Will Hillary Demand That She Resign From Her Own Campaign?

Hillary Clinton and her top surrogates, including Communications Director Howard Wolfson, have been very busy recently demanding the resignation of Barack Obama's policy advisors.

So you can only imagine what Clinton, Wolfson, and Clinton's other surrogates would be saying if a top Obama advisor were quoted as stating that presumptive Republican Party nominee, John McCain, would make a better commander-in-chief than Democratic Party rival Hillary Clinton. You can be sure they would be demanding that such an advisor not only be drummed out of the Obama campaign but out of the Democratic Party.

Clinton and Wolfson went after the head of Obama economic advisor Austan Goolsbee, after the Conservative Canadian government leaked a memo paraphrasing Goolsbee as telling the Canadian Consulate that on NAFTA, "Obama is less about changing the agreement and more in favor of strengthening language on labor mobility and environment and trying to establish these as 'core' priniciples of the Agreement." (The Canadian Embassy later issued a statement that "there was no intention to convey, in any way, that Senator Obama and his campaign team were taking a different position from view expressed in private.")

A few days later Wolfson and Clinton's surrogates went after the head of Obama foreign policy advisor Samantha Powers for calling Clinton a "monster" to a reporter in Scotland, demanding that "Obama needs to stand up and to publicly say this person will no longer participate in the campaign." This time they got the head of Power, a highly regarded advocate of America playing a leadership role in defending human rights around the world. (For the record, Power full quote was "she is a monster, too -- that is off the record -- she is stooping to anything".)

Yet it wasn't a campaign advisor, but Hillary Clinton herself, who proclaimed the Republican, McCain, to be a more qualified commander-in-chief than the Democrat, Obama, saying "I think it's imperative that each of us be able to demonstrate that we can cross the commander-in-chief threshold. I believe that I've done that. Certainly, Sen. McCain has done that and you'll have to ask Sen. Obama with respect to his candidacy." Calling McCain a "good friend" and a "distinguished man with a great history of service to our country," Clinton said, "Both of us will be on that stage having crossed that threshold."

The threshold Clinton actually crossed was to all but endorse the Republican presidential nominee over the nominee of her own party, if the Democratic nominee should turn out to be Barack Obama. She demonstrated that Samantha Power wasn't far off to say that Clinton "is stooping to anything." Hillary handed McCain endless sound bites to use in TV ads against Obama in a possible fall campaign. In her desperation to secure the Democratic nomination, Hillary even took away her own ability to criticize McCain as a potential commander-in-chief for, among other things, his aggressive militarism, his off-key singing of "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran," and his unrelenting support for the Iraq War, the surge, and a 100 year occupation. Bomb Iran." (In the ultimate irony, Hillary and Bill went on the next day to suggest that Obama would be a great choice for Hillary's vice president, a position whose first qualification is the ability to step in immediately as commander-in-chief in an international crisis, if, say, the president were assassinated by a foreign terrorist.)

So here's what I want to know: When will Howard Wolfson and Hillary Clinton come forward and demand that Hillary step down from her own campaign for all but endorsing the Republican nominee over her own Democratic rival?

Comments

[DemandTruth]

We have seen in the last two decades that rules and standards ONLY apply to Democrats. Republicans can break as many rules as they want. And never apologize or get called out by the MSM or anyone else. Republicans can spew whatever vile hatred they want about anybody they want. And never apologize or get called out by the MSM or anyone else. Republicans can be as blatantly hypocritical as they want. And never get called out by the MSM or anybody else.

Just one more way that HRC is acting like / becoming a Republican...

[nazgul]

Hillary certifies McCain, de-certifies Obama.

This is perhaps the most important element of this campaign at this moment. How can the Party Leaders (DNC officials & elected reps) allow this betrayal to stand?

If the trailing candidate in every hotly contested Dem primary in the country, the Party would have no future. This is a gift to the Republicans and a stab in the back of the Party.

Does anyone know of an organization that is addressing this issue?

[bellecloche]

Great post!

[AnninCA]

Personally, I think she's raising a valid point. Obama is very weak when compared to McCain.

Her question is one to be raised now, before we award the weaker candidate the nomination.

He chose to run before he had any real national experience. He made that decision. There are consequences to his choice. ANd this is cleary one.

[Countess]

She can run with Rush Limbaugh as an independent.

[Ides]

So if Barack Obama's ready and he's kicking Hillary's ass, what does that say about Hillary Clinton?

[SkipHarv]

AnninCA,
First of all if the weaker candidate is WINNING the primaries who is the stronger, since Hillary is LOSING? If she can't beat someone as weak as the HRC supporters say Sen. Obama is what do you think her chances in Nov. are?
Second as far as DECISIONS. HRC MADE THE DECISION TO DISALLOW FL. AND MI. BY SIGNING A PLEDGE BEFORE THE PRIMARIES BEGAN TO NOT COUNT THE DELEGATES!!!
OR ARE RULES ONLY FOR SEN. OBAMA?

[Shelly1970]

SkipHarv - I see you haven't been around long.

Anyone who ever read a post by AnninCA knows that critical thinking isn't one of her *ahem* strong areas.

Like Ann, I support Hilary. Unlike her, I am rational.

I know Hillary is losing. Everyone does, actually.

We tend to take AnninCA as a bit of comic relief around here.

Welcome to HuffPost. :-)

[thicky]

I'm still waiting . . . where are the reporters from the MSM or from the alternative press or the bloggers from the internet for that matter?

Why won't someone go back over the last 50 years of Democratic and Republican Presidential primaries and find an example, just one, where a primary candidate who was in second place tries to destroy their opponent(the candidate leading their party's primary), by praising and virtually endorsing the other party's Presidential Nominee, the Nominee their party will have to face in November?

As far as I can tell, there has NEVER been a primary challenger who has so openly and boldly and shamelessly undermined their own party. I can't decide: is Hillary Clinton out to destroy her opponent and her Party because she is consumed by her delusions of grandeur or is it because she is just a petty vindictive person?

[nazgul]

Contact the Party Leaders. Let them know how you feel (2,100 signatures in 48 hours!)

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?obama725&1

[DennyCrane]

I thought she already did resign. When I heard her praise McCain, it sounded like she had given up on being President and now wanted to be McCain's VP.

[b2008]

I'm so glad there are sane people left in this country. I only wish others could see so clearly that The Clintons are really bad news. If they don't care about pulling the Democratic party apart, then why should we care about them? They are so selfish and all-consumed with winning, that nothing seems to matter to them.

I don't see how we can have a President that is so psychotic and mean. If a foreign leader says something she doesn't like, will that mean a 3rd world war for us? She is too unstable to rule a country when she can't even rule her campaign. We need more substance than that. We need to feel more secure than she can make us. We need Obama!

[Jacee]

HuffPost's Pick

Thank you Miles for recognizing the Clinton assault on the core of the Democratic Party. They took the Party down in the 90s and they are at it again. They are doing it like they were Republicans. They say that the enemy from within is far more destructive than any enemy from the outside. The Clintons have proved this over and over. The Democratic Party refuses to recognize it or respond to it. They are more afraid of the Clintons than they are of the Republicans. Truth be told, the Clintons have caused more damage that the Republicans ever could have hoped to.

The Democratic Party was taken down by the Clintons in the90s, lost the moral high ground, lost sight of Democratic guiding principles, forgot about the Democratic voter, lost the Congress, the Supreme Court, was forced to endure an indecent Impeachment and their final blow-ensured 8 years of Bush instead of Gore. Shameful, destructive record.

Here they are again. The same self centered, lying, manipulation, division and most of all disloyalty to the Democratic Party. Clinton's betrayal of the party, her endorsement of McCain, should have been seen by the Super Delegates for what it was-traitorous. This was not a campaign tactic-it was not their regular lying and deception-it was betrayal.

Some Supers came out this week end in response to this betrayal. Kerry, Hart and Daschle-where were the others? Cowering?

Are the Super Delegates willing to let the Clintons destroy the Party again? Their silence is deafening. The Party will be lost gain and this time for good if the leadership refuse to stand for something. At the very least they should stand for Party loyalty.

The Super Delegates silence on the Clintons latest betrayal says loud and clear-We do not stand for anything, not decency and not loyalty.

Miles, thanks for taking the time to write about this-the most important outcome of the campaign.

[Gary50]

Hillary is using the scorched earth policy. In war, if you have to retreat, you burn everything in your path as you retreat so your enemy has nothing to eat and no shelter. If Hillary can't get the nomination she would rather McCain won the presidency rather then Obama. That's because she and McCain are two neocons who will persue the same policies. Joe Lieberman and Hillary Clinton, two traitors who should drummed out of the party.

[RabidRightRebel]

I agree infact I would not be supprised if after Hillary looses the nomination, that she and Leiberman get together for an independent run.

[Jacky1]

True. Something needs to happen to stop Hillary Clinton from taking the Democratic Party down with her. Maybe, the superdelegates need to get together in forcing Hillary Clinton to back down from this distructive tactic that she is using.

[Researchguy66]

The problem is that Obama needs the Clinton machine to win the general election. He's done a good job organizing ath the grass roots, but he can't carry the country without the entrenched political interests most of which aligns lock-step with the Clinton machine. I wouldn't rely on Dean to help win anything.

It's pretty clear to me that, barring some extremely unlikely event, that Obama's winning the nomination. The same is perfectly obviouls to Hillary and Co. If she hasn't accepted an offer of some sort, I believe it's got to be for the lack of Obama offering something good. That there's not a political deal in here to screw the voters of PA is beyond me...neither one seems to be doing a good job of running the party now, nonetheless the country.

[IntelligenceIsBliss]

Yes Obama does need the Clinton machine in the general election. But that machine will no longer be the property of the Clintons if Obama is the Democratic nominee.

All of these party officials and operatives arent stupid. Obama will be both the present and the future of the party, and because of this he is the side of the bread where the butter resides. Loyalty in politics is directly related to power and patronage. With very little power and no spoils to distribute, the Clinton's former machine will be Obama's to drive.

[Shantee]

Some have speculated that the clintons and the wolfsons will have to be removed from the democratic convention hall in denver on a gurney.

get ready comrades, we may have to head to denver soon....although for the time being it would be a good idea for us obama supporters to travel to florida and michigan and do some campaign work, if there is a redo.

I think it's a noble and wise move for barack to go abroad for a week, so once and for all he can demontrate his impeccable diplomatic skills to the american people.

we have nothing to fear but johnny sachs. oops! i meant ed rendell.

[sarge]

"Some have speculated that the clintons and the wolfsons will have to be removed from the democratic convention hall in denver on a gurney".

After prying the nomination from their cold, dead hands?

[ljsfolly]

I do not understand how anyone who calls themselves a lifelong democrat would continue to support Hillary. In her decision to win no matter who pays for it how is this any different than who she has always been? She is in the senate because she was married to a former president. She is running for president based on the same experience. I thought the "wronged woman" she played when Bills zipper got caught was ridiculous at best as he was as he had always been and she knew it. She stayed married to him because of the mutual desire for power. Bills been making millions since leaving office based on what? His former position and all of the slimes he pardoned on the way out. Funny now that they say anything about Rezko when they got money from his friends and HSU no one has said much about him either. But the endorsment for Mac is what it is. She is willing to destroy the democrat party altogether on the belief she would win. With all of the ammo she has given them about Barack she has not figured out what ammo she gave the republicans againest herself. They want her on the ticket as they have been saving up tons of stuff they can hardly wait to use againest her. That's another thing the clintons never figure on, other people finding out what they are doing.

[SatinPanties]

Great post!

The reaons she doesn't resigng is that they are the same as Republicans. Rules only apply to others, not to them.

[FreedomLoverX]

Hey Hillary Supporters! Why would you continue to support this monster? She doesn't care about rules. She doesn't care about votes. She LOST Texas but pretends to win. She is dirty and underhanded. Her campaign is financed by special interests. The list goes on and on. Why would you want this deceitful low-life in the Whitehouse?