WP, pg1: In Wife's Campaign, Bill Clinton Is a Free Agent: Campaigns for her, but not all the time

[DeepModem Mom]

In His Wife's Campaign, Bill Clinton Is a Free Agent
By Anne E. Kornblut
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 30, 2007; Page A01


Former president Bill Clinton campaigns for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton -- but hardly all the time. (Stephen Chernin/AP)

....Exactly how Clinton would conduct himself during this unprecedented process has been a subject of much speculation from the outset. Advisers worried that his charisma might eclipse his wife, that his past marital misconduct might become an issue again, or that after years of dominating public attention it would be hard for him to cede the spotlight. But so far, he has maneuvered the uncharted territory of running what amounts to a third presidential campaign largely as a free agent -- attending occasional strategy meetings with senior advisers at the couple's home in Chappaqua, N.Y., and serving as a surrogate in places his wife cannot be, but rarely making his presence felt at the campaign's headquarters in Arlington, several campaign officials said. He is at times out of the loop on campaign strategy and developments, they said.

Whether the remoteness is real or for show is difficult to measure; Hillary Clinton has sought to present herself as her own candidate and to assure voters that she would exercise her own judgment if elected. But in several television and campaign appearances, and by virtue of his recent travels -- doing the duties of a former president, promoting his new book, championing his foundation work -- Clinton has seemed convincingly on his own, arguably promoting his own causes as much as hers.

Federal election rules are such that Clinton cannot advocate for his wife unless her campaign is financing the event. So as he tours the globe wearing his other hats, he is likely to talk about himself as much as the current presidential candidate....

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Clinton's approval ratings remain stratospheric, with little evidence in most polling data to suggest that he is having any negative impact on his wife's campaign. Many voters in both parties say they would welcome his influence in a future Clinton administration.

Campaign advisers are aware that they cannot deploy the former president as freely as Barack Obama's campaign might Michelle Obama, or as John Edwards's campaign might Elizabeth Edwards, because of Federal Election Commission rules regulating how his campaign appearances are paid for and because of the extra scrutiny he receives. At the same time, campaign officials do not want to squander his star power through overuse. One adviser compared it to using "conventional weapons versus a nuclear bomb -- when he goes places, it's a huge deal."...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/29/AR2007102902179_pf.html