Another Bill Clinton Moment On The Campaign Trail

***UPDATE***

Tony McPeak, a retired Air Force general and current co-chair of Obama's presidential campaign, compared former President Bill Clinton to Joseph McCarthy Friday in response to comments Clinton made earlier in the day that appeared to question Obama's patriotism.

"It sounds more like McCarthy," McPeak said. "I grew up, I was going to college when Joe McCarthy was accusing good Americans of being traitors, so I've had enough of it."

Read more about McPeak's response from the AP

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Adding a bit of fuel to the political fire, Bill Clinton made a bizarre comment on Friday, leaving the impression that he believed Barack Obama's patriotism would be a general election issue.

MSNBC is reporting that on the campaign trail today in Charlotte, North Carolina, the former president said a general election matchup between his wife, Sen. Clinton, and Sen. John McCain would be between "two people who love this country" without "all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics."

It's difficult to determine exactly what Clinton meant by this. Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for the Clinton campaign, said the former president was not implying that Obama didn't love America. As for "this other stuff," that Clinton referred to? He was talking about "the politics of personal destruction," said Wolfson. "He was lamenting that these kind of distractions 'always seems to intrude' on our politics."

Not everyone had the same interpretation. MSNBC, for example, was quick to suggest that the former president was implying there were doubts about Obama's patriotism, and that those doubts would play a role in the general election. Which seems, on its face, hardly a stretch.

However, President Clinton also seems to be suggesting that his wife would be immune to swift-boat like attacks; a supposition that does not seem terribly likely.

Recently on the campaign, the former president has made remarks that have been a bit unpredictable. Days ago, he complimented McCain as bipartisan, a war hero, and a tough general election foe. No "but"s included. Days before that, he was touting a Sen. Hillary Clinton-Obama pairing as an electoral "dream ticket," even though his wife's own campaign was making the case that Obama was not ready to serve as commander-in-chief.

Watch:

Here is the full quote: "I think it would be a great thing if we had an election between two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interests of the country and people could actually ask themselves who is right on the issues, instead of all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics."

Comments

[WIpatriot]

Hey, Bill, stick a cork in it. Really!? REALLY!!

[WellbornBroad]

I voted for Bill twice. I am now repulsed by him. It is a sad, sad, sight to see
someone so tanish his image and become so nasty. It is either
a Clinton or a repuglican. He is willing to completely destroy the Democratic
Party if HE can't win. PLEASE we need Gore, Pelosi, Reid,, and other grown-ups
to put the to an end to this. Hillary must quit.

[ebbtide]

wow , i, i9o or so pemding. LOL

Dear Bill. Please go back to Chappaqua, or Arkansas or wherever in these United States you claim as your "home". You are making a fool of yourself as well as your wife. Give it up Clintons. You have lost and the country will be better for it. Maybe you could try buying a place in Kennebunkport, Maine so you could be closer to your adopted family the Bushies.--- at least in the summer months.

[Kundera]

That's a compliment. Joe McCarthy went after this country's enemies like the Rosenbergs. Soviet spies needed to uncovered. It's amazing how lefties hate McCarthy more than they hate the proven Soviet spies like Alger Hiss. well, not really amazing.

[philinburb]

Gee I used to like Bubba. Obama all the way!

[doublesvb]

McCain is in bed with Bush. This war is bankrupting our country. If a dem can't beat McCain we're all in trouble.

Oh, and thanks, Bill, for once again opening your mouth trying to insinuate that Obama isn't patriotic. What a disgrace. On second thought you're actually HELPING Obama so keep it up.

[YellowPanties]

Please stop, Bill.

[dr4Will]

How correct President Clinton is---obama and his wife and minister,mentor wright have not expressed undying love for America---only in racial terms---Hillary and John love America and want to keep our spirit and potential going---obama and friends want to rip down what we are--shame on them!!!

[ebbtide]

I thought it was Hillary, the strong woman, running and not Bill/

LOL, it should be obvious that she is not a strong woman, independant but is part of the team of Bill an Hiullary,. What an insult to feminists, eh?


t is not heathy for the nation t o elect the wife of a former pesident into ofice, after the Bush dynasty.It is just NOT.

Bill Clnton wants desperately to get back into the White House action and by the looks of it, will overtake Hillary y the sheer power of his political expertise, while she stands meekly by and lets him. Of course,like Bush, she will insist that she is the "decider "should we get this despicable non Democratic team back in the White House And it will be more of the same spin , lies, secrecy and obfuscation thatwe have seen over the ast seven and a half years from Bush.

Together they are running rampant over a scorched earth that they are proud t o have inititiated being that is the way of the old politics they are used to an what has causd wins inhe past. Err,. someone need o tell them that it won't work that way again. You would think, with all te bragging about Hillar's smartness that she could parse and analyse the mood of the country better than she has.

No, she views the voters as the litle people and will say and do anything to pull the wool ove the eyes of the uninforme, by lies, by lies and by more lies.

[TxWonderWoman]

This campaign season gives us so much good comedy. I love this one.

http://www.phillymag.com/blogs/philly/2008/03/21/typical-white-person-becomes-online-fodder-for-typical-white-people/

[doublesvb]

Thanks, Bill, you are once again helping Obama... keep it up.

If I were Hillary Bill would not be on the campaign trail.

I hope Obama continues to take the high road and just let Bill keep shooting himself in the foot.

[MrGill]

McPeak was dead on target with his assessment of frmr. Pres. Clinton's words. He (Clinton) is a carefully calculating man, one who had the audacity to ask for a clarification of the word "is". He knows exactly what he's saying, and he said this for a reason; to set a framework that implies Obama is not a patriot and does not love his country as much as Clinton or McCain. The idea is offensive and ridiculous, and indicative of Clinton's low-ball strategy. McCarthy-esque is EXACTLY what it was.

[LaFeminazi]

Bill Clinton's administration.

One of economic growth and stability.

One of respect around the world.

Get used to it, it is an historical fact.

Probably the best period since Ike.

[trbone]

What a load of BS . That comment was taken out of context by Opussy' s campaign as usual. Way to change the subject. First poor Barack' s passport records were broken into . Oh that's right all three candidates records were looked at. The media this site included used that ruse to change the subject including raising the liklihood that a former Clinton ambassador directed the intrusion. People who pay attention see this for what it is . The media are all drinking the koolaid and are working to ram this radical down America's throat. This Clinton supporter will work very hard for McCain in the general. Maybe one of you orgasming koolaid drinkers can tell us why we can' t see Obama's Illinois state senate record. Because its chock full of more controversy.

[Triangle1]

Interesting how everyone was accusing the Hillary campaign of being behind the improper passport allegations. Now the story is the lead on CNN.com about how an Obama supporter and campaign contributer was actually behind it. Now HuffPo is hairsplitting some lame Bill Clinton story to try and continue the "Hillary is a Monster" rhetoric, and the hot negative Obama news story of the day is getting no coverage. Why don't you just set the default HuffPo link to www.obamaforpresident.com, fire the editors and save Ariana some money?