Actual un-doctored 60 MINUTES Transcription from CBS (offered without comment)

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

“You don't believe that Senator Obama's a Muslim?” Kroft asked Sen. Clinton.

“Of course not. I mean, that, you know, there is no basis for that. I take him on the basis of what he says. And, you know, there isn't any reason to doubt that,” she replied.

“You said you'd take Senator Obama at his word that he's not…a Muslim. You don't believe that he's…,” Kroft said.

“No. No, there is nothing to base that on. As far as I know,” she said.

“It's just scurrilous…?” Kroft inquired.

“Look, I have been the target of so many ridiculous rumors, that I have a great deal of sympathy for anybody who gets, you know, smeared with the kind of rumors that go on all the time,” Clinton said.


http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/181025.php

[gateley]

1. Man,

she just should have quit before the "as far as I know" thing...

[zonkers]

2. Damn straight. I had no dog in this fight until those 5 words. Just wrong.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

56. Oh puhleeze... nit-picking.

I highly doubt you were neutral until now...

[avrdream]

63. You took those words right out of my mouth.

Some of the false outrage around here is actually funny.

[zonkers]

65. Calling her out for breathing life into an ugly rumor for personal gain is not nit-picking.

And though I voted for Obama, I was always (and still am) intending to pull the lever for Hillary if she gets the nom. Only now, I will do it holding my nose. Before I was excited about it.

[rodeodance]

66. It ws the gotcha question recall that stated this all!! she said it was a smear!

[zonkers]

71. But she could have ended it. Instead, she employed "push-polling" semantics. -- that

is what gets under my skin.

[ronnykmarshall]

7. If she would just said NO ...

People be shitting their pants saying that she "didn't defend Obama strong enough".

:eyes:

[rodeodance]

12. she can not do anything right for them

[berni_mccoy]

17. You almost got it right: She can not do anything right.

Like Hillary, you should have left the ending off.

[rodeodance]

20. here is a pillow for you to cry on.

[berni_mccoy]

41. No thanks. I'll leave the crying to Hillary.

[rodeodance]

69. you better be prepared-for -tomorrow --get stocked.

[berni_mccoy]

76. I tell ya what, I'll stock up on Tissues if you stock up on Depends

You're gonna need it when you see the first exit polls.

[Forkboy]

47. You need a new writer, that one is old.

Along with the shaming stuff. You can only say "SHAME ON YOU" so many times before it just becomes a parody of yourself. I can send you some new, much more colorful insults if you would like. I have tons of 'em lying around. :)

[rodeodance]

68. nah--i like the more gentle ones------how about a satin pillow?

[Forkboy]

70. LOL....that's a bit better.

:)

[gateley]

25. Well she said more than just NO, and she DIDN'T

defend Obama strongly enough.

Not to fan the flames, but how do you think Obama would have responded if asked about one of the Hillary/Clinton rumors -- Vince Foster, for example? I'm projecting, but I think he would have answered with disgust and more decisiveness than "as far as I know..."

She knows better, and especially having been the subject of many attacks herself, I feel she let him down.

[ronnykmarshall]

32. You might want to change you pants.

You've got a real load in there.

[gateley]

38. What a lovely post. Thank you. nt

[ronnykmarshall]

40. You're welcome Miss Manners

[Blue_In_AK]

58. Being accused of committing murder

is different than being accused of being Muslim. Your analogy doesn't fly.

[Maddy McCall]

26. Her answer was appropriate. The firestom at DU over it is ridiculous.

[TheDebbieDee]

31. I agree. Obamacans expect Hillary to do their job for them.........

These crybabies are absurd!

[Beausoir]

48. They are twitchy about something.

[zabet]

79. Almost epileptic,

with a dose of Tourettes
added for zest. :D

[BeyondGeography]

44. There's Good Hillary and Bad Hillary

And, sometimes, we get to see them in the same sentence.

No one's asking her to defend Obama. She was asked a factual question and she couldn't give an unqualified factual answer, because it might have helped him politically, even if it was the right thing to do.

If you want to know why she's polarizing and why many people will never see her as presidential, just re-read the transcript.

[Lucinda]

67. That Politician 101 though. Someone keeps pressing them

and they go into disclaimer mode.

[bicentennial_baby]

3. I'd rather have a real transcript, like

Kroft: ....

Clinton: ....

Etc...

Not this "Kroft said", "Clinton said"...etc.

But, that's just me. :)

[zonkers]

5. Watch it for yourself , here......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHFREDHB-nQ&eurl=http://rawstory.com/news/2008/60_Minutes_tackles_Muslim_smear_aimed_0303.html

[bicentennial_baby]

8. Oh, I saw it live, no worries

I was one of the people who originally posted about it last night. :hi:

[gateley]

33. Here's a link to the CBS transcript --

it's in pdf.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/27/ftn/main3756327.shtml?source=search_story

[jenmito]

4. I saw it. :Is this transcript supposed to prove anything? It just shows her trying to plant a seed

of doubt in people's minds. It's as if she thought WHILE making her “Of course not" comment that she should keep going to plant the seeds of doubt, which she did.

[rodeodance]

15. she said it was a smear against him. and she is right.

[ronnykmarshall]

36. BUT SHE DIDN'T THROW HERSELF IN FRONT OF A BUS!!

SHE SHOULD HAVE THROWN HERSELF IN FRONT OF A BUS TO DEFEND OBAMA!!!!

Oh wait, then she would be "too emotional", "taking advantage of the situation for polical purposes".

[Forkboy]

49. No, she didn't have to throw herself in front of a bus.

She could have, however, pointed out the charges about him being a Muslim are thinly veiled attempts to play on the fears of bigots and simpletons, and that even if he was a Muslim there would be nothing wrong with that as we're supposed to be a country that welcomes all races and religions and beliefs. It's called taking the high road. I would have done it, and I suspect you would have done it. She didn't. Instead she helped play into that stereotype and fear of the "other". Whether it was intentional or not really doesn't matter to me. It was a lousy response that left the door open for more bigotry.

[rodeodance]

51. i know---they want blood!!

[Hepburn]

55. She should have just said, "NO" and kept her fucking mouth...

...closed. But she just could not help herself from being snarky and nasty with the added comment.

[rodeodance]

16. Nice to have the TRUTH out there after 100 threads of viles lies on DU

[MethuenProgressive]

24. Absolutely!

:dem:

[rodeodance]

34. KEEP IT KICKED---and rec it p

[papau]

6. As usual Hillary being nice to Barack is twisted into a Obama smear of Hillary

in the re-interpretation by the Obama supporters and PR people

Con man and smears - a great fellow to lead our party.

[jenmito]

9. Please. She should've stopped at “Of course not."

[ronnykmarshall]

11. Of course.

She planted this whole story, ya know?

I'm sure that will be the next bullshit thrown around here.

[yardwork]

10. I really don't see the problem with Hillary's response to this.

I think that people are working very hard to be offended over practically nothing.

[MethuenProgressive]

27. I agree

There's plenty to become outraged or enthuiastic about this election cycle - and this "issue" isn't even on the radar.

[ailsagirl]

30. You can say THAT again!! n/t

[leftynyc]

61. I agree

and I'm glad somebody finally put up an actual transcript. I can't believe Sen. Obama supporters are pissed about this.

[libbygurl]

84. Exactly. nt

[rodeodance]

13. REC

[rodeodance]

14. She said it was a smear against him----good for her.

“Look, I have been the target of so many ridiculous rumors, that I have a great deal of sympathy for anybody who gets, you know, smeared with the kind of rumors that go on all the time,” Clinton said.

[rodeodance]

18. Thanks---i willl send around

[DemGa]

19. Cue the insane analogy posse-----NT

[MethuenProgressive]

21. Congrats to Hill for sticking up for Barack! That's the way real Democrats act!!

:thumbsup:

[DemGa]

23. That's right. Obama just rubbed that right-wing smear in....

And a very good analogy: Hillary defended Barack -- Barack used those right-wing attacks against Hillary, ie, "polarizing and divisive."

[azureblue]

22. Gawd- follow the logic thread:

“You don't believe that Senator Obama's a Muslim?” Kroft asked Sen. Clinton.

“Of course not. I mean, that, you know, there is no basis for that. I take him on the basis of what he says. And, you know, there isn't any reason to doubt that,” she replied."

She says, in direct response, that she does not believe Obama's a Muslim, and takes the man at his word.

“You said you'd take Senator Obama at his word that he's not…a Muslim. You don't believe that he's…,” Kroft said.

“No. No, there is nothing to base that on. As far as I know,” she said."

Again she says no, and there is no basis for Kroft's accusation. And she bases her belief on her current knowledge of Obama.

“It's just scurrilous…?” Kroft inquired.

“Look, I have been the target of so many ridiculous rumors, that I have a great deal of sympathy for anybody who gets, you know, smeared with the kind of rumors that go on all the time,” Clinton said."

Now to the heart of the matter- Hillary acknowledging Kroft's smear attempt, and framing it properly as a Republican tactic, which she knows about first hand. She actually defends Obama against Rovian smears.

So where's the beef?

[elixir]

28. What a sad testiment to the Obama campaign, or, at least his supporters. Searching 4 a magic bullet

She's still in the race and actually gaining a little ground. She did nothing wrong and her camp had nothing to do w/ these attacks. Get over it and help your candidate.

[sabra]

29. this isn't the transcript - it's from the CBS report

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/29/60minutes/main3894659_page4.shtml

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

37. You're right. I shouldn't have said "transcript", though since 60 MINUTES is a CBS show...

it's a distintion without a difference.

It's CBS News' statement of exactly what was said on a CBS News program.

It would be nicer if it was in the format:

KROFT: "Blah, blah."
CLINTON: "Blah, blah."

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

39. In light of your observation I edited the headline to be more precise

[sabra]

42. sure.. I would love to see the actual transcript though :-)

:hi:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

46. Well, there's always the video.

[redqueen]

35. "As far as I know"

As an experienced politician, she knows exactly what she was doing with those five words.

[ieoeja]

43. Great quotes.

Glad to see Hillary come out so strongly in Obama's defense on this.

Makes me wonder what a few of my fellow Obama supporters on here are thinking when they criticize her for this.

"Of course not."

"No. No, there is nothing to base that on."

And she even calls it a smear rumor in the last sentence. Quibbling over "as far as I know" is just fucking stupid. That is just a standard disclaimer from a politician and lawyer. And anyone claiming otherwise is either a liar or an idiot.

[Ohio Joe]

62. Agreed

I also support Obama and see nothing wrong here.

[Barrymores Ghost]

45. And Hillary's not a self-serving, corporatist, stealth-Republican, Manchurian Candidate....

...as far as I know.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

50. EVEN IF HE WERE MUSLIM, what the hell does it matter?

religions are not exactly glowing examples of following their own wisdom, now are they?

[rodeodance]

52. It does not matter --and should NOT have been asked either.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

54. agreed.

the only time religion should matter at all is when the religious beliefs interfere with brain cell functioning. I still shake my head at the thought that the GOP fielded a crew of idiots, 1/2 of whom did not "believe" in evolution.

a BELIEF in evolution - even that issue is framed in religious terms. no wonder our once great country is so fucked up.

[Blue_In_AK]

60. Thank you!

It's nice to know I'm not the only one thinking this.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

72. the first six years of skule were

in a very religious school. Slamming your hand (I was a natural lefty) with rulers, public embarrassment, kneeling on beans for girls whose skirts were too short, were the daily norm. Asking questions was frowned upon. No wonder I have grown up to rabidly, admittedly, and naturally anti-religious. however, I will defend the right of EACH and EVERY religion, even those flat earthers who don't believe in evolution or science.

[rodeodance]

53. ******I think we should all write to cbs and complain about that question!!**

[HCE SuiGeneris]

57. Disgusting.

[rodeodance]

77. yes, it is DISGUSTING HOW so many Obamafolk lied about her comments. SHAMEFUL

[meow mix]

59. "As far as I know" as in.. he could be hiding it..

:grr:

[MethuenProgressive]

64. Yay! Way to defend your fellow Democrat, Hillary! "Of course not!"

Amazing that Drudge lied about what was said, isn't it?

[Maribelle]

73. Hillary, it appears, is more honest than a whole bunch of folks

The bashing she took on this board was disgraceful.

[blogslut]

74. Read it

I also watched it.

I saw what she did there. She widened her eyes and put on the innocent face. A lot of people get fooled by the innocent face. That's why so many people use it when they are being dishonest.

[GeorgeGist]

75. Quite obviously it has been doctored...

and Kroft (aka worthless asshole) planted the seed that being muslim is un-American.

[rodeodance]

78. That question NEVER should have been asked.

[TK421]

80. Question...if she had remained silent or refused to say anything

what do you think the response from most people would be? I would think that most people would be suspicious of that..and that would be a clear indicator of someone who has something to hide or is attempting to be devious.

[WinkyDink]

81. Being called a Muslim isn't being "smeared". THAT was HRC's incorrect word.

[MojoMojoMojo]

82. Obama supporters make a big deal out of nothing

They are too much.Everything is bad about Hillary.
They act like brainwashed zombies.

[rodeodance]

85. Every day they have a new toy.

“Look, I have been the target of so many ridiculous rumors, that I have a great deal of sympathy for anybody who gets, you know, smeared with the kind of rumors that go on all the time,” Clinton said.

[libbygurl]

83. Kickety-kick! nt