Evidently that’s what it’ll take to earn his support. Racist!
[A senior Democrat who worked for Clinton] told the Telegraph: “He’s been angry for a while. But everyone thought he would get over it. He hasn’t. I’ve spoken to a couple of people who he’s been in contact with and he is mad as hell.
“He’s saying he’s not going to reach out, that Obama has to come to him. One person told me that Bill said Obama would have to quote kiss my ass close quote, if he wants his support.
“You can’t talk like that about Obama – he’s the nominee of your party, not some house boy you can order around.
Tom Edsall’s new piece for HuffPo corroborates the allegations of lingering bitterness (minus the “kiss my ass” bon mot), and offers this hint that Clinton might be descending into full-fledged dissociation:
Beyond that, some associates say, Bill Clinton wants Obama to reach out to him as a mentor, a guide who can lead Obama through the labyrinth of a tough presidential election. “Bill wants to be honored, to return to the role of Democratic elder statesman, and get rid of this image of him as a pol willing to do anything to win,” said one associate.
Truly, Obama has much to learn from a one-man gaffe riot whose “unstoppable” machine he outraised and outmaneuvered to the point where he’s now forced to ask his own donors to help peel it off the road. Exit question: Is there such a thing anymore as a Bill Clinton constituency? Which Clinton supporters does he think will be staying home this fall if Hillary hits the trail for Obama but he, in a fit of spite, doesn’t? His wife’s a bigger name than he is now and has some (momentary) cultural resonance with women; Gore is arguably bigger than he is too and has already enthusiastically endorsed Obama, as of course have Jimmy Carter, John Kerry, and even George McGovern, meaning that every other Democratic nominee dating back 36 years is on board for Hopenchange. (JFK’s endorsement by proxy pushes the timeline back even farther.) So who cares? What does Obama gain by dragging Clinton around the country, except an occasional reminder to the liberal base that leftist messiahs don’t always end up especially leftist or messianic?
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