Political Eye
By

Lindsey Boerma /

CBS News/ December 2, 2012, 1:23 PM

Obama, Bill Clinton hit the golf course, again

President Obama and former President Bill Clinton ride in a golf cart after completing the first hole at the Andrews Air Force Base golf course on September 24, 2011.

President Obama and former President Bill Clinton ride in a golf cart after completing the first hole at the Andrews Air Force Base golf course on September 24, 2011. / NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

Hitting Andrews Air Force Base for a round of golf, President Obama and Bill Clinton this afternoon are revisiting the pastime that forged their political relationship. The two are joined by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, according to the White House pool report.

It's the third golf outing for Mr. Obama since winning re-election, and his second ever with the former president. Clinton associates have said when he received an invitation from the president to join him for a round Sept. 24, 2011, they took it as the first sign Mr. Obama was getting serious about his second bid for the White House and wanted Mr. Clinton's fabled retail campaigning skills on his side - "Why else would he spend hours on a golf course being lectured by Clinton?" the New Yorker summarized.

The president got his wish, on all ends: the golf game, a hardy presence from Mr. Clinton on the trail, and, ultimately, re-election. As the seal to their newfound partnership - and end to a notoriously acrimonious relationship rooted in Mr. Obama's successful challenge against Hillary Clinton in 2008 - at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., the president awarded Mr. Clinton a prime speaking slot normally reserved for the vice president.

Now, they're back on the links, and Mr. Clinton may be hoping for a better result than last year's outing produced. In an interview with Golf Digest, he called his 2011 performance against President Obama "really horrible."

"On a normal day, just because I've played so much more - I've played decades longer than he has - I should probably still be a couple of strokes better," he said. "But he beat me fair and square."

While some critics of Mr. Obama have gone after his prolific golfing excursions, Mr. Clinton suggested he needs to play even more: "For a guy who never really played seriously before he came out here, you can tell he's athletic," he said. "And he has very good directional control over the ball. He just needs to play more."

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
5 Comments Add a Comment
linkicon reporticon emailicon
sueb45 says:
I'd love to be a fly on that golf cart! Bill, get Hillary to run in 2016!!!
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
3leggedcat23 says:
Wow
so many still can't accept that Obama won the election.
Democracy has a saying, voters are never wrong.
And the MAJORITY voted for the Dems and Obama.
Now get a life.
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
empirebuilder says:
ON SECOND THOUGHT, MAYBE HE WAS GETTING TIPS ON HOW TO 'MOVE' ON SUSAN RICE!!!!!!! THINK I NAILED IT.....SORRY, MICHELLE..
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
empirebuilder says:
Golf, then Hawaii... he just doesnt understand his job.."DON'T WAKE ME AT 3 AM!!!" OBAMA........

FIRE HIM.. SOONER THAN LATER.
reply
sueb45 replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Yeah, 'cause no other president has played golf or taken vacation while important things were going on.

Now, watch this drive.