CNN's Malveaux: Sen. Clinton's "Come on" translates to telling Bill, "Stop sucking the air out of my campaign"
SUMMARY: On The Situation Room, John King and Suzanne Malveaux discussed a video clip of Bill Clinton talking to reporters in which Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton can be heard in the background saying, "We've got to go. These kids are waiting for us. Come on." King commented that he had a "[s]neaky suspicion, Suzanne, you might be able to translate that 'Move [sic] on' to 'Please stop talking.' " Malveaux responded, "Yes. 'Stop sucking the air out of my campaign,' yes."
On the December 18 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, guest host John King and White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux played a video clip of former President Bill Clinton talking to reporters in Des Moines, Iowa, in which Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) can be heard and seen in the background saying to someone, "We've got to go. These kids are waiting for us. Come on." King commented that he had a "[s]neaky suspicion, Suzanne, you might be able to translate that 'Move [sic] on' to 'Please stop talking.' " Malveaux responded, "Yes. 'Stop sucking the air out of my campaign,' yes."
Politico senior political writer Ben Smith commented on the same video on his blog. Smith wrote:
A great moment captured in the background of this video, from The Page: about halfway through, Hillary, on the left edge of the screen, emerges from the SUV to drag Bill away from the press.
Kind of emblematic of his role lately.
From the December 18 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:
MALVEAUX: But the Clinton campaign has to play a delicate balancing act. Former President Bill Clinton is causing controversy over his sharp questioning of Obama's credentials, even suggesting he -- Clinton -- had the good sense not to run until he was ready. We caught up with Mr. Clinton in Des Moines.
Some of the comments you made about Barack Obama, you had said that in 1988, you weren't ready to be president. You didn't run. Are you trying to say that Barack Obama isn't ready either?
BILL CLINTON: No. I'm trying to say that I agree with what The Des Moines Register said, that Hillary has the best record of positive change-making in other people's lives, and I think it's important. And I think that's why they endorsed her. That's what I was trying to say. I think -- I bragged on all of them -- Senator Obama, Senator Edwards, all of them. I like them.
MALVEAUX: If you rewind, during our exchange, you can hear Senator Clinton urging her husband to move on.
BILL CLINTON: Hillary has the best record of positive change-making in other people's lives --
HILLARY CLINTON: We've got to go. These kids are waiting for us. Come on.
BILL CLINTON: -- and I think that's why then endorsed her. That's what I was trying to say. I think -- I brag --
[end video clip]
MALVEAUX: And John, there's some political analysts who suggest that they do move on, that that is a good idea, because they say while President -- the former President Clinton, he does have a lot of credibility within the party, they say going too negative or pushing too hard, too aggressive, might actually backfire for his wife. John.
KING: Sneaky suspicion, Suzanne, you might be able to translate that "Move on" to "Please stop talking." Suzanne Malveaux.
MALVEAUX: Yes. "Stop sucking the air out of my campaign," yes.
KING: Catching the candidates in Iowa and the candidates' spouses, Suzanne Malveaux. Thank you, Suzanne.
Well, isn't this just a horrible possibility for anyone to bring up - that Hillary might be a little over it regarding Bill upstaging her from time to time. Why is Malveaux's translation so far off base, when in fact it very well may be exactly what Hillary thinks when Bill hogs the limelight like he does, refelxively.
Malveaux and King are not opinion givers. They're "journalists".
Their job is to report what is said, not to "opine" on what they think someone meant.
Leave that to Hannity.
You make a good point WK......she should have left the editorializing to the pundits.
Yeah, leave the editorialising to the Dummy Squad.
Hey Matthews? Yeah, you. Over here... there's another Hillary tidbit for ya!
Jesus H Christ, it's a good thing B Clinton didn't say "Merry Christmas" !! Because that would have been a clear indication of ... something horrible. I'll have to consult Fux to find out exactly what.
Yeah, they'd probably drop dead from the shock.
Y'know... conservatives, as sick as they are, really do deliver the goods as fine entertainment. Their yelling and screeching is just priceless. Same thing goes for their self-loathing.
everybody knows he's a people person and he love to talk up a storm. why is this even a story? it's something repeated a million times a day all over this country. honey, let's go.....
loves to talk....
I’m afraid there are no true "journalists" left in America – at least as I remember them to be. Everyone has to be part-time pundit or part-time comedian. I think it simply results from an evolution in the way we speak to each other. Watch any classic movie for a feel of the old American dialect – and compare it to movies of today. I know I’m sounding like my grandma, but there is no respect left in our conversations. It used to be that there was “a time and place” for sarcasm and puns – today it’s acceptable to use anywhere and anytime.
I have to agree. It just goes along with the coarsening of our culture and is born out of the 24/7 news cycles that we live in nowadays.
There is so much airtime to fill and stories are analyzed and re-analyzed to death, that journalists can't help but try and squeeze as much time on the air as they can to increase their visibility, and many times that means being opinionators - the more on-air they are, the better chance they'll get noticed by a competitor for a fatter contract.
Tommy,
IF that is truly what you believe then why does it seem like your constantly making up excuses or attempting to rationalize how people in the media behave?
You started doing it at the begining of this item.
I know in your world it's "making up excuses or rationalizing", unless I haul out an insulting expletive at the media person in question.......and your generalization is ridiculous, I criticize many media personalities here all the time, I just don't have to hurl schoolyard slurs in order to make a point.
I understand why you fail to see it now.
Care to try again? Who said the only options were to rationalize the behavior or insult the offender? There is nothing wrong with just saying that she isn't acting like a professional journalist, which would be the point of this item.
You seem to be at the ready to excuse this type of behavior (as you demonstrated at the start of this item) instead of questioning the coursing of our discourse as you professed to believe later on down the thread. I've had this discussion with you on multiple occasions and it usually ends with you accusing me of being naive for thinking that we should hold people in our media to a higher standard then we do currently.
I would question if you really believe in this and if so, then it would be nice to see you state it (without the insults).
Of course I question the level of discourse, but do you really think the posts that accompany these threads by many here do anything to elevate that discourse?
I would suggest other than engaging this same argument with me over and over, that you scold some of your fellow liberals whose rhetoric and explosive language is a complete anathema to what you say you find so disheartening about the political landscape of our time.
Wow! The truth hurts. Good point Tommy.
Well, this one's a no-brainer.
It has everything to do with the dumbing-down of the people and the culture. Simple as that.
When you have prime time - and not-so-prime time - network and local teevee being dominated by reality show trash, tabloid shows, Jerry Springer trash, and mindless courtroom shows then it's quite a stretch to expect anything different from the 'news' channels.
Hmmm, they give their opinions all the time. Anyway, who cares what they say. Let them prattle on and on. Seems like the Clinton's can ignore their twaddle. Amazing that the reporters, commentors (you know, newsies who always make endless comments) all think they know what is in the mind of the Clintons. Just let them twaddle on and on. It is all supposition and only as good as the person is reliable and capable of correctly analyzing the situation. Good that all these newsies find the Clintons so interesting and that they think they qualify as instant pundits. Seems the newsies feel compelled to join the gagle about the Clinton's. Oh well, no hate filled speech from these two. So I say good for them!!!!!
Her attempt at mind reading isnt a credible statement of what is REAL.
Solon, I'll agree it's mind-reading, BUT it does seem that at least some of Hillary's staff is getting a tad annoyed with Bill wandering off & holding court while Hillary is attempting to keep the attention on herself.
It seems to me he's starting to hurt her more than help her.
Bill needs to stick with what he's good at: raising loads of cash for Hillary's campaign. At the same time, he needs to adhere to what Hillary told him just before he appeared on Letterman: "Don't make news, don't make news, and don't make news."
Agree. Bill is the smartest political mind in the country, she is sitting on a gold mine in his wisdom and strategy - you're right, he should be raising boatloads of cash and working behind the scenes to steer her campaign.
But he also has an incredible ego, in my opinion, and he yearns for good lighting to stand in.
I agree. I think that was a good take on it.
Anyone that runs for the office of President has an incredible ego.
Pete, I've always liked Bill Clinton. He could be Hillary's greatest asset.
Bill Clinton is probably the best politician of our lifetime. As an orator he has no equals. Hell he could read the Farm Report to me & I'd find it interesting ;-)
Bill needs to stay focused on Hillary & why she'd make a great President & not go off on tangents about himself [unless applicable to her as well].
It would also help if he didn't sweep in to play the knight in shining armor by trying to protect her from real or imagined criticisms.
Hillary can take care of herself. And the public needs to know that IF she hopes to win the nomination
Bill responded to Malveaux by looking directly in the camera, pointing his finger and saying... "I never had sex with her campaign". An aid then pulled Bill away from the camera while whispering to Bill that it was a figure of speech. :-)
That made me laugh :)
I'm starting to warm up to your posts, AA!
I've aways felt that AA was laughable.....
AA, that was pretty good. :-D
I just saw some of that "streaming banner text" crap, under some hack's face on Fox I think it was, describing this very thing, of Mrs. Clinton taking a casual and even funny tone, in reminding her husband that they're already behind on an already too-crowded schedule...
"Come on" she says.
The "streaming banner text" crap under the Fox hack's face read (I think):
"Hen Hillary Pecks At Rooster Bill's Eyes!"
Wait, maybe that's actually chris matthews' lead on his show today... no, wait, maybe I'm just making this up, I'm not sure.
Your dayjob is just fine.
Malveaux saw the line and stepped waaaaay across.
'...best record of positive change-making in peoples' lives...'?? Ooo-Kaayyy. I changed my baby's diaper- it was the most positive thing I could've done for him at that time...
And where on Earth did they come up with MOVE on?
Misquote and then over-parse the misquote.
We've seen all this before.
Sneaking suscipion, John, you've so internalized the wing-nut talking points that when you hear "Hillary Clinton" you immediately think "moveon.org". Just a little mind reading on my part.
When I saw this,...
...I turned to my wife and said something along the lines of: "How is this a part of the campaign for President of the United States?" followed quickly with "Suzy, when you do this, you're just another one of the teleprompter-reading, bobble-headed, ball-chasing puppies of the MSM who are a disgrace to the concept of journalism."
Of course, what I really said included several other adjectives, none of which would've made it through MMFA's George Carlin filter.
I hope you worked all seven words into your rant cause this type of garbage deserves nothing but scorn and derision.
O.B.,
Yes, I covered all 7 - some more than once.
Somehow I had higher expectations of Suzanne Malveaux then many of her comments suggest was warranted.
Put the word Dude at the front of the statement, and it sounds like a Roger Moore quote.
Seems obvious to me they arrive to each story with a predetermined framing of the story , I don't support Hillary at all , but this blatant labeling her as " cold" she's trying to soften her image" , disregarding any journalistic standards and it's getting WORSE .
Blitzer had the nerve to claim Fred Thompson was " Charismatic " before he entered the race and " Reaganesque ." How absurd , and that's why I call Blitzer the SPECULATION Room , where there is little real news .
Oh , lets not forget McCain is the "Maverick", we are constantly reminded of .
Kahoneez