Bill Clinton: From Bubba to Flubba
April 27, 2008
BY KENNETH R. BAZINET and MICHAEL McAULIFF
He's just not the same Bubba.
Hillary Clinton's husband is still brilliant, still passionate and still a magnificent campaigner. But people who have known him and observers who have watched Bill Clinton for decades say he's lost at least half a step.
Think of him like Michael Jordan - only the past-his-prime version, playing for the Washington Wizards.
More than one acquaintance used the same words: "He's just not the same."
Colleagues point to a slew of potential reasons for Bubba stepping in it so often, including psychological and medical.
Some think he's not up to speed with the instant news world of the 21st century and spending too much time with wealthy, globe-trotting pals.
"What you hear from adoring rich guys in Davos is very different from what you hear in the living rooms of Iowa," said one.
Others theorize he's frustrated that Obama has co-opted the same "change message" that got Clinton elected in 1992.
Many think he's just older, and perhaps his heart bypass surgery in 2004 took more of a toll than people realize.
"It is possible that Bill Clinton's recent gaffes are a result of his bypass operation," said Dr. Marc Siegel, an NYU associate professor who has interviewed Clinton's heart surgeon.
Siegel was referring to a personality-change phenomenon sometimes seen in bypass patients.
Whatever the cause, the 42nd President has become a chronic headache for Hillary.
"I would have hoped by now he would have seen that his behavior at times during the campaign has been extraordinarily detrimental to Hillary, and he would have backed off," said a longtime Clinton insider. "Usually with him, there's some sort of self-awareness and he rights any wrongs. But it seems of late that he's not seeing what he's doing."
"Maybe, deep down, he can't stand not being the center of attention himself," the source added.
Leaving aside the good the former President has done for Hillary's bid, he's attracted many of her most unwanted headlines.
In the past couple of weeks, he revived stories about her Bosnia sniper-fire exaggerations - one of the most damaging stories for the former First Lady so far.
He made headlines on primary day in Pennsylvania by accusing Barack Obama of playing the race card in South Carolina - even though Hillary Clinton apologized for how heated things got down South and ordered her backers to shut up about it.
The race issue likely didn't hurt Clinton with the rural voters she counted on for her 9-point Keystone State win, but it's not what party superdelegates want to hear: Sen. Ted Kennedy endorsed Obama after the first flareup. Last week, influential South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn called Bubba's backslide "bizarre."
There's been a price to pay for the gaffes. Bill's popularity has slipped from around 60% to 47% in ABC News/Washington Post surveys. A Lifetime poll found 15% of women lowered their opinion of Hillary because of Bill.
But many Clinton pals are unwilling to acknowledge the legendary campaigner has slipped at all, even while admitting some of his bluster has harmed Hillary.
"It's always an enormously challenging situation when someone who is close to you is the candidate," said Chris Lehane, who worked in Clinton's White House.
Another Clinton associate, Doug Schoen, was even more emphatic, suggesting Hillary would be in far greater trouble now, and would not have done as well with those key voters in Pennsylvania, if not for Bill.
"The story of the campaign is not what's wrong with Bill Clinton, but what's right with Bill Clinton," Schoen said.
Source: NY Daily News
Hillary Shouldn’t Answer The White House Phone
April 27, 2008
Boston Globe Editorial
Americans have learned to take with a grain of salt much of the rhetoric in a campaign like the current Democratic donnybrook between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Still, there are some red lines that should never be crossed. Clinton did so Tuesday morning, the day of the Pennsylvania primary, when she told ABC's "Good Morning America" that, if she were president, she would "totally obliterate" Iran if Iran attacked Israel.
Desperate Hillary Clinton Eyes Oregon Upset
April 27, 2008
By Christina Bellatoni
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is making a stealth play for Oregon, where a primary win next month — combined with her two strongest remaining states, West Virginia and Kentucky — may open up a pathway to the Democratic ticket by convincing superdelegates that she deserves the nomination.
If Hillary Clinton can’t run campaign, can she run White House?
April 27, 2008
By David Lightman
Despite Hillary Clinton's big win in Pennsylvania last week, the story of her campaign is often one of mismanagement and missed opportunities, and it raises questions about how she'd organize and run the White House.
Hillary’s Record Haul and the Story Behind it
April 27, 2008
By Kenneth P. Vogel
Shortly after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s decisive 10-point triumph in Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary, her campaign won another key victory. By trumpeting a record $10 million fundraising haul in the 24 hours after the primary, the Clinton camp managed to silence speculation about whether she’ll be able to compete in the next round of states after emptying her coffers in Pennsylvania.
Angry Clinton Supporter Declares McCain Will Be Next President
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