Former President Bill Clinton pledged Thursday to do “whatever I’m asked to do” to get Barack Obama elected, as he prepared to hit the campaign trail for the Democratic presidential nominee in the last eight weeks of the 2008 election.
During a lunch with his former political nemesis at his Harlem-based office in New York City, Clinton predicted Obama would defeat John McCain.
“I predict that Sen. Obama will win and will win pretty handily,” Clinton said.
“There, you can take it from the president of the United States,” Obama added. “He knows a little something about politics.”
Spokesmen for both Obama and Clinton issued a joint statement describing the lunch.
“President Clinton and Sen. Obama had a great conversation in Harlem today. They discussed the campaign briefly, but mostly talked about how the world has changed since Sept. 11, 2001,” the statement said.
“Sen. Obama praised the work of the Clinton Foundation around the world and President Clinton applauded Sen. Obama’s historic campaign, which has inspired millions around the country.
“They also spoke about what the next president can do to help make the economy work for all Americans, as it did under President Clinton, and ensure safety and prosperity far beyond the coming election. President Clinton said he looks forward to campaigning for Sen. Obama later this month.”
On CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman on Wednesday, Obama praised Clinton.
“There’s nobody smarter in politics,” Obama told Letterman. “And he is going to be campaigning for us over the next eight weeks, which I’m thrilled by.”
A Clinton spokesman said the former president will campaign for Obama at a yet-to-be announced site in Florida on Sept. 29, with plans for more fundraising and events in the works.
Hillary Clinton already has been hitting the trail for Obama.
During the Democratic presidential primary, the former president acted as his wife’s chief defender from Obama’s successful challenge to her candidacy, which strained relations between them. Clinton portrayed Obama as too inexperienced for a presidential run, and Obama said sometimes it was hard to tell which Clinton he was running against.
The two didn’t speak for nearly a month after the campaign ended, but their silence ended when Obama called and the former president offered to do whatever he could to help him win.
Clinton told FOX News that he was looking forward to his lunch with Obama.
“We’ve had some discussions leading up to this,” he said. “I’ve had a couple good talks with him. And I think we’ll probably come out of it with a clear idea of what I can do to help. … I think it’s good he’s coming to Harlem.”
Clinton noted the lunch is private so it doesn’t appear that they’re campaigning on the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“Because it’s 9/11, we’re not even having a political event in Harlem,” he said. “They swore off doing anything and I strongly support that. … That’s exactly why we’re doing this the way we’re doing it.”
Obama said on Letterman that he sees parallels between his campaign against John McCain and Clinton’s 1992 race against President George H.W. Bush. He said both came during tough economic times.
“He was young and people were still trying to figure out whether or not the guy was up to the job,” Obama said of Clinton. “And so I think having him talk about why we need to change the economy in a fundamental way so it works for middle-class families so that they can get ahead, so that they can send their kids to college, I think he’d be a great advocate to have on behalf of the campaign.”
Letterman asked Obama if he would consider Bill Clinton for a Cabinet position if he wins.
“I think if you are a former president, you don’t take Cabinet positions,” Obama said to laughter from the audience. “I think it’s sort of been there, done that. It’s sort of like getting Mickey Mantle to play AAA. You don’t do it. But obviously you consult with him as often as you can, because, look, there are only a handful of people who have actually done the job.”
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