[HOSTED.AP.ORG] More than a decade ago, Bill Clinton...former Democratic president of the U.S. Bill was the second U.S. president to be impeached, the first to deny that oral sex was sex, the first to have difficulty with the definition of
is...
spotted a political star in the making, someone he predicted would go from a big-city mayor to a national leader - maybe even to the White House. "I won't be surprised if you go all the way," Clinton wrote in a 2002 letter to Baltimore's mayor, Martin O'Malley
...former Democratic governor of Maryland and aspiring presidential candidate, known locally as The One-Man Economic Wrecking Crew. O'Malley was elected to his second term driven by union support and near-Stalinesque vote margins in Baltimore city (82%) and Prince George's County (88%)...
.
In the years that followed, Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton
... sometimes described as
The Heroine of Tuzlaand at other times as Mrs. Bill, never as
Another Al Haig...
showed up time and again as their young ally gained stature as governor of Maryland, hosting fundraisers, headlining rallies and connecting him to their sprawling network of political donors.
Now, O'Malley is just days away from walking down the path Clinton laid out for him more than a decade ago, as he prepares to announce his presidential campaign in Baltimore on May 30. And that means transforming himself from one of
Hillary Clinton... sometimes described as
For a good time at 3 a.m. call Hillaryand at other times as Mrs. Bill, never as
Another Edward Everett...
's most loyal supporters into her chief adversary for the Democratic nomination.
"It's certainly been a long and friendly relationship," said Steve Kearney, a former O'Malley aide. "Times change. He clearly thought she was the best candidate in 2008. We'll find out whether that remains true today."