Former President Clinton on Tuesday offered to help Barack Obama win the White House, although what work he'll do for his wife's former rival remained uncertain.
The Obama campaign is still smarting over some of Bill Clinton's criticism in the primary race, while the last Democratic president remains a popular political draw. But before the two can work together, they have to speak.
Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton have taken steps to join efforts in the last three weeks — she met with him privately, endorsed his campaign and will campaign with him Friday. But the former Democratic president and the man running to be the next one haven't talked since the campaign ended.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the 42nd president came up in a phone call between Obama and Hillary Clinton on Sunday. They talked about how Obama should connect with Bill Clinton in the future, Burton said.
Bill Clinton extended his support to Obama for the first time Tuesday in a one-sentence statement from spokesman Matt McKenna.
"President Clinton is obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Senator Obama is the next president of the United States," McKenna said.
It's not clear what Obama might ask him to do. The campaign wasn't specific when asked.
"A unified Democratic Party is going to be a powerful force for change this year and we're confident President Clinton will play a big role in that," was all Burton would say.
Bill Clinton will not be attending the rally with his wife and Obama Friday in the symbolic town of Unity, N.H. McKenna said the former president is in Europe this week to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday, give speeches and work for the William J. Clinton Foundation.
Hillary Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee issued a statement after her husband's that didn't mention him. "Senator Clinton is very pleased with how quickly the party is coming together after the primaries, and she will continue to do everything she can to unite Democrats behind Senator Obama as our nominee," Elleithee said.
Bill Clinton was an outspoken critic of Obama during the primary race. He said Obama's opposition to the Iraq war was a "fairy tale" and raised questions about whether the first-term Illinois senator had the experience to lead the country. His remarks angered some black leaders who felt Clinton was dismissing Obama's historic bid, as when he compared Obama's win in South Carolina to Jesse Jackson's victories there in the 1980s.
Clinton fumed in response that it was Obama's campaign that "played the race card on me."
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Storm hits China after lashing Philippines
Tropical storm Fengshen surged toward Taiwan and southeast China on Wednesday after leaving a path of destruction in the Philippines where the search for more survivors from a capsized ferry has proved fruitless.
Survivors who had spent 48 hours drifting in the sea after the ferry sunk recover in hospital.
1 of 3 Fengshen was downgraded to a tropical storm late Tuesday. But it still managed to shut down much of Hong Kong. Schools, courts and even the financial markets were closed for part of Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
In the Philippines, meanwhile, people struggled to recover from Fengshen's deadly impact as a typhoon when it hit the country last weekend.
Divers found bodies but so far no survivors inside the hull of the ferry that capsized in the typhoon, a Philippine Coast Guard official said Tuesday.
A total of 864 people -- 725 of them passengers -- were aboard the Princess of the Stars when it overturned about a mile off Sibuyan Island early Saturday as Typhoon Fengshen pummeled the Philippines, according to the ship's owner, Sulpicio Lines. Watch the storm hit Hong Kong »
Rescuers earlier found at least 34 survivors and at least 11 dead from a ferry that capsized in a typhoon, the Philippine Information Agency said Monday.
Divers received no response on Monday when they hammered on the 23,824-ton Princess of Stars that was jutting from the water off Sibuyan island in the central Philippines.
"We're not ruling out that somebody there is still alive," coast guard chief Wilfredo Tamayo told The Associated Press. "You can never tell."
But high seas that have prevented rescue ships from approaching the ferry showed no sign of abating Monday as officials planned how to enter the ship -- either with divers or by drilling a hole in the hull, Tamayo said. Watch aerial pictures of the sunken ferry »
Hope faded by the hour that large numbers of survivors will be found on land where communications were hit by the weekend storm that killed at least 163 people.
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Officials added that they have also found victims and survivors from other fishing boats that capsized in the area.
A U.S. Navy ship equipped with helicopters will soon join the search and rescue effort, said Richard Gordon, the head of the Philippines Red Cross and a member of the country's Senate.
Fishermen found 30 survivors from the ferry Princess of Stars, which rolled over early Saturday morning, Gordon said. One person died after being picked up, and another was lost during rescue efforts, he said, but the remaining 28 have been delivered to police.
"There's quite a few people out there that are still missing," he said. "We are trying our best to find them, and I hope we could get some help." Watch images of the ferry sinking »
The Princess of Stars had 864 people on board, according to the vessel's owner, Sulipicio Lines. The manifest posted on the company's Web site lists 725 passengers, 112 crew members and 27 others including security escorts, canteen personnel, and sea marshalls.
It overturned about a mile off the shore of Sibuyan Island early Saturday as Typhoon Fengshen pummeled the Philippines.
Sulipicio said the family of each person killed in the accident will receive 200,000 pesos (approximately $4,600), the Philippine Information Agency reported.
The crew of the vessel, which can hold up to 2,000 people, reported that its engines had failed during a regular run from Manila and Cebu City, according to Vice Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo, the head of the country's coast guard.
Rescuers knocked on the ferry's hull Sunday evening in hopes of hearing signs of survivors within the capsized ship, the captain of which had given orders to abandon it before contact was lost. Watch a report on the disaster »
"Many of them were wearing life jackets," Gordon said. "Hopefully we can still find them alive."
The typhoon has killed at least 140 people on land, with at least 255 more reported missing, he said.
The storm had not been expected to hit the Philippines when it first formed last week. But the storm struck the islands Friday with winds of about 140 km/h (90 p.m.) before moving north toward China and Taiwan. A storm warning posted along the ferry's course would not have required the vessel to cancel its trip, but relatives of the passengers have questioned why the ship was allowed to leave port.
"They should not have let the ship sail because there was a typhoon coming," Isadora Salinas said. "How can they do that? They won't even give out information about what happened."
Gordon said Sulpicio Lines -- which operates the ferry -- has a history of previous accidents, "and people are pouncing on them right now."
Survivors who had spent 48 hours drifting in the sea after the ferry sunk recover in hospital.
1 of 3 Fengshen was downgraded to a tropical storm late Tuesday. But it still managed to shut down much of Hong Kong. Schools, courts and even the financial markets were closed for part of Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
In the Philippines, meanwhile, people struggled to recover from Fengshen's deadly impact as a typhoon when it hit the country last weekend.
Divers found bodies but so far no survivors inside the hull of the ferry that capsized in the typhoon, a Philippine Coast Guard official said Tuesday.
A total of 864 people -- 725 of them passengers -- were aboard the Princess of the Stars when it overturned about a mile off Sibuyan Island early Saturday as Typhoon Fengshen pummeled the Philippines, according to the ship's owner, Sulpicio Lines. Watch the storm hit Hong Kong »
Rescuers earlier found at least 34 survivors and at least 11 dead from a ferry that capsized in a typhoon, the Philippine Information Agency said Monday.
Divers received no response on Monday when they hammered on the 23,824-ton Princess of Stars that was jutting from the water off Sibuyan island in the central Philippines.
"We're not ruling out that somebody there is still alive," coast guard chief Wilfredo Tamayo told The Associated Press. "You can never tell."
But high seas that have prevented rescue ships from approaching the ferry showed no sign of abating Monday as officials planned how to enter the ship -- either with divers or by drilling a hole in the hull, Tamayo said. Watch aerial pictures of the sunken ferry »
Hope faded by the hour that large numbers of survivors will be found on land where communications were hit by the weekend storm that killed at least 163 people.
Don't Miss
iReport.com: Send your photos, videos, stories
Officials added that they have also found victims and survivors from other fishing boats that capsized in the area.
A U.S. Navy ship equipped with helicopters will soon join the search and rescue effort, said Richard Gordon, the head of the Philippines Red Cross and a member of the country's Senate.
Fishermen found 30 survivors from the ferry Princess of Stars, which rolled over early Saturday morning, Gordon said. One person died after being picked up, and another was lost during rescue efforts, he said, but the remaining 28 have been delivered to police.
"There's quite a few people out there that are still missing," he said. "We are trying our best to find them, and I hope we could get some help." Watch images of the ferry sinking »
The Princess of Stars had 864 people on board, according to the vessel's owner, Sulipicio Lines. The manifest posted on the company's Web site lists 725 passengers, 112 crew members and 27 others including security escorts, canteen personnel, and sea marshalls.
It overturned about a mile off the shore of Sibuyan Island early Saturday as Typhoon Fengshen pummeled the Philippines.
Sulipicio said the family of each person killed in the accident will receive 200,000 pesos (approximately $4,600), the Philippine Information Agency reported.
The crew of the vessel, which can hold up to 2,000 people, reported that its engines had failed during a regular run from Manila and Cebu City, according to Vice Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo, the head of the country's coast guard.
Rescuers knocked on the ferry's hull Sunday evening in hopes of hearing signs of survivors within the capsized ship, the captain of which had given orders to abandon it before contact was lost. Watch a report on the disaster »
"Many of them were wearing life jackets," Gordon said. "Hopefully we can still find them alive."
The typhoon has killed at least 140 people on land, with at least 255 more reported missing, he said.
The storm had not been expected to hit the Philippines when it first formed last week. But the storm struck the islands Friday with winds of about 140 km/h (90 p.m.) before moving north toward China and Taiwan. A storm warning posted along the ferry's course would not have required the vessel to cancel its trip, but relatives of the passengers have questioned why the ship was allowed to leave port.
"They should not have let the ship sail because there was a typhoon coming," Isadora Salinas said. "How can they do that? They won't even give out information about what happened."
Gordon said Sulpicio Lines -- which operates the ferry -- has a history of previous accidents, "and people are pouncing on them right now."
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