Team Play

Team player Bill Clinton came to town to campaign for Jim Martin in his Dec. 2 runoff against Saxby Chambliss for the U.S. Senate from Georgia. Speaking at Clark Atlanta University, the former President said, “The person who wins this election will be the one whose supporters want it the most. You can win in this thing if you want it bad enough. You just have to decide how bad you want it.” Also scheduled to appear on behalf of Martin later this week will be Al Gore, who came close to being elected President himself after serving as Vice President for eight years under Clinton.

Big name backers of incumbent Senator Chambliss who have already campaigned in Georgia on his behalf include John McCain and Mike Huckabee, as well as Wayne LaPierre of the NRA, with future trips planned by Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani. Neither Martin nor Chambliss won the required 50 percent plus one in the general election. The runoff is scheduled for Dec. 2. While Democrats currently control 58 seats in the new Senate, the Georgia and Minnesota races remain undecided and prized, because they represent a potential 60 seat, filibuster-proof majority.
Chambliss became Georgia’s U.S. Senator when he defeated former Sen. Max Cleland by raising questions about Cleland’s patriotism. Cleland, a decorated U.S. Army veteran, lost three limbs in Vietnam. Not enough, said Shameless Chambliss in chicken hawk squawk. Martin, also a Vietnam veteran “is the kind of guy we ought to have in public life,” Clinton told 3,000 supporters. “His opponent was elected on a false premise six years ago and is running on a false premise today.”

Bill Clinton campaigned for President-elect Obama in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida during the general election, and Obama won all three states. Obama may name New York Sen. Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State. She also campaigned for Obama, after their closely contested rivalry for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Now that Sen. Clinton is under consideration as Secretary of State, the former President reportedly has turned over fund-raising records for his Presidential Library and other activities. He says he will do anything necessary to help his wife become Secretary of State.

My buddy Luther has suggested that if Hillary Clinton becomes Secretary of State, Bill Clinton should be named Ambassador to the United Nations. He calls it the mother of all two-fers. I’ve known Luther pretty much my whole life, and sometimes I still can not tell if he is pulling my leg or tugging at my sleeve. I agree that Bill Clinton needs something useful to do that would keep him out of the way, and he could make important contributions at cabinet meetings. My problem is that all this political clout elbows out even high profile professional diplomats like Dennis Ross and Richard Holbrooke, who should be taking prominent foreign policy roles in the new administration.

Copyright 2008 by William C. Cotter