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New book: Bill's presence kept Hillary Clinton off the ticket in 2008

Washington's top power couple has always been dramatic. Today, the question is whether former President Clinton helps or hinders his wife's career.

For Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the shadow of a prominent husband hasn鈥檛 been so easy to shake.

The latest example of former President Bill Clinton鈥檚 impact on his wife鈥檚 career: She might have been Barack Obama鈥檚 vice president if not for him.

In his new memoir, David Plouffe, Mr. Obama鈥檚 former campaign manager, says that the president-elect seriously considered his former rival to be his No. 2 in the White House, but ultimately decided against it because of Mr. Clinton.

Obama, Mr. Plouffe says, explained his decision , 鈥淚 think Bill may be too big a complication. If I picked her, my concern is that there would be more than two of us in the relationship.鈥�

This is not the first example of the 鈥淏ill effect鈥� for Mrs. Clinton.

Her nomination to her current post of secretary of State hinged on negotiations with Mr. Clinton over his speaking engagements and international fundraising for his William J. Clinton Foundation. She was formally nominated only after Mr. Clinton turned over information on more than 200,000 donors to his foundation and on his charity work.

Back when Mrs. Clinton was a candidate in the 2008 presidential election, Mr. Clinton was also criticized by some as a liability to her campaign for what some perceived to be overly aggressive criticisms of other candidates. Whether his criticisms helped or hurt her campaign, Mr. Clinton his wife鈥檚 鈥渁ttack dog.鈥� Even Obama , "I can't tell who I'm running against sometimes.鈥�

More recently, Mrs. Clinton鈥檚 trip to Africa in August was momentarily overshadowed by her husband鈥檚 negotiation of the release of two journalists who had been detained in North Korea. Later in the trip, she was widely perceived to have lashed out at a Congolese student who asked about Mr. Clinton. She , 鈥淢y husband is not secretary of State; I am. I am not going to be channeling my husband."

But Mr. Clinton maintains that his main priority since leaving office has been supporting the political ambitions of his wife.

Back on the campaign trail, he singled out a man in the back of the Iowa fairgrounds where he was stumping for his wife.

鈥淚 want to thank all of you who are here,鈥� . 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 one guy back in the back over there that represents the group I belong to.鈥�

His sign? It said, 鈥淗usbands for Hillary.鈥�

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