Many politicians have many stories about their relationship with former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, but few of those stories involve burping babies.
Mike McWherter's does.
McWherter is scheduled to welcome Bill Clinton to a rally Thursday in downtown Nashville, a boost in the McWherter campaign that the Democratic nominee for governor is clearly thrilled about.
But while McWherter has had much more contact with Bill Clinton than Hillary Clinton over the years, he tells the story of why he has always been such a fan of Hillary, currently the United States Secretary of State. Hillary is not expected to be with Bill on Thursday.
Mike's wife, Mary Jane, had just given birth to their first child, Walker, when Mike's father, Ned McWherter, was governor of Tennessee. Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas at the time and was a frequent visitor to the governor's mansion in Nashville. Ned McWherter was an ally and adviser to the rising Democratic star from Arkansas.
Mike McWherter, new to fatherhood, happened to be in the governor's mansion with the infant Walker, who was pitching quite a fit at the time. The new father had Walker in his arms and had a problem on his hands with the baby. Mike walked down the hall and came upon Bill Clinton, who was standing there shaving.
Clinton, a politician who knows where to send someone who needs immediate help, told him, "Mike, you better let Hillary take care of that."
So he went to Hillary.
"I can honestly tell you that Hillary is the person who taught me how to burp my son Walker," McWherter said. "She gave me some serious instruction about how to tend to an infant.
"I have been a Hillary Clinton fan ever since. She took charge of the situation where she knew I was totally out of my league. I told her, 'I'm sorry to impose on you,' and she said, 'Mike, I've had a lot of experience at doing this.'"
McWherter met Bill Clinton when McWherter was a freshman at the Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham. Clinton was the attorney general of Arkansas at the time, and McWherter, a freshman, was on the host committee that welcomed Clinton to speak to his class.
Clinton became friendly with Tennessee lawmaker Ned McWherter through legislative conferences and they remained good friends when Ned McWherter became governor.
McWherter said he's not sure exactly where Bill Clinton and Ned McWherter first met. But the elder McWherter was a big supporter of Clinton's when he launched his run for president. Mike McWherter also noted that Ned McWherter was influential in getting Bill Clinton to pick Al Gore Jr. as a running mate. Mike also recalls how a magazine story at the time had Clinton listing Ned McWherter as one of his best advisers.
Bill Clinton has been a busy campaigner recently. His visit to Nashville is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, but Clinton is also scheduled for an appearance Thursday in Atlanta beginning at 5 p.m., eastern time (4 p.m. Nashville time), for Senate candidate Mike Thurmond. A request for information from the McWherter campaign on the logistics of the schedule had not been answered Tuesday night.
Clinton is also expected to make an appearance in Birmingham on Thursday at 1 p.m. for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ron Sparks.
Clinton was scheduled to be at an event in New York on Tuesday with Florida Senate candidate Kendrick Meek, and Clinton is scheduled to appear in Little Rock on Wednesday with Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln.
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