Watching the Democrats debate in South Carolina, I was struck by the heated "I'm here. He's not" exchange between Senators Obama and Clinton because it so perfectly encapsulates the problem with the two Clintons: Bill is out there with a shiv-presumably with the full countenance of his wife-while Hillary deftly manages to avoid being held accountable for him, or taking any responsibility herself. And therein lies my real issue, should this hydra-headed candidacy succeed: Bill Clinton will always be there. He'll always be larger than life. And, if the last few weeks have demonstrated anything, we'll never know who's really calling the shots.
From where I sit in California, where Senator Clinton is currently ahead in the polls, Bill Clinton's behavior over the past fortnight has struck me as sordid and undignified. And his de facto back-door attempt to retake the presidency is nothing short of unseemly.
We are not Argentina. We are not a banana republic. No CEO, no prime minister, no one in any public position, anywhere on this earth, could get away with a straight-faced claim that "I honestly believe my wife is the best candidate for the job." Were it not so sad that we've arrived at this juncture in American politics, it would be laughable.
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