Bill Clinton at Obama White House today...

[babylonsister]

Bill Clinton at Obama White House: The two first black presidents meet


Once called the nation's first black president -- so dubbed by author Toni Morrison because of his obvious affection for and affinity with African-Americans -- Clinton lost the title last year. Twice.

First, he injected himself into wife Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, disparaging Barack Obama's impressive win in South Carolina by likening it to victories in that state in 1984 and 1988 by the Rev. Jesse Jackson. The subtext: a compelling black candidate can win in a state with lots of black voters but can't win a national contest. That angered a lot of black voters who once flocked to Hillary's campaign out of loyalty to her husband.

Secondly, of course, Obama won the election, beating Hillary in the primaries and handily defeating Republican John McCain in November.

Today the two meet in the Oval Office before President Obama signs the Edward M. Kennedy National Service Act into law at the SEED School in Washington.

The bill expands the legacy of President John F. Kennedy in launching the Peace Corps, a program that gives American volunteers an opportunity to help people in other countries, and of President Clinton in creating the "domestic Peace Corps" known as AmericaCorps. Under the new law, the cadre of government-backed volunteers could grow from 75,000 to 250,000 annually.

more...

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/04/bill-clinton-at-obama-white-house-summit-of-two-first-black-presidents.html

[hileeopnyn8d]

1. Was that piece written by

a gossip columnist? It sure reads like one.

[wyldwolf]

2. yes, one of those people who can naturally read the minds and motives of other people

[karynnj]

16. Well it doesn't sound like a journalist or historian

No work seemed to have done looking into the history of AmeriCorps - otherwise, they might have gotten the name right and learned its roots go back to 1965.

[ClarkUSA]

3. The author is wrong; Morrison said many "misunderstood" why she called Bubba that (link-->)

In writing about the impeachment in 1998, Morrison wrote that, since Whitewater, Bill Clinton had been mistreated... The phrase "our first Black president" was adopted as a positive by Clinton supporters such as on September 29, 2001, when the Congressional Black Caucus honored the former president at its Annual Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C., with the chair, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tex.), telling the audience that Clinton "took so many initiatives he made us think for a while we had elected the first black president."... In the context of the 2008 Democratic Primary campaign, Morrison stated to Time magazine: "People misunderstood that phrase. I was deploring the way in which President Clinton was being treated, vis-à-vis the sex scandal that was surrounding him. I said he was being treated like a black on the street, already guilty, already a perp. I have no idea what his real instincts are, in terms of race." In the Democratic primary contest for the 2008 presidential race, Morrison endorsed Senator Barack Obama...

[Doctor_J]

4. I thought he was called that before the Lewinsky thing

:shrug:

[ClarkUSA]

5. She said it in 1998 when writing about the Whitewater investigation.

[Beacool]

6. And all that bullshit was brought up to serve what purpose????

:puke:

[wyldwolf]

8. none. Clinton was a big proponant of National Service which is probably why he'l be there

[Beacool]

9. I don't mean why Bill should be there.

I mean the ad hominem attack from the newspaper columnist.

[wyldwolf]

10. I knew what you meant. The the ad hominem attack served no purpose in the piece

The bigger story is Clinton was a champion of National Service

[Beacool]

12. Yep he was and still is.

I love the BigDawg. He can infuriate me and there have been plenty of times when I have wanted to slap him upside down his head and yell at him to "Grow up, already!!!", but I heart the guy.

:7

[cwcwmack]

13. yeah...

coolest guy ever to reside at da house...

(I'll reserve final judgement on that for 4 more years)

[Hutzpa]

18. lol

spoken like a true champion...


:rofl:

[polmaven]

14. Oh, what other purpose...

All of that got OLD a very long time ago, but for some, it is all just such FUN!

[HamdenRice]

7. Just don't let him take his shoes off, order in pizza and crash on the couch. He won't leave. nt

[babylonsister]

11. Ha! nt

[karynnj]

15. They should have looked at AmeriCorps"s own Web site

1) They got the name wrong in the article.

2) Clinton, to his credit, expanded upon the already existing VISTA program that LBJ started.

http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista_legacy.asp

[Beacool]

17. Where's Jackeens????

I expect a great pictorial record of this event. Two cool cats doing their thing.

}(

[Arugula Latte]

19. "Obubba"

:P