DHAKA: President Barack Obama took another step toward cementing an important political alliance with Bill Clinton on Wednesday, giving the 42nd president the nation`s highest civilian honor.
Clinton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom along with 15 other luminaries in sports, science, public service and the arts, in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House.
The event brought together a diverse collection of talent. Honorees included Oprah Winfrey and former Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks ; psychology scholar Daniel Kahneman and country music singer Loretta Lynn.
Obama, in introducing Oprah Winfrey, mentioned that she had once gotten a piece of dubious advice to change her name to something that might sound more accessible to audiences: "Susie."
Obama quipped that he had once gotten similar advice.
Clinton was center stage, though, in a chair just to the right of Obama`s lectern.
The 44th president said he was "grateful to Bill for the advice and counsel you`ve offered me on and off the golf course, and most importantly, for your life-saving work around the world, which represents the very best in America."
Relations between the two haven`t always been so cordial. For all the golf Obama has played as president, he has seldom included Bill Clinton in his foursome. They have only played twice during Obama`s presidency, once in 2011 and once last year, according to CBS`s Mark Knoller, who tracks White House statistics.
They fought hard during the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, with Clinton proving to be an aggressive surrogate for his wife`s campaign.
During a debate in South Carolina in 2008, Obama complained, "I can`t tell who I`m running against sometimes."
A thaw commenced after Obama named Hillary Clinton secretary of state and turned to Clinton for help during the 2012 presidential race.
Obama would pay a high compliment to Mr. Clinton, dubbing him the "Secretary of Explaining Stuff." In that capacity, Clinton delivered. He gave one of the best-received speeches of the Democratic presidential nominating convention in Charlotte, N.C., last year.
Jim Messina, who was Obama`s 2012 campaign manager, said in an interview Wednesday: "President Clinton did everything we asked him to do in the campaign. He was both a surrogate and an adviser to the campaign in a very important way."
"It`s a friendship that has definitely grown closer and closer over the years," Valerie Jarrett, a senior White House adviser, said in an interview Wednesday before the ceremony.
Clinton has also created occasional headaches for Mr. Obama during his presidency, most recently when he appeared to get ahead of the president on his obligation to people who were getting cancellation notices from insurers.
When Clinton approached the lectern to receive his award, the two men hugged and smiled. Obama then carefully hung the medal around his neck, with Hillary Clinton watching from the audience.
Later, Messrs. Clinton and Obama, Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama laid a wreath at John F. Kennedy`s grave at Arlington National Ceremony, to mark the 50th anniversary of his death.
The Obama-Clinton family drama isn`t quite at an end. Two people close to Obama may run for the 2016 Democratic nomination: Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden.
Hillary Clinton is considered the early favorite to win the nomination.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
BDST: 0840 HRS, NOV 22, 2013
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