Big Dawg: Obama off to good start.

[jefferson_dem]

Former President Clinton: Obama off to good start

WASHINGTON – Former President Bill Clinton says he thinks the country will surmount the current economic crisis, but sees the threat of terrorism as a longer-term problem.

Clinton also is giving President Barack Obama high marks for the $787 billion economic stimulus bill that Obama will sign into law later this week.

The former president said in an interview broadcast Monday on NBC's "Today" show that he believes Obama "is off to a good start." Clinton also said the new president and his economics team handled the controversial stimulus plan well, "given the fact that they had to do it in a hurry." Clinton, who continues to lead a global public service initiative, said he believes the legislation will be "our bridge over troubled waters."

But he also said that had he and his economics team been in office the last eight years, the economy would not have tanked.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090216/ap_on_go_pr_wh/stimulus_clinton_1/print

[wyldwolf]

1. He's right

As usual.

I'll expand. Had ANY Democrat's economic team been in office, the economy would not have tanked.

[ShortnFiery]

2. Yeah, Bill Clinton is going to hog two or three news cycles this week. He can't help himself.

:eyes:

[wyldwolf]

3. He answers reporter's questions just piss off ShortnFiery

"Mr. Clinton... how do you feel Obama is doing..?

(IN THOUGHT: Hmmm... if I say no comment, ShortnFiery will wig out and say I'm not giving Obama his due... if I say he's off to a great start, ShortnFiery will say I'm hogging a news cycle..)

I think he's doing a heckuva job!

[ShortnFiery]

4. No, what pisses me off is that Bubba demonstrates a incessant desire to be "front and center."

He is shameless in his need to be "the center" of media attention. :shrug:

[wyldwolf]

5. REPORTER: Mr Clinton, why are you ducking behind that tree?

"Because ShortnFiery will get all pissy if I answer your questions."

[ShortnFiery]

6. Oh stop, not unlike many megalomaniacs, Bubba is going on Larry King tomorrow night ...

There's plenty of them in D.C. and Hollywood, but Bill Clinton has had more than his day "in the sun." Gee Bubba, move the fuck ON, will ya!?!

[wyldwolf]

7. Larry King: "Mr Clinton, I'd like to have you on as guest this week.. how 'bout it?"

No.. no... ShortnFiery might get upset...

[ShortnFiery]

12. You and I both know Bill Clinton seeks out the attention. He's just shameless.

I guess that I can empathize with people who don't like Obama's personality having to deal with all those "admiration threads." As a person who could NOT ever respect Bill Clinton "as a person" (but OK as a President), I get the creeps every time that he inserts HIMSELF into the media spotlight.

Yes, I'm biased - IMO Bill Clinton's asinine, arrogant and shamelessly superficial in his self-promotion. :shrug:

[wyldwolf]

13. you might have the inside track on such things, but the rest of us don't

We see shows looking to get ratings and booking Clinton to get them.

[biopowertoday]

20. Many people trust him. It will give some confidence to many-therefore

I am glad he is speaking out.

[blm]

30. Many people trusted him when he used his highprofile 2004 booktour to defend Bush's decisions

on terrorism and Iraq war that were being attacked by our Dem nominee and the left at the time.

Dems in DC (and Tony Blair) trusted Bill was telling them the truth when he urged them to support Bush on Iraq war based on what he knew from access to privileged information.

[wyldwolf]

31. whoah here she comes... watch out boy she'll defecate all over a Clinton thread...

[biopowertoday]

35. she already did. Bill certainly is not perfect but

many of need a boost at this point--

[Catherine Vincent]

34. Here's shortnfiery's reaction to Big Dawg's comment on Obama:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2009/02/16/missed.flight.madness.cnn

[Arkana]

25. If Clinton wanted to hog the news cycle, he'd have bashed Obama.

That would have gotten far more attention.

[Inkyfuzzbottom]

26. Bill Clinton is relevant...

he is a former president who had a very successful presidency. His opinions hold some weight. On the other hand we keep hearing from loser John McSame and that crazy Palin bitch. I'd much rather have Big Dawg in the spotlight than McSame or the crazy Palin.

[ShortnFiery]

27. "I'd much rather have Big Dawg in the spotlight than McSame or the crazy Palin."

Damn, I hate it when you make a perfectly cogent point. :blush:

[Marsala]

36. He's countering the GOP criticism

It's doing nothing but helping Obama by getting a prominent, friendly voice out there.

[Puzzler]

37. Let him hog the news cycles!

.

[Kdillard]

8. Nice comments from fmr President Bill Clinton. Can anyone tell

me why he is going on these shows this week? Is it just because of President's Day?

[wyldwolf]

9. he's talking up the stimulus plan... here's a transcript from Martha Stewart

MS: What do you think are his biggest challenges?

BC: I think he’s got a great team.

MS: Many worked for you!

BC: They did work for me, and they did a good job for me and I think they’re making good decisions. I think…the stimulus bill is absolutely necessary. It’s important that the American people understand that the stimulus bill alone can’t bring the economy back, but it’s a bridge over troubled waters. It’s going to take awhile to fix the banking system. We have a private economy, we’ve got to get the banks lending again and all of that. But this bill will keep state and local governments from laying off hundreds of thousands of people or raising your taxes at a time when we shouldn’t do that. Either will hurt the economic recovery. This bill will help us to build new a energy future that is more independent and create millions of jobs while doing it. So it will help to rebuild America’s infrastructure , something that has been ignored for too long. And it will help us get through this. So I feel good about that. I think the next big challenge he faces is what is the most effective way to get the bad assets off the balance sheets now so banks feel free to loan and to rework as many of these home mortgages as possible, where the people who took the mortgage out and can’t pay it now are honest, hardworking people. What’s the best way to do that? If they can get that right…

[Kdillard]

11. Thank you. Bill Clinton has his faults but he is a good Democrat.

[Danger Mouse]

10. Makes a nice contrast to asshole McCain's comments, at least.

[TomClash]

14. It's good that he comes to the President's defense

The media onslaught will get worse.

[wyldwolf]

15. it seems to be more than just that... it almost looks planned

[TomClash]

16. Maybe it was

Fine by me.

[Schema Thing]

19. heh. tag. team.

[Autumn]

17. Thats what I like to see

every Democrat out there should be on any form of media praising what Obama is doing.:fistbump:

[Hatchling]

18. Lot's of people like Clinton.

They still may not be sure of Obama so getting a thumbs up from Clinton is great. And it looks like he stayed on message this time. ;)










edited for speeling

[ShortnFiery]

21. I assure you that it will NOT help to get even moderate GOP support.

As a man, I despise him. However, as a democrat, I also KNOW that Bill Clinton, is on MY team. The foregoing said, I tolerate him. If I was a koolaid drinking republican, I'd bet money this will give RushBo lots of material to morph Obama into Clinton throughout this week of broadcasts. IMO, not all that helpful for Bubba to be doing another media circuit this week. But hell, he is an former president and he was 1000X better than any republican president before him. So IMO, it's a wash. :shrug:

[wyldwolf]

22. ok, you're right. He should just give up.

[ShortnFiery]

23. LOL, he won't give up. In fact, that's what makes him endearing to SOME people.

It takes all kinds of democrats to make our party strong. You and I under "the same tent" is a testimony to thoughtful tolerance. :-) :hi:

:dem:

[SIMPLYB1980]

24. Big dog is doing a good job to. We need all our big guns

out in the MSM backing Obama up.

[Jennicut]

28. Yes he likes the spotlight but he is being supportive of Obama and that is what matters

And had Gore been in office for the last 8 years or Kerry for 4 we would have been in much better shape today. The Big Dog knows first hand the ways of the Rethugs and what Obama is up against.

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

29. clinton derangement syndrome still alive and well.

why? bill compliments our current president and people have to turn it negative. i'd do anything to go back to the horrible clinton years of the 1990s!

[Beacool]

38. Around here, always.

And always by the same crowd. Frankly, who gives a sh**? I don't anymore.

:shrug:

[treestar]

32. But that election-losing maverick says otherwise!

:rofl:

How can Big Dawg be right? :rofl:

[grantcart]

33. k and r