Updated: See below. Whatever you think of the substance of Bill Clinton's "race card" complaint, you almost have to admire the way can he first insist he never said it and then go ahead and say it moments later (boldface added):
NBC/NJ: “Sir, what did you mean yesterday when you said that the Obama campaign was playing the race card on you?”
CLINTON: “When did I say that, and to whom did I say that?”
NBC/NJ: “On WHYY radio yesterday”
CLINTON: “No, no, no. That’s not what I said. You always follow me around and play these little games, and I’m not going to play your games today. This is a day about election day. Go back and see what the question was, and what my answer was. You have mischaracterized it to get another cheap story to divert the American people from the real urgent issues before us, and I choose not to play your game today...."
[testy back-and-forth ensues]
INTERVIEWER (RE: Jackson comment): “Do you think that was a mistake, and would you do that again?"
CLINTON: "No. I think that they played the race card on me....
P.S. I presume the basis for Bill's charge can be found here.
Update: Oops, I goofed. That last exchange didn't happen as part of the original interview here, it was from Clinton's WHYY interview yesterday. My bad.
--Michael Crowley