Bill: Don't focus on distractions
Posted: Friday, April 11, 2008 5:51 PM by Mark Murray
From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
GREENCASTLE, IN -- Without mentioning the controversy over his statements on Bosnia yesterday, Bill Clinton told supporters here that the country should not “waste our energy in a lot of distractions,” and focus instead on which candidate could make the best future for the country.
“I get tickled that so many things in these presidential elections, people make mountains out of molehills, and sometimes even worse -- make molehills out of mountains,” he said at South Putnam Central Elementary School.
He then referred, as he did yesterday, to Obama’s campaign ad about not taking money from oil companies, again reminding the crowd that no candidate has done so. “It’s sorta like saying, ‘I want you to vote for me cause I never robbed a bank,’” he said, repeating a line from last night. He then compared it to what he felt was a better ad that his wife’s campaign is running in the state, which features home-state Sen. Evan Bayh.
“We should hope that after all we’ve been through the last seven years, the last thing we need is to waste our energy in a lot of distractions and take our eye off the ball,” he said after praising both Democratic candidates. “We need to talk about not the history these candidates are making, and not all the things that occupy the little back and forth, but who is gonna to make the best future for America. That is all that matters.”
The former president did not make any reference to either his comments on Bosnia, or also to the fire at his wife's local campaign office in Terre Haute. After the event, Clinton headed to North Carolina for a day and a half of campaign events there.
