In Denver, spokesman Damon Jones of next month's Democratic National Convention was telephoned and asked by me if the convention has yet determined who will be the speakers.
"Those decisions will be made in early August," he replied.
My reason for telephoning, I explained, was to try to find out if the convention schedule will – or will not – include a speech by the only Democrat president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt to win re-election.
Mr. Jones very courteously repeated that this decision would be made in August.
So, I asked if there were any possibility that President Clinton would not be invited to speak at this national convention. Jones said that he would have to research to see if the DNC had ever failed to invite any of the party's former presidents to speak. But he never suggested that President Clinton would not be invited to speak.
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And so that brings up what could be a major Democrat problem: How can the Democratic National Convention be sure that Bill Clinton's memorable campaign comments on Sen. Barack Obama will not burst forth, again, from outspoken (and no doubt aggrieved) Bill Clinton?
Even President Clinton's spouse, candidate Hillary, was unable to stop the following from Bill Clinton – campaigning-for-Hillary-Barack-slashing, as recalled by Time magazine:
- He referred to "Obama's claim of steadfast opposition to the war as 'a fairy tale.'
- "He twisted Obama's observation that Ronald Reagan had changed the country to make it appear that the Illinois senator had praised Reagan's ideas.
- "And Bill churlishly diminished Obama's sweeping and historic primary victory in heavily African-American South Carolina by pointing out that Jesse Jackson had also won the state.
- "Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Don Folwer, a South Carolinian who spent much of that week at Bill Clinton's side: 'He wouldn't admit any misjudgments or miscalculations.'
- "After 'Saturday Night Live' lampooned the media for their love affair with Obama, Bill telephoned guest host Tina Fey to thank her."
All this simply begs the question: If Bill Clinton would say all these things while Hillary was still running, what on earth can the Democratic National Convention expect from twice-elected President Bill? (Also known as "Slick Willie.")
Will anyone – including the one-time explosive presidential candidate who is now chairman of the Democratic National Committee – dare to either: A) Attempt to remove this former president from the list of convention speakers, or B) Do or say anything that would attempt to disclose the content of Clinton's convention speech in advance – for purposes of proposed revisions or censorship?
If Hillary couldn't do this during the campaign, who will dare to tell this former president (two terms) what to say from the convention dias in Denver? (In what should be one of that potentially wild convention's most newsworthy events.)
At the July 16 daily White House news briefing, I brought up this very intriguing question about what the Democratic National Convention will do about providing the long-customary speechmaking time for all its party's retired presidents – particularly Bill Clinton, who has so often appeared at various events with the first President Bush.
I thought that – plus an undeniable general interest about former President Clinton in Denver – might just possibly evoke an answer, rather than an evasion, from the president's press secretary. (And I realized that an evasion can be just as newsworthy as an answer.)
I asked Press Secretary Dana Perino:
A spokesman at the Democratic National Convention office in Denver, yesterday, said that he could not confirm that convention speakers will include President Clinton. Any my question: Since I presume that President Bush believes that such national conventions of both parties should so welcome his fellow president, we can conclude that he believes President Clinton should be welcome as a national convention speaker with no attempt by anyone to direct what President Clinton should and should not say, right?
MS. PERINO: I really believe it's none of our business, so I wouldn't comment.
Q: It's none of your – but he's –
MS. PERINO: It's clearly none of our business.
Q: It's a president of the United States. He's certainly concerned about all other presidents, isn't he, Dana?
MS. PERINO: I don't think he really is thinking a lot about the Democrat Convention.
At least Dana Perino was congenial – as she evaded. Often evasions are newsworthy, which instances I report on the air and to millions on WorldNetDaily.