In Attempt to Oust Clinton, a Strategist's Comeback Bid -NYT

[Rose Siding]

snip>
Mr. Finkelstein, who is known to be reclusive, would not comment for this article. But Republicans who know of his intentions say he is moving behind the scenes to line up donors to help the committee, called Stop Her Now, reach its goal of raising as much as $10 million to finance an independent campaign against her.

His plan includes financing an advertising assault against her similar to the one orchestrated by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group that attacked Senator John Kerry's Vietnam service during the presidential election, according to the Republican officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Many details are sketchy, including whether Mr. Finkelstein has the start-up money and staff necessary to get the project off the ground. But Republicans close to Mr. Finkelstein said the negative feeling that Mrs. Clinton arouses among Republicans would make it relatively easy to raise money.
.....
Mr. Finkelstein has apparently been planning the anti-Clinton committee for months now. But political strategists in both parties are questioning how successful this project will be, partly because he has been so secretive about where he is getting the start-up money he needs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/10/nyregion/10hillary.html

[papau]

1. "a Strategist's " - and not Massachusetts married gay GOP CONSULTANT

They sure do not identify the players very well at the NYT.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

2. The GOP's obsession with Hillary might make them

take their 'eye off the ball' in other areas, making them vulnerable to Dem counterattacks.

Hillary has huge approval ratings in her state, so their efforts are probably to nought.

[David Dunham]

3. Big Problem: There's No Decent Repug to Run Against Hillary

[lancdem]

9. Yep

And now she'll have a record to run on. She won by 12 points in 2000. Her margin in 2004 should definitely be higher.

[Redneck Socialist]

4. Ironically this might help us

While this guy's efforts soak up a bunch of cash and media attention other Democratic candidates will slip under the reichwing radar giving them head start in '08.

So I say "go rightwing nutjobs, bash Hilary all you like, and ignore our other candidates." I love it when the pubs shoot themselves in the foot.

[Pithy Cherub]

5. Great, while he's bashing Hillary for naught

she can gin up her own formidable fundraising machine and share the wealth with other Dems. Geez, Hillary strikes great fear in their prune-like little heart fascimiles. :woohoo:

[saltpoint]

6. Beyond the fact that this is the sort of anti-Hillary crap --

-- that goes beyond the pale, there's a nasty misogynist streak to it.

Should an extreme liberal group raise dark money against Kay Bailey Hutchison like this? They'd be excoriated. But Republican thugs do it all the time.

You don't have to be a Hillary Clinton fan to know that she was rightly elected by New York voters to a seat in the U.S. Senate.

[lancdem]

10. It's supposed to be modeled after the Swift Boat Liars, too

Her campaign won't wait to respond, unlike Kerry's.

[saltpoint]

11. Not known for my enthusiasm for Sen. Clinton, I strongly --

-- support her against a scurrilous attack like this.

There just seem to be a wasps' nest of Republican assholes everywhere I look these days.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Why Am I Connecting Dots?

Finkelstein's name shows up consistantly with Morton Blackwell...the purple band-aid mentor of Jeff Gunkert/Gannon and long-time GOOP troublemaker.

I sense this is purely to suck money out of gullible pockets...the ones who fear anything Hillary or still live in Clinton Hate mode (aka The Clenis) and their still is worth millions of right wing dollars. It's just who can tap into that money...and looks like Finkelstein's trying to be the first on the block.

Any anti-Hillary garbage in New York is futile, but using her to raise money that gets funneled to goons like Randall Terry or Congressional races or Political Action committes and that's what this is really about.

[patricia92243]

8. The fact that the Republicans are so absolutely terrified of Hillary ought

to tell us Dems something.