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07 Jul 2008 09:24 am

The Nepotist

There are a few juicy nuggets in Gail Sheehy's Clinton wrap-up in Vanity Fair. Here's one that reminded me of how former president Clinton regarded his wife's candidacy - as an extension of his presidency:

He didn’t make his first pitch to one Pennsylvania super-delegate, Jason Altmire, until the afternoon of the Ohio/Texas votes. He sounded giddy, recalls Congressman Altmire. “ ’We’re going to win Ohio for sure, and Texas looks good, and we’re coming to Pennsylvania,’ he said. ‘Keep your powder dry. Don’t endorse anybody—just wait it out.’ ” The flattered first-term congressman said he was concerned that Senator Clinton might not play well on the top of the ticket. “President Bush won my district twice … ”

Clinton interrupted him. “How well did I do in your district?”

“You won it twice.”

“Well, there you go,” Clinton said, gloating.

There was silence for a while, and Clinton assumed he had won his case.

“With all due respect,” Altmire finally said, “you’re not on the ballot this year.”

But Bill felt as if he was. For him it was always about his restoration and his entitlement to it. Raw nepotism and abuse of marital power would have continued in any Hillary Clinton administration - unaccountable, unknowable and uncontrollable. It was a bullet dodged.

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