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Hillary Warns Kerry: Hands Off McAuliffe
NewsMax ^
| 3/5/04
| Limbacher
Posted on 03/05/2004 7:55:27 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
Uber Democrat Sen. Hillary Clinton is warning all-but-certain presidential nominee John Kerry to back off if he's thinking about replacing party chairman Terry McAuliffe before the election. Asked about rumblings that the Kerry camp wanted to toss McAuliffe over the side, Clinton told the New York Times on Friday, "Terry has helped the Democratic Party move into the 21st century to compete against the incredible interlocking institutional powers of the other side."
"A lot of plans have been laid, a lot of infrastructure put in place, and I want to see us follow through," she insisted.
The disagreement over McAuliffe's future could be just the tip of the iceberg of a growing rift between the Clintons, who, through McAuliffe, still control the party's machinery - and Sen. Kerry's political team, which now sees itself in the driver's seat.
Sen. Clinton, for instance, reminded the Times that her husband did not replace the party chairman when he became the nominee in 1992 - a none too subtle hint that she expects Kerry to follow suit.
Still, the Kerry camp is reportedly bristling over McAuliffe's antics, such as his decision to publicly allege that President Bush went AWOL from the National Guard. That stunt put the spotlight on parts of Kerry's past that he preferred not to discuss - such as his decision to team up Jane Fonda for anti-war protests in the 1970s.
Another sign of the growing rift between the Kerry and Clinton teams came late Tuesday, when Sen. Clinton offered an unenthusiastic endorsement to Kerry as the party's inevitable nominee, and did so on Japanese TV - a venue where few Americans were likely to notice.
Strategists for the Massachusetts Democrat are said considering different ways to curb McAuliffe's independence - a move that would certainly limit the influence wielded by Sen. Clinton and her husband in upcoming campaign decisions.
Still, Kerry strategists, aware that alienating the Clintons could cost their candidate in more ways than one, have to be careful not to ignite an internal civil war.
Even without McAuliffe, for example, Sen. Clinton controls the Democratic Party's presidential media fund through her right hand man Harold Ickes, who has the backing of Bush-bashing billionaire George Soros.
And other Democratic groups that will play critical roles in the 2004 election include Americans Coming Together, founded by Hillary ally Ellen Malcom, and the Center for American Progress, run by former Clinton White House chief of staff John Podesta.
TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; dnc; hillary; kerry; mcauliffe
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection
This could be good!
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
"Another sign of the growing rift between the Kerry and Clinton teams came late Tuesday, when Sen. Clinton offered an unenthusiastic endorsement to Kerry as the party's inevitable nominee, and did so on Japanese TV - a venue where few Americans were likely to notice. "
VIDEO! I want VIDEO!
3
posted on
03/05/2004 7:57:04 AM PST
by
Pikamax
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
We'll see how whipped Kerry is.
4
posted on
03/05/2004 7:57:39 AM PST
by
Mike Darancette
(General - Alien Army of the Right (AAOTR))
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Another perfect Pukin' prediction....
5
posted on
03/05/2004 7:57:50 AM PST
by
Pukin Dog
(Sans Reproache)
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
"Terry has helped the Democratic Party move into the 21st century to compete against the incredible interlocking institutional powers of the other side." AKA---- The "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy"
6
posted on
03/05/2004 7:58:05 AM PST
by
OXENinFLA
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
I posted earlier today in another thread that Kerry's first major battle isn't against GWB, it is against the Clintons and their DNC.
Kerry has to wrestle the DNC away from the Clintons or bow to their will. That is a power struggle yet to come. Gore didn't do it and lost party control. Kerry has to decide which devil he wants to dance with: the DNC with the Clintons and their power/machine, or a DNC devoid of them. Either puts Kerry between the rock and the hard-place.
7
posted on
03/05/2004 8:00:33 AM PST
by
TomGuy
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Kerry may act the big man when he is at the microphone saying "Bring it on," or when he is gunning down a wounded man on the beach, but when it comes to a real fight with the people who actually run things like Hillary and Soros, he'll run whimpering behind his rich wife's skirt.
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
This could well be where the election is absolutely lost. If Kerry thinks the clintons are toasting him, he could ruin them as well.
9
posted on
03/05/2004 8:01:25 AM PST
by
js1138
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
If Kerry wanted to bring any credibility at all to his campaign, he would be wise to distance himself as far as he can from the Clinton regime.
10
posted on
03/05/2004 8:01:28 AM PST
by
tomball
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Sen. Clinton, for instance, reminded the Times that her husband did not replace the party chairman when he became the nominee in 1992 - a none too subtle hint that she expects Kerry to follow suit.In other words: "We made you, we can unmake you."
11
posted on
03/05/2004 8:01:35 AM PST
by
Only1choice____Freedom
(The word system implies they have done something the same way at least twice)
To: OXENinFLA
...the incredible interlocking institutional powers of the other side. Wow. We've moved beyond the VRWC. Now we're the "IIIP."
It... it sings to me.
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
BJ's going to take his job in 2005.
Watch and see.
13
posted on
03/05/2004 8:01:59 AM PST
by
mabelkitty
(If Kerry is so "electable", then why are Democrats afraid of Nader?)
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Is this just NewsMax blather? If the story has some fact behind it, perhaps Dick Morris is really wrong about a Hildabeast vice presidency. I can't see her as #2 on any ticket, myself...
I don't want to get my hopes up, but I just don't see the Clintons relinquishing power. But I also heard some time ago that McAwful was going to step down, in any case.
14
posted on
03/05/2004 8:02:09 AM PST
by
TheGeezer
(If only I had skin as thick as Ann Coulter, and but half her intelligence...)
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
"A lot of plans have been laid, a lot of infrastructure put in place, and I want to see us follow through," she insisted. This quotation encapsulates Hillary Clinton's problem in a nutshell: she comes across like a City Planner instead of a smooth politician (like her other half). Hillary Clinton -- Technocrat for President. Zzzzzzzzz......
15
posted on
03/05/2004 8:03:42 AM PST
by
Tallguy
(Cannot rate this Reserve Freepers fitness: Not observed on this thread.)
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
The Dark Side speaks.
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
I knew it wouldn't happen
When are the democrats going to see they have lost controll of their party, and an alien is feeding off it.
17
posted on
03/05/2004 8:04:26 AM PST
by
The Wizard
(democrats are enemies of America)
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Still, Kerry strategists, aware that alienating the Clintons could cost their candidate in more ways than oneAlas, so will befriending them. Such is the plague that the Clintons have laid on the Democrat Party. Gotta love it.
To: TheGeezer
Yep....I remember the same....McAwful is leaving the post....but this must mean the Clinton's want to name his successor.....x42 perhaps?
19
posted on
03/05/2004 8:05:45 AM PST
by
goodnesswins
(The Democrat "Funeral" is on.....)
To: Interesting Times
20
posted on
03/05/2004 8:07:20 AM PST
by
Only1choice____Freedom
(The word system implies they have done something the same way at least twice)
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