Obama luring ex-Bill Clinton aides-Many view candidate as face of future

[babylonsister]

Obama luring ex-Bill Clinton aides
Many view candidate as face of future

By Marcella Bombardieri, Globe Staff | October 25, 2007

When Deval Patrick called on a sea of nearly 10,000 people to support Barack Obama for president, he became only the latest in a series of high-profile officials from Bill Clinton's administration endorsing, advising, or working for Obama, Hillary Clinton's rival for the Democratic nomination.

Clinton enjoys the backing of much of her husband's political machine and her own ultra-loyal staff from the 1990s, and both groups have helped build an air of inevitability about her winning the nomination. But a significant group of former Clinton advisers and officials have gone the other way.

Former energy and transportation secretary Federico Peña, former commerce secretary William Daley, foreign policy gurus Anthony Lake and Susan Rice, former Navy secretary Richard Danzig, and women's advocate Betsy Myers are among those who served Bill Clinton but have taken Obama's side. Patrick, who was assistant attorney general for civil rights, endorsed him at rally on Boston Common on Tuesday night.

In interviews this week, half a dozen Obama supporters with Clinton roots said they see the 46-year-old, first-term Illinois senator as the face of the future and the best hope for the party. While they don't directly criticize Clinton, they said that another Clinton presidency would not represent enough of a change in American politics or its image in the world. Some also said she is too divisive to beat the Republican nominee or to govern effectively.

"One of the chief things that would energize a very dispirited Republican Party is Hillary Clinton on the ticket," said Eric Holder, who was second-in-command at the Justice Department in the late 1990s and who likens Obama to John F. Kennedy.

Holder said Clinton's high negative ratings are a result of Republican attacks, not her own doing. "I say this with sadness, but it is nevertheless a reality," he said. "My feelings of loyalty are outweighed by my concern about the world my kids are going to live in."

more...

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/25/obama_luring_ex_bill_clinton_aides/

[Grandrose]

1. Good article. (K&R)

Thanks for posting!:) :thumbsup: :kick:

[Colobo]

2. Hillary is the past. Obama is our future.

[Bitwit1234]

3. OH NO...not another bash Hillary threat.

damn if you people couldn't bash Hillary you wouldn't have anything to say.

[babylonsister]

4. Gimme a break-how is this bashing Clinton? It even defends

her in the article. You need to read before you react.

Holder said Clinton's high negative ratings are a result of Republican attacks, not her own doing. "I say this with sadness, but it is nevertheless a reality," he said. "My feelings of loyalty are outweighed by my concern about the world my kids are going to live in."

[mrreowwr_kittty]

5. It's an article, not the OP's own statement. nt

[sundancekid]

6. the greater good over political or party allegiance ... what a concept!

Glad to hear that regardless of where we come from (a clarkie 04 here),
we can evaluate this upcoming race for its impact on the future of
our American democracy ... Go Obama!

[madrchsod]

7. hillary will be 68 at the end of a two term presidency

i sure in the hell do not want someone my age to be president at this time in our republic. obama will be 54(?) years old by the time his terms are up. i want to savor new wine in new bottles before i accept the check.

[rinsd]

8. I found this a little funny to tell the truth.

Obama is the future, he just happens to be relying on the past! ;-)

[SaveElmer]

9. He is the face of the future...just not the present...

2016 will be the Year of Obama...!!!

On edit: used 2012 instead of 2016 by accident...

h/t Katz

[Colobo]

10. So we will lose in 08?

[SaveElmer]

11. Oops..yeah you got me...

I meant 2016...ach

No we won't lose!!!

[Nedsdag]

14. I don't want to wait until 2016!

Where does it say, "It's Hillary's turn. Get in line?" I didn't see that in the rule book!

[SaveElmer]

15. Who said anything of the kind...

I don't think Obama is ready to be President...Hillary is...simple as that...

[Colobo]

16. You KNOW Obama's ready to lead now, Save.

You just prefer Hill.

[emilyg]

12. No.No.

[Colobo]

13. With Obama, we win in 08 and 12!

[SteppingRazor]

17. We'd do the same with Hillary...

assuming things go reasonably well 08-12, which is a large assumption. Of course, its also a large assumption in the case of Obama. No one can read the future.

I'll be voting for Obama in the primary (not that my vote means anything here in Florida), but I'd be ameliorated somewhat by a Clinton/Obama administration.