Big Dogs Weblog

An Example of Clinton’s Lack of Integrity

by Big Dog on Nov 10, 2007 at 11:57 Political

Hillary Clinton’s campaign admitted today that it had been caught planting a question from an audience member at one of her campaign stops in Iowa. Clinton called on a young college student who asked a question about global warming and Clinton responded that she gets these kinds of questions all the time from the young people. My question is, if she gets these questions all the time why the need to plant it? Surely if she gets them all the time she would get it at this event.

There are many troubling items in the story. The story indicates that she did not know which questioners she would be calling on so why plant the question? How likely is it she would pick the plant unless she knew who it was? The article indicates:

“But the source of the question was no coincidence — at this event ‘they wanted a question from a college student,’ Gallo-Chasanoff said.” Fox News

The campaign is in defense mode because this might offend Iowans for whom “the caucus is held sacred and the impromptu and candid style of the town hall meeting is held dear, Clinton’s planted question may come as a great offense to Iowans.”

I realize that there are supporters of Clinton who will comment that all candidates do this. I am sure many of them do though she is the only one caught. More importantly, she is supposed to be presenting herself as a different choice for the voters. If she is doing the same thing as everyone else, how different is she?

I imagine there are even those who will say this is not wrong to do or that it is no big deal. I agree that it is no big deal but if I were running I would just address the issue without the questioner. But then again, the Clinton campaign wants to look like it is addressing the everyday concerns Americans (and the Chinese and Europeans) have. I have suspicions that she is not asked this all the time. If there is any doubt that it was viewed as wrong, even by the campaign, they pointed out that they believe it was when they stated:

“…it would not happen again.”

Of course, they might mean they won’t get caught again or they might mean not again as in Bill will not molest women again.

Despite the claims made by others, integrity does not seem to be held in high regard in that camp. Consider this post an example to support the claim (that she lacks integrity).

Tags: caucus, fox news, global warming, Hillary Clinton, honor, integrity, lies, planted questions