(Video) Bill Clinton points out hypocrisy of Petraeus ad frenzy

This video is getting posted all over the place, and I want to make sure all of you have a chance to watch it.  In an interview this week with Anderson Cooper, former President Clinton went on a full-blown offensive, setting an example for progressives by standing up to the GOP's latest diversionary tactic.  The GOP gets slammed on this one!

CLINTON: [I] think that there was somethingcompletely disingenuous about the feigned outrage of the Republicansand the White House and in the Congress about this. This was classicbait-and-switch.

COOPER: Focus on that as opposed to focusing on what's really happening?

CLINTON: Yeah, that's right. I don't have to deal with Iraq. I don'thave to tell anybody what I'm gonna do. Everything we do in Iraq isobviously right, because they said this about Petraeus. As if it wasthe only issue in the wide world. Come on, all the Republicans that areupset about Petraeus? This is one newspaper ad. These are the peoplethat ran a television ad in Georgia with Max Cleland, who lost half hisbody in Vietnam, in the same ad with Osama bin Laden and SaddamHussein. That's what the Republicans did. And the person that rode tothe Senate on that ad was there, voting to condemn the Democrats overthe Petraeus ad. I mean, these are the people that funded the SwiftBoat Veterans for Truth. And the president appointed one of theprincipal funders of the Swift Boat ads to be an ambassador, butthey're really upset about Petraeus. But it was OK to question JohnKerry's patriotism on blatantly dishonest claims, by people who didn'tknow what they were talking about. So it was just bait-and-switch. Itwas just, 'Oh, thank goodness. I can take this little word here, andignore what we've done in Iraq, and what we're gonna do, and theoutrageous way we gained political power by smearing John Kerry.'

Bill Clinton is better than any Democrat at 'rallying the forces', so to speak.  He did it last year during the Chris Wallace interview, and now he is encouraging progressives to hit back against the Republican attack machine.

The GOP as a whole has taken absolutely zero responsibility for this man-made catastrophe in Iraq.  All they can possibly do between now and the end of time is to find a way to blame Democrats for losing the war.  They are literally that desperate.  Their ability to raise money has faded away.  They are losing younger voters in droves.  There is no other way out other than to dodge their own responsibility of enabling this war and blaming someone else.

MoveOn.org is not losing this war -- George W. Bush and the Republican Party are.

Comments

[George]

Bill Maher:

"
The Senate actually voted to condemn an ad. That’s what your government did yesterday---they had a vote to pass a resolution to condemn an ad with a pun in it. And then they had Oreos and braided each other’s hair.

And twenty two Democrats voted for that, by the way.

The Democrats are so useless they could not even pass a bill to get our troops more time between deployments. Only Republicans could make an argument that a bill that literally supports the troops didn’t support the troops, and only the Democrats could lose that argument.

Next week the Democrats are going to vote whether to give Republicans all their lunch money or just some of it.
"

[Ted K.]

Bill Clinton calls somebody, anybody disingenuous?

This babble from the same man who gave us this honey of a thought:

"It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'IS' is."

[George]

Clinton is a genius. A genius who made one major mistake. It's sad that no other dem has come close to filling his role.

I think Obama could if given a chance. and Webb could. So could Gore. Just not Hillary.

Ted,
If you reject everything Clinton says because of Lewinsky, then you cant possibly listen to anything said by: Bush, Cheney, Kristol, Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, Cavuto, Rove, Rice, Petreus, Powell, or Guiliani.

Becasue they all lied about the what war IS.

Get some perspective.

[aravella]

Not to mention...the "button" Clinton had his finger on isn't nearly as dangerous as the "buttons" some of the individuals mentioned above have their fingers on.

[Robt]

If Hillary gets the nomination I have to say, it will be great to see a Democrat fight and fight back and tough on Republican smear tactic Ads. Bill is showing that now. I don't think Bush's brain (Rove) could combat this.

Will be very instrumental in pursuit of the White House for any Democratic candidate.

[Ted K.]

George, there is a MULTITUDE of reasons I reject things that Bill Clinton says.

George, just some examples of my insight in regards to Clinton:

"Travelgate"- firing of all the whitehouse travel staff- who had been there through a multitude of presidencies- to hire their friends travel firm from Arkansas...THEN besmirched and lied about the people that worked there and subsequently ruined the reputations of all those 7 they fired- no appologies.

Jennifer Flowers

Paula Jones

Ken Starr- personally attacked him, ruined his reputation with lies and trumped up charges of which Starr was COMPLETEY EXHONORATED on all charges.

The promise not to raise taxes on middle class when running for the Office, then RAISING taxes on the middle class and then the obligatory, "I have never worked harder on something in my life...blah blah blah."

These are just some of my favorite reasons to call him out when he calls anyone disengeneous.

Is that enought "perspective" for you?

[Chief Editor: Todd]

What do Jennifer Flowers, Paula Jones or Ken Starr have ANYTHING to do with the implementation of public policy on the part of Bill Clinton? This is stupid. Judge him on policy -- which is what EVERY policy-maker in the Legislative and Executive Branch should be judged on.

The rest is for late-night comedy.

Speaking of which, LeBron James is on SNL tomorrow night!

[Ted K.]

I am talking about Bill Clinton and his remark that republicans are disengeneous.
The man is a disengeneous man through and through...THAT is my point.

[Delia]

It's ridiculous to waste time bashing the messenger (Clinton) instead of focusing on his message: that the repubs are using their favorite tactic--distraction--to divert people's attention to the fact that they are getting rich while our soldiers die.

[delia]

FROM the fact, I meant.

[Ted K.]

Delia.. please explain what you mean that we republicans are getting rich while our soldiers die.
I would LOVE to hear your analysis...unless you are just spewing lefty talking points with nothing to back it up.

[granny]

Delia,

He has no interest in your "explanantion" at all.

He's a professed conservative on a progressive blog. Why is that do you think?

[Ted K.]

No, I do interest in explanations to back up grandeous statements like that.

granny, it is because I wonder what makes the other side tick and how your side can rationalize its thinking on policies that I visit here.
I can listen to arguments from the other side as well as listen to air america programs (although randi rhodes can turn my stomach). I hassard a guess to say that you wouldn't lower yourself to listen to Rush Limbaugh or talk to a conservative much.

Do you only speak to those who think exactly like you?