Clinton Meets Board of South Dakota Paper -- But Reference to RFK Assassination Causes Stir

By: E&P Staff Meeting with the editorial board of the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader today, Hillary Clinton offered the usual arguments for staying in the race for the White House, despite the odds against her. But she seemed to introduce a new one when she said, "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it."

To many, it seemed that she was hinting that Barack Obama could get bumped off, too -- you never know.

This response caused her to provide a hasty explanation, especially after an Obama spokesman said that her "statement before the Argus Leader editorial board was unfortunate and has no place in this campaign."

First, the Clinton camp explained: "She was simply referencing her husband in 1992 and Bobby Kennedy in 1968 as historic examples of the nominating process going well into the summer. Any reading into beyond that would be inaccurate and outrageous."

Then the candidate herself issued an apology: "Earlier today I was discussing the Democratic primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns that both my husband and Senator Kennedy waged in California in June 1992 and 1968 and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nomination primary contests that go into June. That's a historic fact.

"The Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator Kennedy and I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation, and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that, whatsoever. My view is that we have to look to the past and to our leaders who have inspired us and give us a lot to live up to, and I'm honored to hold Senator Kennedy's seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York and have the highest regard for the entire Kennedy family."

Libby Copeland, in an essay for The Washington Post on Saturday, declares: "There are taboos in presidential politics, and this is one of the biggest. To raise the specter of a rival's assassination, even unintentionally, is to make a truly terrible thing real. It sounds like one might be waiting for a terrible thing to happen, even if one isn't. It sounds almost like wishful thinking."

The New York Times reports tonight: "Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, an uncommitted superdelegate, said through a spokeswoman that the comments were 'beyond the pale.'

"The speed at which the remarks were transmitted and reacted to illustrated the new reality candidates are grappling with in this year?s campaign....

"Mrs. Clinton?s remarks were initially reported online by The New York Post, whose reporters were not traveling with the Clinton campaign but were instead watching a live video feed of the meeting with newspaper editors. Its report quickly jumped to the Drudge Report, then whipped around the Internet and on television, with outraged comments piling up on Web sites.

"Campaign aides were taken aback by the quick reaction to her remarks, but then quickly realized that Mrs. Clinton had to backpedal. She then spoke to the traveling press corps for the first time in more than a week, at a supermarket here."