Emails: Clinton staff reviewed remarks, questions for events

Associated Press ^ | 6/2/2016 | Jack Gillum, Chad Day, and Stephen Braun

[simpson96]

WASHINGTON (AP) — For Hillary Clinton, the presidential campaign has been about building an approachable image: She's often eschewed big arenas in favor of town halls, peppered her ads with personal stories and planned less-scripted gatherings with voters.

But emails obtained by The Associated Press reveal a careful, behind-the-scenes effort to review introductory remarks for college presidents and students presenting the Democratic front-runner as a speaker, as well as suggesting questions that happened to be aligned with her campaign platform.

While it's not unusual for campaigns to plan detailed appearances, the exchanges preview the kind of image-control apparatus that could be deployed in a Clinton White House, including attempts to steer conversations with her audiences. They also run counter to her campaign's efforts to make Clinton look less wooden and scripted than she did when running eight years ago.

The former secretary of state's preparedness appears in contrast with the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, who rarely pulls punches in his speeches, speaks more spontaneously and has far more apparently unplanned, unscripted interactions.

Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said, "We take pride in Secretary Clinton's ability to answer tough questions. We do not screen questioners at events, nor do we script interactions." He said Clinton has answered about 900 questions in formal events on the campaign, and that more-memorable moments came from the fact her events were "completely unscripted."

The newly revealed exchanges, which surfaced in open-records requests, show the workings of a Clinton campaign that touts off-the-cuff moments, like the story of a little girl who asked Clinton: "If you're elected the girl president, will you be paid the same as the boy president?" That line is a stump speech favorite.

But the campaign still injects itself into the minute details of the candidate's appearances down to the stemless glassware in her green room.

[SunkenCiv]

Here’s the reply link to use, thanks very much:

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=3436167%2C1

[SunkenCiv]

Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said, "We take pride in Secretary Clinton's ability to answer tough questions. We do not screen questioners at events, nor do we script interactions."

IOW, LYING AGAIN!!!