Gloria Borger: "If he doesn't stay on script, she's going to have to discipline him"

[ProSense]

Bill Clinton could pose Cabinet problem

<...>

"These are issues that I'm sure are being discussed, and they will have to be worked out, and it's legitimate to ask these questions," said James Carville, a former aide to the Clintons and CNN contributor.

<...>

She really has to sit down with her husband and work through where does this leave him," said David Gergen, a senior political analyst for CNN who worked in Clinton's White House. "After all, he's very deeply involved in the Clinton Global Initiative, doing good around the world. Could he continue to do that? Would he have to shut it down? Could he take money from people? There are lots of secondary questions."

Even more problematic could be the former president's history of going decidedly off message during speeches and his willingness to blatantly speak his mind seemingly without regard for the political fallout.

During her presidential bid last year, Sen. Clinton at times publicly criticized her husband for things he said on the campaign trail, and in one particularly embarrassing moment for the campaign, she told him to "knock it off."

But ultimately, the duty of keeping the former president in check may fall to the New York senator should she assume the top diplomatic post.

"If he doesn't stay on script, she's going to have to discipline him, just like she did in the campaign," said Gloria Borger, a CNN senior political analyst.

"It won't be up to Obama, it will be up to her."

(emphasis added)

Yikes!

Borger was one of the people who pushed the original rumor.

[EFerrari]

1. This whole situation just seems like asking for trouble to me.

:(

[ShortnFiery]

3. One big f**king nightmare = conflicts of interest and shady money dealings GALORE.

No, please no more Clintonian Soap Operas?!?

[EFerrari]

26. There may be one good use of this: It may delay the inevitable attacks

solely on Obama. If the right wingnuts need to do one more round of Clinton bashing, maybe that buys Obama some time. :shrug:

[ShortnFiery]

33. The GOP is too magnanimous. I suspect that they already have "dirt" on Bill Clinton that they will

unleash after her confirmation. There's always scandal and tension when either Bill or Hillary are involved. It's just too much "cult of personality." :(

[Bicoastal]

2. TMI, Gloria.

[KittyWampus]

4. There's almost no question at some point, President Clinton would go rouge. He's opinionated

and not exactly known for his restraint.

The Mediawhores would have a full time detail following Bill to make sure they got every single word uttered from his mouth so they could manufacture something even if there was no "there, there".

[BootinUp]

5. This is realy kinda silly

Bill campaigning for his wife is a completely different situation than supporting her once she is in a position. He has demonstrated his ability to stay out of her business before. Anyone suggesting otherwise is selling bullshit.

[ProSense]

7. Not silly

at all.

[ShortnFiery]

8. No, it's even more sensitive with Bill Clinton gleaning money from unknown/undisclosed sources.

This is just WRONG. Bill Clinton will NOT divulge his donors - he can't be fully vetted. No matter how much their minions DEMAND that Obama give her the SOS, it won't happen. Lord, I hope NOT. :(

[EFerrari]

10. Not really. Bill Clinton was out there defending Bush's war

while Senator Clinton was trying to take a careful position. There are too many cooks here.

[BootinUp]

14. Thats a distortion

he said the inspectors should be given more time to do their work. Whatever else he said should be read in that context.

[ProSense]

16. No it isn't.

"I have repeatedly defended President Bush against the left on Iraq, even though I think he should have waited until the U.N. inspections were over," Clinton said in a Time magazine interview that will hit newsstands Monday, a day before the publication of his book "My Life."

link

Are you saying Bill lied about defending Bush?

[BootinUp]

17. Thanks, people can read that for themselves, lol.

"I have repeatedly defended President Bush against the left on Iraq, even though I think he should have waited until the U.N. inspections were over," Clinton said in a Time magazine interview that will hit newsstands Monday, a day before the publication of his book "My Life."

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/06/19/clinton.iraq/index.html

[EFerrari]

21. That's not funny. So, he defended Bush against the left

AFTER Bush had the inspectors pulled. Good grief. What the hell kind of logic is THAT?

Answer: Clintonian.

[ProSense]

32. I notice you ignored

this comment.

[EFerrari]

18. Oh, come on. Bill Clinton shouldn't be put in this position. That's not his strength.

All I'm really saying is that any talent has its better venues. This isn't Bill's.

Bill Clinton Rewrites His Support For Iraq War
posted by matthew on 11/28/2007 @ 2:42pm

Hillary Clinton's campaign has been remarkably effective at remaking a longtime war supporter into an outspoken antiwar candidate.

But at least she has't spun the yarn her husband did yesterday, claiming that he "opposed Iraq- from the beginning."

Quote after quote from Bill Clinton before and after the war attests to the fact that he supported the invasion of Iraq. On May 19, 2003, Clinton declared, "I supported the president when he asked for authority to stand up against weapons of mass destruction in Iraq."

Now Clinton is trying to square the circle. "Advisers to Mr. Clinton said yesterday that he did oppose the war, but it would have been inappropriate at the time for him, a former president, to oppose- in a direct, full-throated manner- the sitting president's military decision," the New York Times reported today.


http://www.thenation.com/blogs/state_of_change/254946

Bill Clinton Pretends He Opposed Bush's Iraq Invasion, Media Go Along for the Ride

Posted December 1, 2007.

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/69420/?comments=view&cID=781690&pID=780805

Bill Clinton's Claim of Opposing Iraq War From Outset Disputed

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/28/AR2007112802485_pf.html

Bill Clinton stumbles on stump for wife
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-11-28-bill-clinton_N.htm

[ProSense]

12. More

The only Hillary connection that the Times could uncover really highlights the lack of a Hillary connection here "Mr. Clinton’s public declaration undercut both American foreign policy and sharp criticism of Kazakhstan’s poor human rights record by, among others, Mr. Clinton’s wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York." Still, this obviously reflects quite poorly on Bill. And more to the point, it highlights the need for rigorous disclosure of this stuff. The Clintons are by no means unique in this regard -- the fundraising for the George W. Bush presidential library is super-shady. Normally, the relevant shadiness goes down during a president's lame duck phase so nobody really notices, but it's been a huge looming problem for years.

link

[Radical Activist]

13. Its far more serious than the campaign.

Because a foreign government getting mixed signals by thinking that Clinton speaks for the U.S. government could cause serious problems.

[BootinUp]

15. Did you read my post

or just the title?

[Radical Activist]

19. Yes. Very distrubing. The President has to be in charge.

To suggest that Obama would have to delegate to Hillary to keep Bill in line is very disturbing. There can only be one President at a time. My guess is that if Hillary were SOS, Obama would have to establish that he's in charge very quickly and that HE is the one who will talk to Bill. Anything else just won't work.

[BootinUp]

20. What are you smoking? Pass it over. nt

[Radical Activist]

31. This line doesn't bother you?

"But ultimately, the duty of keeping the former president in check may fall to the New York senator should she assume the top diplomatic post."

You don't see a problem with Presidential authority and what message is sent to foreign powers who still like and recognize Bill Clinton? There needs to be one clear answer in the minds of foreign leaders about who is in charge. Think about it.

[Unsane]

6. No sex.

[ShortnFiery]

11. No cameras filming sex ... Bill Hopes.

:blush: :nuke:

[tridim]

9. I bet Obama has put a stop to this already.

There's no chance he'll put up with this psycho-drama for 4 years. It's just not worth it.

[galaxy21]

22. "If he doesn't stay on script, she's going to have to discipline him,"

Kinky....

[ShortnFiery]

23. That's impossible. Nobody disciplines a former President. eom

[EFerrari]

24. The media is still completely obsessed by the Clenis. n/t

[KT2000]

25. Too much drama with Clintons

And it starts with Bill.
I really do not see how this will fit in with the no drama Obama ethos.
And I just don't see how this is going to end well.

Even when his wife's presidential run was on the line he couldn't keep his mouth shut - AND he said the stupidest things imaginable.
If Obama has to fire Hillary because of Bill - there will be no end of the turmoil Bill could cause - and as we have seen in the campaign - he would do it too.

[apocalypsehow]

27. It's not his script that's likely to be the problem, but rather a wandering dingus.

"Discipline" will be needed to keep that somewhat errant organ in check, indeed.

[HeraldSquare212]

28. "Oh, don't worry President Putin, Bill was just kidding...besides, he doesn't speak for Barack."

We heard Hillary excusing Bill's comments during the campaign, how many times will it happen in international affairs?

[Skwmom]

29. Let's say that Bill Clinton or their "friends" start criticizing Obama for his handling

of the economy. What exactly is Obama going to be able to do about that? He can hardly hold Hillary liable for that.

Why would you do this of your own volition? This whole thing makes no sense. Was there some kind of deal made or pressure exerted by AIPAC to deliver a neocon friendly foreign policy team?

[Metric System]

30. That sounds kind of hot. Do you think the Bidens will rent out Cheney's dungeon?

[karynnj]

34. just like she did in the campaign

You mean when he went off message at least 10 or 20 times - like when he essentially reignited the Bosnia story by excusing it because she was old and tired.

I guess Borger means that kind of control.