from Talking Points Memo by Josh Marshall…

Yesterday I wrote that I was troubled by the intensity of Bill Clinton’s attacks on Barack Obama. A number of readers thought I meant that I didn’t like seeing bare-knuckle politics. But that’s not it. What troubles me is seeing the man who is in many respects still the de facto leader of the Democratic party, certainly its elder statesman, inject himself as an attack dog into a intra-party contest. I think it’s damaging to him and more importantly I think it’s damaging to his party.

Yes, the bind is inseparable from the novelty of having the spouse of a former president run for president. But that doesn’t make it less of a problem.

With a day to think about it though I think he’s actually hurting her more than he or perhaps she realizes. Narrowly speaking, in the zero sum context of her battle with Obama, he’s probably helping her. You can’t deny that Hillary is back in a strong position. But here’s the thing. In the week or so leading up to the Nevada caucus I feel like I heard more from and about Bill Clinton than I did about Hillary Clinton. Is that the media’s doing rather than the campaign’s? Maybe. But I don’t find the argument convincing and I’m not sure it would matter if it were true. What seems difficult to deny is that his rising profile is threatening her position as the dominant force in her own campaign.