Ok, so Bill Clinton is acting like a big baby, according to Tom Edsall. I remember a similar circumstance, back in 1992, with Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the role of neglected elder statesman. Moynihan, who always had his doubts about Clinton’s character, had supported Bob Kerrey in the primaries and was looking for some serious ring-kissing from the President-elect, especially since several of Clinton’s initiatives, like health care and welfare reform, resided squarely in Moynihan’s policy bailiwick.
Clinton could’ve worked his charms on Moynihan, but for reasons that escaped me at the time, and ever since, the newly elected President shut out the Senator–which caused Clinton great anguish when he tried to get Hillary’s universal health care plan through the Senate Finance Committee, which Moynihan chaired, and also later when Moynihan, the ultimate authority on the welfare system, refused to support Clinton’s reform.
Bill Clinton doesn’t have the direct legislative power that Moynihan did, but he has the ability for mischief. Obama has been making a lot of the right moves since nailing down the nomination–and it’s probably time to swallow his pride and give the Big Dog a call, perhaps under the guise of asking specific policy advice… and then Obama should casually let slip that he doesn’t at all consider Clinton a racist, and never has. Maybe a joke, “I’m looking forward to becoming the second black President…”