Bill Clinton comments on Weiner, NYC mayoral race
(CNN) – Former President Bill Clinton said he and his wife, Hillary Clinton, have many "personal friends" in the New York City mayoral race and added that he shouldn't talk about the contest.
His comments came in an interview with CNN in Kigali, Rwanda, where Clinton is on a six-stop trip in the continent with his daughter for their work with The Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
"We are a hundred miles from that race and everyone understands that we are not going to be involved, as long as our personal friends and people who we feel obligations are involved," he told CNN's Nima Elbagir.
Clinton was responding to a question about candidate Anthony Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin, and what advice the 42nd president might give them.
"Neither Hillary or I was ever involved in the political campaign, and they understood that from the beginning," he said. "There are too many people running for mayor who have been my supporters, who supported her for senator, her for president."
Following Weiner's latest revelation that he continued sexting after his 2011 resignation from Congress, the Clintons have been frequently mentioned given their close relationship with Abedin, as well as the former president's scandal in which he had an extramarital affair.
A source told CNN the Clintons were "livid" with Weiner over his latest admission and the attention it was drawing to his wife, who stood by his side last month as he publicly confirmed that he had exchanged lewd messages with about three women since leaving Congress.
Explaining why he didn't want to weigh in on the matter, he pointed to one of the Democratic candidates, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, and his role as Clinton's campaign manager in Hillary Clinton's first bid for the U.S. Senate in 2000.
"But there are literally five people in that race, including one of the Republican candidates Mr. (John) Catsimatidis, who are personal friends of ours," he said.
"So, the feelings I have are all personal and since they are, I shouldn't talk about them," he added.
- CNN's Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
Also see:
Chelsea Clinton still open to running for office
Good on ya Mr. President! Better to say nothing than to give the reichwing haters ANY red meat.
Bill you're looking kinda rough there.
Everything okay with your health?
Need a stent or something?
Very drawn in the face.
This piece is just densely packed with important political news, boy.
Bill, " the role model" Clinton??
More like "Bill Clinton does NOT weigh in on Weiner.............".
Good decision.
Wow, I can't even get a comment in and he's my 2nd favorite POTUS.....
Bill is a master politician , he wears teflon gloves at all times.
Yeah, what *could* Bill say? He's probably luck smart phone camera's weren't around when he was president. Hillary can give some great advce to Wiener's wife, I'm sure – just lay low, girl-friend – we'll get you into politics and elected – everyone loves someone who "stands by their man"
As a person that believes in redemption, I have a lot of respect for Bill Clinton, the man he has become. As for the haters, those throwing stones at everyone and thus betraying the Christian principles they allegedly defend, I say: Let them stew.That said, we all think that Anthony Weiner should do himself and us a favor by quitting the race and seeking long term therapy. As for his wife, she is a brilliant adult woman that can make her own decisions without having the whole country getting into her private affairs. It's amazing to watch people that keep screaming about their own rights, but have no qualms in violeting someone else's rights. We need to grow up both politically and socially and stop thinking that each one of us has the God-given right to judge and condemn others.
And he has room to talk?? Please! Enough of the Clintons – exit – stage left.
Weiner, Filner, Sanford, Spitzer, et al, are Clinton's true legacy. As President, and Chief
law enforcer, he lied to a grand jury-and got away with it in Congress. Full Congressional
impeachment would have sent a strong message to the rank and file-and to radical
Islam, which must have been watching. They abhor adulterers, stone them, in fact. Clinton
Just might have triggered 9/11, as the Democrat Senate then let him off the hook, making the entire
look weak and vulnerable, as a result.
Now, he earns millions speaking, strutting around, but-wait-didn't he mess up his
enabling wife's 2008 campaign, in South
Carolina? She was ahead of Obama before her husband bungled it!
Hillary would be president now, had it not been for her idiot husband, The Worst President in US history. They can slam Bush
on Iraq, but they bombed Belgrade!!!
Haiti is still a mess, and Benghazi is Hillary's
"Belgrade".
The Bonnie and Clyde of 2013 politics, with feckless Obama as their "go for" boy!
He is trying to deflect the parallels with that situation, and his and Hilary's while he was in the WH.
He is NOT succeeding.
It makes sense. If he supports one over another, then those that weren't supported will have a legitimate grudge to hold and might not rally support when either Clinton comes calling.