The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 2 of 2)

STRANGELY SILENT br> Another positive byproduct of this Kerry controversy, for Republicans, at any rate, is the Kerry camp's inability to use former President Bill Clinton in a public way to help keep the campaign focused on issues. "You can't a have a guy the Republicans dubbed a draft dodger out there at the same time you're putting out Vietnam fires," says a Kerry campaign source. /p>

But all of this assumes Clinton would want to be out there to begin with. Clinton has not been very visible or vocal on behalf of Kerry since his appearance at the Democratic convention in Boston. Clinton has attended several fundraisers on Kerry's behalf, but for the most part neither he nor Sen. Hillary Clinton has been asked to participate in the campaign.

p>"[The Kerry campaign] has not asked them to do much of anything," says a former Clinton staffer. "They are doing some things for other candidates, but the Kerry people have gone out of their way to keep the Clintons at arms length. Which is probably just fine with the Clintons." br> /p>

topics:
Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton