'Today' Hosts Imagine Bill Clinton Playing Kenny G as Hillary and Obama Made Amends in '08

June 6th, 2014 4:42 PM

At the top of the 9 a.m. ET hour on Friday's NBC Today, co-hosts Al Roker, Tamron Hall, and Natalie Morales came up with an odd imaging of a 2008 meeting between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama following the bruising Democratic primary. Roker joked: "Well, during that date, they did play Kenny G. That really helped." Hall added: "No, no, they played Kenny G. Bill Clinton came in with the sax as Kenny G." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

Hall confessed: "We fantasize a lot around here." Roker remarked: "We're just in our little world." Morales chimed in: "And they drank bottles and bottles of Chardonnay and then everything was okay."

The fawning discussion was prompted by Hall citing a account of the meeting in Clinton's new memoir:

What I also found interesting is that she reveals some personal details about that secret meeting she had with Barack Obama in 2008. She wrote in part, "We stared at each other like two teenagers on an awkward first date, taking a few sips of Chardonnay"....So they sat there and discussed some of the back and forth, which then resulted in him selecting her to be the secretary of state.

After fantasizing about the encounter, the hosts proceeded to argue over who would get to take home the only advanced copy of Hard Choices:

HALL: So do I get to keep this copy?

ROKER: Actually, that is Savannah's copy.

MORALES: I think it's the one copy.

ROKER: Savannah's – that's Savannah's copy.

HALL: It's not signed to Savannah.

ROKER: Well, okay, well, I tell you what...

MORALES: We'll get it Tuesday.

ROKER: ...you walk away with it.

HALL: And a pregnant woman chase me down.

ROKER: And a pregnant woman – yeah.

HALL: I can't handle that. I'm too afraid.

ROKER: I'm going to tell you. I wouldn't want it to be me.

HALL: Nothing like an angry six-foot pregnant woman wanting her book.

ROKER: No, no, no.

HALL: Alright, fine SG, I'm going to get your book back to you. Alright, I'll buy it Tuesday.

Earlier on the show, the book was touted as Clinton's "opening argument for her next presidential campaign."


Here is a full transcript of the June 6 segment:

9:02 AM ET

AL ROKER: Hard choices to make, which kind of leads us to Hillary Rodham Clinton's new book.

TAMRON HALL: Absolutely. Yeah, you're smooth.

NATALIE MORALES: Mr. Segue.

HALL: Okay, this book. We were just marveling at – first of all, I mean this is so sad, we went straight for the pictures. What does that say about us?

MORALES: It is 600 pages long.

HALL: It's a 600-page book with amazing color photos.

MORALES: We have a lot to read.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: First Look at Hillary's Book; New Details Revealed on Bergdahl & Secret Obama Meeting]

HALL: But Hillary Clinton, we happened – and I love that word – and we happened to get our hands on a copy on Hillary Clinton's Hard Choices before its official release date. She writes about her time, of course, as secretary of state. And even touches on the Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl – it wasn't a controversy at the time she was writing about it, but she did discuss the release of this soldier and what was happening behind the scenes. In the book, she says, "Opening the door to negotiations with the Taliban would be hard to swallow for many Americans." Again, perspective here. This is before the actual deal was brokered last week.

MORALES: As secretary of state, she was handling certainly some of the negotiations behind the scenes over the last five years when he was in captivity.

HALL: And she anticipated obviously the backlash, and she herself admits to being torn, what message does this send if you negotiate with the Taliban?

What I also found interesting is that she reveals some personal details about that secret meeting she had with Barack Obama in 2008. She wrote in part, "We stared at each other like two teenagers on an awkward first date, taking a few sips of Chardonnay." Again, that story – this was after that brutal primary. There were allegations of racism, some felt that he had been dismissive of her during the debate when he said she was – Hillary is "likable enough," somewhere along that.  

MORALES: It was contentious.

HALL: So they sat there and discussed some of the back and forth, which then resulted in him selecting her to be the secretary of state.

ROKER: Well, during that date, they did play Kenny G. That really helped.

HALL: No, no, they played Kenny G. Bill Clinton came in with the sax as Kenny G.

ROKER: Very nice.

HALL: We fantasize a lot around here.

ROKER: We're just in our little world.

MORALES: And they drank bottles and bottles of Chardonnay and then everything was okay.

HALL: The larger conversation is whether this is the lead-up to 2016, if this Hillary Clinton's policy.

ROKER: I'm sure she wrote that book just for the heck of it.

MORALES: And then she does – the part with the President, I think, the part that was amazing, as you read it, I think is when she talks about when they captured Osama Bin Laden, being there in the briefing room and she said, "I've never felt prouder being and serving with this president." So it's pretty remarkable stories in there. Look forward to reading it.

HALL: So do I get to keep this copy?

ROKER: Actually, that is Savannah's copy.

MORALES: I think it's the one copy.

ROKER: Savannah's – that's Savannah's copy.

HALL: It's not signed to Savannah.

ROKER: Well, okay, well, I tell you what...

MORALES: We'll get it Tuesday.

ROKER: ...you walk away with it.

HALL: And a pregnant woman chase me down.

ROKER: And a pregnant woman – yeah.

HALL: I can't handle that. I'm too afraid.

ROKER: I'm going to tell you. I wouldn't want it to be me.

HALL: Nothing like an angry six-foot pregnant woman wanting her book.

ROKER: No, no, no.

HALL: Alright, fine SG, I'm going to get your book back to you. Alright, I'll buy it Tuesday.