November 7, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - Bill Clinton found himself in an unusual and uncomfortable position yesterday - drawing intense fire from Democratic presidential candidates and a brushback from his wife's own campaign.
Barack Obama and Chris Dodd both took rare shots at the former president for claiming that critics of Hillary's stance on giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants were unfairly trying to "swift boat" her.
"To have the former president come out and suggest this is a form of swift boating . . . is way over the top in my view," said Dodd, a Connecticut senator.
Obama fumed: "I was pretty stunned by that statement."
It's the first time any Democratic candidates have attacked Bill Clinton, who is enormously popular among party members.
The rebukes came after Bill took a swipe at his wife's rivals. He likened recent Democratic attacks against his wife to a "scandalous" 2004 ad by John Kerry's fellow swift boat Vietnam veterans, questioning the candidate's military valor. He also compared the controversy to a 2002 ad that linked former Sen. Max Cleland, who lost three limbs in Vietnam, to Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden.
After recalling the earlier political attacks, which still set Democrats seething years later, Bill Clinton said, "I had the feeling that at the end of that last debate, we were about to get into cutesy land again."
In a stunning in-house slap at the former president, a senior adviser to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign said the former president's remarks were not part of campaign strategy and were considered counterproductive by her advisers.
At the Oct. 30 debate, Hillary Clinton refused to take a position on Gov. Spitzer's plan to let illegal immigrants get driver's licenses. Obama said that when she responded to questions on the topic, she "seemed to contradict what she said previously."
"How you would then draw an analogy to distorting somebody's military record is a reach," Obama said of Bill Clinton's comments.
During the debate, Obama said he was "confused on Senator Clinton's answer," while John Edwards rapped Clinton for saying "two different things in about two minutes."
Obama has been escalating his attacks on Hillary Clinton, but his dig at hubby Bill - who reigns supreme among Democratic heavyweights and draws big crowds - is a new tack.
By tussling with the former president, Obama is also taking on one of Hillary Clinton's key campaign assets. Bill Clinton is stumping for his wife in Iowa this week.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton acknowledged that she was off during last week's debate, telling CNN, "I wasn't at my best the other night - we've had a bunch of debates and I wouldn't rank that up in my very top list."
But oddly, Bill Clinton gives his wife glowing reviews on her performance in a new Web video. "If you noticed, she doesn't hit 'em back," he proudly says."Psst? Bill? Listen pally I don't want to be the one breaking the news to you, but the reason she doesn't fight back is because in a battle of wits the woman could reasonably be charged with assault with a dead weapon. Instead of clarifying her position, she instead chalks off her performance as sub-par because she was...tired.
Just who we need as leader of the free world. "Ah yes, President Putin? Would you be so kind as to call back after Mrs. Clinton has had her nap?"
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