Obama Hires Solis Doyle: A Bad Omen For VP Hillary

The Obama campaign announced today what had long been suspected: Hillary Clinton's former campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle was going to work for the Illinois Democrat. What came as a surprise was Solis Doyle's title, "chief of staff to the vice presidential candidate."

The move was seen as shrewd but potentially controversial. Solis Doyle was let go by Clinton because of what was widely regarded as poor campaign and financial management. But she still is a prominent Hispanic figure with ties to the former first lady -- attributes that could endear Obama to a sought-after political constituency.

One thing the move does suggest, insiders believe, is that Hillary Clinton's chances of being tapped for the vice presidency are now slim to nil.

"This alone means that Hillary won't be the V.P. choice," wrote one.

According to two close Clinton confidantes, the Senator and Solis Doyle have not spoken since her firing months ago. And there is a sense that bad blood lingers between the two. Some officials in Clinton's orbit were disappointed, if not angered, by the fact that Solis Doyle had been in touch with the Obama campaign about possibly coming on board. Solis Doyle, meanwhile, is rumored to have felt particularly scapegoated by her firing.

Said one individual with knowledge of the Clinton campaign's political leanings: "It would be pretty awkward if Hillary Clinton were picked as vice president and Patti was there to be her chief of staff."

Indeed, while on the surface it may seem that hiring Solis Doyle would provide a soft landing for Clinton to be brought in as V.P., others see her hiring as simply a logical political move.

"Patti knows that world certainly and knows the kinds of things the vice president would do because she saw it so much in the White House," said a source. "She is from Chicago and she knows all those folks. I knew she had visited with them and she wants to get on with her life too."

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But time does heal wounds and in politics a shared objective like, say, the White House, could compel Obama to reunite Clinton and her former campaign manager.

Update: Jason Horowitz over at the New York Observer reports the following: "A former bundler to Hillary Clinton just called in to tell me that Barack Obama's selection of Patti Solis Doyle as chief of staff to the campaign's eventual vice presidential nominee is the "biggest fuck you I have ever seen in politics."

[snip]

"Either one of two things happen," said the bundler. "Hillary is selected as vice president and they fire Patti, or Hillary is not going to be the vice president."

Later Update: A source with knowledge (though not direct) of Sollis Doyle and Clinton's relationship writes in to dispute the idea that they haven't spoken since her firing. Though, he adds, the move by Obama seems likely to shut the door on the idea of Clinton as VP.

Comments

[JohnTalbutt]

What a weapon Obama would hand McCain were he to choose Hillary as V.P. candidate.
Republicans would repeatedly run tapes of Bill and Hillary stating that McCain is more qualified to be Commander In Chief. Bill's statement indicating that Hillary and McCain were the "two patriotic" candidates would also get lots of Republican play.

Among those who genuinely. albeit misquidedly, feel that it disrespectful of Obama not to select Hillary, are Republican shills.

[OhReallySheSaid]

How about the tape where Barry Hussein Obama in the last wto months said McCain will be better than Bush?

[KarenKaren]

How about it?

[ShirleyBowers]

How about posting the link? (this should be fun)

[Independent007]

oh Really,

You are laughable. Sorta like Bozo.
Or better yet, like Pop goes the Weasel.
Let me push you back into your box...

[ShirleyBowers]

The reason Einstein here didn't want to post the actual quote is because (surprise!), he took it out of context.

April 20, 2008 7:08 PM

Sen. Barack Obama, speaking in Reading, Pa.:

"You have a real choice in this election. You know, either Democrat would be better than John McCain, but, and all three of us would be better than George Bush," Obama said. "What you have to ask yourself is who has the chance to actually really change things in a fundamental way? So that 10 years from now or 20 years from now you can look back say, 'Boy, we really moved in a new direction and we've put the country on a better path.'"

[Jonni Rae]

Listen to his speeches. Today when Gore endorsed him, for instance. He says that McCain would be worse than Bush!! I think Patty Solis Doyle ran into trouble with some of Bill's boys. He didn't like her.

[OhReallySheSaid]

Do the math. Over half the dems in the primary voted for BHO. I also suggest you check out the political maps in Time Magazine that showed county by county who dems voted for. Seems the most popular states that BHO is the strongest in is Idaho and South Carolina. Gee, after winning those two big states Illinois and Wisconsin (and yes those are the 2 biggest states BHO won), I think we're off to rocking start.

The bottom is BHO needs HRC. He cannot win without her support. I just wish HRC would have the guts to run as an indy. That would stir things up.

[pupbayer]

I don't think it's guts that keep her from running as an independent. I think she is a professional politican and she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

But, I'm with you! Wouldn't it be interesting if she did!

[0ddFellow]

"Over half the dems in the primary voted for BHO"

Oops, you're Freudian slip let the truth, out. Yes, BHO did get over half the primary vote, when you count the Michigan vote and *include* the 35% of voters who voted 'uncommitted' but told exit pollsters that they would have voted for Obama, if his name were on the ballot. For all the whining about counting votes, I never ever hear the HRC dead-enders talking about counting those votes. BHO's margin of victory grows even larger when you count the caucuses that HRC dead-enders intentionally leave out of the equation, and then there is the fact that, had those caucuses been popular votes, HRC would be behind by over a million votes, because Obama was ahead in all of the polls in caucus states he won, winning by 10% of 5 million nets you a hell of allot more votes than winning 500,000 by 20%. Also, how many of Hillary's votes were "Operation Chaos" Limbaugh ditto-head votes? And, after the first "Super Tuesday", BHO never once lost his lead in the national polls. NOT ONCE! So, let's quit it with these crybaby tantrums, OK? Hillary lost, and Obama won. Game over.

[0ddFellow]

"The bottom is BHO needs HRC. He cannot win without her support."

Another bull sh*t myth Hillary dead-enders tell each other down in the Hillaryis44.com bunker. Fact is, among women Obama is ahead of McCain by 13%, which is better than Kerry's 5% in 2004. Obama is losing white men, but Democrats have lost to this shrinking demographic for decades, with Kerry losing them by 25%, and Gore losing them by 24%. In fact, the only traditionally democratic demographic Obama is losing in is the 64 and over crowd, but (A) Allot of them are going to have second thoughts about voting for Mr SS Privatization, and (B) the flood of enthusiastic younger voters into the party more than offsets the loss of older voters, which is why Obama is consistently ahead of McCain in the polls despite all of the mythological clout of the HRC dead-enders.

[MandyW]

HRC supporters keep repeating the same talking point: the two biggest states Obama won were Illinois and Wisconsin. Could you please explain your definition of "biggest"?

If you go by Electoral Votes, which is what will matter in November, I was under the impression that Obama won five states "bigger" than Wisconsin (10 EV) although "smaller" than Illinois (21 EV):

Washington (11 EV)
Missouri (11 EV)
Virginia (13 EV)
Georgia (15 EV)
North Carolina (15 EV)

I'm sorry if this seems like nitpicking, but I'm genuinely curious about how these "spin machine" factoids get generated. (Probably only geeks like me want footnotes, but it drives me nuts when numbers don't seem to make sense.)

[DRPike]

You forgot Texas.

[OhReallySheSaid]

Correction: HRC received more votes than anyone that had ever run in a primary in either party.

[litha]

And as you know, a great many of those were cast by Republicans whose objective was to help keep her dishonest, perverse & destructive campaign going as long as possible.

[Probus]

Actually Obama won more popular votes than her. With your calculation you are including MI where Obama wasn't even on the ballot and ignoring caucus states like WA and ME among others that Obama won. Also the nominating contest is based on delegates not the popular vote. Obama won more delegates than Clinton.

[Bettysdad]

We've all heard Mrs. Bill Clinton's lies.

There's no need to repeat them.

[Countdown09]

If you want to count the primary where the other candidates name wasn't on the ballot and exclude the voters in caucuses then yes you would be correct she received more votes. But as I cast my vote in a caucus I think otherwise.

[CTtransplant]

Truth - Oba ma won the popular vote - not Cl inton.

[schoolmaster]

Is it not the choice of the vice president to name his or her chief of staff? I think this is rumor created by the media to continue with the political game just for drawing attention.

[rooks]

If elected. The VP's first role is to get the ticket elected.

[fair1234]

Everyone, Ms Doyle and Sen Clinton have actually been talking from what I have heard today. Also, if Obama thinks she is qualified then it is his decision to make. I was one of Hillary's early suppoters that switched and I knew Doyle was the scapegoat for Mark Penn. Doyle has been friends with Clinton for years and who knows, this could be a signal that he may in fact pick Hillary. Why do we have to analyze everything that Obama does as a signal to Hillary bad or good? I thought dems were smarter than this infighting but maybe I was wrong.

[LettuceB1]

I agree. This could be "much to do about nothing." I thought the story seemed a little "odd."

[EndAllWars]

Small correction. It's "much ado about nothing." Sorry! Back to the regular programming.

[obamagramma]

Absolutely. Hillary kept Penn & fired Solis, It was another campaign blunder by her.

[rooks]

Exactly!

[Weasie16]

Look like Sen Obama is getting really good at "same old, politics". Not a smart chess move though, when half the party may take this as a slap. Of course he can always count on CNN to make this some kind of admirable and brilliant decision..­..i'm sure they already have....wh­oops there it is! They already did.

[ohmercy]

Actually Weasie CNN didn't think it was such a good idea. At all.
MSNBC might have though.

[smoo]

pay back is pay back, that aint same old politics. same old politics would not have hired her.

Maybe just maybe she is Doyle is that good, it would be rediculus to let her roam around chicago when she has so much to offer. there is no need to let all the institutional knowledge go to waste. I am not saying that this is the case but if it is, you just got to do what you got to do. I would not let HRC keep me from establishing a winning hand. Hell she's out of the game some body need to use her cards.

[Triangle1]

What could Obama possibly be thinking on this move? That hiring someone in charge of an opponent's failed campaign would be a good idea? To me this is a smug potshot at Hillary, sending a signal that she is NOT being considered as a VP candidate. If I were Obama, I'd put my efforts into more intelligent moves, especially ones that don't alienate those 18 million Hillary voters. As a Hillary supporter who might be persuaded to vote for Obama, I'm starting to think I may just stay home on voting day.

[olivia]

I don't think this is a potshot at Hillary.

So many things she said about him were so much worse than a "potshot." I find it strange you would make that comment.

BTW she alienated 18 million voters. Most of us don't want to see her on his ticket.

[LettuceB1]

If it's even true, I think you are reading too much into it.

[rooks]

Are you upset that he hired someone that lead a failed campaign or the fact that she was fired? I don't get where you are coming from.

[RobertAndropolis]

You have far too little information to come to your preconceived conclusions.

[angryliberal]

It's going to be an odd feeling when Obama and Hillary bump into each other on the senate floor after November.

[mergina]

Solis Doyle is being used by the Obama campaign. This can be seen as nothing more than a major slap in the face of Clinton and her supporters. What a stupid, stupid move to make on Obama's part. They are getting cocky, their egos are inflating, they believe they can do it on their own, THEY ARE SADLY MISTAKEN.

[rooks]

Didn't she get fired? I would assume after you get canned you can seek other employment.

[ladyv]

LOL

There are probably less than a hundred people who both know who the hell Patti Solis Doyle is and give even a tiny crap about who employs her.

Obama either picked up a wrongfully terminated employee or he picked up a lemon. If the former, it was Clinton's error - one of so very many she made wrt staffing, since she is apparently a terrible judge of character and has a political tin ear. If the latter, hey, cheer up - Obama hired a lemon! Either way, this is descending into group Borderline Personality Disorder territory with you people.

[pottery]

As a long time aide to Mrs Clinton, it sounds to me as if she may still be a future aide to Mrs Clinton. "chief of staff to the vice presidential candidate.­" She wan't fired while an aide, she was fired while a campaign chairman.

WE love hysteria, don't we?

[mergina]

Obama is slowly but surely going to the motions that will lead him to defeat in November. He has yet to court most if any of the 18 million Clinton supporters. If he adds the final insult of picking a female running mate other than Clinton, his bid for the presidency is OVER.

[Nobrun]

It hasn't been campaign-as-usual with Obama. Watch and learn.

[mergina]

My advice to the Obama campaign would be the same, watch and learn, and wake up.

[Rose52]

I believe that most of her supporters have come over to Obama. And it's only been 2 weeks.

[mergina]

Really? I would have to disagree with you. You are being told they are, polls, which are next to useless opinion forming devices imply that they are, but moves like this will come back to bit him on his political behind. He has won over very few of her supporters. This race is painfully close. What did his camp offer the other day, that they do not need to win in Ohio or Florida to take the election in November? Dream on. They are living with the delusion that they are going to turn an assortment of red states blue in November. Winning in a red state during a democratic primary is one thing. Trying to take it away from the Republican powers that be in November is quite another thing. He will not do so. If McCain takes Ohio and Florida, the old fart will be the next president.

[Probus]

According to the most recent NBC poll, women who overwhelmingly supported Clinton are now supporting Obama over McCain. How is it insulting if Obama picks another woman for VP?

[suckitneocons]

Dream on. You make the same error I see from a lot of Clinton supporters: that all 18 million Clinton voters are angry and won't vote for Obama. Some had come over to Obama's side before the nomination even happened after watching the way Clinton ran her campaign. Most Clinton supporters recognize that Obama's positions on issues are nearly identical to Clinton's and that McCain would be a disaster for everything Clinton supported. It is just a marginal handful of malcontents that care more about the idea of a female president than the interests of the democratic party and the country as a whole.

[SteveCox]

I may end up voting for Obama, (probably) But what else will I do. I really don't see many other good veep options out there. Webb has baggage plus still a longshot on picking off VA. I think a unified-energized party is the best way to win regardless of the obvious cons the Clinton's bring. If Barry is not smart enough to see that, maybe he does not deserve to win.

Some people think Richarson is smart choice, but those 7 eletoral votes in NM are our's anyway. He does little with Hispanics, not as much as the Clinton brand. It's a tough choice but I don't see where he has a better option. someone tell me who is better and why.

[smoo]

Clinton does not have 18 million supporters, got 18 million votes. It is a hugh difference.

[rooks]

And some of those so-called voters had only one person to vote for on the ballot??

[truelie]

Oh Yeah! That's for "I got more popular vote and I'll be a stronger general election candidate" in the ungracious speech on that last Tuesday night when her opponent had already clinched the nomination. Nobody forgot what you said Hillary. It's pay back time. Obama should have put Patti on the VP short list just to rub it in. Ouch!!!

[ohmercy]

Oh yes, I see. Politics as usual, eh?

[Roses]

You know....ma­ybe it is that Ms. Solis-Doyle is a very good fit for what Obama needs right now against McCain. It is no longer about Hillary Clinton vs. Barack Obama. It is about McCain vs. Obama. We all need to think about November and to think about issues and what the Republicans would mean and what the Democrats would mean. I really don't think that with the presidency at stake, Obama would stoop to such petty fights.

Obama/? '08

[DogTown]

"I got more popular votes" is plain wrong....y­ou cannot get more popular votes in a Democratic or Republican primary because each state has a different counting systems straight Voting and Caucasus. So that is virtually impossible to "win the popular vote"
Hillary was doing such a bait and switch with that rhetoric.

[pupbayer]

Why is he picking the VP's chief of staff? The VP usually does that. Boy, wouldn't you just love to be his VP nominee when he insists on picking your staff? There may be even more saying no before they're asked.

[pacats]

The adm. positions are in place before the VP comes on board.

[pupbayer]

Not usually the VP's.

[ohmercy]

really?
who said?
how do you know this?
Seriously, I never heard of someone picking out someone else's top assistant.

[Ping]

Anyone who insists on picking his own staff won't be asked.

[pupbayer]

LOL It seems to me he'd better take who he can get!

[obamagramma]

I agree. There will be no separate power circles in the Obama White House.

[mergina]

One gets the impression that joining the Obama campaign is like joining a church or religion. Yikes.

[elcojonu]

More like a MOVEMENT, spearheaded by the YOUNG PEOPLE OF AMERICA who have FINALLY started to give a damn.

[Alessan]

Maybe the VP has already been chosen, he just didn't tell the public yet and just maybe they
want Patti as a Chief of staff.

[elcojonu]

It's just for the campaign, it's done all the time.
When he wins, the VP can bring on his own people.

[rooks]

Thank you!

[bluegreen]

Who cares? Barack Obama is a good player. He bent over backwards to be congenial when he had to. But now he doesn't have to. He's smart and he's steely tough when he wants to be. I'm writing this as an independent voter who had been planning to vote for Clinton back when this whole thing started. Like some others, I got turned off during the primaries. I'm her typical demographic, a white middle-aged female, loves the idea of a female president, who is supposed to be outraged on HRC's behalf but instead who just scratches her head over the media sexism charges, who thought HRC should have gotten out after it became mathematically impossible for her to win. Dragging this thing out and shouting, Shame on you, and all that nonsense, and elevating McCain over her Demcratic "teammate" Obama, and all the other stuff, well, I don't blame Obama one bit. He may not even be making a statement, the Hillary camp may just be hotheaded. But you know what, I don't care. It's over. And had she been more gracious, he'd have been more gracious now. It doesn't matter anymore.

[DocJerome]

Nice candor, and insight into your fair minded thinking.

[mergina]

How easily people are deceived. Obama is a politician. He is a very slick politician. He bent over backwards for no one. In Clinton's case, he was lucky enough that she had a few cocky idiots helping run her campaign, or this argument would be mute and she would be the nominee.

[rooks]

I think he is trying to bend over backwards for America at this point.

[debrab]

Phony or not, if Clinton had acknowledged Obama's success- his supporters might not have felt so disrespected by her. She wouldn't acknowledge states that caucused but she insisted that states that broke party rules be counted and heard.

[0ddFellow]

"In Clinton's case, he was lucky enough that she had a few cocky idiots helping run her campaign, or this argument would be mute and she would be the nominee."

Yes, but why did she pick those losers in the first place? Because she agreed with them!

[obamagramma]

I know he's a politician. Who doesn't?

[SharonToji]

I actually don't hate politicians as a group. I only dislike the comments from the Obama supporters which indicate that they believe that Obama is some kind of saint who never heard of politics, and Hillary is a devil who will do anything (murder, torture, steal?) to win. Check out how Obama made it to the Illinois state legislature. What he did was technically legal, but it sure sounds like "anything to win" to me, and it destroyed the political career of a good woman legislator (he admitted that she was). I find Obama to be a pretty typical male. He bragged in his speech that "This is our time" without thinking of how it would sound to all us older women who thought it might finall be "our time." He has a tin ear about women.

[useyourbrain]

Obamaton talking points. You were never going to support Clinton or you wouldn't be regurgitating these tired talking points.

[debrab]

What? A lot of us were pro Hillary but changed our minds during the campaign.

In my situation I changed a while before the California Primary and voted for Obama. My husband and mother-in-law voted for Hillary absentee, way in advance, by the time the California super Tuesday election came -they had changed their minds to Obama but it was too late.

If anything, I think we we gave her the benefit of the doubt but as we got to see her in action we got turned off.

[Nobrun]

Gore would not involve himself if there was even a slight chance Hillary would be picked for the VP spot.

[pupbayer]

Right. He jumped right in endorsing Obama from day 1, didn't he?

[eden4barack08]

Right! and Clinton called him Judas.

[c1ee]

But i thought she was fired for incompetency? She was more loyalty than ability? Even if she does bring in political capital with her, i don't like it if she is being hired for political reasons, e.g. to spite the Hillary camp or purely for pandering to the latino constituents. Hope you know what you are doing Obama, and she does bring in more than that.

[storeyy]

She was hired because she closely tied to Axelrod...­her brother is a Chicago politician, they have a history with Patti. She's someone they can trust.

[DMW1]

I believe it was the Clintons that said she was incompentent. It wouldn't be surprising if she was merely a scapegoat. Those initial losses had to be somebody's fault.

[obamagramma]

Solis & Mark Penn argued strategy & Solis lost. It appears Obama thinks Solis was right.

[useyourbrain]

Who is Patti and why do you think she will bring the Hispanic votes with her? Do they follow Patti as their guru? Their leader? When is everyone going to stop talking about these internal staff issues and concentrate on issues and policy, not this petty crap. The MSM talking heads love this stuff and they wallow in it. That's why issues are not being discussed.

[JohnTalbutt]

That she did not fit in with the Mark Penn style of campaign speaks well of her character.

[Bettysdad]

Doyle wasn't fired for incompetence.

She was fired because she couldn't put lipstick on a pig, and have the public call it gorgeous.

[ruralguy]

Solis Doyle needed a job. That's all.

[sclucie]

it's bill, stupid. no one wants bill and his sleazy business dealings as yet more baggage.

[closetodemfection]

Wow, why so many GOP cliches in one sentence?

[ohmercy]

LMAO!
I'm getting used to it.
So many neocon tactics and talking points comiong from so called progressive was mind blowing and infuriating in the beginning. Now I just shake my head at the absurdity.

I love how they spew out the neocon distortions, misinformation and lies from over 15 years ago. The neocons fed it to the far right wingnuts via Rush etc. who screamed it loud and often, over and over... you know, say it enough and make it true. Gee, that sounds familiar.
They talk about the Clinton administration as if they know anything about it other than what they read from other crazy bastards! LOL

The same with Hillary. What I find hilarious, in a sad sort of way is how they use the very tactics that they accuse Clinton of, and how they seem to think the media is just peachy keen and not corporate media whores at all when they are quoting them against Clinton.
consistency and intellectual honesty not strong suits.
Thankfully Obama doesn't really have to rely on them.

[obamagramma]

The GOP dominate tomato(s)

[useyourbrain]

Yeah, that's why Patti was brought on. What does this have to do with the price of tomatoes?

[neesy08]

Why was she fired by Hillary?

[pacats]

She was scapegoated by the men who were running Hillarys' campaign. Some of those top men in her campaign should have been dismissed early on, especially Penn.

[eden4barack08]

Sexism? In a woman' campaign?

Wow.

[obamagramma]

And with another huge campaign blunder, Hillary bought in & kept Penn. But maybe it was CHEAPER to fire Solis (only getting $12K a month) vs Penn (owed several MILLION).

[KarateKid]

he he ... in politics them that goes around, comes around.

[mergina]

Yep. Which is why i am predicting the demise of Obama's presidential bid in the coming months with the moves he is making. He has a very long road to travel, especially without 18 million clinton supporters.

[CarbonDate]

How many times can you say the same thing over and over again?

[Bettysdad]

It's down to only 3.5 mil Clinton supporters now, and it's only June.

Wait a few months.

There'll be 11 people in the whole country still whining about Mrs. Bill Clinton.

Including you, Mergina.

[pupbayer]

We can only hope!

[useyourbrain]

you mean an incompetent gets hired and hired again -- sounds like washington -- especially the Bush administration with so many ex and future felons on his staff.