Top Dems Tell Bill to Chill

Top Democrats are telling Bill Clinton to tone down his anti-Obama rhetoric, Newsweek reports. He draws crowds, money, and support for his wife, but Democratic leaders like Ted Kennedy and Rahm Emanuel have confronted Clinton about his down-and-dirty approach. They see it as unpresidential, not beneficial to the party, and possibly harmful to his international image.

An ex-Clinton adviser and current Obama operative cautions that the ex-prez is causing trouble for his wife, making observers wonder "if Hillary's campaign can't control Bill, whether Hillary's White House could." Though such divisive tactics are rare for a former president, “the stakes couldn’t be higher,” says a source close to Clinton. “It's worth it to tarnish himself a bit now to win the presidency." (More Bill Clinton stories.)