Who's Bill Clinton

The job of a former president is hard to define, probably because each man has handled it in such a different way. Some, like Ronald Reagan, kept mostly to themselves but still found ways to contribute to the nation. Others, like Jimmy Carter, became heavily involved in philanthropy and public service.\nThis makes Bill Clinton’s post-presidential life all that much more confusing and interesting.\nHis primary focus thus far in his post-presidential career has been on public work. He, along with George H.W. Bush, has been heavily involved in humanitarian work in the aftermath of both the Asian tsunami in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He’s also been a champion for those affected by the Darfur genocide, as well as the cause of stopping climate change.\nClinton has been able to play on his popularity around the world to achieve things on the world stage, and has even been able to somewhat recover his less-than-perfect image in the United States. Recently, however, his tenor has changed.\nBill Clinton is, of course, the husband of current Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton, and has been significantly involved in her campaign. He’s delivered speeches and given interviews on her behalf, as well as participated in fundraising functions.\nHowever, Clinton hasn’t been nearly as peaceful and magnanimous on the campaign trail as on the tsunami/hurricane front. He’s been especially hard on his wife’s main opponent, Senator Barack Obama, taking several public shots at him and his record.\nSome of the former president’s comments have been relatively innocuous, such as those in an interview he gave for The New Yorker in which he said Obama had “the intelligence and toughness necessary” to be President of the United States, but that he should be wary of running too soon. Others have been a bit more venomous, such as his oft-quoted remarks at a Dartmouth College campaign event in which he said the media was soft on Obama, and that his war stance was a “fairy tale.”\nBill Clinton has every right to say what he wants. The right to free speech applies to him just as it applies to everyone else. He’s the spouse of a presidential candidate, and as a former president he has knowledge and wisdom that most don’t. He knows what he’s talking about.\nHe is, however, going to run into a problem. As I mentioned earlier, he’s been able to repair a reputation sullied by the Lewinsky affair through his post-presidency actions. Many young liberals think of him as sort of a paladin, or a mirage from the days before George W. Bush. In fact, compared to the Iraq mess and the wiretap mess and the rest of Bush’s messes, Monica Lewinsky looks pretty good.\nWith his campaign actions, though, Bill Clinton is running the risk of ruining that good feeling and, in the process, his legacy. Instead of a great former president, today he looks like an angry old man. Here’s hoping he can recover his honor before it’s just a faded memory.