Bill Clinton to address DNC

  CALVIN WOODWARDCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Bill Clinton offered some of his luster to the Democratic National Convention with a prime-time address Wednesday as an uncertain weather forecast forced President Barack Obama to scale back plans for a grand acceptance speech before a throng of 74,000 at an outdoor stadium on the convention's final night.

With a chance of thunderstorms on the horizon, convention officials announced that Obama would accept his party's nomination indoors Thursday night before about 21,000 people at the Time Warner Cable Arena. The president planned a national conference call Thursday to those who won't get in to the smaller hall.

Convention CEO Steve Kerrigan said the speech was moved "to ensure the safety and security of our delegates and convention guests." But GOP spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski cast it as Democrats downgrading the event "due to lack of enthusiasm." "Problems filling the seats?" she asked in a statement.

The shift ensured there would be no repeat of the spectacular scene from 2008, when Obama accepted the Democratic nomination in a packed-to-the-gills, 84,000-seat stadium in Denver, complete with ivory columns on the 50-yard line. Republicans mocked that as "The Temple of Obama."

Clinton's convention speech on Wednesday will be a high point in a checkered relationship between two men who sparred, sometimes sharply, in the 2008 primaries, when the ex-president was supporting wife Hillary's campaign for the nomination.

Democrats hope that as the last president to preside over sustained economic growth, Clinton can help propel this president to re-election in less rosy times. His wife - seen as a potential presidential candidate again for 2016 - will be worlds away from the debate, in distance and substance. Obama's secretary of state, midway through an 11-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region, should be in East Timor by the time her husband speaks.

Republican Mitt Romney had no public schedule on the day Obama accepts his nomination. But he framed the economic debate against Obama in an email to supporters, writing, "No president in modern history has ever asked to be re-elected with this many Americans out of work. Twenty-three million Americans are struggling for work, and more families wake up in poverty than ever before."

GOP running mate Paul Ryan, campaigning in Iowa, kept up his running criticism of the Democrats, saying America was "a country in decline" because of national debt piling up under Obama's watch.

Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago mayor who served under both Bill Clinton and Obama, made the rounds of morning talk shows Wednesday to trace a connection between the two presidents, speaking of "similar values, similar policies and similar objectives."

Clinton "can do nothing but help" Obama, Emanuel said, rejecting any notion that Clinton's ability to get things done and work with Republicans would somehow diminish perceptions of Obama.

But former Republican New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu, writing in the New Hampshire Union Leader, said Clinton's speech "will serve to remind the world of a time when the leadership of the Democratic Party took fiscal responsibility seriously. It might even induce nostalgia for the days of balanced budgets and bipartisan accomplishments such as welfare reform."

The GOP released a new Web video showcasing the story of a man who lost his job and got back on his feet through the welfare-to-work requirements enacted under Clinton. Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus said Obama was gutting the work requirements, "holding back the prosperity of so many who are scraping to get by."

Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, making the case for Obama's economic policies in an appearance on MSNBC, said the president has a strong argument to make that people are doing better, but she acknowledged that "Americans are sitting around the breakfast table trying to figure out to make ends meet, so we have work to do."

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, spoke at a breakfast with Iowa delegates and urged party activists to get fully behind Obama in the next two months.

"We have 60 days to turn to our neighbors, to find common ground, to appeal to their good intentions and to create a country of more by re-electing Barack Obama president of the United States," he said.

If Day 2 of the Democrats' convention was all about grabbing some of Clinton's star power, opening day was designed to portray Obama as someone who understands the problems of ordinary people.

Michelle Obama played those cards with force in a speech declaring that after four years as president, her husband is still the man who drove a rust-bucket on early dates, rescued a coffee table from the trash and knows the struggles of everyday Americans because he lived them in full.

"I have seen firsthand that being president doesn't change who you are. No, it reveals who you are," the first lady said to lusty cheers Tuesday night in a deeply personal, yet unmistakably political testimonial.

Mrs. Obama didn't mention Romney in her remarks. But there was no mistaking the contrast she was drawing when she laid out certain values, "that how hard you work matters more than how much you make, that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself."

Polling gives Obama a consistent advantage over Romney as the more empathetic and in-touch leader. But the sputtering economy is the topmost voter concern and Obama's highest mountain to climb after more than 42 months of unemployment surpassing 8 percent, the longest such stretch since the end of World War II. No president since the Great Depression has been re-elected with joblessness so high.

The first lady is the most popular figure in this year's presidential campaign. Michelle Obama earns higher favorability ratings than her husband, Romney, his wife, Ann, or either candidate for the vice presidency, according to the latest Associated Press-GfK poll. And views of Mrs. Obama tilt favorably among independents and women, two focal points in her husband's campaign for re-election.

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Woodward reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jennifer Agiesta and Jack Gillum in Washington, Matthew Daly in Norfolk, Va., Steve Peoples in Ohio, Kasie Hunt in Vermont, Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, and Ken Thomas, Matt Michaels and Jim Kuhnhenn in Charlotte contributed.

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Chinese dissident begs to leave with Hillary Clinton

While blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng reportedly begs to depart Beijing on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's plane, U.S. officials today described his dramatic journey to the U.S. Embassy last week as a "mission impossible" operation.

U.S. officials say a rendezvous point was agreed upon several miles from the embassy. Chen was driven by a supporter in one car to meet a second, driven by the Americans. But en route to the location, the Americans realized they were possibly being followed.

In a rush, the two cars met in an alley. Chen was hastily pushed out of his vehicle and pulled in by the Americans before speeding back to the embassy.

But the satisfaction of his arrival soon gave way to anxious negotiations over his future. As Chen continues to ask to leave China, U.S. officials are defending the agreement they reached with Chen and the Chinese government.

U.S. officials believed they had reached an unprecedented diplomatic resolution after they escorted Chen to a Beijing hospital where he was reunited with his family. The United States, China and Chen had agreed he would be allowed to remain in China with his family to pursue a course of study at a Chinese university in Tianjin, about 70 miles southeast of Beijing.

U.S. officials say they were guaranteed the ability to monitor Chen's security and given assurances his supporters would not be prosecuted for helping him. Chen was to receive medical treatment for chronic ill health and injuries sustained during his escape.

But within a matter of hours, Chen, 40, claimed he had a change of heart. "I wanted to stay in China in the beginning," he told ABC News. "But now I have changed my mind."

Along with his family, he now wants "to leave for the U.S. on Hilary Clinton's plane."

Speaking to The Associated Press, Chen said the only reason he left the U.S. Embassy is because he was told the Chinese would kill his wife if he refused. In subsequent comments to multiple media outlets, including ABC News, he stepped back from that comment. He said the Chinese government "threatened me that if I don't leave the embassy, they will bring my family back to Shandong."

U.S. officials in Washington and Beijing confirmed that the Chinese conveyed the message that they would not allow his family to remain in Beijing if Chen did not leave. He was informed of this and soon after agreed to the deal and said he was ready to go. State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said that at no time did a U.S. official speak to Chen about physical or legal threats to his wife and children.

"He was never pressured to leave," U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke said today in Beijing, adding that Chen was asked at one point whether he wanted asylum and he declined.

"He was excited and eager when he made his decision to announce it," Locke said.

But a picture has emerged of a vulnerable man who might have inadvertently compromised a deal several U.S. officials say was the best they could do, given the desire Chen expressed to stay in China.

Several sources within both the dissident network of Chen's supporters and on the U.S. side say that Chen remained focused on remaining in his home country with his family where he believed he could continue to fight for his cause.

Chen became best known for his 2005 campaign again the forced abortion and sterilization of rural women in China as part of the country's One Child Policy. He served four years in prison for disturbing public order and was then placed under what he has called a brutal house arrest including constant surveillance, isolation and abuse.

In the final hours of negotiation last week, Chen had asked that his family be brought to Beijing as an act of good faith by the Chinese government.

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Obama, Bill Clinton team up on campaign trail

  By JULIE PACEWASHINGTON -- Once a tense rivalry, the relationship between President Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton has evolved into a genuine political and policy partnership. Both sides have a strong incentive in making the alliance work, especially in an election year.

For Obama, Bill Clinton is a fundraising juggernaut, a powerful reminder to voters that a Democrat ran the White House the last time the economy was thriving. For the spotlight-loving former president, stronger ties with the White House and campaign headquarters mean he gets a hand in shaping the future of the party he led for nearly a decade.

Obama's re-election campaign has put Bill Clinton on notice that he will be used as a top surrogate, further evidence of how far the two camps have come since the bitter days of the 2008 Democratic primary between Obama and Hillary Clinton, now his secretary of state.

The current and former president teamed up to address supporters in Virginia Sunday night, the first of three joint appearances at fundraisers for Obama's campaign. The Obama campaign expected more than 500 people at a reception at the home of Terry McAuliffe, a close adviser to both Clintons and one of the most ardent protectors of their political brand, with tickets starting at $1,000. Eighty people paid $20,000 a head for a dinner afterward.

Clinton told the crowd that Obama is "beating the clock" to restore the economy to health. Digging out of similar financial holes has historically taken five to 10 years, Clinton said.

"Barack Obama deserves to be re-elected president of the United States," Clinton said, because he has clear objectives for the country and is meeting them.

Neither Clinton nor Obama mentioned presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney by name, but both Democrats zinged Romney for his economic plan and foreign policy credentials.

Romney "basically wants to do what they did before, on steroids," Clinton said, "which will get you the same consequences you got before, on steroids."

Obama said he and Hillary Clinton have "spent the past three-and-a-half years cleaning up after other folks' messes."

He ridiculed "the presumptive nominee on the other side" for "suddenly saying our No. 1 enemy isn't al-Qaida, it's Russia."

"I didn't make that up," Obama said to loud laughter. "I suddenly thought maybe I didn't check the calendar, and we're back in 1975."

Obama stood smiling as Bill Clinton spoke. The two men appeared relaxed and cordial. Clinton guffawed when Obama made gentle fun of him, and himself, by noting that every presidential candidate always says the next election is crucial.

Obama acknowledged that he was about to make the same argument. "Well, let me tell you," he said to laughter and applause, "this one matters."

Clinton's willingness to be a good soldier for the Obama campaign could end up paying political dividends for his wife, who is frequently talked about in party circles as a potential presidential candidate in 2016 despite her repeated denials. Hillary Clinton has benefited enormously from her partnership with Obama, with her popularity skyrocketing during her time in his Cabinet.

Democrats say the overt signs of unity between the Clintons and Obama put the president at a distinct advantage over Romney. The former Massachusetts governor must soothe the wounds from his GOP primary fight and figure out whether the last Republican president, George W. Bush, will have a role in the 2012 race.

"It makes absolutely clear that, to the extent that there were different wings of the Democratic party, there is now one wing of the Democratic party," said Chris Lehane, a Clinton backer. "And it's the president's party."

Discussions are under way at Romney's Boston headquarters about the degree to which Bush will participate, if at all, in the general election. Many Republicans are reluctant to publicly associate with Bush, who left office deeply unpopular, especially as the Obama campaign seeks to tie Romney to Bush's economic and foreign policy positions.

While Obama and the Clintons are rarely described as friends, people close to them say the relationship has warmed significantly since the 2008 nomination contest. In that race, the former president slammed Obama's candidacy as a "fairy tale" while Obama sarcastically told Hillary Clinton that she was "likable enough."

The thaw started as a matter of political necessity: Their party was desperate to retake the White House after eight years of Republican rule. Hillary Clinton offered Obama a gracious endorsement, both Clintons campaigned for Obama, and the newly elected president picked his former rival to be America's chief diplomat.

It took longer for Obama's relationship with Bill Clinton to soften as the two men found common ground in the pressures of the presidency.

When Obama's health care bill was in trouble, he and his staff, which included several veterans of the Clinton White House, called on the former president for help. In late 2009 and early 2010, Bill Clinton went to Capitol Hill to rally support and worked the phones with wary Democratic lawmakers.

After the Democratic party was battered in the 2010 elections, Obama called in Clinton for an Oval Office meeting. Afterward, the two made an impromptu appearance in the White House briefing room to talk to reporters. When Obama had to leave for a holiday party, Clinton stuck around, relishing in the attention and the give-and-take with the press.

That day in the briefing room underscored what some Democrats see as their one major worry in pairing Obama with Clinton too often. The ease with which Clinton connects with a range of audiences can call attention to the challenge Obama sometimes faces in doing the same thing.

But that certainly hasn't stopped the Obama campaign from seeking Clinton's help in winning a second term, and Clinton has made it clear he is ready and willing.

Obama's campaign advisers have sat down with Clinton for strategy and advice-seeking sessions, and the former president had a prominent role in movie produced by the campaign in which he promoted, among other things, Obama's decision to order the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

"There is no better Democratic ally than President Clinton," said Jim Messina, Obama's campaign manager.

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Obama, Hillary Clinton Named 'Most Admired'

                                                                                           Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images

When asked without prompting to name the living man and woman whom they most admire in the world, more Americans name Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton than any other figures.

The Gallup rankings, tallied from a nationwide poll conducted earlier this month, show Obama and Clinton each receiving 17 percent of all mentions.  

Clinton tops the list of most admired woman for a record 16th time, trailed by Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin and Condoleezza Rice.

Obama won the title of most admired man for the fourth consecutive year, followed by George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, the Rev. Billy Graham and Warren Buffett.

The lists, which Gallup has compiled nearly every year since 1948, are a mix of popular, high-profile leaders in politics, business, charitable causes and entertainment.

Of particular note this year, according to Gallup, are newcomers to the men’s list: Buffett and Thomas Monson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“It is common for the president of the Mormon Church to receive mentions, but Monson is the first to make the top 10,” Gallup managing editor Jeffrey Jones wrote on its blog.

On the women’s list, Sarah Palin fell from her second-place slot, which she has held since 2008, to fourth place.  

Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich are the only two Republican presidential candidates to make the lists.

Bachmann holds the 9th-place slot, with 2 percent of mentions as most admired woman, tied with Queen Elizabeth II.

Gingrich is tied for sixth place with Donald Trump, with 1 percent, barely above Pope Benedict XVI, Bill Gates and Monson for most admired man.

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