for the white states. He makes me so sick. This was done to win S. Carol. and doesnt everything go back to than? Clinton said Jackson won it too and he did.It was said after the race and Obama united ok was blacks he united.Like his pastor now .This guy is so smooth.

Mox (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:30 AM)

How can anyone following this election honestly think Obama, or his people, started this race thing? i remember the very day it happened. It was a cold calculated move by the Clintons. I remember Bill Clinton making fun of Barack. They have even made fun of his speaking ability (because he is better than both of them put together!).

Now Bill is just grasping at straws. I don't understand why they don't luxuriate in their millions of dollars, and previously (before they got nasty this year)positive legacy, instead of being so power hungry and greedy that they are willing to sacrifice their party and the will of the people. The people have spoken !!

Hillary needs to take the high-road like Mitt Romney. I used to think she was a Mike Huckabee, but thats a put down to Mike, who was at least entertaining!!

Sick of the Clintons !! Everywhere, USA (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:44 AM)

Who does Mr. Clinton think he's fooling? When you play the game of "good cop/bad cop," the whole point is that the bad cop takes the hits. The real problem is that he still wants to play both cops.

Obama/Webb 08

Amy Andersen, Eden Prairie, MN (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:44 AM)

If the Clintons tell you the sky is blue,you better peak to see if it really is.They are very dishonest and lie to suit whatever situation they find themselves.They brought this race baiting into the campaign and now he says he is a victim?
I will never vote for the Clintons.

Ndali (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:45 AM)

I'll give him this... his timing is impeccable 'mugging???' As I said I wouldn't believe anything that comes out of either Clinton's mouth's if their tongue came notorized!!

Women for Obama 08!!! YES WE CAN & YES WE WILL

Feisty Redhead IL (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:46 AM)

Daley politics? What the HELL do you know about Daley politics? You don't know what you are talking about. All that you are accomplishing is showing your ignorance.

Jimmy, South Side, Bridgeport, CHICAGO (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:46 AM)

HP Boston:

Calm down, it's too early for all that, man. If the best argument you have against the man is something someone else close to him said then you have no argument.

McCain is criticized on his continuation of Bush's policy.
Hillary for her long standing beef with republicans
Obama has an angry preacher he has to account for?

wow. he's running for president not pope

Dr.Strangedog, MI (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:46 AM)

Clinton has become delusional.

Aside from all the dog whistle stuff, he was asked a question that had nothing to do with race, and he responded that of course Obama did well in South Carolina because Jesse Jackson had as well.

He's acting like a little kid; convinced everything is everyone else's fault.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:47 AM)

What a coincidence. "Mugging" was the same word used by Kathleen Willey and Paula Jones regarding their behind the door encounters with Bill.

Bonnie Krant, Michigan City IN (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:48 AM)

How about some cheese with the Whine billery

gary vermont (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:48 AM)

Feisty Redhead IL (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:52 AM)

Bill...PLEASE. Has this man every told the truth. Here is episode 1 of 11 of the Clinton Chronicles. do we really want these BAD people back in the White House???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7dtVm9-Z5M

MG, St. Louis, MO. (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:56 AM)

BILL CLINTON SPEAK: SHAME ON ALL YOU DEMOCRATICS FOR BELIEVING WHAT YOU HEARD AND SAW ME DO.SHAME ON YOU DEMOCRATICS!

RENEA,PLYMOUTH,MI (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:00 AM)

Bubba's looking like he's leaning into his doltage.

CC Washington,DC (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:08 AM)

I think he's bringing this ALL back up again to get white voters in Penn. angry, thinking he was unfairly treated....SICK.

sue (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:14 AM)

They sound more and more like the Bush administration every day.

nuanced (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:14 AM)

I have been following the campaigns since Iowa. I don't think anything wrong was said in South Carolina. I felt the press blew the whole thing up. It is not wrong to compare one candidate to another. If we have another woman up for President I am sure we will compare how she did in comparison to Hillary. Why wouldn't we compare one woman running to another. People seem to think it is fair to compare HRC to Bill. They are two separate people even though they are married. People do make comparisons. Jackson and Obama both look black so comparisons will be made. Everyone needs to quit being so hyper sensitive.

Misty, Urbandale Iowa (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:04 AM)

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