"The Other Way"

“People will go in that polling booth and say: ‘You know, I really admire Senator McCain. He gave about all you could give to this country without getting killed for it. But I’ve got to have a change, and I’m going the other way.’ ”

-- Bill Clinton, still unable or unwilling to say Barack Obama's name, on "Late Show with Dave Letterman" on Monday night.

“Is it me, or he didn’t want to say the name ‘Barack Obama’?”

-- Comic Chris Rock, following Bill Clinton on Monday's Letterman's talk show.

Bill Clinton: He's really, really glad to see John McCain

John McCain, in suspending his presidential campaign to (eventually) head back to Washington from New York to help the push for a financial rescue plan, may have nixed a planned appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman" and cancelled a chat with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

But McCain wasn't about to snub his old friend, Bill Clinton, this morning. And the ex-president, for all his expressions of support for Barack Obama and predictions of victory in November for his fellow Democrat, continues to give the impression he's definitely hedging his bets.

McCain kept his promise to address the annual meeting in the Big Apple of the Clinton Global Initiative, founded to fight malaria, global warming, poverty and other ills that know no borders. McCain's wife, Cindy, and his running mate, Sarah Palin, came along to lend support.

The Times' Bob Drogin also was there, and he reports, that Clinton was effusive in his introduction, saying he was "personally profoundly honored" and "profoundly grateful" that McCain showed up.

Obama, he noted less warmly, would speak to the group later by satellite feed from Florida, where he's been encamped for prep sessions for the Friday debate that may or may not take place.

Sure doesn't seem like Bill is campaigning his heart out for the Obamalomaniac.