Bill Clinton "Just Can't Help Himself"

Politico's Mike Allen Says Former President's Remarks Reflect Frustration Over Hillary's White House Run

(CBS)  Former President Bill Clinton again overshadowed his presidential candidate-wife with remarks on the campaign trail which, rather than clear the air over Hillary Clinton's statements on Bosnia, only seemed to muddy the waters.

In Indiana Thursday, President Clinton said Sen. Clinton has "misstated" the circumstances of her arrival in Bosnia under sniper fire - a comment that was quickly refuted by a CBS News video of her 1996 trip - but suggested that the brouhaha over her remarks (by the media and her opponents) was exaggerated. "You would have thought, you know, that she'd robbed a bank the way they carried on about this."

But the former president's defense of his wife - that she had made the comment late at night after long hours of campaigning - was itself refuted by CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod, who showed the New York Senator making her remarks early one morning after a day of rest.

Now the question being asked is, with Hillary's Bosnia comments having long died down (the Senator has even joked about it several times), why would the former president raise the matter again, and make inaccurate points in doing so?

"You can hear both Republicans and Democrats say about President Clinton, which has been said so many times before, 'He just can't help himself,'" Politico columnist Mike Allen told Early Show anchor Debbye Turner.

Allen likened the feeling within the Clinton campaign to the famous "Saturday Night Live" skit during the 1988 presidential race, "where Michael Dukakis said about George Bush's father, 'I can't believe I'm losing to this guy.'

"I think that this reflects extreme frustration inside the Clinton family, inside the Clinton campaign, about the trajectory of this race."

"When you are supporting someone you love, you really do take it very much to heart," Sen. Clinton said during a recent appearance on "The Tonight Show." "I've told him, 'Okay, honey, that's all right. We don't have to get excited about it.' So he's doing a great job for me, but he does get a little carried away sometimes."

Allen said it sounded as if Hillary is distancing herself from Bill.

"It looks like she's saying, 'Honey, cool it, shut up, chill out.' These comments have just raised issues that hurt her, such as his earlier remarks that hurt her with black voters. And he and Chelsea Clinton are out very hard campaigning hard for her, but this keeps coming up.

"Some even wonder if there's a perverse psychology where he's trying to undermine her campaign. I don't think that's right, because her election would help his legacy, make him a much bigger historic figure. But as your correspondents can tell you, he's been pulled way back from the press. There aren't cameras on rope lines anymore. They try to keep him quiet.

"But he goes out and boom, has a whole different story than what the campaign wanted."

A year and a half ago, with Hillary Clinton seen as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, Bill Clinton was seen as her campaign's strongest weapon. And now?

"People talked about the mixed blessing of Bill Clinton," Allen said. "He had always looked like an unalloyed asset. He reminded Democrats, many Americans of a better time, [and is] one of the greatest political strategists who has ever lived in America. But instead he's just turned out to be a distraction. So yes, indeed, you will see less of him.

"He's such a contrast to Chelsea Clinton, their daughter, who has done more than 100 question-and-answers at colleges, most of them on camera, with not one flub."

[blackspirit3]

BILL DOES NOT HAVE SELF DISCIPLINE, THATS WHY HE HAS BEEN KNOWN AS A RAPIST. SHE CANT CONTROL HIS MOUTH OR HIS HANDS

[rational_1]

When I first read the title of this piece I thought it was going to have something to do with chubby interns. I miss the chubby intern stories.

[cruiser111-2009]

I feel sorry for the Clintons. The coronation was all planned out Hillary was goingto give a coupleheartfelt speaches and then on to the convention where the royal scribes were to document the event and then the crowning ceremony would commence. Afterward the rioyal jesters would entertain while the huge feast was served. So Hillary what happened?

[tibu987]

That these two conniving liars (Bill and Hillary),may again be in the White House says loads about voters intelligence and their lack of knowqledge of the corrupt careers of those two.

And so it goes..........

[hp32970c]

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-clintonchina13apr13,0,499290.story


More conflict of interest for Bill and Hill. So, where is the library donor list and the tax return for last year? Obviously they''re hiding plenty.

[jockh]

Hillarys problem is that voters know how easily the Clintons lie.

Misspeaking is one thing, repeating something over and over makes it a FLAT LIE !!
The Clintons simply cannot help themselves; they tell a big lie when a small lie will do. And they tell a small lie when the truth will do. After careful training from Bill, Hillary can lie out of both sides of her mouth at the same time even when there''s no particular reason to.
Lets face it, it takes a bare faced liar to confuse a hug from a little girl in Bosnia with the terror of running from sniper bullets.

Look at the trouble the country is in because of the lies of President Bush so God help America if the world famous misspeaking Clintons get elected.

[truthspeake2]

But, it''''s all moot anyway. The superdelegates are already bought and paid for, so Clinton will be the nominee and McCain will be the next president.

Posted by Kaelinda at 03:50 AM : Apr 13, 2008


Unfortunately, you''re probably right because people tend to really underestimate the Clinton political machine with their friends in high places and America isn''t truly ready for change and will chose to stay with the status quo...sad!

[greatdrivew]

Bill "just can''t help himself" because "he loves his wife?"

Oh please, give me a break. Bill Clinton is the same today as he''s always been: a manipulative, say-anything scoundrel.

But of course that''s old news. The new news involves Chelsea. It looks like Bill and Hillary have decided to start her political career for her a little early. I wonder how long it will be before the press jumps on board and starts jamming her down our throats?

[sharncedar]

BILL HELPS HISSELF JES FINE!

(apologize for the CAPS, its LOUD in here)

[megga2]

THEY LIE AND THE PPL who VOTE FOR THEM KNOW IT AND APPROVE. WHAT U SOW U WILL REAP,HENCE THE MORTGAGE CRISES AND THE IRAQ DEBACLE WHICH BANRUPTING THE COUNTRY, CHINA SAVES AT 47% RATE. AVG USA IS ZERO,MAJORITY riddled with debt, the biter will vote 4 her they are anti-mexican and why love guns, Jesus had nothing 2 do with guns, even the pope against it so go figure church and guns????? hmm is that why the ceo''s shipping jobs to china or b/c of hilbill/penn NAFTA?