Atlanta Mayor Rips into Bill

Atlanta mayor takes political shot at Bill Clinton

During the MLK service, Franklin addresses Clinton's reference to Barack Obama's rise as a 'fairy tale'


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 01/21/08

With former President Bill Clinton standing not 20 feet in front of her, Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin took what appeared to be a political shot at the former president's comments about Barack Obama's candidacy.

Speaking at the 40th annual MLK commemorative service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Franklin said the country is on the "cusp of turning the impossible into reality. Yes this is reality, not fantasy or fairy tales."

Clinton, in supporting his wife Hillary's bid for the Democratic nomination, recently took heat for using the term "fairy tale" to describe Obama's depiction of his stance on the war.

Franklin has endorsed Obama, who spoke from the same pulpit at Ebenezer on Sunday.
Today, after Franklin's remarks, the crowd of more than 2000 rose to its feet - except for Bill Clinton, who sat in his front pew seat and clapped politely.

Five seats to Clinton's left sat another former Arkansas govenor, Republican Mike Huckabee, also seeking his party's nomination as president. He stood at the end of Franklin's remarks.

During his address, Clinton responded to Franklin's remarks. "Mayor Franklin already took care of the political stuff. I wouldn't have said it quite the way she did but she got it all out there."

Earlier in her address, Franklin said the country was nearing a historic occasion when it could elect as president, "a former first lady, a Mormon, a Baptist preacher, and yes, a black man."

The first lady is Hillary Clinton, the Mormon is Republican Mitt Romney, the Baptist preacher is Huckabee, and the "black man" is Obama.

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