Why are they still surprised about the power of Sen Clinton?

January 13, 2009

Hardball

They're commentating along with Sen Clinton's testifying.

MARK WHITAKER: She is putting not only Congress but the rest of Washington on notice that she's going fight for the State Department turf, and also that she is-when you listen to these questions-that she's going to do more homework and know more about all these issues than anybody else. This is really an very impressive performance in terms of showing that she is really going to be strong in reasserting the prerogatives of the State Department.

MICHELLE BERNARD: Prior to recent history we didn't make women's rights a part of our foreign policy. It will be very interesting to see what she will do with her new power and her managerial skills in Islamic countries where women's rights are a major issue. And she's going to make it a part of our national security efforts at the State Department.

barama talks about how the Prime Minister of Israel made fun of Condolezza Rice by talking to Bush to make Rice abstain on the agreement she helped craft.

MATTHEWS: Don't you have a hunch Hillary is not going to allow that to happen?

WHITTAKER: Another source of power is the power of her personality. And in talking to people in the transition, close to obama about why he wanted Hillary--obviously there are political reasons--but there's also just her appeal around the world. And when -- he's not going to be able to travel that much in his first year. He's going to have to focus on the economy. But when Hillary Clinton arrives representing the United States, that is going to send a very powerful signal, because people around the world know who she is, knows she's powerful, and know that she will be able to pick up the phone and talk to obama whenever she wants.

BERNARD: She is a very commanding presence - very intelligent - and I think she gives off an aura that says 'I'm in charge - don't mess with me.'

They watch more live testimony by Sen Clinton.

MATTHEWS: Mark Whitaker, how's she doing?

WHITAKER: I think she is doing very well. She clearly knows her stuff. I mean, I keep thinking about how the job of Secretary of State is to sit there and go head to head with world leaders. And we're seeing a little preview of that today. Here she is with all these powerful senators, looking them in the eye, and you really can see that she is going to be very effective as our top diplomat.

BERNARD: When Madeline Albright became the Secretary of State, the big news was the nation's first woman as Secretary of State. We're not looking at Senator Clinton today as a woman. We're not talking about her jewelry or how she is dressed or anything like that. Where talking about the power that emanates with this woman.

I think she is doing an excellent job. I think she is going to make a very effective Secretary of State. I think we're going to see a very, very different Department of State - very strong, very powerful. I'm forward to seeing the tension between the department of State and the Department of Defense, if there is any, on how we're going to handle issues such as Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

MATTHEWS: Well, she walked in the door with 18 million votes.

...the same amount barry got. And it sounds like she's got a lot more going for her on the foreign front than having tea with Ambassadors.

Quote of the day: "Biden attack-free zone"

October 21, 2008
Morning Joe

It seems Mika isn't trying to hide her obama support like she tried when McCain questioned her. Mika: This is supposed to be a Biden attack-free zone.

MIKA: Well you know it's interesting, because I'm going through the papers. I figure there's got to be, just as you analyzed, Joe, political ramifications to that comment, gaffe, however you want to make it—two in a row, though—but I'm seeing spotty media coverage. I feel like half the media covered this. I'm just going through the papers and seeing if it plays highly, and I'm not finding it in the [Washington] Post so far.

SCARBOROUGH: Would that be above the fold on the front page of the New York Times, the Washington Post? Would that be a lead story? We've got somebody who's an expert in the media who I think, Mika, knows a lot better than we do, Dan Rather. Dan, talk about the double standard. Are there times that you would cover this story differently if Sarah Palin said it rather than Joe Biden? Not you, but the media.

RATHER: Well I think the point is well taken, Joe, that certainly if Sarah Palin had said this it would be above the fold in most newspapers today....But let me point out that what happens on the internet may be as important or more important than what's happening in the newspapers. And I'll be surprised, and you know, Joe, I'm frequently surprised, but I'll be surprised if this doesn't have a run on the internet, with among the points two that you raised. Number one, if Sarah Palin had said this, the newspapers would have jumped all over it and so would have the major television outlets. And number two, they can't be happy inside the Obama campaign about this, and let me emphasize I've not spoken with them this morning.

SCARBOROUGH: They are not.

And then later Andrea MITCHELL says: "I did hear Mika say this morning that this is a Biden free fire zone (and Dan Rather) so we don't criticize Joe Biden, so how do we get around it?"

MIKA: We're gonna have to break the ban. He said it - we question it.

They sit there and laugh but had Palin said it? Senator Clinton? McCain? Double standard is beyond belief. How is the I see Russia on a different plane then the world is waiting to test this young president

HARDWOOD: His youth is a magnet for international crisis. (later repeated)

MITCHELL: I'm just wondering if Biden's been woodshedded. He disappeared from the campaign. They said he was taking the day off, was because of all this?

GIBBS: No he didn't have any scheduled events yesterday.

MITCHELL: Are they keeping him under wraps?

GIBBS: He didn't have any scheduled events. He was on the West coast and he was flying home.

Nicole Wallace (GOP): He's being debriefed.

BUCHANAN:...in an undisclosed location.

SCARBOROUGH: Have no scheduled events till after the inauguration.

They all laugh. And if it were Palin or McCain or Clinton?

MADELINE ALBRIGHT: Nobody's better qualified than Joe Biden. I've worked with him over the years and he really is a very, very smart person on issues of foreign policy, and has the experience and has been to many countries - doesn't just look at them.

Great zinger...doesn't just look at them. And she said it with a complete straight face. Why doesn't she come out of hiding?

Later Scarborough said he was emailing the other networks to see if they were going to run with the story. He said they were waiting to see what McCain was going to do with it. The MSM is impartial? An impartial media doesn't exchange emails with each other to see if they're going to run with a story.

Another irrefutable example of pro-Obama media bias right from the Republican horse's mouth. They don't even try to hide it anymore.

barry laughs dismissively about Sen Clinton's experience

November 7, 2007
Hardball

This what they called "inevitability". Sen Clinton was showing her confidence. She doesn't allow herself to think about losing. Is there a single winner on this planet that thinks about losing as they compete? If they do, they're not focused on winning. This is not inevitability. It's confidence. And you have to have alot if you're running for president. Pro-obama media bias started early. They were going to do anything to destroy her chances.

Schuster says Clinton thinks voters will vote for her because she has White House experience and because she contributed to her husband's achievements. It's an argument that obama ridicules.

BARRY: Sen Clinton is claiming basically the entire eight years of the Clinton presidency as her own, except for the stuff that didn't work out (laughs dismissively) in which case she says she had nothing to do with. (laugh)

She picked up the support of 60 black ministers.

CLINTON: There are lots of ways in which what I did was the face of American when I was there, when I was representing not only my husband but the country.

SCHUSTER: Obama then pounced.

BARRY: If she wants to tout her experience by having visited countries - that's fine. I-I-I don't think that Madeline Albright would think that Hillary Clinton was the face of foreign policy during the Clinton administration - but maybe she'll disagree with that.

ALBRIGHT statement: Hillary Clinton represented American interests and values in her visits to more than 80 countries with presidents, prime ministers and leaders of civil societies...her seven years as US Senator has further deepened her experience...she will be ready from the very first day to lead our nation in a very difficult and dangerous world.