It's just who they are: Hillary's hit list

[cali]

<snip>
There was a special circle of Clinton hell reserved for people who had endorsed Obama or stayed on the fence after Bill and Hillary had raised money for them, appointed them to a political post or written a recommendation to ice their kid’s application to an elite school. On one early draft of the hit list, each Democratic member of Congress was assigned a numerical grade from 1 to 7, with the most helpful to Hillary earning 1s and the most treacherous drawing 7s. The set of 7s included Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), as well as Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Baron Hill (D-Ind.) and Rob Andrews (D-N.J.).
Yet even a 7 didn’t seem strong enough to quantify the betrayal of some onetime allies.
When the Clintons sat in judgment, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) got the seat closest to the fire. Bill and Hillary had gone all out for her when she ran for Senate in 2006, as had Obama. But McCaskill seemed to forget that favor when NBC’s Tim Russert asked her whether Bill had been a great president, during a Meet the Press debate against then-Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) in October 2006. “He’s been a great leader,” McCaskill said of Bill, “but I don’t want my daughter near him.”



<snip>

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/hillary-clinton-hit-list-102067.html#.VdnN5WrD9pU

[ibegurpard]

1. Why hasn't any member of Congress endorsed Sanders?

The arrogant assumption by the people who ask that question that none of us knows the reality of politics continues to astound me.

[cantbeserious]

2. Bernie's Policies De-legitimize The Basis Of Power That His Colleagues Rely Upon For Their Status.

HRCs policies do otherwise.

What does that say about HRC And Maintaining The Status Quo?

Ultimately, No One Is Brave Enough To Bite The Hand That Feeds.

What Does That Say About America?

[senz]

36. Well-said, cantbeserious. Thanks.

But even that truth doesn't stop his enemies from using it against him.

[NorthCarolina]

29. Because he actually REALLY wants to get money out of politics. Unfortunately, they're used to

the gravy train to supplement their meager paychecks. It's natural that they would lean towards the candidate that they trust to only offer campaign lipservice for change.

[John Poet]

33. It's pretty simple: "Party before Country"

when it comes to endorsements.

[roguevalley]

44. anyone in or out of power who keeps a hit list is an asshole. What a dipshit republican

thing to do. Nixon anyone?

[DanTex]

3. Must be a slow week for Hillary bashers if we're digging back to a book published a year and a

half ago. I wonder how long until every anti-Hillary article ever written has been posted as an OP in this forum?

[cali]

9. nope. this is in response to threads by hill supporters bashing bernie

for his lack of congressional endorsements. Obviously this is just one of several factors, but it is absolutely a factor.

[DanTex]

14. Bernie has no endorsements because Dems in congress understand that nominating him

would mean a GOP landslide. But it's not surprising that you'd use it as an excuse to dig up some old anti-HRC dirt.

[cali]

16. the polls don't support that.

[DanTex]

20. Yes they do. Particularly the one that says the majority of voters won't consider

voting for a socialist. And the polls don't even take into account the barrage of attacks that the GOP is going to be hitting Bernie with, and that he won't have nearly enough finances to defend himself.

There are very good reasons that virtually nobody who understands what it takes to get elected outside of Vermont thinks Bernie is a good person to nominate.

[senz]

39. The more people learn about "democratic socialist" they more they like it.

Because it believes in people, in community. Plus, it's anti-authoritarian -- that's the "democratic" part.

Because of Bernie, Americans are rethinking the paradigm. This is very important.

And you can too, DanTex. You can too.

[ibegurpard]

18. No it means they recognize there would be severe

Political payback. It will happen when and if it becomes apparent that may not be a danger any longer (Sanders being able to wrest the nomination from Hillary Inc)

[DanTex]

21. That's obviously not true, since plenty of people endorsed Obama early in 2007,

despite the same supposed payback threat. The difference is that Obama was a viable and attractive candidate, and Bernie is not.

[ibegurpard]

23. of course it's true

Bernie hasn't reached that tipping point yet. Whether he will or not remains to be seen.

[karynnj]

34. To reiterate Cali's point, this is relevant

Consider two facts that faced Democratic members of Congress over the last two years when they were pushed to endorse HRC.

1) HRC was (and still is) a prohibitive favorite to become President in 2017.

2) Past experience indicates that she will be very slow to forgive anyone seen to be against her. Note also from the excerpt, that they count anything done by the Clintons for a person --- but there is no consideration of anything those people ever did for the Clintons. For the more senior people on that list, many did a LOT for Bill Clinton when he was running for President in 1992, during his Presidency, including personally defending him - at a cost - when he was impeached.

To put it more clearly, they knew that failing to back her might mean that they would not be heard in the Hillary Clinton White House. It is ironic that something that in our personal lives we would consider a negative characteristic actually buys her public support. (I remember reading in 2004 that the media was more unwilling to write negatively about GWB because they knew he would withhold access, but they were not as concerned that Kerry would do so as President. )

[senz]

38. ^^THIS^^

They rule by fear. Anyone who wants that mechanism operating in the White House is closer to Republican than Democrat. No matter what they call themselves.

[MineralMan]

17. Pointing out the actual fact that he has no congressional endorsements

is not "bashing." It is a fact. Facts are simply facts.

Digging up old stuff about the 2008 primaries is just digging up old stuff. Many of those who might have been on a list are now endorsing Hillary Clinton. Odd, huh? That's because the 2016 election is a different election, I think. Each election is unique.

[roguevalley]

45. actually, i see it as an insight into her mentality which I am being asked to consider

for President. if you consider it bashing then I pity you. Maybe you weren't around to see a hit list in action. Google Nixon.

[Android3.14]

32. Why do you defend Hilary keeping an enemy list on fellow members of the party?

Patiently awaiting your cogent and mature answer.

[brooklynite]

4. So you're saying progressives like Alan Grayson are cowards...

[cali]

7. huh?

[brooklynite]

22. There's not ONE member of the house who might support Sanders' policies with the courage to stand up

to Hillary Clinton?

[ibegurpard]

24. Look at the passage of the Patriot Act

There's your profiles in congressional courage. Did you really just ask that question?

[cali]

5. people like Ted Kennedy and Patrick Leahy didn't owe her a thing

And yet they ended up on on the worst level as Hillary's enemies.

That says a lot about her lack of good character

[karynnj]

35. Nor did John Kerry

The Clintons did not back him in 2004 until he was the defacto nominee -- and even then, their allies, like Carville and Begala gave extremely lukewarm support. It was they would popularized the idea that he was "anybody but Bush". This was a phrase that previously was used in primaries. It was used when the frontrunner in the primaries was from a side of the party with far less support than the other side, but the other side had many nominees. The two best known cases were "anybody but Carter and Anybody but Clinton - both failed to get a unity candidate to defeat the front runner. In the general election, it makes no sense. (ie is there anyone here who would not have voted for the Democratic nominee no matter if he/she was Kerry, Dean, Edwards, Gephardt, Gore, or HRC had that person won the nomination?)

In 1992, Kerry, who was a decorated vet made an eloquent call asking people not to refight the Vietnam War when Kerry's friend, Bob Kerrey brought up the path Clinton chose to avoid Vietnam - where Kerry defended the patriotism of people on both sides of that divide.
Kerry was already a second term Senator in MA when Clinton ran.

[cali]

52. absolutely.

[SonderWoman]

6. Isn't politico a RW crap-fest?

[cali]

10. every media outlet carried this. And I'm one who sees politico as a mixed bag

not a right wing site.

[SonderWoman]

12. Wait, this article is almost 2 years old.

[jeff47]

37. And it's talking about events ~8 years old.

Did you use your time machine to change history or something?

[BooScout]

13. Why yes, I believe it is...

Doesn't surprise me a bit that it's posfed here considering all the other RW talking points that are posted here every day.

[m-lekktor]

28. the only time people complain about Politico

is if they don't like the article, otherwise everybody from all sides seem to post links to it. same thing for the right wing UK rag, the Daily Mail.

[mcar]

8. Another RW smear

Being resurrected on DU. What's next? Vince Foster? The Mena Airport?

[cali]

11. typical bull conflation from a Hill devotee.

[senz]

41. So much wiggling. Attack the source. Attack the date. Anything but

the content. We've seen the same facts (Clinton enemy lists, retaliation, vindictiveness, secrecy) on most if not all major news outlets. I first read it on the NYTimes and have seen it other places.

Facts don't disappear. Until the tiger shows that he's changed his stripes, he's stuck with his stripes. He earned them.

Character is character -- and it matters. Especially in the presidency. Hillary supporters need to face that.

(Yes, yes, yes -- if she's the nominee, which I hope to God she won't be -- I'll sadly vote for her over those to the right of her. But it won't be as happy a day for the country as it could be.)

[Skwmom]

15. I'd add white progressives who supported Obama over Hillary. n/t

[senz]

42. Obama was much more mainstream than Bernie.

Took less courage (also less hope and change) to support him.

Revolutions, even peaceful political revolutions, are unnerving if not scary.

[Le Taz Hot]

19. Yeah, I remember another high-ranking politician

with a Hit List but he called it his Enemies List. Tells you much about the mindset and characters of both of them.

[ibegurpard]

25. And both of them fond of Kissinger

[Le Taz Hot]

26. And there's that . . .

[tularetom]

27. LOL beat me to it

Yup, the paranoia is strong in that one. The VRWC has been picking on her for two decades.

[m-lekktor]

30. This is why I assume all the DC politicians will be tripping over themselves

to endorse Hillary, they don't want to face the wrath of the Clinton machine. This story is new to me but it's what I suspected so no surprise.

[leveymg]

31. HRC is increasingly reminding me of an American President. Including Watergate.

Her staff seems to have the same zealotry and blood instincts as the Plumbers Unit.

Like Nixon's "enemies list," it's an honor to be on Hillary's hit list.

[senz]

43. That comparison has occurred to me many times.

Wish it weren't true. Some people, despite their talents, brains, and ambitions, should not seek the presidency. They just end up hurting themselves and others.

[seabeyond]

40. seriously? pathetic. nt

[cyberswede]

47. It does seem pathetic to assign number grades to one's colleagues. nt

[PDittie]

46. They sent out Carville this morning to tube Biden.

That means they've gone to DEFCON 4.

[Warren DeMontague]

51. I have no idea what tubing biden means

but it sounds unpleasant.

[eridani]

48. Her 2007 campaign was like that (though she probably learned something from it)

Chairs of LD and County Democratic organizations in WA State got told that if they did not get behind Clinton, they could kiss any political career aspirations goodbye. The Obama campaign connected directly with Precinct Committee Officers and asked what our most important issues were. My expectation is that that won't happen this time.

[MBS]

50. a telling contrast in M.O. and priorities.

. . and a reminder of why I strongly supported Obama's campaign.

[Warren DeMontague]

49. Yeah, some of her fans are still pissed about 2008, too, I think.

That was a pretty cheap shot on the part of McCaskill, though.

[MBS]

53. the top ("#7") members of the hit list include

politicians for whom I have the deepest admiration: Kennedy, Kerry, Leahy and others.