Senator Clinton's Crappy Day

Senator Clinton had a really crappy day on Friday.
Open mouth, insert foot... and she did... in a horribly stupid way.

"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. I don't understand it."

ASSASSINATED! She is stepping into hallowed ground, talking about the untimely death of a man who was the last hope of a desperate American populace wanting change, a man talking about individual people creating "ripples of hope". What is she thinking? I had heard that she was saying something close to these words in the past, but not really talking about "assassination" in those terms.

Of course all of this hurts even more because of its timing. Just a few days ago the world heard the sad news that Robert Kennedy's brother Ted Kennedy has begun the search for information and further medical opinions after learning about a malignant brain tumor which may require his stepping down as Senator of Massachusetts.

I've been wondering why she had not pulled out of the race. Why would she not see the evidence which everyone else knew was there? Was it the huge elephant in the room that she just couldn't see? Or do we have an emperor's clothes situation here? Are her minions just not telling her the obvious, or is she hoping that hanging on like a bulldog will impress the Super Delegates enough to gain their nomination?

But deep in my mind I let seep in another thought... what if she's just waiting for something? What if she is considering or worse yet, hoping for attempt on Senator Obama's life? He IS a black man running for President of the United States. There are LOTS of people out there that are offended by the prospect of the Commander in Chief being black. That thought was not allowed to go further though, simply because it is too horrible to consider of a person wishing to become the American President.

More likely she was simply waiting for Obama's campaign to implode... you know... like hers has. Clinton was hoping for that magic event... maybe another opinionated religious figure in Obama's life to surface because the last one didn't cause enough furor to slow his progress.

One thing that is certain... her stupid use of the June timing of the horrific assassination of Robert Kennedy and her logic that it freed up the second in the running to come forward is flawed in two ways. The first is as Keith Obermann says, (see videos below) that the assumption that she would need to stay in the race just in case such an unhappy circumstance were to occur is ludicrous. Doesn't she think that she would be allowed to step back into the running in such a serious situation... even after dropping out?

The second flaw in her invoking the RFK reference is that this year's primary started MONTHS before the one in 1968!! So this hanging on until June because sometimes these things aren't decided until June would have to be adjusted to Robert Kennedy's bid for President being cut short in August, thus opening the field for others.

I have never been a big Hillary fan, so it isn't such a surprise to me when I hear her misstep again. I for one am sick of hearing her explain herself over and over yet never really apologize, never say that she is sorry... just another slick statement that feels like the "I'm so sorry that you felt hurt by what I said" crap.

"Earlier today I was discussing the Democratic primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns that both my husband and Senator Kennedy waged in California in June 1992 and 1968 and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nomination primary contests that go into June. That's a historic fact.

The Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator Kennedy and I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation, and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that, whatsoever. My view is that we have to look to the past and to our leaders who have inspired us and give us a lot to live up to, and I'm honored to hold Senator Kennedy's seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York and have the highest regard for the entire Kennedy family."

I'm so sick of politicians... and the Clintons are some of the worst around.