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This Week in Politics

The Week's Political Events Examined

Aired June 29, 2008 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

TOM FOREMAN, HOST: In ancient Rome, victorious generals would return to the senate in triumph. At the U.S. Senate this week, it sure looked like Hillary Clinton was coming home a hero. Or are these just the first steps of a long climb back from defeat? What's in the cards for the senator from New York? What becomes of the Clinton legacy? And will we see another comeback kid? It is a special edition of THIS WEEK IN POLITICS: The Future of the Clintons right after a look at what's in the news right now.
(NEWSBREAK)

FOREMAN: This week in politics, the theme, at least for Democrats, was unity, especially in Unity, New Hampshire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I was honored to be in this race with Barack. And I am proud that we had a spirited dialogue. That was the nicest way I could think of phrasing it.

BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She rocks. She rocks. That's the point I'm trying to make.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN: But back here in Washington, D.C., the big question is, what future awaits the Clintons now? That's what this special edition of THIS WEEK IN POLITICS is all about. And we start with step one, Hillary Clinton's return this week to her day job as the junior senator from New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN (voice-over): Even though she lost her bid for the presidency, Hillary Clinton's return to Capitol Hill was an unmistakable victory lap. She's been accused of helping to open a rift in the party and giving Republicans ammunition against Barack Obama. But she came toeing the Democratic party line, ready to mend fences.

CLINTON: We're going to work very hard to elect Senator Barack Obama our president. And we're going to work very hard to add to our numbers here in the Senate under the great leadership of Senator Reid and my friend and colleague, Senator Schumer.

FOREMAN: The party is also mindful of her feelings in all this and very aware of the 18 million voters who chose her over Obama. Getting them to enthusiastically back her former rival is crucial to the November election. So the former candidate is back on the trail.

CLINTON: Take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States.

FOREMAN: She still has problems. There is that $22 million worth of campaign debt. Obama is asking his followers to help.

OBAMA: She has lifted up the sights of young women all across America including my two daughters. She is worthy of our respect.

FOREMAN: There are those supporters who are not willing to forgive and forget. 17% say they might vote for John McCain. A fifth of them say they may not vote at all. She's got to change their minds.

What's in it for her? Vice presidency, some other post, or maybe another stab at the Oval Office? Who knows? Her campaign ended. But in the Clinton saga, every end is just a new beginning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: So will Hillary Clinton follow the family tradition of relentless comebacks?

Joining me to read the political tea leaves, Ann Kornblut at home at "The Washington Post", after a long tour on the campaign trail. And CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider, who like me, is wise enough to observe all this madness from the comfort of our Washington bureau.

Ann, let me start with you. Nine months ago, Hillary Clinton was assumed to be headed toward the nomination, maybe to the White House. Does she have as much clout now as she had then?

ANN KORNBLUT, THE WASHINGTON POST: Well, there's no way she possibly could. Her clout's definitely diminished. Her every move was being scrutinized for every sneeze back then for what she was going to do. Now she comes back to work. She is a junior senator. She's one of 100 in the Senate.

That said, she has this movement behind her, a movement of women, a movement of 18 million people who voted for her. And she also still is the former First Lady. So I think she will retain her star power. It is, though, diminished.

FOREMAN: How much is that star power worth in terms of practical politics, Bill Schneider? She is, after all, not set up to become the head of big committees, that sort of thing. She just hasn't been there long enough.

BILL SCHNEIDER, SENIOR POLITICAL ANALIYST: She has 18 million votes. People voted for her in state after state, some of the biggest states. New York, her own state, California, in Florida, Michigan. She got votes everywhere. Those senators and members of Congress from those states have a new respect for her. She carried their states. And even in states she didn't carry, she came darn close to carrying them. She did very well in all those states, which means she has enhanced her reputation. She's enhanced her prestige, her respect. This primary process, of course, she didn't win, but it was pretty darn close to a tie. And that gave her a lot more clout.

FOREMAN: So Ann, what does she do with that clout? Does that mean she can just get better, more substantial meetings with other leaders on issues she cares about or what?

KORNBLUT: But she never had a hard time getting meetings with anyone she wanted to. I think what we're going to see this come to play is certainly during the election, not just presidential, but in certain Senate and House races, where she gets deployed, I think also though in the next administration, whatever issue comes to the fore, whether it's health care, whether it's Iraq, what she has to say is going to matter. I fully expect she's going to to be consulted, even if it's McCain who's president, not Obama. And she could potentially lead some kind of legislative move in the Senate. So she's going to be an incredibly powerful voice, both in private conversations and in public.

FOREMAN: You bring up a really interesting point here. When armies lose great wars, they don't just walk away and say, OK, we lost, take what you want. They sue for peace and say let's have good terms. Bill Schneider, what are the terms that she most wants from her party and from Barack Obama as she presses forward saying, I will help you now win the White House?

SCHNEIDER: She wants to be respected. She wants to be a player. That's really what she's aiming for. A woman who becomes the top most player in the Democratic party, that's not a small thing. She probably is negotiating right now with Barack Obama for a role, a speaking role, a primetime speaking role at the convention, a role in the campaign. Maybe she's talking about airplanes. She could be talking about a staff. But she clearly has earned a place in the campaign and she hopes a voice, some kind of voice in this administration, though she'll be in the Senate. From Capitol Hill, she can have a voice in what goes on in the party and even in the administration.

FOREMAN: Ann, there have been a lot of rumbles still about the idea that she might become the vice president. There might be other -- some kind of high post for her. Some people have even said Supreme Court justice. Do you give any credence to those or do you just think it's too early?

KORNBLUT: Well, it's too early to know what the next president might want to do, or you know, what Obama might want to do in the course of this campaign. She's trying to preserve her options and to maximize her leverage so that if any of those things became available, she'd be under consideration. She certainly backed off of heavy hitting for the vice presidential pick. That wasn't going over very well. So line now is she's not campaigning for it, she's not not campaigning for it. It's up to Obama to choose.

FOREMAN: Ann, do you think it's likely at all?

KORNBLUT: I think at this point, the Obama campaign has signaled that it isn't likely. But who knows? They looked pretty good at that unity event together.

FOREMAN: Bill, what do you think about this notion of a Supreme Court justice? When that came up, I thought, this really came out of left field, but some people really think that would be one of the few posts that would be something she'd be really happy with if she were not the president?

SCHNEIDER: Well, it certainly takes you off the political playing field and puts you in the background so to speak. You're still a political actor. Don't kid yourself. The Supreme Court is full of politics, but it's kind of private politics. It's behind closed doors. It would take her off the public stage. Supreme Court justices give very few speeches. They don't have a public following. And I'm not sure she wants to play that kind of role right now. Maybe in ten years, she might want to do that. But right now, I think she's really attracted a following. And she wants to do something with that following. She can't do that from a seat on the Supreme Court.

FOREMAN: Ann, with that following and the huge response she did get in this campaign, do you think that she has put aside her hopes for the presidency forever or just for now?

KORNBLUT: Oh, I think certainly just for now. I don't think we know. It's just happened. And she's not one to close off her options about anything ever. So I would say, you know, she won't certainly start running again before this campaign is over. But I would - I certainly wouldn't rule her out.

FOREMAN: She's certainly positioned herself, Bill, by doing everything that she would need to do, whether or not she wanted to run in the future by saying, OK, I'm resigning gracefully now and now I'm supporting the party.

SCHNEIDER: She's a good soldier. That's what the party wants. That's what the party expects. She can't - she really has no choice. She has to be because her future is within the Democratic party. And the party will have remembered. Barack Obama owns the party now. He takes it over. He's moving the party apparatus to Chicago, his hometown. And they would have very little tolerance for someone who makes trouble for the party. She can't do that. She has to be a good solider.

FOREMAN: Ann, last one goes to you. Do we look for Hillary Clinton and see whether or not there are tea leaves saying she's going to run again in eight years if Barack Obama wins? Or do we look in four years whether or not he wins? Would she even consider -- would the Democratic party consider her nomination if he had a very bad four years, like Jimmy Carter?

KORNBLUT: Look, I think anything is possible. I think my rule of thumb with Hillary Clinton is to never count her out of anything ahead of time. So any of that's possible.

FOREMAN: All right, Ann and Bill, thanks for being here.

Politicians aren't the only people to survive adversity. We'll have our favorite comeback kids at the end of this program.

Straight ahead, a look at the other Clintons. Should we expect to see Chelsea for president signs in the future? What happens to Clinton supporters? And will the issues she fought for be forgotten? And most importantly, will the late-night comics survive without a Clinton to kick around?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN: Hillary Clinton is out campaigning with Barack Obama. Yes. And she says if it goes well, she'll consider making him her running mate. That's what she said. That's what she said.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

FOREMAN: Sister Sledge singing the classic tune "We Are Family." So is life fun and just begun for the Clinton family? To discuss this, I've got all my sisters with me. To be specific, Hilary Rosen, political editor of thehuffingtonpost.com and Donna Brazile, Democratic strategist and CNN political contributor.

Donna, let me start with this. For the family of the Clintons, particularly for Bill Clinton, this was a tough, tough election. Hard thing to get over.

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: It was a tough election, but Bill Clinton has been through very tough elections in the past. He's committed to helping Senator Obama win this fall. He's committed to helping Democrats up and down the ballot.

Bill Clinton is not only a party leader, but he's a national statesman. And his role in this campaign this fall will be to help the Democrats win.

FOREMAN: Does he have, Hillary, more clout now or less clout than he did before this election?

HILLARY ROSEN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I think it's probably about the same.

FOREMAN: Really?

ROSEN: You know, I think that when you go into a general election, what Barack Obama wants from Bill Clinton, what the entire party wants from Bill Clinton is, you know, that recognition that when he was president, we had good economic times, we had -- were creating jobs, and we were doing well on the national security front. For this time, where Democrats are today, those are good memories. And so, I think he goes into this general much more the ex-president.

He was in the primary, he was a spouse. And you know, that's a hard role. FOREMAN: He has...

ROSEN: It's an easier role in some respects for him to be the ex president.

FOREMAN: He has some repair to do, Donna, doesn't he? Because this was a tough, bruising campaign where the Clintons alienated some of their Democratic friends in the process. And now, even as a former president, he's got to go soothe some feathers a little bit and come back in, right?

BRAZILE: I don't really think that there's a lot of repair work to do especially when you look at the challenges ahead for the Democratic party and trying to win this fall. I think most Democrats believe that Bill Clinton did what was necessary as Hilary said, to help Hillary Clinton win the nomination. And now that the primary is over with, Bill Clinton is going to roll up his sleeve like Al Gore and many others to help elect Senator Obama.

FOREMAN: On the election front, I want to be sort of brief about this, at this point, what does Obama really want from Bill Clinton, because there was this sense that Hillary Clinton couldn't control him particularly well in her own campaign. My guess is Barack Obama would say I want some very specific, targeted appearances. And that's all I want.

ROSEN: Well, I think on the general front, just like they want Al Gore as a validator, they're going to want Bill Clinton as a validater on the economy and on national security. And I think in terms of what states are they going to...

FOREMAN: Being a validator, you mean somebody to stand next to them and say, I support this person.

ROSEN: Validator, somebody who says this is a guy we can trust. This is a guy who will get to the White House, know what to do, and lead, not just his party but this country.

FOREMAN: But that's different, isn't it, than turning him loose and saying, go campaign for me?

ROSEN: It's really I think premature to talk about what states. You know, we need a couple of weeks of the Obama/McCain match-up, which we really haven't had enough of yet, I think, to figure out where Obama's weaknesses might be, what weaknesses of McCain's we should be capitalizing on.

FOREMAN: OK, so let's say we get that.

ROSEN: We can be sure Clinton - Bill Clinton will be a tireless campaigner.

FOREMAN: Well, let's say we get past the campaign. Then very briefly, Donna, what does Bill Clinton do in the next four years, in the next eight years? Because obviously, he thought he was going to be in the White House no doubt having some say in things. BRAZILE: Well, first of all, Bill Clinton has established a remarkable foundation that's helping people in Africa and all across the globe with AIDS, with ending poverty, with bringing about much- needed change across the globe when it comes to even the environment. So I think...

FOREMAN: So like Bill Gates, he'll focus on his post-political career, his humanitarian career?

BRAZILE: And look, I mean, if someone who saw his remarkable work down in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, Bill Clinton will be able to bring his expertise in a number of areas. Foreign policy, humanitarian issues.

But I think the most important thing that Senator Obama can do, once this McCain/Obama match-up has been established, is to call on Bill Clinton to help with plotting strategy, especially reaching out to some of the voters that will be crucial in winning this election in the fall.

FOREMAN: Let's turn to another member of the Clinton family, Chelsea Clinton. It seems like there is a great sturmendrong among the media. And some parts of the public to say, ah, she's a future Clinton candidate. Do you buy it, Hilary?

ROSEN: I actually don't see that in Chelsea's future. I think she, you know, believes in her mother. She loved her mother. She obviously had fun campaigning with her father. But this is not a young woman who I think has political ambitions of her own.

Having said that, she's incredibly smart. She's talented. She's, you know, been successful in business in her young career. As Senator Clinton goes about formalizing some of the activities she's been doing with the womens community, particular energizing young women, I think Chelsea might have a role in that.

FOREMAN: I want to listen to just a little bit of Chelsea Clinton from back in February because a lot of people were impressed with her poise on the road. Listen to a little bit of a speech speaking for her mother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHELSEA CLINTON, SEN. HILLARY CLINTON'S DAUGHTER: We're talking about fiscal responsibility. I mean, my mother is more fiscally conservative than my father and certainly this president. And on health care, I think that she learned a lot through trying to achieve health care the first time that really had enabled her to articulate a plan that will be politically viable while covering everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN: Donna, final word on this. What do you think? Is Chelsea Clinton going to be a future campaigner or do you think she'll be content to have a little role now and then? BRAZILE: Well, but I think the sky is the limit for Chelsea Clinton. She's smart, she's bright, she's enthusiastic. She understands public policy. She's been raised by two great Americans. And so I would hope that whatever she decides to do, that she can continue to speak out on the great issues of our day.

FOREMAN: We'll just have to see how it all plays out. Thanks for being here.

If the Clintons do fade away, we'll still have memories and of course, our Bill Clinton talking action figure. Yes, it does ask what the meaning of "is" is. Sp why do we bring up this valuable collector's item? Because it leads us directly to this week's political side show.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN (voice-over): In the tradition of the power rangers and GI. Joe, Barack Obama has entered the world of the action figure.

OBAMA: Yes, we can!

FOREMAN: Jailbreaktoys.com is selling a not terribly flattering version of the presumptive Democratic nominee. Check the ears. A dollar of the sale price goes to the Obama campaign. But the company says there's no connection, which is probably a good thing. They also produced the ever popular Vladimir, Lenin and Mao Tse Tung dolls.

It looks like John McCain and Barack Obama want their MTV. The network that brings you such gems as "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila" and "My Super Sweet 16" will now take a step into something really raunchy, political advertising. MTV announced a change in policy in order to keep up with the growing political youth movement. Hey, every vote counts, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is going to be cool.

FOREMAN: And if some people in California get their way, President Bush and sewage will be forever linked. A small San Francisco group is looking to rename the oceanside water pollution control plant to the George W. Bush Sewage Plant. The group is also pushing for a synchronized flush during January's inauguration. One final gift for the departing commander in chief.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the White House's reaction to this "New York Times" news report?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just don't think it dignifies a response.

FOREMAN: Harmless antics, right? Well, they've collected enough signatures to get it on the ballot in November. No kidding. Stay tuned for that. And stay tuned to us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOREMAN: Long after the electoral numbers made it perfectly clear she could not win, Hillary Clinton kept running, she says driven in part at what she felt she owed it to her supporters. Now she's trying to move on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: Now I know my supporters have extremely strong feelings, and I know Barack's do as well. But are family, and we have an opportunity now to really demonstrate clearly we do know what's at stake and we will do whatever it takes to try to win back this White House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN: But many of Clinton's supporters have no intention of moving on, at least not yet. No intention of rejoining the Democratic family. Some call themselves PUMAs, Party Unity My Backside. As Avril Lavigne says, so much for the happy ending.

Stephanie Miller, the nationally syndicated host of oddly enough "The Stephanie Miller Show," joins us from Los Angeles. Stephanie, what about these women out there who put so much stock in Hillary Clinton, who believe so much if ever a woman could win the presidency, this was the one? Where do they go now?

STEPHANIE MILLER: Well, you know, Tom, I've said through this whole election I think this has really been more a generational thing than about race or gender even. Because I think if you look at - you know, to me, it's a lot of the older women, older feminists that are saying, oh, this will never happen again in my lifetime. And I just don't believe that. I think there are so many great women out there. There's Claire Mccaskill and Kathleen Sebelius. I think this particular woman, while impressive, came with a lot of negatives and a lot of baggage, that you know, earned - that may be not fair from the Clinton years. But I think half of the country disliked her already. And that's a tough hurdle.

FOREMAN: You were saying it wasn't a question of this a woman being president, it was a question of this woman being president.

MILLER: I think so. You know, I do -- I remember when I first saw Barack Obama speak, I just immediately thought that this is our first black president. I think he's the one, like Oprah says. If Oprah says it, it's true. I just think that Hillary was not the one, unfortunately.

FOREMAN: Tell me about the good things that Hillary Clinton did do in this campaign, though, for women and for women who are interested in women rising in the ranks of politics -- for that matter, for all Americans who are interested in women rising in the ranks in politics?

MILLER: Well, I think she said it best. But she certainly put 18 million cracks in that glass ceiling. And I think we owe her a great debt. I think that that part, that hurdle has been gotten over that there is definitely been a very, very credible candidate now, female candidate for president. So I think that is a huge stride.

FOREMAN: Do you think there were things that she did wrong as a woman candidate?

MILLER: Well, yes. I've always said that I think first of all Democrats have it tough because they're always afraid to be called weak on national security. And I think as a woman that you've got an extra hurdle there. And so I think -- as a Democrat, to me, I didn't agree with her on positions. I didn't agree with her Iraq War vote, I didn't agree with her Iran War vote, I didn't agree with her comments about obliterating Iran. I thought she had to overcompensate.

FOREMAN: Do you think that we have come up with a way, though, the folks who are in the Democratic party or the country as a whole, of really getting past the notion that this is a female candidate versus a male candidate? Are we still going to require something different from females?

MILLER: Well, again, I think that, you know, now that it's been the first time, I think that the focus won't be as much on that. I think that certainly the focus on this race -- of course, it was so historic in so many ways, that that was more of the focus. So I'm hoping that next time it won't be.

FOREMAN: I want to listen to a little bit of sound from one of these woman out there who's still very angry about this who was on "Larry King Live" this week because certainly this is a voice you do hear. It's not the majority voice, but women who feel this way. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CYNTHIA RUCCIA, CO-FOUNDER, WOMEN FOR FAIR POLITICS: We're part of the just say no deal coalition, over three million Hillary supporters who have given their heart and soul to the Democratic party over the years and felt absolutely appalled that the party did absolutely nohing to step in and stop the sexism that came out.

Part of our coalition are also people who feel that Senator Obama isn't qualified to be president and feel much more strongly that Senator McCain is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN: Stephanie, what needs to be done to heal the rift for people like this for the Democrats or if the Republicans want to capture them?

MILLER: Well, here's -- I never really got the cries of sexism, I have to say. I mean, I think that, you know, people got called sexists that just did the delegate math, just said I'm not saying as a woman she should drop out. I'm saying as a person who can't win the delegate math at this point, you know, she needs to drop out. So I think that was overheated, the cries of sexism. I didn't real see it.

FOREMAN: Overall, when you look at Hillary Clinton's campaign, though, do you think that this was a good thing for women in politics?

MILLER: Oh, absolutely. You know, I think Hillary Clinton is a very, very impressive woman that has - you know, like I say, has made huge strides now for women. I think that, you know, now it's the art of the possible. I think that she got so close and she was such a credible candidate that I absolutely think it's going to be easier the next time around.

FOREMAN: Thanks for being with us, Stephanie Miller.

MILLER: Thank you.

FOREMAN: Still to come, our list of the five gutsiest comebacks of all time. That's later in the program. Straight ahead with Hillary Clinton out of the running, what will happen to her signature issues?

But first, by virtually every account, Hillary Clinton has paved the way for serious future female contenders for the presidency all sorts of offices. Here's a quick review of some women you might want to watch for the Oval Office.

First, the Republicans. Sarah Palin didn't win the Miss Alaska title, but she did take her high school basketball team to the state championship and become that state's youngest governor in 2006. Carly Fiorina is one of John McCain's top economic advisors. Her first job at Hewlett-Packard was secretary. Her last one, CEO. Like President Bush, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas was a cheerleader in her college days. However, she may not have improved her VP chances by joking that women aren't suited for the presidency because of mood swings and temper tantrums. My answer to that is have you ever met John McCain? So it may not help her this time, but maybe in the future.

Turning to the Democrats, Christine Gregoire was raised by a single mother and is a breast cancer survivor. She became governor of Washington state by a margin of only 129 votes. After some 20 years at winning various state offices in Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius was elected governor in 2002, the first time a father and his daughter have both ended up governing the same state over time. And clearly, tough challenges don't deter Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. Not only has she climbed peaks from the Himalayas to Kilimanjaro, but she represented Anita Hill in her confrontation with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

It's not an exhaustive list, but some faces to watch in the years to come. Just a few of the contenders to keep an eye on. THIS WEEK IN POLITICS will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

FOREMAN: Check this out. It's all over the Internet. The ball goes way back to the corner. And who's that making the play? It's the ball girl with an incredible leaping catch. It is absolutely amazing and it's a fake. Yes, all part of a viral ad campaign. But watching it, you can't help but cheer for the kid and feel a letdown when you find out it's not real.

Well now, reality has hit the Hillary Clinton campaign, brought it back down to earth. So what happens to all of her signature issues? Will they be stuck in a political attic somewhere and forgotten in the race to November?

Chris Cillizza, political writer for washingtonpost.com is here to help me separate political reality from political allusion.

Chris, the basic question is this, if people out there cared about Hillary Clinton's issues, if that's what really mattered to them, where are they now?

CHRIS CILLIZZA, THE WASHINGTON POST: Well, Tom, in large part one of the fascinating things about this primary that went on and on and on was how little difference there were on policy, on issues between Obama and Clinton. There were some here and there, but by and large, what Barack Obama is advocating is similar to what Hillary Clinton is advocating.

The difference, I think, is in emphasis. Hillary Clinton talked a lot about economic issues, a lot about health care, her signature issue from the 1990s. The question is, can Obama carry that legacy forward and put as much a focus as Clinton did on it?

FOREMAN: Let's talk about that. That was one of the items that most likely could be pushed back into the attic if it were not...

CILLIZZA: Absolutely.

FOREMAN: Politically, does Obama want to bring this up right away? Or does it become something that he says, that's too much associated with her, I'd rather put it aside for a while?

CILLIZZA: I actually think it puts him in a little bit of a bind because it's an issue, that if you hook at polling, people care quite a bit about. They want universal health care. They want everyone to be covered. They want prescription drug costs to go down.

But that same time, you make the right point. He does not want to look like the Obama general election campaign is part and parcel of the Clinton primary campaign. He just beat her. He wants to be out there, talk about things that he cares most about. Those things are clearly economics, you know, things in his own background, community organizing, the war in Iraq. I think he will get to health care quickly. But I'm not sure he comes right out of the box with it.

FOREMAN: He's made some noise about saying I'm looking forward to her leading my health care reform effort. Is that going to happen?

CILLIZZA: Well, one interesting thing that happened earlier in the week Nira Tanden (ph), the woman who was credited with writing Senator Clinton's health care plan during the primary campaign, took a job with Obama. So that suggests that, yes, the base -- sort of the group, the thinking group that came up with Clinton's plan is going to be involved in the creation or at least the selling of the Obama plan. I don't know if he wants Hillary Clinton out front just yet. Maybe in an Obama administration, she would have a role, but I'm not sure on the campaign trail. FOREMAN: Another big issue for her was this notion of working class voters, which in some ways she inherited from John Edwards because he was pushing that real hard. Same thing, does this issue now sit front and center? Or does Obama say that's one of hers, I'll put it in the B category?

CILLIZZA: I think he doesn't have the luxury of saying that's one of hers, I'll put it in the B category. The truth of the matter, this strain of sort of populism when it comes to economics, the voice of the working class, fighting for the people who are voiceless, was present in Al Gore's - the end of Al Gore's campaign in 2000. John Edwards picked it up certainly in this campaign. When he dropped out, as you mentioned...

FOREMAN: Hillary needs help with this.

CILLIZZA: Absolutely. If you look at the way in which the primary vote broke down, especially over the last few months, he struggled with these working class voters. He struggled with that populist message, that I'm going to be a voice for you.

So I don't think he has the luxury, whether or not it's identified as a Senator Clinton issue to wait on it.

FOREMAN: Well, we'll have to see what happens and whether or not they stay in the attic or get dragged out. Chris, thanks for coming on.

When we come back, the question of legacy. What will future historians tell us about the Clintons? Why wait that long? Here's the real story of the Clinton campaign as told in this week's installment of our favorite viral videos burning up the Internet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): I walk alone in this empty hall dreaming of what might have been at the inaugural ball

FOREMAN: As Hillary man bemoans the end of a dream, the memories live on.

CLINTON: This conversation about our country gets started.

FOREMAN: There was the rip-off of the Apple ad that kicked it all off.

CLINTON: November 2008.

FOREMAN: The real story of sniper fire in Bosnia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Generals agree there's no place more dangerous and sniper-y than Bosnia right now.

FOREMAN: Her determined search for a cup of coffee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The wildest campaign videos you've ever seen. FOREMAN: And a peek at the carefree woman hidden inside a conservative pantsuit. Ah, the memories. Give us a moment to recover. We'll be back.

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FOREMAN: Yes, that music can only mean it's time for another look at our famous devil's dictionary. And the word today is legacy. The definition, what politicians think about when they can't run for office anymore. Hillary Clinton is still, of course, in the running for many future posts. But let's look at some of the other possibilities here of the future Clinton legacy overall.

Who better to help us for this dangerous task than "TIME" magazine's Joe Klein, a Clinton watcher from way back.

Joe, let me start with a question here.

JOE KLEIN, COLUMNIST, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Way back.

FOREMAN: Do the Clintons have a better legacy now than they did at the start of this election or a worse one?

KLEIN: Well, it's hard to say. I mean, I think that it's been a mixed bag for them. First of all, she didn't win the nomination. So that's not so good. But I think she acquitted herself very, very well. I think the big guy had a rough year, blowing up at the press, saying untoward things. He was a far better president, I think, than spouse.

FOREMAN: Well, he certainly had, coming into this for many Democrats, a stellar reputation. Much of the American public still liked him. Some greatly disliked him, but many still liked him a great deal. Democrats loved him. How do they feel about him now?

KLEIN: Well, I think that there - some people -- a lot of people are kind of shaking their heads saying, well, why did he lose his temper so often? And you know, is there something wrong? There's some concern, I imagine.

But you know, his place in the pantheon is pretty secure. He was the first Democrat to win two terms in office since Roosevelt. And I think he was -- he'll be remembered as a very good president in very quiet times. Now that kind of haunts him because he would have liked to have, you know, shown his stuff during a crisis. But he never had that crisis.

FOREMAN: Well, in some ways, you could also say that's a little bit of damning by faint praise. Because certainly, if this election had gone as the Clintons wished, he would be remembered as the man who started the great, great political dynasty. What are the chances of that happening now?

KLEIN: Well, I don't think that you could count her out - Hillary out in the future. But you know, dynasties in this very populist society are a mixed bag. I think part of the reason why Hillary Clinton had a tough time this year is because we've had 20 years of Bushes or Clintons in the presidency. And an awful lot of Americans just didn't want to keep trading their most precious office back and forth between these two prohibitively weird families.

FOREMAN: They were such admirers, particularly Bill Clinton of the Kennedy family. Now they had the split with the Kennedy family over this election in particular. But it sees to me one of the big differences is the Kennedy family always had many different branches playing at government. In the Clinton family, it's really just Bill and Hillary.

KLEIN: Right, I don't think - you know, you're comparing apples and dynasties here. I think you had - you have an extremely, extremely talented couple. In the Kennedy family, you've had extreme tragedy. There was only one Kennedy president. And you know, Bobby Kennedy was taken too soon.

FOREMAN: But you also -- you did have a lot of people in the Kennedy family involved in politics, many people.

KLEIN: Right. Right. You have loads of scads of children. You have members of Congress. You have Ted Kennedy in the Senate, you know, having built a phenomenal reputation there. But I think that what you have in the Clinton family is one very good president and one very good senator.

I mean, I think that Hillary Clinton really has distinguished herself in the Senate. She's worked across lines. She has developed an expertise in national security, you know, in her work on the Armed Services Committee that a lot of generals really respect her for. So you know, talking about dynasties is one thing. Let's talk about two very valuable public servants here -- Bill and Hillary Clinton.

FOREMAN: And in the end, very briefly,what's the one line assessment right now? I guess it's that their careers aren't over yet.

KLEIN: It's not over yet and they care very deeply. They really want to do the right thing. And you know, she in particular's a real policy wonk.

FOREMAN: Then we'll see what happens in the future. Joe Klein, thanks so much for that second draft of history. We'll see what the final one is.

It's time to get ready for fast track, the kind of insight you need to stand tall at the water cooler next week. But first, a look at some of the other news in politics guaranteed 100% Clinton-free.

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ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: I have every confidence that once Senator McCain is in the White House, America will get back to the game of having a sensible consistent and forward-looking energy policy.

FOREMAN (voice-over): This week began with energy policy. John McCain getting some high-powered support as he laid out an extensive energy plan and threw thunderbolts at his opponent.

JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: On this energy issue, yes, it's easy to say "no" to everything. That's what Senator Obama is doing.

FOREMAN: Barack Obama trying to short-circuit McCain's message.

OBAMA: Senator McCain was voting against biofuels, against solar power, against wind power, and against an energy bill that his own campaign co-chairman calls the biggest legislative breakthrough we've had since he's been in the Senate.

FOREMAN: President Bush weighed in on national security.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Americans want change that makes their lives better and their country safer. And that requires changing the party control of the Congress. And that requires having a commander in chief who will support our military and will fight and win the war against those who would do us harm. And that commander in chief will be John McCain.

FOREMAN: Of course, with the president's recent approval ratings, it's hard to say if John McCain was terribly grateful.

RALPH NADER: I haven't heard him have a strong crackdown on economic exploitation.

FOREMAN: And finally, Ralph Nader also laid into Barack Obama.

NADER: What's keeping him from doing that? Is it because he wants to talk white?

FOREMAN: The presumptive Democratic nominee says Nader was just trying to get attention. Imagine that. We'll be right back.

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FOREMAN: It's time for fast track, everything you need to be cool on politics in the coming week. And who's cooler than our political editor Mark Preston to guide us through the whole thing? McCain has a meeting coming up with evangelicals, what's it about?

MARK PRESTON: Well, I tell you what. He's meeting with evangelical Franklin Graham. He's the son of Bill Graham. This follows in the meeting, Tom, last week where John McCain met with social conservatives in Ohio. John McCain might be known as a maverick, but h needs to solidify his base. Next week, he heads south of the border, Mexico, Colombia. This follows in a trip to Canada. It's off - you know, in hockey, they call it a hat trick. I call it John McCain flexing his foreign policy (INAUDIBLE).

FOREMAN: Barack Obama wants to do the same thing in many ways. He's going to renew his passport, why?

PRESTON: Because he's making plans to go to Iraq. We should know details soon. Will it change what he thinks of the surge? Absolutely not, but it will allow him to tell John McCain, look, I've been there lately as well.

FOREMAN: And I've got out my picnic basket and my blanket for the big fireworks here in Washington, D.C. next weekend, but no fireworks between Democrats and Republicans here. What's that all about?

PRESTON: You'll be able to hear a church mouse on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers are heading home. They need to start campaigning. I'll tell you what, Tom. Republicans, especially, on the campaign trail. After three big losses in special elections this year are going to be kissing a lot of babies.

FOREMAN: Mark our words, this fight over control of the capitol is going to be every bit as important as the fight for the White House. Thanks so much, Mark, for being here. The Supreme Court ruled on guns this week, but the judgment is coming down in our late-night laughs.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can finally take my dream vacation -- a romantic getaway to Washington, D.C., just me and sweetness.

DAVID LETTERMAN: When the decision was read, created pandemonium. And the court Justice Scalia had to fire two warning shots to settle people down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is great news in so many ways, folks. CNN can now bring back crossfire with actual crossfire.

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FOREMAN: As we wrap up this special edition of THIS WEEK IN POLITICS all about the Clintons, we should note, winning is not what makes a great politician. Rather, the great ones are people who take losses, survive, and fight on. In a word, they have guts. It's much the same in all walks of life, of course. So as promised, here are our top five favorite comebacks.

In business, it's got to be Steve Jobs and the amazing Apple. In war, you can't beat Napoleon Bonepart. Defeated, dethroned and exiled, he came roaring back until he met his Waterloo at Waterloo. J.K. Rowling, unemployed and on welfare stuck it out and wrote a book that at first nobody wanted to publish. It was about a teenage wizard named Harry Potter and it worked out pretty well for her.

Sports, tough category, but we're going to go with quarterback Joe Montana, the original comeback kid. You want evidence? Just look at this. Dwight Clark pulling down Montana's perfect pass to win the league championship with only seconds to go. And there's an entire industry built on stories about musicians who make it big, and lose it all on drink, and drugs and fight their way back into the limelight, but we're going to go with the king, Elvis Presley's incredible 1968 comeback special. And that's a good choice. Senator Clinton has hope, that's simply the truth, if Elvis can come back from blue Hawaii, anything is possible.

That's it for THIS WEEK IN POLITICS. I'm Tom Foreman. Thanks for watching. Straight ahead, "Lou Dobbs This Week."