Inside Politics

Hola, Hillary

Many wonder about the intent behind former President Bill Clinton’s boisterous behavior along the campaign trail. Cheeky antics — or clever tactics?

“Bill Clinton is all over the place, like a mad dog’s slobber,” observed Philip Gailey of the St. Petersburg Times yesterday.

“On the campaign trail as his wife’s chief surrogate, he is losing his temper, snapping at reporters, mangling the truth, distorting the record, including his own, and acting more like a political hatchet man than a former president. … If the price of taking down Barack Obama is to tarnish his post-White House image as a global statesman, Clinton doesn’t mind paying it. The Big Dog is having too much fun doing what he does best, which is being unpresidential.”

Mr. Gailey later concluded, “The Clintons don’t seem to care if black voters are offended by the way they have been roughing up Obama. Like the Democratic Party, they take black votes for granted in the general election. And besides, maybe after Hillary wins the nomination with the support of Hispanics, now the nation’s largest minority, black voters will take note and wonder if Hillary Clinton will be known as the nation’s ’first Hispanic president.’ ”

Ted’s nod

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts will endorse fellow Democratic Sen. Barack Obama for president, party officials confirmed yesterday, according to wire reports.

The endorsement is expected to be announced today at a rally for Mr. Obama at American University.

Mr. Obama, while appearing on ABC’s “This Week” program yesterday, would not answer questions about an endorsement from Mr. Kennedy.

“I’ll let Ted Kennedy speak for himself. And nobody does it better,” he said. “But obviously, any of the Democratic candidates would love to have Ted Kennedy’s support. And we have certainly actively sought it.”

Mr. Kennedy’s niece, Caroline Kennedy, has endorsed Mr. Obama and is expected to join her uncle at the rally.

“I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them,” Mrs. Kennedy wrote in an opinion piece posted Saturday on the New York Times’ Web site, referring to President John F. Kennedy. “But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.”

’Let ’em fight’

The Democrats at each other’s throats? Let ’em fight. It can only help the Grand Old Party, say some.

“Barack Obama’s lofty rhetoric lacks real substance and won’t mask his inexperience dealing with the critical issues that confront the nation and define this election. Sen. [Hillary Rodham] Clinton is a divisive and polarizing figure that fewer and fewer Americans trust because she refuses to take any responsibility for a record full of shifts and contradictions,” said Alex Conant, Republican National Committee spokesman yesterday.

“It’s clear Clinton will say anything to win, and blame everyone else when she loses. As we head into the fall, Republicans will be able to clearly define the Democrat nominee as the wrong choice and the wrong change for America,” Mr. Conant said.

CPAC to rescue

Forget Super Tuesday. Concerned conservatives should focus on Super Thursday — Feb. 7 — the start of CPAC, which could prove a panacea to those who fear conservatism has lost both inner mettle and unity. Don’t panic. The annual Conservative Political Action Conference organized by the American Conservative Union has a reassuringly high-minded theme: “Forward for Freedom: The Power of Principle.”

Speakers include Rep. Mike Pence, Illinois Republican; Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, former U.N. Ambassador John R. Bolton, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and syndicated columnist George Will, among many others.

Go goes the SOTU

Broadcasters will offer a veritable feast of live action and commentary for tonight’s State of the Union address — or “SOTU,” for the uninformed. But will anyone be watching? Well, maybe.

Just under half — 46 percent — of all Americans say they might watch the address, while 25 percent will be sure to tune in, according to a new Harris survey released yesterday. Twenty-nine percent say they won’t watch.

More than a third — 34 percent — of Republicans are sure to watch the address, while 51 percent say they might watch. Only 15 percent of the Republican respondents will bypass the broadcast. Among Democrats, 21 percent say they will watch, 44 percent might tune in and 35 percent are positive they won’t watch.

The survey of 2,302 respondents was conducted Jan. 15 and Jan. 22.

It may be too late for White House speechwriters to tweak President Bush’s message, but viewers want certain issues addressed. “Strengthening the economy” is the leading topic that 64 percent want emphasized, up from 33 percent last year. Half said the war in Iraq should be emphasized — about the same as last year’s 51 percent.

Those GOP commies

“Many Republicans seem led to support their candidate by process of elimination — ’ I guess I could live with X.’ At the same time, many Republicans seem led to oppose candidates passionately — ’The nomination of X would end Western civilization.’ This is factionalism of Bolshevik fervor, and it is a bad sign. Parties that prefer purity to victory — a la Goldwater and McGovern — usually lose. At this moment, Republicans look the party that wants to lose the most,” wrote Michael Gerson in Newsweek.

Shame, shame, countered Tim Graham of the Media Research Center.

“Why is it that the Stan Evans Rule of Washington seems to apply to the liberal media?” Mr. Graham asked, referring to M. Stanton Evans, author of the 2007 book, “Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy.”

Mr. Graham continued, “That rule is ’by the time we get a conservative in there, he’s no longer a conservative.’ Former Bush speechwriter Gerson is touted as the author of the Newsweek cover story on ’How My Party Lost Its Way.’ But Gerson has to compare the GOP to the Communists. How distasteful.”

• Contact Jennifer Harper at 202/636-3085 or jharper @washingtontimes.com.