She started off her show by saying that President Barack Obama must really be annoyed by what former President Bill Clinton has just done.
But is that true? Almost certainly, no. First off, Obama is comfortable enough with his own ideas that he's open to hearing contrary opinions. Secondly, Obama has solicited alternative ideas over and over again, so why would he suddenly hate that Clinton is proposing ideas - most of which Obama has publicly supported already anyway? Lastly, Bill Clinton has a global initiative which he is now directing to look inward, to look at helping the USA - why would that annoy Obama, to get help where help is clearly needed?
About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
This is yet another example of the right trying to turn something that's positive, in this case substantive cooperation between leaders in the Democratic Party, into a negative, as though everything is a competition and there can only be one winner and everyone else is therefore a loser. That's not the way the Democratic Party works, first off, and Bill Clinton and Barack Obama aren't enemies. They are friends, colleagues, and partners. Sure, Bill Clinton wanted his wife to get the 2008 nomination, because he thought that she'd be the best candidate and the best President. That doesn't mean that he thinks that Obama is incompetent or second rate - it simply meant that among many qualified candidates, he supported his wife for the job. But both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton are clearly in Obama's corner now. It can't be denied - well, that is, it can't be denied unless you're a crazed FoxNews employee whose job it is to denigrate and disrespect the presidency if a Democrat holds that office.
Follow me below the fold for what caused her comments and my explanation for why she's wrong as wrong can be.
President Bill Clinton spoke to Newsweek Magazine for a lengthy article they're running in their current issue in anticipation of a gathering happening the end of this month. In preparation for that meeting, Clinton created a list of 14 things that he thinks would help our economy for that article in Newsweek.
He talked to them because he's getting ready to host that event. His Clinton Global Initiative is sponsoring a meeting
Focused on Driving Job Creation and Economic Growth in the United States
The meeting, CGI America, will be the first CGI event solely dedicated to economic issues impacting the U.S. and will take place in Chicago on June 29-30, 2011.
"CGI America will bring together leaders from business, nonprofits, and government to develop new ideas for generating jobs now in the U.S.," President Clinton said. "CGI members have already improved the lives of more than 300 million people around the world by making nearly 2,000 commitments. More than 250 of those commitments, worth $11.6 billion, are addressing challenges in the U.S. At CGI America, we will focus that innovation and urgency to get people working again."
So, what conclusion did {warning - link to FoxNews} Greta Van Susteren reach without any justification whatsoever?
Well, she starts out by saying
This has to annoy President Obama.
But no, Greta, you're wrong, it doesn't "have to annoy" him. He almost certainly appreciates it. Clinton makes many valid points in the proposals he's making in the Newsweek article, including the following.
I’m hosting this month’s CGI America meeting on the assumption that there will be no federal stimulus and no further tax incentives targeted directly toward creating new jobs. Going on these assumptions, we want to analyze America’s economy: What are our assets? What are our liabilities? What are our options? There must be opportunities to be tapped, given all the cash in banks and corporate treasuries. If we have some success, we might be able to influence the debate in Washington in a nonpartisan way because we’ll have economic evidence to show them. I don’t have any problem at all if Congress wants to give tax credits to companies that actually hire people. But I think we have to pay for them, so I’d be happy to go back to the tax rates people at my income level paid when I was president in order to pay for the tax incentives to put more people to work.
The whole purpose of CGI America is to highlight good ideas because not everyone is aware of what’s out there. I’m going to try to get enough commitments that are representative enough of the circumstances facing diverse industries and different cities and states to persuade people across America to try their own version of them in a discussion of our economic stagnation. There’s been a remarkable lack of attention to “microeconomics,” the untapped growth potential of American corporations, entrepreneurs, and workers.
Let’s be realistic here. This is a massive economy. No matter how many impressive commitments we get, we won’t move the numbers. They’ll move the numbers only if enough people say, “Wow, I wish I’d thought of that.”
This is exactly the kind of action that Obama likes. He likes getting ideas from other people. In addition, he'll be happy when this meeting brings up the ideas that he's already pushed, and thereby makes a mockery of the rightwingers unreasonable objections to many of them. Both Obama and Clinton want the American public to become more aware of the dishonest arguments that the right so often makes when it comes to suggesting solutions for our economic woes.
She next says that it's
salt in the wound
for Bill Clinton to try to make suggestions - as though an acknowledgement that the economy is still struggling and that unemployment is still a major concern somehow pains Obama. It doesn't. He brings it up himself all the time - why would he be hurt if Clinton mentioned it too?
So who does she interview while bringing up the Newsweek article? Why, Byron York of the Washington Examiner, one of the most dishonest rightwing pundits around. Yeah, Byron York, who has a terminal case of Obama Derangement Syndrome.
She and York seem to think that it's not possible for Obama to sincerely accept (good) advice from all quarters, nor do they think that Clinton could possibly have honest motives that would be behind this effort. She claims that if Clinton really wanted to help Obama, he'd consult with Obama in private. She asserts that if Clinton didn't want to embarass Obama, he wouldn't be hosting the event in Chicago - as if only Obama can be involved in anything that happens in Chicago, and this event happening there is automatically a slap in the face to Obama.
But it's not a slap in Obama's face. He's sending Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner to the event, for cripes sake. Also attending will be 600 leaders from business, non-profits, Government and Civil Society. According to the press release,
"I am looking forward to taking the Clinton Global Initiative model -- which has already improved the lives of 300 million people worldwide -- and applying it to challenges within the U.S.," President Clinton said. “Innovative job creation initiatives are being implemented across the country, and CGI America will bring together leaders from all sectors to share their ideas so we can replicate and expand the most successful strategies."
At CGI America, participants will focus on strengthening American industries, unlocking capital for innovation and entrepreneurship, advancing energy efficiency and smart infrastructure, and educating the next generation for the workforce. The CGI America program will include panel discussions on:
• Education in America: Regaining Our Edge, which will explore how to revitalize the U.S. educational system and train American workers for the 21st century economy;
• American Success Stories, which will highlight leaders who have spurred job growth by developing creative responses to unique local challenges; and
• Energy Innovation and the Built Environment, which will explore how cities can create jobs and reduce emissions by making buildings more sustainable.
At the closing session of CGI America, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will join President Clinton for a special one-on-one conversation about the state of the economy and the Obama Administration's plans to help spur private sector job creation and improve America’s competitiveness.
Does this really sound like something that's going to cause pain for Obama, something he'd rather Clinton not do, something he'd be upset was happening in Chicago, his hometown? No, of course it doesn't. It sounds like a cooperative venture between the two men!
And who are some of the 600 who will attend?
Featured participants also include Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi, Stephanie Burns, chairman of Dow Corning, Mitch Daniels, governor of Indiana, Rahm Emanuel, mayor of Chicago, Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., president and CEO of TIAA-CREF, Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, Jennifer Granholm, former governor of Michigan, John Hickenlooper, governor of Colorado, Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, Bob McCann, CEO of UBS Wealth Management Americas, Pete Peterson, founder of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, Michael Porter, professor at Harvard Business School, J.B. Pritzker, managing partner, the Pritzker Group, Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, James E. Rogers, chairman, president, and CEO of Duke Energy, Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor of Los Angeles, and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
This sounds like exactly the kind of thing that President Obama would LOVE!!!!!
But Greta suggests that Obama is loathe to listen to Clinton. She says
But you know, it's sort of interesting, because President Clinton was enormously successful in the economy, and so you would think that President Obama might want to listen to him, if he wants to talk to people who might have experience and might know what to do.
As though Obama doesn't want to listen to Clinton?
Byron York does, inadvertently, it appears, raise one valid issue. He explains that as an outsider, it might be easier for Clinton to say some of the the things that he proposed. Amazingly enough, both Clinton and Obama might have thought of that, Byron, and that might have been one of the reasons they chose to do this!
Greta Van Susteren asks if it's "coincidental" or "accidental", or if it's "dissing" Obama for Clinton to host this event and promote it with the Newsweek article. Of course you know what her and York's conclusion is - that it's Clinton "dissing" Obama, that it's Clinton wanting to stay in the game and keep his name in the forefront, rather than any sincere wish by Clinton to help Obama and help Democrats and, most importantly, help the US economy! They assert that it must "sting" Obama to have such meddling by Clinton. They assert that Clinton is doing this to compare his economic successes and contrast them with the economy's difficulties during Obama's term in office so far - as though Clinton is somehow unaware of the vastly different circumstances both Presidents faced!!!
There's no evidence, none whatsoever, to support the conclusions that they leap to, however. She's just being an asshole.