Hillary: I'm 'Blessed' Bill is 'Passionate'

January 21st, 2008 12:08 PM

Did Hillary Clinton really claim to be "blessed" and "grateful" to have a "passionate" husband? Yes.

Freudian slip or part of a calculated strategy to curry the women's vote by reminding people of the indignities she's suffered at the hands of her wayward spouse? In any case, Hillary deployed the intriguing double-entendre to defend Bill's recent attacks on Barack Obama.

View video here.

Morning Joe played the clip, which presumably came from Hillary's appearance yesterday in Harlem.

HILLARY CLINTON I think that we both, Senator Obama and I, are blessed to have strong, passionate spouses. And I respect that, I'm grateful for that, and I know Barack is as well.

The alternative meaning of her words were not lost on Hillary or those standing behind her, as you'll note from the way they broke into broad smiles.

Back in the studio, Willie Geist glossed over the double-entendre, focusing only the political aspect: "Look at the smile on her face. Her husband goes out and swings the hatchet."

But the real import was not lost on Mika Brzezinski, who observed: "that was such a loaded comment."