NEW BOOK "GAME CHANGE" STARTS FIRESTORM IN DC

The Beltway gang is all abuzz today because of a new book “Game Change” by John Heikmann and Mark Helperin that’s due out Tuesday. This is a look back to 2007 and 2008 leading up to our last Presidential Election, with insider quotes from Harry Reid, Bill Clinton and others. Clearly it shows politics is still as digusting as ever.

The first, and perhaps largest firestorm, comes from a decidedly racial quote from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He summed up Barack Obama’s run for the Presidency in this way: “He (Reid) was wowed by Obama’s oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama. A ‘light-skinned’ African-American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”

While the comment shows a form of support for Obama, it clearly illustrates that Reid believed Barack was a great “talking head” and was effective at manipulating the Black community with an uncharacteristic level of ebonics.

When it became known that Reid’s comment was in the book, Reid -- who is in a losing (52% unfavorable rating) fight for his Congressional seat from Nevada -- made one of the quickest apologies on record for a politician. In direct contrast to prior condemation of people like Don Imus who have made any questionable remarks (and in which Obama and othersdemanded a resignation), this revelation brought an immediate “acceptance” of Reid’s apology by the President. Obviously the downside to making a stink would have been a virtual collaspe in support for Reid and his work to pass the massive and oft labeled “Unconstitutional” Health Care initiative both he and the President are cramming down Americans’ throat. There is no shame. There is only politics.

A comment from Bill Clinton that is cited in the book may have much longer legs and just as Joe Biden’s ad libs raise Hell with the Obama Administration from time to time, this will undoubtedly be a near fatal blow for any future aspirations Hillary Clinton has. Clinton ran afowl of Senator Ted Kennedy and triggered Kennedy’s endorsement of Obama by saying to Ted: “A few years ago, thiis guy would have been getting us coffee.”

That sounds so similar to another comment attributed to the Clintons. Reportedly they characterized Obama as “He’s a nice kid but he’ll never beat us.” Wrong.

It should be an interesting week with Rush and others on the radio and perhaps Beck, Hannity and more on TV.