Oh, boy! Obama camp announces 'big role' for Bill Clinton in fall

A campaign spokesman for Sen. Barack Obama today told a reporter that ex-President Bill Clinton would play a "big role" in the upcoming general election campaign.

This could be the usual unity hoo-haa leading up to Friday's joint Obama-Hillary Clinton appearance in, of all places, Unity, N.H. This, after their joint appearance in Washington on Thursday before many of her top fundraisers.

Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki did not reveal to Bloomberg reporter Kristin Jensen how the campaign might use the former president.

"A unified Democratic Party is going to be a powerful force for change this year, and we're confident President Clinton will play a big role in that," Psaki said.

Not that there would be any political conniving among fellow Democrats because the Republicans are so collectively evil and any personal party ambitions must take second place to that or be seen to anyway.

But can you imagine all the conceivable subversive subplots inherent in the husband of the defeated Democratic candidate campaigning for the man who beat her? And if Obama just happens to lose, the door to 2012 is wide open for, oh, look, the Clinton wife again.

Of course, both Clintons want to appear to work hard for ...

... Obama, now that they've stopped suggesting that his South Carolina primary victory was a fluke like Jesse Jackson's and saying, "Shame on you, Barack Obama!"

Even during the vicious closing days of the primary season when Sen. Clinton was desperate for Democratic support, as The Ticket noted here, she obviously refrained from attacking her close friend, John McCain, by name, targeting instead the Republicans or the Bush administration.

At times she even praised McCain as well experienced to be president on Day One while Obama "has a speech he gave in 2002."

Bill Clinton has been largely silent since the primaries' end, mentioning Obama only in passing in a recent Miami speech. Hillary Clinton said all the right things in her "I-give-up" speech and has held conference calls urging supporters to switch to the freshman Illinois senator.

But a number of Clinton's longtime supporters like Haim Saban have opted out of the "Now we're helping Obama" effort.

And Bill is gonna have to be a whole lot more disciplined out there on the wild rodeo speaking stumps mouthing the message of his wife's vanquisher than he was speaking on behalf of his own spouse.

Many days from January 2007 until The End, when he wore that funereal black suit to the surrender, he walked all over her intended campaign theme of the day by creating distracting news through yet another angry confrontation over something else.

How much control will the Chicago Obama crowd have if it really does give Bill Clinton a "big role"? Can't wait to watch this. If they show up with a knife, you show up with a gun.

One measure of Hillary's profound appreciation for Bill Clinton's campaign months of "help" was that she left him completely out of her online campaign photo book, 20 double pages of pictures that did include Chelsea but had no room for hubby. Thanks, hon.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[anonymous]

If the Clintons are playing a big role in Obama's campaign, then he has blatantly lied about "change." Obama WILL lose my vote.

[anonymous]

If the Clintons are playing a big role in Obama's campaign, then he has blatantly lied about "change." Obama WILL lose my vote.

[Mark Tarango]

The author of this article is an idiot.

[Rob Garcia]

I voted for Obama because he was not associated with Clinton (Bill or Hillary). If Bill & Hillary are going to be part of the Obama campaign I guess it's time to take another look at McCain.

rg

[wth]

Why is this coming up as news in google news? This is meaningless drivel hypothesizing based upon a single sentence followed by some tenuously related details of the preceding 6 months. What happened to investigative journalism? This guff is no replacement for real news (a disappearing art form these days).

Learn how to contribute meaningful analysis rather than forcing "reality" tv style drama into world events.

-WTH

[Mindy Cakolovitch]

Oy vey ! Why Hillary does not dump the lousy bum is beyond me . And why did the MSM keep quiet about Bill"s
womanizing on the campaign trail. The man is a sexual
pervert and a compulsory cheater. It burns my a$$ that a
good man like Spitzer had to resign after over-sex Bill goaway with murder.

[dePaul Consiglio Monsey NY USA]

That Former President Bill Clinton has a place in this campaign not only makes sense but there's not another way to secure the election for Mr Obama and his running mate unless he doesn't select Mrs. Clinton as his VP Candidate.

One More thing
There's al ot of euphoria going around about Mr Obama's
Campaign and by November this could become even more exciting. But this Election could be America's Last Hope for Survival as a Nation.
Beware the Trojan Horse

Vote for America
Into the Future and Back to the Age of the Pioneers

dePaul Consiglio
the101one

[FriendlyKoala]

Wow! Could this article be any more biased? I mean come on, "the Clinton wife", how demeaning!

[Cheryll]

Bill. Don't do it!! For the love of all...don't support Obama!

[Clyde Nugget]

If HRC were not Bill's wife, she would be just another housewife. The only reason she won the seat in the Senate was because she is Bill's wife. The only reason she was a potential Democrat Party Nominee is because she is Bill's wife. This is how she shows her appreciation for her husband?

Bill should stay away from Obama as Obama will ruin him further.

[edith buenaobra]

I still believe in Hillary... I and my friends will boycott this election if Hillary is not the VP...

[Benny]

Wow, how far back did you have to go to dig up that photo of Bill? That looks like something from SNL! What kind of a column is this anyway? Oh... I get it - I see the author worked for Laura Bush.

[Steve Soto]

Why in all of the available photos of Bill Clinton did the Times select this one, or take this tone in the piece?

[x]

Bill did a great deal of damage to his own image and that of Hilary.... but what lost the campaign was the manager for Hilary who messed everything up, Once the campaign manger was changed she "got on message" and Bill was told to take some Vicodin and Vodka and shut up... suddenly Hillary had a shot.

Either way I'm an independent and interested on fixing problems; not party politics nor dogma.

[e jones]

Bill for VP
cherez les bon temps roll

[08vote]

If Obama wants to show some real judgment, he will only give a MINOR role for Pres Bill Clinton. Stop trying to get the Hillary lovers to like you and therefore vote you, Obama.....they're sore losers, and yes, they are bitter, clinging, uneducated, and do I dare say, racial if not racist.....

[Pj Pinol]

What do you expect from Slime?

[Eric]

This is garbage news!

It is not even news, it is political commentary of absolutely no value.

[jimsparks]

The best way that Bill Clinton can help Barack Obama to become president is to stay at home, close the door, turn off the lights, don't answer the telephone and KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!

[TruthIsTreasonComplianceIsPatriotic]

This is such a ridiculous dog and pony show. These so called presidential candidates are barely qualified to manage a Taco Bell drive thru restaurant. They're clowns. McCain is senile and crazy and Obama is just a smooth talking schmoozer. Now they're telling us that Bill Clinton is going to play a role. Why? In a nation of 300 miillion people we need to bring back this embarassment of a president. What's next, John McCain will make Dubya his Secretary of Defense.

It's freaking ridiculous cronyism and corruption. What is wrong with you America? This presidential race is nothing but entertainment drivel. These people can not lead the country. They're a joke!

[Me]

This whole blog post was more of an unfocused rant than anything else. Get your mind right, old son.

[Larry Oregon]

I hope this is more ficticious wrighting. I really dont wan't to see that loser speak for Obama.

[primarywatcher]

Is Obama outta his ever livin' lovin' mind??? He can't do this without the Clintons??? Keeeryst. I thought we were accomplishing something outside the box. It's beginning to look like the same ol' same ol'. Obama, why? why? why.

[N.E. BodybutHillary]

Bill Clinton can interview all the future White House interns.

Possibly he could be a bell clerk for the Lincoln bedroom.

He also has experience in developing outgoing administration presidential pardon lists.

This man has much to offer.

[Winemaster2]

Politics is a practical business where enemies can be useful
for common interests. For the Clintons, it was the debt relief that makes the difference, plus the Clintons have the connections, but for Obama, there is a grave danger for getting sucked into Bill and Hillary baggage.

One wonders who was the deal maker. Hope not the Diane Finestien. However, the forced marriage may lead to a disaster.