Hillary tries to ‘Rick Lazio’ Bernie

Hillary tries to ‘Rick Lazio’ Bernie

Hillary Clinton talks a tough game and can dish it out, but when the going gets tough, she and her supporters play the bully card on male opponents.

The classic example was how during the first debate for 2000’s Senate election, Congressman Lazio demanded Clinton sign a New York Freedom from Soft Money Pact on stage, mid-debate. Hillary supporters immediately portrayed this as bullying and crossing a line a man should not cross with a woman.

The Clinton campaign—and the media—were apoplectic:

Stung by apparent charges that he was too aggressive during last week’s New York Senate debate against Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rep. Rick Lazio said Tuesday such criticism of his behavior was “sexist.”

Lazio, the Republican nominee, left his podium during last week’s forum in Buffalo and strode over to Mrs. Clinton’s side of the stage brandishing what he said was a contract to ban soft money from the campaign. The first lady did not accept the offer.

After the event, Mrs. Clinton’s spokesman, Howard Wolfson, called Lazio’s behavior “menacing.”

Last Thursday, the first lady dismissed it with a jibe at Lazio, saying “the thing that probably prepared me best in dealing with things like that was having two younger brothers.”

Tuesday, Lazio responded during a campaign stop in Buffalo.

“The idea that somehow that there’s a double standard because you’re a man or a woman, and you can’t make a point forcefully if you’re a man, and the person you’re making the point with is a woman, I just think that’s sexist,” he told reporters.

Lazio added, “I don’t think people in the Senate worry about whether you’re a man or a woman.”

In response, Mrs. Clinton’s communications director, Howard Wolfson, said “Today the political world was rocked by the bizarre accusation that Rick Lazio has been the victim of sexism. Poor Rick. Let me be the first to offer him my support.”

It worked. Lazio tanked.

Hillary supporters played the Lazio card on Bernie after an early March debate, as we documented in Hillary Supporters Rush to Paint Bernie as 2016’s Rick Lazio:

Senator Sanders’ refusal to let Hillary Clinton interrupt him became one of the most circulated moments of Sunday night’s Democratic debate in Flint, Michigan. “Excuse me, I’m talking,” said Sanders.

Within moments, comparisons of failed Clinton Senate competitor, Rick Lazio, cluttered the internet.

Pro-Clinton group, Correct the Record, compiled a list of tweets making the comparison and sent an email which included the Bernie’s Lazio moment.

Now the crybullies at Team Hillary are up to it again, demanding that Bernie change his “tone” before Hillary will agree to a debate before the April 19 NY State primary. The Hill reports, Clinton aide: Sanders needs to change ‘tone’ if he wants NY debate:

A top aide to Hillary Clinton’s campaign on Monday dodged questions about setting up a debate with Bernie Sanders in New York, saying it depends on the senator’s “tone.”

“This is a man who said he’d never run a negative ad ever. He’s now running them. They’re planning to run more,” Joel Benenson, Clinton’s chief strategist, said on CNN. “Let’s see the tone of the campaign he wants to run before we get to any other questions.”…

“What’s the risk?” CNN’s Kate Bolduan asked Monday, pressing multiple times about agreeing to a debate in New York.

“There’s no risk. She’s done very well in the debates,” Benenson responded.

“Sen. Sanders doesn’t get to decide when we debate, particularly when he’s running a very negative campaign against us,” he continued.

“Let’s see if he goes back to the kind of tone he said he was going to set early on. If he does that, then we’ll talk about debates,” Benenson added.

This is a sure sign Team Hillary is worried. Bernie should have been gone by now.

Instead, Bernie’s hanging around (a) like a junk yard dog hoping to wound her enough in the primaries that the superdelegates refuse to put her over the top, and (b) like a starving vulture ready to pick clean her political carcass if the FBI makes a criminal referral, or worse, she’s indicted.

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