Clinton, Obama set aside rivalry for election

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By BETH FOUHY

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - When Bill Clinton takes the convention stage in prime time Wednesday to praise President Barack Obama, it will be the most visible step on a path toward reconciliation for two former rivals whose political fortunes are now inextricably linked.

That Obama would choose the former president for such a high-profile speaking spot and that Clinton would accept seemed unfathomable in 2008, when the two clashed bitterly during the Democratic nomination showdown between Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former president's wife. Even though Hillary Clinton now serves as Obama's secretary of state, resentments between the current and former presidents have been slow to ebb.

But now, with the Democratic incumbent locked in a tight race with Republican Mitt Romney, Obama has fully embraced Clinton as a political partner in hopes of capturing the former president's uncanny knack for political survival against tough odds.

"President Clinton has an economic record second to none," Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said at a briefing Tuesday hosted by ABC News and Yahoo. "He's a very credible messenger ... he's going to deliver a very compelling speech."

FULL story at link



Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20120904/DA13962G1.html

[xchrom]

1. There's a 'rivalry' ?

Clinton was a strong supporter of his wife back in 08.

There's no 'rivalry'.

[amuse bouche]

2. I really admire Bill Clinton for being such a big Obama supporter

A true statesman. I could not love him more

[Tx4obama]

3. Pres Obama and Pres Clinton have had lunch in New York several times

since Obama became president.

I do not understand why all the talking heads are saying that they have a problem with each other.

I think someone is just making stuff up.

[Drunken Irishman]

4. That rivalry died in '08...

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. what "rivalry"?

[progressivebydesign]

6. Oh the lazy stupid media is in their usual form today... "rivalry."

And others today from Yahoo, AP, etc. "Democrats Open Convention Defending Obama" (really? Didn't hear ONE thing about defense in those speeches, I heard IDEAS." And "First Lady's job is to Make Obama Likable" (complete with the narrative about no one liking the President anymore.

They get these talking points from their fax machines, and from their Assignment Editors.. instead of looking at the actual event.

[bluestateguy]

7. Oh not this imaginary shit again

Didn't we go through all this at the convention 4 years ago?

The media is made up of vile, idiotic, horrible disgusting people.

[4lbs]

8. I remember Bill Clinton campaigning for Obama in 2008

Uh... rivalry? Contention?

Any speck of it vanished back then.

[PragmaticLiberal]

9. I thought this was interesting.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/obama-finds-key-asset-in-bill-clintons-support/2012/09/03/bf12ff32-f5ff-11e1-91cb-58c92a8a140e_story.html?hpid=z2

[Beacool]

10. Obama needs Bill, it's that simple.

It's a professional relationship, they are not close friends. The Obamas haven't even bothered to invite the Clintons once to dinner at the WH.

Right now Obama needs Bill far more than Bill needs Obama. If Obama was well ahead of Romney in the polls, Clinton would not have been given such a prominent spot at the Convention. It's a question of Obama's political survival and if Bill can be of use, then so be it.

[sarcasmo]

11. President Clinton is going to bring down the house.

[dipsydoodle]

13. His abilities as a speaker

contributed greatly to his popularity in Europe.

[AllyCat]

12. Rivalry? Was unaware of this. Media created?

[AtomicKitten]

14. This is an arrangement of convenience.

There is no love lost between the Clintons and President Obama; I don't get why some people here seem to think they are besties. If they don't give at least the appearance of smoothing over the 2008 primary "thing," that may prove detrimental to all parties as it's pretty clear by this arrangement HRC intends to run again. By appointing HRC SOS, Pres O gave her the foreign policy experience she embarrassingly claimed to have (Tuzla, Ireland, etc.) but did not, shoring up that hole in her resume, and in return the least BC can do is get with the program. Notably, in one week a few months back, BC suggested we "embrace" the Keystone Pipeline and said he supported extending ALL the Bush tax cuts again, completely contradicting the campaign message. In that same week, he complimented Rmoney on his "sterling business career" which made it into a Rmoney TV ad. So, it'll be all smoochy kisses at the convention, Obama will be re-elected, and HRC will run for president again in 2016. Done.

edited for typo