NPR: Did Clinton Say Reagan Was Her Favorite President?

Did Clinton Say Reagan Was Her Favorite President?

A reader writes:

I've seen people debating here whether Obama praised Reagan, but what is unequivocally true is that Senator Clinton called Reagan one of her favorite presidents in an interview with the Salmon (sp?) in New Hampshire. This is just one more example of Senator Clinton attacking Obama for positions she herself has taken. This is the kind of hypocrisy we used to vilify Republicans for.

The reader is referring to an editorial from the Salmon Press , which is comprised of 11 weekly newspapers published throughout New Hampshire's Lakes Region and North Country, in which the papers' publishers endorsed her candidacy for the president. The editorial includes the following two sentences: "Her list of favorite presidents - Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, both Roosevelts, Truman, George H.W. Bush and Reagan - demonstrates how she thinks. As expected, Bill Clinton was also included on the aforementioned list."

This line in the editorial was picked up by NBC's Tim Russert on this past Sunday's Meet The Press. While Russert and his guests were discussing the favorable comments about President Ronald Reagan made by Barack Obama, he mentioned the Salmon editorial: "Interestingly enough, the Salmon Press in New Hampshire, which endorsed Hillary Clinton, cited as one of the reasons that, when they talked to her in the interview, she listed Ronald Reagan as one of her favorite presidents."

But what Russert didn't mention, and the Clinton campaign had up on its website as of last Friday, was a statement from the publisher of the Salmon Press about the editorial.

The question posed was originally what portraits would you hang in the White House if you were President and as the dialogue progressed, who are the presidents you admire most?

She [Sen. Clinton] listed several presidents that she admired and mentioned she liked Reagan's communication skills. She did not say Reagan was her favorite President. She didn't say anything close to that.

So in the end, you might say it depends on what the definition of "admired" is.

11:55 AM ET | 01-22-2008 | permalink

Comments

No, Hillary said Dopey was her favorite dwarf.

fred camorra call

Sent by fred camorra call | 12:52 PM ET | 01-22-2008

What communication skills? Wasn't reagan senile through most of his presidency? What does she even mean by communication?

We need to hire more actors as president, they're the best liars!

Sent by Jody Sol | 2:25 PM ET | 01-22-2008

It's OK to take quotations out of context to smear politicians unless it's Hillary being smeared. Then it's part of a vast anti-Hillary conspiracy. Puhlease.

Sent by Jason Bombowski | 6:01 PM ET | 01-22-2008

We really need new face in the white house, I started to disrepect Bill & Hill lately.

Sent by resimc | 7:12 PM ET | 01-22-2008

I think you need to know that Hillary would not say that Reagan is one of her favorite presidents no matter what the meaning of is is!!!!

Sent by Smedley | 9:38 PM ET | 01-22-2008

I participated in the Salmon Press editorial board meeting, as editor of The Berlin Reporter. This is how I wrote up her comments:

It is clear Clinton is comfortable both being a mentor and having role models. That next question ??? whose presidential portraits would you display in the White House? ??? allows her the chance to name more of the men she's looked up to, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, FDR, John Adams.

"Adams had a basic sense of decency," Clinton, who leads in the Democratic presidential primary polls in New Hampshire, says. "I just love Teddy Roosevelt's spunk and spirit," she comments. She compliments, too, Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, saying that in her personal encounters with the two men they were "gracious and kind." Later, she strikes another bipartisan note, when she speaks of sending individuals from both parties to represent the United States. President George W. Bush's failure, she says, has been his inability to draw the country's "broad, deep talent."

Sent by Sara Young-Knox, editor | 10:45 AM ET | 01-26-2008

The Press started attacking Hillary long before her husband even was elected. I guess being filled with Men and Women afraid of a strong person who happens to be female scared them. Even Mrs. Obama said she would probably get the same treatment back in the 90's...of maybe the same fear holds true today? It's okay to be sexist, but not racist. The former is tolerated much more so than the latter.

Sent by Pam | 6:55 AM ET | 01-28-2008

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