Power Resigns Over 'Monster' Remark
Here.
So Obama's being way more scrupulous about this kind of thing than either of the other two candidates--but we already knew that.
It's too bad. Power strikes me as a very reasonable person. Her comment was off the record, and I've got little doubt that the Clinton folks have said similar (and less excusable, since less well-justified) things about Obama. Off the record, in the heat of the moment, unofficial, and a fairly typical type of angry hyperbole...and aimed at someone who clearly warrants at least a fair measure of angry disapprobation...so this should be an excusable utterance. But good for Obama to err in this direction on this one. Still, too bad to lose someone like Power. I hope she'll play a role in his administration, though, if he wins.
Here.
So Obama's being way more scrupulous about this kind of thing than either of the other two candidates--but we already knew that.
It's too bad. Power strikes me as a very reasonable person. Her comment was off the record, and I've got little doubt that the Clinton folks have said similar (and less excusable, since less well-justified) things about Obama. Off the record, in the heat of the moment, unofficial, and a fairly typical type of angry hyperbole...and aimed at someone who clearly warrants at least a fair measure of angry disapprobation...so this should be an excusable utterance. But good for Obama to err in this direction on this one. Still, too bad to lose someone like Power. I hope she'll play a role in his administration, though, if he wins.
posted by Winston Smith at
12:16 PM
9 Comments:
This is a shame. Power is one of the best exponents of an intelligent, and realistic, liberal interventionism. The Clintons will have had her on the Poop List for some time, given her really thorough indictment of Bill in the Rwanda chapter of "A Problem from Hell". This whole affair must be causing all sorts of giddiness on the Clinton camp.
I cannot but suspect the goal of Clinton's extreme umbrage technique here, in addition to depriving Obama of one of his marquee names, is to try to make his relationship to the press as oppositional as Clinton's has been. Off the record shit-shooting with reporters is a large part of maintaining a good relationship with them. If Obama's campaign clamps down on such interaction in response to this, it will certainly affect the tone of the coverage.
Oh yeah, and wasn't "The Scotsman" interviewing Power on her book? I can barely accept not keeping something off the record if the condition were not clearly stated before the statement, but not if the remark is unrelated to the point of the interview. Bad form, Scotsman, even for a British newspaper.
If Ms. Power plays a role in an Obama administration, this resignation means little. If she continues to advise him during the campaign, it means nothing, and it's all for show.
As for off-the-record, it looks like she simply messed up:
"She is a monster, too – that is off the record – she is stooping to anything," Ms Power added. The newspaper described her as "hastily trying to withdraw her remark".
Scotsman editor Mike Gilson tonight stepped in to defend his use of the "off-the-record" quotes.
He said: "We have no opinion on whether Ms Power was right to quit and perhaps politics should be able to retain people with talent who are prepared to learn by their mistakes but we are certain it was right to publish. I do not know of a case when anyone has been able to withdraw on the record quotes after they have been made.
"The interview our political correspondent Gerri Peev conducted with Ms Power was clearly on an on-the-record basis. She was clearly passionate and angry with the tactics of the Clinton camp over the Ohio primary and that spilled over in the interview. Our job was to put that interview before the public as a matter of public interest. It was for others to judge whether the remarks were ill-judged or spoke of the inexperience in the Obama camp."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3507714.ece
Also interesting, vis a vis the Clintons daring to bring up Tony [ibid.] Rezko:
David Axelrod, Mr Obama’s strategist, later responded by threatening to dredge up material about Mrs Clinton’s past – including the Whitewater scandal...
Now it's threats. Nice. They better stop telling the truth about each other or this is gonna get really nasty. But of course, it'll still be Karl Rove's fault, or mine.
All I can do, Tom, is ask you to at least try to be moderately objective. I've gotta tell ya, I'm not even reading your comments about this anymore.
As I've pointed out, in a case in which one group is worse than the other, you can almost always dig deep enough and spin hard enough that the other side looks roughly as bad. But no reasonable person thinks that the Obama camp is the aggressor here. You consistently confuse *imperfect* with *equally bad*.
I gotta tell you, despite my natural inclination to take those who disagree with me very seriously, none of this is even close to persuading me.
I mean, do you really not recognize what you're doing here? Honestly?
It's a forum. What, do you think I hold even a prayer of persuading you of anything? Once you decide one side's better than another, that's that. Which is OK, but it's manifestly subjective.
But my first point about Ms. Power is fairly inarguable [unless you have a counterargument], my second is a correction of the record as to The Scotsman's ethics, and my third has both the HRC and [St.] Obama camps threatening each other.
And, may I add, that Democratic voters in 3 of 4 states last Tuesday think Hillary's not so bad after all.
I believe I've been completely logical about the whole affair, Captain.
Yeah, Tom, I'm the unreasonable one. Just me. God, would that I were as objective and reasonable as you. Alas!
I've something to say regarding this thing between you and Tom, WS. Actually, I find it to be important, and actually, I shall express it in iambic pentameter:
Watching light from dying astral bodies
engaging hopelessly the black abyss.
"Could it, should it be avoided", he asks.
The answer deafeningly absent here.
Were the stars unwilling, should they turn'n flee,
what would this poor boy do? How would he see?
Angels falling, selflessly forestalling
inevitable vanity so blind.
Watching precious radiance so fleeting,
Responsibility now mine to bear:
Leading blind protestors to salvation
Despite their cries, for once I saw the Way.
The..only way I could think to make replying to things involving Tom worthwhile is to teach myself how to write in new poetic styles and then employ them in my response.
..lol.
I like the poem, but unlike genuine trolls, not the attention.
I'd prefer you put your talents to fashioning a sincere argument on the topic at hand, or failing that---and apparently you have---not burying mine under a flood of nonsense.
Cheers.
And WS, I admit I'm as subjective as the next fellow, especially when he's you.
Actually, you're about twice as much when the next fellow is me...but who's counting?
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