Let's get something straight from the get-go: I came of age during the Clinton years. I was one of those who vigorously defended Bill Clinton after Monica-gate, saying: "The man is our political, not spiritual, leader, and he's been a damn good one!" My feeling on that whole sordid mess was, it was gross that he did it, grosser still that he lied about it, but grossest of all that it was made government business to begin with. And that if Hillary could be okay with it, we damn well should be, too.
But like McCain has finally started to use up his seemingly endless reservoir of good will with the media, so over the course of this election has Bill Clinton squandered the significant goodwill he had earned with me, and with everyone I know personally, black and white.
And now, despite the fact that he and his wife are featured for 50% of what is supposed to be Barack Obama's convention, comes breaking news from Politico that he's apparently upset about the time and content of his speech.
Follow me past the jump if you can bear a tale of pouting and whining from a once formidable statesman...
From Politico's exclusive:
...mistrust and resentments continued to boil among top associates of presumptive nominee Barack Obama and his defeated rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
One flashpoint is the assigned speech topic for former president Bill Clinton, who is scheduled to speak Wednesday night, when the convention theme is "Securing America’s Future."
The former president is disappointed, associates said, because he is eager to speak about the economy and more broadly about Democratic ideas — emphasizing the contrast between the Bush years and his own record in the 1990s.
Okay, newsflash #1, Bubba! THIS ELECTION IS NOT ABOUT YOU.
This is an especially sore point for Bill Clinton, people close to him say, because among many grievances he has about the campaign Obama waged against his wife is a belief that the candidate poor-mouthed the political and policy successes of his two terms.
Newsflash #2! Um, we who were on the Obama side of things have "many grievances" about the campaign you and your wife waged against our candidate. Quid pro quo is a bitch, suck it up.
Some senior Democrats close to Obama, meanwhile, made clear in not-for-attribution comments that they were equally irked at the Clinton operation. Nearly three months after Hillary Clinton conceded defeat in the nomination contest, these Obama partisans complained, her team continues to act like she and Bill Clinton hold leverage.
Yes, we've seen your leverage and it is legend PUMA. We are not impressed. And I know that many Clintonites say that Obama can't win this thing without your help, and they accuse us of arrogantly believing that we can. Well, we're about to find out, but guess what? It's not arrogance, it's necessity- because you haven't been helping anyway! Either get fully on board or get the fuck out of the way, but in either case, realize this: we are more than glad to have you, but this is not the Clintons' party anymore. And personally, Obama's unwillingness to blow smoke up your ass just makes him all the more impressive in my book. (And it's probably just the kind of tough love you Clintons best understand). You crossed the line during the primaries... and it's a long way back, holmes.
Now, the one caveat I feel worth mentioning is that this episode, unlike the direct-from-the-source pouting on full display in Bill's responses from Africa, is a sourced story, though there are a couple of on-record indirect quotes. So perhaps it's untrue, and quite honestly, I would love that to be the case, to be proven wrong in this instance, and to find that my anger towards Clinton has made me too quick to believe any negative word against him that fits my preconceived notions.
The article, while much lengthier than what I've shared here, concludes on that semi-hopeful note:
While Bill Clinton remains angry about how he and his wife were treated by both Obama backers and the news media.... he has made the decision that he will put forward a positive face for Obama’s benefit at Denver.
[John] Podesta...said..."I think he’s got a high bar because he needs to show enthusiasm, and the press will be looking for any stray remark as a sign that he doesn’t fully support" the Obama campaign...It’s a bar he’ll get over."
Paul Begala...who has spoken to both Clintons in recent weeks, agreed. He said the former president, whatever mixed feelings remain from the primaries, will work to elect Obama because, "It’s killing him to watch what has happened over the past eight years...to watch the slow unraveling of so much of what his administration achieved."
Johnny & Paulie better be right. (Even if, as Paul said, it truly will take Bill making it all about him in his own mind in order to deliver.) I truly hope they are. I truly hope that Bill Clinton is giddily working on his speech, knowing a consummate politician like himself has more than enough ability to knock it out of the park, and is anxious to show all the Democrats who supported him in the past, that he can now rise above his own petty jealousies and support our party, our country, and our nominee in this, the most critical election of our times.
If he is as worried about restoring his legacy as folks close to him have said, then for his sake, as far as this Democrat is concerned... he better be.
UPDATE: I was just falling asleep and remembered something. About this time last year, when all I knew about Hillary and Barack is that they were running for President, and that people were torn between them, I actually said on more than one occasion, "Why can't we just re-elect Bill for a third term?!"
The fact that I once felt that positively about him, and more shockingly, that I'd forgotten that I felt that positively about him so recently, underscores just how much damage I think he's done, and how angry about it I am.