I have no shortage of criticisms for Rep. Rashida Tlaib and the other far-left members of “the Squad.” Just this week, the Michigan Democrat spread fake news blaming Jews for the death of a Palestinian child and then issued a total non-apology. But intellectual honesty requires that we call balls and strikes with all politicians, and the latest outrage directed at Tlaib after she dared boo Hillary Clinton is utterly absurd.
At a campaign event for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in Iowa Friday night, Sanders supporters started to boo when Clinton was mentioned. The moderator tried to shut them down, saying, “We’re classy here,” but Tlaib was having none of it. She replied, “No, we’re gonna boo. That’s all right. The haters will shut up on Monday when we win.” She booed Clinton for all to see.
Predictably, the establishment had a mini-meltdown. Yes, these are the rules: Clinton gets to smear combat veteran Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as a literal traitor and “Russian asset,” bash Sanders and say, “Nobody likes him,” and continue to spout off from her perch as a failed former presidential nominee, but God forbid anyone jeer at her!
What I love about incidents like this – the booing of Hillary at a Sanders rally – is example after example of white male rage and misogyny. https://t.co/30PUxEhtqI
— Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) February 1, 2020
Wondering @RashidaTlaib thinks this helps @BernieSanders (it doesn’t) or helps Democrats defeat Trump in November? (it doesn’t). https://t.co/psZ09Q4cMb
— Lois Romano (@loisromano) February 1, 2020
Make no mistake they don’t just
#BooHillary…
They Boo Elijah Cummings,
They Boo John Lewis,
They Boo Michelle Obama,
but they Cheer Joe Rogan— Tom D’Angora (@TomDangora) February 1, 2020
HRC spox @NickMerrill: “I can’t imagine this kind of behavior is something Iowans want to see from candidates & their surrogates & I don’t imagine the vast majority of voters in Rep. Tlaib’s district, which Secy. Clinton won by over 60 points in 2016, want to see this either.” https://t.co/yDOtSDH5kn
— Dan Merica (@merica) February 1, 2020
.@ZerlinaMaxwell reacts to Rep. Tlaib booing Hillary Clinton’s name at a campaign event for Sen. Sanders, saying, “Go work for the candidate that you like, but we shouldn’t be booing one another.”https://t.co/kzVofsXErn
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 2, 2020
Sadly, Tlaib appears to have, at least somewhat, bowed to the backlash. As of Saturday, she expressed regret for her actions. (Although she did stop short of apologizing.) The congresswoman said, “I allowed my disappointment with Secretary Clinton’s latest comments about Senator Sanders and his supporters get the best of me. You all, my sisters-in-service on stage, and our movement deserve better.”
There was no need for Tlaib to even slightly walk back her comments. She did nothing wrong in booing Clinton. In fact, Clinton deserves to be booed.
For one, it’s bizarre that anyone thinks Clinton should be allowed to harshly criticize current Democrats with impunity and not face any backlash. That’s just not how operating in the public sphere works, even if you, like Clinton, are used to decades of liberal media favoritism.
But more importantly, Clinton’s actual record deserves booing all day, every day.
First, don’t forget that the 2016 Democratic nominee absolutely blew the election when she lost to then-candidate Donald Trump, a historically unpopular candidate. Clinton neglected crucial swing states during her campaign, decided to call the people she needed to vote for her “deplorable,” and lost by a resounding electoral margin.
Clinton also, even from a liberal perspective, has an awful record in office. She voted for the failed Iraq War and oversaw as secretary of state a regime-change foreign intervention that has turned Libya into a failed state. So, too, Clinton and her staff allegedly denied journalist Ronan Farrow an interview because he was pursuing an investigation into disgraced accused sexual predator and former Democratic fundraiser and Clinton ally, Harvey Weinstein. These are just a few examples, but frankly, Clinton’s legacy is God awful.
So, as far as I’m concerned, Clinton completely deserves booing. For once, I’ll admit that Rashida Tlaib did absolutely nothing wrong.
