Where Are They Now? David Bonior, Bill Clinton
Bleary eyed, former congressman David Bonior (D-Mich.) struggled to put on a happy face when we spotted him at 5 o'clock in the morning in a long American Airlines check-in line at Reagan National Airport this past Saturday. Bonior, the national campaign manager for John Edwards' presidential campaign, let out a sigh as he conceded his candidate faces "an uphill climb."
But he was a heck of a lot more upbeat (there were no hints of sighing) in an e-mail he sent to supporters Tuesday. There was no talk of "uphill" or of any "climb" for that matter. The race in Nevada, the next crucial early-voting state, he told supporters as he hit them up for cash, is a dead heat -- "with the momentum moving in John Edwards' direction."
"The press may be trying to spin this as a two-person race -- but the voters in Nevada are saying differently," Bonior said, pointing to a Reno Gazette-Journal poll, which has Edwards five percentage points behind Barack Obama and just three points behind Hillary Rodham Clinton.
His beard a bit thicker, the crows feet around his eyes more prominent, we didn't immediately recognize the man we saw so much of on Capitol Hill in the early '90s, when he was the No. 3 Democratic leader in the House -- the House Democratic whip -- who led opposition to President Clinton's North American Free Trade Agreement. Now he's fighting the Clintons on another front, trying to knock off Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), as well as Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), and get Edwards' tapped as the presidential nominee for his party.
Bonior was catching a flight to Reno, where he clearly found the Edwards campaign in much better shape than he indicated during our briefly chat at the airport Saturday morning.
"A strong finish in the Nevada caucuses means this is still a three way race for the nomination," Bonior said in his cheery e-mail. "It means the two $100 million candidates will be forced to compete on the issues that matter, unable to buy the nomination with glitz and glamour."
Speaking of glitz and glamour, we hear Bill Clinton is now on the ground in Vegas, staying at the luxurious Bellagio hotel. (According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Clinton ordered "four kinds of steaks, among other entrees" from N9NE Steakhouse for a party of about 20 in his Bellagio villa Monday.)
UPDATE, 8:00 p.m. ET: Clinton spokesman Matt McKenna tells us Clinton's very favorite restaurant in Vegas is Il Mulino. "Best food in town, but the real reason he goes there is for the staff and the service," McKenna said, a subtle wink at the Culinary Workers Union endorsement of Obama instead of Clinton's wife.
The hotel choice, meanwhile, puts Clinton in one of the nine Las Vegas casinos staffed by members of the union and site of a caucus likely to be won by the Illinois senator.
By Mary Ann Akers |
January 16, 2008; 1:31 PM ET
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Posted by: pmorlan | January 16, 2008 2:37 PM
is janet reno campaigning in reno?
Posted by: Anonymous | January 16, 2008 3:23 PM
I can't possibly understand what value there is in knowing that Bill Clinton "ordered four kinds of steaks, amoung other entrees" from a steak house in Las Vegas for a party of 20 . Did you need to add Clinton's name to the title above to get me to read the piece on Bonior? A+ on the Bonior piece... D- for that silly Clinton ending.
Posted by: hank lancaster | January 16, 2008 4:26 PM
This is when the problem comes in to these people including th media. They tried to distort the news and print whatever they think would be used to help their buddy or their aspiring candidate. But too bad since we the voters are mow smarter than ever. We are intelligent voters. News about race of such sort is not helping them. We cannot afford any longer to put someone without the experience to handle our country at this crucial time. Our economy is so scary. Well, the good news we have this candidate that is among the best qualified and experience that will I know will out our country back. Hillary is the one. During the Clinton administration, we had surplus but now we have deficit. That will change. Hillary is here to do real real change for our country. People are seeing that in her. Hillary will do the job first day of office. Hillary can do it and she will anyway. Hillary will do everything in her power to put our country back to normal. Though, it will be a lot of work. Viva America! Viva Hillary!
Posted by: Lianette Steele | January 16, 2008 9:17 PM
Viva The Race!!!
Posted by: Anonymous | January 17, 2008 9:08 AM
Another name for MaryAnn to research ... has anyone seen the Dick lately? Our esteemed vice President has once again disappeared into his undisclosed location. Nary a word in the media, nary a sighting "on the hustings." I guess he is persona non grata with the current GOP candidates who don't want him to be within 100 miles of their locations.
Posted by: wie-eyed1 | January 17, 2008 11:15 AM
Bonior has always been a champion for the middle class, sadly this is his last hurrah in politics as he has declared after the campaign (Barring a win) that he will leave the scene of Washington for good and continue on his passion of teaching labor law at W.S.U. I salute Bonior today for his relentless pursuit of fairness to the middle class, your efforts will always be remembered sir!!!
Posted by: Johnny Detroit | January 17, 2008 4:19 PM
Good article
Posted by: Anonymous | January 17, 2008 4:48 PM
YEAH...Why don't you tell us where Dick (DARTH VADER) Is hiding....keeping out of sight...But Believe me we haven't forgotten.....he will be in our minds for the rest of our lives....
Posted by: cha | January 17, 2008 4:56 PM
Looking backwards by John Edwards and David Bonior as well as those who commented here about NAFTA is why Edwards can't carry many votes. In 15 years, 50,000 jobs a year have been "lost" to Canada and Mexico. Big Deal, the country's economy created 22-23 million new jobs in that same period. Michigan lost more jobs last year -- 75,000 than in any NAFTA year - and it didn't lose them to Mexico or Canada our NAFTA partners. It lost them to the world. Michigan workers, so cared for by their unions, have been screwed by those same unions. Union demands killed Michigan industry. The same unions supporting John Edwards today.
Posted by: sdraoul | January 17, 2008 5:23 PM
Nafta is what has taken this country down the tubes. Clintin did this -do we want another Clintin to do similar things?
Posted by: Loraine Pace DeBary, Florida | January 18, 2008 10:48 AM
if michigan is in a "one state recession" why should the rest of us care? clearly Michigan has ruined itself and needs to hit bottom and start over. Maybe sell it to Canada if they'll take it.
Posted by: sell michigan | January 18, 2008 6:58 PM
You go Bill! You were a bad husband but a very good president. Just think about it and compare. Peace to you.
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The comments to this entry are closed.
I think most of us would struggle to put on a happy face at 5 o'clock in the freakin morning too.
David Bonior was right in the 90s when he fought against Clinton's NAFTA and he's right now in his support for Edwards.
How sad that the media promotion of NAFTA in the 90s helped secure it's passage. And how equally sad that the media cheerleading for Obama & Clinton may prevent the one candidate in the race (Edwards)against NAFTA style trade deals from being properly heard by the voters. It looks like history may repeat itself unless the voters wake up.