November 16, 2008

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C&Ler Jim T. alerted me to this segment from Hardball and said this:

The last 20 minutes or so are a case study of the gossip-fest that cable and "journalism" in general have become. The segment features Michelle Bernard and some kook from N.H. discussing the possibility that Hillary Clinton may be offered State in the Obama administration. Probably one of the most bizarre spectacles I have seen in a long time, even considering the two year idiocy we've just been through.

Bernard is a serious Clinton Hater and as the day unfolded she just couldn't contain it any longer. There were plenty of snide comments about Hillary from the media like, "Obama better have a food taster" if he gives her the job, (I wonder if the media would say things like that if McCain asked Romney to join his cabinet) but nobody went as far as she did.

For some people the primary has never ended.

MATTHEWS: [unintelligible] You guys are so suspicious. Look, I think that since she lost the fight for the nomination, Michelle and Jennifer, she has been not just a good soldier, she has sang the tune of this guy. She's been illustrious, she's been admirable. She -- her spirit seems to be with him. Bill's a little more troubled, obviously, by what happened. But she's been totally with him, and that's why he's obviously thrown her name out. Why would he even be thinking of her if he thought she might be insubordinate?

{snip}

BERNARD: No, they're not going to keep her in line if she's secretary of state. If she's secretary of state --

DONAHUE: Well, that's why she's not gonna get it.

BERNARD: -- she will run a parallel government. It will be a huge problem.

DONAHUE: I don't believe she'll get it

It's Obama's party and he gets to decide ultimately who he wants and if he actually asked her or even seriously considered her then he knows he can trust her not to run a parallel government that would destroy Obama. Outside of being plain stupid, it's insane talk.

I always wondered where Michelle Bernard came from when she suddenly showed up on MSNBC as an analyst. The group she belongs to have people like Kate O'Beirne and Larry Kudlow attached to it. Bob Somerby felt the same way back in March:

Who is Michelle Bernard?

On the surface, the question is easily answered. At present, Bernard is CEO of the Independent Women’s Forum, a conservative women’s group founded in 1992. (According to Wikipedia, the IWF grew out of an ad hoc group created to support Clarence Thomas.) The groups directors emeritae include such conservative stars as Lynn Cheney, Wendy Gramm, Midge Decter and Kate O’Beirne. To peruse the group’s web site, just click here.

The IWF, like many such groups, is founded as a non-partisan 501(c)(3) group. As such, the group does not endorse candidates. But it does promote a range of conservative causes.

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