All-About-Me Bill Clinton Now About Her

Clintons To Campaign Together In Iowa Tonight For First Time

(CBS/AP)  Bill Clinton's career has always been about him — as in No. 1 or "me," "my" and "I."

Now it's about her.

Considered by friends to be as self-absorbed as he is brilliant, the former president will check his ego at the curb tonight in Iowa as he takes a surrogate's role in the presidential campaign of his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

Her advisers privately fret that the former president will overshadow Sen. Clinton with his unparalleled campaign skills and career-long habit of drawing attention to himself. One of her confidants, still stinging from the Monica Lewinsky affair, refers to Clinton as "Mr. Me."

Although she continues to enjoy a big lead nationally in the latest CBS News poll, Hillary Clinton is trailing in most polls in Iowa—the first state to cast votes—reports CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod. That explains why she is breaking out her not-so-secret weapon: her husband Bill.

The senator needs his help, and her staff is betting that Bill Clinton is ready to be Mr. Her.

"No one knows Hillary Clinton more than Bill Clinton," Terry McAuliffe, Hillary's campaign chairman and the head of the Democratic National Committee, told CBS News Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm on Monday. "To have the former president, probably the most popular man in the world today, out there campaigning with Hillary across Iowa — obviously it's going to be a huge boost for us."

As an example of that boost, campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson pointed to a powerful, five-minute campaign video in which the former president outlines Sen. Clinton's biography. Framed by a lamp's soft yellow glow, Clinton talks about his wife's commitment to public service, starting in law school, where they met, and continuing throughout their years in Arkansas.

"She just kept plugging away with new ideas, making progress, day in and day out," Clinton says. "That's the kind of leader she is."

The video is a taste of things to come in Iowa, New Hampshire and beyond, campaign officials say.

Still, a few discerning Clinton associates note that he used the words "I," "me" and "my" 16 times in the video. They wryly observe that the taping was a model of self-control when compared with his past habits.

One friend, who refused to be identified because the couple frowns on anything close to criticism, said Clinton's rhetorical style brings to mind the hit country song by Toby Keith, "I Wanna Talk About Me."

The chorus goes like this: "I wanna talk about me." "Wanna talk about I." "Wanna talk about No. 1, oh-my-me-my, "What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see ... ."

This friend, and several other associates, said Clinton truly wants to promote his wife's candidacy and is getting better at it every day. They note that former presidents — much like former chief executive officers — find it difficult to stop talking about their accomplishments and the people who benefited from their leadership.

[swwils]

I hope Hillary wins and becomes the first female President,and Bill is running through the white house chaseing all the interns around having *** with them just like before.She will make a good Pres.and Bill will help her.It will be like two Presidents for the price of one.

[nottellin1]

I still think that Hilarys candidacy is simple payback by the Dems for her standing by Bill when he was President.

[klifton2-2009]

After Bush Jr, everyone and anyone would seem like a good bet. Bush as lowered the intellectual bar so low that round about anyone can qualify as President, the corruption and abuses of power notwithstanding.

[billpl-2009]

Bill's got all the privileges of a former president, gets to go any where in the world any time he pleases and all the pretty women he can cram into his bed....Last place in the world he wants to be is, stuck in the White House with Hillary under a microscope.

On the surface, he's cheering her on, underneath? praying she gets run over by a bus.

[sjc_1]

I think that if Al Gore had Bill campaigning for him the last 60 days in 2000, he might have won the election. Of course in hindsight, I would rather that Al had picked a better VP running mate than Joe Lieberman. What a chronically depressed sounding loser he turned out to be.

[sparks224]

"I don't know which one is more repulsive."
Posted by b48151

I know what you mean, That Bill is such a smarty pants know it all, and that Hillary won't stay in the kitchen and bake cookies, it's all so scary!

[decentiq]

***Rather*** ***Clinton*** ***wins*** ***or*** ***not***, ***at*** ***least*** (***president*** ***Cheney***, ***oops*** ***I*** ***mean*** ***vice*** ***president*** ***Cheney*** (***or*** ***his*** ***follower*** ***Bush***) ***won***'***t*** ***win*** ***again***.

[jedi08]

The only chance the right has is if Hillary and Bill win the left nomination. The article says he is the most popular man in the World, well he is also the second most unpopular man in the US.

Hillary will look like an idiot standing next to him and this will hurt more then it will help.

[gunownerdan]

Haven't Americans had enough of the Clintons and Bushes?
I guess dumb people like oligarchy.

[mommajomma-2009]

yeah come on back willie boy, and in between sweat-hog b.j.'s, help the republicans again get control of congress like you did in the 90's.

[jihad_joe1]

Old slick Willie is probably salivating at the thought of all the interns he can "audition" in the Lincoln bedroom! :)

Female journalists on the right....interns and groupies on the left. His heart will give out - for SURE! :)

[antoniof123]

Wow, Bill's back and the neo cons must be ready to wet themselves. Looks like it's over boys and girls. LOL....Too funny!

[gunownerdan]

Megalomaniacs like Hitlery Clinton must drool everytime they think about all the power Bush has given himself and future presidents.
If there is any candidate who would actually obey the presidential oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution, it would be Ron Paul.
That's probably why the corporate-owned media will barely mention his name!

[gunownerdan]

Megalomaniacs like Hitlery Clinton must drool everytime they think about all the power Bush has given himelf and future presidents.