CyberAlert -- 06/24/1996 -- 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.

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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."

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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."

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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 [1]

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