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Hillary must feel very conflicted about Bill right now. After all, he was her ticket to the big show and he may well be one of the proximate reasons she gets named runner-up, either for the Democratic nomination or the Presidency itself.

Everyone has baggage, McCain, Obama and Hillary have their personal baggage. The difference is that Mrs. Clinton also has a big Steamer Trunk and that is her husband Bill. He is a liability for a number of reasons.

First, every time he speaks, he speaks as a President. Oh yes, former maybe but still a President. McCain's or Obama's spouse speaks as a private citizen but Bill's words carry more weight and are a constant reminder that, as far as Mrs. Clinton's bid for office goes, he was there first.

Also, every time he speaks it appears he puts his foot in his mouth. That is not him by the way, with the possible exception of Reagan, Bill Clinton was the most articulate President of my lifetime. The appearance of sudden foot and tongue inversion on Mr. Clinton's part is media spin sent into hyper-drive by Obama's campaign. Mr. Clinton must feel betrayed, it appears his love affair with the American Media is over or at least has hit a rocky shoal.

Second, Bill Clinton is hard not to like. I did not like most of his policies, I was not enamored with his philosophy, I found his behavior during the Viet Nam War despicable and his behavior towards woman even more so but I can not help myself. I bet he would be a great guy to take to a fish camp, knock back a few cold ones with while catching Cat Fish, have a fish-fry and a few more cold ones and then play poker with him all night while you swapped girl stories. Face it, Bill Clinton is a likable guy. As long as he is in sight.

I would not trust him with my daughter or my wife if I still had one, I would not trust him with my ATM Card, nor would I trust him to keep his word and, by the way, when it was his time to deal I would watch his hands. So I don't really trust Mr. Clinton. I think a lot of us don't. Fairly or unfairly, I believe Mrs. Clinton has been painted with the same brush.

We see her coming out of the same political camp and saying a lot of the same things, this might be causing a "Now from the wonderful people that brought you Lewinski and bombed baby formula factories.... Hillary Clinton." reaction.

Frankly, if I were advising the couple I would tell Bill Clinton it was time to start acting like a First Man and not as a former sitting President. It is time for him to smile a lot, wave to the crowd, find a nice uncontroversial cause to get involved in and shut up. In fact, it may already be too late.

I believe Bill Clinton's dalliances in his wife's campaign is one of the things that ran it in the ditch. When he speaks he is either doubted or seen as a bully throwing his ex-president weight around.

It is long standing tradition that an ex-president does not comment on the sitting president's performance and policies. Bill I would suggest that you broaden that tradition to include candidates. Hush, go think about decorating the White House.

Learn more about this author, Edward Hall.
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