In a New Role, Senator Clinton’s Strategist in Chief (and link to new video from Bill about Hill)

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: In a New Role, Senator Clinton’s Strategist in Chief
By PATRICK HEALY
Published: May 13, 2007

Bill Clinton’s connections, and his endless supply of chits, only begin to capture his singular role in his wife’s presidential candidacy, advisers and friends of the couple say. He is the master strategist behind the scenes; the consigliere to the head of “the family,” as some Clinton aides refer to her operation; and a fund-raising machine who is steadily pulling in $100,000 or more at receptions.

So far, his roles have unfolded in private as he provides ideas to his wife and makes sure she paces herself, and as he acts as something of a field general with donors, instructing them on how to talk up Mrs. Clinton. Eventually, though, he will go public in a big way: Clinton advisers can already imagine a point in 2008 when Mr. Clinton has his own campaign plane, press corps and schedule of events in crucial states while Mrs. Clinton is barnstorming in others.

He is also galvanizing new support. At a recent gathering at Morgan Stanley, organized by Roger C. Altman, a Clinton Treasury Department official who now advises Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Clinton fielded questions for an hour from 60 major new donors about issues like her positions on Iraq and the impact of the compressed 2008 primary schedule. Mr. Clinton also recently filmed a five-minute video, which is being sent to new and old allies, narrating her biography and lavishing praise on her....

But for all the value Mr. Clinton adds to the campaign, there is internal recognition of the potential pitfalls of his involvement. Early on, the Clintons concluded that the former president would not participate in staff conference calls, nor would he call Mrs. Clinton’s aides directly, advisers say. Instead, he would circulate his advice through Mrs. Clinton; Mark Penn, her chief strategist; and a couple of others. The idea has been to keep the lines of authority clear, and also to avoid the messiness and leaks that marked his White House.

Indeed, Democrats close to Mrs. Clinton remain keenly aware of his foibles and blind spots. In private, these allies are blunt: He has disappointed her before, most painfully with Monica Lewinsky and the impeachment. He can be undisciplined, and his love for the cut and thrust of politics could unleash that side, especially if he believes her campaign is in trouble....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/us/politics/13bill.html?hp

*

Clinton Campaign Video
Published: May 11, 2007

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign has recently filmed this five-minute video of former President Bill Clinton talking about his wife's accomplishments and lavishing praise on her. The video has been sent to several hundred Clinton donors and supporters.

Advisers say it serves two purposes: Introduce her to people who do not know her well, and use the master -- Mr. Clinton -- to show supporters how to make the case for Mrs. Clinton's candidacy.

LINK TO CAMPAIGN VIDEO: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/11/us/politics/13bill-video.html

[Tellurian]

1. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

..............GO! BILL! GO! HILLARY!

[Tellurian]

3. Fantastic informational video..

I guess her resume would be a first in WKI..at least 3 pages!

Hillary has done everything right in the people's best interests for ALL the right reasons.

[JTFrog]

2. Mark Penn

"Early on, the Clintons concluded that the former president would not participate in staff conference calls, nor would he call Mrs. Clinton’s aides directly, advisers say. Instead, he would circulate his advice through Mrs. Clinton; Mark Penn, her chief strategist; and a couple of others."

So big dog and Penn will have the same job or just similar titles? And with a guy like Mark Penn around, why are they worried about Bill?

Mark Penn, AKA: "The master of the message", "The king of the polls". The guy who is a strategic consultant to big oil, big pharma, ATT, Verizon, McDonalds and Microsoft. He helped get Tony Blair an unprecedented third term win for the Labour party.

I don't like any of the folks he hangs out with :shrug:

[Tellurian]

4. I'm glad he's working for us, than against us!

we have to be strong enough to stand up against all the president's men!

[JTFrog]

7. I guess that depends on how you define

"us". He's not working for any causes I support. He's still in bed with all those corporations and I don't accept the lobbyist's explanation that Penn's corporate and anti-union clientele is "part of a whole 'nother life we lead."

It seems like it would take one hell of a saint to keep those conflicts of interest seperate. But my gut tells me he won't have to.

[Silence Dogood]

8. Life is a mirror-

One side is the reflection of the other. Exactly like a photograph. You have a picture and you have the negative an exact duplicate of the photograph but in it's negative form. You can liken it to both sides of the Constitution. The Federalist side and the Constitutionalist side. The Bush Administration has dragged us over to the (Federalist) corporate side and we must take it back to the Constitutionalist side. The side that represents the People and our Civil Rights.

Thats not to say, we can't, as Constitutionalists, make the corporate world work for us. Corporate greed can be reformed and put to work FOR the People rather than the corporations working for themselves. You don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. You reverse the process and make it work to your advantage. The president's job is to steer the country and the economy for the good of the people.

[patricia92243]

5. I don't understand - In private, these allies are blunt: He has disappointed her before, most painfu

"In private, these allies are blunt: He has disappointed her before, most painfully with Monica Lewinsky and the impeachment. He can be undisciplined, and his love for the cut and thrust of politics could unleash that side, especially if he believes her campaign is in trouble"

How would his "love for the cut and thrust of politics" unleash the Monica side of him???

[wyldwolf]

6. IF she wins the demnom, I WANT to see Bill Clinton's "cut and thrust" unleashed.

[Tellurian]

9. mee 2..

this time, right now, is taking all of my patience to remain in control of my emotions. I do so because I know how important it is to stay silent because the end of silence is near. My gratification comes in the way of seeing the entire Bush Cabal destroyed within a hair's breath of their lives, knowing this is a process we had to live through as a means to an end.

As unbelievable as it may sound, some people still don't get it! The people from the Eisenhower generation are still stuck with the old republican standards; "I LIKE IKE" ! We need to use him as a model for his famous speech of his last days in the WH mentioning the dangers of a militaristic society..to advise these people of the dangers mentioned by IKE are the ones, the new age neocons, who have perverted the Republican Party and destroyed the America as the America, we once knew..something they have little or no knowledge of..simply put...it's because they are unable to fathom such a thing happening.