According to media reports, Hillary Clinton’s strategists have decided to change Bill Clinton’s role in her campaign. Based on polls and anecdotal reports, it appears that many voters have been turned off by the former president’s current level of involvement. As a result, insiders believe that Bill will reduce his public appearances and antagonistic comments and return to the mild-mannered and supportive husband that he was before Hillary’s loss in Iowa. Judging by Obama’s heavy-handed victory in South Carolina, which was partially due to a sizable number of female voters, it may be too late. While I’m not at all disturbed by the idea that Hillary may lose the nomination, I am bothered at the broader consequences of her current strategy. At the same time that Hillary Clinton has promoted her presidential bid as a sign of gender progress, her recent tactics offend the very spirit of feminism.

When Clinton flashed the infamous New Hampshire teardrop, she did more than mobilize white women against an ostensibly threatening black man. She also sent a signal that she would stop at nothing, including compromising the integrity of the first viable female candidacy, to satiate her desire for continuing the Clinton dynasty. Since that day, Clinton has allowed her husband Bill to serve as the political version of Lucca Brazi, openly firing salvos at Obama while she tries to appear above the fray. Fortunately, most of the country is too familiar with the Clintons’ thuggery to buy their Good Cop/Bad Cop routine. Instead of making her look more presidential, such tactics make Hillary look like a weak pawn in Bill Clinton’s ego-driven strategy to run the country again.

During the South Carolina debate, Obama quipped that he can’t tell whether he’s running against Hillary or Bill. While his comment may have ruffled Hillary’s feathers, it did little to affect her strategy of using the former president as her public cosigner. For the past three weeks, Bill Clinton has gone into full-fledged campaigning mode, substituting “she” with “we,” and “her” with “our.” Through his speeches, Bill Clinton seems to be winking to the American people, promising that he’ll be there to make sure “the little lady doesn’t botch things up.”

Now that Obama has regained his momentum, the Clintons seem prepared to return to the strategy of promoting Hillary as an experienced politician with more than a matrimonial connection to the White House. Although this approach may win Hillary the presidency, it will do little to destroy controlling images of women as extensions of male desire and ambition.

Contrary to what Hillary has said, this is the real glass ceiling that women must crack.

Down From The Tower

Melissa Harris-Lacewell

Marc Lamont Hill

Today, the Washington Post launched a new website, TheRoot.com, an online magazine focusing on Black culture, politics, and genealogy. Along with Princeton professor Melissa Harris-Lacewell, I will be co-writing a political blog entitled Down From The Tower. Melissa and I will regularly discuss and debate issues related to politics and culture. To see our first exchange, on the Obama victory in South Carolina, go to: www.TheRoot.com

(For a video introduction to the site by editor-in-chief Henry Louis Gates, click here.)

Question to the Sexpert:
“At the barbershop the other week there was a discussion about retightening the vagina.  Someone made the suggestion that Kegel exercises work just as well in helping a woman enhance her vaginal area.  My inquiry is simple:  What is the proper technique to use in doing a Kegel exercise? Do I need to use something to do Kegel Exercises? (I vaguely remember an old boyfriend telling me pleasure pearls work well.) Can Kegel exercises really add to a woman’s overall sexual experience?”

Ahh, Kegels. Even if you never make it to the gym, even if you never get your ass off the damn couch for any reason other than to grab more cheesecake and potato chips, you too can have some riptastically toned muscles in your nether providences. And that goes for guys as well as ladies.

Pubococcygeus muscles, also known as PC muscles, also known as pelvic floor muscles, also known as Kegels (after the physician who brought modern public attention to the potential benefits), are involved in a number of important functions, not the least of which are sexual. Besides preventing urinary incontinence, curing pelvic prolapse and making pregnancy more comfortable, strengthening the PC muscles can definitely improve a person’s sex life.

For women, having a strong set of Kegels means being able to clench down more tightly during penetration and frankly, it doesn’t feel half bad just by itself. For men, toning those muscles can serve as a method of preventing premature ejaculation. People who are pregnant, have recently given birth or who are overweight are ideal candidates for pubococcygeus muscle workouts, but everyone can benefit from including them into their lat, delt and quad routines.

Now you’re probably thinking, “all right, Timaree, I’m sold on it. But what the hell are you talking about? Where are these damn things? What am I supposed to do, lift free weights with my cooter?”

Well, yeah, kind of. You can start with basic clenching (we’ll get to that, don’t worry) but to add resistance and become substantially stronger, women will want to practice clamping down on specially designed barbells available at adult toy stores (they often double as sex toys). Men can only pretty much clamp down their muscles, there are no products they can insert to add resistance….But let’s start from the beginning.

STEP ONE: LOCATE THEM
Next time you’re peeing, concentrate on stopping the flow of urine midstream. The sensation you feel is the flexing of your pelvic floor and sphincter muscles: the exact contractions you’ll be repeating over and over. ***Important note: don’t make a habit of practicing these exercises while urinating because it’s really, really not good for you. Empty your bladder prior to putting in a PC workout.

STEP TWO: RICHARD SIMMONS FOR YOUR HOOHA
For beginners, try to start incorporating some Kegel flexing into your everyday activities three times a day. Simply clench for five seconds and relax for two about ten times per session. Try variations like holding the contraction for longer and longer or making the motions faster and faster. The nice thing is that you can work these muscles while riding the train, sitting in a meeting, talking on the phone, etc and no one is the wiser.

As a brand spankin new pilates instructor I’d like to also add that along with core strengthening, lengthening and stretching, regular pilates exercises are a fantastic shortcut to stronger Kegels.

STEP THREE: ADVANCED CLASS
So you think you’re a badass, huh? You’ve been doing Kegels since I was getting my hair did for Junior Prom? All right, showoff, work up to 200-300 reps a day and start including more fancy moves like increasing or decreasing the degree of tension with each squeeze and relax (the effect has been likened to an elevator stopping at different floors), and yes, using BenWa balls or vaginal barbells for resistance.

WHAT THIS DOES DO
After a month or so, you’ll likely see dramatic improvements in sexual pleasure for both you and penetrative partners as well as urinary continence, which becomes increasingly important with age. Men can discover substantially increased abilities to delay ejaculation with in a month and a half.

WHAT THIS DOESN’T DO
Some people have big vaginas, some people have small vaginas, just as they have different sized everything elses. These activities cannot change that. But a vaginal opening stretched by childbirth can snap back into shape.. Kegels also aren’t necessarily going to make you orgasmic if intercourse doesn’t currently get you off, either, while it will likely make it more fun.

So if you made it your New Year’s Resolution to work out more but are already missing the gym more days than not, at least you can be doing these exercises.

Timaree Schmit is a trained sexologist who has also worked as an HIV prevention counselor and sex educator. She has written widely for numerous publications and was recently recognized by Coed Magazine as one of the 10 Most Famous College Sex Columnists in America. Timaree is completing a doctorate in Human Sexuality at Widener University.

Do you have a question or comment? Please email Timaree directly at sexpert@MarcLamontHill.com

Since news of his scandal broke, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been under pressure to resign. What do you think?

Here’s the victory speech from Barack Obama’s landslide victory in South Carolina on Saturday: