Hillary calls in Bill

DES MOINES – Bill Clinton rested his chin in his hand and smiled while his wife told a cheering crowd why it was her turn to be president of the United States.

Sitting on a low stool on a stage surrounded by flag-lined hay bales Monday, he was the picture of spousal support, standing behind Hillary Clinton just as she had stood behind him through decades of his own political campaigns and a congressional investigation into his infidelity while he led the White House. He was, Bill had told the crowd moments earlier in an uncharacteristically short speech, a proud member of “Husbands for Hillary.”And his faith in her candidacy was so strong that “I’d be here tonight – if she asked me – if we weren’t married.”While most Democrats see an endorsement by the party’s most popular leader as a pure boon, it is more complicated for Hillary, who had until now kept Bill on the sidelines of her campaign.The aim was to move away from the much derided two-for-the-price-of-one theme of his 1992 presidential campaign – that America would get two capable leaders by voting for Bill – and to allow Hillary a chance to overcome her image as a controversial first lady and tout her own record as a New York senator since 2001.After a few joint appearances at fundraisers and in a stylish video spoof of the hit mob show ‘The Sopranos’ to unveil Hillary’s campaign song, the couple launched their first campaign swing in a whirlwind three-day tour of Iowa.While small in terms of numbers Øf voters in the fight to win the Democratic nomination for the November 2008 presidential contest, Iowa is the only crucial early-voting state where Hillary is trailing in the polls.Like he did in a May campaign video, Bill’s role was to introduce voters to another side of Hillary and to show them that while she was in charge, he would be there to help.Nampa-AFPHe was, Bill had told the crowd moments earlier in an uncharacteristically short speech, a proud member of “Husbands for Hillary.”And his faith in her candidacy was so strong that “I’d be here tonight – if she asked me – if we weren’t married.”While most Democrats see an endorsement by the party’s most popular leader as a pure boon, it is more complicated for Hillary, who had until now kept Bill on the sidelines of her campaign.The aim was to move away from the much derided two-for-the-price-of-one theme of his 1992 presidential campaign – that America would get two capable leaders by voting for Bill – and to allow Hillary a chance to overcome her image as a controversial first lady and tout her own record as a New York senator since 2001.After a few joint appearances at fundraisers and in a stylish video spoof of the hit mob show ‘The Sopranos’ to unveil Hillary’s campaign song, the couple launched their first campaign swing in a whirlwind three-day tour of Iowa.While small in terms of numbers Øf voters in the fight to win the Democratic nomination for the November 2008 presidential contest, Iowa is the only crucial early-voting state where Hillary is trailing in the polls.Like he did in a May campaign video, Bill’s role was to introduce voters to another side of Hillary and to show them that while she was in charge, he would be there to help.Nampa-AFP