Bill Clinton Campaigns Over the Phone

From CBS News' Michelle Levi:

In a conference call from Hillary Clinton's Iowa headquarters in Des Moines, Bill Clinton addressed supporters assembled about 150 miles away in Columbus Junction, Iowa. He could not speak in person due to the Iowa weather woes afflicting many presidential campaigns today.

The former president called on voters to caucus for his wife and fulfill their responsibility as Iowans. He was very candid in his opinion of the state's importance in his wife's campaign. "If you nominate her," he said, "I believe she will be elected handily based on everything I know about politics."

President Clinton gave listeners a rundown of what he thinks the election is about: jobs, health care and restoring America's reputation in the world. He warned, "we have to learn how to cooperate with other people around the world not just when we have to as we have for the last 7 years."

Clinton spent the majority of the 11-minute call dissecting his wife's plan to restore health care.

He did look back to his and his wife's failed reform effort during his presidency saying, "we did try to do this [health care reform] before and we didn't succeed, but neither did Jimmy Carter or Harry Truman when he tried."

As he has done at recent events, Clinton also focused on humanizing his wife adding, "I have known her since the Spring of 1971...I have seen her work."

"She is the ablest person I have ever known to see a problem, to find the best solution and then figure out how to actually implement it so people are actually better when she stopped."