“I hate that man Obama more than any man I’ve ever met, more than any man who ever lived…” – Bill Clinton, comments on Barack Obama, 2008.
In what could be described as a political bombshell, the New York Post reported that journalist Edward Klein’s new book has opened the proverbial can of worms between the Democratic Party’s favorite family dynasty, and what may be the Dems’ family in waiting ready to snatch away the crown. However this D.C. drama plays out, the New York Post is noting behind-the-scenes theatrics and instances of flat out backbiting that at times have approached Shakespearean proportions.
Aptly named “Blood Feud,” Klein’s released-this-week tell-all book chronicles example upon example of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s very, very low opinion of Barack and Michelle Obama. From an obverse perspective, for those who consider themselves hardcore Obama backers, they can rest assured that the feeling is more than mutual.
With the Donkey Party not yet descended into an all-out civil war, the real and palpable dislike the former and current First Couples have for each other has survived the 2008 and 2012 White House runs. Yet the cattiness has descended to such a state of raw emotions, there may be a drag on Hillary Clinton’s much-anticipated and -presumed White House run in 2016, as well as on any run by Michelle Obama to replace Illinois Republican Mark Kirk in the U.S. Senate (also in 2016), as suggested by NBC News Chicago.
The rift between the two dynasties dates back to the tumultuous and often personally nasty 2008 presidential primaries, which saw Hillary and Barack going head-to-head for the Democratic Party’s nomination. As The New York Times reported at the time, Bill angrily accused Barack of a “hit job” during the South Carolina primary, accusing his fellow politico of feeding to the media the claim that he was promoting racism.
Relying on political insiders who all spoke only on grounds of strict anonymity, Klein says Bill Clinton has never forgiven (nor will ever forgive) Barack Obama for insinuating in ’08 that he was a racist. Clinton is quoted as saying:
I hate that man Obama more than any man I’ve ever met, more than any man who ever lived.
The feud wasn’t limited to the men of the house. “Blood Feud” also has an anecdote in which Michelle intimates her feelings about Hillary to White House heavyweight Valarie Jarrett:
On most evenings, Michelle Obama and her trusted adviser, Valerie Jarrett, met in a quiet corner of the White House residence. They’d usually open a bottle of Chardonnay, catch up on news about Sasha and Malia, and gossip about people who gave them heartburn.
Their favorite bête noire was Hillary Clinton, whom they nicknamed ‘Hildebeest,’ after the menacing and shaggy-maned gnu that roams the Serengeti.
Klein also wrote the 2012 bestselling exposé “The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House.” He claims the title was taken from an unsubstantiated characterization Bill Clinton once used to describe Barack Obama. Klein’s books may hit raw nerves, but he does have a reputable journalistic résumé: Contributing editor to Vanity Fair, former foreign editor of Newsweek, and former editor-in-chief of the New York Times Magazine.
