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Clinton's unusual political bedfellows

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor April 30, 2008 10:02 AM

Hillary Clinton apparently doesn't hold grudges, at least not with her presidential hopes in the balance.

She plans to make her first-ever appearance tonight with Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly, who has been none too friendly to the Clintons over the years and has harshly criticized political liberals.

On Clinton's official campaign website, there's still an online petition that says, "Tell Bill O'Reilly: Stop Smearing Grassroots Progressives."

He plans to interview her while she campaigns in South Bend, Ind., and the interview will air at 8 tonight on "The O'Reilly Factor" and a second part Thursday at 8.

O'Reilly is not the first arch-conservative to whom Clinton has reached out lately. In the run-up to last week's Pennsylvania primary, Clinton met with Richard Mellon Scaife and the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. During the 1990s, Scaife had savaged the Clintons, including conspiracy theories about the suicide of White House lawyer Vince Foster.

But Scaife said he changed his mind about Clinton after a 90-minute interview and his paper endorsed her.

29 comments so far...
  1. Hillary wants to appear on Bill O"Reilly's racist show to reach out to his audience. Period. It is safe for her because Bill O'Reilly will go soft on her since his target is not her but Obama. Last night on his show he said re: the Indiana law requiring photo i.d. vote: (paraphrased) The liberals are just mad because they can't scoop all those people on the bus now to vote. HIs comments were demeaning to Americans. He assumes that lower income people who don't drive are mindless idiots just waiting to be picked up by liberals to vote or they wouldn't think of voting on their own. He has said and inferred and implied many terrible things about specific people in order to damage their reputation. He will not do that to HIllary now because he wants to use her to derail Obama, and she wants to use him for the same reasons. They were meant for each other. A marriage made in heaven. And you can be sure that Hillary will not ask about the 'scoop all the peopleon the bus' comment. It's cable news. At its most desperate on its way to irrelevancy.

    Posted by Lois Welsch April 30, 08 10:21 AM
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  1. That's funny. HRC doesn't even support grassroots progressives. She's already thrown MoveOn under the bus, even though the group was formed to help her husband get through his infidelity/perjury/impeachment crisis.

    Shame on you Hillary Clinton!

    Posted by LM April 30, 08 10:34 AM
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  1. This tells me three things:

    1. Hillary is desperate.

    2. O'Reilly remains relevant, much to the ongoing shagrin of Dems.

    3. Hillary is desparate.

    Posted by ms April 30, 08 11:16 AM
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  1. Hey liberals: STOP WHINING!!! I renewed my library card Tuesday and had to produce a PICTURE ID as part of the process. It's not demeaning unless COMMON SENSE is demeaning. There is no reason that a picture id of some kind should not be a part of the voting process, period.

    Another thing: stop calling yourselves progressives, unless you want to admit the real reason you do so: because it has dawned on you that the term LIBERAL is ballot box poison.

    Senator Clinton is appearing on his show because she is desparate; she will be treated fairly and respetfully, which does not equal OBSEQUIOUSLY. O'Reilly doesn't need Hillary to undermine Senator Obama; he is more than capable of doing that on his own.

    Posted by Boston Patriot April 30, 08 11:25 AM
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  1. I think it's pretty gutsy & goes to show that she is willing to meet even her harshest ctritics head-on. I doubt that it will garner any votes from the hardliners that tend to follow O'Reilly, but it certainly proves that she is not afraid to try and spread her message in her words, & they may possibly see another side of her, that the O'Reillys, Limbaughs, & Hannitys, etc... spend their life time attacking on a personal level. The unfortunate part of this is that once Clinton walks out of the studio setting, O'Reilly & the Fox Network will convolute, twist , & just plain lie, about anything they conceive as a threat to their, narrow minded, racist & hierarchichal views that they disguise as conservatism.

    Posted by Dave Z April 30, 08 11:35 AM
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  1. O'Reilly's comment was spot on. Obviously, Lois, you don't know or don't care to remember the stories during the Katrina disaster when fleets of buses that were used to round up any and all voters for Ray Nagin were left to sit in their parking lots and be submerged rather than be used to get people out of New Orleans before that terrible tragedy occurred. Every instance of voter fraud in this country has been done by the Democrat Party and all the groups associated with it. I can list about 20 other instances if you like. Please tell me what is wrong with having to PROVE who you are in order to vote in this country - a privilege granted to United States citizens who have registered to vote, not illegal aliens, unregistered voters or dead people - as occurred in St. Louis recently. Gee - they voted Democrat!!!
    surprise!!!

    Posted by cjk April 30, 08 11:40 AM
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  1. Bill O"Reilly's racist show

    Posted by Lois Welsch April 30, 08 10:21 AM


    Get a clue Lois, everyone tries to bring down #1... look at the ratings..

    How can his show be racist, Juan Williams, Jessie Jackson (and his son), Sharpton, etc. are always on the show..

    Olbermann needs some ratings, I'm sure you have been helping him out you commie

    Posted by E April 30, 08 11:49 AM
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  1. Why shouldn't she go on his show?

    Posted by Tim April 30, 08 11:55 AM
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  1. Its about time. Obama should do the same. If you can't face O'Reilly, then I don't want you running this country. The Dems should be ashamed of themselves for not holding a debate on FOX. The Repub's had the courage to debate on the liberal networks.

    Democrats= No courage.

    I said once, I will say it gain. The Democrats of the sixties are the Republicans of today. And The Democrats of today are becoming facists. thats why I left them 10 years ago.

    Posted by Pha Pha April 30, 08 12:00 PM
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  1. Liberals are a cancer to this country. If there was only some way to ship you people somewhere else.

    Posted by tim demakes April 30, 08 12:00 PM
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  1. Intolerance toward each other will not move this country forward (which we ALL LIBERAL & CONSERVATIVE ALIKE) love.

    Posted by liberal who loves her country April 30, 08 12:24 PM
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  1. this message board is a joke. is there any moderation going on here? if this manages to appear on the page, its safe to say the answer to that question is no.

    Posted by Editor in Chief April 30, 08 12:30 PM
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  1. Rupert Murdoch hosted a fundraiser for Senator Clinton in May 2006. I'm surprised that the Boston Globe's deputy national political editor failed to mention her 2006 alliance with Murdoch in this posted item.

    There is nothing "unusual" about her O'Reilly interview.

    Posted by Michael April 30, 08 12:35 PM
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  1. It must be fustrating for Liberals (oh, I'm sorry) Progressives, how they bloviate, rally, protest, boycott......and lose Presidential elections (this one included).

    While most Conservatives, think, vote, and win.

    And it's odd that a valid ID is required for many of the priviledges we enjoy as American citizens, but one of the most basic and important rights we have, the right to vote, in most states does not. This must be rectified nationally.

    Posted by Sean April 30, 08 12:37 PM
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  1. Come on "Liberal Bashers"....say it......"President Hillary Rodham Clinton". I know it's difficult for you, with your sloped foreheads and all...but give it a try.

    Come January 2009, it will be a fact. Sleep well haters. :)

    Posted by HC2008 April 30, 08 12:51 PM
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  1. Maybe he will offer Senator Clinton some falafel!

    Posted by JBG April 30, 08 01:09 PM
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  1. You mean she will be on the "NOSE PIN ZONE"...right ????

    Posted by Scott April 30, 08 01:17 PM
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  1. Arch-Conservative? Hey Foon Rhee try buying a dictionary, there is no such word. Save your labels for you uneducated friends. The vitriol you spew is amazing. Stop pretending to be a journalist. Oh thats right you work for the Globe!

    Posted by bryn campbell April 30, 08 01:29 PM
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  1. Whether you like Hillary or not, she does not lack in courage.
    I'm glad to see a Democrat going on O'Reilly.
    Good for her.
    Win an away game occassionally, or at least go try.

    Posted by Carl April 30, 08 01:36 PM
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  1. Typical left-wing media bias the Globe's specialty....notice how O'Reilly is referred to as an "arch-conservative", as in "arch"-enemy.....you liberals are such FRAUDS and HYPOCRITES,you demand open-mindness and objectivity when spewing your moral relevancy, yet you unabashedly use loaded, pejorative terms to describe those who dare to disagree with you. God HELP this country if Clinton or Obama gets elected.

    Posted by Patrick April 30, 08 01:44 PM
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  1. I hope they don't get into any mention of falafel...

    Posted by badcat97 April 30, 08 02:03 PM
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  1. Would you refer to a liberal as an arch-liberal? Of course not. The Globe is such a joke.

    Posted by Brian F. April 30, 08 02:20 PM
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  1. **Come on "Liberal Bashers"....say it......"President Hillary Rodham Clinton". I know it's difficult for you, with your sloped foreheads and all...but give it a try.

    Come January 2009, it will be a fact. Sleep well haters. :) **

    You see, it's comments like this that represent exactly what's wrong with Liberals today. They assume they're more intelligent than everyone else. Anyone even minimally to the right of center is a drooling, braindead moron (or a Neanderthal, to which HC2008 so condescendingly alludes). But most of all, they're filled with anger and hate. It started out directed at President Bush, but, because they hate him SO much, they now see his face on anyone who disagrees with them on any issue at all and lash out with all the bile they can muster.

    This sort of anger and intolerance was once reserved for Conservatives. So much for the tolerance and sense of equality that once made Democrats the party of the common man. How ironic that Liberals have become what they hate the most.

    Posted by John April 30, 08 02:21 PM
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  1. response to #10 demakes isn't that what NAZI's did to people. You are a sad pathetic fool. Hey Patrick your a NAZI too.

    Posted by Proud American April 30, 08 02:31 PM
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  1. I've had many discussion in my office over the years where everyone is very liberal. I mentioned "The O'Reilly Factor" as being one of the most fair shows I watch when I get the chance. I often switch stations, both on radio and TV in order to get both sides of an issue. On Bill's show, he almost always has guest s with opposing views , leading to great discussions where I've learned a lot and sometimes have been pursuaded by the liberal view (but not often!)

    My most important point: I've stopped talking politics at work, because during my last discussion sharing lunch with my liberal friends, they snickered again about Bill's show, and when I confronted them, the whole table admitted they NEVER watched his show! They think Fox News is the same channel as Fox regular TV shows. No wonder they don't get it...

    Posted by Dora O'Mara April 30, 08 02:32 PM
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  1. the rush scaife oreilly coulters etc of the republican domestic psyops operation are clearly holding their fire and trying to help Hillary win the primary. They thought a negro would be easy to beat and helped Obama first, underestimating his skillset and appeal. Once she wins, the families of all her victims from vince foster mena travelgate etc etcl will form a swift cruise ship funded by some of the $10's of billions Bush misplaced in Iraq. Game over.

    She and billbo are so corrupted with desire for the one ring of power that they break bread with sauron's trolls.

    Posted by bigname April 30, 08 04:13 PM
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  1. Hey proud american

    BLEEP you!! you don't even know me...once again liberal hypocrisy rears its ugly head....go hug a tree you condescending MOONBAT!

    Posted by Patrick April 30, 08 04:54 PM
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  1. Good for Hilliary Clinton to do the right thing and not alienating the rest of the voters.Whether you're a Republican,Democrat or Independents it is about solvig problems and issues.I wish she will pick a Republican as her Vice President if she becomes the nominee as a way to unite the country.The like of Romney is a good choice because of his economic and ethnic background.

    Posted by skmj April 30, 08 05:04 PM
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  1. O'Reilly arch conservative? He's a centrist in the Irish Catholic traditional sense. "Arch conservative" is just another example of liberal media bias.

    This election should have been a Democrats' cakewalk. They've had every advantage; an unpopular war, a faltering economy, gas and food inflation and prominent media types like Mathews fawning over their candidates. Yet, they are acting like the Keystone Kops. It's really sad. This social liberal, fiscal conservative, neocon before they had a name for it was considering voting Democrat this time because of the way the Republicans betrayed their principles amd incompetently conducted the war but, I just can't after watching this Komedy.

    Posted by Heywood Jablowmee April 30, 08 05:58 PM
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About political intelligence Field reports from Boston Globe reporters and editors covering the 2008 presidential campaign and the national maneuvering of Bay State politicians.

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