Patterico's Pontifications

10/30/2016

Chicago Tribune Columnist Calls On Democrats To Ask Hillary Clinton To Step Down

Filed under: General — Dana @ 11:28 am



[guest post by Dana]

In light of Hillary Clinton’s email scandal of the past year and this latest October surprise from James Comey, columnist John Kass at the Chicago Tribune has made the first call for Democrats to ask Hillary Clinton to step down. At this point in time, she has become a liability who runs counter to all that the Democratic party stands for (obviously in words, not deeds):

If ruling Democrats hold themselves to the high moral standards they impose on the people they govern, they would follow a simple process:

They would demand that Mrs. Clinton step down, immediately, and let her vice presidential nominee, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, stand in her place.

Democrats should say, honestly, that with a new criminal investigation going on into events around her home-brew email server from the time she was secretary of state, having Clinton anywhere near the White House is just not a good idea.

What if she is elected? Think of a nation suffering a bad economy and continuing chaos in the Middle East, and now also facing a criminal investigation of a president. Add to that congressional investigations and a public vision of Clinton as a Nixonian figure wandering the halls, wringing her hands.

The best thing would be for Democrats to ask her to step down now. It would be the most responsible thing to do, if the nation were more important to them than power. And the American news media — fairly or not firmly identified in the public mind as Mrs. Clinton’s political action committee — should begin demanding it.

Of course the Democrats won’t ask her to step down, at least not yet. I’m not sure what would actually have to be in the latest batch of emails that would compel them to implore her to step down for the “good” of the party. The Democrats’ bar for acceptable behaviors and activities is already basement-level. Further, there is no way Hillary Clinton, who believes herself owed this moment, would ever consider stepping down. Too much of her “livelihood” would be at stake:

She’ll stick and ride this out and turn her anger toward Comey. For Hillary and Bill Clinton, it has always been about power, about the Clinton Restoration and protecting fortunes already made by selling nothing but political influence.

The Clintons weren’t skilled merchants. They weren’t traders or manufacturers. The Clintons never produced anything tangible. They had no science, patents or devices to make them millions upon millions of dollars.

All they had to sell, really, was influence. And they used our federal government to leverage it.

With the Clintons, it’s never been about what’s in the nation’s best interest, but rather their decision-making determinations have been based upon their own greedy and amoral best interests.

Read the whole thing.

–Dana

70 Responses to “Chicago Tribune Columnist Calls On Democrats To Ask Hillary Clinton To Step Down”

  1. It would be amusing to see Hillary’s implosion if the party were pushed to replace her with Kaine.

    Of course if it were between Kaine and Trump, Trump might immediately plummet in the polls, because next to him, Kaine seems utterly reasonable and likable.

    Dana (d17a61)

  2. She’ll stick and ride this out and turn her anger toward Comey.

    they should ask piggy if she plans on firing slimy cowardly comey and purging all the sleazy agents at failmerica’s seedy and corrupt fbi

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  3. columnist John (Jack) Kass?

    Seriously?

    papertiger (c8116c)

  4. stare decisis on day, week, minutes, before national election reopening criminal investigations into candidate (D) confirmed by beloved senior statesman of Democratic party.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmKkGhuYutk

    Clinton/Gore ’92 Seized On Law Enforcement Revelation 4 Days Before Election (YouTube)

    papertiger (c8116c)

  5. Too late. The Dems bought that ticket, they can now take that ride into chaos.

    Bill H (971e5f)

  6. Playball!

    papertiger (c8116c)

  7. ==The Clintons weren’t skilled merchants. They weren’t traders or manufacturers. The Clintons never produced anything tangible. They had no science, patents or devices to make them millions upon millions of dollars. All they had to sell, really, was influence. And they used our federal government to leverage it.==

    These are the money quotes, in more ways than one.

    A man of many talents Kass has a great recipe for beer can chicken, too.

    elissa (b5f9a8)

  8. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving harlot.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  9. Playball!

    One of my favorite songs (under appreciated I think).

    papertiger (c8116c)

  10. The best thing would be for Democrats to ask her to step down now. It would be the most responsible thing to do, if the nation were more important to them than power. And the American news media — fairly or not firmly identified in the public mind as Mrs. Clinton’s political action committee — should begin demanding it.

    You funny guy, John. Just who do you think you’re talking about here? Everything that old crone has done since before she worked on- and was fired from- the Watergate investigation has been towards the ultimate goal of today. Sir Hillary is not about to develop a sudden case of the ethics because of your pathetic plea. You knew everything there was to know about her up to this point, yet you held your tongue until now, where it’s cheap, convenient, and easy. You can be as pious as you want, trying to tell me that you’re thinking of the country. You’re several months late and more than a few dollars short, John. Your words mean nothing, John. After all, at this point, what difference does it make?

    Bill H (971e5f)

  11. The Grifter Twins.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  12. columnist John Kass at the Chicago Tribune has made the first call for Democrats to ask Hillary Clinton to step down.

    Chicago squirrel.

    More comforting to ink about the improbable of Maudie than the Chicago Cubs, up against it tonight, down 3 games to 1 in the World Series.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  13. ==You funny guy, John. Just who do you think you’re talking about here?….You’re several months late and more than a few dollars short, John. Your words mean nothing, John==

    Kass is a well known cynic and rabble rouser. Trust me. He absolutely knows he’s pissing in the wind here. But at least he said it. How many others have? Any?

    elissa (b5f9a8)

  14. the “news media” were actively involved in screwing over poor weak slobbering bernie so they could do that diseased pig all up in it

    and this is so key

    they’re most powerful anymore when they direct their manipulations at the sleazy pig sniffers and food stampers what comprise the democratic party

    cause there’s been a real and palpable shift

    even your dumbest most tatted-up illiterate americans now understand the anderson kelly megyn cooper “news media” is a sleazy cabal of partisan propaganda sluts

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  15. It’s great to read your comment once again, elissa.

    felipe (023cc9)

  16. Kass is the real deal, but since he cut his teeth railing against Daley the younger, there’s always a cabal of old neighborhood guys ready to blame him if his muck raking results in a minority mayor, having no faith that the city could probably get a Dan Donovan type eventually if the management Rahm types along the North lakefront would stop nickel and dining the FOP, Fire and other City workers in the NW, SW, and far SE side.

    urbanleftbehind (847a06)

  17. ugh

    my lil nephew guy just turned 18

    and now he’s getting his tattoo

    it’s for jesus and it won’t be super-visible

    but it’s really big way bigger than I think jesus would want it to be

    ugh

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  18. Hillary Clinton is simply unfit to be president. A vote for her is a vote against America.

    That’s probably why she’ll win.

    Demosthenes (09f714)

  19. Bear in mind that the deadline for a party to change its nominees is December 19th. The election on November 8th is for electors; they are chosen for their loyalty to their respective parties, and therefore in principle can be expected to vote on Dec 19 for whomever their party tells them to vote.

    Milhouse (40ca7b)

  20. Hillary Clinton is simply unfit to be president. A vote for her is a vote against America.

    True. But so is Trump.

    Milhouse (40ca7b)

  21. and that third whirl douchebag isn’t fit to be pope and marissa mayer is wholly incompetent to lead yahoo and Roger Goodell lol

    it’s an imperfect whirl

    but unlike these other positions

    the failmerican presidency is festooned with checks and balances, when you’re Mr. Trump

    not so much when you’re a diseased criminal stinkypig commanding a wholly compliant cadre of federal government employees right up to the corrupt porker attorney general

    a wholly compliant cadre of propaganda sluts

    a wholly compliant cadre of prissy sissy nevertrump Rs

    and a wholly compliant cadre of sackies on wall street

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  22. It is indeed great to hear from elissa.

    Yes, there is a lot of weird noise in the comments section these days. So I look forward to folks like elissa.

    Dana, thank you for a great post.

    Simon Jester (c8876d)

  23. Look, whatever one thinks of Kass, I am all too happy to see someone in the MSM take this step, and make it so public. Credit where credit is due. Given his location, I don’t doubt he’ll be taking a lot of heat over this.

    Dana (d17a61)

  24. #22

    asdf (42bad1)

  25. he smokes right outside on the street

    he is very brave

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  26. happyfeet (28a91b) — 10/30/2016 @ 12:49 pm

    the failmerican presidency is festooned with checks and balances, when you’re Mr. Trump

    not so much when you’re a diseased criminal stinkypig commanding a wholly compliant cadre of federal government employees right up to the corrupt porker attorney general

    Wait, wait. Doesn’t sickness, though, act as its own check and limitation? If she’s really semi-disabled.

    And the investigations may have a lot of momentum.

    Nixon was weaker after April, 1973, and Bill Clinton in 1998. There are no great Clinton scandals after 1998, except the last day pardons.

    If we spend two or three years wallowing in Watergate, one of the possible outcomes of the election is not so bad. An important question though, is, can we count on that?

    Other possible outcomes are a bitterly opposed Trump with demonstrations, student strikes, and fights with Governors and mayors – which would be healthy dissent for once; or no president being picked until a better choice is made by the House of Represenatives around Janaury 18th.

    Sammy Finkelman (b4888e)

  27. we can’t just sit back and count on history to grab her by the

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  28. lapels

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  29. @13, I also wondered why you absented yourself.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  30. IF I was an aviattor, big IF. But If.

    I’d dip my wing so my gunner could get a clear shot.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  31. elissa, you know who you your are field is named after? Let me help you.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  32. “air field.”

    Jesoos.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  33. Congrats on the Cubs.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  34. @ Milhouse, #21:

    I agree. In fact, I’ve said the same thing about Trump…though obviously for different reasons.

    Demosthenes (09f714)

  35. I can’t spell a damn thing right. Belay my last.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  36. @ me, #35:

    Well, except for the winning part. Never said that about Trump.

    Demosthenes (09f714)

  37. “LOAD OF MANURE DUMPED AT DEMOCRAT OHIO HQ: Second time it’s happened. This time a camera caught the perp in the act. Good. Arrest him/her and prosecute him/her. And speaking of cameras, James O’Keefe caught a violent political thug on camera, too. The arrogant thug, thinking himself immune from media and law enforcement scrutiny, admitted to his crookedness. Heck, he was proud of it. See, he was damaging Republicans. Hah hah hah. It appears the Ohio manure crime is an in-state crime. O’Keefe’s videos indicate the big time Dem thug’s crimes were inter-state. The inter-state political thug is Democrat operative Robert Creamer. Creamer should also be investigated, arrested and prosecuted. By the FBI.”

    https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/load-of-manure-dumped-at-democrat-ohio-hq-second-time-its-happened-this-time-a-camera-caught-the/

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  38. The Chicago Tribune endorsed Gary Johnson a month ago, saying both Trump and Hillary suck. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-gary-johnson-president-endorsement-edit-1002-20160930-story.html

    Kass is the closest thing to a reasonable conservative in the Chicago media these days. I catch his radio show sometimes, he’s got the morning segment just before Rush Limbaugh (I don’t listen to Limbaugh). Plus he’s Greek.

    nk (dbc370)

  39. Bob Creamer and Scott Foval are devious, demonic, Alinskyites who do nasty things.
    If illary wins, she will empower these people.

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  40. 28 29. happyfeet (28a91b) — 10/30/2016 @ 1:26/7 pm

    we can’t just sit back and count on history to grab her by the lapels

    No, we can’t. Count on it. That’s right.

    Is it “history” that would grab her?

    Although I have the thought that winning an election would be the best way for her – both of them – to really go down. So I wouldn’t think all is lost or even half. What’s good may turn out to be bad, and what looks bad may turn out to be good later. But that kind of convoluted contingency thinking I think is best to leave to God. People have to make choices for what they think is best.

    The only thing is, there’s almost no good, or even safe, picks.

    Sammy Finkelman (b4888e)

  41. Kass is a well known cynic and rabble rouser. Trust me. He absolutely knows he’s pissing in the wind here. But at least he said it. How many others have? Any?

    elissa (b5f9a8) — 10/30/2016 @ 12:13 pm

    He might be well known in and around Chicagoland. SoCal, not so much. And in any event, what he has to say now is not going to change any minds. Clinton’s ego is going to make it impossible for her to step down. If he had actually given a damn, he would have used his well-paid soapbox in this manner 6 months or better ago.

    The only thing I can conclude is he’s absolutely frightened at the prospect of a Democrat loss.

    Bill H (971e5f)

  42. elissa, you know who you your [air] field is named after?

    Everybody in Chicago does. Butch O’Hare. The son of a Capone bagman who was gunned down after snitching Capone out for tax evasion, and also the father of America’s most notorious militant atheist who disappeared mysteriously. No need to rub it in. We know our city.

    nk (dbc370)

  43. I wasn’t trying to rub anything in. You know your city, I know my Navy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDjwUzUnNpU

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  44. Does anyone have an account to get behind WSJ paywall???

    There is a story there about internal FBI feud, and it references the fact that there maybe as many as 650,000 emails on the Weiner computer.

    This would include all the emails from every account ever accessed I presume, including all Weiner’s accounts.

    But that’s a stunning figure, and I’d like to know more about that article but I haven’t got a WSJ subscription.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  45. @nk:notorious militant atheist who disappeared mysteriously.

    You mean Madeline Murray O’Hair? I don’t think she’s related to Butch O’Hare. She was born in 1919 when Butch O’Hare was 5 years old, and her maiden name was Mays.

    Gabriel Hanna (c791b9)

  46. @shiprwreckedcrew: Just Google Weiner Clinton Email WSJ and you will be able to read the article at the link.

    Gabriel Hanna (c791b9)

  47. Butch O’Hare did punish.the Japanese didn’t he? didn’t he? For once they didn’t have it all their way. Not for the last time. I think I’ll take a knee and say a prayer.

    Never flew through it.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  48. Now we know why Hillary wanted to be SoS–made her more marketable. But why did Obama go for it?

    Patricia (5fc097)

  49. I’m just curious. nk, did you know your city’s namesake went down off of
    off of Rennell Island in January 1943? I don’t know of any follow-on USS Chicagos.

    Again congrats on the Cubs.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  50. I was teasing.

    nk (dbc370)

  51. She went down with her colors flying BTW. And yes, she went down proud.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  52. Don’t tease, nk. Some things I take personally.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  53. Reid accuses Comey of Hatch Act violation while FBI gets warrant for the new emails. This week should bring an amazing news cycle.

    http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/fbi-obtains-warrant-newly-discovered-emails-clinton-probe-reid-accuses-n675411?cid=sm_tw

    Dana (d17a61)

  54. harry’s panicking

    he’s gonna end up getting piggy her very own special prosecutor

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  55. Ethics agency says HUD chief Castro violated Hatch Act

    as if anyone in the filthy corrupt wholly illegitimate failmerican government gave a floral-scented crap about hatch act violations lol

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  56. Letters. We get letters.

    Now Reid drag the Hatch Act into this with a poison pen note. Another frigging crutch for Maudie. Can’t this old woman stand on her own two feet and do anything for herself??

    Smithers, release the squirrels; distract, deflect, defend.

    FBI’s Comey had nothing to do with this.

    Maudie did this.
    Maudie brought this on herself.
    Maudie owns it.
    Maudie, damn it, Americans are so tired of this– 25 years of this crap from you… man up or leave the stage.

    “If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” – Harry Truman

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  57. yes, Kass is as sensible a fellow as you’re likely to find in the windy city, he revealed the curtain behind obama, for example, whereas lynn sweet practically sent him mash notes,

    narciso (d1f714)

  58. 60. Thanks for the assist, Kass is hardly liberal but is not hardcore enough on certain issues, perhaps teeing to his Canadian birth and Greek diners’ historic role in hiring certain types as busboy and diishwashers.

    urbanleftbehind (4550d2)

  59. Does anyone have an account to get behind WSJ paywall???

    Yes. Search Google for the URL, and click on the link it provides.

    Milhouse (40ca7b)

  60. Who’s playing Torricelli in this version?

    Richard Aubrey (472a6f)

  61. If hillary steps down I hope y’all will contribute generously to my click starter campaign to make and sell reinforced umbrellas…

    ‘Cause peeps are gonna need heavy-duty (ar-ar) protection from all those aerial porcine droppings…

    IGotBupkis (954a48)

  62. Cubbies win at Wrigley! On to Game 6!

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  63. 46. shipwreckedcrew (56b591) — 10/30/2016 @ 2:38 pm

    Does anyone have an account to get behind WSJ paywall???

    There is a story there about internal FBI feud, and it references the fact that there maybe as many as 650,000 emails on the Weiner computer.

    I have an account. I believe you can always get one look at a WSJ article, if you do a Google search that turns it up. I haven’t read any article there yet from today.

    The 650,000 messages was also the headline on the New York Post front page today October 31. That can’t be all from or to Hillary Clinton. They must be all the emails on that machine. If the archives goes back 6 years, that’s about 30 a day. Maybe it could be done without subscriptions to mailing lists.

    But that’s a stunning figure, and I’d like to know more about that article but I haven’t got a WSJ subscription.

    I’ll try to post something – somwwhere, I am not sure what thread is best – a link and some quotes.

    Sammy Finkelman (b4888e)

  64. 63. Richard Aubrey (472a6f) — 10/30/2016 @ 6:43 pm

    Who’s playing Torricelli in this version?

    Nobody. Alan Hevesi is a very remote possibility.

    But that’s not a good precedent for Hillary Clinton. Alan Hevesi was pulled across the finish line in November 2006, and pleaded guilty before he was to begin another term, and did not to take office and agreed never to run for office again, but about 4 years later he pleaded guilty to other charges and went to jail.

    65. The World Series now goes into November!

    Sammy Finkelman (b4888e)

  65. 69. In an uninterrupted season (in 2001, games 5 6 and 7 we’re held on Nov. 1, 3, and 4). But a bad November surprise might also await this year.

    urbanleftbehind (aaa7ca)

  66. The World Series ended this ear at 12:47 am Eastern Daylight Savings Time on Thursday, November 3, 2016. (In Cleveland – in Chicago it was still Wednesday, November 2)

    Sammy Finkelman (6d2ca9)


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