Bill Clinton: Kerry running smart campaign, not playing 'too safe'

NEW YORK -- Former President Clinton said Thursday that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is smart not to comment daily on every development in Iraq because "he recognizes that he's not the president."

Clinton also said his memoirs, due out weeks before this summer's Democratic National Convention, won't steal Kerry's spotlight and will only help the party.

Speaking at his office in Harlem, Clinton said he didn't think Kerry was running "too safe a campaign." Some political strategists have suggested Kerry is failing to exploit increasing skepticism about President Bush's handling of the war, as violence in Iraq escalates and more details emerge about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

"He's the candidate for president, he's not somebody that's supposed to give day-by-day commentary on events," Clinton said. "He's made quite clear what he believes about the major issues in the news today, and I think he's shown a certain reticence."

more: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--clinton-kerry0527may27,0,7417298.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

:)

...is bait Kerry. They see he's running a smart, efficient campaign. They want him to divert from strategy and be something he's not which is bombastic and irrational. They'll try to badger Kerry by calling him "timid" over the next couple of weeks. It'll be the new talking point, just watch.

Kerry just needs to keep doing what he's doing, the campaign is being run spectacularly.

I think this is a sly attempt at advice. Reticence isn't really a compliment either.

"Is Kerry running too safe a campaign?" The answer was appropriate. And he said the reticence about making daily remarks is the right thing.

I think it's support and praise from the Big Dog.

That is proof that he is following a smart strategy.

or should I remind everyone how he caved in to Republicans on EVERY political issue for 8 years.

No Republicans voted for his 1993 budget plan, which started the turnaround.

And for most of his presidency, he was saddled with a hostile Republican Congress. He managed to get a lot of good done, anyway.

He moved the government from record deficits to record surpluses.

Millions of new jobs were created.

Unemployment was at a two decade low.

He increased the minimum wage.

He put 100,000 new cops on the streets and lowered the crime rate.

He reformed welfare, as promised in his first campaign.

Lots of people giving Kerry advice, it seems. I hope he only listens to the ones who have actually won elections or managed successful campaigns.

I agree that the Clinton book won't hurt Kerry. Don't know if it'll help, but I can't see why it would hurt.

because it will remind people of better times and clinton is pretty effective in defending positions so he could do that for kerry while promoting his book. we can see his book release as the start of the campaign. and it will lead to kerry's vp announcement and then the convention and hopefully he gets a huge bounce out of it.

NEW YORK - Former President Clinton said Thursday that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is smart not to comment daily on every development in Iraq because “he recognizes that he’s not the president.”

Speaking at his office in Harlem, Clinton said he didn’t think the Massachusetts senator was running “too safe a campaign” as some political strategists have suggested. Among the criticism is that Kerry is failing to exploit increasing skepticism about President Bush’s handling of the war.

“He recognizes that he’s not the president, and he’s not, he’s the candidate for president, he’s not somebody that’s supposed to give day-by-day commentary on events,” Clinton said. “He’s made quite clear what he believes about the major issues in the news today, and I think he’s shown a certain reticence.”

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5078608/