Chicago (AP) – Appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former president Bill Clinton spoke publicly for the first time about the 2008 primary campaign, her political ambitions, and their personal relationship.

Representatives for the First Couple insisted the joint appearance had absolutely nothing to do with President Obama’s sagging political fortunes and was just a “total coincidence.”

The show began with Bill and Hillary air-kissing and catching up since they were last together at daughter Chelsea’s wedding in July.

Winfrey began the interview by asking Mrs. Clinton to assess her run for the 2008 presidential nomination.  “I’m not one to second-guess, “Mrs. Clinton said,” but I wish we had played the race card early in the game.”

Winfrey: “But . . . .”

No, not me,” said Mrs. Clinton.  “Bill.  The moment Obama emerged, I should have insisted that our party have a national discussion on who was the more authentic black leader—an inexperienced senator with roots in Indonesia or my husband and mentor, the First Black President.”

Winfrey:  “So, you didn’t go for it because you assumed you had the African-American vote locked up?”

Mrs. Clinton:  “Of course.  Jesse Jackson had agreed to endorse me and become Secretary of Reparations in my Cabinet.  You, Oprah, promised your support if I pushed Congress to make Kenya our 51 state.”

Winfrey:  “Oh.  I forgot about that.” (more…)

In light of the Obama Administration’s new drive to sanitize the image of Islam and Muslims by purging the new National Security Strategy document of all references to such outmoded concepts as “Islamic terrorism,” it’s worth going back to a press event from 2008 to look at this exchange in a fresh light:

ROUNDTABLE INTERVIEW OF THE PRESIDENT WITH REGIONAL REPORTERS

Cairo University

Cairo, Egypt

(June 4, 2009)

Q Thank you, President Obama. Of course, as an Indonesian, my first question would be when will you come to Indonesia?

THE PRESIDENT: Oh, I need to come to Indonesia soon. I expect to be traveling to Asia at some point within the next year and I would be surprised if when I came to Asia I did not stop by my old home town of Jakarta. And I’ll go visit Menteng Dalam and have some bakso — nasi goreng. These are some special dishes here that I used to eat when I was a kid.

Q Actually I live only 300 meters from your old house.

THE PRESIDENT: Is that right? (more…)

On May 18, 2006, CBS News alerted us to planned protests against President Bush during his then pending visit to Jakarta. Along with the article entitled “Jakarta Awaits Bush Visit, Bush Faces Rising Anti-U.S. Sentiment…,” we saw this photo of “Indonesian Muslim and student groups” rehearsing their protests against Bush.

A politically weakened U.S. President George W. Bush will face anger over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan when he visits mostly Muslim Indonesia on Monday for talks aimed at broadening ties with a strategic ally in the war on terror…Anti-American sentiment is mounting and Islamic hard-liners and students have held near-daily rallies this month, calling Mr. Bush a terrorist and burning effigies of the U.S. leader…Mr. Bush, meanwhile, with his popularity plummeting at home and abroad, is expected to have on kid gloves when discussing issues like Indonesia’s ongoing battle with Islamic extremism, its failure to find justice in the poisoning death of the country’s top human rights activist, and foot-dragging in fighting bird flu.

That was then. What are CBS News and the MSM telling us now about President Obama’s visit?  Answer: Little.  You have to read the news from Indonesia for information.  Here are three samples: (more…)