Architect Of Vast Right Wing Conspiracy "Reassesses" Hillary

"To Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, Richard Mellon Scaife qualifies as a charter member of the 'vast right-wing conspiracy,'" the New York Times notes, "having bankrolled an elaborate multimillion-dollar campaign throughout the 1990s to unearth damaging information about the couple."

But in a striking about-face, Mr. Scaife now says he has changed his mind -- at least about one half of the duo.

"I have a very different impression of Hillary Clinton today," he wrote in an opinion article published Sunday, amid her campaign for president. "And it's a very favorable one indeed."

His sudden conversion from fervid Clinton basher to lukewarm Clinton fan occurred after Mrs. Clinton, a Democratic senator from New York, sat down for a 90-minute interview with reporters and editors of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, a newspaper owned by Mr. Scaife, the billionaire heir to the Mellon banking fortune.

Here's a taste of Scaife's op-ed:

Walking into our conference room, not knowing what to expect (or even, perhaps, expecting the worst), took courage and confidence. Not many politicians have political or personal courage today, so it was refreshing to see her exhibit both.

Sen. Clinton also exhibited an impressive command of many of today's most pressing domestic and international issues. Her answers were thoughtful, well-stated, and often dead-on.

Particularly regarding foreign policy, she identified what we consider to be the most important challenges and dangers that the next president must confront and resolve in order to guarantee our nation's security. Those include an increasingly hostile Russia, an increasingly powerful China and increasing instability in Pakistan and South America.

Like me, she believes we must pull our troops out of Iraq, because it is time for Iraqis to handle their own destiny -- and, more important, because it is past time to end the toll on our soldiers there, to begin rebuilding our military, and to refocus our attention on other threats, starting with Afghanistan.

On domestic policy, Sen. Clinton and I might find more areas on which we disagree. Yet we also agree on others. Asked about the utter failure of federal efforts to rebuild New Orleans since the Katrina disaster, for example, she called it just what it has been -- "not just a national disgrace (but) an international embarrassment."

Comments

[psfurlong356]

Now there's an endorsement a Democrat can be proud of! ;)

[BadChristian]

SO much for Billary's cash flow problems..­.

Everyone shave your head, buy an official Hillary Robe, and sign over you worldly posessions to "The Family."

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

lol

[gvidal]

Another reason to nominate her....

A win is a win.

[doneflyin]

Here's another thought or two on this curious union of two people with nefarious motives.
The right wingers know that Obama can beat that sick old man in Nov.

So how to get the old man elected?

Split the vote by having Hillary do a Lieberman and run as an independent funded by this corporate imperialist and friends.
That takes care of the Obama problem for the Republicans.
McSenile will only be a one termer because of his age and health.

That sets up Hillary for another run in 2012.

[nippersdad]

Unless the plan is to do maximum damage to the Dems and then run with McCain as VP, a "uniter ticket", this fall. Why fund an alternative party candidate when there is a perfectly good party structure out there waiting to gobble up all of the Bush dogs? They are still Reagan Democrats, after all.

[doneflyin]

Yeah, I thought of this too.

There are so many Republicans who hate Hillary that is gave me pause to consider this option.
But then Republicans are such authoritarian types that by putting Hillary on the Republican ticket with McOldster they will fall in love with her overnight and do their appointed duty.
And yes, the party structure and the money are already there which Hillary would need since she can't run a competent campaign.

I can see it. Hillary and Bill would just love to screw the Democratic party for not giving them the coronation that they think they so rightly deserve.
Paybacks are best will be their campaign slogan.

[M.S. Bellows, Jr. - Huffpost Blogger]

I doubt she'll run as an independent, because that would kill any chance she has of getting the nomination in 2012. But absolutely, her game now is to ruin Obama so that McCain gets the nomination; watch McCain be hammered with Bush's inevitable recession or depression and continued Iraq casualties; and run again in 2012. Why is she continuing to run now? In order to start building her grassroots base for 2012 in every state.

[gvidal]

Obama can't beat any Rep exect Huckabee - and he's out

Your only chance to save the Supreme Court is Hillary. Accept it.

[rojo7449]

Do you get to have it both ways? There was no vast right-wing conspiracy, remember? The Clinton's became the people you Obama supporters absolutely HATED during that time, and continue to hate today. From whitewater to Vince Foster to the Rose Law files to all the lies that you are repeating here post after post, article after article. Those were all born of Scaife, Starr and the merry men of the mean right. So, do you hate the Clintons, who were burned at the stake by these guys, or do you hate the Clintons for the multiple lies they had to defend themselves against? After all the trouble the VRWC went to, Monica was the ONLY attack they were able to expose as a truth.

Why wouldn't RMS admire the woman who survived all that....in­tact, confident, and able to take on the presidency?!

[nippersdad]

No, I dislike the Clinton's for their part in dragging the Democratic Party to the right, thus making Nader's pronouncement that there were few differences between them possible.

[gvidal]

Obama = the "new" Nader.

How's he doing in PA? or any of the other swing states??

We can save our party if we listen to the PARTY super delegates and they follow their madate to vote their concience - and not some silly "will of the people" - its will of the PARTY stupid!!

[M.S. Bellows, Jr. - Huffpost Blogger]

It's not either-or: I hate Scaife for telling all those lies about Clinton I in the 90s, and I hate Clinton II even more because she's willing to sell out to him.

Except I'm only using your word "hate"; I actually don't feel hate for Hillary, just a sort of deepening revulsion the more I learn about who she really is...

[gvidal]

oh - dramatic, aren't we? grow up!

[longislandlol]

It's easy for these people to interchange their conservativism- in exchange for good ole liberal publicity.­.

[rvme]

"""Walking into our conference room, not knowing what to expect (or even, perhaps, expecting the worst), took courage and confidence. Not many politicians have political or personal courage today, so it was refreshing to see her exhibit both."""

That's my Hillary...

I always fear politicians that have followers that go by a nickname. The Obamaics? Etc. There is more evidence of Hillary reaching out across party lines that Obama. But he talks more about it.

[OverIt]

Oh... you mean like the HILLRAISER­S!?!??!?!?­!?!?!??!!?

[nazgul]

"Obamaics"?

Clintonistas. There, you've got a name too.

Spin, spin, spin. That's right, let's see if she can become good buddies with O'Reilly, Hannity, Coulter, Beck, Savage... because, you know, reaching across the aisle is a good thing, no matter whose hand you wind up shaking.

[BadChristian]

This is a riot.

"My Hillary."

"Your" Hillary probably "gives" you a free price-tag and bar-code next to your name.

Soon she'll probably let you have a free tattoo with magnetic ink.

[rvme]

Wait, let me finish laughing first. Its self-described nicknames, not press derived. Does it really offend you that Hillary isn't so divisive as you thought? Does it bother you that she is more moderate, MUCH more moderate than your boy is? Lets see, first denying his liberal stances, then shirking the responsibly to underlings, then when his own writings are found on the documents, they then say oh I didn't read them... Oh my try the cherry flavor I hear it tastes real good.

[TheWesternBreed]

Have you forgotten the FOBs--"Friends of Bill"? You probably don't have enough money to have gotten on that list, but I remember the title from the 1990s.

[NoSillyName]

"Obamaics"? Surely you jest.. Clintonite.

[gvidal]

That's my Hillary too -
crazy mob mentality is not my style - I go for substance.

[margi]

Hillary will do anything to win. But the problem is that in the long run she has wounded herself. She will use those who will do all they can to destroy the party , to make sure her fellow democrat is not elected. But I got news for her , she went to far this time; in the next few weeks the dems will drop her officially, They won't ask her to go , she will be shown the door pretty soon.
She does not think anymore ,even her strongest supporters will start packing their bags. Watch and see, I'm sure of it.
Now that we know her true colors, she can say bye bye to ever holding a senate seat, no one will ever vote for her after this senate term.

[Grannysue]

Don't you just love the way some politicians will prostitute themselves in order to WIN at any cost.
So what if she doesn't get the nomination she will go on T.V. and tell everyone it's a Left Wing Conspiracy? Maybe with that check he gives her she can pay those small business owners in Ohio she screwed over.

[wajima]

She's got the foreign policy part down. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Just remember, in the end, they're your "friend".

[BJMS]

I wouldn't believe a WORD of this...lik­e most Republicans, he just wants her to win the nomination so they can run against her...ther­e is NO WAY this man has anything but utter contempt for Hillary Clinton!

[ChrisS13]

You Obama supporters are pretty funny. On one hand you say she is a closet Republican, on the other hand you say they want to run against her because they hate her. Which one is it? You can't have it both ways, even though you attempt to,

[M.S. Bellows, Jr. - Huffpost Blogger]

Of course we can have it both ways. The Republican establishment would rather have a neocon than McCain. They'd rather have McCain than any Democrat, so they want Clinton (who consistently polls behind McCain) to be the D nominee. And if they have to have a Democrat, they'd much rather have a pro-Iraq-war, pro-Iran-war, DLC-corporatist Vichy like Hillary than a progressive like Obama. Why would you think they wouldn't have a first choice (McCain) and a backup plan (Hillary?)

[Abo]

This is old news. The article is deceptive in that it presents it as a recent development when Scaife, understandably, has been warming to Clinton's Neo-Con inclinations for quite some time now. I don't have any objections to reminders of this, however.

[BrickSykes]

Scaife should be imprisoned along with ALL the rest of the 'Vast Right Wing Conspiracy' that Hillary Clinton, ironically, pointed out in the mid-90s. We'll not likely know exactly how many there have been, but we know of a handful. Ray Hunt of Texas, many real estate developers down there; the Coors family in Colorado; the Amway guy; and, Scaife, should all be imprisoned for Obstruction of Justice. They are singularly despicable!

Oh, yeah. Go read the latest on the Don Seigelman case in Alabama: http://tinyurl.com/2orao8
You won't believe it! Right here in the good ole USA!

Brick

[FogBelter]

So, the worm has turned.

[Plank]

This is nothing more and nothing less than political prostitution.

[spicegal]

How in the world do you trust a man who spent millions trying to destroy the Clintons? And, how to you trust someone who now befriends the guy who spent millions trying to destroy her? So, why would all these right wingers rally behind Hillary? Either because she's not at heart a Democrat, they think she's the easier to defeat, or having the Clintons to bash for the next 4-8 years would maximize their own profits. Either way, it's a win-win proposition for the right wingers.