JustOneMinute: 'Sister Souljah' Slated For Springtime

'Sister Souljah' Slated For Springtime

Richard Cohen of the WaPo pens an amusing attack on Hillary, claiming she missed her "Sister Souljah" moment by failing to criticize the MoveOn ad attacking General Petraeus:

If there is a phrase more closely associated with both Hillary and Bill Clinton than "the politics of personal destruction," it does not come to mind. All the others -- "It's the economy, stupid," for instance -- are linked to one or the other, but "the politics of personal destruction" is a phrase both Clintons have used repeatedly -- so much so, it seems, that for Hillary it has lost all meaning. When, for instance, Gen. David Petraeus was slimed as "General Betray Us," Hillary Clinton looked the other way. This was the politics of personal expediency.

...It may seem unfair to single out Clinton in this matter when the bunker in which she took shelter was crowded with her fellow quivering candidates. But Clinton is the front-runner, quite possibly the next president of the United States, so it is reasonable to focus on her and wonder if, as some allege, she does indeed have a spine. In this instance, it was nowhere to be found.

For heaven's sake - her non-response tells us nothing new about her character. Ms. Clinton is the most cautious, tightly scripted national politician of this generation (and perhaps any other), and if Mr. Cohen is only just discovering this, then someone please get him a coupon book for Starbucks.

That said, her hubby did not have his "Sister Souljah" moment until it was politically expedient - by June 1992 Bill Clinton had pinned down the Democratic nomination and was attempting to reassure centrists that he really was a New Democrat unafraid to stand up to the special interests (and maybe even willing to end welfare as we know it, although he forgot about that promise until Dick Morris and Newt Gingrich reminded him in anticipation of his 1996 re-election effort.)

So let's look for Hillary's big moment sometime after she has wrapped up the Dem nomination and is burnishing her centrist appeal. Finding a target won't be a problem - all she needs is a daft lefty saying something daft, which should be as easy as finding ~~interns in the White House~~ ~~law files in a legal office~~ vast right wing conspirators out to derail her. And let's look for Mr. Cohen to join in the praises for the New Bold Hillary when the New Bold Hillary is finally rolled out.

Posted by Tom Maguire on September 18, 2007 | Permalink

Comments

Exactly.

Posted by: Extraneus | September 18, 2007 at 04:30 PM

This has gotten a lot of attention. I think Hillary will try and do just what Tom suggests, but I am not so sure she will pull it off, again.

I mean after awhile the Chinese bag men and the Moveon Morons and the rest of it kind of leave a bad taste to say the least.

Posted by: Terrye | September 18, 2007 at 04:41 PM

How about a pool on what fool draws her ire?
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Posted by: kim | September 18, 2007 at 04:41 PM

New Bold Hillary: will that be a font of wisdom and bonhommie, or just another typeface?

Posted by: Ralph L | September 18, 2007 at 05:09 PM

Bubba and the Beast couldn't draw a majority of the vote in '92 or '96 - even with Bubba's Best Lip Bite working triple overtime. I know the rubes in the muddle are certainly no brighter today than they were then but seeing the Beast's teeth makes even the rubes a little nervous about their own lips. I don't deny that it's going to be a 'roll in the gutter to get yourself cleaned up a bit' election but the Miz Clinton Express is pulling 165 baggage cars followed by one ugly caboose. I imagine we'll see a New Bold Beast on a monthly basis until the election but I really don't intend to worry overmuch unless and until her negatives drop. Increased exposure is unlikely to help that particular problem.

Posted by: Rick Ballard | September 18, 2007 at 05:17 PM

Hitlery warned about the Hsu scam

Posted by: PeterUK | September 18, 2007 at 06:58 PM

"So, if you're ready for ~~change~~ pain, she's ready to ~~lead~~ deliver."

Someone else you think escaped us, like Frank?

Posted by: RichatUF | September 18, 2007 at 07:09 PM

PUK--She flunked the very easy DC Bar exam--what do you expect?

Posted by: Clarice | September 18, 2007 at 07:13 PM

"She flunked the very easy DC Bar exam",Not got the figure to limbo then?

Posted by: PeterUK | September 18, 2007 at 07:19 PM

HEH--One can't expect such a limited brain to remember the prior briefing,PUK

Posted by: Clarice | September 18, 2007 at 07:21 PM

Interesting argument from a columnist who once called President Bush an "American Ayatollah".

Not that Cohen is wrong in today's column, but he should make an effort to clean up his own act, as well.

Posted by: Jim Miller | September 18, 2007 at 07:24 PM

The thing is, Rudy can start hitting this Sister Souljah stuff as a way to innoculate himself against its impact, by predicting she'll do it and dare her to try, taking the surprise effect away. (I say Rudy, because I don't see Fred doing this. Rudy seems more likely to get into the political gutter with her, at least to me.)

"She's waiting for just the right time to pretend she's really not one of them."

"See, I told you she'd try that phony Sister Souljah gag."

Posted by: Extraneus | September 18, 2007 at 07:30 PM

"One can't expect such a limited brain to remember the prior briefing"

Not being picky here Clarice,but isn't that somewhat of a drawback in a President and CIC?
"Madam President,were had that war two years ago".
"We did,why wasn't I told"
"With respect Madam President,you were".
"How dare you,whatever your name is,Bill would have remembered"
"I'm the Vice President,Madam President".
"You are,why wasn't I told?"

Posted by: PeterUK | September 18, 2007 at 07:37 PM

I am less interested in Hillary's Sister Souljah Moment (although I am interested in it) than I am Hillary's Ross Perot Moment. The RPM is the moment when a wealthy, somewhat credible center-right 3rd party candidate announces (and it will be a him - can't split the "skirt vote") that he will run. Bill never got more than 43% of the vote. Without Bill's two RPMs, the last Dem President would have been Peanut Jimmy.

Posted by: Letalis | September 18, 2007 at 07:37 PM

Sister Souljah is the best attack they can come up with?

Posted by: EH | September 18, 2007 at 08:59 PM

Mirror image vulnerability from an 'RNM', a Ralph Nader Moment.
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Posted by: kim | September 18, 2007 at 10:09 PM

Maybe a Brother Kerry moment?
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Posted by: kim | September 19, 2007 at 10:40 AM

This Women's Wear Daily article on Hsu mentions some of his 80's biz names

There were signs, even then, that there was more than met the eye to the self-effacing Hong Kong native, whose most distinguishing feature was a nervous twitch. Associated with a number of men's sportswear companies that never gained critical mass, including H Two O Inc. and Laveno Sportswear, Hsu schmoozed with fashion reporters and carried himself with an assured air...

Here is an H Two O Inc. that doesn't involve clothing, but appears to be some sort of scam (water/beverages like the latex gloves?)

It mentions a "International Beverage group" which appears to be legit but looks like it is easily co-opted and an equally dummy front site comes up on google just above creepy "H Two O Inc."

International Beverage Group www.theenziogroup.com/page14.html - 1k - Cached - Similar pages
INTERNATIONAL BEVERAGE GROUP
The INTERNATIONAL BEVERAGE GROUP consists of private Canadian and American Corporations, based in Canada & the USA They are involved in providing a ...
www.autobahn.mb.ca/~canammkt/ - 24k - Cached - Similar pages

Like I said - The Enzio Group looks shifty - (you have to delete thepage14.html on the google link to get to it - comes up blank otherwise) --- it's registered to a hoster called Domain Discreet of of Canada

The Enzio Group comes up here

We offer a wide variety of new products, update business information from China and also offer you the very good profitable prices with shortest delivery time. We appreciate all of your support and look forward to your continued support in the future Bo Karlman
Company Address: P. O. Box 37479, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Year Established: 1997

Trade & Market
Main Markets: Mid East
Total Annual Sales Volume: US$10 Million - US$50 Million

Don't know about you, but their main site doesn't look like a 50 million dollar business.

They also show up in this "cached" version (scrubbed from main) of this Made in China. com site

Posted by: Topsecretk9 | September 19, 2007 at 11:54 AM

TSK9

This company "World Horizon General Trading & Overseas Projects ( L.L.C.)" pops up with that address [Box, Dubai]. Odd

Posted by: RichatUF | September 20, 2007 at 12:19 AM