NEW YORK, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, resting in a New York hospital ahead of heart surgery, spent 90 minutes on the phone advising John Kerry.
The Massachusetts senator, suffering a double-digit deficit in the polls behind President Bush, had called Clinton Saturday night for help with invigorating his campaign, the New York Times reported.
Clinton urged Kerry to move away from talking about Vietnam, which had been the central theme of his candidacy, and focus instead on drawing contrasts with Bush on job creation and health care policies.
Kerry also used the conversation to recruit old Clinton hands amid rising concern among Democrats about the state of Kerry's campaign.
Among better-known former Clinton aides who are expected to play a greater role are James Carville, Paul Begala and Stanley Greenberg.
