Cal Thomas, KSFO's Rodgers and Morgan left out part of Clinton speech that directly refutes their accusation of socialism

Written by Julie Millican

Published

In his May 31 nationally syndicated column, "It Takes a Socialist Village," Cal Thomas selectively cited a May 29 speech by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) to claim that Clinton “prefers” a “socialist” society where “the only equality is that all are equally poor.” He added that Clinton's vision of “a 'we're all in it together' society” is reminiscent of “the old and discredited ... Karl Marx saying: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” Similarly, during the May 30 broadcast of KSFO's The Lee Rodgers and Melanie Morgan Program, co-host Melanie Morgan cropped Clinton's speech to assert that her idea "[s]ounds like communism to me" while colleague Lee Rodgers claimed that the “Hildabeast” agrees with Marx that socialism is “the ideal economic structure for this country.” However, Thomas, Rodgers, and Morgan all omitted Clinton's statement during the speech that “there is no greater force for economic growth than free markets.”

As the Associated Press reported on May 29, Clinton “outlined a broad economic vision” in her speech “saying it's time to replace an 'on your own' society with one based on shared responsibility and prosperity”:

The Democratic senator said what the Bush administration touts as an ownership society really is an “on your own” society that has widened the gap between rich and poor.

“I prefer a 'we're all in it together' society,” she said. “I believe our government can once again work for all Americans. It can promote the great American tradition of opportunity for all and special privileges for none.”

But in highlighting Clinton's comments to accuse her of embracing socialism or communism, Thomas, Rodgers, and Morgan ignored Clinton's praise of the value of a “free market” system. As the AP reported, Clinton's vision of a " 'we're all in it together' society" includes “pairing growth with fairness ... to ensure that the middle-class succeeds in the global economy, not just corporate CEOs.” Clinton continued:

CLINTON: [T]here is no greater force for economic growth than free markets, but markets work best with rules that promote our values, protect our workers and give all people a chance to succeed.

When we get our priorities in order and make the smart investments we need, the markets work well.

From Thomas' syndicated column:

Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has unveiled her economic vision. Should she be given the power to implement it, we can say goodbye to the prosperity and opportunity we have enjoyed since the Reagan years.

In a speech at Manchester School of Technology in New Hampshire, Clinton said it's time to replace President Bush's “ownership society,” which she called an “on your own” society, with one based on shared responsibility and prosperity.

Clinton said she prefers a “we're all in it together” society: “I believe our government can once again work for all Americans. It can promote the great American tradition of opportunity for all and special privileges for none.”

Doesn't such a society already exist elsewhere? It's called socialism, where government has sought to make all things economically equal and the only equality is that all are equally poor. Wasn't defeating such a society precisely why we fought and won the Cold War? Why does Senator Clinton wish to embrace the principles of the losing side?

Clinton has merely updated the old and discredited (except among socialist dictators) Karl Marx saying: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”

From the May 30 edition of KSFO's The Lee Rodgers and Melanie Morgan Program:

RODGERS: By the way, if anybody has any doubts about what Hillary Clinton stands for, here it is in one quote from her. She was making a speech in Manchester, New Hampshire on Monday [sic: Tuesday] -- one of those political Memorial Day things -- in which she said, quote, now try to absorb this, she said, “It's time to replace an 'on your own' society with one based on shared responsibility and prosperity.”

MORGAN: Sounds like communism to me.

RODGERS: If you have -- if you have any difficulty interpreting that, I can help you with it.

TOM BENNER (staff member, known on-air as “Officer Vic”): Yeah.

RODGERS: It means: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs,” and the original author was an old dude named Karl Marx in 1875. That's what the Hildabeast believes is the ideal economic structure for this country. So, don't say you weren't warned.