by Mark Silva
As Bill Clinton waltzes across Texas today and tomorrow, stumping for his wife’s presidential campaign from Texarkana to Nacogdoches, this question weighs heavily on the Clintons: Has the former president helped or hurt the former first lady?
Weeks ago, in South Carolina, the 42nd president’s words were exploding around him, turning the contest with Sen. Barack Obama into the sort of contest that none of them wanted to have. After Obama defeated Clinton in the first Southern contest, her husband dismissed the results by saying: “Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in ’84 and ’88. Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here.’’
Hillary Clinton had to explain those remarks away on national television, saying, on CBS’s Face the Nation soon afterward: “Well, I think it's human nature. I think that the spouses of all three of us have, you know, been passionate and vigorous defenders of each of us and, you know, maybe got a little carried away.’’
Bill Clinton hasn’t been able to explain away Obama’s last eight victories in states from Washington to Maine, or his sweep of the “Potomac’’ primaries this week.
Yet, while the former president has slipped out of the news in recent weeks – with the Project for Excellence in Journalism reporting that Bill Clinton “registered as a significant or dominant newsmaker’’ in only two percent of the news stories from Feb. 4 through Feb. 10, as opposed to 18 percent when South Carolina was in the news – he has not stopped campaigning for the senator from New York.
Last night, as he is wont to do, Bill Clinton carried on for 90 minutes in La Crosse, Wis., with an audience of more than 2,000 in a University of Wisconsin gym. Reid Magney of the La Crosse Tribune got the story:
"I think that action counts more than rhetoric, that solutions are more important than speeches, however beautiful,’’’ Clinton said, sounding the theme of “all talk, no action’’ that Hillary Clinton also is voicing about Obama in her bid to ward him away from the Democratic nomination with votes in Texas and Ohio.
“That’s what I believe,’’ he said.
In addition to promising universal health care, he said of his wife, “she’s the only one who wants to freeze" mortgage foreclosures.
While the Obama campaign runs campaign ads criticizing Clinton’s health care plan for requiring everyone to purchase insurance, Obama claims his plan would make coverage more affordable.
“This is going to be affordable for everyone," Bill Clinton said in La Crosse. “You can believe the propaganda on the television or you can believe the experts…. You will never get control of costs unless you cover all Americans.
“I think Hillary should be president because she'll give health care to every single American," he said.
Among those in the audience: Leo Jilk of Winona, Minn. – where Obama already has won a primary election – who described himself as behind Mrs. Clinton "four-square. Every time I see Hillary come on, I turn to my wife and say, 'I'm so proud you're a woman, babe.'
“One of the reasons I support Hillary is we're working-class people, and her package resonates more with us," Jilk said.
Seat next to her: Steve Engber of Onalaska, Wis., who said he is weighing a vote for Clinton versus Obama. “I’d vote either for in November -- and hoped they might be on the same ticket,’’ Engber said.
“I know the Clintons will pick up the machinery where they left off. I trust them to govern effectively," he said. Yet, "I have an aching for inspirational leadership.’’
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Comments
John McCain:
A hundred year war
No bomb left behind
Health care for all Iraqis
Posted by: dt | February 15, 2008 9:45 AM
It is fascinating to watch the Clinton surrogates maneuvering with the super delegates and the unseated FL and MI delegations to steal the nomination from Obama. Listening to Clintonista Lanny Davis describe on TV how and why it can be done is instructive: (1) Have the super delegates push to have the FL and MI delegates seated in violation of the DNC's previous directive and cast for Hillary; and (2) Have the super delegates generate just enough votes to ease out Obama in the guise of selecting the best candidate, as party leaders did with FDR, Stevenson and Kennedy. That is the justification. See how nice the Clintons are? Goodbye Obama.
Posted by: Hampton | February 15, 2008 10:11 AM
The Clinton will try and steal the nomination from Obama and we the people will not accept that.
'Obama is our Guy'
Posted by: sandra | February 15, 2008 10:47 AM
All talk no action is now their new slogan. Isnt this like their 3rd or 4th campaign change? The irony is, what accomplishments did Hillary make in the Senate? Whats that? NONE. THe biggest vote of her political career she got wrong. The other thing I hate is the question, is Bill hurting Hillary. In terms of her career, without the Clinton name, Hillary wouldnt have even made it to the Senate, much less the white house.
Posted by: Wayne | February 15, 2008 11:05 AM
The big question is;
Who is going to pay for 'Health Care For Every American'
....They alway's seem to leave that out.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | February 15, 2008 11:15 AM
Sandra, "your guy" (not the people's, nobody has the delegates yet) will have a lot tougher sledding in Texas, Pennsylvania and Ohio than he has in the state's with a large black population.
It's impossible for Hillary to "steal" something that isn't Obama's property in the first place. Your guy hasn't won spit until he has enough delegates for the nod.
You Obama true believers have counted Hillary out before (New Hampshire, California). I wouldn't be boasting so much if I were you.
Posted by: Jeff | February 15, 2008 11:18 AM
Which Clinton is running? If she is such a strong leader, why can't she manage her campaign? Why can't she attempt to win without Bill? As an ex-president Bill has stepped over yet another ethical line (not that he has ever had a problem with that) with his active participation in this campaign. It's time to say goodbye to the both of them and flush their crappy style of politics and all it represents into the toilet bowl of history . . . please!
Posted by: Emily Dolke | February 15, 2008 11:19 AM
The new dawning of the Age of $ociali$m. My guitar AND my wallet will be not so gently weeping. wow.
Posted by: B. V. Scott | February 15, 2008 11:24 AM
It's important to recognize that not all action is the right kind of action. For the facts, it's probably best to look back at where Hillary and Obama's senate voting records differ: http://politicalmaelstrom.blogspot.com/2008/01/actual-differences-between-barack-and.html
Posted by: Jesse | February 15, 2008 11:26 AM
The Clintons had 8 years to work on health care. Now they want 8 more to do it. No way! Bill waltzed through the White House with his innocent, young, virgin girl friend while this important work went undone.
Posted by: GW | February 15, 2008 11:28 AM
My question is will Clinton give all Americans Healthcare or will she force all Americans to get Healthcare at whatever cost.
Probably forcing all Americans to get Healthcare will mean more profit for the phamacitical companies funding her campaign.
Posted by: Raymond Micheals | February 15, 2008 11:29 AM
You guys are too much. How do you think Obama will get healthcare for children, he will need mandates as well. What a freaking joke.
Posted by: qster | February 15, 2008 12:20 PM
Its alright for Obama's wife to go around saying she may not vote for Hillary. Its comments like this that start trouble. The media don't spin this talk.
Ms. Obama works for a Chicago Hospital that charges minorities more than whites and you think that is good.
Wake up people, do your homework.
Posted by: qster | February 15, 2008 12:22 PM
Bill and Hillary: what's the point? You have lost me. Why should I believe anything you say? You have proven time and again that you will say anything. It's about you and it's about Hillary and your naked ambition.
It's been a shame to watch Mr. Clinton's reputation go down the tubes. But I'm beginning to realize that it may be just.
Posted by: ShrimptonMcClams | February 15, 2008 12:54 PM
"You will never get control of costs unless you cover all Americans."
Doesn't this seem backwards? How does mandating that everyone buy insurance cause medical and insurance costs to fall?
I know the Clintons will pick up the machinery where they left off. I trust them to govern effectively," he said. Yet, "I have an aching for inspirational leadership.’’
But what if the machinery's changed since the two were last in charge? The way to run a successful campaign sure did. I hope our future president can provide more than the answers of the nineties for the problems of today.
Posted by: dal | February 15, 2008 12:59 PM
Obama was only elected to the Senate in 2004. Secondly , he has spent at least the last year running for President. Obama is totally unqualified to be President. He doesn't even have enough experience yet to be an effective Senator. It is one thing to run around and say Yes we can change, it is quite another thing to get it done. Wake up Democrats this guy is not going to get anything done. He will spend the first days in the White House looking for the mens room, nevermind figuring out who are the important people in the Pentagon. Yeah righ change. Also, Obama lists in his backgorund that he was a "community organizer". What on earth is that supposed to mean? You know what it sounds like to me a resume filler when you were un-employed. Do tell Mr. Obama what is a community organizer? Who pays you when you are a community organizer. Mr. Obama is just full of empty rhetoric.
Posted by: John Winooker | February 15, 2008 1:18 PM
Bill Clinton is a wonderful asset to Hillary Clinton. They are quite simply, the best political team in history. Bill would be a great help to President Hillary Clinton, she could send Bill around the world (where Bill and Hillary are known, respected, beloved, and MISSED) and Bill could work to repair the considerable damage that has been done to the reputation of the U.S. under the Bush/Cheney disaster.
Hillary Clinton is clearly the most qualified candidate for President. I trust the Dems won't squander their best chance for victory in November by nominating Sen. Obama, who is not qualified to be President and is not electable in the general election. Michelle Obama is not an asset, her tone is nasty at times and she does that weird thing with her mouth, she's very hard to watch and listen to.
Hillary is the hometown girl, born and raised in Chicago!!!!!! Obama lived in Honolulu and Jakarta, Indonesia???
BOYCOTT MSNBC
BOYCOTT OPRAH
Posted by: John & Elizabeth | February 15, 2008 1:33 PM
Bill Clinton is a wonderful asset to Hillary Clinton. They are quite simply, the best political team in history. Bill would be a great help to President Hillary Clinton, she could send Bill around the world (where Bill and Hillary are known, respected, beloved, and MISSED) and Bill could work to repair the considerable damage that has been done to the reputation of the U.S. under the Bush/Cheney disaster.
Hillary Clinton is clearly the most qualified candidate for President. I trust the Dems won't squander their best chance for victory in November by nominating Sen. Obama, who is not qualified to be President and is not electable in the general election. Michelle Obama is not an asset, her tone is nasty at times and she does that weird thing with her mouth, she's very hard to watch and listen to.
Hillary is the hometown girl, born and raised in Chicago!!!!!! Obama lived in Honolulu and Jakarta, Indonesia???
BOYCOTT MSNBC
BOYCOTT OPRAH
Posted by: John & Elizabeth | February 15, 2008 1:33 PM
Based on using the actual tax tables (see link below), here are some examples of what the taxes were/are on various amounts of income for both singles and married couples. So let's see if the Bush tax cuts only helped the rich.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html
Taxes under Clinton 1999 Taxes under Bush 2008
Single making 30K - tax $8,400 Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $14,000 Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $23,250 Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K - tax $16,800 Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $21,000 Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $38,750 Married making 125K - tax $31,250
If you want to know just how effective the mainstream media is, it is amazing how many people that fall into the categories above think Bush is screwing them and Bill Clinton was the greatest President ever.
If any democrat is elected, ALL of them say they will repeal the Bush tax cuts and a good portion of the people that fall into the categories above can't wait for it to happen.
This is like the movie The Sting with Paul Newman; you scam somebody out of some money and they don't even know what happened.
Posted by: Jim | February 15, 2008 2:51 PM
Jim @2:51 p.m.,
Thanks for that Comparative Table. You are so dead-on correct. As long as there is a sizeable electorate that votes on looks, the best hair, feelings, charm /perceived charisma, rhetoric that is really not all that good, mixed in with a little snake oil, the rest of us will forever be under the bus. The democrats have this game perfected to a T. Americans - good and totally gullible.
Posted by: B. V. Scott | February 15, 2008 4:06 PM
The more I hear about Obama the more I get nervous about this guy. It's amazing that the media doesn't want to cover more detail about him. I suppose we are too apathetic to care. We just want a entertaining actor in chief like Obama. The ambiguity with which Obama addresses issues reminds me a lot of Bush. Then again, that may be what we want.
"Obama's plan today is the most shameless piece of potential plagiarism that I have ever seen," McCain economic advisor Kevin Hassett said.
"He basically took Clinton's words and Clinton's policies and called them his own," Hassett said. "If I were a professor I'd give him an F and try to get him kicked out of school for something this terrible ... I remember Mrs. Clinton saying shared prosperity and I remember the bill that she introduced in August for infrastructure. The fact is these are things Obama has taken as his own without crediting the source of the ideas which was Mrs. Clinton."
On another note, I wonder what affect it would have on our society if President Obama decides to revert to Islam, the faith of his father, one day. How would that affect us? Would it affect us? I don't think that question has ever been posed. Both of his fathers were Muslim and so is his brother. He is said to have had deep admiration for his brother when he formally started practicing Islam. I think these are questions most Americans care about but we've never really had to confront before now.
Posted by: Jamie | February 15, 2008 4:40 PM
"I've found my voice....again". Give credit to Billary for staying strong on the campaign trail.
Love the multiple posts by 'different' Billary backers. Oh no! Texas, Ohio, and Pa won't seal the deal anyway. It will be up to the Billary machine to 'backroom' a deal to count Fla and Michigan. How great that will be for the Dems - just hand McCain a win in November.
McCain wants to run against Clinton because he knows he will win that election hands down. Billary is such a waste of time. The 90's are over.
Posted by: karl | February 15, 2008 4:52 PM
Even MSNBC is on our side. Hillary, the shrew, needs to give up. Women don't belong running our country. The media is on our side people, so just give up already. You can't win. People criticizing Senator Obama for being Muslim are ignorant. He can be proud of his background in America. A proud second generation Muslim-American because we are a diverse country and we believe in ourselves.
MSNBC, CNN, and even FOX is on our side. See the writing on the wall??? We win.
McCain we are going to shut down your military and kick you back to Vietnam.
Our movement cannot be stopped.
They said the day would never come, but it has!!!
Obama '08
Posted by: Mike | February 15, 2008 5:50 PM
"
The big question is;
Who is going to pay for 'Health Care For Every American'
....They alway's seem to leave that out.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | February 15, 2008 11:15 AM"
Everyone.
Posted by: C.Morris | February 15, 2008 6:25 PM
Read it and laugh (or weep)
http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/in_a_few_years_well_all_laugh
Posted by: OldCreaky | February 15, 2008 9:16 PM
"Ms. Obama works for a Chicago Hospital that charges minorities more than whites and you think that is good."
*****
Posted by: qster | February 15, 2008 12:22 PM
qster:
When Mrs. Obama is put in charge of the hospital, keeps the same billing policy policy - and then runs for office - I promise I will hold it against her. But she's not running for office. Her husband is.
This has nothing to do with her husband. So, why is it relevant to his candidacy?
You can only hold people responsible for the stuff over which they have control.
Posted by: John W. | February 16, 2008 12:10 AM
vote smart..vote Hillary
Posted by: tm | February 16, 2008 10:47 AM
the more i here opiee obamma yak the more i think he;s the anti christ
Posted by: herman | February 16, 2008 11:55 AM
Yeah...and a chicken in every pot.
Posted by: Paul Jaeger | February 16, 2008 1:52 PM
"Yeah...and a chicken in every pot.
Posted by: Paul Jaeger | February 16, 2008 1:52 PM"
....and a car in every driveway. Who could possibly imagine such crazy dreams?!
Posted by: C.Morris | February 16, 2008 8:20 PM
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Posted by: Calculation of Calories Burnt | February 19, 2008 1:57 AM
It is sometimes difficult to understand how a nation that was so great could degenerate into one that presents Clinton, Obama, and McCain as the top three candidates for presidential office. However, reading the incredibly naive and uninformed comments that have been written here make it easier to understand. The socialist welfare mentality has infected the country to a point where it is no longer a nation of willing workers, but rather one of greedy takers. Our ancestors must be incredibly embarrassed at what we have done to the country they built.
Posted by: DanCerone | February 19, 2008 4:34 AM
I WANT TO FIX HILLARY CLINTON FOR STAYING WITH BILL WHEN SHE SHOULD HAVE DIVORCED HIM OVER:
1. HIS ANTIMASTURBATION
2. HIS CHEATING ADULTERY
ALSO IM AGAINST HER NOT LISTENING TO ME ABOUT VOTING AGAINST THE ANTI POKER BILL (PHONE CALLS, LETTERS) AND RECEIVING FUNDING FROM HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES WHEN THEY ARE ALREADY OVERCHARGING AND AGE DISCRIMINATING. I ALSO BELIEVE LIKE JOE LIEBERMAN THAT BILL CLINTON SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMPEACHED AFTER ILLEGALLY CHEATING ON HIS WIFE.
Posted by: FRANK TELLS | February 19, 2008 4:44 PM