Bill Shaheen Resigns As Hillary Clinton's New Hampshire Co-Chair

Bill Shaheen, Hillary Clinton's New Hampshire Co-Chair, has announced he will step down from that position. His resignation comes in the wake of remarks he made concerning Clinton rival Barack Obama's past drug use, and his insinuation Obama not only used, but also dealt drugs.

In an email statement Shaheen wrote:

"I would like to reiterate that I deeply regret my comments yesterday . . . . I have made the personal decision that I will step down as the Co-Chair of the Hillary for President campaign . . . . we must all get back to electing the best qualified candidate who has the record of making change happen in this country."

Bill Shaheen is the husband of former New Hampshire governor and 2008 U.S. Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen.

 

Comments

[Tellmethetruth]

05:53 PM on 12/15/2007

MEREDITH, N.H. (AP) -- Presidential hopeful Bill Richardson on Saturday decried the "nasty little fights" between his Democratic rivals, saying the scuffles distract from serious issues in the campaign.

In recent weeks, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's supporters have spread rumors against Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and raised questions about his teenage drug use and his faith. Those discussions only hurt the Democrats and could have been avoided if they had joined him in a promise to run a positive-only campaign, Richardson said.

"Almost a year ago, I came out and said all the Democratic hopefuls need to sign a pledge that we won't attack each other. Only Joe Biden signed it with me," Richardson said to laughter.

The Richardson said the infighting hurts the party in the November general election and undermines their policy proposals.

"Why isn't the Democratic Party, why aren't all of us talking more about jobs? ... It should be about who can change this country, who can govern, who has the experience to do it and most importantly, who can bring this country together," Richardson said during a town hall laden with policy summaries.

His campaign has tried to play up his resume: New Mexico governor, former energy secretary, UN ambassador, congressman. On paper, he is one of the Democrats' strongest options, but he hasn't yet been able to catch fire.

"Some of the smartypants set in Washington think it's a two-person race so they're focusing on the fights between the two top people, the nasty little fights," Richardson said.

Current polls have a tight race emerging in the early states. Clinton posted 32 percent and Obama posted 31 percent among likely Democratic primary voters in a Concord Monitor poll released on Friday. Edwards was even at 18 percent and Richardson had 8 percent support.

[BeamMeUpScotty]

10:22 AM on 12/14/2007

While I voted for Clinton, twice, I never bought the "I didn't inhale" garbage.

I have more respect for Obama for coming clean (better now than later) than the self righteous liars who feed us crap like, "I never had sex with that woman, Monica Lewinsky" and "It depends on what your definition of "is" is."

[getoffmedz]

09:55 AM on 12/14/2007

Did damage control come too late?

[ConfuseAsConfucius]

09:53 AM on 12/14/2007

Obama did not, I repeat did not BLOW, he SNORTED it. VOTE OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!!!

[MRb1000]

09:44 AM on 12/14/2007

Yeah here they come with there I think I think. We he is going to win.

[algreener]

09:38 AM on 12/14/2007

I think Obama's (and all candidates) ability to be elected is a valid issue and should be discussed. I don't think the cocaine issue is much as Bush was a user and a drunk, but whether someone could beat a Republican is a vital issue. I'm not sure Obama could win because of his race as a matter of fact.

Everyone with half a brain knows this is a big issue and just because there's all this PC around it doesn't change the fact that it's the 800 pound gorilla in the room.

[RAMHaiti]

09:13 AM on 12/14/2007

Obama snorting coke and smoking pot shouldn't be a campaign issue BUT we don't have such a good track record with the only President who has snorted coke...

Obama and Edwards have the same problem; it seems they should be running for class president, you know, college kids.

Nothing wrong with college kids. Just not ready to run the country.

[duboisist]

08:54 AM on 12/14/2007

A lot of comments so far seem to come directly from yesterday’s “Hardball.”
Chris Matthews has been advocating for MONTHS that the campaigns increase the criticism of the Sen. Clinton (Just ONE example 9/26/07, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21013620/). In fact, this whole scenario, from the Obama campaign “attacking from a defensive position” to the Edward campaign benefiting from the voters who are turned off by “negative campaigning” comes DIRECTLY from his book, “Life’s a Campaign.” A book that Jon Stewart called, “Machiavellian” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-l-pozner/jon-stewart-puts-chris-ma_b_67023.html).

I don’t like dirty tricks. I decide if something is unfair or not is whether there is evidence that it is true.
Pointing out that someone is taking credit for something that a large number of people have also done (“Vote for me; I have 10 toes.”) or that they are criticizing you for something a large number of people have done (“Don’t vote for her; she has 10 toes.”) -- not unfair.
Pulling elaborate conspiracy theories out of your ass -- unfair.

[rollingdivision]

08:48 AM on 12/14/2007

The netroots need to hold back on the blasting of HRC. Soon, it will become apparent Obama just doesn't have the broad and deep support needed to take the nomination in the face of the Clinton machine. So, the netroots will have to turn on a dime and once again become big time Hilliary supporters.

[middleoftheroad]

08:26 AM on 12/14/2007

You guys have to see Mark Penn LAST NIGHT doing the same thing on MSNBC that Bill Shaheen did!!! HE MUST GO TOO! It never ends with the Clinton War Machine! Joe Trippi clocks him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iazXbc-3ccU

[rollingdivision]

08:15 AM on 12/14/2007

The political equivalent of taking one for the team. This toothpaste is out of the tube and there isn't any putting it back. Good job, Bill Shaheen, you'll get your reward in the Hilliary Clinton administration just wait and see.

[missette]

07:29 AM on 12/14/2007

There is a heartening side to this story. Andrea Mitchell reported today that the Clinton campaign is frustrated by the lack of interest in Iowa and other key primary states in Obama's prior drug use and the campaign's ability to draw attention to it. Finally, the electorate is repudiating the type of politics that brought us the travesty that is the George W. Bush administration. Clinton's campaign, like Bush, Rove et al., show a curious contempt for the electorate when it panders to the lowest common denominator instead of engaging us with intelligent discussion of important issues. But the straw appears to have been broken at last, throwing Clinton's playbook out the window. There is a glimmer of hope here.

[ednadumpling]

06:41 AM on 12/14/2007

this a compost story and a load of crap
1. Washington Post Jan 2007
unease about Obama's drug candor
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/02/AR2007010201359_pf.html
and this was a post reporter this time too
gee
1. msgop was reporting almost a year ago the obama used cocaine
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?p=1017085

[Kane]

01:21 AM on 12/14/2007

For those keeping score, this is the third member of the Clinton team to resign because of inappropriate attacks against a fellow Democrat.

And we're only in mid-December!

What are the chances that a fourth member of the Team Clinton will soon be forced to resign?

[heyjoe]

12:49 AM on 12/14/2007

Here again, Hillary has teamed up with another no good Bill who will do her no good. If I had any doubts before, I have none now, Hillary is a mess. She is a disgrace and I have no respect for her. Not only that, I plan to now work actively to defeat Shaheen for Senator.