Talking to the Dead a Good
Thing; Clift Blames "Hate Radio"
Three items today:
1) ABC and CNN turn
the Hillary revelations -- about her talking to dead people -- into a
positive. Plus, four very illuminating quotes from the Bob Woodward book.
2) Eleanor Clift
charges "hate radio" with improperly putting Hillary Clinton in
the middle of the filegate "snafu."
3) A pro-life group
meets, but two newspapers find very different reactions to Bob Dole.
1
Some interesting spin on the Bob Woodward book revelation that Hillary
Clinton had a spiritual adviser help her talk to Eleanor Roosevelt and
Mahatma Gandhi.
On ABC's World News Sunday, anchor Carole Simpson
introduced a story on the book 'The Choice' by asserting: "In it
Woodward says Mrs. Clinton used some rather unorthodox advisers to help
make her a more effective First Lady."
CNN's Kathleen Koch concluded her Sunday story
with this upbeat spin: "Though somewhat of an embarrassment, some
believe this psychic cloud may have a silver lining. It could soften
Hillary Rodham Clinton's image as a behind-the-scenes power player by
revealing a vulnerability few ever see. Kathleen Koch for CNN,
Washington."
"Make her more effective" and "revealing a
vulnerability." Not quite the spin offered by the networks after
Nancy Reagan's use of astrologers became known.
For
those of you who didn't see the Woodward excerpt in the June 23 Washington
Post or elsewhere or didn't make it through it, here are four of my
favorite bits:
-- Hillary as Jesus? Referring to Jean Houston of
the Foundation for Mind Research, Woodward reported: "Houston saw
some bitterness, but more sorrow in Hillary over her failed attempt to
reform the nation's health care system and the constant personal attacks
she endured, which had forced her to the sidelines of the policy and
public issues debates. Houston felt at one point that being Hillary was
like being Mozart with his hands cut off, unable to play. Though Houston
did not articulate the image to Hillary, she felt that the First Lady was
going through a female crucifixion."
-- Hillary the persecuted. Writing about how
Houston had Hillary, in the White House solarium, talk to Gandhi, Woodward
explained: "She said he too was misunderstood, when all he wanted to
do was to help others and make peace. It was a strong personal outpouring
-- virtual therapy, and unusual in front of a large group."
-- Clinton as peacemaker. "The First Lady
also said that she and the President had read Houston's book, 'Manual for
a Peacemaker: An Iroquois Legend to Heal Self and Society.'"
-- Clinton the conservative. "Houston sensed
the President's nervousness around her, and she was not sure Clinton liked
her. So, she asked Hillary whether he did.
'Oh, yes, yeah,' Hillary replied.
'Sometimes he's uneasy,' Houston said.
'Well, he's basically a very conservative man,'
Hillary said."
2
Another example of how Eleanor Rodham Clift shares the First Lady's
persecution complex. From the McLaughlin Group over the past weekend:
John McLaughlin: "Question, did Maceca have
that much contact with Hillary, Eleanor Clift?"
Eleanor Clift: "There's no evidence, we
don't even know if he ever met the woman."
McLaughlin: "Do you think it's likely, do
you think it's unlikely?"
Clift: "Hate radio, hate radio and innuendo
is going to try to put Mrs. Clinton at the center of this. And for a party
like the Republican Party which has this huge gender gap, targeting the
First Lady on every one of these issues is not going to be productive
politics."
Fred Barnes: "Eleanor, why are you so
interested in politics? I thought you were interested in what the facts
might be."
Clift: "The facts do not implicate Mrs.
Clinton."
3
Finally, the National Right to Life Committee's annual convention began
last Thursday. Here are the headlines from two papers on Friday about the
NRTLC and Dole's abortion position.
The Washington Post -- "Antiabortion Group
to Stay Out of GOP Platform Fight: Stance May Give Dole Room to
Maneuver."
The Washington Times -- "GOP Compromise
Fails with Pro-Life Groups: Tolerance Language in Planks Wins No
Converts."
Just
can't trust what you read.
--
Brent Baker
![](//cdn.mrc.org/archive/images/backtop.gif)
4
|