Dear Barack Obama,

You really shouldn’t need my help like this; you’re a bright guy. Nonetheless, let me offer you an effective line against the Clintons (and yes, you have to include the Big He in this as well). You ready? Here it is: “Big promises, little results.” Obama needs to remind Democrats how the Clintons have made big, public announcements of initiatives on their preferred goals, only to forget about them later.

Exhibit A: September 2006:

Former President Clinton announced the launch of an investment fund expected to raise more than $1 billion for renewable energy on Friday, the final day of his global issues conference.

Today:

“President Clinton is firmly committed to green and clean energy and investment as both good policy and a boon for the American economy; however, this fund never came to fruition,” says spokesman Jay Carson.

Exhibit B: Back in 1997, Bill Clinton got a lot of good press for challenging scientists to develop an AIDS vaccine within ten years. He didn’t actually do anything when he said that, he just “challenged” scientists to meet that goal.

It’s ten years later, and no vaccine. Empty rhetoric and cheap applause lines, raising hopes that knew he would never be held accountable for. For example,

Mr. Clinton said today that although ‘’there are no guarantees’’ that an AIDS vaccine could be developed in 10 years, ‘’with the strides of recent years, it is no longer a question of whether we can develop an AIDS vaccine — it is simply a question of when.’’

Actually, ten years later, it is still a question of whether it can be done: “After 25 years and countless billions of research dollars, some of the nation’s top scientists say a vaccine that provides absolute immunity against the virus that causes AIDS — the best hope of curbing the worst epidemic of our time — may never happen. Despite breakthroughs in treatments for people already infected with HIV, researchers have hit one obstacle after another in efforts to develop a vaccine, long considered the Holy Grail of AIDS research. The science, they say, is just too hard.”

Bill Clinton knows exactly how to get the great headlines. And afterwards… well, he rarely seems afraid of being held accountable.

Exhibit C: Take your pick: “Save Social Security First.” “Universal Health Care.” “We’ve got to have middle class tax relief, no matter what else we do.” Bill Clinton’s pledge as a candidate to withdraw “most-favored- nation” benefits from China unless its human rights record improved. Ending the ban on gays openly serving in the military.

Various factions of the Democratic party feel like they got a raw deal from Bill Clinton on their priorities; for some reason Barack Obama doesn’t want to hit the frontrunner on whether her promises are any more reliable than his.