Obama and Bill Clinton Finally Speak

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama and Bill Clinton ended their mutual silent treatment Monday, with the Democratic presidential candidate reaching out and asking his former Democratic nemesis to help him win the White House.

In their first conversation since the end of the heated primary, former President Clinton agreed to campaign for the candidate he portrayed as inexperienced for a presidential run. Obama had said Bill Clinton's harsh criticisms led him to wonder which Clinton he was running against sometimes.

The 20-minute conversation was the latest step in bringing together the two warring camps. While Hillary Rodham Clinton has been publicly behind Obama, hard feelings remained between the former Democratic president and the candidate hoping to become the next one.

They hadn't spoken until Obama called Monday after landing in Missouri for a campaign stop. Both sides later issued statements about the conversation, an important public display of how Obama needs to have both Clintons on board moving into the general election.

Bill Clinton is still popular with voters even if his stock went down, especially among blacks, after his angry outbursts against Obama during the primary. But Obama could use the former president to help win over voters, especially the working-class whites who fondly remember better economic times under the Clinton administration and who overwhelmingly supported Hillary Clinton during the primaries.

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama asked Clinton to campaign with him and on his own.

Obama "has always believed that Bill Clinton is one of this nation's great leaders and most brilliant minds, and looks forward to seeing him on the campaign trail and receiving his counsel in the months to come," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

Clinton spokesman Matt McKenna said the former president renewed his offer _ expressed in a one-sentence statement last week _ to do whatever he can to ensure Obama wins the presidency.

"President Clinton continues to be impressed by Senator Obama and the campaign he has run, and looks forward to campaigning for and with him in the months to come," McKenna said. "The president believes that Senator Obama has been a great inspiration for millions of people around the country and he knows that he will bring the change America needs as our next president."

Bill Clinton was in Europe last week and did not attend last Friday's rally with his wife and Obama in the symbolic town of Unity, N.H. Obama said it was appropriate that he appear alone with his former rival since they waged the hard-fought race.

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Associated Press writer Jennifer Loven in Independence, Mo., contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

http://www.barackobama.com

Comments

[The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker]

Man, the Clinton Machine just won't give up, will it? It's going down fighting . . . and threatening . . . and bribing . . . and . . . business as usual.

[WFV]

The gracious winner gives props to the ungracious loser. Good. Done. Let's move on now, ok?

[kingcityguru]

Sounds like he tossed a little Clinton salad.

[NTO08]

OK, bury the hatchet, folks...enough bitching and whining about who did what to whom and how Bill has sullied his legacy...enough is enough.

[SeanGardner]

Obama had to reach out to Bill Clinton. As the leader of the party, it is Obama's responsibility to reach out to all of the divided camps and coalesce and evolve a winning strategy that includes the participation of the Bill and Hillary supporters.

I truly hated how Bill and Hillary adopted a self-styled "kitchen sink" strategy that cut them off from people (like myself) who were first going to vote for Clinton. If anything, Bill and Hillary have a lot of work to do to repair their relationships with blacks and, with latinos (after Carville's "judas comment").

Obama is doing the right thing by reaching out to them. As the next president, I'm sure he will need them here and there.

[dawlishgal]

I agree. Obama has nothing to lose by helping the Clintons rebuild their legacy. I am still staggered by the way the white working class forgot about how they were deceived about the Clintons' campaign promises to oppose NAFTA. (if, indeed, they paid any attention to the matter in the first place) , and then the speed with which the Clintons rammed it through congress anyhow.

It makes it very difficult for me to see how any straight-shooter can win over the "low information" group (love the euphemism). But the Clintons could help to reform the rules for international trade to make it more fair to Amerian workers (if Bill stops taking the money from the countries who want to cut a bad deal with us). And perhaps, this time around these voters will learn to pay attention to their own interests and vote accordingly.

It wouldn't hurt either to have some kind of government-sponsored healthcare, because as is our workers must compete on the international labor market with workers everywhere else who already have non-employer paid health insurance. With employee healthcare costs amounting to about 1/3 of worker costs, this has got to be partially responsible for the exodus of jobs to countries where healthcare is regarded as a basic human right.

[Deaninphilly]

Just in case you hadn't noticed during the primary, latino's overwhelming supported Clinton. Has for the racists nonsense, that was an msm inspired story.

[partyofone]

I hope Obama is just being nice, poliitically correct. The Clintons and the Bushes are exactly what is wrong with American politics, the things Obama said he would change. Making nice with tthe Clintons in public is ok, if you must. But keep them at distance and keep the BushRoveClinton methods out of this election. Take the high road. It won against Hillary, and it can win against McCain. Prove the mean spirity, dishonest, poltics as war, division and destruction naysers, like the Clintons, Wrong.

[luvangelHussein330]

I find it intresting that Bill claimed through the whol campaign thathe didn't know Obama, met him casually, but if you do a search you will see all kinds of pics with them together. matter of fact the worked together...on another note I could care less wether or not Bill falls inline or not. I would rther both clintons and thier ex campaigners stay far far far away from Obama they are politically toxic.

[whizkid]

The article has a negative posture towards the Clintons and no basis for it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaFlMEM3uIM

[neetsie37]

As do all all articles posted on this site. I am sick to death of hearing on here about how Bill Clinton smeared Barack with racial slurs. Not one thing the man said about him was either racist or untrue. But if you say something often enough, people will believe it. As an example, I'd like to know how calling Barack's campaign a "fairy tale" was racist???

[RFBorjal]

So, Barack and Bill have buried the hatchet. I hope not in each other's back.

[PennP]

Doesn't any other Dem find this embarrassing? Obama is demeaning himself by making overtures to this overgrown baby. He's looking like the third-ran, not the presumptive nominee. A supplicant begging for help. I guess the Clintons wanted to reassert their status at the leaders of the Democratic Party, and now they can thank Obama for doing it for them--at his future expense. Methinks Patti Solis Doyle may have slipped some stupid in his herbal tea....

[z2]

Obama + Hillary + Bill = target rich environment for the Republican attack machine.

[SCG]

This has to be the most strained alliance possible. Anyway, try to make nice, but keep the eye on the ball and move forward.

Whatever you do, don't let the DLC, DNC and Spin central take over your campaign, or they'll run you off the road.

[ChristianDem08]

I was originally strongly opposed to putting HRC on the ticket with Obama. Tonight, I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable with her as a running mate.

1. They really did look good together last week and with Bill starting to get over his hurt feelings I think he could be a real asset to the campaign.
2. The vast majority of her people would get re-energized if she were on the ticket.
3. The combined fundraising ability of the Clintons and Obama would be huge. Her people would go all out if she were on the ticket. As much as I had a big problem with some of her surrogates, I'd rather have them out and campaigning hard than on the sidelines.
4. While the Clintons do bring a boatload of negatives to the table, the Clintons remind us that our country was in MUCH better shape 8 years ago than it is now. That contrast trumps ANYTHING the Republicans could throw at them.
5. Selecting HRC would not tarnish his brand, I think if anything it reinforces his willingness to work with rivals. While the Clintons aren't Republicans they certainly ran like Republicans in the primary. Even so, Obama and Clinton are very close on most issues and it would be for the betterment of the country.
6. I think an Obama/Clinton ticket would win in November.

[pleeezzze]

Ever consider that most "negatives about C lintons " are nothing but SPIN and certainly not by repubs this year .
Actually there is nothing the repubs can bring up that has'nt been "beat to death" already by the media along with O bama posters .
Of course we are all aware of the phony gossip (made up) for and by the media to try to make themselves relevant .

[SantaFeStars]

Very good points made by Abigail1! I agree, we need to stop the negativism and be happy that the Clintons are supporting Obama. Our objective is to win in November regardless of who is supporting Obama. If you're upset with the Clinton's support, either get over it or move to McCain's camp. Obama will be the next President!!!

[abigail1]

why all the negativity in the comments?!?! Is the hot summer weather making everyone cranky?

Clinton supporters should take note that the Clintons themselves are getting over their dreams of a second turn in the white house and follow suit. They should be glad that Bill and Hillary are going to do what they can to get their party's nominee elected and that Hillary will continue to fight for what she believes in in the Senate, hopefully with a bigger majority!

Obama supporters should be happy that Bill and Hillary are going to lend a hand. They will be useful. Even if you think Obama can win without their help, how would it hurt to win by more?

Come on people, lighten up! This is a good news story. It really makes me wonder if we on the left incapable of letting small differences go and uniting so that we might actually win for a change?