It's My Party, I'll Cry If I Want To

"What does Bill Clinton want?"

Barack Obama quickly determined what Hillary Clinton wants in the aftermath of defeat: a major role in the general election campaign, a star turn at the convention, help with her debt, and Obama's support for elected officials who backed her. The big-time holdout turns out to be her husband.

Bill is more complex. He wants respect, absolution and love.

The former president and Obama have not talked, and, by all accounts, the man of the Clinton household remains hurt and resentful. Associates provide a variety of explanations for the Bill Clinton dilemma, none of them mutually exclusive.

Some say Bill Clinton not only wants Obama to reach out to him, but to also promise to lift the cloud of alleged racism -- an accusation that continues to eat at the man once dubbed the nation's "first black president." Clinton, these folks suggest, wants Obama to publicly exonerate him of the charge that he played the race card in the primaries.

Beyond that, some associates say, Bill Clinton wants Obama to reach out to him as a mentor, a guide who can lead Obama through the labyrinth of a tough presidential election. "Bill wants to be honored, to return to the role of Democratic elder statesman, and get rid of this image of him as a pol willing to do anything to win," said one associate.

"He is still bruised from the trail, really hurt about the racist charges leveled against him, and convinced the Obama campaign fomented it," said another source familiar with the former president's attitude. "What he would really like is for Obama to apologize, but on one level he knows that is never going to happen," a third source said.

Another source, in contrast, downgraded the idea that Bill Clinton wants to be personally attended to by Obama. Instead, the source said, "POTUS wants first and foremost that his wife is treated with the respect that she has earned. Secondly, while he does not expect Obama to run for a Clinton third term, he would hope that Obama does not continue to implicitly criticize his eight years in office as he did during the primaries."

Story continues below

Finally, a person close to both Clintons contended that the current impasse between Obama and Bill Clinton "is not a big problem. All Obama has to do is ask, it's his name on the ballot." Once that hurdle is crossed, this friend of the former president and first lady said, "Bill Clinton will end up seducing Obama. Clinton likes to deal with people who have not necessarily treated him well," noting that Clinton and Newt Gingrich had a productive relationship until Gingrich began pressing for impeachment.

The accusation that Bill Clinton pointedly sought to downgrade Obama's success and to aggressively define him as a "black" candidate gained momentum on January 26, 2008 when the former president seemed to dismiss Obama's victory in South Carolina: "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in '84 and '88. Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here."

Clinton has not been hesitant to make his feelings about these charges known far and wide.

"I think that they [the Obama campaign] played the race card on me," Clinton told Philadelphia radio station WHYY on April 22. "We now know, from memos from the campaign, that they planned to do it along."

On June 2, Clinton told Huffington Post Off The Bus Reporter Mayhill Fowler:

"They had all these people standing up in this church cheering, calling Hillary a white racist, and he [Obama] didn't do anything about it. The first day he said 'Ah, ah, ah well.' Because that's what they do-- he gets other people to slime her."

During the campaign, Obama, in turn, complained a number of times about Bill Clinton's tactics and comments

"You know the former president, who I think all of us have a lot of regard for, has taken his advocacy on behalf of his wife to a level that I think is pretty troubling," Obama said on January 21. "He continues to make statements that are not supported by the facts....This has become a habit, and one of the things that we're gonna have to do is to directly confront Bill Clinton when he's making statements that are not factually accurate."

Now that he is the nominee, however, Obama has become more generous towards Bill.

"If the question is, do I want Bill Clinton campaigning for us, for the ticket, leading into November, the answer is absolutely yes. I want him involved. He is a brilliant politician. He was an outstanding president. And so, I want his help, not only in campaigning, but also in governing. And I'm confident that I'll get that help," Obama declared on June 25.

While Obama awaits a response from Mr. Clinton, blogger Marc Ambinder has been conducting an on-line poll asking whether 1) Obama should bend over backwards to make sure Bill Clinton campaigns for him in the fall 2) Obama should ignore Bill Clinton entirely or 3) Obama should ask Bill Clinton politely, but if Clinton says no, Obama should ignore him.

With a total of 2,292 votes cast, answer number 3 - "ask politely, if 'no,' ignore Clinton" - was decisively ahead with 1,765 votes, or 77 percent of Ambinder's responses; answers 1 and 2 drew 10% (240 votes) and 13% (287 votes) respectively.

Comments

[wmholt]

No one cares what he thinks - he just doesn't realize it yet.

[acemave]

I hate Clinton as much as the republicans did in the 90s.

Here's another reason why...

http://prisonplanet.com/articles/june2008/290608Clinton.htm

[richardgordon]

Wow! The mob has spoken. Reading through the entries in this thread I see a shrill vitriol and emotion that is difficult to fathom or explain. Its not rational. People, I think you need to get a grip of yourselves. In the first place Bill and Hillary are to fine Democrats. Both have proved themselves as smart effective leaders. It may be true that they have made mistakes in the Nomination process but who DOESN'T make mistakes? And the mania for Obama is getting to extreme levels. The man is not a god he's a politician. When you build too high expectations into a person they are guaranteed to disappoint. And Obama will make mistakes and he will disappoint. Governing the United States and putting Humpty Dumpty back together again is going to take the combined talents and skills of the cleverest politicians. We are going to need Bill and Hillary. So everybody needs to calm down.

[snarkopolitan]

Agree. And I'm an Obama supporter, but driven there through assorted things Hillary did, or countenanced, that are water under the bridge now. We are not choosing a lover, a mascot, or a pal, we're choosing a human who has flaws but is intelligent and overall decent and needs to get the votes of more than just lefties or he won't be elected. At the same time, he's the epicenter for attacks and smears on every aspect of his identity. He has a delicate line to walk.
I know a woman whose every relationship starts out with This Is The One, My Soulmate, and after the first hint of trouble, He's A Monster. Let's not do that. Let's read from varying news sources, try to find the original quotes in context, remember that sensationalism sells papers (including online.....) and nuance doesn''t.

[WFV]

I agree with everything you said except for the part about needing the former first family. I am not convinced of their relevance nor their ability to work with others following the primary. It will take a lot for me to trust them again. And time.

[BardEric]

YOu win a gold star for this comment.

[Bulbul]

I supported Senetor Hillary Clinton, until she bowed out gracefully. and now, I support Barack Obama for his `08 Presidency.

But, I would have voted for Bill Clinton, if there was a third term and He was running again.
That`s all folks...

[jeanrenoir]

Bill Clinton is now dead meat politically, a total, disgraced has-been, except among his rich bi-coastal groupies. These people and the Clintons have massaged each other's egos for so long that they are all they have left to comfort themselves, now that history has passed them all by. None of these people can believe that they were completely outsmarted and completely crushed in fund-raising on the Net by Obama. None of these people is used to losing, or being outsmarted, or losing control. They are all in the same boat as the Republicans who see it all slipping away from them, and have to face the bitterness of how Bush and his neocon puppet masters destroyed their party politically in the idiotic sands of Iraq, because the neocons, too, were such lifelong whizkids that they became fools of hubris, and lost everything, as usual, as a result. 2008 will go down as the worst year for hubris in decades, in both parties, and Bill's been the crown prince of the hubristic whizkids all his life.

[PumaAnn]

I don't think Bill needs to get over it. He is the former president and can take a distant position. Clearly, he doesn't need to pretend to approve of the messages that Obama sent regarding his presidency and himself. He can be perfunctory if asked to do something, much like he was in Miami. Then Obama will surely not ask often.

Bill's legacy is for historians now. I have little doubt that they will NOT buy into the ridiculous Republican smear tactic that he was actually racist.

[FZliveson]

PumaAnn: You say: "Bill's legacy is for historians now."
Well, the way the schools are failing in teaching people to write effectively and, with the way that
most people are less selective about the information they consume than the fast food they
gobble up between pipe-dreams, history will probably not be read by many people.
The truth is, history will show Bill Clinton to be a power-hungry, devious, cruel and un-patriotic, war-
like person, who sold his nation's economy out to GATT and NAFTA and who was negotiating
actively in the Middle East FOR the Dubai Ports Deal, while his cackling witch from the Midwest, was pretending to be heart-broken, along with the other congressional court jesters to the Bushmaster,
about the deal anyway. Bill Clinton is a disgraceful, albeit articulate hedonist, who deserves that
truth be written in history about him.

[pleeezzze]

POWER POWER POWER , just what do you think is the driving force behind the O campaign ?/
POWER POWER POWER !

[Veneita]

I agree with it.

8 years of the Clintons resulted in major losses for Democrats across the nation. From November 1992 to November 2000, Democrats lost 12 governorships, 7 Senate seats, and 46 House seats.

enough triangulation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangulation_(politics)

[pleeezzze]

Thats then most silly post I've read yet .
Blaming B ill for all the Dem losses ? Feel free to blame him instead of the real culprits ,i'm pretty sure he's used to people like you and most of the hufnpuf posters .
If they did'nt read it in a gossip column they read each others posts ,so it must be true .

This UNITY is kind of hard to tolerate !

[obamajusrocks]

This is ridiculous. Everyone could see what damage Bill was doing. To himself and his legacy that is. It even promted senior figures in the Democratic party to step in and throw their weight behind Obama.

Bill has to pay the price of his over exuberance now and stop making it like it was Obama's fault.

[SEQUOIABISON]

Oh shut Bill and stop complaining, it could always be worse, you could be a single mother who just lost her helping hand from the government because you eliminated a social program that helped single woman survive.

[Maxiesid]

Just to illuminate a little for those that are unaware of it, below there was a link posted by LiberTlover for an article about the "GOP ace in the hole" against the Clintons. It takes you to an article that was in the Washington Times 'news' -- The Washington Times is a 'newspaper' owned by Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, through its company News World Communications. (Moon thinks he is the son of God 'the second advent' and that "Jesus is a failed savior" his own words for all you good 'Christians' that support the neocon agenda) The Times has always been known for its blatant right wing propaganda, and was established by Moon for just that purpose. A quick google of Moon will give you some real insight as to what this nutjob is all about (the real surprise comes when you start finding pictures of some of our highly paid and highly connected politicians bowing down to him and paying feality to him) (an example... pappy bush is one of his best known supporters) The man is apparently insane, yet he gives prayer breakfasts and blessings at the white house.... so, please, when you are reading some posts here, keep in mind that GOP supporters love to come here and post their drivel in hopes that they can actually convince people to vote for their candidate. The Clintons obviously have a few problems, but lets not buy into the neocon version of what they are.

[init]

You could find happiness Bill if you stayed away from the Bushes.

[init]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news. The Clinton establishment are crushed. Generations move on. Bill Clinton had 8+ years to make it's mark. That he did.

[Rosey]

Oh puhlease - give it up Bill. Those of us who voted for you in two primaries and two general elections are now sick and tired of your complaining and whining. Honored statesman to Attack Dog! Yuck! Just get out there and campaign for Senator Obama and show that once again, you are a true Democrat and a voice that people want to hear..... and then maybe we will all move forward for the better and forgive your ugliness of the past.

[duze]

THe Clinton's do not own the Democrtic party and I'm sick and tired of this election being all about what they want and must have from Obama to be satisfied with the fact that Hillary Lost. Let's reverse the situation and see who could care less.

[RKWM]

Obama can do NOTHING but lose black voters by trying to tell them not to believe their lying ears!

Obama NEVER accused Bill or Hillary of being racist. At every turn he simply stated he would take them at their word and on several occassions he EXPLICITLY stated that he did not think they were racists.

He did NOT create the problem and he cannot resolve it for them! But he can lose trust with the African American voter by attempting to tell them they are wrong about what they have concluded to be motivating the Clintons.

Frankly, Bill and Hillary Clinton's insistence that ANYONE other than themselves take ANY action to resolve this for them is serving to GREATLY reinforce their image as racists! They seem to think that Black people cannot think for themselves. EACH AND EVERY time an accusation is made that someone else MADE the African American electorate see the Clintons this way they make matters MUCH worse!

[kikiva]

He had his campaign workers accuse the Clintons of being racist. Same thing - Obama take some responsibility for those who work in your name and apologize. The Clintons are not racist. Stop using the race card Obama like you did in the primaries. It won a lot of black and guilty white liberal votes but it won't in the general election, in fact, it turns moderates and conservative whites off and into McCain's arms.

[happypup]

Just because the media or the Clintons tell you something is true doesn't make it so. What campaign workers? Who were they ? What did they say? When did they say it? Bet you can't answer any of these questions. Yet, on you go repeating things as 'truth' when you have no idea if they are true or not!

[KateWms]

Excuse me kikiva I beg to differ, I voted for Bill both times, I'm bi-racial and I took great offense and was totally surprised at how he went racist and Hillary as well. And I lost a great deal of respect for both of them. I felt betrayed to finally see how they actually felt, and they did it at the expense of the black community that absolutely loved and adored Bill Clinton. If he's feeling anything its GUILT! B/c he went there, b/c they wanted to win by any mean's necessary,. They didn't give a flying flip about how black voter's would feel about this rejection by them. So as far as I"m concerned I felt they were both racist or a least doing a lot of race baiting. Nevertheless, I"m willing to forgive them for the good of the party.. As much as I don't like the fact they they are pretty much once again holding the party hostage to pay their bills, knowing good and darn well they 've got money to pay for their failed campaign, which much of the reason it failed is b/c they went negative. But I won't hold it against them to unite the party! But I still don't trust them and NEVER WILL!

[NotMcCain]

"He had his campaign workers accuse the Clintons of being racist. Same thing."

WHO, exactly, did this?

People reacted to those comments differently, but MANY of us--independent of anything said by pundits or candidates--DID feel they were racist remarks (and that other Hillary surrogates--Ferraro and others--added more).

Blaming Obama for it just negates the reality of MY feelings which, like millions of other peoples', were based on what I HEARD CLINTON SAY--not on any spin-meister from the Obama campaign.

The PUBLIC reacted negatively to what Clinton said. Blaming Obama for our reaction is just...infuriating.

[mypov123]

Ummm...show me some documented proof of plans from the Obama campaign to "play the race card". Of course the Clintons will tell you how "dirty" the Obama campaign has been to them, they'll say anything to hold on to their supporters, even if that means smearing and telling lies about the Obama campaign.

[Rockville]

You are full of baloney. Obama did not have his campaign workers to make any accusations about the Clintons. Obama was very careful not to call Sen. Clinton on a lot of things (being under fire in Bosnia for one) which she said. Sometimes I wished he would have! Now days we can judge for ourselves what people say and do. Document your information!

[happypup]

Thanks - well said!

[SgtLucifer]

Boo-hoo-hoo, boo-hoo-hoo... could someone please pass Bubba the cheese? It should go down so well with the whine.

[tora]

Bill had said some stupid things and the media reported it loud and clear. Why is it that the Clintons cannot OWN their mistakes and take responsibility rather than point their sorry fingers at the world.

[ggmome]

They cannot, will not, and will never OWN their mistakes, for the same reason that Bush and Cheney will never do so.

There are a whole gaggle of folk, who were raised to never accept responsibility for their actions. It has become so perverse now, till they don't believe they have done anything wrong! This is all as a result of 'permissive upbringing'. People raised by persons who were taught to lie, cheat, hate and steal their way through life. Through schools on a entry level, and higher education Institutions. All you have to do is to observe the way certain people were brought up, and whom they were nurtured by, and what sense of 'entitlement' was instilled in them and you will understand a whole mind set of numerous persons raised in this country. This Primary election brought out the very essence of the ignorance nurtured, instilled and promoted for a long time here. You see it in our Government, in our States, and in our Country...

This must be recognized this must be fundamentally corrected, and perhaps, we can retrieve our country from the vultures that have overtaken our country!

[Shrapnel]

Yeah. As Bill Clinton Says. Obama can "Kiss My Ass" See Saturday's London Telegraph for details.

[Xenopus]

The glaring distortion in this scenario, is that Bill Clinton was rude, smirky, name calling and fibbing about Obama all during his campaigning for his wife. Now he is acting like he was the above the board guy and Obama was the slimy candidate. Someone should tell President Clinton and Mrs. Clinton that we were all watching and we know what they were saying, and who was saying it. And to think they are DEMANDING he pay off their debt to get their support. I guess the Clinton's don't quite get it yet........Obama won, dudes! You aren't helping your image or position by acting like you are so much more important than everyone else.