Call Clinton a "Monster," Resign From Obama Campaign

It's a monster mess! Samantha Power, a Pulitzer prize-winning adviser to Barack Obama's campaign, has stepped down after telling a reporter for The Scotsman that Hillary Clinton is a monster. Power said, "Last Monday, I made inexcusable remarks that are at marked variance from my oft-stated admiration for Senator Clinton and from the spirit, tenor, and purpose of the Obama campaign. And I extend my deepest apologies to Senator Clinton, Senator Obama, and the remarkable team I have worked with over these long 14 months."

Clinton's supporters had been calling for Power's resignation. Representative Gregory Meeks said it's "a torrent of negative personal attacks." Here's what the Scotman had reported:

"We f***** up in Ohio," she admitted. "In Ohio, they are obsessed and Hillary is going to town on it, because she knows Ohio's the only place they can win.

"She is a monster, too – that is off the record – she is stooping to anything," Ms Power said, hastily trying to withdraw her remark.

Ms Power said of the Clinton campaign: "Here, it looks like desperation. I hope it looks like desperation there, too.

"You just look at her and think, 'Ergh'. But if you are poor and she is telling you some story about how Obama is going to take your job away, maybe it will be more effective. The amount of deceit she has put forward is really unattractive."

Power, a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School, won a Pulitzer for her non-fiction book, A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide. She was also profiled in Men's Vogue last year.

Politico's Ben Smith notes, "This campaign was her first time acting as a surrogate for a candidate -- not a journalist and academic speaking her own mind -- and it doesn't seem to have been her calling." Slate's Trailhead points out the "hints about Obama's cocaine use" are more "offensive," but since Obama has claimed to rise above attacks, this incident makes thing difficult.

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By Jen Chung in News on March 7, 2008 2:58 PM

Comments [rss]

jessecal

Samantha's stepping down is not enough... she should be publically executed in Central Park!!

And then her remains- fed to the pidgeons- and then after that- the pidgeons should be publically executed and these remains should be fed to... and on, and on...

'Monster' calling CANNOT be tolerated in America! This crime is right up there with 'talking-loud-in-church'!!

Jesse Califano

matukonyc

So when one is in a contest it is unseemly to try to win, now?

babyhitler

Hilary 08

Goomba

Everyone knows Hillary is a bitch and not a monster.

Toby von Meistersinger

Well given that all politicians aren't human how is calling one a monster going to offend anyone except monsters?

Polite New Yorker

Samantha Power was raising the issue of genocide in Darfur before most people ever heard the word. She's an outstanding writer and advocate for human rights and it was a great credit to Obama that she was on his campaign. She deserves better than to be pilloried in the press like is being done.

Mike D

It's so sad that speaking the truth gets you fired. I'm glad Obama's not running a negative campaign but I feel like being honest about the Clinton campaign is to smear it.

kissel

i find these comments ironic. obama has been using his stooges to attack clinton for a long time now. you can say what you want about clinton attacking obama (which by the way has been quite tame considering past elections) but at least she attacks head on and doesnt hide behind others woth a fake above the fray BS as obmama does.

bclm

I'm getting tired of Clinton and her surrogates being able to throw all sorts of innuendos and slurs at their opponents and when stuff gets thrown at her, she cries and demands that people get fired and apologize. It's such an annoying double standard.

IMO, she's using her gender as a shield for all sorts of crappy behavior.

If she can't take it, she shouldn't dish it out.

nonumentalart

agree with you sommelier

gossipgirl

I love Samantha Power, that's quite unfortunate.

Sommelier

monster: any animal or human grotesquely deviating from the normal shape, behavior, or character.

Hillary has grotesquely deviated from normal Democratic value through her votes in the Senate on several major bills. She's only been able to slow down Barack Obama by lifting entire chapters from the Karl Rove playbook. So... what's the fuss about calling her a monster? It's not like she called her any of the other names that the right wing has labeled her with over the past years?