A trip down memory lane:
Eight years ago, when Hillary parachuted into NY to become our Senator, she and Howard Wolfson became completely obsessed with opponent Rick Lazio's tax returns, which he did not release until the end of August..
They talked about them at every opportunity. In early July, Hillary called it "frankly disturbing." A guy in an Uncle Sam outfit was dispatched to be a nuisance at various Lazio events in August. Howard himself showed up once to try to rattle Lazio by offering him a copy of some Chappaqua property tax receipt after Lazio said he'd release his state returns as soon as Hillary released hers (which didn't exist, because she had just moved up here).
This produced a lot of coverage. We've copied one of the stories after the jump, if you're interested. But obviously, what brings it to mind is the current discussions of when, if ever, Clinton and Wolfson will release her tax returns as she runs for president this year. Their attitude has been, basically, when they feel like it.
Pressed again today by the Obama campaign, Wolfson said: "Their tax returns since they left the White House will be made available on or around April 15."
Maybe a reporter could, like, actually risk getting Wolfson mad by trying to pin him down on whether "on or around April 15" will definitely be before the Pennsylvania primary on April 22, and why a 2001 return from a sitting NY senator can't be copied by, say, March 15?
Without being too cute here, the question is why Clinton and Wolfson were so obsessed by Lazio's returns that they were disrupting his events, but they now treat it as an irrelevancy when Hillary's returns are requested. There's occasionally the suggestion that different standards apply to a primary. But that makes no sense, especially when you're already an officeholder. Republicans are entitled to see Hillary's returns before making their decision, but not Dems?
No, it seems more like a reflection of the way Hillary and her team think. Principled people would reason as follows: "Since we made a huge fuss about Lazio's returns in 2000, to be consistent we should be very diligent about being just as transparent as Obama and releasing our own returns this year. Otherwise, we would be behaving like hypocrites."
But that's not what they're doing. So the reasoning is apparently this: "We acted like Lazio's tax returns were a big deal in 2000 because it was in our self-interest to do so, and this year we'll act like our returns aren't a big deal because it's in our self interest to do so. We don't act on principle, and we don't care about being consistent, and we don't care about being hypocritical."
Is there another explanation? If not -- what a great role model for our daughters!!!
New York Times: 8/17/2000
Among the demonstrators greeting Representative Rick A. Lazio, the Republican Senate nominee, on a Harlem sidewalk today was a tall, bearish man dressed casually in khaki pants and a dark golf shirt and clutching a couple of slips of paper.
It was none other than Howard Wolfson, the communications director and a top adviser for Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate campaign, who came for one of the more unusual recent stunts intended to tarnish Mr. Lazio's appearances.
Mr. Wolfson, responding to Mr. Lazio's quip Tuesday that he would release his state income tax return in 15 minutes if Mrs. Clinton did the same (as a resident for six months, she would have no such return), sought to thrust on him copies of Mrs. Clinton's property tax bills from her home in Chappaqua. Disclosure of the $17,368.64 in payments on those bills, Mr. Wolfson reasoned, complied with the spirit of Mr. Lazio's challenge, which followed demands by Democrats that he release his federal income tax returns.
"If he says he can release them in 15 minutes, why doesn't he?" Mr. Wolfson asked reporters as he stood near a Democratic Party operative dressed as Uncle Sam and shouted for Mr. Lazio to release his tax return. Mr. Lazio has said repeatedly he will do so this month. President Clinton and Mrs. Clinton released their return in April.
Mr. Lazio, told of Mr. Wolfson's presence after a speech at the National Black Theater, did not acknowledge the visitor as he left behind a curtain of police officers, who blocked Mr. Wolfson's way.
Mr. Wolfson declined to hand the papers to Patrick McCarthy, a Lazio spokesman, as Mr. Lazio boarded his campaign bus to continue a tour across the state that began today and concludes Monday. This evening, he was at the Delaware County Fair here.
The Clinton campaign, seeking to rebut Mr. Lazio's questioning of Mrs. Clinton's character and integrity, has taken up the issue of his not releasing his tax returns -- a ritual expected of candidates these days -- as a way to question Mr. Lazio's own character.
But more than anything, the episode highlighted the effort by the Clinton campaign and its supporters to rain on Mr. Lazio's campaign. Mr. Lazio's staff, in turn, has grown irritated at the intrusions that they say only reinforce what they consider the negative tenor of the first lady's campaign.
"It was a cheap political stunt," Mr. McCarthy said afterward, asserting it only reaffirmed that Mrs. Clinton could not produce state income tax returns because "she is not really from New York."
Mr. Wolfson is not the only assistant to Mrs. Clinton making his presence known on the opponent's trail. Employing a common campaign tactic, a young man from the Clinton campaign trails Mr. Lazio with a small video camera at nearly all of the congressman's appearances, without disrupting them. (Mr. Lazio, who says he does not employ such a tracker, has come to know "Eric" and even gave him a slice of pizza and a MetroCard at a recent event.)
There is also "Uncle Sam," who has become a fixture at Mr. Lazio's events this past week, with a Lazio spokesman wrestling him away from the podium before a news conference Monday. And demonstrators from abortion rights groups have waved placards questioning Mr. Lazio's commitment to abortion rights.
By contrast, Mrs. Clinton is often greeted at her appearances by protesters from anti-abortion groups.
Mr. Lazio received a mixed reaction in Harlem, one of the traditionally Democratic areas he says his campaign will seek to reach.
As his bus approached the theater, the Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of the most influential in the city, tapped on the door and greeted Mr. Lazio, who stepped off momentarily. Mr. Butts said he had made no endorsement in the race and might not do so, but he had kind words for the congressman.
"I have found the Republican administration in the state of New York has been extremely helpful for the things we have done here in Harlem, as well as for the things we hope to do in the future," Mr. Butts said after embracing Mr. Lazio and inviting him to the church. He said he had discussed Mr. Lazio's candidacy favorably with Gov. George E. Pataki.
Later, Mr. Lazio sprinkled references to Langston Hughes in his largely autobiographical speech before 200 mostly elderly residents gathered for lunch at a Harlem Week 2000 celebration.
Comments (21)
Hillary has a very short memory, doesn't she!
Well said.
Senator Clinton is so transparently self-serving that is at once laughable and profoundly depressing that even one person is taken in by her.
Sad.
Hillary clearly has double standards.... The rules only apply to others.
It's just hard to understand Hillary and why people are following her. She will do anything and say anything to win. She is so infused with a desire for power so that she can continue to cover her tracks. She really hasn't been seriously vetted!
Why isn't the media being reasonable and asking the real question: If you can't beat Obama in pledged delegates, even if Michigan and Florida are a re-run, why are you forcing the expense of 10 - 100 million dollars in valuable campaign money to fight your colleague who has already won.
If you go back door (superdelegate bribery) you ruin the party and Obama may as well run as an independent - although I know he would never do that.
Get rid of your ego Hillary and stop degrading a new great hope for democratic leadership - you behave just like bush did in 2000 and 2004. Let your ego go and act professional - you've lost already!
When will people learn not to question Hillary - she can do whatever she wants and you all need to shut up and take it! Don't go Ken-Starring her!
Hillary Clinton needs to be a politician in a 3rd world country where no rules apply and she can cheat as she likes to win
THIS IS SO UNFAIR, WHY MEDIA DOES NOT ASK HER ABOUT ALL THIS? ARE THEY REALLY POWERFUL. IT IS SCARY ISN'T? AND DOES REALLY DEMOCRATS WANT NOMINEE WHO HAS A FRAUD CHARGE AGAINST HER AND BILL ( FUND RAISING FRAUD PETER PAUL CASE)IN CALIFORNIA? OCTOBER 21 2008 THIS CASE STARTS.
There's one simple truth that Hilary obviously never learned in school and that ultimately will be her downfall:
Nobody likes a liar.
She doesnt want people to find out about her connections with Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Nor does she want us to know about the Drug and insurance companies who have lobbied her to influence her healthcare program. Talking about buyers remorse. We will have major buyers remores if she is elected!
Is anyone surprised by this?! She always has a double standard. The shrew will do anything: ie, lie, cheat, steal the election.
the Queen is above scrutiny and takes no questions from the little people.
This is what the feeling of 'entitlement' gets you - double-standards, whining and other schoolyard muck.
Senator Clinton keeps on cheating. We cannot let her keep on doing the same shameful games (tax return, Nafta-gate, playing with people's emotion, etc). Clinton, no thanx!
And to top it off, she still thinks we are not worthy of an apology for not reading the The NIE brief, an gave it to a staffer to decifer if it would be politically expedient to go along with the plan for Bush to Invade Iraq, even though it was illegal.
The way she runs her campaign is proof of how she will run the White House. Dishonestly and with more Drama, as the bones in her closet rattle against each other, waiting for release in court in October 08.
Why go through giving more money to her when she knows that the American People will not tolerate cheating and going against US in Our election(s)
No Woman, Man or Warmonger will sell us out to the Corporations and lobbyist.
Flash:
Clinton Campaign started rumor of Obama and Canadian Nafta distortion then denied any connections.
Caught red handed!
Busted, disgusted and can't be trusted Hillary Clinton.
Your cheating campaign sucks, or should I say blows.
I'm sick of this sh** she is pulling, in her mad attempt to smear Obama because she will not be able to cheat us out or an Obama Presidency. The People have spoken.
Enough of the Drama!
Vote for Obama!!!!
Clinton and those who speak for her are prepared to sink to any depth, it seems. Her only hope now is to unleash the dirty tricks and try to steal the nomination. After all, it worked for Bush. But then, hopefully, we're a bit wiser now.
Enough of the lies, desperation, and dirty tricks! Clinton needs to pack up and go home before she makes a total ass of herself. This country can't afford another four years of "business as usual."
Can we still blame Nader for loosing the election to MacCain if Hillary gets nominated?!!
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/usa/2008/03/clintons_role_in_naftagate.html
please forward this story to your friends and family. we need to ask the tough questions NOW
Please sign this petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Truth_Hurts/
This reminds me of the 2006 campaign, when HRC refused to debate her primary opponent, Jonathan Tasini, even once. Yet last month she kept hounding Obama to debate once a week even though they'd already debated many, many times. "Clinton rules" once again!
thank you so much for this article. What I wonder is why the MSM isn't talking about this. Is there any way you guys can force this on them. To any of the readers here, search momma4obama on myspace and then look at her top blog with has a list of all of the MSM email addy's. copy and paste this with other articles, We must bombard them with the truth until they decide to actually ask real questions. And also read this
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/08/wuspols108.xml&page=2
I also would like to know more about her dealings with the Rose Law Firm, any conflicts of interests with contracts that had to do with Gov. Bill Clinton (at the time) Who is Web Hubbell, who are the people that she recommended Bill put in the government?