The Clinton-Kerry Alliance

In his Web column today, Patrick Healy writes about the relationship between Senators John Kerry and Hillary Clinton:

At first blush they seemed like a surprising couple: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator John Kerry, teaming up last month to defend Mrs. Clinton from Pentagon criticism over the Iraq war – criticism that had a Swift-Boat-style ring to it, her campaign believed, of questioning her patriotism.

The two senators are political rivals within the Democratic Party – he its nominee in 2004, she a leading candidate for the nomination next year. What’s more, Mrs. Clinton was among those who hobbled Mr. Kerry politically last year by criticizing him for a botched joke he made about President Bush and Iraq; Kerry friends say the blow-up over the joke was a factor in his not seeking the presidency again in 2008. Read more …