Clinton Insiders Fear Secret Service Records Could Damage Campaign

Even as Hillary Clinton's operatives were dropping hints that Republicans would exploit Barack Obama's youthful drug use, some Clinton insiders privately worried about her own vulnerability because the Bush administration possesses detailed knowledge of her movements - and her husband's - over the past seven years.

Because of Sen. Clinton's unique status as the first former First Lady to run for President - and because her husband was succeeded by a Republican - she is the first candidate to have both her and her spouse be subject to regular, long-term surveillance by an Executive Branch agency controlled by the opposing political party.

Since they left the White House in 2001, Bill and Hillary Clinton have been under the protection of the Secret Service, formerly a branch of the Treasury Department and now part of the Homeland Security Department. Records are maintained showing where they go and whom they meet.

Homeland Security is under the control of Michael Chertoff, a longtime Clinton nemesis dating back to his work as a Republican lawyer on the Senate's Whitewater investigation in the 1990s. In 2003, Sen. Clinton cast the sole dissenting vote against Chertoff's nomination as a federal judge in protest against his abrasive conduct during the Whitewater inquiry.

Though Secret Service records are supposed to be closely held secrets, a source close to the Clintons told me that it is believed that senior Republicans have received regular briefings about movements of the Clintons that might prove embarrassing if released during the general election campaign.

Click here to read more about Hillary's potential vulnerability, and the tightrope her campaign walked attacking Obama last week, on Consortium News.

Comments

[ProfessorDuh]

Let's make all the Secret Service records public — including those of the two pieces of Bush scum that have polluted the Oval Office.

[massimo1]

Could the squawking I hear be the chickens coming home to roost in the clinton henhouse? Bwahahahahahaha.

[SunshineDaydream]

can someone please give me an idea of what they are talking about (ie: "embarrassing"). strip clubs?

[rwe]

Actually the Repubs don't want this out until after Hillary is the nominee as she is still perceived as the least electable of the Dems

[sandiegowoman]

On principle, it is offensive but pragmatically, go for it! Although, I dare say Hilary supporters are much like bush suppoters in that anything she does or has done would be acceptable. Same with blabber mouth Bill.

[VivaZapata]

The Clintons can't seem to stop themselves from creating a three ring circus wherever they go.

[coonce]

This story was put out to PRE-WARN the republicans, even specific individuals like Chertoff, that the PUBLIC now knows that he MAY have a grudge against Hillary and Bill.

There's apparently BAD stuff to be told and she's warning the GOP - HANDS OFF - what is suppose to be secret.

Coonsey's View
www.freewebs.com/coonsey/

[ConcernAmerican]

Bush and the Republican Party would do ANYTHING in their power for ANY democratic nominee to win the General Election. IF Bush would talk about the records of secret service guarding President Clinton, his wife and daughter and the media tolerate it, then NATIONAL SECURITY is no longer paramount. Journalists can make presumptions, but even Bush would NOT dare do it, he knows better. Bill Clinton t knows all the details of Bush Sr., and his family’s security all the way to the current President.

What you’re saying here is typical spin, gossip, innuendos. You can only dream that will happen, but the probability it will, is close to zero.

One thing that cannot be negated, the republican party have been mining data about Barack Hussein Obama, his close relationship with his pastor and mentor (Jeremiah Wright) and Wright’s close relationship with Louis Farrakhan and their trip to Libya to meet Muammar Khadaffy. Obama itself is in full support of the Palestinian causes. How would his Jewish supporters feel if they find out these things about Obama? He seems to have chosen his running mate if he wins the nomination, AL SHARPTON. Obama has close association with bigots and black hate groups (black supremacist groups). Obama in his speech at the Apollo Theatre already made a statement if he’s the President he’ll CREATE a FEDERAL COMMISSION for the unfair treatment of blacks. Many years ago, we had a white supremacist ran for Republican nomination – DAVID DUKE, now we have the same but this time it’s black.

[TabithaM2]

Secret records damaging to her? How about what is public?

http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4811

She's to the right of Bush on most middle east policies.

[eaglecapri]

Uh oh....here it comes!

[Tator]

Don't worry Liberals. The worst they will have on Hillary is meeting with Chinese and other foreigners who gave her money which she has already got a pass on and the worst on Bill will be him catting around bangin all the babes which you Liberals seem to admire.

The rest of us already know these facts so there will be no "New" news here.

[KansasKowboy]

Who cares? If there is a problem with the people they hang around with then it is good we all know before the elections. That is what an open government and the 4th Estate is suppose to be there for. No matter what your party affiliation. If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear.

[DasBoot]

Yup, there is a word for all of this: Banana republic. That's what Reps have turned this country into.

[ebbtide]

The Clinton affiliation with Bush I, seems to be making a little bit more sense. Why won't Hillary release her records from that time? Her campaign is operating on secrecy and I don't think it a good thing--eventually the secrets will leak, throwing the country into more bitterness and chaos, should she win the nomination. Upstanding she is not.
Sigh

[edgemo]

"supposed to be closely held secrets, a source close to the Clintons told me that it is believed that senior Republicans have received regular briefings"

Is there nothing that Americans get right anymore? It's public unless you're a republican, it's a secret unless you are a Democrat, and either way, George W is a current Coke head, who passed out drunk stoned and blamed it on a pretzel...it's all in the secret service records... you could check if he was a democrat....

Lets be like Huffpo, and the Republicans, start spreading unverifiable 'fact' about who ever the hell we want.

This is worse than tabloid journalism. Unverified sources of unverifiable information on people we just don't happen to like.

And just to dredge up the past: how the hell does the son of the director of the CIA become the first National Guardsman in history to have his entire record misplaced?