Baffling things makes this presidential political year a candidate for "Ripley's Believe It or Not."
John McCain punches the air with a fist, shouting that if congressional earmarks that've earned his special annoyance were ended, plenty of Washington money would be available for worthwhile projects. Huh? What about the bank-busting Iraq follies, which McCain would continue at a cost of more than $100 billion a year?
Mike Huckabee panders by promising to change the U.S. Constitution to conform to God's words. (Presumably he meant the Christian God, not the Muslim or Buddhist god.) Haven't Americans had enough already of Bush's use of God?
Democrat Barack Obama invokes the name of Republican Ronald Reagan with affection.
For excessively odd behavior, however, Bill Clinton's rough-and-tumble campaigning for his wife is the most outlandish.
Not that Americans ever expect Bill Clinton to be an elder statesman of decorum and reserve. We saw his capacity for uncontrolled behavior in the Monica Lewinsky affair.
But Bill's hit-man tactics in behalf of Hillary and sliming her principal rival, Barack Obama, raises a larger question of how he'd behave if she's elected president of the United States?
I cited fears in an earlier column that as First Spouse he'd aggrandize his riches by soliciting or accepting speech invitations at larger six-figure fees from groups hoping that he'd whisper their requests for favors to his president-wife during pillow talk in the bedroom. He's made over $30 million in speeches since leaving the White House.
But does his eagerness to literally overshadow his wife in the 2008 campaign with slashing attacks on Obama and using distorted "facts" point to Bill Clinton being full-time brass knuckles for a Hillary Clinton presidency?
Would Bill publicly attack Congress if it didn't enact Hillary's agenda?
Would he be her designated arm twister at the CIA and State Department to stifle dissent?
Would Bill be the favored guest, rather than President Hillary, for Sunday morning television talk shows?
Would Bill be more powerful and influential than Hillary's cabinet officers and White House chief of staff?
Would Bill Clinton be the de facto president?
At a press conference Tuesday morning following Monday night's South Carolina debate, virtually every question was about her husband and his role, an indicator of things to come if Hilary is commander-in-chief.
Voters are left to wonder whether (a) Hillary can't control Bill or (b) she's purposely telling Bill to be her attack dog?
Either way, Bill Clinton as First Spouse would turn the American presidency into another serial embarrassment following eight years of Bush humiliation.
