A day after Democratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean announced that ex-President Bill Clinton promised him he wasn't going to take sides during the primary season, Clinton is quoted as slamming Gov. Dean for being too liberal to win the general election.
In a clear reference to Dean's campaign mantra that he represents "the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party," Clinton told American Prospect magazine, "I don't believe that either side should be saying, 'I'm a real Democrat and the other one's not.'"
"We can't win if people think we're too liberal," the Clinton added, in quotes picked up by the Washington Times. "But we can't get our own folks out if people think we have no convictions. So the trick is to get them both."
Wednesday night, Dean told CBS's "60 Minutes II" that Mr. Clinton had pledged to remain neutral in the primaries.
"Bill Clinton told me that he was not necessarily supporting any particular candidate and he wasn’t gonna be doing that," the presidential front-runner insisted.
In another Clinton promise that could blow up in his face, Dean told Rather that Mrs. Clinton had "basically" told him she wouldn't enter the 2004 presidential race.
The Vermont Democrat did not offer a verbatim quote from Sen. Clinton, but some saw his use of the term "basically" as leaving plenty of wiggle room.
"There's a tricky word, 'basically,'" noted MSNBC's "Hardball" host Chris Matthews, who wondered aloud last night if Mrs. Clinton could be taken at her word.
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Sen. Hillary Clinton
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