Obama and the OTHER Clinton

By Jennifer J. Foster

Published: June 30, 2008

Barack Obama finally talked with former president Bill Clinton today, weeks after Hillary Clinton dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Many a political tongue has wagged about the former president’s notable absence from the so-called “Unity” event Friday and his silence about Obama’s campaign since the end of the primary season on June 4.

But has Clinton really been silent?

According to this report in the London Daily Telegraph, “Bill Clinton is so bitter about Barack Obama’s victory over his wife Hillary that he has told friends the Democratic nominee will have to beg for his wholehearted support.“

According to the story, someone identified only as a “senior Democrat who worked for Bill Clinton” told the Telegraph:

He’s been angry for a while. But everyone thought he would get over it. He hasn’t. I’ve spoken to a couple of people who he’s been in contact with and he is mad as hell.

He’s saying he’s not going to reach out, that Obama has to come to him. One person told me that Bill said Obama would have to, quote, kiss my ass, close quote, if he wants his support.

Hogwash, chief Clintonite and Hillary Clinton for President campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said Sunday. According to CNN:

“He was angry that these ridiculous stories were out here, and these supposed close friends of the president—none of the close friends ever got called,“ McAuliffe said, referring to anonymous sources quoted in some stories. “What happens, a lot of time, is people like to pretend they’re close so they can tell the reporters that they’re close, but, you know, they’re just talking.“

As for why it’s taken so long for Bill Clinton to patch things up with Obama, McAuliffe said the former president wanted to wait until after his wife patched things up with Obama to do his own—er, kissing and making up.

Hillary Clinton hosted an event for Obama with her top fundraisers Thursday and appeared with him at the “Unity” event on Friday.

And anyway, McAuliffe said, even if Bill Clinton was mad, it’s no big deal; after all, McAuliffe said, Clinton is Irish.

Well, whatever the reasons, the former president and the would-be president finally spoke—by phone—today. According to Obama’s spokesman, Bill Burton, Obama “had a terrific conversation with President Clinton and is honored to have his support in this campaign.“

Clinton Foundation communications director Matt McKenna said Clinton “renewed his offer to do whatever he can to ensure Sen. Obama is our next president.“

Now that we have a post-phone call statement about Obama from Clinton, let’s compare that to the pre-phone call statement he made. According to CNN:

But some analysts read bitterness into the fact that Bill Clinton ... had made no personal comments supporting Obama since his wife conceded the nomination. Instead, the former president released a statement through a spokesman saying he “is obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do” for Obama.

Hmm ... for me, those rate about the same on the Endorse-o-Meter.

Maybe the kissing noises didn’t come through over the phone.