Spouse Watch: Bill Counter productive for Hill?

Mary Katharine Ham | November 07, 2007 7:58 AM

Yikes, say it ain't so. The storied and overblown political acumen of the Clintons is proving to be something less than perfect once again this week. And, now the political offense is coming from Bill himself. The mentor, the teacher, the senior lip-biter and empathizer of the Democratic party.

Quit pickin' on my wife!

On Monday, in defense of his wife against political critics, Bill Clinton cited the "swift boat" television ads of the 2004 presidential campaign that questioned John Kerry's patriotism and the campaign commercials in 2002 that suggested Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia was soft on terrorism.

Obama told The Associated Press he was "stunned" to hear Clinton make the comparison. Both Kerry, who commanded a Navy swift boat in Vietnam, and Cleland, who lost three limbs in that war, are decorated veterans who were defeated by Republicans.

Uh-oh:

A senior adviser to Sen. Clinton's campaign, speaking only on condition of anonymity, said the former president's remarks were not part of campaign strategy and in fact were considered counterproductive by the her advisers.

Wedges galore! First, it was immigration, then transparency...now, the Dems are accusing each other of "swiftboating." And, Bill's egotism drives him to throw his wife's campaign off-course. Yesss, things are going just as the vast conspiracy has planned.