CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said former President Bill Clinton will help Democrats offer a clear vision of the future when he takes the podium at the Democratic National Convention.
He also took a shot at the GOP ticket. "Let me say this, my only advice to them, not that they would take it is I would not have Paul Ryan’s fact-checker looking over Mitt Romney’s tax returns," he said on ABC's "Good Morning America."
Emanuel told NBC's "Today" that Clinton faced the same early struggles battling Republicans as Obama has. But after Clinton was re-elected in 1996, Republicans began to work with the president, leading to a balanced budget agreement.
Emanuel, who served both presidents, said he expects Obama would win the same type of cooperation from Republicans if he wins a second term. Democrats are eager to portray Obama's economic policies as mirroring those of Clinton, who presided during a time of prosperity.
Clinton has been actively campaigning for Obama and will offer the president's name for nomination on Wednesday night.
He said that Newt Gingrich calling Clinton's speech an "enormous risk" was "ridiculous." "A former president who is very popular who can explain about the policies and the parallel tracks the two presidents have had in the sense of investing in education, investing in research and development, alternative energy and green energy and a responsible way of balancing the budget. I think he can do nothing but help and the notion that Newt is going to give our party strategic advice, no thank you," he said on GMA.
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