Clinton v. Geffen

Robert Novak:

Democratic sources believe that the harsh response by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign to criticism by Hollywood producer David Geffen stems from an overreaction by Bill Clinton to any attack on his pardon policy as president.  Geffen sniped at the Clintons in his interview with New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd because President Clinton had pardoned financial contributor Marc Rich instead of American Indian activist Leonard Peltier.

Geffen, a longtime backer of Bill Clinton, is backing Sen. Barack Obama for president.  The movie mogul's comments marked the first time Bill Clinton had been subjected to an attack from his party since the 1992 campaign.

The former president was reported as infuriated, raising the question of whether he will rise to the bait in any further intraparty criticism of his wife.