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March 07, 2008

Roundtable Discusses "Monster" Comment

FOX News Special Report With Brit Hume

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think Senator Obama did the right thing. But I think it's important to look at what she and his other advisors say behind closed doors, particularly when they're talking to foreign governments and foreign press.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: That was Senator Hillary Clinton today talking about Samantha Power. She is an unpaid, or was an unpaid foreign policy advisor for Barack Obama who said to "The Scotsman" in an interview about Hillary Clinton "She is a monster, too. That is off the record. She is stooping to anything."

She said it was off the record, but the newspaper printed it, and it became news today. She then resigned from her post as being a foreign policy advisor to Barack Obama.

So what about this? Some analytical observations from Fred Barnes Executive Editor of "The Weekly Standard," Jeff Birnbaum, columnist for "The Washington Post," and syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer, FOX News contributors all.

Fred, this back and forth, Hillary Clinton is a monster, foreign policy advisor saying that, and then she resigns. What about this?

FRED BARNES, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "THE WEEKLY STANDARD": This is all this campaign is about. You have two doctrinaire liberals--Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama--they agree on practically everything, every issue. They have a tiny disagreement for healthcare, the both have the same plan for Iraq, get out as quickly as possible--so there are no real substantive disagreements.

So what are they left with? Well, right now, trash talk.

Hillary's campaign said that Obama's acting like Ken Starr. And now you have the Samantha Power thing. They're arguing over experience, who is the best change agent, all this plagiarism, all this stuff.

They are not critical to which one of these people would be the best president, but they're left with this because they agree so totally on substance.

BAIER: The Clinton campaign called Barack Obama like Ken Starr because he's asking Hillary Clinton to turn over her tax records.

JEFF BIRNBAUM, COLUMNIST, "WASHINGTON POST": Which is, in itself, a very weak argument from Obama.

This is really devolving into a substanceless campaign, I agree with Fred on that. And Hillary Clinton, the Clintons in general, are a two- fisted group. They will go after Obama any way they can. And Obama will have to toughen up if he's going to be able to combat that and hold his own.

But I have to say that after another week or so of this, the American public is going to be very tired of these razor-thin, superficial kind of "gotcha" arguments. It is the worst of politics, it really is. And it contributes nothing to the understanding of people about Obama or Clinton.

If this is all that goes on for the next six weeks until the next big contest in Pennsylvania, I think it will be a huge benefit for John McCain, because all they will see of the Democrats is superficial bickering over almost nothing.

BAIER: That's it, Charles. They are on the front page every day.

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: I would say that, yes, some Americans will get tired of this. But I can't get enough of it. This is a godsend.

Look, what Clinton's strategy is, is to try to bring him down to earth. He's been soaring above this election--the candidate of hope, enthusiasm, the new politics--who knows what that is--but what she is doing, what we are seeing here is the kitchen sink. They will throw anything.

So you throw NAFTA at him, the alleged flip-flop, as a way of saying this is a guy who panders; he is like any other politician. You throw Rezko at him-that's the fixer in Chicago that Obama is associated with--and you get a whiff of corruption by association. You throw the Power incident today of her calling Clinton a monster.

And what you have is a campaign that allegedly is stooping to negative tactics.

So all of these are designed to paint Obama as an ordinary politician. And once he's ordinary, and once he loses his sheen, then she and her husband are experts at kneecapping, and they will win in a fight.

BAIER: But Fred, can Barack Obama go negative? Can he do that and still keep this squeaky clean above the fray kind of attitude?

BARNES: Well, it's hard, but he doesn't have any choice now.

And, look, one of the things that I think is actually admirable as a candidate about Hillary Clinton is that she is tough and relentless and mean and serious and really wants to win and relentless. These are qualities that you like in a political leader, I think.

Now, stooping to these stupid differences don't add much. But, look, I want to see some toughness in Obama, and I think a lot of other people do, too.

BAIER: Five seconds--more name calling as we go along?

BIRNBAUM: Yes. And Obama will have to come up with some new names and show that he has the toughness to be Commander in Chief as well.

BAIER: That's it for this topic. When we come back with our panel, there was more talk from the Clinton folks today about a dream ticket, with Clinton, of course, in the first spot.

Plus the role of the state governors in this year's presidential race- -all that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ED RENDELL, (D) PENNSYLVANIA: Obviously, I'd love to see a Clinton-Obama ticket. But if Senator Obama, I think his offering it to Senator Clinton would be a great gesture. I'm not sure he would take it. I'm not sure he would take it.

But, either way, I think it would be good if the offer were made.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: That's Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell--he is a Clinton supporter--talking about a possible Clinton-Obama ticket. Hillary Clinton was asked about that possibility this week. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: I've had people say I wish I could vote for both of you. Well, that might be possible some day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: She keeps on mentioning it out there on the trail and in interviews, so what about all of this?

Back with the panel. Charles, we want to talk about the governor's role, as well, and Ed Rendell obviously playing a key role getting the message about. But what about this dream ticket thing that is floating out there?

KRAUTHAMMER: If she wins, I think she has to offer it to Obama, because she'll win, she's not going to have a majority of the elected delegates. She is going to win on super delegates.

She will probably have a minority of the actual total vote. She will probably have a minority of the elected delegates. She will probably have a minority of the states won.

So if she wins, it will look as if it was taken away. And the constituency that Obama has--African-American, and you might say a lot of latte liberals, are consistent with what she needs, and if they are disgruntled and unhappy and feel it was stolen, the way the election, at least in the minds of Democrats, was stolen from Al Gore, she is going to be in trouble.

So I think she offers it and I think he turns it down. It would be a terrible mistake if he had to carry the Clintons water years or eight years. Look what it did to Al Gore, who ended up damaged as a result of that.

BAIER: Jeff, we talked about it a lot, the delegate math is tough for her. Does she have to keep on saying this, that if I get it, I'll give it to Obama, the V.P. nominee?

BIRNBAUM: It does help her. I don't think it helps him.

Whatever I keep hearing about this vice presidential talk, what comes to my mind are two words: "second ballot." That's what I think this is really all about, and the speculation about the vice presidential, the number two slot is academic.

I think it's very hard to see how anyone gets to 2,025, enough delegates to win the nomination--therefore, they'll be one ballot in Denver, and then the second ballot when the ceiling falls in. And we have no idea who is going to win at the other end.

The notion that we can choreograph the dream ticket of Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama I think is really premature, which is what Obama said. What is really happening here is that this nomination is anyone's, basically, and the notion of who gets the number two slot could well depend on the deals cut to win on the second or third ballot in Denver.

BAIER: Fred, what about the role of these governors? You heard Ed Rendell, he obviously had a message out there today on this topic. You see Ted Strickland in Ohio, he really played a factor with her win there. Are governors taking a big role in this?

BARNES: Governors can help you a lot. They don't always guarantee you victory, but they can help a lot, because they actually have active, ongoing political machines in their states.

Now, Janet Napalitano also endorsed Obama in Arizona, and he didn't win Arizona. Hillary Clinton did. And you can think of other governors as well.

But if I were running for president as a Democrat in Pennsylvania, I would want Ed Rendell on my side. He is someone who can really make a difference. He's a tough guy. He's a no nonsense guy, and you would you like to have him.

I thought Strickland helped Hillary Clinton, but she won by so much. She won by double digits. He wasn't the cause of that, but he helped.

One more thing--usually if a governor endorses a challenger rather than the establishment candidate, they can really legitimize that person. Tim Cane did it in Virginia, and Governor Doyle in Wisconsin. It helps.

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