WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2008

Clinton Hails Obama As "America's Future"

On Florida Stage, Former President, Democratic Nominee Praise Each Other In First Campaign Appearance Together

  • Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., listens as former president Bill Clinton speaks at a rally at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Fla., Oct. 29, 2008.

    Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., listens as former president Bill Clinton speaks at a rally at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Fla., Oct. 29, 2008.  (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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(CBS/AP)  Portraying harmony like never before, Bill Clinton hailed Barack Obama on Wednesday, a power pairing designed to inspire Democrats already smelling victory.

"Barack Obama represents America's future, and you've got to be there for him next Tuesday," Clinton, with Obama at his side, said to the cheers of a partisan crowd.

Heaping praise on President Bush's predecessor, Obama said of Clinton: "In case all of you forgot, this is what it's like to have a great president."

Obama even prodded the crowd to cheer more, saying "Bill Clinton. Give it up!" And there was Clinton, laughing with gusto every time Obama jokingly mocked rival John McCain.

The joint appearance of the future president and perhaps the next one was the first of the campaign. It capped one of the most ambitious days of Obama's White House run, including a 30-minute prime-time infomercial in which he tried to seal the deal with voters.

It wasn't so long ago that Clinton, still a giant of his party, was publicly criticizing Obama as untested and unready for the job of president. His wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, engaged in a grueling and ultimately losing battle with Obama for the party's nomination.

The two men later smoothed over matters. And lately, Hillary Clinton has been out campaigning for Obama. Wednesday it was Bill Clinton's time, in his element.

He clasped Obama's hand and held it high when the men came on stage. Clinton made a methodical case for Obama, describing him as a strong thinker with smart policies.

In one of his testimonials, he praised Obama for seeking the advice of experts - including him and his wife - on how to handle the country's financial crisis before acting.

"Folks, we can't fool with this," Clinton said. "Our country is hanging in the balance. And we have so much promise and so much peril. This man should be our president."

Obama said of the two Clintons: "I am proud to call them my friends."

Through the day, in two states, Obama unleashed a bleak portrayal of a McCain presidency and told a national TV audience that "the time for change has come."

Ahead in the polls, flush with cash and blanketing himself all over television, Obama said he is counting down the days but not letting up. The election looms on Tuesday.

During a rare prime-time infomercial, Obama addressed television audiences on three broadcast networks for 30 minutes, reinforcing a message he's spent months on the campaign trail honing.

“Ronald Reagan had ‘morning in America,’ but this 30-minute infomercial had the feel of ‘mid-morning in America,’ said CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs. “Obama’s message of change and hope is a powerful one and the primary reason he is clear front-runner in this election. As the examples his campaign chose to highlight in their made-for-Hollywood ad illustrated, however, the message runs up against a harsh reality. It will be up to voters to decide whether he can deliver on the promises."

Read Wyatt Andrews' Reality Check On Obama's Campaign Pledges
At the end of the broadcast, cameras cut live to him appearing at a rally in Sunrise, Fla., where 20,000 packed a hockey arena all the way to the nosebleed seats.

"In six days, we can come together as one nation, and one people," Obama said.

During the primary race, Bill Clinton said Obama's opposition to the Iraq war was a "fairy tale" and raised questions about whether the first-term Illinois senator had enough experience.

His remarks angered some black leaders who felt Clinton was dismissing Obama's historic bid, as when he compared Obama's win in South Carolina to victories by civil rights activist Jesse Jackson there in the 1980s. Clinton fumed in response that Obama's campaign "played the race card on me."

Bill Clinton played such an aggressive role in his wife's campaign that during one debate, Obama snapped at Hillary Clinton, "I can't tell who I'm running against sometimes."

Back on the trail Wednesday, in rallies in North Carolina and Florida, Obama sharpened his tone in responding to McCain's charges of socialism.

He accused his Republican rival of resorting to desperate tactics.

"I don't know what's next," Obama said. "By the end of the week, he'll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten."

Obama warned voters that if McCain is elected "100 million Americans will not get a tax cut. ... At least 20 million Americans risk losing their employer health insurance. ... We'll have another president who wants to privatize part of your Social Security."

The day was signature Obama, riding momentum.

He led three rousing rallies. He reached out to huge numbers of television viewers with the informercial and taped a segment on "The Daily Show," Comedy Central's popular late-night show.

An analysis by The Associated Press indicated he had pulled ahead in enough states to win the 270 electoral votes he needs to gain the White House - with states to spare.

All the while, McCain campaigned aggressively in Florida. He welcomed the fight and vowed to win it, defying odds that seem huge.

Obama turned to ridicule to rebut McCain's daily references to Obama's encounter with Joe the Plumber. Obama had told the Ohio plumber that he wanted to "spread the wealth around" by boosting taxes on wealthier people to finance a middle class tax cut.

McCain said that amounts to socialism. Obama said McCain was down to empty name-calling.

"Whether you are Suzy the student, or Nancy the nurse, or Tina the teacher, or Carl the construction worker, if my opponent is elected, you will be worse off four years from now than you are today," Obama said. "Let's cut through the negative ads and the phony attacks."

©MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Add a Comment See all 328 Comments
by olivia4441 October 31, 2008 11:09 AM EDT
Bin Laden wants Obama elected. Just came out today in the news.
Terrorists want to destory America, and they want Obama to help.

Enough said.
Reply to this comment
by methos18499 October 31, 2008 7:50 AM EDT
Yeah Mohimba what hole was that?
Reply to this comment
by popstom12 October 30, 2008 10:19 PM EDT
Pay me 20 million and I''ll say what ever you want too
Reply to this comment
by tincup356 October 30, 2008 10:16 PM EDT
Republican and democratic party line voters must live off a diet of lies, because that is ALL your parties feed you.Congress has lied so much they couldn''t tell the truth if it would benefit them.WHY do the people follow liars?I guess congress voted to go to war because a lie was told and that was their cup of tea,the eyes of Congress are blind to the truth of anything, Time to take the shovel and clean the barn.
Reply to this comment
by tincup356 October 30, 2008 10:04 PM EDT
whats even funnier is that party line voters get lied to election after election, but they will still blog how great and honorable their candidates are...TOTAL B.S. they promise , get elected , and then forget who voted them in. Happens every time and you people keep thinking it will be different this time.....SORRY its not going to happen this time either, Instead of treats we get tricks ...every time.
Reply to this comment
by tincup356 October 30, 2008 9:58 PM EDT
a vote for either party is a wasted vote , wasted in the sense that for your vote you get nothing, except the bill for the mistakes that both parties have made.Mark my word these people are not through robbing us.After party line voters re-elect incumbents we will hear that they under estimated the economic problems and they are going to need much more than 700 billion, more like double that.Remember these same people have been collecting lobby dollars and they will be handing out bailouts, or SELLOUTS as i see them to everybody who has lined their pockets.Both parties have sold the people of this country a bill of goods, that are worthless.
Reply to this comment
by drsuz October 30, 2008 9:36 PM EDT
If the future holds Sarah Palin as the leader of the Republican party, it is a sad day for America. as an Alaskan, I have had a front row seat on her backstabbing, lying & cheating her way into power. All I can say is beware America and wake up!
Posted by alaskan2008

Thats funny..Most Alaskans I have seen post on Political Blogs LOVE her up there..
Reply to this comment
by drsuz October 30, 2008 9:32 PM EDT
And it''''s funny they get a whole lot poorer when Republicans are running things.
Posted by lalabradle

Excuse Me??? Actually since Bush #2 has been in office, myself have gone from Low-Income to Middle Class status..
Reply to this comment
by drsuz October 30, 2008 9:29 PM EDT
What is in it for Bill ?
Posted by Speakinup21

You can be sure it WILL NOT be his Spiritual Advisor!! hahahaha
Reply to this comment
by lalabradle October 30, 2008 9:28 PM EDT
The poor have been voting for the Democrates for the last 70 years, and they are still poor.

I see why you believe your government has failed.

And it''s funny they get a whole lot poorer when Republicans are running things.
Reply to this comment
by drsuz October 30, 2008 9:22 PM EDT
ERoosevelt08..Obama has stated how he will work with BOTH the Democrats and Republicans. BAHHHH..He has voted his party line more times than the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. More times than Senator John Kerry.More times than Senator Ted Kennedy!!! That''s right, according to The Votes Database, During the 110th Congressional session running from Jan 2007 to now, Senator Obama ranked 12th among 100 Senators, having voted along party lines 96% of the time; an amazingly high percentage for someone who claims to be able to reach across the isle. His voting record does not demonstrate any reasonable level of non-partisanship which he claims he does in his stumping and has proven that he is beholden only to party leaders.
Reply to this comment
by lalabradle October 30, 2008 9:19 PM EDT
It may be just me, but I don''t think the GOP gives the American people any credit. They actually think that the majority of us are too stupid to see through their retoric. But the truth of the matter is we as a country are sick and tired of a failed government. I guess we just have to show them on Nov. 4. Let them dream, fantasize and sling mud all they want. We just have to show them that we are taking our government back. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth on Tuesday. LOL!!!!! Vote OBAMA08
Reply to this comment
by drsuz October 30, 2008 9:15 PM EDT
hatesthecolt:
Those in favor of sponsored prayer in state schools publicly often say that "prayer" is forbidden in state schools. Prayer is not and never has been forbidden according to the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment where the courts have consistently ruled expressions of religious views through prayer or otherwise cannot be abridged unless they can be shown to cause a SUBSTANTIAL disruption in the school.

The Free Exercise Clause is the accompanying clause with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Free Exercise Clause reads: %u201C Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. %u201D

So if a School has a School prayer, unless there is a big riot over it, or the ACLU gets involved, the most you can tell your child to do is they donot have to participate.

In May 2006, the ACLU of Tennessee convinced Munford High School''s principal to ban official prayer at graduation. In response, students pulled out cards with the Lord''s Prayer written on them and began to read when offered a moment of silence.
Reply to this comment
by alaskan2008 October 30, 2008 9:14 PM EDT
All of us are appropriately concerned about the future.

If the future holds Sarah Palin as the leader of the Republican party, it is a sad day for America. as an Alaskan, I have had a front row seat on her backstabbing, lying & cheating her way into power. All I can say is beware America and wake up!

The patterns of history are repeated%u2026

President Roosevelt (June 27, 1936): A Rendezvous With Destiny

%u201CThat very word freedom, in itself and of necessity, suggests freedom from some restraining power. In 1776 we sought freedom from the tyranny of the eighteenth-century royalists who held special privileges from the crown. Modern economic royalists carved new dynasties. New kingdoms [have been] built upon concentration of control over material things. The whole structure of modern life [has been] impressed into this royal service.

There [has been] no place among this royalty for our many thousands of small-businessmen and merchants who sought to make a worthy use of the American system of initiative and profit.

In America we are [now] waging a great and successful war. It is not [just] a war against want and destitution and economic demoralization. It is more than that; it is a war for the survival of democracy. We are fighting to save a great and precious form of government for ourselves and for the world.%u201D
Reply to this comment
by dragonfly125 October 30, 2008 9:05 PM EDT
I get a chuckle of all those who blame Bush......do they realize how many Democrats were around to vote
present. CHeck Obama''s voting record and then vote
McCain.
Reply to this comment
by dragonfly125 October 30, 2008 9:04 PM EDT
Don''t let the media bamboozle you. Listen to what
both Bill and Hilary had to say about Obama a few months ago....a good reason not to believe the Democrats. Obama has an auntie living in povertyin Boston while he lives in affluence. Obama is not experienced for the Presidential role of America. John McCain may not come off as slick, running up the airplane steps with his sleeves rolled up, but he has outdistanced Obama with energy, knowledge and
his earnest care for America. I do not trust Obama,
neighbors just posted lots on NO BAMA signs.
Reply to this comment
by olivia4441 October 30, 2008 8:36 PM EDT
Once the election is over, the glittering generalities of rhetoric and style will mean nothing. Everything will depend on performance in facing huge challenges, domestic and foreign.

Performance is where Barack Obama has nothing to show for his political career, either in Illinois or in Washington.

Policies that he proposes under the banner of "change" are almost all policies that have been tried repeatedly in other countries-- and failed repeatedly in other countries.

Politicians telling businesses how to operate? That''s been tried in countries around the world, especially during the second half of the 20th century. It has failed so often and so badly that even socialist and communist governments were freeing up their markets by the end of the century.


POLLS ARE TIED. DON''T LET THE MEDIA FOOL YOU ...AGAIN.
Reply to this comment
by mrmoomoo22 October 30, 2008 8:16 PM EDT
I HAVE ALLWAYS VOTED DEMOCRAT BUT THIS YEAR I WILL HAVE NO CHOICE TO VOTE FOR MCCAIN
Reply to this comment
by hatesthecolt October 30, 2008 7:39 PM EDT
GOD has blessed AMERICA, then we ripped his words out of schools and public meeting places and I am praying that he blesses us again.. Maybe he will, he is more forgiving than some posters on here....


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ToolMangler

NO ONE can stop you from praying or reading the bible in school, you just can''t PROSELYTIZE to MY KIDS and the school can''t promote one religion. I''m sorry you have a problem with that but that just means freedom of religion for you is to impose your religion on me and that doesn''t cut it with the constitution.
Reply to this comment
by eroosevelt08 October 30, 2008 7:20 PM EDT
Yes, the last eight years have created a big mess. Senator Obama is well aware of the mess. A President needs to know what the issues are, know how to negotiate and find quality people to work with and beside him with the skill sets needed in each particular area. When I look at the candidates, Senator Obama has all of those qualities while Senator McCain does not. With Senator Obama there seems to be hope again. America needs that.
Reply to this comment
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