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Bill Clinton and Jerry Brown: A Bromance or Frenemies for Life?

1 year ago

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Executive Editor

Is it a budding bromance between longtime adversaries Jerry Brown and Bill Clinton or will they always be "frenemies"? Either way, it is the talk of California politics lately, with third wheel Meg Whitman bringing up old hurts to try to put a damper on the relationship between the two old Democratic war horses.

Clinton is thinner than when he and Jerry Brown tangled in 1992, and his hair has gone completely white -- Brown's hair has almost completely disappeared -- but the two Democrats seem different in a more fundamental way. These days, instead of sniping at each other, they have joined forces to help Brown in his bid to regain a job he held from 1975 to 1983.

Jerry Brown and Bill Clinton, together at last

The weekend's fun began when Clinton barnstormed Southern California, appearing in Orange County on behalf of Rep. Loretta Sanchez, who is locked in a tough race with Republican challenger Van Tran, and continued Friday night at a get-out-the-vote rally at UCLA attended by Brown and Gavin Newsom, the Democrats' candidate for lieutenant governor.

Newsom, mayor of San Francisco, was Bill Clinton's first choice for governor of California, but when Newsom dropped out last year, the former president settled on a man with whom he had a long and contentious history, starting when they both sought the Democratic presidential nomination 18 years ago. Today, however, the two men's mutual interests have harmonically converged: Brown wants his old job back and Clinton is traversing the country attempting to show he has the juice to help get Democrats elected.

Earlier this week Clinton was in his old home town attempting to stave off the Republican tide that threatens to engulf Arkansas. He found the sledding a bit easier in heavily Democratic California, where even Meg Whitman, Brown's Republican opponent and the former CEO of eBay, had some conciliatory words for the 42^nd president.

"I think there were many good things about Bill Clinton's presidency," Whitman told supporters at a dueling GOP rally at the downtown theater LA Live. "He was a big eBay buyer. He bought a lot of his Clinton memorabilia on eBay. But he's obviously out here because he's a Democrat, a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, and he's trying to help Democrats across the country."

And what would an event held in a Los Angeles theater be without a movie? The Whitman camp didn't disappoint, either, showing the audience an eight-minute short film called "The Way We Were," featuring insults hurled back and forth between Jerry Brown and Bill Clinton in the days before their détente. "It's was all in good fun," one Whitman adviser told Politics Daily. "But the film could have been longer -- these two have a long history." Click play below to watch the full short film screened at the Whitman rally, as provided exclusively to Politics Daily:

This was not the first time Camp Whitman has enjoyed itself at Brown's expense over the Brown-Clinton connection. It produced an ad in September consisting of an old clip of Clinton telling Larry King that Brown was lying about his record. Brown's initial response to that ad was to lash out at Meg Whitman -- and Bill Clinton.

"Meg Whitman -- she stops at nothing. She's even got Clinton lying about me," Brown said in impromptu remarks to supporters in East Los Angeles. "Did you see that? Where he said I raised taxes. It's a lie ..." Brown then continued: "I mean Clinton's a nice guy, but who ever said he always told the truth? You remember, right? There's that whole story there about did he or didn't he. Okay, I did not have taxes with this state."

Brown apologized by the end of the afternoon for that last crack, which was a reference to Clinton's infamous "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" assertion. And even more recently, Brown apologized when he and aides were caught on tape discussing whether they should call Meg Whitman "a whore" for dealing with special interests.

These latest developments have revealed the toll this expensive gubernatorial campaign is taking on its participants. It also somewhat undermined the widespread impression that Brown had become warmer and more self-deprecating than when he was a younger man. Some veteran California political insiders have found him more appealing this time around. But Brown is up against a wealthy and self-made opponent who is breaking all known spending records in a year that is shaping up as an inhospitable one for career politicians, especially Democrats. Thus the call to Bill Clinton, a man Jerry Brown once dubbed "The Prince of Sleaze."

Filed Under: Endorsements, Gaffes, Bill Clinton, Governors, 2010 Elections, Campaigns, Mayors

Tagged: 2010 Governor Elections, 2010 Governors Elections, 2010 Governors Races, California Elections, California Governors Race, dailyguidance, Jerry Brown, Meg Whitman

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monimac60

I remember those debates in 1992...Clinton was running scared that Brown wasn't following suit and dropping out of the primary race as all the other candidates did; so yes, there were heated words. Of course Meg Whitman did her typical cut & paste job in order to use Clinton's words against Brown. It always amazes me when she has the nerve to call anyone else a liar - Really Meg? The Queen of Lies and Misdirection...and she says she's NOT a politician!

October 23 2010 at 7:41 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

craigmmeyer

Brown did not serve his official capacity while Attorney General in CA. It was his responsibility to implement Penal Code 803b which basically was the same law as AZ has passed but included outlawing sanctuary cities such as Los Angeles, Sand Fransisco and Oakland. Now the City attorney of San Francisco which allowed SF to become a sanctuary city which is against CA law wishes to be the next CA Attorney General. If God forbid, Brown and Gabby Newsome gets elected, the state is so screwed. Why pass a law if it's not going to be upheld? Someone should ask Moonbeam about that.I'm resigning as a democrat as this is just plane stupid.

October 18 2010 at 4:38 PM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down Reply

craigmmeyer

Sadly more rhetoric and no substance. When Brown was governor previously we have massive unemployment in the state and that was before the illegal invasion which he now supports. I don't care which party wins as long as someone takes action on the elephant in the loving room which is pooping on everyone and stinking up the place, that being the huge cost of the illegal invaders. I read that Brown wishes to grant the kids of illegals a quick path to citizenship and "special" considerations for attending college. My kids don't get special treatment, I have to pay for their tuition, their medical and pay for the extra insurance to allow them to dive all because illegals don't. We don't have much of a choice at any resolution as long as the politicians can kick the can down the road and buy the illegal votes today as Harry Reid is trying to do in Nevada. I sure would like "NONE OF THE ABOVE" on a ballot.

October 18 2010 at 4:23 PM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down Reply

ezek37

I guess opposites attrack. Ones a woman lover and the other is a woman hater.

October 17 2010 at 5:39 PM Report abuse Permalink +5 rate up rate down Reply

drb107

Since i have no horse to beat on in a California election I can only make one comment. IMO I'm sorry California you have no one to vote for like the country did back in 2008, so flip a coin and good luck, but from someone thats looking in from the outside you people are to starry eyed to elect anyone with a plan for California, but alas remember what Schwartz said (I'll be back) good luck.

October 17 2010 at 10:58 AM Report abuse Permalink -2 rate up rate down Reply

Hanson

Politics. It's all just a game. No wonder why the American public lost so much faith in the government.

October 17 2010 at 12:34 AM Report abuse Permalink +9 rate up rate down Reply

Alene Fishbein

Bill Clinton is the best political speaker in the United States. He speaks as well as Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. Wish he could be President again.

October 17 2010 at 12:04 AM Report abuse Permalink -11 rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Alene Fishbein's comment

janekatyt

You have got to be funny!!! He is the reason I can't vote for Mrs. Clinton. I can't think of what he would be up to doing!!!

October 17 2010 at 9:54 AM Report abuse Permalink +4 rate up rate down Reply

raulduk13

Jerry Brown, ran one of the most uplifting campaigns in 92. He is not your ordinary politican. He foward thinking. He looks for real solutions and gets thing done what a relief for CA after all these years of Arnold.

October 16 2010 at 11:32 PM Report abuse Permalink -13 rate up rate down Reply

castleb

More proof that politicians can grow up and be civil to one another. Now it's time for the pundits who pontificate from these columns and the occasional mudslinger who comments on them to do the same.

October 16 2010 at 11:06 PM Report abuse Permalink -5 rate up rate down Reply