Peter G. Peterson Foundation 2014 Fiscal Summit  ...2 of 3 >
May 14, 2014 - PBS's Gwen Ifill interviewed former President Bill Clinton.  At the end of almost an hour of exchanges on a wide range of subjects, she asked,

"Karl Rove asked yesterday, or raised the question over the weekend I guess, about whether Hillary Clinton is well enough to run for president in 2016 and whether in fact she had suffered a brain injury.  Dr. Rove wants to know as much as we do whether that's true and whether it will affect her decision making."

Clinton responded,

"Well first of all I've got to give him credit.  You know that embodies that old saying that consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.  First they said she faked her concussion and now they say she's auditioning for a part on "The Walking Dead."  I mean you know whatever it takes.

"Look.  She works out every week.  She is strong.  She's doing great.  As far as I can tell she's in better shape than I am.  She certainly seems to have more stamina now.  And, there's nothing to it.  It, it, I didn't even, I was sort of dumb-founded. 

"They went to all this trouble to say that she had staged what was a terrible concussion.  It required six months of very serious work to get over.  It's something she never low-balled with the American people, never tried to pretend didn't happen.  Now they say she's really got brain damage.  

Ifill: "You think they're just trying to..." 

"Well if she does then I must be in really tough shape because she's still quicker than I am."

Ifill: "Do you think this is their way of inserting her age or her physical capabilities into the 2016 debate?"

"I don't know, but if it is you can't be too upset about it; it's just the beginning.  They'll get better and better at it.  I mean you know, it, I'm still waiting for them to admit there was nothing to Whitewater.  I mean, you, it's just part of the deal.  You can't-  When a question is asked it has to be answered in a serious fashion if it raises a serious issue even in a ridiculous way.  After that you just have to trust the people and go on and get back to the business of what's really in the public interest."

Clinton then turned to the subject of the deficit, which was after all the subject of the summit.
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