America
In a dynastic clash, Bill will advise Hillary only if asked
Washington, July 23
In a possible dynastic
clash between Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush, one former president will
advise his wife only if asked, while the other wonders how criticism of
his brother would affect him.
Former presidents Bill Clinton and
George W. Bush talked about how they will handle the 2016 US
presidential race which could pit Clinton's wife against his successor's
brother, in a rare joint interview with Time magazine.
"I think
most of my role will be giving advice if I'm asked for it," Clinton told
Time. "And I try not to even offer it at home unless I'm asked. But
she's been pretty good about asking every now and then."
According
to Time, given the near certainty of Hillary's bid, Bush's logic about
his brother Jeb entering the campaign was mathematical. To him, at
least, the downside of one dynasty cancelled the downside of the other.
"What
difference does it make," he said at the time, "if the order is
Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama/Clinton or it is Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama/Bush?
"I'm
sure there will be moments where somebody says something about Jeb or
somebody writes something about Jeb that will sting," Bush said.
"I
shouldn't say I'm used to it, but the emotions I felt when our dad was
criticised really got me for a while. ... I think I'll feel the same
thing about Jeb. It'll be interesting to see how affected I become," he
said.
Asked why Hillary Clinton once thought she'd never be a
politician, Clinton recalled: "I asked her to marry me three times
before she said yes. And the first time I said, 'I want you to marry me
but you shouldn't do it."
He said he told her she was "most
talented politician of their generation, the most natural leader, with
the best command of the issues, and rather than marry him, she should go
to Chicago or New York and get into politics".
To which she
responded: "Oh my God ... I'll never run for office. I'm too aggressive,
and nobody will ever vote for me," Clinton was quoted as saying.
Asked
if George W. Bush, who has turned to painting after leaving the White
House, painted Bill Clinton, Bush said with mock seriousness: "I've
tried and tried and tried."
Then he confessed: "No, I haven't. I don't want to ruin friendships."
"He can't get my bulbous nose right," Clinton deadpanned, according to Time.
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at [email protected])