Bill Clinton: Obama Is "Ready To Lead"

(AP)  Former President Clinton gave a full-throated endorsement to Barack Obama's bid for the White House on Wednesday, telling delegates to the Democratic convention that Obama is "ready to lead America and restore American leadership in the world."

Clinton pushed back against attacks - initiated by himself and his wife during the bitter primary campaign, and later taken up by Republican John McCain - that Obama is ill-prepared for the White House, especially on matters of national defense.

But he also suggested that on such weighty issues, Obama would be leaning on his seasoned vice president, six-term Sen. Joe Biden.

"With Joe Biden's experience and wisdom, supporting Barack Obama's proven understanding, insight and good instincts, America will have the national security leadership we need," Clinton said.

Clinton campaigned feverishly for his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in her long-fought primary battle against Obama, and took her loss hard. He had not spoken out strongly in support of Obama since he clinched the nomination in June.

But Wednesday, he was unambiguous in passing the torch of Democratic leadership to Obama.

Jabbing a finger at thousands of cheering delegates, he declared: "I want all of you who supported her to vote for Barack Obama in November."

Running just over 20 minutes, Clinton's speech whipped thousands of delegates into a frenzy. Where a night before they had hoisted "Hillary" banners, on this night they waved American flags, symbols of the unity the fractious party seeks.

The delegates stood on their feet and roared for nearly 3½ minutes when Clinton walked on stage. The former president basked in their affection, but after several false starts at his speech, commanded: "Sit down!"

Clinton was by turns funny, nostalgic and wonkish, touching on issues like health care and pension benefits.

Clinton, ever mindful of himself, likened Obama's presidential quest to his own bid for the presidency in 1992, when "Republicans said I was too young and too inexperienced to be commander in chief."

"Sound familiar?" Clinton said. "It didn't work in 1992, because we were on the right side of history. And it won't work in 2008, because Barack Obama is on the right side of history."

He allowed that the primary campaign had generated "so much heat it increased global warming."

"In the end," he said, "my candidate didn't win. But I'm proud of the campaign she ran: She never quit on the people she stood up for, on the changes she pushed for, on the future she wants for all our children."

In an unusual gesture for a partisan address, Clinton offered measured praise for Republican John McCain, saying he had served heroically in Vietnam. "He loves our country every bit as much as we all do," Clinton said. "And as a senator, he has shown his independence of right-wing orthodoxy on several issues."

But, he said, McCain "still embraces the extreme philosophy which has defined his party for more than 25 years."

Clinton's address elicited some nostalgia of its own among the delegates.

"He can still mesmerize a crowd," said Oregon delegate Sam Sappington.

Standing nearby, Lloyd Henion, who came to Denver as a Clinton delegate from Oregon, said the former president "hit a 500-foot home run. He hit all the points."

Clinton's challenge Wednesday night was tall, because he himself had questioned Obama's credentials.

During the primary race, the former president tried to raise doubts about whether the first-term Illinois senator had the experience to lead the country. He said Obama's opposition to the Iraq war was a "fairy tale."

Last fall, he dismissed Obama as totally unqualified.

"I mean, when is the last time we elected a president based on one year of service in the Senate before he started running?" Clinton said on "The Charlie Rose Show. "In theory, we could find someone who is a gifted television commentator and let them run."

Last winter, Clinton said that after "all the mean things" the Obama campaign had said about him, "I should be the last person to defend him. (But) if he wins this nomination, I'm going to do what I can to help him win."

Clinton was departing Denver on Thursday morning, hours before Obama gives his acceptance speech.

Aides said this was standard practice for Clinton, and not a snub. Clinton did likewise at the 2000 and 2004 conventions, they said.

[wellhell3]

I''m sorry BILL, but your statement about experience is rather FLAWED!

Seems like Bill Clinton himself has forgotten two very successful terms as Governor of Arkansas before he ran for the job of president of the United States!

Obscammer has LEAD NOTHING! He hasn''t even had any success passing LEGISLATION!

He claims he has new ideas like USING DIPLOMACY! Like we haven''t been using DIPLOMACY FOR YEARS on these Islamofast bastwards! Obscammer seems to have forgotten the very man who has been trying DIPLOMACY with the Islamofast bastwards for 30 YEARS, JIMMY CARTER! DIPLOMACY is not a new IDEA!

THEN he wants to have a campaign that is not mired in OLD WASHINGTON style politics! And chooses for his VP, not a new young face with new ideas, he picks JOE BIDEN who''s been a Washington insider for 27 YEARS!

So somebody please inform me what the HELL new IDEAS he''s proposing? Seems like I haven''t heard a ONE!

[antoniof123]

The Republicans can spin it the way the want to but Clinton left office with an approval rating in the mid to upper 60 percent range, one of the highest in history. Yet Republicans keep bashing hoping the can change the past but it is written so is the witch hunt.

Now that said if words do not define a man but actions do then the Republicans should never win. They have promised so much and delivered so very little. In fact in no time in history has this country benn so diveded. You had all that good will compasonite conservatives and you flushed it down the toliet with reactionary right wing nonsense.

[tothestars2]

look at me mommy!! i made a funny name out of mccain~~~!!! look at me!! The McSame Posters are really antsy today. A ride on the McSame Lemming Express Bus to no where must be such a thrilling prospect!


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Posted by deacon20081 at 02:03 PM : Aug 28, 2008


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Posted by jamesm12341 at 01:55 PM : Aug 28, 2008

[deacon20081]

The Manchurian candidacy of Barack Hussein Obama continues apace...
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And the Wag the Dog Presidency of George Bush is ready to grab McSames tail.

[deacon20081]

The McSame Posters are really antsy today. A ride on the McSame Lemming Express Bus to no where must be such a thrilling prospect!

[future121]

A leader has vision and can inspire others to do marvelous things. A dictator has hsi own vision of grandor and tells others what they will do regardless of their will. Obama is leader--Mccain is not.

[tothestars2]

Two questions I would ask of Mr. Kennedy.
1. Are you recieving medical treatment for your cancer from a 2nd year medical student?
2. Are you recieving medical treatment for your cancer in a country like say, Canada, that has the kind of socialized medicine you support?

[flreason]

Funny, the mediocrity to which you refer fueled the rise of the middle class after WWII. What political and business leaders realized was that when the rewards system doesn''t reward workers with sufficient money to allow them to purchase more than necessities, the economic engine slows to a snail pace.

The WWII GI bill allowed rapid expansion of the economy by allowing returning vets to get an education and to buy a house, which created demand for ancillary items for those houses. When the laissez faire capitalists get too greedy and stop paying a wage that allows their workers to be consumers rather than merely surviving, they end up killing the goose that lays their golden eggs. Henry Ford knew this. That''s why he paid his workers higher wages than they could earn at other factory jobs. He said that for his business to be successful his workers needed to be able to afford the cars they were building. The neocon abetted fat cats apparently missed that lesson in their diploma-mill MBA classes. Those folks should have studied some history along with their accounting and economics.

[mycommentspg]

Obama may be ready in a number of years, but currently he doesn''t have the experience to lead.

[peterp111]

Why not let the government attempt to care for our every need, to heck with the future of our children, close your businesses, retire, let it fall apart on Obama%u2019s watch. Maybe when it all falls apart or we%u2019re attacked again because of Obama%u2019s policies and naiveti, the people living here will once again come to remember and think about how we got this far as a people. Maybe then reason will make a comeback and it will be time to vote responsible Republicans, Blue Dog Democrats and Independents back in office - to clean up the mess.


The mess that Senator Obama%u2019s imposition of Mediocrity upon America will bring. The Mediocrity imposed by government handouts to create dependence and secure your vote, instead of a hand up. The Mediocrity caused by the over regulating and socializing of businesses. The Mediocrity caused by unjust wealth redistribution which stymies the creative individual spirit and initiative. The same Mediocrity that will cause the hard working, innovative Americans and the small businessmen and women to resent the government%u2019s hand being so deep in their pockets in exchange for some votes does not come without consequence. The same Mediocrity will cause the job producers to close shop or lay people off rather than deal with such idiocy, bureaucracy and taxes.

Vote MCCAIN. THE SMARTER CHOICE