Bill Clinton takes a trip down memory lane

Much of the political world may be atwitter over a Bloomberg News Service column reporting tension between Bill Clinton and the folks running his wife's presidential campaign, but the man himself dutifully -- and effectively -- did his part on her behalf today in icy Iowa.

There were no stumbles over when he first opposed the Iraq war; there was less chatter about himself, in general. Instead, he regaled his listeners at Iowa State University with remembrances of the youthful Hillary Clinton. And he delivered carefully calibrated remarks aimed at making the case for her over Barack Obama (without ever uttering that rival's name).

The Times' Mark Z. Barabak was at the scene and tells us that the ex-president recalled how, during the early days of their courtship as students at Yale University's law school, he foresaw a political path for Hillary in her homestate of Illinois. He suggested, he said, that she join a well-connected Chicago law firm and prepare to run for office.

She quickly and decisively nixed that idea. “I’m too hard-headed,” he quoted her as saying. “Who would ever vote for me?”

Eventually, she joined Bill in his homestate of Arkansas. ...

“When she came down there and we got married, I was a defeated candidate for Congress with a $26,000 salary and a $42,000 campaign debt. Now if she were half as calculating as somebody says, that’s a really great way to run for president someday, isn’t it?”

That recollection garnered a big laugh from his crowd of about 400.

He took the high road in casting an eye upon the entire Democratic presidential field. “I like all these people,” he said, adding that the array of candidates had all done “mountains of good stuff.”

But the meat of his speech went to describing Hillary, over and over, as the one best able to effect change -- an argument meant to counter the core of Obama's appeal.

Numerous times, he used the words change and agent in some combination, as in: “She has always been an agent of change.”

He repeatedly drew implicit contrasts with Obama, to wit: “I can stand up here and give you the prettiest speech in the wide world. ... But it’s also important to know how to get from a good intention to a specific result.”

Lots of politicians have visions and plans, he also said, but the key is who can deliver. Once again, that set up his overriding theme: “She has spent a lifetime as a change agent.”

"Disciplined" is not a word often linked with Bill Clinton. But on this one day, in this one setting, he was on message.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Kennedy]

Its time the media stopped the unbiased reporting for the Clinton campaign! Does Oprah own CNN or MSNBC?

Hillary has been attacked since this started by ALL the candidates running, democrat and republican, and has continued to be a strong, intelligent, completely capable leader with compassion and conviction, she makes me glad to be a woman! I’m ashamed of obama and Edwards for damaging their own party, is why Huckabee is gaining. All this playing with oprah will put a republican in the White House for certain. WOMAN OF AMERICA, THIS IS OUR TIME! STAND UP AND BE COUNTED, THERE IS NO LIMITS. Let the media say what they will about Clinton, it’s solely because she is a strong woman and that scares men like obama and Edwards. My dear grandmother is 86 and my youngest daughter is 10, both are extremely excited that a woman can be President of this great country. My daughter asks why a woman has never been elected before, because men didn’t allow it. I urge all women to really look at the issues and this country and vote for Clinton. Keep in mind all media outlets are selling papers and trying to attract viewers, they love nothing more than candidates going after each other, when WE THE VOTER do not like it at all, I still believe that any of the democrats running are good candidates, I truly feel Clinton’s connections and clout with foreign countries is what we need ASAP. I do not feel confident that oprahbama biased support of obama will help him. We already see voters joking and billing it as the oprahbama show. She completely overshadowed him. She spoke well this weekend, but he failed to impress or add anything. That’s not good for this country. Oprahs is not the woman running for president, to help this country…its CLINTON. Give her the chance ladies! She has a long long record or public service helping children and minorities. Stick together and let’s make history for our mothers and daughters and ALL THE COURAGOUS WOMAN SENT TO THIS USELESS BUSH/CHANEY WAR!

[Carolyn Grace]

Since when has Hillary been an "agent of change"? And Bill, tell me about how you've always been opposed to the Iraq war? When will these two ever tell the truth? And now it was reported this morning on MSNBC that the Clinton campaign sent an e-mail to try and dig up some dirt on Senator Obama's day as a community organizer in Chicago. Don't these people ever stop? Their internal polls must show them losing really bad.

[Meyers]

I attended this event last night in Iowa City. I'm still looking online for a transcript of Bill's speech. It touched on so many important topics and I'd love to forward it to some people that I know. I think that the more America gets to know Hillary Clinton and becomes familiar with her many years of activism the stronger her support will become. I can't wait to see her debate the Republican candidate. I moved to Iowa from California just before the 2003 caucuses. It really is such a different experience to have so many opportunities to meet the candidates in intimate settings and ask them questions. I have shaken hands with all the Democratic candidates this year except Bill Richardson. I'm glad that HIllary's campaign is finally taking advantage of Bill Clinton's excellent campaigning skills. They have been a great team for over 35 years. For me it was his response to one of the questions from the audience that was most interesting. Someone asked what role he would play if Hillary were elected. I'm surprised that this was not mentioned in this article. He said they have always been a strong team and that she will listen to his advice if she were president but she would of course make the her own decisions and work closely with her Vice President and Secretary of State. Bill will work on whatever projects he is asked to do, but would enjoy working on building the 'Green Economy' and traveling internationally to rebuild relationships with other countries.

Re: Carolyn Grace's comments just because you aren't personally familiar with Hillary's history that does not mean that it is not true. Maybe stories on Hillary as an 'agent of change' just aren't great at boosting ratings or selling papers. If you look at her biography it speaks for itself.