Bill Clinton: Stimulus is 'our bridge over troubled water

Bill Clinton: Stimulus is 'our bridge over troubled water

Attacks GOP, says Obama has one year to get stimulus to work

Filed by David Edwards and Rachel Oswald Simon & Garfunkel had a surprise reunion the other night, meanwhile, after weeks and weeks of talk about bipartisanship, Republicans and Democrats seem further apart than ever. In an interview with CNN’s John Roberts, former President Bill Clinton referred to the stimulus package as America's "bridge over troubled waters" and predicted that President Barack Obama has about a year of continued public support in his efforts to revive the economy. “The public, I think, will support him at least for a year in trying to work these things out,” Clinton said. “He’s been very straightforward in saying it might take as much as two years for the economy to get in gear again. My instinct is it will happen a little quicker than that.” Clinton had harsh words for the recent actions of Congressional Republicans, who he accused of being hypocritical in accusing Obama of being a spendthrift while they were the ones that oversaw record deficits when they had control of the Congress. “He has reached across and it takes two to tango,” said Clinton of Obama’s efforts to gain Republican support for the stimulus package. Clinton, who during the 2008 campaign criticized Obama’s ability to lead the nation, now has only words of praise for his job performance. “He did the right thing. He did everything he could to get Republican support,” said Clinton. “Given the Congress he had and the environment and the speed in which he had to move, I think he did a fine job with this.” Despite Obama meeting personally with House Republicans to gain their support for the stimulus package, not a single House Republican voted in support of the bill, though three moderate Republicans in the Senate did cross the aisle to give the package their support. “If you look at this bill, it is designed to do three things and it does all three,” Clinton said. “It puts money in the hands of people who need money to survive, unemployment benefits, food stamp benefits, tax cuts. Second thing it does is to give money to state and local governments so they don't have to lay a million people off or raise taxes. Either one would be bad for the economy. The third thing, it creates new jobs.” This video is from CNN's American Morning, broadcast Feb. 16, 2009.