All good Democrats should stand with the Big Dog on this one.

Yawn, this subject has been diaried about at least 3 times today that I've seen, yet your tag calls others "troll", hahahahaha

with many - including myself.  what i have done is to try and forget what actually occurred so that i may continue to not pull my hair out.

that said - to address the content in your diary - clyburn's worst comment IMO (and should be career-ending) is the accusation that the clintons were using racism so that obama loses and she runs in 2012.

ive seen some wackos on both sides in the blogosphere say this - but no one with any credibility in RL - he ought to be ashamed.

I think most of us can agree that it is singularly unhelpful to relitigate this issue.  Minds will not change.

That said, I think the charge of racism is singularly toxic in our politics, and I think Bill Clinton is entitled to try and clear his name.  The responsibility lies with those who made the inflammatory accusation in the first place.

If Bill were saying, "you know, I don't like how Obama mischaracterized Hillary's health care plan," or some other whine about politics as usual, I'd agree that he ought to suck it up and quit refighting the primary.  But I don't feel that way about the accusation of racism.  That's not one he is obligated to take for the team.

Simple as that. I've read the charge twice today, surely the quote isn't hard to dig up.

A diary quoting another diary, about an issue there were hundreds of diaries about two months ago.

And you're sole justification for this is?

I'm standing behind the Big Dog. There's alot of kveching about how these comments seemed to back up McCain's talking points on the race card.

You want to know what?

I guess maybe people shouldn't have called Bill Clinton racist, or insinuated that Bill was a racist back then.

You mean 'people' on the 'internet' sometimes 'insinuated', and for that you're willing to back up John McCain's attack?

Pathetic indeed. I thought better of you. Even after you hiderated me.

You wrote a whole diary because of a two posters who have different opininon on this?

You say you don't want to rehash the primary wars but then list examples of incendiary comments, but only from Obama's campaign, but not the actual race-bating performed by the Big Dog?
C'mon, no one is clean in this one.  Also, I don't think aqnyone actually thinks Big Dog is a racist, nor was he called a racist

Why don't you write a diary about the posters who want Hillary as VP but then viciously bad mouth every other potential democratic VP candidate, as if they aren't respectable party leaders. And yes, I like the Big Dog a lot, I just think you are wasting time and yes rehashing the primary wars.  

But if you think it is cool for the Big Dog to not use his effort in getting Obama elected b/c he was called out for his obvious race-baiting, well.... that's just like.... your opinion, man

Can someone please post another three-line diary on today's tracking polls?

chickens (white, brown, all kinds) are coming home to hyde park to roost.

...party loyalty is absurd. Almost as ridiculous as trying to tag the racist label to them.

To make any comparisons between what Bill Clinton's saying now, in terms of tying it into to anything happening on the McCain campaign, is just as absurd, as well.

The Clintons are going all out for Obama. If anyone wants to speculate otherwise, then they are the trolls, themselves.

Let's fight this ovah and ovah forevah!!!

it's nice that he finally admitted it.  now we should be able to move on.  if i thought clinton had any shame, i'd observe that he should be ashamed of himself for repeatedly, continuously using racist frames to diminish barack.  but i'm glad he's finally come to terms with this stain on his reputation.  i only wish he'd done it a year ago (when he first started peddling this divisive crap)...

One day, I hope to hear a politician address the basic truth: that America's brutally racist history, one that is barely a generation behind us, has left none of us untouched. That even if we don't consciously embrace racist ideas, the pernicious mythologies of white superiority and black inferiority are imbedded deep within the American psyche. And they express themselves not merely in the impolitic statements we occasionally make, but in the sustained institutional barriers to equality and social justice that still disempower and marginalize people of color all across the country.

Well, actually, Obama did address this to some extent in Philadelphia, though not in these exact terms.

It would have been indeed bold and brave of Clinton to say, "Yes, I am a racist, because racism has been and still is part of America." Unfortunately, we all live in a bit of functional denial as far as that goes.

This is the only Democrat since FDR to win two terms in office. For some reason, the pot smoking hippie Obama supporters are out to ruin his legacy. The way I see it, they can go fuck themselves.

Here are the facts as I see them:

1. Bill Clinton was the best president of my lifetime.

2. Mr. Clinton said many stupid, thoughtless things in the days leading up to the SC primary.

3. Sen. Clinton, whom I also admire greatly, ran, at times, a petty, awful, dispiriting campaign that I found bewildering and heartbreaking.

4. Sen. Obama outworked and outsmarted the Clinton campaign and earned his party's nod.

4. The next time we vote is Nov. 4, and it's probably the most important election of our lifetimes.

Therefore...

Please, for the sake of sanity, can we leave the primaries behind, once and for all? What part of "Hillary ran an awful campaign" do you die-hard Hillary lovers still not grasp?

I'm a yellow-dog Democrat, and I entered the primary season with an open mind. My attitude was "let the best candidate win."

He did.

That's like saying, "At the risk of causing a stink by crapping on the sidewalk..."

The only purpose of this diary is to cause a stink -- which any asshole can do.

that he has to actually say this, because if not for the conservative anti-Clinton media, he wouldn't need to do so. We can also thank Obamalite Clinton-haters for this, as they smeared the perception all over the internet. When can an elite former President get the honor he deserves?

about the race-baiting meme, and then I'm going to try to completely avoid talking about it (at least in front of Obama supporters) for the rest of my life.

If you read my "I won't vote for Obama!" diary, you know exactly how I feel about the way the MSM, people in the blogosphere, etc tried to paint Bill and Hillary as race-baiters. They consistently manufactured controversies, and the MSM's most outrageous faux race scandal may have been the fairy tale thing. It was particularly disgusting.

I've rec'd this diary (largely out of habit) because this is the issue which enraged me the most during the primary season.

That said, I'm going to concede one point. Bill shouldn't have made the Jesse Jackson comparison in SC. It was the closest thing to "race-baiting" by the Clintons this cycle, and I think Bill was really trying to diminish Barack's probable win in SC by saying JJ won it twice. There were definitely racial undertones. I don't believe Hillary would have sanctioned that comment.

Other than that, there was NO race-baiting IMO. Honestly, this whole issue nauseates me.

And the notion that he's a racist has always been ridiculous. That said, I'd like to see some support for the assertion that the campaign actively pressed this meme. I think interpreting the "Katrina" comment as race-baiting is about as silly as interpreting Bill's "Jesse Jackson" statement that way. Both comments might be tough campaigning, but that's all.

Bill has a right to defend himself. Frankly, he should defend himself. Unless you're ready to concede that our party has been no better than the Republicans on the national level since the 60's, you have a vested stake in that man. If you believe in Democratic causes or even fairness and intellectual honesty, you should all be struggling to see him absolved of these baseless charges of racism (brought by the pundits and reporters, not the Obama campaign and I won't concede that point without evidence).

Both sides had their ears perked for race. A few times on both sides ill motives were assumed where we ought to be believing the best of our fellow democrats. The loudest true believers on both sides picked up on these misinterpretations, and with the amplifier of the internet and the efforts of the MSM to make things as DRAMATIC as possible, made race and racism one of the driving narratives of the primary. Both campaigns tried to diffuse this. When it was clear that the narrative was not changing and that the media was framing the race issue themselves, both campaigns began making efforts to get out in front of the issue. If you can't avoid a needless battle, you had still better try to win it.

This isn't an either/or thing, where either you believe Obama sabotaged the Clinton's with race-baiting or you believe the Clinton's used racist rhetoric to try to undermine Obama. Reality is more nuanced than that, and anyone who believes that either of the two most powerful voices for progressivism we have today would sink that low is a damned fool.

The timing is only poor because it's reflects badly on Obama and let's face it he does not need any more problems. Sorry to say it but this dirty laundry needs to be aired and those who offended named.

They should hire you to the Obama campaign Duende. Your an excellent bullshitter and sure do know how to turn something around  to make both yourself and your position sound reasonable.

I hope certain segments of our party have learned their lesson or if not may they learn it come November.

What John McCain and Rick Davis said.

the race card, and then lied and said he never made that accusation.

He and McCain are reading from the same playbook.

Bill is not a racist.

Bill did make some untimely and insensitive comments during the primary.

The Obama campaign blew these comments way out of proportion and should (with Bill's permission which we do not know if has given) state Bill's record with regards to the AA community.

Bill was suckered into talking about the primary and made comments in which he rightfully defended himself of racist accusations, but it was poor timing because of the current GOP meme about Obama playing the race card.  It was in no way a strategic move by Bill to undermine Obama.

But the one thing the GOP kicks our asses on, is staying on point in order to strengthen the framing of election. All of the GOP big-wigs, no matter their previous positions, will follow McCain's lead because they know how important winning the POTUS is in setting the agenda of the country for the next four years.  We have too many Dems with bruised feelings, large egos and big mouths that are unwilling to jump on board because of their pride.  The need to take a humility pill and do what's best for our party and the majority of the country.  Just my opinion.

people thought Obama was being racist when he said that he was being attacked in a racist manner, many Americans are clueless about what the term even means.

I've asked this before in another diary long ago, and I'll ask it here.

Who here, discussing what is and isn't racism, is African American?

I am just so desperate to get back into the White House that I am willing to campaign like one.

And also, since when is Bill Clinton the great  advocate of black people?

I certainly don't remember his Presidency that way.

I to am tried of the whole Bill Clinton is a racist nonsense.  But the real issue is the boy who cried wolf.  BO supporters and some of his campaign surogates suggested that the clinton's used race for political advantage.  OK the primiary is over.  But now the BO campaign can't say the exact same thing against McCain and that is what is hurting BO and his campaign right now in the polls.

First Bill Clinton, who has done more than most americans to support AA issues, is a racist and guess what just by chance the next candidate that BO is running against is a racist too?

For the good of the democratic party and getting BO elected he, his campaign, and his supporters need to stop using race as a political weapon because it will turn off a lot of indies and working class democrats.  Just my opinion.  Race is a politically loaded issue and it could really end up hurting us in the fall.

david

Look at the minefield we are playing in, and we are all democrats, probably pretty progressive?

Think how this plays in the general public?

It's really a miracle Obama is doing as well as he is, it's a sign we ARE at a demographic breaking point, where there is a new racial awareness line starting at about 40 years and down.

My parents are gone, but I think, even as life long democrats, they would have felt uncomfortable with Obama, more naturally comfortable with McCain.

I hear my girlfriends 70 year old mom talk about Obama, and I just can see the lens she is looking through.

Talk to my daughter (19) or my girlfriends kid's and they are sort of flumoxed why race has anything to do with it.

They, of course, from the day they entered the public school system were in integrated schools, lived in integrated areas?

We are witnessing a transistion in my humble opinion, and in 30 years, this just wouldn't have the power with the voters who will be around then.

because hard working white Americans(the biggest racist statement of the campaign, bar none)would see that Obama was living in a fairytale where even a black person could win south Carolina, I mean come on, even Jesse Jackson won that place.

Amirite guys?  Hard working white Americans, the exact moment when everyone in my family, that voted for Clinton twice, you know us, the lazy African americans voted for him at a 90% clip.  

Blue collar, she didn't use the phrase for a reason, the Clintons are politicians extraordinaire, and at that point in the primaries, they decided the vaunted "Southern Strategy" was their only chance for winning. It did work in Appalachia, but they went to Nixons well too late and lost the nomination anyway.

At the risk of "rerunning the primary war", Hillary Clinton wooed racist voters as they had never been wooed by a Democrat candidate for decades when she spoke about "hard-working white people".

If you don't want the race card played against you, stop being racists and stop wooing racists.

And now the Clintons, as I expected, keep throwing obstacles on Obama's path. What a big surprise that they'd prefer a McCain victory, same as all the Clintonistas here.

What goes around comes around. the obama camp ran a dirty campaign that trashed Clinton as racist. I'm glad he's a human and didn't take it like a dog. Why after being trashed should he shut up?

What goes around comes around. Obama played dirty pool. Why shouldn't it come around?

ZCLint, you can read the last 3 comments, and that is why I winced when you did this diary.

Nothing will start the primary war anew so much as the race card, who played it, when, etc....

Some folks just won't get over the primaries. Dismissing a SC win by saying Jesse Jackson won it twice is exploiting racism. Does that make Bill Clinton a racist? No. Does that make him a manipulative piece of shit? Yes. Bill could have said just as easily that John Edwards won the SC primary and it didn't make him president. The man is not stupid, and every word that comes out of his mouth is said for a reason.

As I stated above, I don't think Bill Clinton is a racist. But I do find it odd that he offered that up, without being prompted. Furthermore, it's always racist people who claim "I'm not a racist." Everyone else just ignores or mocks the allegations. I think Bill realizes what he did was wrong and he's trying to shirk the guilt. A good first step would be to stop acting like a whiny prick. It's not very endearing.

So yeah, Bill Clinton's not a racist and Richard Nixon wasn't a "crook."

PS. Speaking of Jesse Jackson, he and Bill are really two peas in a pod, aren't they. They just can't stand someone new taking over their territory. Time for them to retire and STFU.

You know, when the Gore campaign didn't use him as much as he thought they should, President Clinton ended up hurting the campaign with some of his comments that made it into the media.

And it looks like he's going to do it again. I don't believe he's a racist, but he is reinforcing my belief that his legacy is far more important to him than a Democrat (other than a Clinton) in the White House.

Poor Bill --he is such a victim of everyone-must have been the problem with Gore and Kerry too.Poor Poor Clintons-maybe it would be best if he holes up with Ferraro and they can lick their wounds Oh the agony of it all. Guess  he will have to continue on the Ron Burkle plane and play play play as he has been for the last few years.and leave the election to the grown-ups.Pouters are a downer.

how depressing, it's still about racism and still smearing Bill?  I guess you know what was in his heart, better than he?  

Why does Bill Clinton continue to undermine Hillary? This sort of thing not only stirs the pot, but he has made it impossible for Hillary to get the vp nod.

Obama's campaign did play the race card to undermine Bill Clinton. That should not be surprising as Obama was running against the 90s. The 4 page memo that Bill obtained was the proof and since that Bill has not forgiven Obama. Negative campaigning is part of politics but as Democrats, we have a line not to cross especially against the only other President we have who is on our side in 40 years. Obama made the choice to cross that line and for that reason itself i could not forgive Obama.