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Hillaryland Is Hell, Staffers Say
Newsmax ^ | 1-25-2007 | Newsmax Staff

Posted on 01/25/2008 11:47:32 AM PST by Democrats hate too much

Despite Hillary Clinton’s surprising win in the New Hampshire primary, discontent remains the order of the day in “Hillaryland,” according to an article in the liberal New Republic.

“For all of Team Hillary’s gifts, it is not known as a happy group,” Michelle Cottle writes in the magazine.

“‘I’ve never seen a campaign where everyone feels so bad about themselves,’ says one campaign staffer, echoing others.”

That feeling was palpable the morning after Clinton’s defeat in the Iowa caucuses, when a “sad and sorry Team Hillary” gathered for a conference call with the candidate, Cottle relates.

After Hillary came on the line, message guru Mandy Grunwald tried to spur conversation by asking staffers if they had any thoughts. No one spoke. After a pregnant pause, Hillary began talking for a few minutes about the campaign. Again, silence.

An angry Hillary finally snarled: “This has been very helpful talking to myself” — and hung up.

Following Iowa, rumors began circulating that there would be a major shakeup in the Clinton campaign staff. Then came the New Hampshire win. But discord remains in Hillaryland, the New Republic article disclosed.

The unease has been spurred in large part by the “fear-inducing, high-handed” leadership of the advisors known as “the Five” – Grunwald, campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle, top strategist Mark Penn, policy chief Neera Tanden, and communications director Howard Wolfson.

The five, called by Cottle the “devout members of Hillaryland,” have kept “an iron grip on everything from ideas to access.”

The staffer deemed most likely to be replaced after Iowa was Penn, according to Cottle.

“The reasons are legion: his high profile; his right-of-center politics; his myopic focus on issues; his dismissal of the need for Hillary to get personal and address her likability problem; his unusual dual role as top strategist and pollster; and, of course, his famously rough manner.”

New Hampshire brought Penn a reprieve — and not everyone in the Clinton campaign was happy about that.

“So strong was the desire for change,” Cottle writes, “that the Granite State miracle, while obviously a godsend, left some staffers deflated as it became clear that the planned overhaul had been derailed.”

© 2008 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New Hampshire
KEYWORDS: clinton; election; herroyalhighness; hildebeast; hillary; hillaryrodhamclinton; mrsbillclinton
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1 posted on 01/25/2008 11:47:34 AM PST by Democrats hate too much
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To: Democrats hate too much
...his myopic focus on issues...

Yeah, that's a really bad thing to have in a campaign........

2 posted on 01/25/2008 11:49:59 AM PST by Red Badger ( We don't have science, but we do have consensus.......)
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To: Democrats hate too much

Just a preview of the discomfort the entire Nation will feel if she wins it all.


3 posted on 01/25/2008 11:50:46 AM PST by TCats
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To: Red Badger

White House staff used to dive into alcoves to avoid her. Making eye contact was Verboten!


4 posted on 01/25/2008 11:51:23 AM PST by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: Democrats hate too much

What a beast! How she gets any votes except from her disgusting “husband” and Web Hubbel’s daughter is beyond me.

How can ANYONE vote for someone as revolting as her? Just incredible!

She should be in prison with the rest of her goons and hacks, but here she is running for the most precious office in the United States. How could this have gotten so far?


5 posted on 01/25/2008 11:51:49 AM PST by laweeks
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To: Democrats hate too much

Heard much the same about the Hillary wing of the White House.


6 posted on 01/25/2008 11:52:00 AM PST by RightWhale (Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
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To: Democrats hate too much
...“fear-inducing, high-handed” leadership...

SOP for that crowd.

7 posted on 01/25/2008 11:52:42 AM PST by Allegra (It was a cold day in Hell when it snowed in Baghdad 1/11/08)
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To: Democrats hate too much
An angry Hillary finally snarled: “This has been very helpful talking to myself” — and hung up.

Along with her other faults, she's not a nice person...

8 posted on 01/25/2008 11:52:50 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: Democrats hate too much

I imagine it was ral hell when that picture of bubba and Hillary and Lesko showed up on Drudge this morning.


9 posted on 01/25/2008 11:52:52 AM PST by umgud
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To: Democrats hate too much
After Hillary came on the line, message guru Mandy Grunwald tried to spur conversation by asking staffers if they had any thoughts. No one spoke. After a pregnant pause, Hillary began talking for a few minutes about the campaign. Again, silence.

Looks like no one wanted to place their heads on the block for the Queen (in an organizational sense).

10 posted on 01/25/2008 11:52:55 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: Democrats hate too much
I thought Penn was right to advise hillary to stay away from Iowa.
She didn’t listen and now we have to put up with waa-waa in hillaryhades
11 posted on 01/25/2008 11:53:30 AM PST by stylin19a
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To: tioga; xsmommy
Hillaryland Is Hell, Staffers Say

Act suprised. Ping.

12 posted on 01/25/2008 11:53:51 AM PST by NeoCaveman
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To: Democrats hate too much

so when is the mass resignation?


13 posted on 01/25/2008 11:53:58 AM PST by purpleraine
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To: laweeks
She should be in prison with the rest of her goons and hacks, but here she is running for the most precious office in the United States. How could this have gotten so far?

Somehow she manages to fool people. Never underestimate her...

14 posted on 01/25/2008 11:54:27 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: laweeks

” How could this have gotten so far?”

The short answer is there are a lot of stupid people in this country that want anyone to take care of them and be responsible for all their needs and wants — they are liberals stuck in a state of arrested mental development.


15 posted on 01/25/2008 11:55:03 AM PST by Neoliberalnot ((Hallmarks of Liberalism: Ingratitude and Envy))
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To: Democrats hate too much

“For all of Team Hillary’s gifts..”

And just what specifically would those gifts be?

I’ll start by rejecting highly over-publicized degrees from hugely overrated “prestigious” universities as an indication of some sort of unique gift or achievement.

I would guess that most of the “gifted” are simply big mouthed, flush with faux bravado, arrogant attorneys.


16 posted on 01/25/2008 11:55:04 AM PST by EyeGuy
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To: Democrats hate too much

The Devil taxes Prada


17 posted on 01/25/2008 11:55:56 AM PST by Squidpup ("Fight the Good Fight")
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To: massgopguy

I would,too! Might turn to stone!............

18 posted on 01/25/2008 11:56:45 AM PST by Red Badger ( We don't have science, but we do have consensus.......)
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To: Democrats hate too much

well, jeeper, they don’t have to work for her ... quit and get a real job making something useful


19 posted on 01/25/2008 11:56:55 AM PST by InvisibleChurch (" Nobody likes weepy meat." -- Mayor Quimby)
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To: umgud

LOL - it must have been happy happy joy joy when that picture showed up.


20 posted on 01/25/2008 11:57:08 AM PST by Enterprise (Those who "betray us" also "Betray U.S." They're called DEMOCRATS!)
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