Hillary's Advance Man: We Set 'Goon Squads' on Protesters

NewsMax.com ^ | 10/21/02 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

A Democratic Party political operative who worked for eight years as an advance man for Hillary Clinton has revealed that he routinely employed "goon squads" to intimidate protesters and quash anti-Clinton demonstrations.

"Less genteel souls sometimes referred to them as goon squads," writes Patrick Halley in his new book "On the Road with Hillary." "But I objected to that term. I was proud of the fact that not one of them had ever been arrested," he boasts.

Halley said he prefers the term "etiquette squad" to describe the Clinton goon squads, but he admitted "they could certainly be intimidating if the occasion called for it."

"The make-up of the etiquette squad differed from event to event, and I always found it best to use folks who were indigenous," he explained. "After all, you wouldn't want to send a team of broad-shouldered teamsters into an event at a women's college."

Halley revealed that whenever an anti-Hillary protest looked likely, he'd "sprinkle" the Clinton goons throughout the crowd "so there was always someone able to respond quickly."

The Clinton campaign "never advocated physical confrontation and always insisted that the etiquette squad stay within the boundaries of the law," he claimed.

But in the next breath Halley confessed, "Sadly, but inevitably, things sometimes got a little frisky, but my recruits knew how to handle themselves."

The Clinton operative recalled that one etiquette squad "had come from the longshoreman's union, and I had heard rumors that they had been very adamant about defending themselves when set upon by protesters."

Rumors of Clinton operatives roughing up both reporters and protesters during Hillary's 2000 Senate campaign were legion, but the mainstream press declined to cover the assaults.

One such altercation took place as Mrs. Clinton marched in New York's St. Patrick's Day parade during the campaign. The scene was described moments later by Metro Network News reporter Glenn Schuck, who assumed that rogue Secret Service agents had been responsible for the thug-like tactics:

"Secret Service agents literally are pushing press to the ground. They just lost their minds, in my opinion," Schuck told WABC Radio's Sean Hannity.

"I mean they just started pushing and shoving; female camera people five feet tall were getting thrown to the ground, cameras flying. Myself, I was grabbed by the shoulder, I was thrown back over. I think somebody from Channel 11 landed on my back. From that point it really didn't get any better."

A few days after Schuck's report, a caller to WOR Radio's Bob Grant Show reported that she and her family were also accosted by the Clinton goons along the parade route.

Caller "Maureen" reported that her family had been booing Mrs. Clinton as she marched along when "they were surrounded by men in trench coats with radios." She quoted the men as saying that they "did not have the right" to heckle, before ordering, "We think you should stop this now."

The goon squad tactics described by Mr. Halley were apparently also practiced by Mr. Clinton's advance team. During an October 1998 protest of the then-president's visit to Philadelphia, demonstrators were set upon by goons wearing T-shirts bearing the message "Teamsters for Clinton."

Philadelphia-native Don Adams was beaten severely during the confrontation and later filed suit against city officials.

Before the revelation in Halley's book, no one previously associated with the Clinton White House had ever admitted using goon squads to stifle free speech.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Clinton Scandals
Sen. Hillary Clinton

[malia]

Remember Hillary and her limo at the airport being flagged to stop - they ran down the guard, continued on and the man ended in emergency (which raises the cost of health care, hillary)

[SicTransitGloriaMundi]

The Clinton operative recalled that one etiquette squad "had come from the longshoreman's union, and I had heard rumors that they had been very adamant about defending themselves when set upon by protesters."

Ironic, since strikers and union organizers are the tradidional victims of this stuff. If they were cops, the victims would have been arrested for resisting arrest.

The Clinton campaign "never advocated physical confrontation and always insisted that the etiquette squad stay within the boundaries of the law," he claimed.

Plausible deniability.

[sneakypete]

If her goons try that game now that she doesn't have SS protection,

She still has SS protection,and will have it for the rest of her life.

[Jeff Chandler]

You really don't want to provoke them in these situations-messy lawsuits and all that. Just cover the backs of the demonstrators. If the goons attack the demonstrators, somebody has to try to talk them out of it. Of course, if they fall down and hurt themselves, well, that's not our fault.

[Jeff Chandler]

The key to protecting the protesters would be to find out ahead of time who the goons are. The article states that they use local people. The word must go out at some point. If their plans were known, the goons could be intercepted with a minimum of fuss, and a minimum of legal liability.

[Green Knight]

During an October 1998 protest of the then-president's visit to Philadelphia, demonstrators were set upon by goons wearing T-shirts bearing the message "Teamsters Nazis for Clinton."

Another example of why I went from Independent to Republican a while back. The corruption in the Democratic party is sickening.

[Jeff Chandler]

We could start by reading the book, and learning the modus operandi of the goons. Then stage a protest of Hitlary, and observe the goons, who they are, how they got there, how they dress, what their tactics are, etc.. I read somewhere that they utilize communication devices similar to those used by Secret Service. They like to impersonate them. It should be a simple matter of technology to listen in on their communications.

Now that we know they're out there doing what they're doing, they should be easy to counter.

[Jeff Chandler]

Agreed. Documentation is vital.

[backhoe]

Don & Teri Adams meet the Teamsters:

http://web.archive.org/web/200 00614012750/http://www.ijot.co m/DonAdams/index.htm

http://web.archive.org/web/*/h ttp://ijot.com/DonAdams/index. htm

Teamster Trio To Be Sentenced Today For Beating Clinton ...
... and conspiracy, for the October 2, 1998, mob beating of Clinton protestors Don
Adams, and his sister, Teri Adams, during a presidential fundraising trip to ...

Thank You Rush Limbaugh (Rush discussed Don Adams,John Morris ...
... Thank You Rush Limbaugh (Rush discussed Don Adams,John Morris, Freepers&Fund'sWSJ
11-26 Article)!! Crime/Corruption Announcement Keywords: LIMBAUGH,ADAMS,MORRIS ...

Three More Teamsters Plead Guilty In Don Adams Case [Free ...
... Three More Teamsters Plead Guilty In Don Adams Case Crime/Corruption News Source:
Self Author: Teri Adams Posted on 09/12/2000 12:12:17 PDT by TAdams8591. ...

Three MoreTeamsters Plead Guilty in Don Adams Case,Thread 2! ...
... Three MoreTeamsters Plead Guilty in Don Adams Case,Thread 2!! Crime/Corruption News
Keywords: ADAMS,TEAMSTERS, JOHN MORRIS Source: Self Author: DonAdams Posted ...

Bill & Hill's Pal Union Boss Arthur A. Coia Forced To ...
... The Don Adams Defense Fund. PO Box 306. Cheltenham, PA 19012. 11 Posted
on 10/01/1999 20:13:47 PDT by po'boy [ Reply | To 8 | Top | Last ] ...

Last of the Molly Maguires (ATTENTION!! re:The Man who had ...
... Last of the Molly Maguires (ATTENTION!! re:The Man who had Don Adams Assaulted--TAdams8591)
Crime/Corruption News Keywords: JOHN MORRIS, DON ADAMS Source: Time ...

Of Guns and Goons [Free Republic]
... Teamster beatings at the anti-Clinton rally was to press assault charges against
Don Adams, one of the protesters who was beaten up; Mr. Adams ultimately was ...

[leadhead]

Get pictures of them for after the rally. Find where they live and have a rally at their place,in kind,and in their honor.

Couple of those and the volunteers will start thinking twice about how she uses them.

[WaterDragon]

Very believable! And really awful. But just what you'd expect from Hillary Clinton who hasn't a shred of respect for our form of government, except when she can exploit it for her own personal advantage.

Reminds me how in Florida, an anti-Gore protester was shoved over; she was holding her child or it was in a carriage or stroller. The Democratic goons were vicious!

[Caipirabob]

But that would be wrong.

*grin*

[Cacique]

btt

[GOPJ]

So, democrats pay people to look like supporters, pay people to write letters to the editor, pay people to write fake letters to Republican office holders, and pay people to sign up the dead to vote? Gotta love those Democtats, at least they're consistent in their trashy lowlife antics.

Halley revealed that whenever an anti-Hillary protest looked likely, he'd "sprinkle" the Clinton goons throughout the crowd "so there was always someone able to respond quickly."

The Clinton campaign "never advocated physical confrontation and always insisted that the etiquette squad stay within the boundaries of the law," he claimed.

But in the next breath Halley confessed, "Sadly, but inevitably, things sometimes got a little frisky..."

[GOPJ]

It's nice to have you with us. Democrats unwittingly recruit for us with their strong arm tactics. Honest decent people run from them. Maybe someday, good people will take back the Democrat Party and it will only be a question of politics, not scary goon squads vs citizens.

Another example of why I went from Independent to Republican a while back. The corruption in the Democratic party is sickening.

[Skooz]

Exactly. This is precisely what the brown-shirts did.

[leadpenny]

This sure fits. It describes some of the folks we have encounterd at the Warner and other places. Wonder how long before we start seeing more of these paid operatives at Whitehaven and Mass. Ave.?

[Physicist]

Don Adams is a freeper.

Actually, he's not. But FreeRepublic has played an integral role in the Don Adams saga, and his sister, also a victim of the Teamster violence of Oct. 2, 1998, became a Freeper after the incident.

Five protesters at that incident were Freepers at the time.

[Physicist]

If the goons attack the demonstrators, somebody has to try to talk them out of it. Of course, if they fall down and hurt themselves, well, that's not our fault.

It doesn't work that way. In Philadelphia, it was about 500 union thugs to about 30 protesters. When things got out of hand, the police were either not present or slow to step in. And when the courts got involved, it was Don Adams who was prosecuted for assaulting the Teamsters' work boots and ham fists with his face.

Perhaps we should have responded with numbers after that, but in reality, I ended up doing a number of solo protests despite vigorous rabble-rousing in advance.