How Former President's Help Became a Hindrance for Hillary

He was supposed to be the secret weapon in Hillary Clinton's campaign, helping to propel the former first lady towards her destiny as the first woman president.

But when historians look back at Bill Clinton's legacy it will be impossible to ignore the disastrous interventions he has made in his wife's campaign.

Typical of the way he has blundered about the campaign has been the row over the last few days about an article in Vanity Fair by Todd Purdum questioning his judgment and asking whether he was spending time with other women.

It did not create much of a media splash, mainly because it was based on anonymous sources. But Clinton over-reacted, telling what he may have thought was a member of the public waiting in line to see him - but who turned out to be a reporter with a tape recorder - that Purdum was sleazy, slimy and dishonest.

By the end of the day Hillary Clinton's office had to put out a statement saying that his language "was inappropriate and he wishes he had not used it".

Throughout most of last year the former president kept in the background, focusing on his Clinton Foundation, which provides millions in aid to Africa and elsewhere. But then he began turning up in the early primary states, Iowa and New Hampshire, speaking on Hillary's behalf.

Even at that stage questions emerged about whether he was going to be an asset or a hindrance. Still popular among Democrats, he initially drew large crowds. The problem was that he spoke too much about his presidency rather than his wife's candidacy.

When her commanding lead over Barack Obama in the polls began to disappear in the autumn he privately called for a more aggressive approach.

He took it upon himself to do just that, delivering one of the most damaging comments of the Clinton campaign, describing Obama's presidential chances as "a fairytale". It was seen by many in the African-American community as patronizing.

But the worst was yet to come. With polls showing Hillary Clinton trailing badly in January's South Carolina primary, she opted to fight elsewhere and left Bill Clinton to contest it on her behalf.

He made race an issue, fighting a negative campaign. The decision proved to be disastrous. He not only alienated African-Americans at a time when Hillary Clinton was still taking a sizable share of their votes, but also white Democrats throughout the US, including veteran party figures such as senator Ted Kennedy, who subsequently backed Obama.

After South Carolina the Clintons recognized the damage that had been done by his high-profile appearances. He then took a quieter role. Although he was out on the road day after day, he stuck to well-rehearsed, uncontroversial speeches.

That was until the Vanity Fair gaffe. It was the kind of episode that has got Clinton into trouble throughout the campaign season, and it again overshadowed his tireless campaigning on behalf of his wife.