Harold Ickes Confirms That Wright Is Key Topic In Discussions With Super-Delegates

TPM ^ | April 1, 2008 | Greg Sargent

[george76]

In an interview with me this morning, senior Hillary adviser Harold Ickes confirmed that Reverend Jeremiah Wright is a key topic in discussions with uncommitted super-delegates over whether Obama is electable in a general election.

The comments from Ickes, who is Hillary's chief delegate hunter, are to my knowledge the first on-the-record confirmation from a Hillary adviser that the Wright controversy is a subject in conversations between the Hillary campaign and the super-delegates her advisers are trying to win over to Hillary's side.

In the wide-ranging interview, Ickes also:

* Said that it was possible that Hillary forces on the convention credentials committee could bring a so-called "minority report" to a full convention vote, though he also said that this is something Hillary doesn't want to happen

* Confirmed that the Hillary campaign could still try to woo super-dels even if she lost the popular vote, with Michigan and Florida counted

* Said that there was no risk of Hillary's efforts "tearing the party apart," described the current campaign as "genteel," and dismissed those worrying about the damage the campaign could do to the party as "hand-wringers"

"Look what the Republicans did to a genuine war hero," Ickes said, in a reference to John Kerry.

When I asked Ickes if the Hillary campaign would still try to woo super-dels even if she was behind in the popular vote counting Florida and Michigan, he said: "I think being ahead in the popular vote is an important factor. I don't think it's dispositive..."

[Candor7]

Johyn Kerry? Don't Swift Boat me Bro?

The MSM are still stuck with the whole problem of fact. They think Kerry was wrongly traduced and have created yet another Urban myth.

Notice how Kerry is not running for the presidential nomination. Wonder why? Because the SWIFTYs were right!

Imaging having this creature as POTUS?

We will take care of Obama too.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“Ickes pointed out that when he worked for Ted Kennedy’s losing presidential primary run against Jimmy Carter in 1980, Kennedy aides brought a minority report calling for delegates to be able to vote their consciences...”

Problem with that was Brezhnev already had a job.

[Condor51]

If Team Hillary and Harold Ickes 'Jr' is going to use Rev Wright and his views and 'teachings' to bring down Obama, I say Team Obama use Hillary's ties to her communist mentor, Saul Alinsky, whose Communist views were the subject of her College Thesis.

I'd ALSO bring up the fact that Harold Ickes' FATHER, who was a top guy to FDR was also a Communist ₍₁₎ and 'father like son'. And Hillary is and was always surrounded by Communists. But since Obama is a Marxist he can't use that.

McCain could if Hill steals the nomination, but he wont. That would be 'mean'. /s

(1) ... Clinton aide Harold Ickes. The Ickes family is an institution in political Washington dating back to his father's service to Franklin D. Roosevelt during the 1930s and 1940s. Harold Ickes, Sr., however has an even more checkered past than the current Washington icon.

The senior Ickes was named by Gestapo chief Heinrich Muller as one of 63 FDR officials and Roosevelt aides the Gestapo had evidenced providing confidential if not secret data to the Soviets. Ickes was Secretary of Labor when he shared information with Moscow.