Clinton: Obama “Would Have Been Getting Us Coffee”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (YBH.ME) – The new book by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, “Game Change” is causing quite a stir in political circles. The book chronicles the 2008 election season.

Bill Clinton and "coffee boy" Barack Obama.

Not only does it include a quote by Harry Reid referring to President Barack Obama as having no “negro dialect,” it offers up an interesting tidbit about former President Bill Clinton.

The book includes a story about Ted Kennedy fuming because Bill Clinton said of Obama, “a few years ago this guy would have been getting us coffee.”

President Clinton’s office told ABC’s Jake Tapper that they wouldn’t be commenting on the story.

President Obama immediately forgave Harry Reid for his 2008 remarks today. The President however, did not forgive former Republican Majority Leader Trent Lott and radio host Don Imus when they made similar insensitive remarks.

John Romano is the publisher and editor of Yes, But However!, a musician, a former political correspondent for BBC Radio London, and a serial web entrepreneur. Follow him on twitter: twitter.com/yesbuthowever or John Romano on Google+

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Post Published: 09 January 2010
Found in section: Politics

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1200577786 Alessandro Machi
Bill Clinton would have said the same thing even if it had been someone else WHO CAME OUT OF NOWHERE, and suddenly was going to "change things". It's a comment about has someone paid their dues, or not.
It appears that Barack Obama not only did not pay his own dues, but he seems intent on making everybody else pay Barack Obama's dues for the next decade or two.

Roger
Given that Bill Clinton was a product of the deep south–and is of the age that had personal memories of the apartheid of segregation there–remarks about Obama "getting us coffee" could not have been ANYTHING but racist. Had he grown up in Maine or maybe Hawaii, one could imagine the comments were merely about coming from nowhere. Besides that Bill himself came out of nowhere…and arguably Obama's family were of a higher social status than Bill's.
I think people forget that THE party of segregation and even slavery was the Democratic party. Every slave owner in the old South was a Democrat…
Mane
You, my friend, are a developing racist. What the heck is wrong with you?

Agree
Obama really had little work experience before becoming president. Apparently one good speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention is all you need these days to become a contender. I am younger than Obama and I've worked more years, and have more substantive experience. The guy was an unaccomplished junior senator who lucked into the seat. Even though I am a liberal, I've found him to be incredibly unimpressive.
I really wish Obama had more job experience, including in the service industry. Those mundane tasks teach you things. To be honest, I think the guy is a lot like Bush. Neither knew much about policy, yet the public voted them into office. Two people who I probably wouldn't hire to serve coffee, as neither has the kind of work ethic I would expect.
But I am glad to see our presidents have so much leisure time to vacation and play golf. They really deserve it. Look at the great job they've both done.

Fre
You have more substantive public office experience than Obama did? So you have held a more prominent and relevant position than State Legislator of a fairly large state for more than 10 years? And prior to that you were a Professor of Constitutional Law I take it?

Benjamin
“The President however, did not forgive former Republican Majority Leader Trent Lott and radio host Don Imus when they made similar insensitive remarks.”
Reid said, in awkwardly dated language, that the electorate was more willing to vote for Obama because he doesn’t speak with an ethnic or regional dialect, and because his skin is fairer. If anyone has grounds to be insulted, it would be white voters whom Reid has essentially accused of racism.
Trent Lott said the country would be better off if we’d elected a segregationist President. Don Imus contrasted a predominantly white basketball team and a predominantly black one, saying the latter was composed of “nappy-headed ho’s.”
The comments aren’t similar at ALL.

mike
Well said.

Jack
An experienced person will continue to make the same mistakes. Young fresh ideas will move this country forward.

Matt
Jack…are we moving forward or backward? I sincerely like young, fresh ideas…it's what provides optimism and opportunity for EVERYONE. However, the proven results of capitalism …supply…demand….competition…and freedom to compete is what made this country the greatest on the planet. It's what allowed us to strive for something better. Government intervention is what is destroying opportunity and a the future for everyone. Government is needed, but too much government leads to destruction of opportunity and future growth, which limits opportunity for EVERYONE.

Rachel
Matt,
Much of what made this country great was centuries of free labor and a world system that use people in "developing countries" for cheap labor and goods. And from what I can tell, the system is failing miserably. (Bush year? depression? failed banking system? Frustrating and inequality between "developing" and developed countries leading to increased frustration with America and terrorism? lax environmental controls ?)
We've had 8 years of NO government control. things have to change.

http://www.youtube.com/user/The6000Sabre Thomas Shea
Obama has proved beyond all doubt that he is a partisan hypocrite.

chris whited
It is a racist statement. Remember he's a Rhode scholar as well. Look up Cecil Rhodes and who and what he was. This is why many black folk reject the scholarship offer.

chris whited
Also remember Obama has been a professor and politician for many many years. So the idea of "just a few years ago" being related in some literal form is just an apologist's excuse.

Clinton: Obama “Would Have Been Getting Us Coffee”

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