Bill Clinton Criticizes Media's Priorities

Former President Wants More Coverage Of Candidates' Records — Especially His Wife's

(AP)  Bill Clinton said Tuesday the public would benefit from more attention to the records of the presidential candidates - like his wife's - and less to daily skirmishes that "won't amount to a hill of beans."

The former president, known as a keen strategist himself, lamented that the campaign has become too much about the horse race at the expense of policy and experience.

"Sixty-seven percent of the coverage is pure politics," he said, citing a study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism. "That stuff has a half-life of about 15 seconds. It won't matter tomorrow. It is very vulnerable to being slanted and rude. And it won't affect your life."

Campaigning in New Hampshire, he said Hillary Rodham Clinton's work in the Senate proves she can accomplish change and "I would pick her and be here if we weren't married."

Amber Wilkerson, speaking for the Republican National Committee, said Clinton's comments were hypocritical given the struggle to get more papers released from his presidential library.

"It would be a lot easier to assess Hillary Clinton's so-called experience if she would unlock her records and allow the public to make their own determination about her credentials," Wilkerson said.

Clinton talked up his wife's experience and - by implication - pointed out rival Barack Obama's relative lack of it at a campaign stop in Keene.

"One percent of the press coverage was devoted to their record in public life," he said. "No wonder people think experience is irrelevant."

At a later event in Claremont, Clinton told high school students that headline-grabbing skirmishes are not what matters. "The stuff will be gone with the wind," he said. "It won't amount to a hill of beans in a week or so."

Although the focus on political competition is hardly unique to this election - and Clinton is second to none in his own competitive instincts - he said he would feel frustrated if he were running this time.

"There seems to be this fashionable idea that - not just Hillary, but some of the other people who are running for president, Senator Biden, Senator Dodd, Governor Richardson - people who have done an enormous service to this country, would somehow be disqualified from national leadership because they've been change-makers in the past."

In Keene, Clinton recalled the western New Hampshire town as the place he realized he might actually win the Democratic nomination in 1992. He did not win the New Hampshire primary that year, but his second-place finish helped position him as "the Comeback Kid."

Clinton is one of several marquee surrogates trekking through snowy New Hampshire. Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling planned to join Republican Sen. John McCain on Wednesday. Oprah Winfrey planned to join Obama on Sunday.

[mudrose-2009]

Bill is right...as usual :)

Why can''''t Bush ever really be right?
Some are born to be wrong I suppose :(

Posted by jh6379

Yes, I suppose, just like you.

[forthepeopl1]

SHE HAS TOLD HIM TO SHUT HIS MOUTH AND SAY NOTHING TO ANYONE ABOUT HER..

NOW I HAVE THE BALLS IN THIS FAMILY, NOT YOU BILL

[mudrose-2009]

Hey the media is having no problem seeing Hillary''s edge drop.

[mudrose-2009]

Remember he never inhales. Hahahaha.

Posted by mudrose

----

Yeah - but Bushit snorts and swallows - so whose better?

Posted by watcher269

Bushit snorts and swallows? Hahahaha.

[watcher269-2009]

Remember he never inhales. Hahahaha.

Posted by mudrose

----

Yeah - but Bushit snorts and swallows - so whose better?

[watcher269-2009]

Hey Skykk - Yup - you are a member of the KKK alright.

Go crawl back under your rock.

[robertkjjj]

Let there be no mistake: this is a weak group of Democrats, and they are fighting among themselves so much that they will become even weaker. I have correctly predicted the nominees and the winners of the last 10 Presidential elections, and although predicting for 2008 is tough, I''m going to now predict the race for next year. For Republicans, I see Mitt Romney getting the nomination. He''s the best speaker, best debater, and most intelligent of the bunch. Rudy will burn out. Rudy has too many skeletons and a temper. Huckabee has too little name recognition and his last name is killing him; sounds too much like a hillbilly. Thompson is lazy and too slow. Ron Paul: you got to be kidding. For the Democrats, it''s more a process of elimination: Obama? Sorry, but there is simply no way mostly-conservative America will nominate a black man named Barack Obama; not seeing this happen at all. Edwards? Too wimpy and whiny; he looks and talks weak. All the others are not well known and have incredibly small numbers. Clinton looks like the one who will stay on top. For the 11/08 general election, it will be Romney vs. Clinton. Look for a brutal summer and fall next year of Hillary vs. Mitt. Because Hillary is a polarizing figure, and there are over 20 million Americans who have said they will not vote for her no matter what, I see Romney winning a very close one in the general election, with about 5-to-10 more electoral votes than Hillary. The next President will be Mitt Romney.

[mudrose-2009]

He cant shut up. He still thinks he is running for office. Watch him open his mouth and blow it for Hillary. He cant control his ego.
Posted by userverify

Well at least someone is catching on. The man''s nuts.

[mudrose-2009]

Aw, the Billary isn''''t getting enough attention. What experience? Is it experience by injection? Yeah. Even that is no experience.

Remember he never inhales. Hahahaha.

[mudrose-2009]

Aw, the Billary isn''t getting enough attention. What experience? Is it experience by injection? Yeah. Even that is no experience.