Time's Klein on prospect of Hillary Clinton presidency, continuing Bush and Clinton presence: “Gag me with a spoon”

Written by Rob Morlino

Published

On MSNBC's Scarborough Country, Time columnist Joe Klein asserted that former President Bill Clinton will be “a tremendous millstone around [the] neck” of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) if she runs for president in 2008, adding, “Not because of tomcatting, but because of the fact that he's been president for eight years.” Klein also stated, “I'm not entirely convinced that she's even going to run” and stated that the Republican consensus that Clinton will be the Democratic presidential nominee is "[b]aloney, baloney, salami." Joe Scarborough then observed that a Hillary Clinton presidency would mean “a Bush or Clinton as president or vice president from 1980 to -- I guess it would be 2016,” to which Klein replied: “Gag me with a spoon.”

On the May 24 edition of MSNBC's Scarborough Country, Time columnist Joe Klein asserted that former President Bill Clinton would be “a tremendous millstone around [the] neck” of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) if she runs for president in 2008, adding, “Not because of tomcatting but because of the fact that he's been president for eight years.” Klein also stated, “I'm not entirely convinced that she's even going to run” and stated that the Republican consensus that Clinton will be the Democratic presidential nominee is "[b]aloney, baloney, salami." Host Joe Scarborough then observed that a Hillary Clinton presidency would mean “a Bush or Clinton as president or vice president from 1980 to two thousand -- I guess it would be 2016,” to which Klein replied: “Gag me with a spoon.” Media Matters for America has documented a pattern of Klein -- Time's "most liberal commentator" -- attacking Democrats, the “far left,” and liberals.

From the May 24 broadcast of MSNBC's Scarborough Country:

KLEIN: For Republicans, she's obviously inevitable. I love the spin on this. You know, Republicans are saying, “Oh, she's so formidable. She's going to be a tough candidate. She's, you know, she's got it wrapped up.” Baloney, baloney, salami. This thing hasn't even started yet. I'm not entirely convinced that she's even going to run. And if she does run, I don't know how good she is at presidential politics, and she has a tremendous millstone around her neck: her husband. Not because of tomcatting, but because of the fact that he's been president for eight years. We have a constitutional amendment about that. And I don't know how enthusiastic the American people are going to be about trading our most precious office, the presidency, back and forth between these two families.

SCARBOROUGH: You know, it's interesting you say that. If -- of course, if Hillary Clinton were to be elected and then re-elected, you could go back to 1980, and there would have been a Bush or Clinton as president or vice president from 1980 to two thousand -- I guess it would be 2016.

KLEIN: Gag me with a spoon.