Hannity & Colmes guest claimed Clinton “ran ... and hid behind the skirts” at Wellesley

On Hannity & Colmes, while discussing Sen. Hillary Clinton's performance at the October 30 Democratic debate, Kate Obenshain, the former chairwoman of Virginia's Republican Party, said that Clinton “really revealed her Achilles heel this week, which we've all sort of known, but now everybody knows it, that she does not have consistent positions on issues.” She later added, "[I]nstead of coming forward to the American people the next day and saying, 'All right. This is really what I meant,' she continued to obfuscate, and then she ran to Wellesley and hid behind the skirts ... and said, 'Those big ... mean boys were picking on me' ... instead of being able to state her positions."


On the November 2 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, while discussing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) performance at the October 30 Democratic presidential candidates debate at Drexel University, Kate Obenshain, the former head of Virginia's Republican Party -- identified on the show as being affiliated with the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute -- asserted: “Yeah. It was a disastrous week for Hillary Clinton. There's absolutely no question about that. She really revealed her Achilles heel this week, which we've all sort of known, but now everybody knows it, that she does not have consistent positions on issues.” Obenshain later added: “But then, what she did to compound the problem, instead of coming forward to the American people the next day and saying, 'All right. This is really what I meant,' she continued to obfuscate, and then she ran to Wellesley and hid behind the skirts ... and said, 'Those big ... mean boys were picking on me' ... instead of being able to state her positions.”

On November 1, two days after the Democratic debate, Clinton spoke at Wellesley College, her alma mater, and during her speech, said: “In so many ways, this all-women's college prepared me to compete on the all-boys club of presidential politics.” Nowhere in her speech did Clinton claim that the male Democratic candidates were “picking” on her, as Obenshain stated.

Later in the segment, co-host Alan Colmes stated: “I ... want to correct something that was said, Kate.” He continued: "[Clinton] said, 'I don't think they're piling on because I'm a woman. They're piling on because I'm winning.' That's what's happening. ... That's why ... the piling on is happening." Obenshain responded: “She said that after she went to Wellesley and had her little tear-fest that 'the big boys are picking on me.' ” Obenshain added: “She said that after the backlash to that, when she realized, 'Oh, this is not going to play too well with the men voters who were saying, 'I want a woman or a man president who's willing to stand up for what they believe in and is not going to cave or cower ... just because they're asked tough questions.' ” When Colmes replied, “Well, she is standing up to these people, and you, as a woman, ought to be proud of her,” Obenshain countered, “I am not proud of a woman who says, 'Oh my gosh, I can't take it. They're all picking on me.' ” As reported by the Associated Press, when speaking to reporters on November 2, Clinton stated: “I don't think they're piling on because I'm a woman. I think they're piling on because I'm winning.”

From the November 2 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes:

HANNITY: All right, let me go to Kate. Bob [Beckel, Democratic strategist], I do love you. I'm not even going to put you on the spot 'cause I -- nobody can defend this. But if -- Kate, here's the problem that Hillary has. She can't answer a question, a simple basic question: on taxes, on legal -- illegal immigrants getting legal driver's licenses. She's already flip-flopped and flailed on Iraq.

OBENSHAIN: Yeah.

HANNITY: She can't answer a question about Iran -- and I'm going to tell you something. I have 15 campaign ads that will make her -- make [Sen.] John Kerry [D-MA] seem like a principled politician by the time this is all done.

OBENSHAIN: Yeah. It was a disastrous week for Hillary Clinton. There's absolutely no question about that. She really revealed her Achilles heel this week, which we've all sort of known, but now everybody knows it, that she does not have consistent positions on issues. And the problem this week was she did it -- she showed her different positions in front of the same audience.

HANNITY: Yeah.

OBENSHAIN: She at least usually does it in front of different audiences, but within a matter of seconds.

But then, what she did to compound the problem, instead of coming forward to the American people the next day and saying, “All right. This is really what I meant,” she continued to obfuscate, and then she ran to Wellesley and hid behind the skirts --

HANNITY: Yeah, that was, “Oh, I'm a woman.”

COLMES: I've got a --

OBENSHAIN: -- and said, “Those big --

COLMES: I've got a question, Kate.

OBENSHAIN: -- mean boys were picking on me” --

COLMES: I've got a question for you.

OBENSHAIN: -- instead of being able to state her positions.

COLMES: If it's such a terrible week for Hillary Clinton, can you explain to me why she went from a 40- to 24-percent lead over Barack Obama, to after the debate having a 45- to 18-percent? Could you explain how that's a terrible week for Hillary Clinton?

OBENSHAIN: You know what -- you know what Hillary Clinton's problem is: It's in the individual states. And you know that, Alan. In Iowa, she's having to pretend like she's not really in favor of giving these rights --

COLMES: But you're not answering my question --

OBENSHAIN: -- to illegal immigrants. Alan, those national polls --

COLMES: -- 'cause you don't want to face that she's doing better.

OBENSHAIN: -- are fine, but what they -- you've got to look at the individual states that she's facing. But frankly, those polls are not accurately reflecting what is some serious --

COLMES: Of course not.

OBENSHAIN: -- thought that's going --

COLMES: Of course not.

OBENSHAIN: No, that the serious thought --

COLMES: Of course not, Kate.

BECKEL: Kate --

OBENSHAIN: -- about men voters when they're looking at her --

COLMES: Of course not.

OBENSHAIN: Alan, people want --

COLMES: They don't comport with your position.

OBENSHAIN: People want --

COLMES: They don't say, you know --

BECKEL: I don't want to -- Kate, I don't want to -- I don't want to interrupt you. I like you very much, but to say she had a disastrous week -- can I make a point? When you take the three Democratic -- Republican front-runners, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani and [Fred] Thompson, these are mere little boys compared to this woman. She's going to run over them like a hot knife through butter.

[crosstalk]

SEAN HANNITY (co-host): You've got to be kidding me.

COLMES: By the way, how can you --

BECKEL: She's been through more than these punks have ever been --

OBENSHAIN: She seems to be --

BECKEL: -- put together through in their lives.

COLMES: Here's another question, Kate. How can you --

BECKEL: I mean, are you kidding me?

OBENSHAIN: She seems to be --

BECKEL: Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney? Can you imagine these guys --

HANNITY: Yeah, real leaders.

BECKEL: -- as president of the United States? It's Halloween. It's Halloween.

COLMES: I also want to correct something that was said, Kate. She did say -- they're not --

OBENSHAIN: She is quacking --

COLMES: Kate, she said, “I don't think they're piling on because I'm a woman. They're piling on because I'm winning.” That's what's happening.

OBENSHAIN: Oh, she said --

BECKEL: Yeah, exactly.

COLMES: That's why --

OBENSHAIN: She said that --

COLMES: -- the piling on is happening --

OBENSHAIN: She --

COLMES: -- and you know it to be true. That's what happens with a front-runner.

OBENSHAIN: She said that after she went to Wellesley and had her little tear-fest that “the big boys are picking on me.” She said that after the backlash to that, when she realized, “Oh, this is not going to play too well with the men voters who were saying, 'I want a woman or a man president who's willing to stand up for what they believe in and is not going to cave or cower' ” --

COLMES: Yeah.

OBENSHAIN: -- ' “just because they're asked tough questions.' ” We do need answers.

COLMES: Well, she is standing up to these people, and you, as a woman, ought to be proud of her.

OBENSHAIN: She -- she ran.

BECKEL: Yeah, I think that --

OBENSHAIN: She -- I am not proud of a woman who says, “Oh my gosh, I can't take it. They're all picking on me.”

COLMES: She didn't say that.

OBENSHAIN: She's the front-runner.

COLMES: That's not what she's saying.

BECKEL: I hate to --

OBENSHAIN: She knows --

COLMES: That's not what she said.

OBENSHAIN: She certainly did.