This Clinton machine is a tighter ship

LA Times ^ | 12-31-06 | Stephen Braun

[STARWISE]

WASHINGTON

[advance_copy]

The funny part about all this is she is still going to lose. And, she'll suck down a lot of DemocRAT resources with her.

[STARWISE]

Get ready to remember these names:


The inner circle

Old-line Bill Clinton players

TERRY McAULIFFE
"First friend" of the Clintons; key fundraiser and party conduit

JOHN PODESTA
Chief executive at Center for American Progress and former White House chief of staff

JAMES CARVILLE
Democratic campaign consultant; promoted Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential candidacy

HOWARD G. PASTER
Chairman of Burson-Marsteller; former chief White House lobbyist

Hillaryland

The senator's core staff, who gave the name to their close-knit enclave during the 1992 transition period

MARGARET "MAGGIE" WILLIAMS
Former East Wing aide; post-White House chief of staff for Bill Clinton

NEERA TANDEN
Longtime advisor to Hillary Clinton; senior vice president of Center for American Progress

TAMERA LUZZATTO
Senate chief of staff

LORRAINE VOLES
Senate communications director

Democratic Party veterans

ANN LEWIS
Former Democratic National Committee political
director; now communications chief at Hillpac

PHIL SINGER
Former Democratic Senate spokesman; would head "rapid response"

JONATHAN MANTZ
Former Democratic finance official; would be
national finance director

KAREN HICKS
Former Howard Dean presidential campaign aide; would head primary organizing

PETER DAOU
Internet and blogging specialist; worked on John F. Kerry presidential campaign


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One word: nausea

[observer5]

Well, if she can win the presidency, then America deserves no better.

[popdonnelly]

Sure, it's a tighter ship. Captain Bligh is in charge.

[bannie]

Her hectic schedule has been crammed with private lunches and phone conversations with elected officials and political operatives.

She's been having her government-paid staff call the remainder of the 900 whose FBI Files fell into her lap.

"Just a reminder..."

[TruthWillWin]

ANN LEWIS
Former Democratic National Committee political director;
now communications chief at Hillpac

Don't forget....Reason Barney Frank is gay.

[oldbrowser]

Is Janet Reno in charge of dirty tricks?

[whitedog57]

Yup, SOCIALISM is gaining control of the US. This could be the election that determines the fate of the US.

I fear for my children. Huge taxes on the middle class, state controlled schools, ecconomic decay, massive corruption, state controlled norms and morals, explosion in crime (and no convictions or jail time), etc.

Its like Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange come to life [the book was about the problems of socialism and dangerous leftist programs under the guise of "enlightenment."

[Piquaboy]

There is not anything tight about the Rat party. I will bet big money than Hillary does not have anything tight. I will leave that to others to find out though.

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

I think you're right. Does anyone else think that her running is just about the best thing she could do for the GOP? LOL Go Hillary go! She can single-handedly just about guarantee a Republican White House in 2008.

[oyez]

"We are going to take things away from you...."

[rbg81]

I would not underestimate her. A sizeable portion of the nation's political establishment kisses her a$$. That didn't happen by accident.

She could well win. If she does, then we deserve what we get. On the flip side, she can be a real bitch if she wants to be. Consequently, if there is another 9/11 under her watch, someone might get their a$$ nuked.

[cmsgop]

Very well said

[STARWISE]

FBI files, travel office case dog Clinton

June 23, 1996

(CNN) -- A political tug of war continued Sunday over hundreds of FBI background files improperly obtained by the Clinton administration. The president's staff insists there was no misuse of information, but skeptical Republicans aren't convinced.

Vice President Al Gore repeated the administration's promise to prevent access to such files in the future.

Hatch

The White House conducted what appears to be "a definite effort to find dirt on Republicans," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, charged Sunday. "Now, whether that's true or not, I don't know. That's why we have to do this investigation."

An investigation of the episode has been added to the portfolio of independent counsel Kenneth Starr, who already is conducting a wide-ranging inquiry into the president's financial and campaign dealings during his tenure as Arkansas governor.

Avoiding the issues

In a live interview on CNN's "Late Edition," Gore defended the White House's handling of the files and said a policy will soon be in place to prevent anyone there from having access to FBI materials.

"We are going to make sure new guidelines are further adhered to so something like this never happens again," Gore said from his farm in Carthage, Tennessee.

Gore

"To the limits of my knowledge," the files did not wind up in the White House for political purposes, the vice president said. "I was sure it was some kind of bureaucratic foul-up . . . We still don't know what happened, but the wrong procedures were used."

In a separate interview on CBS' Face The Nation, White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta said it was "inexcusable" that White House personnel requested background files on people who worked in the Reagan and Bush administrations. But Panetta said there's no evidence that the files were misused.

Both he and Gore criticized Republicans for attacking the White House.

"They can't talk about the real matters facing America. They're out of ideas . . . so they want to bring up all of these other matters and try to pretend that these are the matters of primary concern to the American people. They're not," Gore said.

Referring to Bob Dole, GOP presidential nominee-in-waiting, Panetta said: "He ought to be talking about the issues that effect the future."

But Hatch, also interviewed on CBS, said Republicans supported Starr's investigation. "We're going to continue to follow this until we find out what those answers are."

Gingrich wants files

Gingrich

The administration also was being pressed by Republicans on another front. House Speaker Newt Gingrich Saturday renewed his threat to have White House officials declared in contempt of Congress if they don't turn over 2,000 pages of travel office files.

"These people cannot continue to stonewall, obstruct, delay and lie. And they need to turn over those 2,000 pages by next Wednesday," Gingrich said. The White House has claimed executive privilege over the papers, which have been subpoenaed by a House committee.

The committee is investigating the firing of seven travel office employees early in the Clinton administration and how the administration reacted to earlier inquiries into those dismissals.

[Polyxene]

Sure, it's a tighter ship. Captain Bligh is in charge.

AND the witch in charge has a whip!

[prov1813man]

Up until November 7, I was one of those crowing about how welcome a Shrillary candidacy would be for our side, sure she would be put her down once and for all like the B***h she no doubt is.

However, after watching a thin majority of Americans and a massive majority of Jews vote for the party endorsed by those whose aim is to kill us all, I am no longer sure.

The power of the so-called "dinosaur media" to shape the message as well as the outcome, coupled with what can only be termed the weak-minded maleability of the voters, has me concerned for the first time that she may actually become President.

[frankenMonkey]

On the flip side, she can be a real bitch if she wants to be. Consequently, if there is another 9/11 under her watch, someone might get their a$$ nuked

I've thought the same thing, just didn't want to say it in public. I think she's got a set of brass b*lls, and someone in the middle east might just piss her off...

[sirchtruth]

Get ready to remember these names:

What...No Craig Livingstone? What about Sandy Burglar or David "Shorty"
Kendall?

For Goodnes Sakes, don't forget Lanny Davis!!!

[Solitar]

The power of the so-called "dinosaur media" to shape the message as well as the outcome, coupled with what can only be termed the weak-minded maleability of the voters, has me concerned for the first time that she may actually become President.

That terrible likelihood is why there must be a Republican which really can defeat Hillary. Who, pray tell?

I'm afraid she could defeat McCain, Giuliani, Romney or any others now considered to be running.