Hillary Clinton crosses fingers, shakes up her campaign

The parallels are obvious, and Hillary Clinton obviously hopes the lines for her presidential campaign will meet at the same point.

Back in late 2003, with his White House bid going nowhere, John Kerry shook up his staff and pumped more money into his campaign through a home mortgage. Both moves proved worthwhile, as he went on to easily claim the Democratic nomination.

Last summer, Republican John McCain reshuffled the top tiers of his presidential campaign staff. And later in the year, some creative financing allowed him to secure a much-needed loan for his coffers. Now, in a political resurrection for the ages, he has the GOP prize within his grasp.

In the space of less than a week, Clinton has both tapped her personal finances for some political cash and installed a new campaign manager. Yet to be determined, of course, is whether these steps will end in the same happy result for her as they did for Kerry and McCain.

In the short term, the Clinton team adroitly used her loan to help publicize an appeal for more contributions that quickly paid off.

Still, the new campaign honcho, Maggie Williams, will face the challenge of running an operation that needs to be more careful in its spending than it has been. And she will have to do so while Clinton tries to break a mini-losing streak to Obama, which continued Sunday with his triumph in the Maine caucuses.

An excellent overview of tensions ...

within Clinton's staff was provided two weeks ago by the New Republic's Michelle Cottle. The piece, which you can read here, presaged Williams' ascension. Noting that her "history with the Clintons is a fraught one," Cottle also offers this useful background:

"Of the original Hillaryland crew, arguably no one bore the brunt of the scandals and political storms as fiercely. Twice, Williams became the object of intense public and legal scrutiny: first, when the Whitewater probe raised allegations that she had helped obstruct the investigation into Vince Foster's suicide by removing files from his office on the night he died; and, again, when the disputed details of her acceptance of a $50,000 political donation from Johnny Chung earned her an invitation to testify before Congress during the Democrats' 1996 fund-raising scandal. For many political watchers, Williams stood as the poster child for the Clintons' careless disregard of those close to them. At the end of Bill Clinton's first term, a scarred and exhausted Williams, having racked up $350,000 in legal bills, resigned her White House post and fled to Paris for a couple of years with her new husband."

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Ken Ferry]

She's running out of money. Not good. Spent too much too fast. Very Clintonian.

[converse]

MINI? losing streak

Stretchin' a bit there to protect the queen? Maybe I'm wrong, but hasn't he won about twice as many states as her?

[George Allen]

Ready To Lead From Day One. Yeah. Right.

I knew Team Clinton was amateur hour when I got off the plane in Omaha on the night of December 26, drove 100 miles to Carroll, Iowa, listening to Omaha am. talk radio all the way in a Hertz rental car, heard four Obama commercials, two Edwards commercials and nothing from Clinton. Team Clinton did not buy Omaha media. They continued that mistake all the way up to the caucuses. They thought Des Moines tv reached Western Iowa. But it does not. Never did. Western Iowa watches Omaha tv, listens to Omaha radio and reads the Omaha World Herald.

Team Clinton put its hq in the old Hotel Ft. Des Moines in downtown Des Moines. Everyone else was out at the I-80/I-235 interchange. So the Clinton people had to fight 45 minutes of city streets to get on interstates to get to anywhere else in Iowa. Everyone else was already at an interchange.

The day Oprah was in Des Moines Obama drew 18,000 plus while the Clinton campaign put HRC, Chelsea (who arrived unheralded the night before on a commercial flight into Des Moines) and HRC's mother in a frigid warehouse next to the Winterset, Iowa municipal airport, with a crowd of under 100.

All anyone had to do was look at a map to figure out that Iowa was a home game for Obama. The other side of the Mississippi River from Iowa's populous Eastern counties is, guess what state? Quick now for all you people who use terms like "flyover country." The answer is Illinois.

Furthermore the Iowa caucus system was weighted heavily for rural counties. So while Hillary went straight to population centers -- and stayed there -- Obama and Edwards had been working small town weeklies and 500 watt radio stations from as early as April. Edwards rode RAGBRAI (if you have to google it you really do not know Iowa) and wore a Lance Armstrong wrist band. Armstrong was on RAGBRAI this year. Obama had people all over RAGBRAI.

Both Obama and HRC raised a hundred mil. Obama's campaign spent it on media and really great field people and incredibly well organized field operations. HRC's campaign spent it on high living for senior campaign staffers.

The Obama campaign just got the second dividend on buying Omaha media back in December and January, as Obama carried Douglas County, Nebraska (Omaha) by almost 4-1 in Saturday's caucuses.

Ok, Obama did not win California. But there really was not enough time. For Ohio and Texas there is plenty of time.

Remember Ross Perot's great line about NAFTA? What you now hear from the Clinton campaign is the same giant sucking sound Perot accurately forecast back in 1992.

George M. Allen
Telluride, Colorado

[jacksmith]

Bottom Line:

It looks like you got some vote fraud hankypanky, and selling of votes going on in the democratic caucuses. Obama seems to be doing disproportionately well in the caucuses where it is easier to commit vote fraud, and sell votes. Obama has not been doing as well in the non caucus primary's where you can't cheat the vote as easily.

I smell a pole cat. I smell the Karl Rove vote fraud machine at work. This looks like past presidential elections where most voters leaving the poles said they voted for the other guy. But Bush still won. No wonder Obama thinks the republicans have some good ideas. Apparently a lot of republicans are voting for Obama in the democratic caucuses.

The insurance companies, and medical industry that have been ripping you off, and killing you are determined to keep you, the American people from having good universal health care. So it seems they are supporting Obama. Along with the republican vote fraud machine.

This looks like a great story for a team of aggressive investigative reporters. Or maybe some good documentary film makers like Michael Moore, or Oliver Stone.

If I were the Clinton's, I would focus like a laser bean on what has been going on in the democratic caucuses. No wonder the Republicans like Obama so much. Looks like he's their man in the democratic caucuses.

I'm absolutely convinced now that Hillary Clinton is your best choice for good universal health care coverage. And HR 676 (Medicare For All). "Single payer, Tax Supported, Not For Profit, True Universal Health Care" free for all as a right. Like every other developed country in the world has. See: http://www.house.gov/conyers/news_hr676.htm

“HR 676:
For church goers: less money to insur. companies and more to the church- lots more.
Srs on Medicare: save way over $100/wk. Because no more medigap, long term care & dental insur. needed. No more drug bills.”

They really think you are all stupid, inattentive cash cows... It may be time to bring back Bad Bill.

[JD]

Love the Cottle article, great insight into the team surrounding our Sorority Sister in Chief.

First the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, then a Vast Left Wing Conspiracy, and now a good 'ol fashioned cat fight.

You go, girls!

[Scott Loeffler]

Hilary just doesn't get it. Americans from the south, southwest and midwest and pacific northwest don't want someone representing NY as president pure and simple. Just like Guiliani was destined to failure, so is she. Obama is the only candidate with a wide appeal and not a lot of negative bagage that can beat McCain in November. The Clinton's have had their time, they have done well on the speaking tour since their time. End of story.

[Kyle]

jacksmith,

what have you been smokin?
and if you think anyone is part of a fraud look in the mirror.
who you trying to fool by saying Obama is stealing votes
through the caucuses?
the next time you drink with Bad Bill
make sure he doesn't drop another pill in your mug.

[Cher]

I hope it works. We need you, Hillary!

Angelenos for Hillary for President!

[Willie Horton]

If her performance in the primaries is a preview of how badly she would run a national campaign, it's vital that Obama wins the nomination: four more years of Bush's policies, as delivered by Grandpa Munster, would destroy our nation.
As the token liberal in the NRA, I am exposed to the intense, over-the-top Hillary loathing that the right wing holds dear. I don't think she can possibly be elected... or govern, if she does win.

[Hugh Jorgan]

Jacksmith,

If you think "universal healthcare" will be anything like going to your current physician without at least a hefty co-pay, you're in dreamland.

Universal healthcare will be nothing like what you expect.
1. It WILL BE UNDERFUNDED by the Demolition Crew that runs Congress. 2. It WILL BE INEFFICIENT because of the need for the Demolition Crew to oversee every tiny aspect. 3. There WILL BE RAMPANT FRAUD because there won't be enough auditors to catch crooked doctors (all the oversight will be feather bed jobs trying to hide the inefficiencies), and because of all the immigrants that will come here for free medical care (like they aren't already).

Universal Heathcare as promoted by the Hillbilly is a disaster. No government that has assumed control of the healthcare industry has found a way to avoid the 3 obstacles listed above. Not Canada, not the UK, not any communist/socialist state.

Everywhere universal healthcare has been implemented, has seen long waiting lines, higher cost/patient, and a reduction in the number of doctors entering the profession.

Just imagine going to the ER everytime you felt sick, needed a refill on birth control, or needed new glasses. Now you have the correct impression of what Universal Healthcare will do to your healthcare. If you still can't see it, go down to the nearest VA and watch it in action.

[inde]

Dear Jack Smith,

Your judgment is as bad has Hillary's. If you want to look for vote fraud, it would be better to spend your time looking at NH which refuses to recount the votes, where voting boxes are slashed, where the sealing tape can be pull off the box and replaced without a trace and where the exit polls for all candidates including HAND counted Obama and H ballots was right on, but for the machine counted ballots the numbers for Obama and Hillary are almost to the decimal point reversed. Hummm, I wonder why this anomaly happened.. Clinton wins the electronic count and the state of NH cannot seem to recount the optical scan ballots weeks later.. disgraceful, dishonest favoring Clinton, the husband of the man who looked the country in the eye and lie, lied, lied. Or maybe you should look into NM where ballot boxes were taken home.. in the state governed by Clinton super bowl buddy Richardson.

So you life has been reduced to BSing for Bubba's wife who feels her entitlement to higher office has been already paid for by her acceptance of the public and private psychological abuse she has tolerated from Bubba for decades... congratulations, you probably hit a new low.

[SEV]

No universal healthcare next 4 years. I wan't it too but there is a 9,000,000,000,000,000 defecit to be had and I don't see anywhere we can afford this type of hillarycare. Obama's plan is to attack the healthcare costs first and then MAYBE phase in more universal healthcare. His approach is the more pragmatic of the two whereas Hillary's approach is not only unrealistic but it also seems to be only a political platform and nothing of real substance. NO Republican will even put a toenail over on this one so all you people who think she will deliver on that promise are either delusional or extremely gullible. DO THE MATH!

[LoneStarr]

Even though Obama may turn a few blue states black the red states he has won will not help one iota in a general election. Essentially Obama has won empty states because states like Kansas, Idaho, Nebraska, etc-will not turn domcrat in the general.

[Fran]

Thanks George M. Allen of Telluride, Colorado above for a great post.
===================

About the article itself:
MINI-LOSING STREAK?

[Marty Shankins]

I'm not certain whether the campaign shakeup will matter because Senator Clinton will receive the democratic nomination. Regardless, I find this rather boring and prefer to read updates on the Paris Hilton saga with accompanying gossip and rumors. Since the "mainstream" media is nothing but a tabloid cloathed in "legitimacy," why bother with the political chatter and concentrate on the bread and butter issues, juicy celebrity stories garnished with promises of more and more and more, so our hearts and minds will be imbedded deeper and deeper into complacency and docile-like indifference. Senator who?

[Mark]

The Insurance companies stand to make a fortune off of Hillary's so called "Universal" insurance. She will force all citizens to purchase health insurance. Insurance companies will raise premiums because we must buy insurance. They'll have us by the balls. What kind of plan is this. Enough of the Clintons already.

[I know]

I know why it worked for McCain and Kerry - they are, underneath all the politics, good people, and war heroes.

Hillary's just been "vetted" and "tested" and "bested".

She expected this to be a catwalk, and never realised that even though her policies were mainstream - she herself is strongly disliked and distrusted.

She has no one to blame for that than herself.

[Jesse]

How ironic that Hillary is already in trouble due to uncontrolled spending, while Barack has been fiscally responsible this entire time. The differences between the two democratic candidates are greater than we are led to believe. http://politicalmaelstrom.blogspot.com/2008/01/actual-differences-between-barack-and.html

[greg]

jacksmith,

Bring back Bad Bill, please!!! Tell him to pick up where he left off with the baseless attacks, and coded race-baiting statements about Obama. That would be all we would need by about now to SEAL THE DEAL. PLEASE unleash Bad Bill and his bad mouth again. We Obama folks would be most grateful!

[Klepfil]

You don't need apostrophes to form plurals. It's "Clintons." "Primaries." "Plans." Not "Clinton's, primary's," etc. Either Obama or Hillary would be a superior choice over either McCain or Huckabee, the first of whom wants more of the same of this Bush disaster and the latter of whom wants a theocracy (the Evangetaliban). No thanks, guys, let's try something else that worked before and will work again. No more borrowing from China to fund illegal wars, no more spying on Americans like it's a game, no more politicizing the Justice Department, no more letting entire regions just wash away, no more robbing the middle class to make the ultrarich and corporations even richer, no more gutting all regulations so we're importing poisoned food and poisoned toys, and letting banks create phony securities that nearly destroy the world economic system. The conservative vision has run its disastrous course: no more Republicans, no more George W. Busts, no more brainless warmongering any more. Hillary or Obama '08!

[nick]

Jacksmith is truly an imbecile. First of all, Obama's and Hitlery's health care packages are not even that different. They BOTH continue to involve insurance companies. Edwards and Kucinich were the only ones who had a single systems. And the issue is moot because Hitlery could not get her plan passed even were she to become president because she is such a polarizing figure. The only thing she could "pass" (were she elected) is four years of political gridlock. Obama's health care plan is far from perfect (he even admits so) but it is the only plan the Dems have a chance of passing, and he is the only Dem who would stand a chance of passing much of anything in the way of new laws. Finally, the only election results that seem at all weird this primary season are the ones from NH (where the exit polling diverged from the results but only in those districts that used optical scan machines). Hillary should give it up. She would be a terrible president.

[Steve O]

Lots of campaigns go through cashflow yips. But changing managers this late in the process is very telling indeed. Unlike with Kerry in O3 and McCain last year, we are in the 7th inning of the nominating process. Hillary senses trouble and has a history of getting down and dirty when that happens. This does not bode well for party unity if Obama gets the upper hand because the Clintons will not go down without a fight.

[Chapman]

This is a feeble attempt to divert attention from Obama trouncing her in 5 contests this weekend (keep your eyes on the prize people). What they do is smack dab in the middle of Obama making huge news, they drop a news bomb themselves... Like magic, instead of one headline that reads "Obama trounces Hillary" They have split campaign headlines... It's so incredibly easy to read & project.
All they (team Clinton) can do @ this point is try to hold on by their fingernails, game the system, & hope to God those super delegates all go Clinton.

[WAheather]

jacksmith,

I am an Obama supporter who attended a caucus in Seattle on Saturday. I assure you there was no fraud occurring. Obama supporters dominated the caucus rooms. They were more organized and energized than the Clinton supporters. During the caucus each group gets a chance to speak on behalf of the candidate they are supporting. The goal is to educate voters and sway voters to join your "team". When we started the caucus there were seven undecided voters - by the end they'd all selected a candidate to support. The delegates are split the same way the supporters are divided at the end of the caucus. Everything is completely transparent (unlike electronic voting machines) - You are in a room standing with your fellow supporters and you can see who all your neighbors support. You see the official tally sheets. Nothing is hidden. In our room, Obama received 3 delegates and Clinton received one. Friends in other precincts saw the same thing. Huge crowds, with Obama supporters outnumbering Clinton supporters 3 to 1. Also it should be noted that I saw very few young people supporting Clinton, almost 100% were Obama supporters.

Also, Nick is right. Their health plans are very similar. But Obama's approach is to create a health plan that might actually pass. So it's not perfect. Getting it passed and then tweaking it is far better approach.

[josh]

Mini-losing streak is dead on...The states Obama has been winning were predicted 2+ weeks ago; the Potomac primaries will be the same...large black demographics.

Big states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, etc will determine the winner.

Hillary will win.

Don't get me started on why Obama is an empty suit.

http://www.womensmediacenter.com/ex/020108.html

[J. Abeles]

Please Pay Attention to the Following Names. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight David Eisenhower, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Lindon Banes Johnson, Richard Mihouse Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, George Herbert Walker Bush, William Jefferson Clinton, George Walker Bush. Why is it acceptable to mention the middle names of all of these presidents but when someone says Barak "Hussein" Obama they are racist and or drawing a divide? This is only one example of how Obama is getting a free pass from the press because you are so affraid of being called a racists which you have now inflicted upon the Clinton campaign. I don't think skin color is any reason to vote against a candidate, however I also don't think it is any reason to vote for them either. Everyone seems to forget that Obama now has more experience running for President then he had as a Senator before his bid. The press is treating this contest as if it has no significance on the world around us when we are talking about the leader of the free world. Everything about every candidate running for President should be open for discussion from their experience to the name to their church to their upbringing because all of those things add up to a person's ideology.

Many Democrats forget this is not an election for the Presidency but for the Democratic nominee. They also forget that in their thankless task to sandbag the Clintons, the only person to beat the Republicans in a general election since 1976 (32 years) is Bill Clinton. If Obama wins the nomination he will get my vote however the Democrats are not doing him any favors sparring with kid gloves. This is John McCain's last chance and he has been waiting for this moment all of his life. After seeing what was done to him by "W" in 2000 and what he just did to Romney in Florida, I can imagine that he will use every trick in the book in order to fulfill what he feels is his destiny. Mr. McCain will certainly believe that the ends justify the means. While the present popularity contest amongst liberals like myself is run between Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama, you can bet that the Big Military Daddy Protector, McCain will be running against the weak kneed, inexperienced, bleeding heart African American liberal, Barak "Hussein" Obama in the general election.

[Mike from CT]

The key that you are missing in comparing Kerry's and McCain's shakeups to Clintons is that theirs came before any actual votes had been cast. We are halfway through this thing already. It is not a good sign when staffers stop taking payckecks, candidates loan money and there is a shakeup at the top. This is only magnified when the votes have already started being tallied.

[Jennifer]

Hillary is in this to win. Excellent leadership=If it's not working, don't be afraid to make a change. She changed managers. Sounds like a good plan to me. She knows when and how to make changes. That's what I want in a President.