Clinton: Republicans unlikely to win back either house of Congress

Despite the parallels with the current political environment and that of 1994, Bill Clinton said the outcome of November’s election “is likely to be far less dramatic.”

“I don't think [the GOP] will win either house,” he said on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday. “If history is any guide, they should make a few gains. But I don't expect them to win in either house, no.”

The former president expanded on the remarks he made earlier to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and the New York Times about how anti-government rhetoric could incite violence as was the case in the 1990s.

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh seized on the statements and said they were an attempt to discredit the Tea Party movement.

“The only point I tried to make was that we ought to have a lot of political dissent, a lot of political argument,” Clinton said. “But we also have to take responsibility for the possible consequences of what we say. And we shouldn't demonize the government or its public employees or its elected officials.”

Clinton said he was concerned about the threats being made against President Barack Obama, members of Congress and even New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R). “I just think we all have to be careful. We ought to remember after Oklahoma City. We learned something about the difference in disagreement and demonization,” he said.

Clinton ruled himself or his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, out of accepting an appointment to the Supreme Court but he offered some advice to Obama about a prospective nominee.

“My advice to him would be to, first of all, see what the court's missing. Does it matter if he puts a Catholic or a Jewish person or someone of another faith on a court, there might -- there would be no Protestants on the Supreme Court. … Does there need to be another woman on the court?”

Clinton encouraged Obama to look beyond the tradition template of experienced judges. “You know, I tried to persuade both Senator Mitchell and Governor Cuomo to accept appointments to the court, and for different reasons, neither one wanted to do it,” he said. “I think they would have been fabulous justices. And -- now, George Mitchell had been a judge, but he was also a senator. I think that -- I hope he'll take a look at somebody who hasn't been a judge.”

He added, “I'd like to see him put someone in their late 40s or early 50s on the court and someone, you know, with a lot of energy for the job.”

Clinton said he thought it would be “very difficult” for the GOP to block Obama’s eventual nominee. “I don't expect him to intentionally pick a fight with the Senate,” Clinton said before urging Obama not to back down if he finds the “best person” for the job. “The most important thing is he needs to be really proud of the people he puts on the court,” he said.