It's not exactly a man-bites-dog story when someone accuses Bill Clinton of stretching the truth, but when it's a president of his own party, and when what he calls Clinton is a "bald-faced" liar, and when that president happens to employ Clinton's wife as the Secretary of State, well, yes, that's kind of newsworthy.
That's one of the juicier morsels in Renegade: The Making of a President," a new campaign book by Richard Wolffe, who covered the 2008 presidential race for Newsweek. Wolffe also quotes Barack Obama as referring during the campaign to former President Clinton as "a loose cannon."
These quotations are sourced directly to Obama himself, and come out of interviews the author did with "the candidate," as Wolffe calls him in a conscious emulation of Kennedy campaign biographer Theodore White. That Obama cooperated with Wolffe is obvious; in fact, it appears that the idea for the book may originally have been Obama's. Revealingly, the tension in Wolffe's narrative is elevated when he's writing about the nomination fight between Obama and Hillary Clinton more than when he chronicles the runoff between Obama and John McCain. This is as it should be. Not only was the Obama-Clinton contest closer than the Obama-McCain duel, it was longer, more bitter, more interesting, and more historic.
One of the factors spicing it up was the frantic effort by Bill Clinton to help his wife. These exertions were so inartful that they chipped away at Bill Clinton's reputation as a master political tactician. They also, invariably, hurt Hillary's cause -- so much so that a few amateur psychologists in the punditry and political classes offered the opinion that deep down he wanted her to lose. This was wrong, of course. Clinton wanted her to win so badly that he could control neither his emotions nor his temper. Bill Clinton's unedited thoughts have never been overly delicate, and last year, he had a lot at stake.
As 2008 unfolded, two likely scenarios presented themselves relating to Bill Clinton's legacy. In the first, Hillary is installed as the 44th president of the United States -- and the first woman to hold that office -- and Bill Clinton is remembered as the man who made it happen, who presided over a strong economy in eight years of relative peace, and whose tenure had been marred only by a naked power grab by jealous congressional Republicans who impeached him over purely private behavior of the same sort engaged in by their own leaders. That was one possibility.
Here's another: Voters elect someone else in 2008, choosing to finally put behind them the Clintons' soap opera marriage, the corruption that started with renting out the Lincoln Bedroom in the first months of the administration and ended with selling pardons on their way out the door. In that second scenario, the Clinton administration might be seen as long on self-congratulation and short on accomplishment -- one that failed to get universal health care or the Kyoto climate accords, and dithered as Al-Qaeda planned 9/11.
With the stakes for his legacy that high, the obvious source of Bill's frustration, then, became the Democratic senator who stood between him and the first scenario, the only candidate with any realistic chance of defeating Hillary. His desperation was understandable. And it showed whenever he talked about Barack Obama.
After Obama won the South Carolina primary, Bill Clinton said dismissively that Jesse Jackson had won there, too, essentially implying, that, oh, it was some kind of black thing. Then, when his racial sensitivity was questioned, Clinton claimed incongruously that the Obama campaign had "played the race card on me." Weeks later, Clinton termed Obama's oft-cited (and well-documented) assertion that he was the only major candidate to oppose the Iraq invasion as "the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen." And as the campaign wound down, Clinton complained, weirdly, that "they" (Obama? The media?) were engaged in some massive "cover-up" to hide public opinion surveys demonstrating Hillary's potential strength in a general election campaign.
"We had to figure out how to deal with a former president who was just lying, engaging in bald-faced lies," Obama told Wolffe. When the author asked if Bill Clinton had gotten into his head, Obama replied, "Yes, but I got into his."
True enough, and, according to Wolffe, that consideration entered into Obama's thinking when it came to choosing a running mate. Obama instructed his aides to consider Hillary -- if and only if they thought she'd help the ticket win in November. "But," Obama added, "I'm concerned about Bill Clinton being a loose cannon."
That seems an odd choice of words, considering whom Obama settled on: Blooper-prone Joe Biden. And considering her foreign policy gaffes during the campaign, Hillary Clinton's selection as Secretary of State seemed equally unlikely. But then, there was a political consideration here, too. In choosing her, Obama simultaneously moved Hillary inside the Obama tent and moved her out of the running for a Senate leadership post.
As Wolffe writes: Obama's aides believed that many Senate Democrats thought Clinton had extended her presidential campaign far beyond the point where she had lost the election. Her negative advertising wasted Democratic money, threatened to undermine the party's nominee and suggested that she was disloyal to the party. They were unwilling to offer the junior New York senator a position ahead of her lowly rank, and she stood little chance of becoming majority leader. "There was a lot of encouragement from inside the Senate to get her into this job," said one senior Obama aide. "They wanted her out of there..."
If this is true, then Senate Democrats got their wish. Although anyone who thinks he's heard the last of Bill or Hillary Clinton, doesn't know them very well.
Ya, nothing like Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld huh? They are all HIGH CLASS huh? Oh and what about Karl Rove? Can't leave him out of the group when speaking about class.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-7)
chelseaclintonf
7:00PM Jun 3rd 2009
LMAO. EL DUHHHHHHHHHH
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-4)
wwarrior02131
9:51PM Jun 3rd 2009
Shame on Barack Obama! Sucking up to Nancy Reagan after her husband caused so much grief and anguish for poor and middle class people. I have been a Democrat all my life, I was a delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention and now I am ashamed to be associated with such a jerk.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-8)
akristocat65
10:26PM Jun 3rd 2009
Anyone who truly thinks there are any politicians that dont lie, got another thing coming. Even with all the complaints we have it so much better than most others. Pray God does not remove His blessing and that He gives wisdom and a spirit of uprightness to all law makers.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (4)
HESS K9
10:30PM Jun 3rd 2009
THE TRUE OBAMA COMES OUT
RATE THIS COMMENT: (6)
sheeleys
10:30PM Jun 3rd 2009
Well see in a short time who the real liar is, I've made up my mind he'll surface shortly.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (8)
AvAtor3
10:31PM Jun 3rd 2009
well-written, sourced article. Not sure why there is a separate debate about Reagan, Bush, Cheney, etc, etc...Wise to move her out of the senate-majority running, although she stood no chance; a pain-in-the-neck for the Dem. Party and a disloyal, dishonest, negative campaign, as well. I believe she was only holding onto the a losing cause (the party campaign) because of the Clinton-Ego/Power-Grab as runs so strongly in both Bill and Hillary. I was quite disheartened, but not surprised, at Hillary's selfish campaign and how long she kept chugging along despite dire chances. She really did undermine the Democratic Party; and, in perspective, added nothing new to the country's moral foundation of greed, excess and wasteful spending. In the end, morality won the Democratic nomination and presidential election...hopefully, history will prove Obama a successful, driven moral philosopher and not just a moral philosopher of big words and ideals. Either way, this election did prove that the American people need and voted morals over capitalism, although capitalism is an entire different topic that I don't want to get into. Just wanted to leave an educated opinion and not a half-arsed, moronic thought (like the one claiming Obama is an anti-christ [?]) I'd like education to be the number priority in Obama's term, if possible. It's already been proven by the excessively numerous idiots leaving posts on political opinion articles (I'm not personally attacking these people, but I can't help but point it out because it drives me mad. Okay, I'm catching myself wandering far off my main thesis...
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-3)
ladonna
10:43PM Jun 3rd 2009
I really don't think barack obama said this about clinton beacause he wouldn't put his job in deputy over this type of stuff
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irishamrep
10:47PM Jun 3rd 2009
ditto lol
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HELLO DAVID
10:48PM Jun 3rd 2009
no. Republicans are trash.. war ongers. hate mongers and will rape you and this country in a heartbeat for a dime..just like Bush Cheney and Rove has done to us.. ANYONE who could possibly CLAIM to be a Republican is so mentally ill ,he ibviously needs to be put away...hey maybe tortured... That's an idea!?
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-7)
carpenterclay
10:57PM Jun 3rd 2009
TO...HELLO DAVID... YOU ARE A RACIST BIGGOTT WHO HAS HIS MIND(WHAT MIND) SET ON BASHING ANYONE WHO DOES NOT KISS OBAMA'S ASS. YOU AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU MAKE THE FAIR MINDED DEMS. LOOK LIKE IDEOTS TO CONSERVATIVES AND INDEPENDENTS.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (8)
AREK
11:19PM Jun 3rd 2009
Yes they are
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middleclass
11:42PM Jun 3rd 2009
"They're both trash." Obama-Biden or Obama-Hillary or Obama-Bill.....? Obama is a charismatic man, with ties to corruption that are undeniable. It is a sad day to see this bsturd's story, sell more books.
If you read the blogs, blacks make negative comments about caucasians constantly. Now if a caucasian does not support Obama, the same racist Obama followers attack them.
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Wassup Toy
11:51PM Jun 3rd 2009
to much to-do about nothing
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Just Me Carlene
12:13AM Jun 4th 2009
well i can't stand obama or nothing he stands for he is the most racist person I have ever seen he says he's BLACK well I got news for him his Mother is just as white as I am, he thinks white people are low trash and he lied when he was running for president.Now we are in depression and he takes a $20,0000 date with his WIFE of how many years any ways to long to be going on a date spending that much money. When we have people that cant even afford medical insurance. And then let all them Mexican's and Vietman's , Indians come over here and make our money and then go back to there country with OUR money getting rich. I can't stand Obama.We need to take care of our American's first and not worry about them and keep them over the border.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (3)
musiclady401
4:37AM Jun 4th 2009
there will never be another minority president, mark my words.
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Hello Susie
6:01AM Jun 4th 2009
Yes winning down south it was the Race Card that did it, and I agree with the statement "Their will never be another minority president" because of Obama's inept thinking and obviously does not know what the hell he is doing. And all you whites out there that voted for him better think about what the hell you are doing next time.
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Obama is a Marxist
7:47AM Jun 4th 2009
The pot calling the kettle black
RATE THIS COMMENT: (6)
mayerfam2000
1:14PM Jun 4th 2009
Note from Don Wildmon: For years I have refused to use words such as Marxism, socialism or similar words when describing our current situation. However, it is time to call a spade a spade, regardless of how those who oppose us label us. Rome is burning. The article below was written by Stanislav Mishin, a blogger and columnist for the Russian newspaper Pravda.
American capitalism gone with a whimper . . . . .
It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.
True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street poured into the fists of the Marxists.
Those lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.
First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather than the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas than the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us (Russia) about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride blinds the foolish.
Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different "branches and denominations" were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the "winning" side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the "winning" side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox (Russian Orthodox) churches are scandalously liberalized in America.
The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more than another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.
These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more than ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should we congratulate them?
These men, of course, are not an elected panel but made up of appointees picked from the very financial oligarchs and their henchmen who are now gorging themselves on trillions of American dollars, in one bailout after another. They are also usurping the rights, duties and powers of the American congress (parliament). Again, congress has put up little more then a whimper to their masters.
Then came Barack Obama's command that GM's (General Motor) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct, dear reader, in the land of "pure" free markets, the American president now has the power, the self given power, to fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion commands his minions.
So it should be no surprise that the American president has followed this up with a "bold" move of declaring that he and another group of unelected, chosen stooges will now redesign the entire automotive industry and will even be the guarantee of automobile policies. I am sure that if given the chance, they would happily try and redesign it for the whole of the world, too. Prime Minister Putin, less then two months ago, warned Obama and UK's Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our "wise" Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride.
Again, the American public has taken this with barely a whimper...but a "freeman" whimper.
So, should it be any surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that would give the American Treasury department the power to set "fair" maximum salaries, evaluate performance and control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses? Senator Barney Franks, a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort. He stresses that this only affects companies that receive government monies, but it is retroactive and taken to a logical extreme, this would include any company or industry that has ever received a tax break or incentive.
The Russian owners of American companies and industries should look thoughtfully at this and the option of closing their facilities down and fleeing the land of the Red as fast as possible. In other words, divest while there is still value left.
The proud American will go down into his slavery with out a fight, beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only snicker.