(CNN) – Amid reports that Bill Clinton is frustrated with his speaking slot at the convention and Hillary Clinton wasn’t considered for Barack Obama’s running mate, the Illinois senator refuted both Monday, telling reporters that former President Clinton can speak about anything he likes and argued that Hillary was in fact looked at.
CNN reported Monday morning that President Clinton is not happy he was asked to speak Wednesday night when the theme is national security. Clinton prides himself on his administration’s economic success, a pillar of his 1992 campaign.
Watch: Hillary Clinton calls for unity
Obama says he told Clinton last week he could discuss whatever he likes.
“Bill Clinton is a unique figure in our politics,” Obama told reporters at a hastily assembled news conference Monday afternoon. “This is the only person, the only Democrat that has been re-elected since FDR and he is somebody who is equally adept at talking about domestic issues and foreign policy issues.”
“Wednesday night most of the focus is going to be about foreign policy, but Bill Clinton knows a little bit about trying to yank an economy out of the doldrums and trying to help middle class families,” Obama added. “It wouldn’t make much sense for me to want to edit his remarks to prevent him from making a strong case about why we need fundamental economic change in this country.”
Obama also pushed back against questions about his campaign not vetting Hillary Clinton, saying “one of the things I don’t want to do is start getting into all the details about my vice presidential process.”
“I’ve said publicly and I will repeat again that Senator Clinton would have been on anybody's short list and so I took her very seriously,” said Obama.
What she on his short list?
“I think you can draw that conclusion,” Obama responded.
Obama said he wasn’t concerned about the possibility of protests by Clinton supporters at the convention because the Clintons have been clear about their support for him and will “be active parts of our campaign for the remaining 70 days.”
“There are going to be some of Senator Clinton’s supporters who we’re going to have to work hard to persuade to come on board, that’s not surprising,” said Obama. “But if you take a look I think at this week, I am absolutely convinced that both Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton understand the stakes…”
From CNN Politics
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Vince- I don't think that you speak for all African Americans.
If Barack loses, it won't be because Hillary did not support him enough. If people do not vote for him it will be because they disagree with his ideals or, right or wrong, because they feel he has been shoved down their throats.
DO YOU HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT BUT HILLARY CLINTON???
Clinton saved our country- and how do we repay him? Yelling at his wife and leaving her in a mile deep hole of debt because she tried to change this country for the better?
You idiot independents who voted for Bush and now Obama really have research to do
Clinton was guarenteed to save the country and its over now...
It simply amazes me that Clinton supporters think that if they vote in McCain they can then vote in Hillary in 2012.You will be so broke by then you will not be able to afford the internet and besides you will likey have been drafted somewhere to fight yet another war.How stupid do you have to be to believe that there is even a 1% chance that in 2012 Clinton could be President.If Obama does not win and it is blamed on Clinton or her supporters you have a 0% chance of getting her in 2012.Thank God Hillary and Bill are not as stupid as some of her supporters !! Thank God Bill and Hillary are going to do everything they can to get Obama in office for the next 8 years.
Hillary and Joe Biden were right. Obama is not qualified to be President. I'm voting for McCain.
These threats of "if you don't vote for Obama, you are unpatriotic, racist, stupid, and/or ignorant and we're not voting for Hillary Clinton when she next runs" being uttered by Obama's followers are laughable. We'll all remind you of how unpatriotic, women hating, stupid, and ignorant you are for not voting for her. Threats don't work.
Obama's first order of business is to unite the Democratic party. If he can't do that, how effective of a president is he going to be?
. The media is coloring this democratic convention! If it was up to most of the commentators the convention is already a disaster! The people’s choice is being bombarded with all of this gossip and banter about Hilary and what will Michelle say and bla bla bla!!!
MacCain and the Republicans already have a head start in the opinion pole because there is no tabloid flavored smut to discuss about his speech and so on (everybody already knows he's a terrible speaker).
SHUT UP ALREADY!! Let the Dem's have their convention without all of the crap that going on from the peanut gallery
the rift that the clinton supporters have been been day to day coverage of people such as david gergen, paul b, carville, gloria, making those half woman go crazy talking about putting her on the ticket and that she did'nt get respect say's the puma's. sen clinton lost point blank. and the woman that say thier not voteing for sen obama was'nt going to vote for him anyway,and they were'nt going to vote for hillary eighter.
I'll tell you what CNN needs to do... stop spending all the convention time talking about the Clintons!
This IS Obamas convention and we're not hearing anything about him at all!
Well I see that they are at it AGAIN. Someone please give me a BARF BAG. I am tired of Hearing about what CLINTONS want. GIVE ME A BREAK ALREADY!!!
The picture is much bigger than them.....LIKE POLICIES or did the AMERICAN people forget this part!!!!
History books will state how the media threw out ethics and corrupted the political process.
History will state that Hillary Clinton broke barriers, won the most votes ever cast in primary history and was snuffed by her own Party to oush a candidate that lost to McCain.
Trult Historical!
Way to go down in the books morons!
If Bill Clinton could run again for president, I would vote for him this hour.
My happiest and most beneficial years were when Bill Clinton was in office.
The blame lies solely on the DNC if they lose. It's easy to blame the Clintons, isn't it? When deep down, you know that if your candidate was really the best for winning the White House and is the most Republican-attack-proof, they could withstand whatever attacks they received. So stop being babies and stop making excuses for what happens if Obama loses.
Whether it's Obama or Clinton, if he or she lost the election, it's all on them and the Party. The candidate wasn't strong enough and the Democratic Party didn't pick the right person to win the White House.
Don't make excuses if you don't win. Man up.
The blame lies solely on the DNC if they lose. It's easy to blame the Clintons, isn't it? When deep down, you know that if your candidate was really the best for winning the White House and is the most Republican-attack-proof, they could withstand whatever attacks they received. So stop being babies and stop making excuses for what happens if Obama loses.
Whether it's Obama or Clinton, if he or she lost the election, it's all on them and the Party. The candidate wasn't strong enough and the Democratic Party didn't pick the right person to win the White House.
Don't make excuses if you don't win. Man up and admit it.
PLEASE CNN.........STOP BEING WITH THE TABLOID NEWS!
WITH HILLARY OUT CAMPAIGNING FOR SEN. OBAMA........WHAT MORE DOES SHE HAVE TO DO TO PROVE SHE IS SUPPORTING HIM?
HILLARY KNOWS THAT SHE WILL NEED OBAMA'S SUPPORTERS FOR HER RUN IN 2016!
There are more registered Dems and Republicans. Therefore, it follows that Dems were ultimately responsible for the election of W (twice!) "Gore is too stiff." "Kerry is too boring." And so instead we suffer under the worst president in American history! Here we go again... "I wanted Hillary therefore I'm not playing." Just as Americans at large, Democrats ultimately get the President they deserve!
There was NO miscalculation in obama winning the nomination. People are showing their true colors at this time when the republican party should be memory in politics after the horrible startegy for running the country. If you are planning to vote republican this year out of spite in hopes that clinton will win in 2012 YOU ARE DREAMING, the same game you play this year will be played on the clintons BIG TIME in 2012, she wont even make it past the primaries. PLAY NOW PAY LATER!!!!!!!!!
meant to say: "There are more registered Dems THAN Republicans."
Of course he denies it! You people are loony! He wants people who supported her to vote for him. It's not going to happen.
Racism is in play America.
No discord with the Clintons after he gave her lipservice and put the screws to her? Yeah, he considered her as v.p. And I have a bridge to sell you all.
Shame on you CNN. I used to trust that you were a source we could count on for reporting the news instead of making it. You're "analysts" and writers have been over playing the so-called rift between Clinton and Obama supporters in spite of what the candidates, the campaign professionals and even their respective supporters have claimed. You've given much more of a voice to the small band of disaffected supporters than they deserve. Stop creating news and start reporting on it. Campbell Brown is the worst of you, with her cynicism and rampant bias. Her lite style of reporting would make her a great fit at Fox News. I've officially changed my home page and source for TV news.
@ Kurtis in CT
You don't know what you are talking about, I support Obama.. and I don't hate Hillary..
Has no clue how to handle even the Clintons and we're expected to give this nominee one of the most challenging jobs in the world ??
Someone needs to jack up this guys teleprompter before it's too late ! He'd be thinking through eeh, ahhs between fruitless, "what do they want me to say ??" poll-driven, long-winded, hesitant, convoluted, vague and wishy-washy monologues.
Obama’s been so vague, so all-things-to-all-people, for so long now that trying to do otherwise is not natural for him.
For Pete's sake, WHEN is CNN gonna stop asking EVERYONE at EVERY interview about this? After hearing EVERYONE you've asked tell you how and why things really look, you still go out wandering the Convention floor looking for the one person who will say they're not happy! PUT A SOCK IN IT!!! I'M GETTING SICK TO MY STOMACH listening to one newsperson after another pound away at this, milking it for anything they can get!!! Can you PLEASE just let us watch the convention without you getting in the way? I used to love CNN in the primaries but you guys are becoming UN-WATCHABLE!!!