Hillary Warns Kerry: Hands Off McAuliffe

NewsMax ^ | 3/5/04 | Limbacher

[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.

[altura]

Or, as Corleone put it, "If history has taught me anything, it's that you can kill anybody."

Kerry may end up with more wounds than he got in Viet Nam.

Did you all realize he was there? And wounded?

[KellyAdmirer]

Follow the money. Kerry still needs to pay off his house loan and not look like a total jerk who can't raise enough money to wage a credible campaign. He is used to being a kept man, so having Hillary tell him what to do can't be too unusual for him. Kerry's wife couldn't care less whether Kerry wins, she isn't going to open up her deep pockets and spend some cash just to make him look good. Hillary controls the purse strings. McAuliffe stays.

[spokeshave]

Sounds like shrillary is well stocked up with ashtrays.

In other news it was reported that shrillary is suffering from ACUTE CHIPMUNK-ITIS

[PeterPrinciple]

against the incredible interlocking institutional powers of the other side."


Don't you just love words. This is right out of the Peter Principle books called the Peter Palaver......use words to confuse and non communicate if you are caught being incompetent but want to appear competent.

[shutup_you_idiot]

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.

Kerry will be doing whatever his FBI files tell him to do. :-)

[CFC__VRWC]

I'm sorry, but I don't buy any bit of this story - it positively reeks of back-room wheeling and dealing. I don't think too much of Kerry's brain power, but even I don't think that he's so stupid that he would pick this kind of fight with thwe Clintons, after seeing the way they eviscerated Howard Dean for doing the same thing. I think this whole thing is designed to give Kerry and McAuliffe political cover. Kerry "distances" himself from McAuliffe and the DNC, allowing them to go all out with the gutter politics and the slandering of President Bush, and Kerry gets to "stay above the fray and look presidential." When asked if he intends to tell McAuliffe to tone it down, Kerry (after dropping a big wink to the media) gets to say "I have no control over him. I tried to get rid of him and I couldn't."

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Well put. In order to be the king ya gotta kill the king. We'll see what happens. Nice analysis.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

McAuliffe is a childish buffoon with a very low IQ.

He has been a disaster for the Democrat Party.

I hope he gets a lifetime appointment.

[Cyber Liberty]

I hope Hillary! wins this one, and I mean that sincerely.

[Politicalmom]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Not another "co-presidency"!!!

[Reo]

Won't it be fun to watch them all elbowing each other for face time at the Dem Convention! Remember the Slick Willie Grand Entrance last time around.

[CFC__VRWC]

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.

I agree with this, but why would Kerry pick this fight right now, when he's trying to get ready to take on George Bush, unless he's a bigger idiot than I think he is? Wouldn't it be better (from Kerry's perspective) to keep up the illusion of one big happy socialist family until after he's elected and consolidates his power, and then start the bloodbath?

[Consort]

It could be a DNC ploy to make Hillary look strong (if Terry stays), or to make Kerry look strong (if Terry goes).

[twigs]

DM has said that Hillary will only want to be VP IF it appears Kerry is going to win. I heard another analysis that stated Hillary needs to keep in the public eye if she's going to get to the WH herself and the VP slot would allow her to do that, particularly if she has concerns about not rewinning her senate seat in 2006.

McAuliffe has said he would step down after this campaign. Kerry wants him gone now b/c he's seen that McAuliffe is not working in his interest--he's too tied to the Clintons. Kerry is really in a difficult position. McAuliffe will probably continue to work against him, but if he ousts him, then the Clintons will take off their gloves and go after him even harder. He now has something that Hillary wants but does not wish to work for it. A fitting commentary for a socialist.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Looks like the Dems are headed for a convention that will resemble the last 10 minutes of "Enemy of the State"

[DoctorMichael]

Oh goodey!

May they rip each others throat out.

[Cboldt]

Out of the corner of my ear, this AM, I heard a discussion comparing Hillary!'s campaign warchest to Kerry's. She! has something like 100 million. No doubt, the Clinton's are still pulling the strings.

This 'politics' is simple -- whoever has the most money wins. Well, given the media spin, you'd sure think so.

[BlueNgold]

Hands off McAuliff...

Does this have anything to do with that Bomb-Scare story??

[Cicero]

In a fight between Hildabeast and John F'n Kerry, I know which one my money is on. Kerry doesn't stand a chance.