Bill Clinton Stumps for Hillary

July 1, 2007 — -- From Phoenix, Ariz., last Monday to a spinning class in New York City, former president Bill Clinton has been busy hosting big-money fundraisers for his wife and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

"The great thing about not being president anymore is that you can say whatever you think," he said.

He has been leading a foundation, and he even found time to appear in a "Sopranos" spoof. But working the Iowa crowds has become his real supporting role.

This morning on "Good Morning America Weekend Edition" George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC News "This Week," said the Clintons campaigning together will create a lot of excitement, which it needs.

"They need this booster shot," he said. "She's raising a lot of money. She's had good debates, but she's behind John Edwards and maybe even Barack Obama in Iowa."

Many Democrats still believe Al Gore might have won the 2000 election if he'd asked Bill Clinton to campaign for him. His wife's campaign is promising "Hill-cam" moments, totally unvarnished snippets of Bill and Hillary out on the trail.

"She's got the best combination of mind and heart," Bill Clinton said while campaigning. "She's got the best ability to make a decision and feel the human impact of it."

Slate.com chief political correspondent John Dickerson said Bill Clinton is an asset to Hillary.

"He can talk about things that people may have forgotten, or talk about things people may have not known in the first place," he said. "And that tends to round out her portrait, humanize her in a way that the campaign finds very effective."

It is no accident the couple is targeting Iowa. It is a key state where Hillary lags. Hillary's inner circle insisted there was no downside to having Bill Clinton out on the stump.

But the campaign is calculating every move.

"The big question for Hillary Clinton's campaign is: Are there going to be some voters who take a look at Bill Clinton and say, 'Wow. I really like that guy but do I want to go through that all again?'" said political strategist Jamal Simmons.