Bill Clinton Reserves Harsh Words to Describe 'Last Eight Years,' but Spokesman Insists Remark Wasn't Jab at Obama

Bill Clinton said Monday that the "last eight years" in the U.S. amounted to an "awful legacy," but a spokesman for the former president later insisted the remark wasn't meant to be critical of President Barack Obama.

During a speech in Spokane, Washington, Clinton encouraged individuals in the audience to vote for his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, so the country could "put the awful legacy of the last eight years behind us."

[I]f you believe we can all rise together, if you believe we've finally come to the point where we can put the awful legacy of the last eight years behind us and the seven years before that where we were practicing trickle-down economics with no regulation in Washington, which is what caused the crash, then you should vote for her," Clinton said.

The comment was immediately flagged by the Republican National Committee which posted the video to YouTube. "Bill Clinton Slams Obama's 'Awful Legacy,'" the RNC titled the video.

Tension between Clinton and Obama has certainly been rumored to exist since the 2008 election when Hillary Clinton was defeated by Obama in the race for the Democratic nomination.

Nevertheless, Clinton spokesman Angel Urena denied the former president was attacking Obama's record. Instead, Urena insisted Clinton was referring to the "unprecedented obstruction" Obama has faced from Republicans over his two terms when he made the comment.

"President Clinton believes, and says frequently, that President Obama doesn't get the credit he deserves for setting us back on course for economic prosperity," Urena said in a statement provided to TheBlaze. "When Republicans controlled the White House, their trickle-down approach drove our economy to the brink of a collapse.

"After President Obama was elected, Republicans made it their number one goal to block him at every turn," he added. "That unprecedented obstruction these last eight years is their legacy, and the American people should reject it by electing Hillary Clinton to build on President Obama's success so we can all grow and succeed together."

Editor's Note: This story has been updated with comment from Clinton's spokesman.

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