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| Clinton Memoir May Suck Air Out Of Kerry Campaign | |||||
| 2004-04-13 | |||||
| EFL: As Bill Clinton seeks to finish his memoirs, leading Democrats are voicing concern that the book could overshadow Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign, diverting attention to Mr. Clinton's outsize legacy of scandal and Many Democrats said they wanted the book published as far as possible before the election and, certainly, before the Democratic National Convention in late July. They fear that the book will embolden Mr. Clinton's foes to turn out and vote for President Bush.
Mr. Clinton, for his part, has increased the nervous speculation about the book in Democratic circles by making a habit of picking up the phone to regale friends with long passages and even chapters of his prose. Mixing boyish enthusiasm with a craving for approval, people who have received the calls said, he has proudly narrated excerpts about everything from college antics with his pals at Georgetown to his 1995 standoff with Republicans that led to a government shutdown. Some of Mr. Clinton's friends say he should hurry up. "It'll get a lot of air space and I think it's kind of imperative that happen in front of the convention," said John D. Podesta, a chief of staff in Mr. Clinton's White House. That way, he said, "Kerry's benefited by having a clear shot, clear air space, from the convention through November." A close associate of Mr. Kerry, offering a personal opinion, said: "If it comes out any time before the election, it's not particularly good for us because he takes up a lot of oxygen. It's less that he's a negative and more that he'll be out on his book tour and he'll be the story of the week rather than John Kerry."
"I wouldn't bet on it coming out during the campaign," said Dick Morris, who worked as Mr. Clinton's chief campaign strategist. "He takes a long time to finish things and he's never happy, and he fills up the wastebasket." "What I really believe is if he were to come out with it during the campaign it would be intended as a way of undercutting Kerry," he added. "It would turn the whole election into a debate about Clinton rather than Kerry."
But some party leaders and Kerry campaign officials argue that publication in the spring could, in the words of one, help in "pumping up the base." If Mr. Clinton gets it out in time, party officials said, they hoped to hold fund-raising events at stops on his book tour.
"The notion that once upon a time there was a president who actually thought about how you strengthen the middle class and did a good job steering the economy is not a bad thing," Mr. Podesta said. "It's a good thing."
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| Posted by:Steve |
#13 Clinton Memoir May SuckWhat, it was written by an overweight, big-haired intern? |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-04-13 7:01:07 PM |
| #12 The words Clinton and "suck" in the same sentence. Haven't heard that much the last 10 years have we? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-04-13 6:59:25 PM |
| #11 TOM....LOL!!!! If there is ANYTHING the Clinton's understand it is PR. And they understand perfectly that making a Bruhaha before the election will increase promotion and thus personal profits. I'm sure as far as they are concerned, Kerry can go (*&&( himself and then let Ted have a go at him before driving him Bwahhaaahhhaahhhaa.....if anyone understands how to make the little Dim's dance for them, it's the Clintons. Dance..dimmy's dance. |
| Posted by: B 2004-04-13 5:23:01 PM |
| #10 If there is no air to suck, and there might not be if more loose cannons like those in Florida (other article) keep popping up, then the question is moot, and Clinton pays lower income tax on his book profits under a 2nd Bush administration. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4052 2004-04-13 4:25:05 PM |
| #9 Clinton Memoir May Suck Air Out Of Kerry Campaign. Shouldn't that be... Clinton Memoir May Suck. Air Out Of Kerry Campaign. |
| Posted by: Tom 2004-04-13 3:03:21 PM |
| #8 Clinton was a scoundrel who has charisma, and an annoying wife. Kerry is a scoundrel with no charisma and an annoying wife. At least Clinton has charisma. Kerry hates Clinton's charisma. And Kerry may be forced to have Clinton's annnoying wife as VP. Then if Kerry wins, he will have to be around Clinton for 4 years (remember 2 for 1). Forget it Kerry. Give it up and go snowboarding, or visit your French cousins and have some brie. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4052 2004-04-13 12:32:55 PM |
| #7 Oh pleeze o pleeze o pleeze PLEEZE let billy-boy upstage the MASS wannabe!!! |
| Posted by: Hopeful and no longer Dem 2004-04-13 12:29:57 PM |
| #6 Fuck@#g Clinton. I'm sure there will be a statement in his book that will go something like this. "Did I make mistakes? Yes I made a few but history will, no doubt, find that when I did err it was for all the common people and their children. That one man can do so much while enduring the slurs and hatred of rich people. People who don't earn their money but marry it. People who don't play by the rules like the rest of us. Yes, I made mistakes but I think the American people understand that their leaders and those like myself who rule, are really just doing our best to serve. I plead guilty to that." Three cheers! Hip hip.... BTW. Someone once said the secret to Clinton success wasn't what he was able to achieve but what he was unable to achieve. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-04-13 11:34:21 AM |
| #5 well, like the peace in Rwanda and the Oslo accords and the short Balkan commitment and the NK nuke disarmament and Waco and...... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-04-13 11:05:53 AM |
| #4 Clinton's outsize legacy of scandal and achievement What achievements? The only things I can think of are those he took credit for that were passed by a Republican Congress (like welfare reform), and a few executive orders. Not much for 8 years. |
| Posted by: Spot 2004-04-13 11:03:09 AM |
| #3 Clinton Memoir May Suck Air Out Of Kerry Campaign Kinda like when that intern sucked.......oh, never mind. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-04-13 10:49:38 AM |
| #2 they're right about it sucking the air out - Clinton's tiome will be a masterpiece of revisionist history, rationalization for his appetites, demonization of anyone who disagreed with him and his shrew |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-04-13 10:27:38 AM |
| #1 "Mixing boyish enthusiasm with a craving for approval,..." That about sums up Bill Clinton: an insecure adolescent. I can't believe I voted for that jerk. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-04-13 10:27:30 AM |