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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:
So who is using scare tactics now? Obama is doing several things right. My buddy would say "Even a blind hog finds an acorn every now and then." His handling of Al Quedia is no small matter, but there is no evidence that a Mitt Romney wouldn't do likewise. Obama's electability swings on the condition he has created out here in the everyday work environment. People can't get jobs because he protects his precious illegal aliens. Romney says that he will be the first deportation president since Dwight Eisenhower. If he deports then he certainly will be. Most of us are going to take him at his word.
Moron, Obama has deported more illegals than any president in history.
"... there is no evidence that a Mitt Romney wouldn't do likewise."
I'll excuse the double negative, but you're wrong there. Romney said:
"I do not concur in the words of Barack Obama in a plan to enter an ally [Pakistan] of ours... I don't think those kinds of comments help in this effort to draw more friends to our effort..."
His words are evidence that he would not go into Pakistan to attack our enemies, for fear of offending our "friends".
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/01/1087874/-Romney-is-Jealous-of-Obama-for-having-the-Balls-To-Kill-Bin-Laden
I'm tired of the gross exaggeration from both parties.
Romney would be no more of a calamity than Clinton was, and probably a more unifying leader than Obama.
Obama said " I STILL believe in you" Is that any thing like, " For the first time in my life I am proud of my country."....What does he mean by "STILL"
By injecting the word "Still" he is implying that he may not believe in you come Nov cause this President knows he is doomed.
And oh and Silly Bill....tricks are for wabbits....Oh no, silly me, tricks are for you too ( How's that prostitute you had last night )....LOL
Remember, Mitt says: "I stand by what I said, whatever it was."
"Still": He believed in the past, and his condition of belief has not wavered. His belief is "adamant" (steadfast; unyielding). Pretty basic English.
Even the Democrats realize Obama is a joke.... but they're being told to tow the party line.... or else!
BG, NO WE DON'T!
@BG ; LESS YOU'VE FORGOTTEN ( LIKE RICK PERRY ) ; The Republicans have pushed policies - austerity and firing government workers wholesale in a recession - designed to cause the President to fail. They filibustered Congress into gridlock. Now people like you are falling for their despicable politics of causing the country to fail so they could succeed. That is why we are suffering , they know there are many people easily duped , that they can count on to fall for their ( steal from the struggling , and give to the filthy rich 1%ers '' deception '' ) and vote their way !!!! COME ON SON , '' PUT YOUR HEAD BACK ON '' PLEEEAAASSSEEEE !!!!!!
Why would anybody believe Bill Clinton? He lied under oath and lost his Law License. He cheated on his wife. He is slime!
Are you still molesting little boys?
His law license was suspended for five years. It has since been restored. I don't approve of Clinton cheating. However, given his successful eight year Presidency, maybe the American people should have chipped in to get Dubya a little something on the side.
Out of curiosity, how is this relevant to anything in 2012?
Bill Clinton is thinking with his little head. He needs to tell Monica told zip up his pants so he can think.
Have you stopped molesting the 9 year old boy yet?
I think Clinton is right.
Imagine a Romney presidency. Odds are the at least the House will be more in the hands of the Tea Party (good old Joe, not really a plumber). Boehner will lose total and complete control over that mob. Romney, having no spine, will be pushed further and further to the right. The most right wing, pseudo-fascist bill will come out of the House. The Senate will be more conservative than it is now. The Republicans, if they take control of the Senate, when they are adopting rules of the session will eliminate the filibuster. Now there is no way to stop the right wing march to the edge of the earth.
During a Romney presidency, at least one, if not two SCOTUS seats will become vacant. With the Tea Party firmly in control of Congress, Romney's nominees will make Alito, Scalia and Thomas look like liberals.
Clinton is right. Pure calamity.
Gyrogearloose
I'm tired of the gross exaggeration from both parties.
Romney would be no more of a calamity than Clinton was, and probably a more unifying leader than Obama.
@Gyrogearloose, Yeah who in their right mind would want the balanced budget and prosperity we had under Clinton............
I didn't say, nor did I imply that Clinton was a calamity.
I don't like Clinton in large part because of his unpresidential behavior ("depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is"). But he was not a calamity. Nor would Romney be a calamity. And either would be better than Obama because Obama has proven to be so divisive.
The un-presidential behavior you speak of goes on every day in the corporate world. They just don't end up in front of a committee to investigate something that had nothing to do with running this country and an issue that should have been kept between the husband and wife to settle......
It's quite simple: Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago? If not, it's your own fault for being lazy and failing to take advantage of America's plentiful opportunities. Ironically, that's the viewpoint of teabaggers and Repugnicans, yet somehow they also blame the sitting president for all your ills.
Let me get this straight: the guy who begged his wife to challenge the (over his head) Obamanation for the 2012 nomination is now telling us that a Romney presidency would be calamitous? Desperate behaviors of desperate people.
I KNOW YOU DIDN'T GO THERE SON , '' REMEMBER '' , WE'VE JUST FINISHED LISTENING TO ALL ROMNEYS OPPONENTS CUT HIM DOWN , ALL THE WAY TO BAIN !!!!!! HOW DO YOU SPELL SKIT-SO-FRANIA ???? HELP A POOR OLD FELLOW. LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Uncle Bill doesn't actually believe Romney will be calamitous for the country, he's like the local politician with the ugliest daughter in the county and is campaigning for her to be fair queen. He lost all credibility with me when he admitted he had an "inappropiate relationship" with Monica. Also, he's just coming off his statements praising Romney for the success he had in the business world. I wonder if Obama sent an envoy to him with the message "Stop that! You can't be doing that! You're going to lose this election for us, so get out there and fix this!"
Wow tell me it ain't true. A Democrat endorses another Democrat? This is only news on MSNBC and not on a real news source. Another day shilling for the Democratic party by MSNBC, one of the three stooges of journalism.
Fox News reporting the same story:
http://nation.foxnews.com/bill-clinton/2012/06/04/clinton-fundraiser-romney-would-be-calamitous-us
Clotho: When NBC tells the story it's factual, but when FNC says the exact same thing it's a lie.
Who in their right mind listens to or has any respect for Clinton.. Oh , he looks like the walking dead. Score another one for one of the many moron doctors that don t have a clue...
Right, and I had nothing to do with that young women.
@DAN G ;
I will take a president who lies over a BJ as compared to a president who lies about reasons for going to war ANY DAY.
Let's see:
Clinton lies about BJ but lowers debt, unemployment, deficit and STARTS NO WARS.
Bush lies about WMD and going after terrorist in Iraq, starts TWO wars, AND increases debts, deficit, unemployment.
Clinton sends no Americans to death while Bush is responsible for thousands of deaths of American husbands/wives, sons/daughters, brothers/sisters.
Tell me, which liar do you prefer?
Dan...have you stopped molesting the 9 year old boy yet?
I would like to remind the republicans the month that Bush left office the economy lost 800,000 jobs. This latest jobs report is dismal, yes, but at least we aren't losing jobs at the rate we did under Bush. The last quarter under Bush the economy also shrank 8%. I wish Obama was a stronger leader, I am disappointed in his first 4 years, but that doesn't mean I'll ever buy into a theory that tax cuts for the rich and cuts in benefits to the poor and middle class will ever work. They tried that under Bush and it took our economy no where.
If you are going to look at Obama and say he can't blame Bush for the problems we face now then Romney should not be able to do the same with his record as a governor. Look at the hard numbers, Romney created very little jobs as governor of Mass. and now he is of course saying he inherited a dismal economy.
Another experiment with tax cuts for the rich, deregulation in the financial sector and more cuts to benefits for the poor and lower middle classes will be a disaster.
Did you get your talking points on your own or, are you using buckwheat telepromter.
Marco...you get your from a coloring book.
Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush, Thats all you got? Of course thats all you got. You must work for the government. Get off the internet and get to work. Or maybe you are on welfare because you lost you job and are collecting unemployment. Either way come talk after your naturalized son of a musilum activist gets re-elected and your job (if you have one) is gone. You will probably keep saying "Bush". I really love how our leaders have gone from taking resposibility and finding solutions to the blame game. Niether party is worthy of our endorsement and you like most are doing nothing more than joining the apparent winning side. I fear for my children and grandchildren our next generation is being taught that it is ok to lean on a government and to blame others rather than work your ass off and save. How many of you have been directly beneficial of this stimulus package we just had to have? How many of you will directly benefit from the health plan? Open your eyes you are being fed bull(^%$& from all angles. Everyone in washington is a crook, talk about insider trading!
Poor clinton he must have mitt confuse with Buckwheat. Buckwheat has been disastrous to our country only a libturd could see it as a positive
RACIST CONSERVATIVE POLYGAMIST LEANING DESPORADO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marco...you are a racist and a bigot. Go to your corner and practice picking up your own turd by the clean end.
You lose any credibility you may have by inserting racism into your post.
The two choices are pretty clear. You can either vote for Romney and doubling down on the Bush policies, or not.
Because Bill is generating so much discussion from the Right, I thought this would be a good place to insert a stroy from FOX News from 2-14-2009. Read, enjoy, and become informed.
I was curious about the actual vote on the stimuls bill so I looked up the story from Feb. 14, 2009 on FOX. Happy reading to all you misinformed out there. If this is how FOX reported it, imagine what the truth really was. Three weeks into Obama's term and you could just feel the cooperation. Hell, they made a Senator come back early from his mom's funeral just to cast the deciding vote. And it shoots down the idea that this was a "spending" bill. It was a tax cut and a cash infusion to local governments (not a gift to the teacher unions). It also points out that from the start, the GOP was blocking Obama from spending any money on any thing. Amazing that in 2001-2008 the deficit didn't matter, but by the second week of Feb. 2009, it was the ONLY thing that matter.
WASHINGTON -- Congress passed the final version of a $787 billion economic stimulus plan aimed at jolting the slumping U.S. economy, sending the legislation to President Obama's desk for his signature.
Speaking in his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama said Saturday, "I will sign this legislation into law shortly, and we'll begin making the immediate investments necessary to put people back to work doing the
work America needs done."
He said the newly passed $787 billion economic stimulus legislation marks a "major milestone on our road to recovery."
At the same time, he cautioned, "This historic step won't be the end of what we do to turn our economy around, but rather the beginning. The problems that led us into this crisis are deep and widespread, and our
response must be equal to the task."
The bill passed the Senate late Friday night with a vote of 60-38 after Democratic leadership held
the vote open for several hours to allow one member, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, to return to Washington to cast the deciding vote. He had flown back from Ohio, where his mother died earlier in the week.
"We just passed this bill to help our struggling economy," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.
The House approved the measure earlier in the day by a vote of 246-183, with no Republican "yes" votes and one member voting present.
House Republicans remained united in their opposition to the package despite concerns among GOP leaders Thursday that at least a handful of Republicans would vote for it. Democrats picked up three of the 11
members who jumped ship to side with Republicans on the previous vote two weeks ago.
Supporters said the legislation would save or create 3.5 million jobs. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer,
D-Md., conceded there was no guarantee, but he said that "millions and millions and millions of people will be helped, as they have lost their jobs and can't put food on the table of their families."
Vigorously disagreeing, House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio dumped a copy of the 1,071-page bill to the floor in a gesture of contempt.
"The bill that was about jobs, jobs, jobs has turned into a bill that's about spending, spending, spending," he said.
Obama, addressing a White House group, noted that lawmakers had a "spirited debate" and said the
legislation is "only the beginning" of what he considers necessary "to turn our economy around." The president did not get all he wanted out of the bill.
The 1,071 page measure -- eight inches thick -- was posted on an overburdened congressional Web site late Thursday, giving lawmakers just a few overnight hours to read it before debate resumed in both the House and Senate Friday morning. Just on Tuesday, the House voted unanimously to recommend that lawmakers and the public have at least 48 hours to read the legislation before a vote.
The plan, freshly estimated at $787 billion by the Congressional Budget Office, combines $281 billion in tax cuts with $308 billion in outlays funded by the appropriations committees and about $198 billion in spending for
benefit programs such as unemployment assistance, $250 payments or millions of people receiving Social Security benefits, and extra money for states to help with the Medicaid health program for the poor and disabled.
Obama's "Making Work Pay" tax cut would be scaled back from $500 for most workers to $400, with couples getting $800 instead of $1,000.
Obama said Friday that "passing this bill is a critical step." He plans to announce a new housing initiative soon, perhaps as early as next week.
"We have a once in a generation chance to act boldly, turn adversity into opportunity, and use this crisis as a chance to transform our economy for the 21st century," the president said.
The plan is the signature initiative of the fledgling Obama administration, which is betting that combining tax cuts of just a few dollars a week for most workers with an infusion of hundreds of billions of dollars of
government spending over the next few years will arrest the economy's fall.
But the inclusion of a $70 billion tax break to make sure middle- to upper-income taxpayers won't get hit by the alternative minimum tax forced a reduction of Obama's signature tax break for 95 percent of workers.
Republicans pointed out a bevy of questionable spending items that made the final cut in House-Senate negotiations, including money to replace computers at federal agencies, inspect canals, and issue coupons for convertor boxes to help people watch TV when the changeover to digital signals occurs this summer.
"This measure is not bipartisan. It contains much that is not stimulative," said Sen. John McCain,
R-Ariz., Obama's rival for the White House. "And is nothing short -- nothing short -- of generational theft" since it burdens future generations with so much debt, he added.
Obama economics adviser Larry Summers cautioned against raising expectations too high.
"I think this is a key part of what's going to be a multipart strategy to contain this decline," he said. But Summers added that the problems "weren't made in a week, a month, a year. It's going to take time to
fix." He said it should not be considered a "silver bullet," or panacea for deeply rooted business woes.
Much of the spending won't be delivered this year or even next, and Republicans pointed to studies by
the Congressional Budget Office that say that adding so much to the national debt would cost the economy by the end of the decade.
Republicans, lined up to vote against the bill, piled on the scorn.
"This is not the smart approach," said Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader. "The taxpayers of today and tomorrow will be left to clean up the mess."
some people have too much free time on their hands.
WM-375: You wasted an awful amount of time dredging up stuff we all knew anyway, and still no matter how you cut and slice it, it didn't help the country. How many people, including yourself, are better off now than they were in 2008? An expanding number of people are learning that Sen. McConnell might be on to something.
There is no doubt the country is better off than it was four years ago. However, public perception is at least as important as reality. Most Americans don't feel as if things are better, even if they are. They don't remember the terror of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers collapsing, and the fear of a 25% unemployment Second Great Depression.
Heck, I doubt most people even remember the BP oil spill a couple of years ago. So even though the country is definitely better, with jobs being added instead of shed, and only one war instead of two, it is still possible for Willard to win in November if the public perception doesn't agree with reality.
So you didn't like your $400 or $800 tax cut? The point was that Obama was prevented from doing anything from day one and was being heckled from the peanut gallery who acted as a Fifth Column to undermine the president, the government and most of all the country. The GOP never acted as patriots, just partisans.
So typical the "DEM" speaking out of both sides of his mouth. He is a moron. Of course he is going to endorse his wife's boss, why is everyone so shocked or thrilled, Hillary told him to. Besides we already have and are seeing calamitism. Watch this economy tank and Obama lose. Mark my words!
Didn't Bill Clinton just say that Romney would be a "qualified president". Talk about flip flop. Oh I forgot, the Repubs flip flop; the Dems "evolve."
Communism and Socialism are not evolving. What are you 20? Did your community college professor teach you that "evolve" thing? Can you not see you are defending less than honorable people. I cant stand either side! They are both despicable and a disgrace and sheep like you will only proliferate the current state of the union.
If he could run again, I would vote for Bill Clinton in a heartbeat. With Bill at the helm, our economy was doing better than it had in years. I like Obama, and he beats the socks off any of the Republicans, on any given day of the week !!!!!!!!!!!!! WAKE UP YOU BUNCH OF CLOSET POLYGAMIST CHILD MOLESTING MORONI WORSHIPPING REPUBLICAN CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVE HIPOCRITS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, what a globally ignorant rant. I am not Morman but I do not think this is an issue at all. I wonder what hate you would spew if he was Jewish.
"I have a black, a women, two Jews and a cripple. And we have talent!"
James G. Watt --- Secretary of the Interior 1981-1983
Weren't many he missed insulting, were there? LOL!
As if Bill Clinton was a great president. All students of history know the Obama failure of spread the wealth and John Maynard Kayne's stimulus spending ruined the EU and has never created jobs in the private sector. Bill Clinton is the reason for Freddie Mae and Fanny Mac and the beginning of the spread the wealth policy that will destroy America. He and the decorates destroyers of Democracy the social democrats along with the press (as Marx predicted) have planned this Obama mess we are in now with lies. There will be no increase in Jobs as long as this continues. The only difference MSNBC that Clinton had was he did not have the House and Senate both on his side and his reckless ambitions were kept in tact by the balance of power the founding fathers, and Eric Holder, want to destroy and have ignored. Learn your history NBC.
It's true Clinton and Greenspan were two of the major contributors to the Great Recession.
So few know that story.
So few want to believe it.
That was a pitiful post.
TO: JasonInNYC who wrote:
Probably because it's a lie that Republicans made up.
Republicans are so full of hatred, they can't even stand basic American Success Stories.
I sure will be glad when Republican to go back to their own planet.
lol
Let me help Mr. Clinton...
The only reason this is going to be a close election is that many of Obama's base want the continued hand outs they've been receiving.
Not to mention... Obama's been a complete and utter failure.
PS - I don't think it will be close... I think Romney wins in a landslide.
You will be able to watch President Obama's 2nd Inauguration, Jan 20,2013 on TV. Mitt will be watching too. Like it or not, people are not going to vote for someone who worships Joey Smith. They may not admit it, but that is the truth
TO: JasonInNYC who wrote:
Hey, when are Republicans going to start talking about some of the wonderful things THEIR guys are planning to do if they can get in, like repeal minimum wage laws so Republicans can reduce Working Americans' wages, no health care for anyone EXCEPT the Rich, all the tax cuts for the rich, and put in place policies that will lead to polluting our air, contaminating our water, and putting our food supply at risk for toxic poison?
When are Republicans going to start bragging on those plans to further corrupt the United States, and stop constantly repeating your talking points?
Obama/Biden 2012