Bill and Barack Put the Rows Behind Them

Those who feared Bill Clinton wanted no part of the hugs, back slaps, protestations of party unity and general love accompanying his wife's campaign appearance with Barack Obama can now relax.

Bill and Barack, who spent ample time during the 16-month Democratic primary contest sniping at one another, are on speaking terms once more, the Obama campaign said yesterday.

"Senator Obama had a terrific conversation with [former] president Clinton and is honored to have his support in this campaign," a statement from the Obama campaign said yesterday. "He looks forward to seeing him on the campaign trail and receiving his counsel in the months to come."

The warmly worded statement follows speculation that the former president remains furious at Obama, not just for beating Hillary Clinton to the party nomination, but for sullying Clinton's reputation as the only two-term Democratic president in the past 40 years.

Clinton was said to be angry and hurt that he was accused of trying to use race to help his wife and hurt Obama's candidacy. He also took offense at Obama's tendency on the campaign trail to lump his presidency together with the Republican administrations of Ronald Reagan and the first George Bush.

In the month since Obama clinched the nomination, the former president has remained relatively silent, even as his wife tries to rally her supporters around the Democratic nominee.

On a number of occasions Hillary Clinton has saluted Obama's skills as a campaigner, and implored her female followers to support his candidacy. Last Friday, she held her first campaign appearance with Obama at Unity, in New Hampshire.

The former president skipped that rally. Until yesterday's statement, he confined his comments on Obama's win to a one-line statement issued by a press aide.