In Vigilant Hillaryland, Advisers Stay Devoted

WASHINGTON, May 31 - As she prepares to run for re-election next year, and perhaps make a presidential run in 2008, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is counting on the counsel of a tight-knit group of advisers who possess a set of qualities that she may prize above all others: discipline and loyalty.

Leaks? Public skirmishes? None of this tends to happen in Hillaryland, as Mrs. Clinton's advisers call the inner circle, mostly because the people who have gained entry into this exclusive club have shown strict devotion to her through the years, including her darkest days in public life.

In fact, political strategists say they are struck by the similarities between Mrs. Clinton's inner circle and the team surrounding President Bush, who has placed a premium on loyalty since his days as governor of Texas and whose lieutenants are known for falling in lockstep behind him.

"Both operations make the papal conclave look like a bunch of free talkers," said Chris Lehane, a Democratic strategist, referring to the Bush and Clinton camps. "I mean that in a positive way, because that is the type of discipline it takes to win."

But perhaps as interesting is the fact that the culture that dominates Mrs. Clinton's political organization is strikingly different from the rollicking atmosphere that seemed to characterize her husband's administration, where turf battles were common and top aides frequently served up morsels of news to reporters to promote their agenda and consolidate power.

Bill Clinton led a political team that, while battle-tested and successful, could sometimes function as an all-night idea session with thoughts being tossed out as trial balloons and internal debates erupting publicly. But as Mrs. Clinton, the junior senator from New York, moves to establish her own orbit in American government and politics, associates of the couple...

And let's not forget that the latest liberal poll tells us that 33% of conservatives will support Hillary.

Even Dick Morris couldn't keep a straight face trying to rationalize those numbers.

Hillary has assembled a crew of shreiking, incompetent Marxists who will exercise absolutely no control in hiding their radical agenda. The MSM attempting to cover up and spin the various utopian pronouncements will provide hours of amusement.

Perhaps those devotees, should be reminded of Ms. Clinton’s traitorous words just a few months back…”U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton said Sunday that House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was right to say that President Bush "has on his shoulders the death of many more [U.S.] troops" because of his military misjudgments, explaining, "I know a little bit about" being commander in chief.”

She also said of our President for all the world, especially the terrorists to hear…”"a pattern and practice of misjudgments that add up to incompetence and lack of credibility."

”Sen. Clinton painted a grim picture of U.S. prospects in Iraq, saying: "We have lot of trouble - everybody knows that. My hope is that we can work our way out of the trouble we're in."

Way to go Hillary, you really know how to weaken the country – with remarks like these, who needs the terrorists to terrorize us. Today, Ms. Clinton stands somewhere in the middle of the Iraq war or so she says. The woman, as has been shown in the past, will appease to please the terrorists and the United Nations….nothing has changed, just the spin and propaganda…Ms. Clinton’s spots remain the same…” The Clinton duel presidency of eight years compounded the North Korean successes. The diplomatic enticements and sweetheart deals it engineered or endorsed, including the Agreed Framework, all gave Pyongyang more resources and time to pursue its bomb.”

Like Al Gore or John Kerry, she will change her stance to whatever the popular crisis of the moment is. Ms. Clinton is a hollow vessel with no real commitments for her country, just other people’s ideas, words and deeds – she has none herself. If the borders need closing, why didn’t the senator take up the hue and cry for closure long before it became a popular notion; if our military needed more funding, why didn’t the senator ask for that at the time it was needed. She only comes on board when it is most advantageous for her to do so; no more, no less. Ms. Clinton is indeed an empty vessel, no genie here.

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