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yellowwing
07-01-07, 06:15 PM
Hillary Clinton rolls out top gun - husband Bill
by John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
Reuters Sun Jul 1, 7:53 AM ET (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070701/pl_nm/usa_politics_clinton_dc)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton, already riding high in the 2008 White House race, rolls out one of her most powerful campaign weapons this week -- husband and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

The ultimate political power couple make their 2008 campaign trail debut on Monday as they open a three-day swing through the crucial early voting state of Iowa, which kicks off the presidential nominating race in less than seven months.

The former president, long a dynamic political presence and favorite of the Democratic faithful, will introduce the New York senator at a string of appearances across the state and walk with her in a July 4th holiday parade.

The tour amounts to a public unveiling of what has been a carefully nurtured campaign asset. While Bill Clinton has had a prominent behind-the-scenes role in his wife's campaign, his public involvement has been limited to fundraising to keep her on center stage.

But campaign officials hope he will help galvanize Democratic support in Iowa, where Hillary Clinton has trailed rivals John Edwards and Barack Obama in some state polls despite holding a solid lead in national polls.

The former president can talk about his wife to Iowa Democrats in a way only a husband -- and a fellow former occupant of the White House -- can, campaign officials said.

"As Hillary lays out her vision on the stump, he will be invaluable in filling in the details about her life, her background and her accomplishments for Americans to get to know her better," spokesman Howard Wolfson said in an e-mail to supporters.

Deciding when, where and how much to use Bill Clinton in public remains one of the biggest decisions for the former first lady's strategists before the November 2008 election.

"You don't want to overuse him and wear out his star appeal. But bringing him in now to Iowa, the only place where she has shown any weakness, makes enormous good sense," said Doug Schoen, a White House pollster during Clinton's 1993-2001 presidency who is not affiliated with this campaign.

'NO REAL DOWNSIDE'

While the return of Bill Clinton will remind some voters of scandals like his 1998 impeachment in the Monica Lewinsky affair, those voters are unlikely to be Hillary Clinton backers, analysts said.

"He may raise all those old ugly questions, but only among those people who don't like her anyway. He is such a big plus with the Democratic base, there is no real downside," said pollster John Zogby.

The campaign will promote the Iowa tour with a "Hill Cam" showing footage of the couple along the way.

"You've seen them in the White House. You've seen them on the world stage," a Clinton campaign video said on Friday. "But you've never seen them reporting directly to you from Des Moines to Davenport."

The only other joint public appearance this year was in March in Selma, Alabama, when the Clintons participated in an annual reenactment of the 1965 civil rights march.

Clinton joined his wife recently in a video spoof of "The Sopranos" television show, and the couple will make a joint trip to another important early voting state, New Hampshire, later in July.

But Bill Clinton made clear to reporters in New York recently that campaign appearances with his wife would remain rare.

"I don't expect to do a lot of this year," he said. "I want people to get to know Hillary."

http://www.ywg-web.com/images/clinton-summit.jpg

"I don't expect to do a lot of this year," he said. "I want people to get to know Hillary."
Yeah, he's got other priorities! :banana:

Sgt Leprechaun
07-03-07, 05:33 PM
Gawd.