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Well done, Senator Clinton:

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Washington DC

June 7, 2008

Thank you so much. Thank you all.

Well, this isn’t exactly the party I’d planned, but I sure like the company.

I want to start today by saying how grateful I am to all of you - to everyone who poured your hearts and your hopes into this campaign, who drove for miles and lined the streets waving homemade signs, who scrimped and saved to raise money, who knocked on doors and made calls, who talked and sometimes argued with your friends and neighbors, who emailed and contributed online, who invested so much in our common enterprise, to the moms and dads who came to our events, who lifted their little girls and little boys on their shoulders and whispered in their ears, “See, you can be anything you want to be.”

To the young people like 13 year-old Ann Riddle from Mayfield, Ohio who had been saving for two years to go to Disney World, and decided to use her savings instead to travel to Pennsylvania with her Mom and volunteer there as well. To the veterans and the childhood friends, to New Yorkers and Arkansans who traveled across the country and telling anyone who would listen why you supported me.

To all those women in their 80s and their 90s born before women could vote who cast their votes for our campaign. I’ve told you before about Florence Steen of South Dakota, who was 88 years old, and insisted that her daughter bring an absentee ballot to her hospice bedside. Her daughter and a friend put an American flag behind her bed and helped her fill out the ballot. She passed away soon after, and under state law, her ballot didn’t count. But her daughter later told a reporter, “My dad’s an ornery old cowboy, and he didn’t like it when he heard mom’s vote wouldn’t be counted. I don’t think he had voted in 20 years. But he voted in place of my mom.”

To all those who voted for me, and to whom I pledged my utmost, my commitment to you and to the progress we seek is unyielding. You have inspired and touched me with the stories of the joys and sorrows that make up the fabric of our lives and you have humbled me with your commitment to our country.

18 million of you from all walks of life - women and men, young and old, Latino and Asian, African-American and Caucasian, rich, poor and middle class, gay and straight - you have stood strong with me. And I will continue to stand strong with you, every time, every place, and every way that I can. The dreams we share are worth fighting for.

Remember - we fought for the single mom with a young daughter, juggling work and school, who told me, “I’m doing it all to better myself for her.” We fought for the woman who grabbed my hand, and asked me, “What are you going to do to make sure I have health care?” and began to cry because even though she works three jobs, she can’t afford insurance. We fought for the young man in the Marine Corps t-shirt who waited months for medical care and said, “Take care of my buddies over there and then, will you please help take care of me?” We fought for all those who’ve lost jobs and health care, who can’t afford gas or groceries or college, who have felt invisible to their president these last seven years.

I entered this race because I have an old-fashioned conviction: that public service is about helping people solve their problems and live their dreams. I’ve had every opportunity and blessing in my own life - and I want the same for all Americans. Until that day comes, you will always find me on the front lines of democracy - fighting for the future.

The way to continue our fight now - to accomplish the goals for which we stand - is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States.

Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him, and throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me.

I have served in the Senate with him for four years. I have been in this campaign with him for 16 months. I have stood on the stage and gone toe-to-toe with him in 22 debates. I have had a front row seat to his candidacy, and I have seen his strength and determination, his grace and his grit.

In his own life, Barack Obama has lived the American Dream. As a community organizer, in the state senate, as a United States Senator - he has dedicated himself to ensuring the dream is realized. And in this campaign, he has inspired so many to become involved in the democratic process and invested in our common future.

Now when I started this race, I intended to win back the White House, and make sure we have a president who puts our country back on the path to peace, prosperity, and progress. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do by ensuring that Barack Obama walks through the doors of the Oval Office on January 20, 2009.

I understand that we all know this has been a tough fight. The Democratic Party is a family, and it’s now time to restore the ties that bind us together and to come together around the ideals we share, the values we cherish, and the country we love.

We may have started on separate journeys - but today, our paths have merged. And we are all heading toward the same destination, united and more ready than ever to win in November and to turn our country around because so much is at stake.

We all want an economy that sustains the American Dream, the opportunity to work hard and have that work rewarded, to save for college, a home and retirement, to afford that gas and those groceries and still have a little left over at the end of the month. An economy that lifts all of our people and ensures that our prosperity is broadly distributed and shared.

We all want a health care system that is universal, high quality, and affordable so that parents no longer have to choose between care for themselves or their children or be stuck in dead end jobs simply to keep their insurance. This isn’t just an issue for me - it is a passion and a cause - and it is a fight I will continue until every single American is insured - no exceptions, no excuses.

We all want an America defined by deep and meaningful equality - from civil rights to labor rights, from women’s rights to gay rights, from ending discrimination to promoting unionization to providing help for the most important job there is: caring for our families.

We all want to restore America’s standing in the world, to end the war in Iraq and once again lead by the power of our values, and to join with our allies to confront our shared challenges from poverty and genocide to terrorism and global warming.

You know, I’ve been involved in politics and public life in one way or another for four decades. During those forty years, our country has voted ten times for President. Democrats won only three of those times. And the man who won two of those elections is with us today.

We made tremendous progress during the 90s under a Democratic President, with a flourishing economy, and our leadership for peace and security respected around the world. Just think how much more progress we could have made over the past 40 years if we had a Democratic president. Think about the lost opportunities of these past seven years - on the environment and the economy, on health care and civil rights, on education, foreign policy and the Supreme Court. Imagine how far we could’ve come, how much we could’ve achieved if we had just had a Democrat in the White House.

We cannot let this moment slip away. We have come too far and accomplished too much.

Now the journey ahead will not be easy. Some will say we can’t do it. That it’s too hard. That we’re just not up to the task. But for as long as America has existed, it has been the American way to reject “can’t do” claims, and to choose instead to stretch the boundaries of the possible through hard work, determination, and a pioneering spirit.

It is this belief, this optimism, that Senator Obama and I share, and that has inspired so many millions of our supporters to make their voices heard.

So today, I am standing with Senator Obama to say: Yes we can.

In fact, all the web site is really doing now is asking for campaign contributions. In her speech she asked her supporters to go to her web site, offer feedback, and “help any way you can”. I can only assume that means financial help, because there is no facility present to offer real feedback.

In his last three speeches, including last night’s, Obama spoke very highly of Hillary Clinton. I think he is setting the tone towards Hillary that we all should adopt.

However, based on how she has handled her campaign so far, there are those of us that are skeptical about her intentions to help the Democratic party. It seems to be only about helping Hillary. Perhaps it is all about the campaign debt - I don’t know.

We are not trying to vilify Hillary, and I do realize that a lot of people feel heavily invested in Hillary’s campaign. We are just anxious to get the primaries officially resolved so that we can throw money and support as a united Democratic party towards defeating John McCain. It is frustrating to have to postpone that effort for even another day.

Jeffrey Toobin, Constitutional lawyer on CNN, expressed his frustration in a fashion that took the other guests on the panel by surprise.

Watch it:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSAW2Olz3gU

Despite Hillary’s refusal to concede and drop out of the race, it is over. Barack Obama ran a splendid campaign and was gracious in victory.

Obama’s speech tonight before a huge crowd was very moving and illustrated the stark contrast between himself and John McCain, who spoke before a tiny crowd in Kenner, Louisiana. Here’s the Nation’s take on Barack Obama’s achievement tonight:

With new endorsements from former President Jimmy Carter and other super-delegates, as well as delegates accumulated in the last primary contests in South Dakota and Montana, Illinois Senator Barack Obama secured the 2,118 votes he will need to be nominated at this summer’s Democratic National Convention.

Obama lost the South Dakota primary to New York Senator Hillary Clinton.

But the super-delegate rush to finish the process made the last primaries footnotes on a night when the Democrats finished the longest and most intense nomination fight in the party’s history.

Even California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters, a Clinton backer, made the leap before her candidate’s valedictory address was set to be delivered in New York. She announced before Clinton’s concession that she will vote at the convention for Obama.

Obama was set to claim his victory in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“Sixteen months have passed since we first stood together on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Thousands of miles have been traveled.

Millions of voices have been heard,” began the presumptive nominee’s prepared remarks. “And because of what you said — because you decided that change must come to Washington; because you believed that this year must be different than all the rest; because you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another — a journey that will bring a new and better day to America.

Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.”

Obama was exceptionally gracious to Clinton, referring to her as “the candidate who has traveled further on this journey than anyone else.”

Obama Becomes the Presumptive Nominee.

“Throughout all this, Hillary has maintained her focus, her message and her dignity. This is truly courage under fire.”

Didn’t you mean courage under “sniper” fire? When has lying been considered maintaining one’’s dignity?

Her “message”. Which message? She has a new one each week. Now the road to the White House runs right through Puerto Rico, our 51st state. Oh, and we’ve just *got* to change those rules she agreed to earlier in the campaign.

Hillary’s only true test of right and wrong is whether something benefits her or not. The supporters of this crazy Machiavellian candidate may not be Democrats at all.

It seems as if real Democrats would have run away from Hillary after just the first few months of her campaign. Unless, unless, they support Hillary only because she is a woman. Why, that can’t be! That would be sexist!

It is not over until the lady in the pant suit says it is and I and millions of others are with her.

It’s over when the rules that everyone agreed to before the campaign say it’s over.  It’s not a question of being able to throw a temper tantrum and demand to have your own way, regardless of the fact that Hillary has lost the Democratic nomination.

Just to be clear, Hillary had this nomination.  She chose to run a poor campaign, to lie, to disaffect so many of her previous supporters, and to spend all of her money before Super Tuesday.  Hillary had it won, and then she lost it when the game actually began.

Are we to seriously believe that she would run a better campaign against the Republicans, who are much tougher than Barack Obama has been towards her? 

Doesn’t this constant claim of being wronged mean that Hillary would just be a victim in the General Election when her lack of management skills did not get the results she wanted?

In the general election, Hillary would be under a lot more scrutiny than in the primaries.  Her opponent would not just let things go like Barack Obama has.  Instead, the Republicans would tear her apart every time she told a lie, or committed a serious gaffe, or even a breach of what is thought to be normal human sensibility. 

In the name of Democratic Party unity, Barack Obama has not torn into Hillary ever time she lies or tries to change the rules.  She would not fare so well in the general election.

From Jill Iscol, at the Huffington Post:

We need to talk. How dare the leadership of the Democratic Party turn on Hillary Clinton! How dare they betray Bill Clinton! How dare they not speak out when Hillary is disrespected by words like bitch, whore and the “c” word! How dare they allow them both to be smeared as racists, playing the race card! Where was Howard Dean ? Where was Nancy Pelosi ? Where were Hillary’s colleagues in the Senate when the Clintons were being so unfairly accused and denigrated? The Democratic Party has a lot to answer for. If we had stood as a party with one voice and said, “no”, we will not allow one of our own to be so disturbingly maligned, we would now have a unified democratic party electorate at the end of a virtually tied primary race. Instead we are deeply divided. Now, since the party’s leaders have chosen again and again not to speak up, I will.

I am a Hillary supporter and along with millions of Democrats throughout our country , I have been outraged by how the media have treated her throughout this primary season. But what is most disturbing is how my Party has stood by and allowed the demeaning and dishonest attacks on Hillary to continue. This is not the party I thought I belonged to. This is not the party that espouses fairness, justice and equality for all. This is not the party that elected Bill Clinton President in 1992 and 1996 and Hillary Clinton as Senator in 2000 and 2006. That party knew that it had benefited enormously from the Clinton administration as well as the incredible accomplishments of one of the most activist, hardworking First Ladies in our history. That Party stood proudly by a president who many called the first black president because both he and his wife had demonstrated a lifelong commitment to civil rights and human rights.

Imagine if Democratic leaders had done what Hillary did when President Bush associated Barack Obama with terrorism in his much lauded speech in Israel. Remember, Hillary gave a heartfelt statement that Barack was one of our own and she would not stand by and allow him to be so denigrated ?

Women are outraged. We are still fighting for her, and we are ashamed of how our candidate, a woman who has devoted her adult life to serving others, a woman who has been a distinguished First Lady, a woman who has helped her colleagues pass legislation and win races in their own states, a woman who has stood up for all of our rights, has been treated not just by the media but by her own Democratic Party. Throughout all this, Hillary has maintained her focus, her message and her dignity. This is truly courage under fire. This is what it takes to be a great president. It is not over until the lady in the pant suit says it is and I and millions of others are with her.

Jill Iscol: How Dare You! - Politics on The Huffington Post.

There he was, telling his audience lies, and wagging that big index finger again. I hope that thing doesn’t suddenly go off - it could put somebody’s eye out. Bill clearly needs to keep all of his digits where no one can see them.

This is an excellent post by MissLaura at the DailyKos. She calls Bill out on his lies and exaggerations:

Bill Clinton in South Dakota:

“She is winning the general election today and he is not, according to all the evidence,” Clinton said. “And I have never seen anything like it. I have never seen a candidate treated so disrespectfully just for running. Her only position was, “Look, if I lose I’ll be a good team player. We will all try to win but let’s let everybody vote and count every vote.’”

Let’s parse this one.

“All the evidence”? Not so much.

“Never seen a candidate treated so disrespectfully…” Sure you have, Bill. It’s just that all those other candidates, you agreed with everyone else in the world that they needed to get out of the race, so it didn’t seem disrespectful. To you. (Probably did to their spouses.)

“…just for running.” But, Bill, it’s not just for running. It’s for running dirty. It’s for drawing offensive comparisons between following DNC rules her campaign approved of and Zimbabwe, Florida 2000, the Civil Rights movement, and women’s suffrage. It’s for campaign logic that consistently insults our intelligence.

“Her only position was, “Look, if I lose I’ll be a good team player. We will all try to win but let’s let everybody vote and count every vote.’” But, Bill, she doesn’t want to count every vote. She wants to discount caucus states.

And most of all, Bill? She’s lost. So when does she start being a good team player?

Daily Kos: Disrespect.

I assume her point was that it would be a big hassle if he was the nominee, and then murdered, so it would be a lot less trouble for the superdelegates to just go ahead and name her the nominee.

Those 29% of Hillary Clinton supporters are out in droves today on the blogs and forums making wild claims such as this:

The Obama campaign owes Sen. Clinton an apology for trying to sabotage her campaign. Obama spokesman Bill Burton said Sen. Clinton’s comment was “unfortunate” and “has no place in this campaign.” This comment showed Burton’s ruthlessness and his lack of integrity.

It was scurrilous for Burton to pervert the comment into a meaning that clearly was never intended by Sen. Clinton. It was vile demagoguery for Burton to seek to inflame people’s passion against Sen. Clinton with a malicious attack and misrepresentation on her.

The pro-Obama biased media are now in a frenzy whipping up a tempest out of the ether to sabotage Sen. Clinton’s campaign. The complete lack of journalistic integrity continues unabated with a vengeance to hone in for a “kill” on Sen. Clinton, with distortion and malicious misrepresentation of an innocuous point mentioning a historical fact.

The pro-Obama biased media are now in a mode of commandeering the Democratic presidential nomination process to sink Sen. Clinton’s candidacy. Clearly, in her fight for the future of America and for all Americans, Sen. Clinton is engaged in a battle against media tyranny.

and this:

I would like to question Obama’s staff. Sure, Obama said he forgives Clinton for being “careless,” but I suspect his staff was fast at work circulating the story to all the media outlets. No doubt, Olberman would be on such a mailing list as he has made known his undying love for Barack Obama. Question David Axelrod. I suspect Obama says one thing and his staff another. That makes him a hypocrite … or a damn good politician. Or both.

You “suspect” that Obama says one thing and his staff another, and the mere act of you suspecting him makes him a hypocrite? And what has Barack Obama ever said that Hillary has said, “no problem”, and has forgiven? Note how the commenter above that says that the Obama campaign is vile and scurrilous for saying that the Hillary’s assassination comment was “unfortunate”.

She believes that she is not capable of doing wrong, and to accuse her of such is to be so unfair. However, when she creates an entire campaign with television ads around Barack Obama’s “bitter” remarks, that is okay, because he deserves to be treated that way. But Obama’s camp is accused of trying to “sabotage Hillary’s campaign’ for using the word “unfortunate” and saying that rightfully that kind of talk did not belong in the campaign.

Have you ever wondered how the police feel during a shoot-out with criminals, and the criminals kill several officers before they run out of ammunition? The criminals expect that they can say, “Stop!” and put their hands up and they will not be summarily executed, right there on the spot. They expect to be led to safety awaiting trial.

Hillary can lie, cheat, steal, move goal-posts, try to change rules, and even break her pledge regarding Michigan and Florida during her campaign, and then expect that the Obama camp will not even say something like “unfortunate”. But Hillary’s supporters, on the other hand, call Barack Obama’s campaign “vile” for the use of the mildest of language.

The constant defense of Hillary goes on and on, but the point is this. Can Hillary do or say anything that will cause her 29% to ever disavow her? I don’t think so. There is something child-like about the total self-centeredness of the Clinton camp. Only Hillary can be wronged, not Barack Obama.

First, they deny that she said something wrong. When they know with their own eyes and ears that Hillary said something on a video, then it was that her remarks were taken out of context, or misinterpreted. If that is not the case, then the real evil being done seems to be the circulation of the story.

It is very reminiscent of when Donald Rumsfeld had to confront reporters about the photos of torture at Abu Ghraib. His reply was that the problem was that there were all of these cameras out there, with anyone being capable of taking a picture.

So, the torture was not the issue, but the fact that pictures had been taken of the torture victims. I guess you don’t go to war with the Secretary of Defense you wish for, but the Secretary of Defense you have, no matter how poorly equipped.

Notice that Hillary has the same “base” of support at 29% that George Bush has? Is this a coincidence?

Are there simply people that believe in the saintliness of their favorite politician, and therefore that person can do no wrong? That no matter how bad the politician behaves, it should just be ignored or easily explained away? Is this why politicians get re-elected even after the most damaging scandals about them are revealed?

Does it matter that neither George Bush, nor Hillary Clinton can ever admit that they have made a mistake, and ask for forgiveness? Is admitting that you have been wrong actually a weakness? It is in their eyes.

Apparently 29% of people in each party believe that Hillary Clinton or George Bush are inerrant, and that you must be somehow seeing the world incorrectly if you believe otherwise.

I think they are wrong.

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Hillary actually says she can “win on the merits”. What merits? The delegate count, the popular vote, the big states, the non-caucus states, the “hard-working white” vote? What does “win on the merits” mean? If you can’t win the Democratic Nomination in a fair fight, why would you think that you can win the general election against the Republicans, who will not play fair.

If Hillary was running against a Republican, instead of Barack Obama, the Republican would have pounced on every lie, every misstatement, inaccurate portrayal, and politically insensitive remark. She would already be toast, and would be more of a laughingstock than any prior Democratic candidate for President.

Have any of her supporters seen that she cannot help herself and her self-destructive personality? If she were the nominee, she would have so many gaffes and mistakes during the campaign that John McCain would have an easy race to the White House.

Sigh… Now Hillary is promising that she will amend the Constitution for Puerto Rico. No matter that she is lying when she says that she can deliver a Constitutional amendment personally.  My gosh, they are Puerto Ricans, they don’t know any better.  Is that what you are thinking Hillary?

If so, you are wrong.  People can be misled, but they eventually find out the truth.  You are lying to them the same way you lied to Ohio and Indiana about NAFTA and your record on gun-control in Pennsylvania.   People do catch on.  Just ask Californians, who now favor Barack Obama for the Democratic Nomination.

Here is Hillary’s Op-Ed – once again, a delusional, narcissistic denial of what really happened, and what her chances are of winning the nomination (emphasis mine).

And today, I would like to more fully answer the question I was asked: Why do I continue to run, even in the face of calls from pundits and politicians for me to leave this race?

I am running because I still believe I can win on the merits. Because, with our economy in crisis, our nation at war, the stakes have never been higher - and the need for real leadership has never been greater - and I believe I can provide that leadership.

I am not unaware of the challenges or the odds of my securing the nomination - but this race remains extraordinarily close, and hundreds of thousands of people in upcoming primaries are still waiting to vote. As I have said so many times over the course of this primary, if Sen. Obama wins the nomination, I will support him and work my heart out for him against John McCain. But that has not happened yet.

I am running because I believe staying in this race will help unite the Democratic Party. I believe that if Sen. Obama and I both make our case - and all Democrats have the chance to make their voices heard - in the end, everyone will be more likely to rally around the nominee.

Hillary: Why I continue to run.

Now we have this assassination reference. Perhaps she thought that she was given a free pass for virtually saying the same thing in March to Time magazine, even using essentially the same words.

One thing I have seen about Hillary is that when she speaks slowly, she is repeating memorized lines. This was most evident with her talk about she and John McCain having a lifetime of experience and Barack Obama only had a speech in 2002. She used the exact same phrasing every time she mentioned it a rally.

Even her so-called apology was given the same way, as if she memorized what to say, and then delivered it, in halting fashion, as she tried to remember the words she had memorized.

Hillary was obviously unaware of the serious of her statement. Either that, or she is incapable of admitting a mistake and apologizing to her opponent. I think we have had enough of a White House that does not admit mistakes.

I guess Samantha Powers was trying to tip everyone off when she called Hillary Clinton a “monster”. It’s time to stop giving a Hillary a free pass to do anything she wants in order to not offend her supporters. Hillary needs to be called out on this, and those that choose to still support her can only blame Hillary that she is not anywhere on the Democratic ticket.

Michael Goodwin has an excellent editorial:

SICK. Disgusting. And yet revealing. Hillary Clinton is staying in the race in the event some nut kills Barack Obama.

It could happen, but what definitely has happened is that Clinton has killed her own chances of being vice president. She doesn’t deserve to be elected dog catcher anywhere now.

Her shocking comment to a South Dakota newspaper might qualify as the dumbest thing ever said in American politics.

Her lame explanation that she brought up the 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy because his brother Ted’s illness was on her mind doesn’t cut it. Not even close.

We have seen an X-ray of a very dark soul. One consumed by raw ambition to where the possible assassination of an opponent is something to ponder in a strategic way. Otherwise, why is murder on her mind?

It’s like Tanya Harding’s kneecapping has come to politics. Only the senator from New York has more lethal fantasies than that nutty skater.

We could have seen it coming, if only we had realized Clinton’s thinking could be so cold. She has grown increasingly wild in her imagery lately, invoking everything from slavery to the political killings in Zimbabwe in making her argument for the Florida and Michigan delegations. She claimed to be the victim of sexism, despite winning the votes of white men.

But none of it was moving the nomination needle, with Obama, despite recent dents, still on course to be the victor.

So she kept digging deeper, looking for the magic button. Instead, she pushed the eject button, lifting herself right out of consideration.

Giving voice to such a vile thought is all the more horrible because fears Obama would be killed have been an undercurrent to his astonishing rise. Republican Mike Huckabee made a stupid joke about it recently. Many black Americans have talked of it, reflecting their assumption that racists would never tolerate a black President and that Obama would be taken from them.

Clinton has now fed that fear. She needs a very long vacation. And we need one from her.

Say good night, Hillary. And go away.

Hillary Clinton’s colossal blunder simply the last straw.

Keith says that talking about the present campaign in terms of staying in the race because Barack Obama could be assassinated in June, like Robert F. Kennedy, is not forgivable. Hillary has gone beyond the pale on this one. She’ll be lucky to salvage her career to remain a Senator.

She certainly will not be President, and has removed any slight chance of becoming Vice-President that she may have had. How can such a sharp person have such poor judgment and political instincts? Hillary forgets that she operates in the realm of mere mortals who have not killed their consciences by being a deceitful politician all of their lives. Statements like this matter to us common people.

Superdelegates will be asking themselves themselves why they should not put an end to this. Expect the superdelegates to turn from a trickle into a steady flow for Obama.

This is one of Keith’s best “Special Comments” ever.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLNFsl130_Y

He had already clinched the nomination before California voted. His last serious opponent dropped out of the race for the nomination in March of that year.  The Iowa primary back then was in February, and and the New Hampshire primary was in March. It is not even comparing the same two time lines.

Hillary Clinton has stated this about Barack Obama before, almost in identical language in March to Time magazine.

So, to assume that it was an unthoughtful moment, just like the Bosnia comments, is simply mistaken. Of course, Barack Obama’s campaign is taking the high road, and letting Hillary destroy her own campaign.

Hillary Clinton, speaking to the editorial board of the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader, rejected calls for her to exit the presiedential race, citing her husband’s example (Jerry Brown was on fumes, really) and RFK’s assassination in June as reasons why a premature withdrawal would be ahistorical.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said that Clinton’s evocation of the assassination “has no place” in the campaign. A Clinton campaign spokesman said Clinton “was simply referencing her husband in 1992 and Bobby Kennedy in 1968 as historical examples of the nomination process going well into the summer. Any reading beyond that would be inaccurate.”

For those who contend that Clinton was referring to competitive contests or example, why didn’t she bring up Ted Kennedy in 1980? Or Gary Hart in 1984? I think she was pointing to primary races where the eventual nominee was unknown at this point in the cycle…. But 1984 would apply more, her husband was the de-facto nominee at this point, and the compressed calender really renders such comparisons null and void.

Even if her point is legitimate, surely she is aware of the sensitivity of the subject.

Marc Ambinder (May 23, 2008) - Get Ready, Get Set…. Parse!.

Hillary does not have good judgment. Her votes for the Iraq war and and Kyl-Lieberman amendment illustrate that she does not have good judgment. This seals the deal.

She gave an apology to “anyone that was offended” (count me in), but actually only apologized to the Kennedy family.

Earlier today Hillary Clinton made what can only be described as a bizarre rationalization for staying in a primary race that she’s already lost:

My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California.

Almost immediately, Clinton clarified her remark, saying that she was merely pointing out a “historic fact” and that:

The Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator Kennedy. I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and in particular the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever.

But this isn’t the first time she has made this same, offensive comparison. In March of this year:

TIME: Can you envision a point at which–if the race stays this close–Democratic Party elders would step in and say, “This is now hurting the party and whoever will be the nominee in the fall”?

CLINTON: No, I really can’t. I think people have short memories. Primary contests used to last a lot longer. We all remember the great tragedy of Bobby Kennedy being assassinated in June in L.A. My husband didn’t wrap up the nomination in 1992 until June. Having a primary contest go through June is nothing particularly unusual.

Once might be a mistake, twice and it’s a tactic. An offensive, ugly tactic from a failed campaign whose only hope is to raise the possibility that something might happen to Obama. The willingness to say such a thing in a cheap effort to sway superdelegates is disgusting.

Across the blogosphere, Clinton is being roundly condemned:

Paddy at The Political Carnival:

Done. I’m done with her.

In an update at MyDD, Josh Orton is saying:

it’s clear that Clinton is not in any way calling directly for something to happen to Obama. But we also cannot divorce her comments from her public stature, her intelligence, her responsibility as a leader, or our history. So even with the most charitable interpretation, I think her negligence is disqualifying

Booman:

Perhaps she merely meant to refer to the June part of the situation, as she claims, but we already have a candidate that has won the majority of the earned delegates. He will be our nominee unless there is a compelling reason to choose someone else. If that happens, Clinton already has the strongest claim to be his replacement and further campaigning only undermines her chances of winning over Obama’s delegates. As she travels the country on her Insult Your Intelligence Tour she is bound to continue to give offense.

Oliver Willis:

She is fracking crazy….Seriously, who says this sort of thing? Your average person doesn’t say it, let alone somebody running for president. Hillary Clinton didn’t lose this race because she was a victim of sexism. She lost this race because people are tired of her clawing for power and running over everything to do it.

liza at culturekitchen:

Shameless.

Despicable.

Unfit to be President Of The United States.

Brad at Sadly, No!:

OK, I’ve defended Hillary against sexism. I can’t defend her against charges of being completely tasteless ….I got nothin’ to add to this. Wow.

Daily Kos: Hillary Clinton: On why she’s still in it.