Bill Clinton criticizes Obama's Bain attacks, praises Romney's ‘sterling business career'

Bill Clinton criticizes Obama's Bain attacks, praises Romney's ‘sterling business career'
By Holly Bailey
June 1, 2012
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/bill-clinton-criticizes-obamas-bain-attacks-praises-romneys/story?id=16474493

Former President Bill Clinton suggested in a television interview Thursday that he believes President Obama's re-election campaign should stop trashing Mitt Romney's work in the private equity industry.

In an interview with CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight," Clinton, a top Obama surrogate who is set to raise cash with the president next week, directly contradicted Democrats who have attacked Romney's business record, suggesting it does qualify him for president.

"I think he had a good business career," Clinton told guest host Harvey Weinstein, a movie mogul who is one of Obama's top fundraisers. "There's no question that in terms of getting up and going to the office and, you know, basically performing the essential functions of the office, the man who has been governor and had a sterling business career crosses the qualification threshold."

Adding that he has "friends" in the private equity business," Clinton suggested it was dangerous for Democrats to go after Romney's record at Bain Capital—adding that in private equity, "like everything else you try, you don't always succeed" in saving companies or making them more productive.

"I don't think that we ought to get into the position where we say this is bad work," Clinton said. "This is good work."

<<snip>>