Get That Yapper on a Leash

Apparently, since Saturday, there's a consensus building, a sense among many Democrats that Bill Clinton had "injected himself clumsily into the race..." (NYTimes)

A brief sampling:

"I think his harsh style hurt Senator Clinton -- it polarized the campaign and polarized the electorate, and it also made it harder for Senator Clinton's positive message to break through." --Celinda Lake, a Democratic strategist and pollster who is not affiliated with any of the candidates.

"Voters don't like the idea of a co-presidency, and he became so high profile that he made people begin to see this as a possible co-presidency. It's even more problematic because she's a woman. It looks like she either needs him to fight the big battles for her, or she can't keep the big dog on the porch." --Linda L. Fowler, a professor of government at Dartmouth College, a Hillary Clinton advisor.

"He's got to [pull back]. The focus has got to get back on Hillary. For all that he cares about his wife, this has to be her election to win, and it's become too much about his role." --Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), a leading supporter of Hillary Clinton.

"I think it's not presidential, it's not in keeping with the image of a former president, and I'm frankly surprised that he is taking this approach. I think it is important for all of us to participate in a way that raises the level of debate and begins to focus on the things that the American people want us to be addressing. I think it's a disappointment for many Democrats." --Tom Daschle, former Senate Democratic leader and an Obama supporter.