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Subscribe to RSSFormer President Bill Clinton is joining forces again with President Barak Obama and holding a series of New York fundraisers. Politico's Roger Simon discusses.
NEW YORK - After earning headlines for becoming the latest Democrat to speak positively of Mitt Romney's history in the private sector, Bill Clinton made clear exactly whose side he's on when he hit the Big Apple on Monday for three joint fundraising appearances with President Barack Obama.
Electing the Republican nominee would be "calamitous for our country and the world" Clinton said at a reception in private home where tickets went for $40,000. And at the New Amsterdam Theatre near Times Square, he said: "I don't think it's important to re-elect the president, I think it's essential to re-elect the president."
The trip came less than a week after Clinton drew headlines for becoming the most prominent Democrat to undercut the president's attacks against Romney for his time at Bain Capital. In an interview on CNN last Thursday, the former president said Romney "had a sterling business career" and described his time as an executive at a private equity firm as "good work."
And while Clinton did not walk back any of his earlier remarks, he found plenty of other ways to build a case against the former Massachusetts governor.
"They tell you how terrible this health care bill is," Clinton said of Republicans. "It's hard for them, since Gov. Romney's finest act as governor was to sign a bill with an individual mandate in it, which he has now renounced."
Clinton introduced the president at all three appearances here. Obama asked for his donors support in what he acknowledged will be a tight race, all the while maintaining that he stands for the same issues he did during his 2008 run.
"The only reason that this is going to be a close election is because people are still hurting," the president said at the theatre.
But it is a slip of the tongue at the last event that may garner the most attention from the day trip. "We are not going back to a set of politics that say you're on you're own. And that's essentially the theory of the other side. You know, George Romney," Obama said, referring to the Republican nominee's father before quickly correcting himself.
Both Romney and Obama have been working furiously to raise cash in an election that will have plenty of money influencing it aside from what the candidates rake in. Speaking before the crowd that paid at least $250 to hear a concert and two presidents, Obama addressed the role outside groups will play in this year's election.
"Sometimes when thing are tough, you just say, well you know what, I'll just keep trying something until something works. And that's compounded by $500 million in Super PAC negative ads that are going to be run over the course of the next five months," he said. "And they'll try to feed on those fears and those anxieties and that frustrations. That's basically the argument the other side is making. They're not offering anything new, they're just saying 'Things are tough right now and it's Obama's fault.' That pretty much sums it up. There's no vision for the future there."
Still, any drop in enthusiasm from his base was hard to decipher.
"I still believe in you," Obama said to the theatre crowd that interrupted him multiple times with standing ovations. "I hope you still believe in me...when people ask you what this campaign is about, tell them it's still about hope, it's still about change."
Leave a Comment:
The only reason clinton changed his tune is obama promised to pay off 2 million hillary has in debt from 200 Where is obamas plan? no budget for 3 years. Has done nothing but give our money to his donors.
But Obama did have a budget...it just happened to get shot down 99-0.
After President Obama told them to vote against it, correct. Because it was no longer applicable.
All I ever here from the rightwingers on here is that Obama can't run on his record.
And I see that Romney so far is basically saying he will rubber stamp the Ryan budget and the sterling work done over the last two years by Boehner and the tea party house. Wow what a reason to vote for him.
Wake up people and read the results of the two competing tax plans....unless you are rich, folks, Republicans are NOT your friend.
Hey greg,
Unless you are a complete fool....looks like Obama is not your friend. Look at the unemployment record...up and up since the first week he walked into office. Our countries AAA rating down in his 2nd year. Everything is more expensive from Health care to groceries. Only thing going down is housing which by the way, in a good economy, the houses go up.
Can we PLEASE stop calling Republicans "conservatives"????!!!????
What "conservatives" would sign TWENTY deficit riddled budgets (raygun/bush/bush) that added over $11T to the debt AND saddled Obama with a $1.3T deficit ?? THAT is what is driving the "Obama deficits"!! The GOP hasnt been conservative since BEFORE Raygun!! And for the last 30 years, they have done their best to bring this country to the edge of financial collapse DELIBERATELY, just so they could privatize SS and Medicare etc and funnel that money to the wealthy and corporate elite that crashed the economy.
At a time of crisis, with the country’s entire financial system near collapse, with the economy collapsing, with the stock market collapsing, with unemployment skyrocketing, with people losing their jobs and retirement money, the GOP announced that their NUMBER 1 PRIORITY was to assure that Pres. Obama was a 1 term president---- even BEFORE he was sworn in!!!
They abandoned their duty to the American people for the sake of sabotaging a new president taking office in the midst of the greatest crisis since 1929.--- for the sake of political gain! I don’t know if that fit’s the legal definition of treason, but it sure smells like it and is at the very least, un-American and unpatriotic. Never before have I seen a political party abandon it’s country in time of crisis! NEVER!
If anyone can be called up for Treason it is Obama. In fact he is Immoral by his own words when he called Bush immoral for adding 4 Trillion to the debt in 8 years. Now Obama has added 5 Trillion in his first 2 years. Wow so it's OK with the liberals when a Marxist President squanders tax payers money on companies like Solyndra that went belly up in only 2 years after they were given 5 billion dollars. Wow think of how many jobs that would have been...how many soldiers that money could have helped- how many kids that money would have fed...But your messiah went and squandered that money on a company that had NO chance to survive......What an IDIOT!
Calamitous!! Isn't this a description of Clinton's presidency. Highlighted by Lowenski, and NAFTA. Free trade is what got our economy on the slippery slope its on now. So many jobs went oversees, due to poloticians changing systems that worked for generations. Thats why our economy is broke, our health care system is broke, and anything else they touch.
ken,
lol.... free trade ruined our economy??? you should hit that eco 101 book again!
where`s the budget that is to be passed by law? no democrat has voted for one. why are there several jobs bills sitting on harry`s desk? why no fiscal responsibility?
@g55rumpy, the reason they are sitting on his desk is because Senator DeMint has put a hold on them. Put the blame where it belongs, right on the back of the GOP and their tea bagging buddies.
Republicans are calling things "jobs bills" that have nothing to do with jobs, so be careful when they use that term. They tried to defund Planned Parenthood and called it a jobs bill.
Obama promised Clinton a little strange tail if he would climb on board. You know president "Think with little head instead of big head" would do. Of course, if i was married to Hillary, i would probably do the same thing. Hey Barbara, turning into a little potty mouth aren't you.
How can anyone take Billy Boy seriously as the elder statesman? Just think back a bit to a young girl, a blue dress and a few semen stains. This man is an immoral degenerate without moral compass. Enough said.
odum,
really, after all the GOP "sexual mis-steps" thats all ya got??
ill take a guy that is working for our country and gets a BJ from a female intern over a guy who blocks progress and touches guys and little boys.
The Republicans have absolutely nothing to offer Americans who are not part of the 1%. Nothing, other than a place to park your racism.
Oooh, a soundbite blitz!
Can I play?
OK...The democrats have absolutely nothing to offer Americans who are industrious and want to better themselves. Nothing, other than welfare, foodstamps, years of unemployment and a place to park racism offered up by a racist president supported by the likes of Al and Jesse.
Are we through with soundbites, or should we continue?
Yeah, the Democrats are part of the 99%. Obama, Bill Clooney, Pelosi, Reed, Hollywood elites. Gee, I really relate to that crowd. This 99%/1% crap is just that, pure crap spun by the DNC.
No Jax, you can't play. Your statements need to be based in fact to be relevant.
jax,
im sorry, i didnt hear the real soundbytes....
lets destroy America and blame it on the black guy.. lets block EVERYTHING that is good so we can blame it on the black guy... lets piss and moan til everyone believes in god or we will blame it on the black guy....
that soundbyte jax???
Right, Rick, as your soundbytes had all kinds of links backing them up.
Early morning comedy at its best.
No, the "it's not my fault our unemployment is stagnatingly high and that our debt is the worst it's ever been in history, and that we received our first credit downgrade ever, and that even though I campaigned against tax cuts 'for the rich' I extended them anyway...and that i campaigned on closing Gitmo, but kept it open anyway....and that I keep perpetuating class/race/gender warfare and that our housing market keeps collapsing..NONE of it is my fault... it's everyone else's!!!"
THAT soundbite.
I can keep playing if you want.
Anyone who would believe anything Bill Clinton says would be a naive gullible person. He has been caught lying on multiple occasions. The only difference between him and the common man is that he lives in a circle of people with the power otherwise he would have been in jail along time ago. No matter how smart he thinks he is.
ross,
so under your theory, we should not believe a word you are saying.....i GUARANTEE you have been caught lying on multiple occasions...
your rules!!!
me, that is a very stupid analogy. We all have lied sure but htius guy abuses the highest seat in the country not the local community center or bar gossip.
All this blab about an independant candidate. It's not going to happen! What could an independant, regardless of how good his idea's may be hope to accomplish with a Republican and democrat controlled house and senate? Any independate is going to lean left or right so make your choice using the 2 party system we already have.
Romney is not even liked by his own party. There is a reason for that.
Very interesting ! Please provide your proof so we can agree with you ?
http://pollingmatters.gallup.com/2012/03/romney-still-not-generating-excitement.html
Yadayada, poll doesn't mean anything etc etc
Why Biil Clinton thinks president Romney would be calamitous... Hillary would loose her job and Bills extracurricular activities would come to a halt. All we can hope for is another change and some more hope.
Thats a mouth full Mr Clinton. Oh wait... that what you said to Monica!
Is it 1999 again? I wish it were, I would be in my 30s and not have to lose 25 pounds...
Only if!!!
"I did not have sex with that woman, Monica Lewinsky"
"President Romney would be calamitous"
Bil just can't help but lie can he?
I guess we'd have to ask Clinton of what his definition of "would be" would be. ;)
I the last sentence in the 2nd to last paragraph pretty much sums it up for me. "They're not offering anything new...they are just saying 'Things are tough right now and it's all Obama's fault.'"
I consider myself fairly objective, but all I'm hearing from Republicans is they want to ressurect the Reaganomics methods of managing the country's economy and budget woes. I'm sorry folks, but the trickle down thing simply doesn't work.
I will fully admit that I'm, by definition, a 1%er, but I'm sick of seeing the chasm between the haves and have nots continue to widen in the country and that will undoubtedly happen in a Romney administration.
We had a great 8 years with Clinton and Gore, and if brother Jeb had not been Gov of Fl, old Bush would never have made the WH, Be that as it may, people that were hurt by Bain, know what Romney did and how much money he made. He made money not jobs. Our Congress should be put to shame for their lack of integrity, work ethic, we need to be able to impeach them and get them out of office. All of that said: NO REPUB IN OFFICE, NO ROMNEY, HE IS A LIAR AND THIEF. HE GOT BY WITH BEING A THIEF ALSO.
ALL politicians are thiefs, including your beloved Clinton & Gore.
The Bain bashing is over. Cory Booker and Clinton put a bullet it that empty argument during the past two weeks. The Obama team is now focusing on Romney's very strong record as Governor. They want everyone to know that Romney ranked 47 out of 50 in job creation at the end of his term and forget about a 4.7 unemployment rate and a balanced budget.
Romney will clean their clock on this one too.
A certain president signed the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, which ended the Glass Steagall Act of 1933. That set in motion the country's current situation, which is what most Americans would call "calamitous".
Democrats and republicans politicians are all alike when it comes to telling the public what they want to hear. People and figures can all be manipulated, and have been for decades. The problem is clear; unfortunately, the solution is not. Will there ever be any politicians who truly want to serve the people and not themselves???
Nope at least NOT these fools who now infest the Halls of Congress.
Term limits is the answer but first throw all of them out NOW and then some go to PRISON.
Maybe in a few years we can have a Congress that 'works' about three months per year and the other nine months they have a job in their state?
And they don't get paid for life because they stole. lied, cheated and ravaged the Nation instead of preserving this Republic.
One simple experiment. We gave an incompetent president 8 years to ruin our economy, (Bush 2000-2008), lets give another one 4 more years but congress needs to change. Vote out of office, Pelosi, Reid, Boehner, McConnell and other long term career politician. These politicians need to work for US, American Taxpayers, not thier political party. These carreer politicians are also to blame for not doing more during the Bush years.
Sorry, as long as Obama continues to use executive orders to go around congress rather then working with them no matter how difficult, Obama can not be returned to office.
TJM
all i have to say to you is LLLLLLOOOOOLLLLLL!!!! good thing not everyone thinks like you we would be a defunct nation right now!
TNJ - But you ok with the Executive order GWB signed bypassing congress and the Supreme court titled "Stored Communications act" which gave the government access to read and listen to any electronic communications from anyone in the united states at any time for any reason.
What travesty of trampling of your rights has President Obama dreamed up?
None....Any you want to put another Republican in office...Not too smart.
I know I will not.
The Current Republican party is an Oligarchy....period. They believe they arte the Ruling Elite and the hell with anyone else....all in the name of National Security,
Based on the promises Willard Romney said he would do his first day, he still seems to think the President is absolute Dictator. This is why CEOs make terrible politicians; they are used to having absolute power.
Being criticized from a Lying, Degenerate Adulterer like "Slick Willy" must really have Romney quaking in his shoes. Together William "Blithering Idiot" Clinton and Hussein Zero aren't worthy of talking about Romney, let alone attempting to criticize him. Try Wiping Away Your "STAIN" on our nation Clinton, before opening your LYING Mouth about someone else.
Bill Clinton is a joke...his opinion is worthless as his judgement while in office. I still astounded that democrats consider him as a spokesman...he is of low moral character...lied to the American people, lied to Congress and lied to his wife...
tjm and alan,
are you two brothers or cousins or something?.....just checking
Are you sure you're not talking about GW Bush?
That goes to show you Obama knows he in trouble and he hasnt done nothing to help the economy..hes having to beg for a vote or he wouldnt have Bill Clinton begging for him.
Ha Ha.
Disbarred lawyer, only President in the modern era to be impeached. Talk about "calamitous for our country".
paula,
if you knew history you would know that Pres. Clinton was NOT impeached.... the republicans in the house voted for impeachment proceedings which was a partisan vote.
lol, the only place scott walker is going is jail.
gojoe,
funny you criticize clinton for an extra-marital affair, yet you rout for a man that is under investigation which as of today, has resulted in six indictments, 15 felony charges, and two convictions. At the moment, five people are awaiting trial.
nice morals.... way to go jo!!
i dont think jo know what side he is on.......LOL!
President Clinton was, in fact, impeached by the House on one charge. However, he was acquitted by the Senate. Also, he was not disbarred. The Arkansas Bar began disbarment proceedings, but they reached an agreement where Clinton paid a fine and had his law license suspended for five years.
Sounds like the Chicago thug machine had a "coming to Jesus meeting" with Bill Clinton. Hence the dramatic turn around. It would be disastrous NOT to have Obama for another 4 years???? Are you kidding me?????
Breaking News:
According to Dumb FUX News, sources say that Romney vows to put Joe Smith, the founder of Moronism, on Mount Rushmore if he wins the Presidency
Romney was quoted as saying, "Joe was a great man who invented a great religion."
WOW
You, my friend, are a liar and a bigot.
Atticus F***D
Lecture your fellow comrades who make ignorant and bigotted statements against the President then lecture me........until then, go eat a squid hypocrite
Question: What do you call a woman who is half Morman and half Jewish?
Answer: A polygamist who dislikes sex
One of my posts from last night.
Atticus
Well I applaud you for calling out those that disrespect the President, and we need more like you on these boards
Unfortunately you are the exception.....these boards have been overrun by nuts
So until there is restraint and respect for the President on these boards, I will fight fire with fire
And I will continue to call em' as I see em'.
Atticus
Touche!