Bill Clinton Offers Advice To Obama, Discusses Clinton Global Initiative With HuffPost's Willow Bay (VIDEO)

***UPDATE*** In two new videos, former President Clinton discusses the efforts to remove the rubble from earthquake-devastated Haiti and offers advice to President Obama: hit the stump and sell your plans directly to the American people.

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On a mission to keep off the weight he lost this summer for daughter Chelsea's wedding, President Bill Clinton is experimenting with a low-cholesterol, vegetarian diet.

Clinton, apparently eager to fit some exercise into his busy schedule, walked across Time Square on Thursday evening for an interview with Yahoo! News and The Huffington Post. Clinton is in New York gearing up for the Clinton Global Initiative's (CGI) Annual Meeting.

In this part of the interview, President Clinton explains the way potential grandchildren motivate him to stick to the diet, and shares one of his favorite moments from Chelsea's recent wedding to Marc Mezvinksky.

WATCH:

The sixth Annual Meeting of the CGI starts Monday. The meeting "brings together heads of state, government and business leaders, scholars, and NGO directors" to "analyze pressing global challenges, discuss the most effective solutions, and build lasting partnerships that enable them to create positive social change." More than 1,000 members will attend.

We asked President Clinton how he's building support for solving the world's problems when the economic crisis has left one-in-seven Americans living in poverty.

WATCH:

Click here for more on the Clinton Global Initiative.

Anna Robertson and Erin Green produced the interview for Yahoo! News.

Comments

[wackette]

07:19 AM on 09/22/2010

Good luck, Bill...

[NevaforLeadership]

07:51 AM on 09/21/2010

The last thing President Obama needs is advice from Clinton. Clinton had his chance, and he blew it big time. He just can't get over it.

[K3V1NH]

02:13 AM on 09/23/2010

Blew his chance? Odd considering his administration had the greatest continuous economic growth since World War II. 20+ millions jobs were created. I have nothing against Obama but I do think you are judging Clinton too harshly.

[NevaforLeadership]

07:05 AM on 09/23/2010

And look what that continuous growth brought us. His housing policies, strategy of very low interest rates, proactive refusal, along with his financial trio, Greenspan, Rubin and Summers, to regulate the OTC derivatives market, encouragement for offshore outsourcing and distraction over his personal misjudgements were instrumental in getting us where we are today.

One of the major flaws in our measurement of economic well being is the concept of continuous growth. Continuous growth is not sustainable on a finite planet. It will be our Waterloo. We need presidents who understand this. President Obama is the first president ever to proactively create public policy to start dealing with the environment and the damages of continuous growth.

In my view, the most important qualification for a president is honesty and integrity. Obama is overflowing with both. Clinton and his wife have proved (with many examples of documented proof) over and over again that they are sadly lacking in both. As far as HRC is concerned, she was once fired by a democrat for, paraphrasing his words, being a dishonest, unethical lawyer and a liar. I believe, that in itself (as she was practising law at the time) should have put an end to any high public office for her.

[westreal]

11:27 AM on 09/20/2010

Oh, Bill. She asked you to give advice to Pres Obama. Not say how you love that he's back on the campaign trail.

Anything not to give President Obama any advice at all.

[Fred Enfield]

09:46 AM on 09/20/2010

Good for Clinton attempting to follow a vegetarian diet.
Unusual for a public figure who has lived most of his life
with the Jimmy Dean Sausage mentality.

[Shzron1946]

09:08 AM on 09/20/2010

Oh, Bill, come on. I love ya, and I think your advice is dead on, but in my heart I know you just wanted--and loved!--attention. You and Newt are the really critical thinking and really idiotic sides of the same smart guy. And in case anyone wonders, you are the critical thinker. Well except in the 90s with a certain chubby intern...

[ge971]

07:52 AM on 09/20/2010

Clinton offered HOPE just like O.
Both men are extremely Smart and are excellent communicators.
I can't get the Tea lBaggers click with Reagan as a communicator.
I liked dear Ronny too,with his one or two line witty remarks.
He seldom talked at any length off the cuff, however he could perform brilliantly when on the tele-prompt. Most Americans wanted and supported the notion of a real cowboy New Sherrif in town (albeit an Actor) Tuff Guy for the Presidency!

O promised Change "Real Change" . However instead of fighting for that he got mired in DC politics. He compromised away a lot of good early on without a fight i.e. Public Option.

I see his biggest failure as not recognizing he had to fight back much earlier on.

I'm gonna Vote against the Tea Baggers and "HOPE" O gets his groove ON !!!

[NevaforLeadership]

07:42 AM on 09/21/2010

Any president who gets himself impeached for abusing a young intern (yes, abuse in the workplace for which other CEO's would be instantly fired), after blatantly, openly and directly lying to the nation to cover his tracks is NOT SMART, NOT AN EXCELLENT COMMINICATOR.

Most of Clinton's presidency was spent defending his extremely poor judgement in business and in his treatment of women.

Furthermore Clinton and his financial trio, Greenspan, Rubin and Summers, contributed greatly to the financial mess that Obama inherited and has to clean up.

Obama has accomplished more in under two years than any other president in history. Let's get behind this amazing man to ensure his second term.

[NevaforLeadership]

07:29 AM on 09/20/2010

Time for this lying ah to mind his own business, stop interfering and go hide himself under a rock.

[Flowerchild2]

09:22 AM on 09/20/2010

You're comment is as dumb as a box of rocks.

[NevaforLeadership]

07:49 AM on 09/21/2010

Well he blatantly lied to the nation and abused women (Paula Jones, Gennifer Flowers, Monica Lewinsky (boss taking advantage of an intern in the workplace, plus), resulting in an impeachment.

He, together with his financial trio, Greenspan, Rubin and Summers, set the stage for a good part of the recent financial crisis (refused to regulate the OTC derivatives market, and proactively encouraged home ownership for all whether they could afford it or not).

He is no longer in elected office, yet he continually offers his advice to a much, much better man, Barack Obama and played a huge role in his wife's election troubles by interfering there too (have to say I am glad of that).

Who is the dumb one?

[General Armchair]

06:52 AM on 09/20/2010

I really can't be bothered to listen to what Clinton has to say.

Please take your Global Initiative and just go away.

Thank you.

[Bermille]

10:45 AM on 09/20/2010

Then why bother commenting at all?

[Passerineblue]

05:42 AM on 09/20/2010

No matter what you think of Bill, he is an astute politician. He is totally right in his recommendation to Obama. Obama or someone has to go out there and fight back against the loonies. We can't allow ourselves to be "swift boated" again.

The pres's advisors are only NOW discussing how to fight back against the T Party. They should have done this months ago. Proactive: NOT.

[Bettysdad]

03:13 AM on 09/20/2010

What do we have to do to make this guy go away?

He did next to nothing positive for the average American, but a whole lot negative.

[Shzron1946]

09:10 AM on 09/20/2010

He's always going to be a former president, and the press tried to crucify him but in their heart they knew he was a brain. So now when they need other answers, they go to their favorite former president.

[medvidek72]

09:57 AM on 09/20/2010

Interesting comment, since one may approach 2 ways. 1) Presidents really don't "do" much for anyone, so thanks for stating the obvious and 2) Clinton presided over a time when our economy was growing, such that most middle-class families were living at a higher standard by 2000 than they were in 1991. However, there are substantial flaws there as well.

[Bettysdad]

02:17 AM on 09/21/2010

Maybe you should talk to some grownups who lived through the administrations of Presidents that did "do" something before convincing yourself you're smart.

Oh, and household income has been flat since Nixon.

Clinton "did" nothing

[MuchMadness]

10:37 PM on 09/19/2010

President Clinton is right. The Democrats need to explain what they intend to do and how they will make sure that their plans get put into action. That means that the Democrats need to explain how they will use the majority power to crush Republican opposition if the Democrats should be fortunate enough to keep the majority in both houses of congress. As long as the Democrats accept the legitimacy of the filibuster rule in the senate, there is no reason for voters to believe that the Democrats are serious about passing good legislation. The Democrats will never have 60 votes in the senate, so the Democrats have to step and show how they will use only 51 votes and still be able to do what needs to be done to make America a respectable nation.

[Bodie1]

09:53 PM on 09/19/2010

Bill Clinton. Is he one of those moderate Republicans?

[lodger16x]

12:01 AM on 09/20/2010

The Tea Party makes him look kinda sorta moderate.

[McKeaton]

12:21 AM on 09/20/2010

No , he is a plutocrat in charge of trying to educate the rest of 99% that we have no chance....

[robhood]

09:44 PM on 09/19/2010

Advice from the man who sold out the working class to NAFTA and the WTO!! Yeah, that's just what we need!

[omisade7]

08:48 AM on 09/20/2010

fanned and faved!

[maab76]

08:51 AM on 09/20/2010

And to dispense public criticism of a sitting President is really tacky. Such advice should be given directly and discretely to the individual being advised. Will someone please remind him that his term is over?

[Ojodelgato]

09:04 AM on 09/20/2010

He's done some good work for the eathrquake victims in Haiti, and I hear he threw a nice shindig for his daughter. That said I agree with your comment, and I'd add that if the advice was not asked for he should keep quiet.

[Shzron1946]

09:12 AM on 09/20/2010

I agree maab76!

[William Watson]

09:16 PM on 09/19/2010

For all the people who can't stand to hear insightful, intelligent words from a guy who still has a can-do attitude, let me ask you a question he asked of his critics a couple of years ago:
What was it about the Clinton Administration's eight years you didn't like, the peace or the prosperity?

And if you're going to keep after him about sex, let's talk about Chistine O'Donnell, who had sex on a blood-stained altar with a witch and then went on cable television to talk about it. A sex-crazed Satanist, that's who the Tea Party picked to represent Delaware. Good work, gang.

[robhood]

09:54 PM on 09/19/2010

I don't care how much of a sleezeball he was personally, because most presidents have been sleezeballs in the personal lives, (almost seems to be a prerequisite for the job)! But, we're talking about the man who sold the middle working class down the river, with NAFTA and WTO, and as for the "prosperity" part, he helped increase the rich/poor gap by making billionaires of millionaires, and as for the rest of America's prosperity, it was mostly debt. America sunk into its greatest debt from overuse of credit cards, loosened standards for home loans, etc. It was a lot of the things that happened under his watch that helped get us here today! He's as guilty as the criminal Bush and the latest lackey of the elite, Mr. Obama!!!

[murpack]

10:20 PM on 09/19/2010

Wow...so much anger. If only we could dig up and elect Eugene Debs.

[speckitis]

10:26 PM on 09/19/2010

You're being a little loose with reality. Bush had zero respect for regulation, the military fighting man, and diplomacy. If someone is dead-set to bring a country to its knees, they're going to do it.

I suspect you voted for Bush twice, see the error, and are now trying to ameliorate your mistake by blaming Clinton as well.

[Tom Key]

08:46 PM on 09/19/2010

It is SO refreshing to see statesmanship and intelligence back in our political discourse! I had to love Pres. Clinton's effort to trouble us with FACTS. For example, that the lending industry is sitting on trillions of cash, that business has made unprecedented profits in the last year, and that wonderful news about job postings!

[buckbanter44]

08:48 PM on 09/19/2010

yea, let's hope Obama watched the video clips.

[Chris1962]

02:15 AM on 09/20/2010

>>>I had to love Pres. Clinton's effort to trouble us with FACTS. For example, that the lending industry is sitting on trillions of cash>>>

If you bothered to read real, actual newspapers, you would've known that months ago. It's not exactly a state secret that Obama has created such a horrific business environment that instead of pouring that $2T into the economy, business is waiting for the Republicans to come in and halt Obama's job-killing agenda. Then everybody can finally get back to the business of doing business. This idiot economic team, and their ridiculous Keynesian economics, has made it impossible for businesses to even so much as create a budget, not knowing what the taxes are gonna be, or how many more regulations (and accompanying reams and reams of government paperwork) will be coming down the pike, or whether their state is gonna be able to ditch out of the mandate and/or have it repealed — you name it. And God only knows what kind of havoc a lame-duck congress is gonna create. So nobody's willing to invest their capital until this madness ends.

[Velvetus]

08:44 AM on 09/20/2010

There you go again Chris, talkin' out ya ah. Business in America is fine, *too* fine, in fact (where did they get the 2T they're sitting on?). And you give yourself away as nothing more than a Faux Noise talking points spouter every time you use the phrase "Obama's job-killing agenda". Obama has rolled over and played dead for both Wall Street and big Health Insurance, or didn't you know that stocks went UP after both pieces of legislation were signed?

I'll bet you also didn't know that legislators on both sides are bought and paid for by the corporate elite. *They're* calling all the shots, and while they'd probably like a Rethug Congress, they'll continue to do just fine if the Dems stay in power.

*You* might enjoy living in a corporate oligarchy, but I think I'll pass.