Paul Greenberg (January 21, 1937 – April 6, 2021)[1] was an American syndicated columnist and author.
[citation needed] On September 27, 1980, then-Governor Bill Clinton addressed the Arkansas Democratic Convention and cast himself as a standard-bearer of the postwar tradition of progressive governance in the state.
[4] In response, Greenberg began calling Clinton "Slick Willie" and alleged he was a false reformer who abandoned the policies of such predecessors as Winthrop Rockefeller, Dale Bumpers and David Pryor.
According to Meredith L. Oakley, the term was coined by Jess L. Crosser who often berated the young governor in letters to the editor of the Arkansas Democrat.
The moniker "Slick Willie" would go on to be frequently used by Clinton's opposition throughout his political career.