By Jennifer Parker

Dec 17, 2007 8:59am

Clinton’s Monday Morning Show Blitz

ABC News’ Eloise Harper Reports: Senator Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., did a five-network morning show media interview blitz Monday, following her Des Moines Register endorsement win over the weekend.

When asked about her former New Hampshire campaign co-chair, Bill Shaheen, who resigned last week after remarks about Senator Barack Obama’s, D-Ill., youthful drug use, Clinton told MSNBC, "We asked him to step down."

"Every time somebody in my campaign says something that we don’t believe is right, appropriate, we take care of it," she said. "We move quickly. And we will keep doing it."

This is the first time Clinton has said publicly that she asked Shaheen to step down. Perviously the campaign line has been that Shaheen offered his resignation.

It is also noteworthy that Clinton’s campaign did not fire former Iowa Governor Vilsack when he made controversial comments about New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

On ABC News’ Good Morning America, Clinton reacted to her husband’s recent interview with Charlie Rose where he attacked Obama’s lack of experience.

"Your spouse gets to stand up for you, gets to speak for you, just like, you know, the wives of everybody else running." Clinton said.

"I don’t see that we have to respond to everything that is said by anybody else. I’m very glad that Bill is out there making the case for me," she said.

Clinton spokesperson Jay Carson clarified, saying the senator did not intend to say the President Bill Clinton speaks for his wife, but defends her when necessary.

Clinton also touted her newly won endorsement: "I’m a proven leader, that’s what the des moines register said," Clinton said.

Clinton was asked what the last movie she saw was – and she said she had recently seen the Disney movie "Enchanted" with her husband.  She also says that before going to bed she calls Bill Clinton. 

During an interview, Clinton was asked how she avoids junk food, and she said she "indulges" sometimes.

As Clinton did her interview, calorie-packed foods were swirling around the Drake Diner in Des Moines, Iowa.

Clinton’s long time best friend Betsy Ebeling, Iowa state director Teresa Vilmain and the Clinton campaign director of advance John Davidson, passed around cinamon rolls and chicken fried steak to Hillary supporters and patrons.

User Comments

What the heck is going on with the food angle at the end of this story? No one cares. When is some interviewer going to press Clinton on her experience claim? How does her experience inform her judgment? How has it lead to concrete achievements? These are obvious follow up questions.

Posted by: Jeremy | December 17, 2007, 10:19 am 10:19 am

Jeremy: the “food angle” you mention is what gives these folks (i.e., the “reporters”) the ability to maintain (at least to their own delusional satisfaction) that what they do is in any measure related to genuine journalism. By dropping folksy bits about chicken fried steak into the close, this (these?) author(s) give the impression they’re doing something more than just shilling for their corporate bosses – and the candidates they’ve bought and paid for.
But wait do I know? I mean, it’s not like I’m there on the ground to report the hard facts about what people are ordering at the Aw Shucks diner. Or about Hillary’s yet-unquestioned claim to possess the experience necessary to be President. But hey, what do Jeremy or I know for that matter? We’re just good little consumers of “reporting.”
Give me a break.

Posted by: Joe Lisboa | December 17, 2007, 11:05 am 11:05 am

Why shouldn’t Bill speak up for Hilliary, Elizabeth and Michele are always out there yaking.

Posted by: connie taglianettictag | December 17, 2007, 12:59 pm 12:59 pm

Is the press ever going to vet Barack Obama for this job?

Posted by: Mike Meyer | December 17, 2007, 1:27 pm 1:27 pm

Just a tidbit the journalists always miss on that food angle – The Drake diner is the hotspot for these kinds of things. Teresa Vilmain’s brother owns the Drake diner.

Posted by: jp | December 17, 2007, 1:45 pm 1:45 pm

Mike, the question is when are they going to stop pushing the empty claim that Obama is de facto less qualified or “experienced” to be President than Hillary.
As Sen. Obama put it himself, and rightly: no other single current candidate has been subjected to more media scrutiny (including the WaPo engaging in the very same behavior that has led to the firing of not one, but two Clinton staffers: i.e., pushing bogus rumours about Obama’s alleged religion). It’s about time the press stopped giving Clinton a pass on the experience canard and take the damn crown off already. This ain’t no monarchy (yet), but the last thing we need is a corporate media-annointed coronation of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton-ad nauseam.
I repeat: give me a break.

Posted by: Joe Lisboa | December 17, 2007, 1:48 pm 1:48 pm

PROVEN leader?
Proven on what? What the heck is she talking about.
When has she shown leadership on anything? She follows the polls.
Unbeleivable how they allow statemetns such as this to go unchallenged.
Hillary has not stood up and fought for anything successfully. Not healthcare, not welfare reform, not Iraq nor Iran.
What the heck is she talking about.
O well I guess it is like that 35 years of fighting. Maybe, that’s what she meant.
she is a proven fighter.
Fight, fight, fight, that is all the Clintons know and do, and it has not moved America forward ever.
Hillary is back to the future fighting the 90s dividive polarized politics all over.

Posted by: savvy | December 17, 2007, 2:28 pm 2:28 pm

Hillary Clinton lost my vote when she said “Now the FUN part starts.” It wasn’t that long ago that she bemoaned “the politics of personal destruction.” Now she appears to relish employing the same Rovian tactic herself – except for Hillary the chosen target is not a Republican, but a fellow Democrat. As a New Yorker I voted for her twice, but I will never make that mistake again. Hillary Clinton doesn’t care about her party – all she’s concerned with is her own ambition, and she’ll stop at nothing to win.

Posted by: Referen | December 17, 2007, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm

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