The Clinton campaign operation in Iowa was forced to admit that it had set up the question on climate change at a town hall rally in Newton last Tuesday. The meeting had been an important set-piece for Clinton, with several members of the national media present.
After Clinton spoke, a student in the crowd was invited to pose a question. "As a young person, I'm worried about the long-term effects of global warming. How does your plan combat climate change?" the student asked.
Okay, I can’t defend this, planting a question when the national media is present is the worst sort of PR manipulation. And this was such a lame setup; Clinton might as well have been wearing an “ask me about global warming!” T-shirt.
But hey, it’s not the worst thing. She wanted to talk about global warming. That’s a softball? It’s not like she set up a phony town hall meeting and filled it with adoring supporters who wanted to know what brand of pantyhose she wears or her favorite lipstick shade. But you’d think she had, judging from the head-spinning rage of folks like Michelle Malkin, who used insults like “crapweasel” and “phony baloney” after the incident.
I don’t recall Malkin having a problem with President Bush’s planted questions or his staged “town hall” meetings that were as scripted as a Tony winning production. (She may have--I’m not, ahem, one of her regular raeders.) Still, wrong is wrong. Let’s hope Hillary has learned her lesson.
That said, let’s do a fun little comparison exercise. Can you spot the phony-baloney crapweasel?
Hillary Clinton:
"As a young person, I'm worried about the long-term effects of global warming. How does your plan combat climate change?"
And now, President Bush, 2007:
What do you pray about, and how we can we pray for you?
Yikes. Let’s try that again.
Hillary Clinton:
"As a young person, I'm worried about the long-term effects of global warming. How does your plan combat climate change?"
And now President Bush, 2004
THE PRESIDENT: You got a question?
Q I, too, want to say God bless you, Mr. Bush. My husband and my twins and I pray for you daily, as do many home schoolers. (Applause.) Thank you for recognizing home schoolers.
THE PRESIDENT: Let's see, who've we got here? You got a question?
Q Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. President, for visiting Oregon. I've heard through the grapevine that Oregon is one of the most unchurched states in the union, and I really feel like it shows up in every walk of our society. Could you take a moment to pray for Oregon, for us, right now?
[...]
THE PRESIDENT: -- Jack in the Box. Go ahead.
Q -- I want to thank you for everything you did after September 11th. I was in Israel then, and it was hard getting back. And it was very devastating. And you -- no one could have done what you did any better. (Applause.)
Wow, that was fun! Let’s try just one more. Hillary Clinton:
"As a young person, I'm worried about the long-term effects of global warming. How does your plan combat climate change?"
And now President Bush, 2005:
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, sir.
Q Thank you. Senate Democratic leaders have painted a very bleak picture of the U.S. economy. Harry Reid was talking about soup lines, and Hillary Clinton was talking about the economy being on the verge of collapse. Yet, in the same breath, they say that Social Security is rock-solid and there's no crisis there. How are you going to work -- you said you're going to reach out to these people -- how are you going to work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality?
Okay, who can spot the phony-baloney crapweasel in these examples. Anyone?
