Top Dems Tell Bill to Chill

Clinton's anti-Obama tactics inappropriate, say party leaders
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 21, 2008 1:01 PM CST
Top Dems Tell Bill to Chill
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. reacts with her husband, former President Bill Clinton and their daughter Chelsea, to supporters after being declared winner of the Nevada Democratic caucus in Las Vegas Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)   (Associated Press)

Top Democrats are telling Bill Clinton to tone down his anti-Obama rhetoric, Newsweek reports. He draws crowds, money, and support for his wife, but Democratic leaders like Ted Kennedy and Rahm Emanuel have confronted Clinton about his down-and-dirty approach. They see it as unpresidential, not beneficial to the party, and possibly harmful to his international image.

An ex-Clinton adviser and current Obama operative cautions that the ex-prez is causing trouble for his wife, making observers wonder "if Hillary's campaign can't control Bill, whether Hillary's White House could." Though such divisive tactics are rare for a former president, “the stakes couldn’t be higher,” says a source close to Clinton. “It's worth it to tarnish himself a bit now to win the presidency." (More Bill Clinton stories.)

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