Count me as one who very strongly doubts she was raising the specter of a possible Obama assassination. Not intentionally, at least. (It clearly would have been better to leave the thought unsaid.)
Update: A hurried and defensive Clinton statement that underscores for me this was not in any way intentional.
Hillary Clinton issued the following statement today in Brandon, SD:
“Earlier today I was discussing the Democratic primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns that both my husband and Senator Kennedy waged in California in June 1992 and 1968 and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nomination primary contests that go into June. That’s a historic fact. The Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator Kennedy and I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation, and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that, whatsoever. My view is that we have to look to the past and to our leaders who have inspired us and give us a lot to live up to, and I’m honored to hold Senator Kennedy’s seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York and have the highest regard for the entire Kennedy family.”
Transcript from the Argus-Leader's editorial board meeting:
HRC: People have been trying to push me out of this ever since Iowa.
Q: Why?
HRC: I don't know. I don't know. I find it curious. Because it is unprecedented in history. I don’t understand it. Between my opponent and his camp and some in the media there has been this urgency to end this. And historically, that makes no sense. So I find it a bit of a mystery.
Q: So you don't buy the party unity argument?
HRC: I don’t because again I've been around long enough.
My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right?
We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don’t understand it. There's lots of speculation about why it is.
Q: What is your speculation?
I don't know. I find it curious. And I don't want to attribute motives or strategies to people because I don't really know, but it's a historical curiosity to me.
Hillary would have to be unbelievably stupid to think raising the whiff of violence against Obama would be helpful in any way. I know some people think she's a monster, but a complete and utter political idiot, too?
P.S. TPM has video of her comments.
--Michael Crowley