Do me a favour, will ya? Read the following:
For Clinton, only one road in Albany remained blocked. Hendon and Trotter, two leaders in the women’s caucus, had both been in the Senate for four years before Clinton’s arrival. They represented two of New York’s destitute neighborhoods, and they repeatedly accused the newcomer of failing to understand the issues of the inner city. She cared more about her career than her constituents, they said. Hendon once told a newspaper that Clinton was so ambitious she would like to run for “president of the world.”…
Hillary’s friends encouraged her to stand up to Hendon and Trotter, but she refused. Not her style, she said. And why sink to their level? When Hendon ridiculed Clinton, her standard comeback was a dismissive shrug and a wave of her hand. Ah, Rickie, you’ve always got something to say. “I never would have called her a fighter,” Hendon said. “She used the silk gloves, and I used the iron fists.”
The tension between the two Senators peaked on June 11, 2002, after Hendon made an impassioned speech on the Senate floor urging her colleagues to preserve funding for a child welfare facility in her district. It was, Hendon remembers, “basically the most emotional speech of my life, and I was pulling out all the stops.” Every Republican still voted against her. Every Democrat voted with her — except Clinton and three other members who made up a faction known in Albany as “liberal row.”
Incensed by those four votes, Hendon walked across the floor and confronted Clinton, who explained by saying “something about fiscal responsibility,” Hendon recalls. A few minutes later, after Hendon’s proposal had lost, Clinton stood up and asked to have her previous vote changed to a “Yes” for the record, saying she had misunderstood the legislation. Her request was declined, and Hendon stood to criticize Clinton for political maneuvering.
Infuriated that Hendon had embarrassed her publicly on the Senate floor, Clinton walked over to her rival’s seat, witnesses said.
“She leaned over, put her arm on my shoulder real nice and then threatened to kick my ass,” Hendon said.
The two women walked out of the chamber into a back room and shoved each other a few times before colleagues broke them apart, Hendon and other witnesses said. Clinton and Hendon never talked about the incident with each other again, but they reached an awkward understanding. Hendon stopped teasing Clinton; Clinton started voting with Hendon more regularly. Hendon now supports Hillary Clinton for president.
Now, consider the story. What’s your reaction? That as a Democrat, Hillary failed to vote to preserve funding for a child welfare facility? That she failed to thoroughly understand the legislation – due to either a petty personal grudge or failure to read it in the first place – and then flipped on the vote when confronted? That she was so angry at being embarrassed that she threatened to kick a political adversary’s ass, which lead to actual physical violence, an actual catfight? Ask yourself: would you have drawn this same conclusion?
I suppose the right can spin this incident as a bug instead of a feature, but to me, this is jaw-droppingly intelligent politicking.
Is it possible the US could have a president that isn’t a hot-headed fool, that is slow to anger, and even when angry expresses only the exact amount needed to advance their purposes? A president who patiently builds friendships and coalitions, even with natural political enemies? I suspect there are very few people who read this site who would disagree that – policy disagreements aside – this is exactly the type of character traits we’d like to see in a president.
Be honest. Would you?
Now go read the original. Isn’t gender bias fun?
6 comments
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October 9, 2008 at 12:29 pm
pizzadiavola
What’s your reaction?
Horror and disgust, before I figured out that it wasn’t actually about Clinton, as the blurb was wholly inconsistent with what I knew of her. Whew!
Getting back to your point – trying to change the recorded vote after the fact, once it didn’t matter? Hmm, reminds me of the DNC’s eventual decision to fully seat MI and FL, after Clinton withdrew… It’s complete cowardice and dishonesty to not support legislation, then try to falsify the record so that it looks like you did, just to win political points. Hmm, reminds me of a certain decision to support or not support Roberts’ nomination… At least have the integrity and consistency to stand up for your shitty vote and say, “Yes, I made a mistake, but I’ve learned better.”
October 9, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Redstar
Wow, who applauds grown men shoving each other – ever?? Ridiculous, and thanks for the mental exercise you provided here (not least because I was like, who are these other legislators? I’ve never heard of them!!). 🙂
October 9, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Red Queen
I was flabbergasted thinking that Clinton could have done the crappy things in this article, but not at all surprised to find out that it was Obama instead But then I’ve never been gooey eyed over him.
October 9, 2008 at 7:24 pm
RKMK
The thing is, this goal I agree with:
I just have no idea how tristero came to the conclusion that the story outlined above illustrates those character traits. Do you know who does embody those character traits? This woman right here. I mean, for crying out loud.
And can you imagine the public dressing down of Hillary Clinton, or any other female politician, if they got into a physical scuffle over a vote like that? Tabloid fodder for weeks! “Congressional Catfight! News at 11!” But the same behaviour becomes noble, even heroic when exhibited by Penis Bearers – or, at the very least, It’s OK If You’re Barack Obama (see: FISA, Faith-Based Organizations, etc.)
FSM save us from the twin devils, Cult of Masculinity and Cult of Personality.
October 10, 2008 at 11:14 am
roofingbird
I went to the root article. As a perpetual outsider myself, I had trouble discovering what was article worthy for WAPO. Obama’s behavior sounded like just the kind of thing I or my brother would have had to engage in growing up-even to the take on the bully event. It feels like a mythographer is at work. The interesting apologia at the end, for why Obama voted present so much, I see as a hidden attack and new insertion into the growing myth.
October 26, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Elliot Lake
Relief that it wasn’t Hillary acting that way (I couldn’t believe it while I was reading it.) And disgust that anyone thinks that is good or proper behavior by anyone.