From NBC's Mark Murray
After breaking the news of Bill Clinton claiming -- briefly -- that he had opposed the Iraq war from the beginning, the AP's Ron Fournier runs this column about Clinton campaigning on the trail yesterday. Some excerpts:
-- Bill "was unscripted, in-depth and generous. He also was long-winded, misleading and self-absorbed. 'Good Bill' and 'Bad Bill' (his nickname among some aides) returned to the public arena Tuesday as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton brandished her double-edged sword of a husband to fend off rivals in the Jan. 3 caucus fight."
-- "'Ladies and gentlemen,' Clinton told 400 Iowans at the start of his three-city swing, 'I have had a great couple of days out working for Hillary.' In the next 10 minutes, he used the word 'I' a total of 94 times and mentioned 'Hillary' just seven times in an address that was as much about his legacy as it was about his wife's candidacy."
-- "Clinton's stump speeches have always been remarkably accessible despite their length and complexity. One reason is that, while he talks without notes, Clinton's remarks are organized like a neat classroom outline... What he left the crowds with was the assurance that his wife understands their plight. For a man who convinced so many voters that he felt their pain, this may be his most powerful calling card Clinton can leave to Iowa crowds and his wife."