Bill Clinton Speech to the Democrat National Convention

Well, FWIW, here's the New York Times' report, "Clinton Delivers Stirring Plea for Obama Second Term."

And check the related items at Instapundit.

Mitt Romney Slams Obama for 'Gutting' Welfare Reform

At the Wall Street Journal, "Romney Attacks Obama on Welfare Mandates."

Also from Jim Geraghty, at National Review, "New Romney Ad Hits Obama on Welfare Work Requirements." (Via Memeorandum.)

President Obama No Bill Clinton on Economic, Budget Policies

At IBD, "Obama, You're No Bill Clinton On Economic Policies":

When the Democratic Party announced that Bill Clinton would deliver a prime-time speech at its convention in early Septem ber, convention head Antonio Villaraigosa left no doubt as to why.

"President Clinton oversaw the longest economic expansion in U.S. history," he said, "pursuing many of the same policies that President Obama is proposing and implementing today."

That's a message Obama has been delivering himself — repeatedly — at campaign stops as he tries to make an argument for a second term amid a historically sluggish economic recovery.

"Just like their theories have been tested and didn't work," he said, "my theories have been tested. The last time they were tried was by a guy named Bill Clinton. And we created 23 million new jobs, went from deficits to surplus."

But a review of the record shows that Obama's policies — enacted or proposed — bear little resemblance to those adopted by Clinton during his eight years.

Here's a rundown...

Continue reading.

Police Arrest Pro-Walker Protester at Bill Clinton Rally for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett

The guy was hoisting a sign that said "Support Scott Walker, Not Union Thugs."

I guess that didn't go over too well with the union thug crowd.

See the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Clinton fires up Democratic faithful."

Clinton spoke in the very spot he appeared with former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl in May 1996. Clinton reminisced a little about his visits to Wisconsin as candidate and president, and said he remembered Milwaukee schoolchildren singing to him and Kohl in German.

While there were hundreds of Barrett signs throughout the park, one Walker supporters stood nearby holding a sign that said, "Support Scott Walker, Not Union Thugs."

After Clinton spoke, the man moved forward to a rope line where Clinton was shaking hands and posing for pictures. Asked by police officers to back away, the man apparently refused.

He was later taken away by officers and was arrested. An officer said the man would be charged with disorderly conduct.

Via the comments at Althouse, "Bill Clinton in Milwaukee, campaigning for Tom Barrett."

Added: Some video...

More Althouse has lots of news: "At the Clinton-Barrett rally: "'heyre arresting the walker supporter'."

And: "'Nice police department you got there, Mayor Barrett'."

Ann links Instapundit.

More at BuzzFeed: "Scott Walker Supporter Arrested At Bill Clinton Rally."

Arsenio Hall Recalls Bill Clinton Playing Saxophone

It was a pretty big deal.

Clinton showed he was hip with the younger crowd:

Will Liberals Progressives Challenge Obama Amid the Snows of New Hampshire?

I still seriously doubt Obama will face a credible challenge for the 2012 nomination, but I love the analogy to Lyndon Johnson in 1968. From Walter Shapiro, at Politics Daily:

... what today's Democratic restiveness reminds me of is the summer of 1967 when liberal organizer (and later Long Island congressman) Allard Lowenstein tried to find someone – anyone – to challenge Lyndon Johnson for the nomination. Lowenstein and his youthful allies importuned all the leading antiwar senators (Robert Kennedy, George McGovern and Frank Church) before to everyone's amazement the mercurial and elusive Eugene McCarthy volunteered for this quixotic crusade.

The parallels are not exact – history never repeats itself as either farce or tragedy. There is no galvanizing single issue like the Vietnam War. Despite his legislative victories and 1964 landslide, Lyndon Johnson remained an accidental president to many Democrats, the ungainly heir to that which rightly belonged to John Kennedy. Barack Obama, in contrast, electrified Democrats (even many Hillary Clinton supporters) as he romped home with nearly 70 million votes.

But what does feel similar is the combination of growing buyer's remorse among liberals and the fatalistic certainty that Obama will be re-nominated without serious challenge. In their epic political narrative, "American Melodrama: The Presidential Campaign of 1968," three British journalists (Lewis Chester, Godfrey Hodgson and Bruce Page) write, "There were a few who had realized that the emperor had no clothes . . . Such sentiments, however, swam vainly against the tide of 'expert' opinion."

Barring an economic collapse that makes the September 2008 financial meltdown look like the Good Old Days, Obama cannot be deprived of the nomination. The arithmetic simply does not work for any challenger – including (as unlikely as it seems) Hillary Clinton. The combination of the institutional power of a sitting president, the president's overwhelming support among African-American voters and Democratic memories of the tragic consequences of bitter divisiveness (1968, 1972 and 1980) make a replay of the 50-state struggle of 2008 seem ludicrous. The 2012 Democratic nomination belongs to Barack Obama -- assuming he wants it.

But the same thing was true in 1968: Lyndon Johnson would have been – almost unquestionably – the Democratic nominee had he taken the fight all the way to the Chicago Convention ...

RTWT, at the link.

President Barack Obama: 'I'm in Charge'

Kinda like former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, except that nobody shot the president. The One just gave it up for Bill Clinton. I know the Saturday address is prerecorded, but it's a relief to see the Obambi back as Commander in Chief:

And listening to POTUS, it's almost like he's had a religious conversion to supply-side economics. Except, well, not. For Obama, as everyone knows, the bipartisan tax deal was 100 times worse than pulling teeth. And of course at 3:30 minutes he confesses his solidarity with the soak the rich crowd, saying "I share their concerns ... I don't like those tax cuts either" ... those tax cuts on incomes over $250,000 annually. Kim Strassel nailed it at WSJ yesterday:

President Barack Obama wants the nation to know that he is on the verge of an important, bipartisan economic achievement. He'd also like the nation to know that he'd rather carve his own eye out with a blunt spoon.

Barring an outright revolt among House Democrats, Mr. Obama may well in the next week sign a tax package that demonstrates his ability to work with Republicans, that he notes will "speed up the recovery," and that two-thirds of Americans fully support, says Gallup. Compared to ObamaCare, this is political jet fuel.

Yet far from projecting bold and triumphant leadership, President Obama looks like a bitter, liberal Grinch. Call this the week of missed presidential opportunities, one that bodes ominously for whatever strategy this White House has cobbled together in the wake of its midterm defeat.

And see Peggy Noonan also at WSJ, "From Audacity to Animosity" (via Memeorandum).

President Clinton is Back!

Crusty Burgerhead was cracking me up on Twitter yesterday, snarking that "Obama is getting Clinton some coffee right now."

And folks were amazed that President Clinton kept holding forth, taking questions long after Obama bailed. Ann's got more, and at NYT, "Bill Clinton Holds Forth on Tax Plan, for Starters." More at Memeorandum.

Ignorance is Strength: Democrat-Media Complex on Mission to Erase President Clinton Failures For Fall Elections

Yeah. I've commented on this a lot already since last Friday, but the MFM can't get enough of him, so WTF? At WaPo: "Former President Clinton On Mission to Rescue Democratic Party in Fall Elections."

This gloriously fawning piece can't praise Slick Willie enough: "If there was any doubt that Clinton remains the Democratic Party's North Star..." Okay. Sure. And not one word about the cigar-poking president's epic moral failures:

George Orwell would be proud.