Bill Clinton reflects on South Carolina dustup

[RamboLiberal]

Bill Clinton says he's learned his lesson.

Speaking with a Maine television station Thursday night, the former president said the fallout from his comments ahead of the South Carolina primary last month proved he should only promote his wife’s presidential candidacy, not defend her.

"Everything I have said has been factually accurate, but I think the mistake I made was to think I was a spouse just like any other spouse who could defend his candidate," Bill Clinton told Portland television station WCSH. "I think I can promote Hillary but not defend her because I was president."

"I have to let her defend herself or let someone else defend her," he continued. "But a lot of things that were said were factually inaccurate. I did not ever criticize Sen. Obama in South Carolina. I never criticized him personally."

-----

"I think whenever I defend her, I risk being misquoted, and I risk being the story," Clinton also said in Thursday’s interview. "I don't want to be the story. This is her campaign, her presidency and her decisions. And so even if I win the an argument with another candidate, its not the right thing to do. "I need to promote her but not defend her."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

Good for you Bill!

[surfermaw]

1. Way to go Bill

We know on the Martin Luther King, thing, we all cherish King, but as much as he did , it did take Lyndon Johnson, twisting arms to get the important legislation passed. He was probably the only one that could get the legislation passed, he had been in Washington so long that he had enough on others, that he knew just how had to twist the arm to get the vote to go his way.

[UALRBSofL]

2. I'm glad he put a lid on it

Because he was a little polarizing and it didn't help her.

[liberal N proud]

3. I knew he would dig himself out

He has been in deeper and come out OK.

[karynnj]

4. Typical Bill - still spinning that everything he said was true

His comment that Obama said he was "close to Bush" on what to do on Iraq in 2004 was cherry picking that Bush himself would admire for its audacity. Obama was very near Kerry's position, not Bush's - saying regional diplomacy was needed and going further to say that it might take a new administration engaging in diplomacy. The only thing in common was the goal that was possibly achievable then to leave a stable Iraq. Clinton abused the truth here - far more than he did in his most famous line in 1998.

[AGirl]

5. Good to hear.

[TexasObserver]

6. Bubba showed why he's so good with that.

He owned up to screwing up by going on the offensive. He's right. If he sticks to promoting her and not trashing others, he'll be a real asset to her.

That's the Bill I've always liked, respected, and defended.

[Rydz777]

7. Bill is right. "The South Carolina dustup" was dusted up by the

MSM.