Top Clinton Strategist Defends Clinton Slam On Democratic Activists

Hillary Clinton's senior campaign strategist on Sunday defended as true private remarks made by the senator in which she blamed her electoral defeats on a Democratic activist base with whom she has disagreed.

Geoff Garin, who took over the reigns of the campaign several weeks ago from Mark Penn, sought to diffuse anger and concern over Clinton's comments -- which were reported by The Huffington Post -- by casting them as nothing more than legitimate political analysis.

"The truth is that we agree with MoveOn [the Democrat group Clinton singled out] on lots of issues, disagree with them on some," said Garin. "One of them is they've endorsed Senator Obama and they have been very effective in these caucuses."

Asked to specify exactly which issues Clinton and Moveon had disagreements, Garin demurred, saying simply it was a "particular set of foreign policy issues," not "everything." Pressed to discuss when, as Clinton claimed, MoveOn had "flooded" caucuses and "intimidated" voters into supporting Obama, he attempted to sidestep the question.

"I don't want to... I'm here for two weeks now, so this comment was made in, I believe, at the beginning of March," he said. "But, look, the truth is Senator Clinton, as she said in that other clip, respects the right of MoveOn to be involved in this process, and respects the role that activists play in our party. I think the larger point is that when you move from the caucuses to the primaries where participation is much, much greater, she has done extremely well."

Garin's appearance on Meet The Press came two days after the Huffington Post reported on Clinton's remarks, which were made at a small closed-door fundraiser after Super Tuesday.

"Moveon.org endorsed [Sen. Barack Obama] -- which is like a gusher of money that never seems to slow down," Clinton said at the meeting of donors. "We have been less successful in caucuses because it brings out the activist base of the Democratic Party. MoveOn didn't even want us to go into Afghanistan. I mean, that's what we're dealing with. And you know they turn out in great numbers. And they are very driven by their view of our positions, and it's primarily national security and foreign policy that drives them. I don't agree with them."

On Saturday, the Clinton campaign was first asked to address the issue. During a conference call with reporters, the senator's chief spokesman Howard Wolfson noted that he too was a member of MoveOn, and that any differences between Clinton and the progressive group would be resolved should she end up the Democratic nominee.

"I am a member of MoveOn... I participated in the Moveon primary where they endorsed Sen. Obama. I obviously voted for Sen. Clinton... Sen. Clinton agrees with MoveOn on some issues she disagrees on other issues," he said. "I assume and believe [that if] Sen. Clinton [is the nominee], that we will be able to unite the party behind us and go forward with unity and strength in the general election....we believe that progressive organizations like MoveOn do and can and will play a critical part in that process..."

Comments

[halyscomet]

The HillBilly's will be exiting soon.

EVERYONE knows this has been over for a while.

Good ratings booster, however...

[CTtransplant]

For those who want to know the actual truth about MoveOn.org and Clinton's comments re: intimidation, there is an article here on HP by Celeste Fremon. Here is a very important excerpt that says it all for me:

"Howard Wolfson, communications director for the Clinton campaign, verified the authenticity of the audio, and elaborated on Clinton's charge that these same party activists were engaged in acts of intimidation against her supporters: "There have been well documented instances of intimidation in the Nevada and the Texas caucuses, and it is a fact that while we have won 4 of the 5 largest primaries, where participation is greatest, Senator Obama has done better in caucuses than we have." About Clinton's remarks suggesting dismay over high Democratic activist turnout, Wolfson said, "I'll let my statement stand as is."

In fact, the Nevada caucuses occurred prior to MoveOn's endorsement of Obama, and when Clinton made her remarks, the Texas caucuses had yet to take place."

[JMorgan]

In the old days, when I liked and voted for the Clintons, I'd have said in response to this, "She misspoke or was herself misinformed". A few months ago, I might have still given her the benefit of the doubt for accusing others of Rove-ing her. But after being caught in the act of lying through her teeth several times (multiple lies about Bosnia, multiple lies about other things) and her excuse is to shrug and say, "So? It proves I'm human", we're talking major pathology here. In the debate on Wednesday, she backtracked and clung to the "sleepy" defense again, then lied again by referring to her book as the true account.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE4Sb6csR-w

The book has the harrowing account.

I'm done with politicians who use pollsters to design their language (Frank Luntz' tested phrases) to fool the voters into thinking it means something entirely different than what the politician intends. Like Bush and "Compassionate Conservatism".

If many more citizens show up to caucus for Obama than for Hillary Rodham Clinton, is she justified in describing her loss as "MoveOn's members flooded the caucuses"?

[bclintonk]

Hillary has blundered big-time here, on two counts. First she disses MoveOn, a substantial and effective activist network whose support she'll desperately need if she wins the Democratic nomination. Second, she disses the entire Obama campaign by falsely implying it's just MoveOn in another guise. That's just flatly false. By the time MoveOn endorsed Obama in February, he had already built an incredible grassroots fundraising and activist network, using Internet tools that in some ways parallel but existed entirely independently of MoveOn. To be sure, some individuals are both MoveOn members and Obama activists, but I'd guess there's not more than a 10% overlap. Obama's tapped into a much wider demographic of upscale, college-educated professionals and net-savvy and previously apolitical college-age young adults. Many of these people have never even heard of MoveOn, or at any rate feel no allegiance to it. They're the ones "flooding" caucuses AND primaries with record Democratic turnout, and filling Obama's coffers with unprecedented levels of cash, not beholden to any special interest. MoveOn's a piece of the puzzle, but just a small piece. Hillary's ham-handed effort to diss the Obama campaign by equating it to MoveOn and then dissing MoveOn as a fringe organization reveals just how truly, deeply, and hopelessly clueless her campaign is about Internet-age organizing; and consequently, how truly, deeply, and hopelessly clueless her campaign is about the future of everything, including how to build a majority Democratic coalition in November and beyond.

[VicDamone]

The two top strategists of Obama and Clinton were on Meet the Press this morning. They hurled the shallowest and most manufactured accusations at each other and then fawned all over each other about what good friends they were and how they would be happy to work for the other candidate if he or she should become the nominee. It's all rubbish. These guys don't even know what they are fighting for anymore. It's all show. It's all manufactured for the great American soap opera and both candidates, after two years of sitting in this warm bath, are starting to drink the bath water. I just finished watching John Adams on HBO and I see shades of the greatness and weaknesses of Jefferson and Adams in both of these candidates. Lets break ourselves of this addiction to media-fabricated dramas. Let's focus on why these two candidates are legitimate in their virtue and talent to lead a new revolution against the failed policies, initiated by Reagan, crystallized by the current stain in our White House, and embraced by the current Republican candidate. Let us focus on these things.

[FrankBlackFrancis]

word! best thing I read all day.

[tenilla]

I made hundreds of calls to dozens of states before the November 2006 mid-term election through MoveOn.

Surely Hillary knows that were she to somehow claw the Democratic nomination away from Obama,, MoveOn would be very useful to her in the general election. Her denouncing MoveOn pandered to her blue collar base who find anything too progressive to be suspect, and, more importantly, laid to rest any credibility to the claim that Hillary thinks she will win the nomination.

This deranged woman has alienated most of the anchors at MSNBC and now MoveOn. "Polarizing"
it too mild an adjective for her these days.

[valleygent]

This was a total botch...just get off my TV screen Hillary, I don't want to see you anymore! Not only are you the epitome of evil but your surrogates are pure BOZO's.

[BlackmaninAmerica]

Hillary has a huge challenge that she faces should she be the nominee - getting the coalition together. She, I believe will have a tougher time because of her negatives. Obama will face challenges too but she has a larger challenge - convincing the so-called Obamanation to not vote for McCain.

[BlackmaninAmerica]

Yeah, I felt bad for Garin. Axelrod was better prepared though. I think they should have had Wolfson on instead. He is certainly more knowledgeable.

[mdargo]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/19/wuspols219.xml
"Why Women Shouldn't Vote for Hillary Clinton" * by Camille Paglia * 4/20/08
EXCERPT: " ..... Whatever her official feminist credo, Hillary's public career has glaringly been a subset to her husband's success. Despite her reputation for brilliance, she failed the Washington, DC bar exam. Thus her migration to Little Rock was not simply a selfless drama for love; she was fleeing the capital where she had hoped to make her mark ..... In Little Rock, every role that Hillary played was obtained via her husband's influence - from her position at the Rose Law Firm to her seat on the board of Wal-Mart to her advocacy for public education reform. In a pattern that would continue after Bill became president, Hillary would draw attention by expressing public "concern" for a problem, without ever being able to organise a programme for reform ..... The argument, therefore, that Hillary's candidacy marks the zenith of modern feminism is specious. Feminism is not well served by her surrogates' constant tactic of attributing all opposition to her as a function of entrenched sexism. Well into her second term as a US Senator, Hillary lacks a single example of major legislative achievement. Her career has consisted of fundraising, meet-and-greets and speeches around the world expressing support for women's rights ..... "

[Swift2]

"WHY NOBODY SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO CAMILLE PAGLIA" by me. You do know that undisputed right-wing nut embraces everything Limbaugh says, don't you? I mean, aside from being a windbag, a fool, a scurrilous old harridan, and having swiss cheese for brains. If Obama's desperate enough to ask for Paglia readers to support him, may God have mercy on his soul.

[nibblybits]

Wow, poor Garin really made a fool of himself on TV today. It was a pathetic performance, but the poor guy couldn't lie as easily as that trained seal Howard Wolfson. He evaded question after question claiming his 2-week new status on the team, and he flubbed the answers that he did end up giving.

Axelrod toyed with him like a cat with a mouse.

[uffa]

Interesting that he pointed out he'd work for the Obama campaign in a heartbeat if Clinton doesn't get the nomination.

[TonalCrow]

I hope Obama is wise enough to refuse the offer.

[shep1900]

Axelrod came across as an underhanded, lying sneak. Which fits the tone of the Obama campaign in recent weeks precisely, so I guess we know who the puppet master is.

[Denni]

Lies lies and MORE lies.... Of course the Clinton camp can't offer proof of its assertions when asked. No surprise there!

[fayted]

Are Hillary's supporters still drowning in her kool--aid, common, so know it's moveon fault that she's lossing the nomination, they will fallow any lie that she can come up with, anything sound "reasonably" for them, peculiar when you think about it, in any other circunstances moveon is good for the party, they do good things,but now there bad, evil conspiracy treatning, intimidating, bulling, sounds more like her on doing's if you ask me. Is it mandatory to vote for hillary? everyday that goes by she reminds me of Bush eigther you're with me or you're against me.

[marchamlin]

It's never her fault, is it?

[BlackmaninAmerica]

Obama did not outright say that he won't debate Clinton anymore. He said he'd have to check his schedule. I think he will have to debate her if she ends up winning Pennsylvania big (more than 10 %). His campaign strategist will probably say that it is in his best interest. At some point to secure try and satisfy those Reagan dems he will have to address the Ayers "issue" further. That way it is settled.

[shep1900]

He won't debate her anymore because he loses every single time, and he's afraid. What a disaster he's going to be in the general election; we'll all be longing for the likes of McGovern.

[c1ee]

Hillary can go captain the debating team. Presidents don't debate once in office. What a joke of a measure of presidency.

[Swift2]

Geez, you Obama mamas are such tight bundles of outrage! and vitriol!

Obama's positions on various matters are never mentioned here. I haven't seen any positive coverage of Obama on the Obama Post here for months. It's all Hillary-bashing. In fact, you trouble your pretty little minds not at all with policy wonkery, Ugh! It distracts your from your worship sessions. Better the sessions of Half-hour Hate Hillary! She's Immanuel Goldstein! Her face comes on the telescreen and everybody hisses! Doubleplusungood! She's OLD!

Never seen anything like it. Red Guards? Children's crusade? It's a movement, not a political candidate. And movements can disappear overnight, and they're not good with the details.

She makes an appeal, in March, for funds. She's

[JJohn]

So the vast right-wing conspiracy has morphed into the vast left-wing conspiracy. Woe to those who have endorsed Obama if Clinton ends up being the president. Anyone who thinks the Clintons are not keeping an enemies list has not been paying attention. Hers has been a craven campaign and hers will be a craven presidency. Here in New York State the black political establishment is so cowered by fear that the vast majority are supporting her in opposition to both the wishes of their constituents and urgings of their hearts. This because they will remain susceptible to her wrath regardless of the outcome. The paucity of affection for the Clintons amongst those with whom they rub shoulders is instructive. The number of former cabinet members and close associates who have defected should give even her most ardent supporters pause. To dismiss them all as Judases is a perilous abandonment of critical thinking at a particularly critical crossroads.

[geobushono]

Thank you for the best post on this topic.

[nibblybits]

I cringe when she says that New York is *her* state and as she did during the last debate, New York City is *her* city. She moved here in a bald-faced carpetbagger move to run for Senate (why here instead of Pennsylvania, where she can at least claim some connection) and never a resident's day here before. It was obviously convenience for Bill to make his millions and court his billionaire friends.

Hopefully, New Yorkers will see the light and deny her the Senate seat when she next runs. I'm ready to vote for any other decent Democrat.

[ampay]

I know. Now they're talking about her being the next governor of NY. I love living in NY, but hate that New Yorkers were stupid enough to give her that senate seat in the first place.

[Actionmac]

ok, not to worry, the democratic distraction candidate and her husband are finished. They to have made some powerful enemies in the party that know them and how dangerous they are, and will FINISH them COMPLETELY. As for the NY black political figures, their constituents will deal with them and that will happen to the rest across the country... These people NEED to follow bush/channey down the road of prosperity but never to participate in government EVER AGAIN.