Bill Clinton: Mistake Was Thinking I Was "Like Any Other Spouse"

Bill Clinton yesterday suggested that his controversial comments preceding the South Carolina primary were a mistake. Said Bill:

"The mistake that I made is to think that I was a spouse like any other spouse, who could defend his candidate," he said. "I think I can promote Hillary but not defend her, because I was president. I have to let her defend herself or have someone else defend her."

He followed up with, "I don't want to be the story."

Comments

[EspritDeVoltaire]

09:27 AM on 02/10/2008

The real irony is that when they referred to him as the "first Black president", no one realized how badly Black people were being insulted.

[NeoAmerican]

08:47 AM on 02/10/2008

The ex-president as burlesque comedian, the vulgarity of his prevarications apparently know no bounds.

[Dari]

07:50 AM on 02/10/2008

Give US a break, former Pres. Clinton! As one of the MOST astute politicans to come along, we know that you do NOT say or do anything WITHOUT calculating its outcome!

THIS is the BIGGEST fairy tale yet!

After reading the newer post here on Huffington about YET AGAIN another Follow the Money $$$$,
AND your wife's refusal to SHOW her tax returns until AFTER she wins the nomination, I am awaiting the music that we're off to see the Wizard of Oz!

Unlike former Pres. Carter, who has written books, made speeches, built up Habitat for Humanity and been a GOOD will ambassador in many troublespots in the world, you former Pres. Clinton have been busy ADDING TO YOUR OWN COFFERS! The 131 million dollar DONATION to your "Foundation", is just the beginning of the scrutiny that will AGAIN bring shame & embarrassment to the Presidency & to the White House!

Clinton motto: IF it WORKS, then it is RIGHT.

Carter motto: IF it is RIGHT, then it WORKS.

[OtayPanky]

06:59 AM on 02/10/2008

Frank Rich is very sharp. Here's his take on Bill's "mistake" from today's NY Times.

===

In October, seven months after the two candidates’ dueling church perorations in Selma, USA Today found Hillary Clinton leading Mr. Obama among African-American Democrats by a margin of 62 percent to 34 percent. But once black voters met Mr. Obama and started to gravitate toward him, Bill Clinton and the campaign’s other surrogates stopped caring about what African-Americans thought. In an effort to scare off white voters, Mr. Obama was ghettoized as a cocaine user (by the chief Clinton strategist, Mark Penn, among others), “the black candidate” (as Clinton strategists told the Associated Press) and Jesse Jackson redux (by Mr. Clinton himself).

The result? Black America has largely deserted the Clintons. In her California primary victory, Mrs. Clinton drew only 19 percent of the black vote.

===

Now...please folks, Rich is no "Hillary hater". He just knows bad fish when he smells it.

As I said below, Bill's explanation of his "mistake" is disingenuous - and just one more in a long series of Clintonian lies.

[ALMAL]

06:25 PM on 02/09/2008

they call him racist,and he appologizing

[anghiari]

03:38 PM on 02/09/2008

Well, at least this time he remembered that he was someone's spouse and not just someone's one night stand... you have to appreciate the tiny steps Bill takes in his marriage.

[brooklyncitizen]

11:24 PM on 02/09/2008

LOL

[horacekent]

03:17 PM on 02/09/2008

Hillary's campaign has been constantly copycating Barack's messages & slogans.

Most recent headline: "HILLARY CALLS HER CAMPAIGN A MOVEMENT"

What a joke!! You'd think with all the high priced political advisors on the Clinton campaign payroll - they could come up with an original thought!!

I'd call Hillary's campaign a "Bowel Movement"

[horacekent]

02:27 PM on 02/09/2008

In my opinion, the Clintons are politically filthy. Nothing is beneath them & they will say & do anything to win. Should they win, they will come into the White House with 20+ years of political favors to payback & lobbyist to please.

Why can't we make a clean break & fresh start?

I know why the Clintons are fighting to gain & retain power. I think Bill is terrified of being eclipsed by Barack - prior to Obama, many saw Bill as the most charismatic leader, capable of communicating & connecting with people in a way, not seen for a longtime. Compared to Obama, Bill looks quite ordinary.

Do we really want to have to look at, hear & deal with the Clintons again? What's wrong with us? Don't we feel worthy of going for something so much better? The Clintons are filthy!

[horacekent]

02:12 PM on 02/09/2008

In my opinion, the Clintons are politically filthy. Nothing is beneath them & they will say & do anything to win. Should they win, they will come into the White House with 20+ years of political favors to payback & lobbyist to please.

Why can't we make a clean break & fresh start?

I know why the Clintons are fighting to gain & retain power. I think Bill is terrified of being eclipsed by Barack - prior to Obama, many saw Bill as the most charismatic leader, capable of communicating & connecting with people in a way, not seen for a longtime. Compared to Obama, Bill looks quite ordinary.

Do we really want to have to look at, hear & deal with the Clintons again? What's wrong with us? Don't we feel worthy of going for something so much better? The Clintons are filthy!

[CaliforniaDem]

12:29 PM on 02/09/2008

Note to all rabid Obama supporters; he is not the second coming; he is not MLK; he is not JFK; he is RFK (by the way they are all dead); you sound like you drank the cool-aid; and if you really thought you could win the nomination you would not be calling Air America and threatening to leave the Democratic party and become an independent (actually it’s decline to state). Grow up people – you sound like if I don’t get my way I am going to take my marbles and go home.

[butchie65]

03:34 PM on 02/09/2008

Boy, that was some good Kool-Aid 1 Obama 08

[Independent voter]

09:53 AM on 02/09/2008

You're not like other spouses bill. Eight extra-marital affairs establishes that right off the bat.

You're more like a drunken sailor with five dollars in his pocket in a foreign port - a world class sleazebag.

(My apologies to the good men and women of the US Navy)

[vinny]

10:39 AM on 02/09/2008

why are you apologizing... bill should be apologizing for making you invoke the metaphor...

[dutchess2]

09:50 AM on 02/09/2008

I WANT AN APOLOGY!

Hillary lied and misrepresented Obama's statements for political expediency...it was not Bill, or a surrogate, it was Hillary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdDzvmY1XPo

I WANT AN APOLOGY

Bill was not defending Hillary, as someone else has said, he was OFFENDING, Obama, me, all the people who had gone to the wall to defend them from just those kinds of nasty behind the back coded and over the top attacks they and they surrogates were aiming at Obama.

I WANT AN APOLOGY

Drudge says Chelsea is working in her mother's campaign, they're using her to call celebrities and superdelegates, but she's off limits to the press.

On reporter has taken a cue from the Clinton Campaign knock down, drag out Rovian behavior and made an inappropriate remark regarding Chelsea....the Clintons threatened not to show up on that reporter's network, demanded an apology, and have gotten him suspended...while they have failed to behave in any other way than to have suggested the very remark he used. So now Chelsea is a victim, STILL only talking to very special people and unavilable to anyone else.

I WANT AN APOLOGY.

[mrJJ]

09:04 AM on 02/09/2008

Bill keep your mouth shut & do what you do best... Fundraise... Just remeber who supported you if your wife gets the White House.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/stories/op080397.htm

Eddie
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2D6173AF931A3575AC0A966958260

Eddie's underling
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=5643329

[EspritDeVoltaire]

08:55 PM on 02/08/2008

I've had my fill of Bill as he shills for Hill and mills GOP thrill into Dem roadkill. Will he bode all ill being such a pill or be it for nil when it's Obama still? Chill now my quill, until, until...

[cambio]

07:16 PM on 02/08/2008

I love that Bill says self-financing of campaigns is against the spirit of campaign finance and was pissed at the Supreme Court for allowing it, yet the very next month the Clintons drop $5 million out of their personal cash and into their campaign. That is sketchy itself, especially given Bill's post-presidential financial dealings, but the hypocrisy is simply hilarious, just another example of saying one thing and doing another! I think they call that the Clinton shuffle.

http://thepersonalispolitical.tumblr.com/post/25868500