The Obama re-election team must be in panic mode. The president is stuck in a virtual tie with Mitt Romney in some polls and behind him in others, so in desperation, it has reached out to the Big Dog, Bill Clinton, for help.

Clinton will speak next month at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., in a Wednesday-night position often reserved for the vice presidential nominee. Obama and Clinton have not had the most cordial relationship, but when you’re drowning, your feelings about the lifeguard matter less than his ability to keep you afloat. And Obama is a sinking man.