Bill Clinton Thinks Sarah Palin is HOT!

I've seen this story from a number of sources (thank you, Janna), but CNN's take is interesting for a reason I'll explain in a moment. Bill Clinton was doing a press conference before his Global Climate Initiative and talked about that attractiveness of candidate Sarah Palin:

(CNN) — Bill Clinton said Monday the Democratic ticket should steer clear of launching personal attacks on Sarah Palin over her relatively thin resume, and instead acknowledge she was a "good choice" for the No. 2 spot on the GOP ticket.

Okay, let me stop here for a moment. Notice the words "relatively thin resume". Clinton never uttered those words - CNN added them as their own editorial comment. Have they ever used the words "relatively thin resume" to describe Barack Obama? If Palin's is "relatively thin", Obama's is "microscopic".

Back to the story:

"Why say, ever, anything bad about a person? Why don't we like them and celebrate them and be happy for her elevation to the ticket? And just say that she was a good choice for him and we disagree with them?" said Clinton, who faced repeated charges during the primary season he was overly negative toward Obama on the campaign trail.

Stop again. This is the guy who during the 80's exemplified the "politics of personal destruction". The Clintons didn't try to defeat their enemies, they tried to destroy them.

Back we go:

Clinton's comments appear to echo advice Karl Rove gave to Barack Obama in his regular Wall Street Journal column last week, when the former Bush strategist noted attacking the VP candidate has rarely proven to be an effective strategy.

El Halto. Do you notice that all the sudden CNN thinks Karl Rove is a smart guy? When he was advisor to Bush they hated him, but now that he's doing analysis for Fox and occasionally challenging McCain or offering smart advice to Democrats, he's a freaking genius!

Back to the story:

In one of the former president's few extended comments to date on Palin's surprise VP candidacy, Clinton also told reporters in New York Monday he knows why the Alaska governor is attracting massive crowds on the campaign trail.

"I come from Arkansas, I get why she's hot out there," Clinton told reporters in New York, according to the Associated Press. "Why she's doing well."

"People look at her, and they say, 'All those kids. Something that happens in everybody's family I'm glad she loves her daughter and she's not ashamed of her. Glad that girl's going around with her boyfriend. Glad they're going to get married,'" he said.

Referencing Palin's 5-month old child who has Down Syndrome, Clinton also said voters will think, "I like that little Down syndrome kid — one of them lives down the street, they're wonderful children.”

There a bit of an element of "damning with faint praise" in those comments. Reminding people of her pregnant daughter sounds a little bit fishy.

However, it's clear that Bill Clinton is not willing to go whole Razorback for Obama. I don't even think he likes him, but for the sake of his wife (who I still think will leave him once this election's over) he has to appear to tow the party line. You can tell his heart's not in it.