Obama Defends Bill Clinton

By: Maria Gavrilovic
Topics: Barack Obama

(CBS)

From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

(CHICAGO) Barack Obama defended Bill Clinton today for not giving him a splashy endorsement, explaining that the former president probably did not want to upstage his wife.

"I'm going to be appearing with Senator Clinton, the former president's wife who was involved in an epic, historic primary with me, and then I'm going to be campaigning with her on Friday," Obama said today at a press conference, "So it's understandable that the former president wouldn't want to upstage what is going to be, I think, a terrific unity event over the next day and a half."

Bill Clinton gave his support to Obama yesterday but did so through a spokesman. Hillary Clinton explained that her husband is currently in Europe to celebrate Nelson Mandela's birthday and thus could only issue a written statement.

Obama offered words of praise for both Clintons today, calling Bill Clinton a "brilliant politician" and Hillary Clinton a "terrific campaigner."

"I think we can send Senator Clinton anywhere and she'll be effective," he said.

Obama also said that he encouraged his large donors to help Clinton retire her campaign debt but said that he will not ask his small donors to do the same. Although he said will not discourage small donors from helping Senator Clinton, he explained that their contributions wouldn't have a big impact in bringing down her debt.

"I'm not going to be individually contacting $15 donors because frankly it probably wouldn't be that effective in terms of making a big dent in Senator Clinton's debt," Obama said.

Obama will meet with Hillary Clinton and some of her top donors tonight at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

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by jheckerman June 26, 2008 2:18 PM EDT: Obama cant carry Clinton''s bags to the ball field! How soon we forget how life was under the Clinton Administration. We were rich and had good times...we prospered. Compare it to now. Obama should thank his lucky stars both Hillary and Bill will campaign for him.; Reply to this comment


by toldyouso12 June 26, 2008 1:33 PM EDT: "Bill Clinton gave his support to Obama yesterday but did so through a spokesman. Hillary Clinton explained that her husband is currently in Europe to celebrate Nelson Mandela%u2019s birthday and thus could only issue a written statement."

Poor Bill probably had a worse meltdown than Hillary when she conceded and did not go for the nuclear option anymore. He probably thought giving her the wh would be a two three punch: Be a huge coup to irritate the Independents and Republicans....be a great "mea culpa" to HRC for screwwwing around on her throughout their marriage and humiliating her by being exposed on national tv as a adultering, lying sexxxx addict....would have granted both access to more power and a chance to try out all those pretty new powers Bush put into play--not to mention, making that nasty lawsuit *** campaign finance case in Cali go bye bye. Hill probably had to get Bill out of the country to keep him from blowing his cool on tv--maybe going all out and call Obama the fvcking N word, with spittle flying from his mouth as he pointing his finger and ranted on the injustice of it all--Hill is really saying "trust me on this..Bill being gone this week is a good thing" Maybe ol'' Bill could never have kept it all together in person. LMAO; Reply to this comment


by jack3213 June 26, 2008 12:00 PM EDT: Beneath Obama''s flowery rhetoric lies a dangerous economic plan that will wreak havoc on the American economy.
Obama plans to return to the failed policies of high taxation coupled with an expansion of government spending.
Worse, Obama says he is absolutely committed to almost doubling the capital gains rate %u2014 something he will easily accomplish with a Democrat Congress.
In the coming months %u2014 when investors realize that Obama will raise the cap gains rate %u2014 there could be a stampede of asset sales as investors rush to take their profits now to avoid Obama''s doubling of the tax rates next year; Reply to this comment


by seanoneill5 June 26, 2008 10:31 AM EDT: To the walker of bs: the gotcha campaigns of innuendo and smear have failed this time around; so don''t hold out too much more wishful thinking about grand new revelations of evil lurking within this just plain good guy. Though perhaps you''re hanging on to the that campaign blasting "hope" that his birth cerificate will turn out to have been forged.; Reply to this comment


by gocubs58 June 26, 2008 9:37 AM EDT: Posted by bswalker: you know the republicans are going to dig so deep into this guys past. every friend or acquaintence he had in grade school thru college.

--------

That''s how republican''s run elections - through fear and smear campaigns. They don''t focus on the issues, they concentrate on how much dirt and mud they can pick up and sling. Bush and that criminal Karl Rove were experts at it. Look at the state the current bunch of criminals have this country in. A vote for McSame is a vote for at least 4 more years of this c r ap.; Reply to this comment


by chuckamok June 26, 2008 1:35 AM EDT: "you know the republicans are going to dig so deep into this guys past. every friend or acquaintence he had in grade school thru college."

In a strange way, I''d have preferred the Hildebeast. They is no doubt a Mt. Everest of very ugly dirt yet to be unearthed about those two scumbags.

;); Reply to this comment


by toughitout-2009 June 25, 2008 11:40 PM EDT: "he uses "white guilt" like a weapon, but it''''s more like a double edge sword. Do you liberals actually believe you have a (honest) chance at the presidency? No way! not with this fool leading you."

I''m not a liberal, I''m a conservative republican for Obama and all if you want to know why a conservative republican would back Obama, just read the puke you just posted as well as the other stupid posts against him. No substance. Just fear mongering and baseless accusations.

That''s why the republican is weak now. It has lost its substance and lost its way pandering the lowest common denominators in their ranks who think being a conservative means calling everyone they don''t agree with a liberal. So damned stupid.; Reply to this comment


by dnsallday June 25, 2008 11:40 PM EDT: Oops almost forgot your favorite that you use on every single Democrat who has ever run. He is the most liberal ever!
I guess repetition is soothing to conservatives.; Reply to this comment


by toughitout-2009 June 25, 2008 11:38 PM EDT: "LMAO! After you spent 18 months tearing down everything either one of them have ever done!!!!"

No he didn''t. What the hell have you been smoking?

You people bashing him no damned good and well that no matter what he does, you''ll be here with your retarded little "osama obama" bits complaining about it. If he doesn''t help hillary, then he''s a bad guy with no integrity, when he does help hillary, it''s proof he''s the devil.

Meanwhile, McCain is offering you what he admits is a Placebo along the lines of energy policy when he talks about offshore drilling and how it won''t really help anything except psychology. You guys just lap it up like dogs returning to your vomit.; Reply to this comment


by dnsallday June 25, 2008 11:37 PM EDT: Let''s see if I can help you all out. Obama is arrogant, elitist, marxist, socialist, militant. And by the way, did you notice he is black? That is scary.
There, did I get all of the talking points that you submissive personalities have to use as often as possible? Just thought I would save you the trouble as you just keep copying and pasting the same thing on every blog.; Reply to this comment