Bill Clinton is making waves at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The 42nd President of the United States is always comfortable at international forums and Davos wasn't any exception as his intense conversation with Putin was reported around the world. But was he delivering a sub rosa message in a voice different from the State Department? From the AP:
"This is the first I've heard of Prime Minister Putin coming out for free enterprise," Clinton told an audience at the World Economic Forum on Thursday, a day after the Russian leader warned that too much government involvement in the economy could be "dangerous" and cautioned against "blind faith in the state's omnipotence."
".. Clinton predicted that the United States could in 'a year, 15 months if we're lucky,' emerge from the current crisis. But, he added, that recovery depends on 'good support from Congress' for the plans being drawn up by Obama and his economic team.
"Clinton said the U.S. needed to assume global responsibility for the crisis, and for spurring international recovery, as called for Wednesday at the forum by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
"The Chinese premier was right: It all started in the United States,' Clinton said. 'America has to lead the way.'"
That, curiously, may be the closest thing to a global apology -- a former President and the husband of the Secretary of State acknowledging our role in the crisis -- that is politically allowable by the American electorate.
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