The Real Story Behind The Clinton/Obama Facade

After four years of trillion-dollar deficits and anemic economic growth, it’s clear President Obama would love to run on President Clinton’s record in office. But no amount of showmanship can paper over the differences between these two presidents. Americans deserve a president willing to run on his own record, not the record he wishes he had.” – Ryan Williams, Romney Campaign Spokesman

Today, The Obama Campaign Will Announce That President Clinton Will Deliver A Speech At The Democratic National Convention:

Former President Clinton Will Deliver A Prime-Time Speech At The 2012 Democratic National Convention. “Former President Bill Clinton is set to play a central part in the Democratic convention, aides said, and will formally place President Obama’s name into nomination by delivering a prime-time speech designed to present a forceful economic argument for why Mr. Obama deserves to win a second term.” (Jeff Zeleny, “Bill Clinton To Have Key Convention Role,” The New York Times, 7/29/12)

But President Clinton And President Obama Haven’t Always Been Allies – They Routinely Questioned Each Other’s Qualifications And Achievements:

Former President Bill Clinton, On Barack Obama’s Qualifications For President: “When Is The Last Time We Elected A President Based On One Year Of Service In The Senate Before He Started Running?” ROSE: “You want to say to the voters if they are prepared to choose someone with less experience but perhaps other qualities -- as you’ve said, gifted in politics.” CLINTON: “Very gifted.” ROSE: “... intellect, then they are rolling the dice is what you are saying.” CLINTON: “Well ...”  ROSE: “They are rolling the dice about America if they don’t choose the person who has had the kind of experience you are talking about.” CLINTON: “It’s less predictable, isn’t it? I mean, when is the last time we elected a president based on one year of service in the Senate before he started running, and he will have been a senator longer by the time he is inaugurated, but essentially once you start running for president full time, you don’t have time to do much else.” (PBS’s “Charlie Rose Show,” 12/15/07)

President Clinton Suggested Obama Voters “Were Willing To ‘Roll The Dice’ On The Presidency.” “Former President Bill Clinton made an unusually direct attack Friday night on Senator Barack Obama, one of his wife’s leading rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, suggesting that voters who would support someone with Mr. Obama’s experience were willing to ‘roll the dice’ on the presidency.”  (Patrick Healy, “Bill Clinton Says Obama Isn’t Ready,” The New York Times, 12/16/07)

In 2008, Candidate Obama Suggested That President Clinton Had Failed To Change “The Trajectory Of America” In A Way Republican Presidents Had Achieved. “For the past two days, it’s been the Democrats. In an interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal’s editorial board on Monday, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama said that under Reagan the GOP was the ‘party of ideas.’ Of Reagan, he said he ‘changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way Bill Clinton did not.’” (Amy Chozick, “Obama, Clinton Battle Over Reagan,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/18/08)

And While The Obama Economy Has Left Millions Of Americans Struggling, President Clinton Presided Over Economic Growth And Balanced Budgets:

Since President Obama Took Office, The U.S. Economy Has Lost 473,000 Jobs. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/26/12)

• Under President Clinton And A Republican Congress, The U.S. Economy Created 22.7 Million New Jobs. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/26/12)

Since President Obama Took Office, The Unemployment Rate Has Remained Above 8% For 41 Straight Months. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/26/12)

• Under President Clinton And A Republican Congress, The Unemployment Rate Fell From 7.3% To 4.2%. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/26/12)

The White House Announced The “Budget Deficit Will End Up At $1.2 Trillion” For 2012 – The “Fourth Consecutive Year Of Trillion Dollar-Plus Deficits.” “The latest budget figures from the White House predict this year's federal budget deficit will end up at $1.2 trillion. That would make the fourth consecutive year of trillion dollar-plus deficits during President Obama's administration.” (Andrew Taylor, “Administration Projects $1.2T 2012 Budget Deficit,” The Associated Press, 7/27/12)

• Under President Clinton And A Republican Congress, Federal Budgets Were Balanced. “Democrat Bill Clinton was president the last time the federal budget was balanced, and Republicans controlled Congress.” (Jim Dexter, “CNN Fact Check: The Last President To Balance The Budget,” CNN, 2/3/10)