Clinton back on the campaign trail
From the "Wolf Blitzer Reports" staff
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- When it comes to Democratic star power, former president Bill Clinton is at the top of the list.
As the race between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry grew hotter and closer over the last six weeks, Clinton was at home in Chappaqua, New York, recovering from quadruple heart bypass surgery.
But now Clinton is poised to start stumping for Kerry, who gave the first indication himself Tuesday in Pennsylvania.
"I think it's possible that in the next days former President Clinton will be here. We're all working. I'm not going to leave any vote unasked for," Sen. Kerry told a local TV station.
Wednesday an aide confirmed to CNN that Clinton will appear with Kerry at a campaign event Monday in Philadelphia.
There's been no word from Clinton himself, who the aide said was "tucked away for the day, resting" at home.
News of joint campaign appearance came on the same day a new fundraising letter from Clinton went out to would-be Democratic donors -- full of themes including:
"Nothing less than the future of our country is at stake"
Clinton was almost persona non grata during the 2000 campaign, as Al Gore tried to distance himself from his boss' troubled second term, which was dominated by the Monica Lewinsky scandal and his impeachment.
Did distancing Clinton hurt Gore?
"Gore did as well as he did, he carried the popular vote because Clinton's record was so strong. But in the end, voters, after all the trauma of the Clinton years, wanted a change," says CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider.
Since then, the country has gone through a devastating terror attack, two wars and a recession, leaving many Democrats nostalgic for the boom years of the Clinton administration.
But can the former president give John Kerry the edge he needs to pull ahead in one of the tightest races in recent memory?
"Bill Clinton gets Democratic juices flowing," says Schneider. "Democrats love Bill Clinton. So he's a guy you want to use with base Democratic voters, with minorities with liberals, to get those people to the polls."
