Hillary Clinton dissed party activists and MoveOn.org

Apparently Hillary Clinton hasn't always been enamored with the rambunctious nature of the historic fight for the Democratic presidential nomination. Speaking to financial backers after Super Tuesday, she blamed the party's activists and MoveOn.org for her early primary and caucus defeats, according to an item over at The Huffington Post.

"MoveOn.org endorsed [Barack Obama] -- which is like a gusher of money that never seems to slow down," the item quotes Clinton as saying (there's audio on the site).

Her campaign, she continues, had been less successful in caucuses because those gatherings bring out "the activist base of the Democratic Party... [T]hey are very driven by their view of our positions, and it's primarily national security and foreign policy that drives them. I don't agree with them. They know I don't agree with them. So they flood into these caucuses and dominate them and really intimidate people who actually show up to support me."

Eli Pariser, MoveOn's executive director, defended the base: "Senator Clinton's attack on our members is divisive at a time when Democrats will soon need to unify to beat Senator [John] McCain. MoveOn is 3.2 million reliable voters and volunteers who are an important part of any winning Democratic coalition in November. They deserve better than to be dismissed using Republican talking points."

So much for party unity in the dash for the White House.

It was exactly ago a week ago ...

that another Huffington Post item unearthed a candid comment -- Barack Obama's now-infamous sociological assessment of the mores of small-town America -- and the reaction to it roiled the Democratic presidential race.

Clinton's comment won't kick up as much a fuss as Obama's, but she did poke a stick at a group that can be counted on to respond in kind.

Indeed, Pariser took particular umbrage to Clinton, in the comments to her donors, saying, "MoveOn didn't even want us to go into Afghanistan. I mean, that's what we're dealing with."

Pariser said: "Senator Clinton has her facts wrong again. MoveOn never opposed the war in Afghanistan, and we set the record straight years ago when Karl Rove made the same claim."

And you can be sure that many of its members will seethe over the Afghanistan matter.

The fact that Obama made his small-town comment in San Francisco helped give it particular reasonance. The new post concerning Clinton does not identify where she uttered her words; Huffington Post editors tell us that information was withheld to protect the source who provided the audio to free-lance journalist and author Celeste Fremon.

The event, we've been told, "was a small affair held between Super Tuesday and the Ohio/Texas primaries in a major American city."

There's irony in Clinton trashing MoveOn -- the group was formed, and its name conceived, in an effort to persuade the country that too much time and energy was being devoted to impeach and drive Bill Clinton from office because of the Monica Lewinsky affair.

-- Scott Martelle/Don Frederick

Comments

[Prantha]

OOPS! Hill "misremembers" facts again. I guess she is still angry at Moveon for NOT supporting her. What a jerk she has become.

[David]

How the hell do you know her comment wont kick up as much of a fuss? I didnt like Hillary to begin with for her tactics, but I joined moveon.org to defend Bill Clinton. This comment is beyond the pale!

[Catherine Mc.]

This is an orchestrated attempt by Hillary Clinton for a sister souljah moment. She has let this information leak out specifically to distance herself from the progressive side of the party to win Penn and Indiana working Blue collar workers. San Francisco and Moveon.org are "Code" for liberal, and Hillary wants to distance herself from these groups at the moment. Since much of that base is supporting Obama, she is not losing voters. But she does want to gain the more moderate voters still undecided. Notice that her 1995 comments when she said "Screw 'em" Rural White Voters is not getting any play.

Pread this around, and don't make a big deal about this silly stuff with this "audio".

[Truth Seeker]

I saw a video posted on youtube.

Hillary was right; the Obama supporters were rude.

[Matt]

Hillary needs to figure out which side of the aisle she's on. She's starting to make McCain look silly. Ouch, that vote for Iraq will cost a lot. Her family legacy.

[Deefromtx]

Does Pennsylvania use electronic voting?

What measures will be used to prevent tampering or manipulation of votes.

Does anyone know the answer?

[Adam]

So she doesn't like the activist base of the party, the one that gets out and knocks on doors and donates money? And she doesn't agree with the activists? Why? Just where do they disagree? This would be important to know? Just how far right is Hillary? Does she secretly oppose things that we don't know about, like with NAFTA? I can guess, with Nader running, that there could be a shift of people voting for Nader instead of Democratic if Hillary is the nominee. Without the activists, there will only be labor unions to get out the vote. This was a very stupid thing for Hillary to say. She should know she needs activists to win a general election. Why would she trash them?

[Oregon4Obama]

WoW hillary you sure say lots of weird crap when you are not winning huh?

She was mad at party activists and moveon.org, so she was mad at democrats for organizing, looking at the candidates, assessing them and then chosing her rival over her.....so she's mad at democracy????

Hillary you are un-freaking-believable....and UN-freaking-electable

[John]

Clinton stomps Obama to a pulp and leaves him for dead in Wednesday's debate and then she gets endorsed by Maya Angelou. But all we get is some minor dustup about Moveon.org and Huffington. It's always been death by a thousand cuts from the media for Hillary. No wonder she struggles so.

[tlsmith1963]

I am so sick of "turncoats" like Hillary. I don't want two parties that are Republican, but she seems to want it. I want a choice between conservative & liberal, because that means that voters have a choice, which is what democracy is all about. I guess, like Bush, Clinton doesn't believe in democracy. I am so glad that I voted for Obama in our primary.

[Judyplace]

HRC is lucky that the story about her comments have not hit the press like she made sure Obama's did. Even as her canpaign took the words out of context. She would be out of the race if she operated with any since of morals. The press would not give her so much attention. The press likes the messy approach she uses. Keep up the good work MoveOn.org.

[Judyplace]

HRC comment need to be pasted all over the new kit the press has dealt with the now :bittergate".

[Harley]

What MoveOn forgets is they are going to need people like me (Hillary Supporter) to contribute and vote for Obama in the fall. The way they have acted toward her and they way there members did act at caucuses (I had first hand knowledge) really pissed us off to the point we are willing to take a chance on McCain instead of going with the ugly far left of our party. I'm to the point now that I don't care if Nader wins, just as long as it isn't Obama.

[Alex]

Moveon.org will become a problem for the democratic party. They are the extreme left wing such as the extreme right wing religious right of the Republican party. They should volunteer to be the first to have their taxes raised.

[Tim]

Hillary will diss everyone who doesn't support her in the primaries. But she forgets that these are also fellow democrats, whom she can't afford to lose in November.

I don't know what her chief strategist is telling her, or what Mark Penn is telling her now, or what she's telling herself, but she certainly not making her prospects any clearer and brighter later in the year, by dissing so many stalwarts of the Democratic party.

She's only creating massive potholes for herself to fall into come November. She's actively pressing her own self-destruction button right now.

[concerned]

Why is it that someone motivated to assertively speak their position should be looked at as a negative? Of course, none of us in society are rising up with torches and pitchforks to storm the castle, but those who have the commitment to stand up and fight for what they believe in should be heard. If someone has a problem with it, stand up yourself. Maybe it's not enough just to vote, although most Americans don't bother to so even that.

[Ernette S.]

Hillary Clinton is one of the most hypocritical politicians to come down the pike ever. Her tactics of twisting and lying (Bosnia) are disgusting. I believe she'd use anything turn on anyone and fabricate whatever she could to get the nomination. Why is she so surprised that Senator Obama has so much support from those tired of the same old Washington hypocrites? Maybe you shoul temporarily rename you organization "MOVEOVERHILLARY.ORG

[Peter]

Another Clinton act of desperation.

One wonders why the Clinton's never blame themselves, never really accept responsibility for their mistakes. It is always someone else that gets the blame.

[Marian Williams]

Obama and the Country of Doom

Obama spells doom for this country. Not only because of his dubious affiliations with mob members like Rezko and criminals like Auchi, but because of his lack of experience and bias education especially his bizarre religious affiliations. He is like silly putty; able to change his ideas for the public as needed so as to achieve his goal as supreme leader.

His intentions are unclear, but his affiliations are clear. Being surrounded with people like the violent Ayers, or the Hiteresque Wright, or his American hating wife Michelle, or his Kenyan half brother Islamic Jihad terrorist Abongo “Roy” Obama, or his Jewish/Israeli hating best friend Rashid Khalidi, or his close advisor Robert Malley who advocates supporting and helping the terrorist group Hamas, or Mr. McPeaks, Obama’s military advisor who open believes American Jews are the "problem." and “Christian Zionists were driving America's policy in Iraq to benefit Israel,” or Obama’s super delegate and major long term supporter Senator Meeks who openly hates and distrust all whites and gays or Obama’s most dangerous affiliation to Mr. Auchi who was Saddam Hussein right hand man and made billions in Iraq and has been a important supporter and behind the scene man throughout Obama’s rise to power.

And besides all this questionable laundry in Obama’s life, another serious question is why is Obama protected and promoted by the media? Is this also being directed from behind the scenes? The American public has been fooled before and I guess those in power know we can be fooled again. (Kennedy’s assassination, Martin Luther King’s assassination, the invasion of Iraq…).

The fact that Obama has made it this far demonstrates the collective lack of discriminative intelligence and education of this country. And nothing demonstrates this better than how well Obama plays his black card; which plays on our fear of being labeled a racist.

[N.E. BodybutHillary]

Dignity. The lady is lacking dignity. If you put her in office, you are no better than those who put George W. Bush in office. Restore the office of the president to a dignified level. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have devastated the office of president of the United State. Electing Hillary would be rubbing salt into the wounds. There is only one candidate who can restore the presidency to something the world should expect from us. Vote for Barack obama

[Sue]

I wonder how this will play with the Super Dupers? Not all that well, I suspect. They aren't stupid. A successful candidate cannot throw 3.2 million MoveOn members under the bus and not expect blow back.

MoveOn spent $500 million on the 2006 Congressional elections, and was instrumental in getting the House and Senate back for the Democrats.

She also did exactly what she just stomped Obama for doing: saying one thing behind closed doors and something else in public. This is what she said about MoveOn a year ago:

"You've been asking the tough questions," Clinton said in April of last year at a MoveOn-sponsored town hall event. "You've been refusing to back down when any of us who are in political leadership are not living up to the standards that we should set for ourselves... I think you have helped to change the face of American politics for the better... both online, and in the corridors of power."

You can hear the audio here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=iFtHoNu-2Pc

[The Oracle]

It's not over until Rosie O'Donnell sings...

[GS]

She's right! Obama supporters are "bullies"! Even when they post their comments, they make crude and rude remarks. Pretty radical for liberals eh?

They can't admit when they've been whooped, they make excuses, they side-step the issues... oops, sound familiar? Just like their candidate!

I agree with John... The "Media/Press" just glossed over Maya Angelou's endorsement of Hillary. Maybe CNN and MSNBC are scared African-Americans may "notice" and follow her to Hillary.

[DEMS WANT OBAMA OUT NOW]

RIGHT ON HILLARY!!! SHE HAS THE BALLS THAT OBAMA S MISSING

OBAMAS AGAIN NAMED IN FEDERAL Rezko trial!
Obama needs to tell us more about his relationship with Ayers. It’s important because voters might well wonder whether that relationship, coupled with Obama’s longtime relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, is the beginning of a pattern, a pattern in which Obama seems quite comfortable with people who really, really, really don’t like the United States of America.

FEDERAL COURT | The Obamas lied about attending bash for Iraqi crook Nadhmi Auchi. BY NATASHA KORECKI, CHRIS FUSCO AND TIM NOVAK

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama was again drawn into Tony Rezko's corruption trial when the prosecution's star witness placed Obama at a party for an Iraqi-born billionaire who was barred entry to the United States. Stuart Levine testified under cross-examination that Obama and his wife, Michelle, attended the reception for Nadhmi Auchi.

An Obama connection court testimony have linked presidential hopeful Barack Obama with Iraqi-born billionaire Nadhmi Auchi and Rezko. Obama met Middle Eastern bankers at the Four Seasons hotel in Chicago hosted by Rezko, who was courting potential investors for a 62-acre South Loop development. Auchi later took control of that project. Later Auchi attended a dinner party at Rezko's Wilmette mansion. Obama and his wife, Michelle, also were there, according to federal testimony at Rezko's corruption trial. The Obama campaign's responsed that Senator and Mrs. Obama have no recollection of attending the event.

Jan. 28, 2008 Rezko was jailed for withholding details of his finances -- including a $3.5 million payment from Auchi convicted of fraud in France in 2003. After visiting Chicago and Detroit in 2004, he wasn't allowed back into this country, according to a prosecution filing in the Rezko case gathering for Auchi took place at Rezko's mansion in Wilmette, with Mr. and Mrs. Obama there. Monday, Obama camp said Obama does not recall meeting Nadhmi Auchi but Obamas attended the Wilmette reception, which came less than a month after Obama's Democratic primary win for his U.S. Senate seat. Rezko had been a key fund-raiser for Obama with Auchi. Obamas relationship with Rezko who is accused of demanding kickbacks from people seeking Illinois government business is now under a federal microscope as he seeks the presidency. Obama particularly has drawn fire for buying property from Rezko's wife a strip of land adjacent to Obama's Kenwood home at a time when both Obamas knew Rezko was already known to be under federal investigation.

Gov. Blagojevich hosted a separate dinner party for Auchi two days earlier, at the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Chicago, the Sun-Times has reported. Auchi was named by prosecutors in the January court filing that led to Rezko's bail being revoked and his being jailed. Last April, an Auchi company wired Rezko $3.5 million in connection with a valuable 62-acre South Loop site, which Rezko didn't disclose to authorities. Auchi's General Mediterranean Holding now controls the land at Roosevelt and Clark. Prosecutors said Rezko appealed to the State Department in November 2005 to allow Auchi to enter the United States, after Auchi was unable to do so.

Huffington Post-William Ayers, in the age of terrorism, is Obamas Willie Horton said
Former counterterrorism expert Larry Johnson,
There has been sudden information linking Obama to a former member of the radical Weathermen Underground group that claimed responsibility for a dozen bombings between 1970 and 1974. The former Weatherman, William Ayers, told the New York Times. I don't regret setting bombs...I feel we didn't do enough. Obama and Ayers were members of the board between 92-02. In addition, Ayers contributed to Obama's election to the Senate. They lived within a few blocks of each other in the trendy Hyde Park section of Chicago and moved in the same liberal-progressive circles. Larry Johnson, a former counterterrorism official at the CIA and the State Department, predicts Republicans would seize on the Ayers case, and again raises questions about Obama's judgment. WHERES MAINSTREAM MEDIA LIKE CNN & MSNBC WHY ARE THEY HIDING THIS MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM VOTERS??

[Mike - WA]

I attended the Caucus in Washington State and it was overwhelmingly for Obama. There was no intimidation. A few people spoke about about what they thought about their candidate but there was no intimidation or pressure for anyone to change their vote. These Clintons are sick, sick people. If they win the Democratic nomination, I look forward to seeing them wiped out of politics in the general election.