Clinton-Obama animosity dates back to '99 President endorsed opponent in first congressional race
Posted: March 21, 2008 11:42 pm Eastern © 2008 WorldNetDaily
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
WASHINGTON – Animosity between Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton dates back to 1999, when then-President Clinton endorsed Obama's primary opponent in his first and unsuccessful bid for a U.S. congressional seat, WND has learned.
At the time, Obama was running for a seat occupied by incumbent Rep. Bobby Rush, a former Black Panther leader. When the promising young, rising political star, then a state senator, decided to challenge the controversial Rush, many analysts considered Rush a dead duck.
But President Clinton made the somewhat unusual decision to endorse in the primary – backing Rush. In fact, Clinton overrode a policy he had established of not endorsing candidates in a primary. Clinton even recorded several 30-second TV commercials on behalf of Rush. First elected to the House seat in 1991, Rush had been the first elected official in Illinois to endorse Clinton's presidential bid in 1992. He later went on to serve as Clinton's national director of voter registration for Clinton's campaign.
Much to the shock of the experts, Rush not only prevailed over Obama, he did it conclusively – beating him with 62 percent of the vote to Obama's 30 with two others in the field. Obama himself called it "a big spanking."
It was President Clinton who called Rush on election night to notify him he had won the election.
"I was trying to … get the results and everything, and he called me and congratulated me and informed me that I had won," Rush said.
Ironically, while the endorsement left a bad taste in Obama's mouth toward the Clintons, he and Rush, both Chicago South Siders, have kissed and made up. Rush endorsed Obama's presidential bid last year, calling it "one of the most difficult decisions that I've made in politics." He said he was close with the Clinton family.
"Barack is a favorite son, and I'm going to be with Barack," he explained. "I intend to work very hard with him and for him. And this challenge is going to be enormous, but I'm going to be with him. … We come from the same neighborhood and represent the same constituency, and I'm going to be with my constituency and Senator Obama."
It took a few years for Rush to forgive Obama for his challenge. In 2004, when Obama ran for the U.S. Senate, Rush backed another candidate – millionaire M. Blair Hull.
But, according to insiders close to Obama, there has never been any love lost between him and the Clintons – particularly Mrs. Clinton. While some analysts have speculated on the potential for an Obama-Clinton ticket that could heal the Democratic Party after a fractious primary, sources close to Obama virtually rule out such a possibility.
Obama still hasn't forgotten what happened in 1999.
Poster Comment:
Panthers here panthers there panthers panthers everywhere. Does HIllary wear a 'panths' thuit?