Huffington Post: "DEVELOPING: HILLARY SLAMS DEMOCRATIC ACTIVISTS........."

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Sorry for the caps lock. They did it, I copied and pasted.

No story yet, just the teaser link that goes nowhere on the home page:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

...and this photo:

[NightWatcher]

1. Developing: Hillary burns any chance she has to ever win a Democratic public office

[KittyWampus]

6. here is text.

audio at link:

At a small closed-door fundraiser after Super Tuesday, Sen. Hillary Clinton blamed what she called the "activist base" of the Democratic Party -- and MoveOn.org in particular -- for many of her electoral defeats, saying activists had "flooded" state caucuses and "intimidated" her supporters, according to an audio recording of the event obtained by The Huffington Post.
"Moveon.org endorsed -- which is like a gusher of money that never seems to slow down," Clinton said to a meeting of donors. "We have been less successful in caucuses because it brings out the activist base of the Democratic Party. MoveOn didn't even want us to go into Afghanistan. I mean, that's what we're dealing with. And you know they turn out in great numbers. And they 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."

[DevonRex]

11. Here's link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/celeste-fremon/clinton-slams-democratic_b_97484.html

[MH1]

54. Wow, she was channeling Karl Rove, too.

"Moveon.org endorsed -- which is like a gusher of money that never seems to slow down," Clinton said to a meeting of donors. "We have been less successful in caucuses because it brings out the activist base of the Democratic Party. MoveOn didn't even want us to go into Afghanistan. I mean, that's what we're dealing with...."

...

In a statement to The Huffington Post, MoveOn's Executive Director Eli Pariser reacted strongly to Clinton's remarks: "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. Senator Clinton's attack on our members is divisive at a time when Democrats will soon need to unify to beat Senator 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."

I know some folks here at DU do think we shouldn't have gone into Afghanistan - that's a separate debate - but you'd think someone running for President as a Democrat would take the trouble to know what MoveOn's positions are - considering how big they are and by her own remarks, how influential in the Democratic Party. What does it say that she either didn't know or deliberately misstated a critical policy position of MoveOn's?

[Adelante]

23. Speechless

:wow:

[Kber]

39. Sounds like she's whining about people being too tough on her.

just saying.

[Andy823]

51. Nah,

Hillary don't whine, Bill said so, and he wouldn't "lie" to us, would he????:rofl:

[Kber]

72. Lie? Absolutely not

He may say something that he know to not actually be the case. But he wouldn't lie.

You can take that to the bank. (They did.)

[liberaltrucker]

74. Um, Hillary, we vote with our checkbooks

Or, these days, debit cards. Look it up. Google is your friend.

:hug:

[Ken Burch]

79. And why, Senator C, SHOULDN'T Democrats be driven by "their view of our positions"?

Isn't that what drives anybody who takes part in a political campaign?

And why shouldn't they be critical of hawkish foreign policies, since those policies always make it impossible to have progressive domestic policies?

[kid a]

20. Definitive subtext. Thank you. - nt

[roguevalley]

58. goto www.americablog.com and prepared to be pissed.

[msongs]

2. huffington is married to drudge, same modus operandi nt

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. You're right, the site has gotten increasingly Drudge-y.

...and Arianna makes no attempt to mask her feelings for All Things Clinton.

[dchill]

17. "married to drudge"

So what's YOUR modus operandi?

[blm]

37. So, this story is fake? Hillary never made these comments?

Is that your position?

[tishaLA]

47. did you say that last week? with the "bitter" comments?

[roguevalley]

59. so basically, that's your tune? Goto www.americablog.com and read

the story. tell me you find huffingtonpost drudgery. god, is there nothing of our infrastructure that you won't slime?

[burythehatchet]

73. ICANTHEARYOU ICANTHEARYOU ICANTHEARYOU

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. Here is a threat many of us should not

ignore.... truly.

[cliffordu]

21. LOL -

:rofl:

[oasis]

85. The reverse side of the cardboard reads "Free Mumia".

It's going to be an interesting general election.

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. Its up with the video and text

At a small closed-door fundraiser after Super Tuesday, Sen. Hillary Clinton blamed what she called the "activist base" of the Democratic Party -- and MoveOn.org in particular -- for many of her electoral defeats, saying activists had "flooded" state caucuses and "intimidated" her supporters, according to an audio recording of the event obtained by The Huffington Post.

"Moveon.org endorsed -- which is like a gusher of money that never seems to slow down," Clinton said to a meeting of donors. "We have been less successful in caucuses because it brings out the activist base of the Democratic Party. MoveOn didn't even want us to go into Afghanistan. I mean, that's what we're dealing with. And you know they turn out in great numbers. And they 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."

[dansolo]

35. A gusher of money she can't control

The Clintons have used money as the hammer to get people to do what they want - either the promise of funds, or the threat of withholding funds. This was evident with the threatening letter sent to Nancy Pelosi by her wealthy contributors. When candidates and organization are able to raise large sums of money, the big money people have much less influence.

[OzarkDem]

7. Sorry, not a big deal

[Elidor]

12. I agree - just Hillary whining about how unfair everything is. Nothing new there

You know, the same person who mocks Obama for complaining of bias. Certainly not news.

[City Lights]

16. Typical whiny excuses from poor Hill for why she isn't winning.

Nothing new, that's for sure.

[Patchuli]

78. Wow

I know how you are feeling. Bless Kaylee's little heart...:hug:

This was our little Storm...We lost him the day after Thanksgiving last year. He was 14...I keep unconsciously looking for him still. Thankfully, we have two other little furry angels that help keep the pain down. Two rambunctious Tuxedos named Rosie and Sylvester!

As for Hill, I wish she'd take her damn ball and go home. GAME OVER! She f'ed up bigtime...

[City Lights]

81. Thanks for your kind words, Patchuli.

:hug: Sorry to hear about Storm. We're still kind of in shock. We had to have another cat (Mozart) put down the week before we had to have Kaylee put down. A double-whammy, made more difficult because both were somewhat sudden and unexpected. :cry: I frequently think I see Kaylee or Mozart out of the corner of my eye only to turn and realize it's one of our four others, whom I, of course, love dearly, but it's sad to realize it's not who I thought it was. Have fun with Rosie and Sylvester. Keep 'em purring. :-)

[goletian]

22. yeah, we already know hillary doesnt support the party. - nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

25. 3,000,000 Progressive Activists .... its not a big deal

that's why Hillary complained about..... OK...

[Amerigo Vespucci]

36. "...At a small closed-door fundraiser..."

Man, Arianna must really want to nail Hillary's hide to the wall.

By all means, let's call out the atrocities. But "small closed-door fundraisers?"

That's a journalistic agenda.

Sorry, folks...it was all over the Huffington Post front page and there was no way of knowing what the actual "story" was going to be.

:patriot:

[MH1]

55. I think misstating MoveOn's position with regard to Afghanistan is a big deal.

She either didn't know it, or lied about it. The first one might not be such a problem, except by her own words MoveOn is a hugely influential organization, and Afghanistan is a critical policy position.

[BlueIdaho]

90. Unless...

You are expecting the Democratic wing of the Democratic party to help elect you.

[GarbagemanLB]

8. Wow...is that Hillary WHINING, I hear? Toughen up, Hillary!

[featherman]

9. Oh those bad, bad Democratic activists... how can we win when they

are working against us? LOL

[apocalypsehow]

10. It's all about 2012 now. She is determined to make McCain President, so she can run again in four

years, the country in general and the Democratic Party in particular be damned.

:thumbsdown:

[Texas Hill Country]

13. ummm.... she made a dead on accurate statement. dead on. why is that bad?

[GarbagemanLB]

18. It isn't bad, it just sounds sort of like she is complaining and/or whining. I thought she wasn't

a whiner.

[Texas Hill Country]

26. i found that she was explaining the caucuses, not whining.

[chascarrillo]

44. You're correct. She stated that Democratic activists are overwhelmingly for her opponent.

And that kind of tells us something about Clinton's candidacy: Democrats don't prefer her as President.

[Two Americas]

61. not necessarily

That is only true or valuable if the activist community represents the people. I don't think they do, and I think that problem has been getting worse and worse.

Clinton does not have a clue about this either, by the way. Unfortunately, the Republicans have more than a clue and will drive a very effective wedge between the activist community and the general public.

[Voice for Peace]

75. I don't agree that Republicans have a clue, at least not the RIGHT clue.

For example, say you are trying to win the hearts and minds of Iraqis: how to do it?

Clue: do something with more American soldiers

Hint: for many many years


Say you are trying to convince the American public to elect you: How to do it?

Clue: Americans are easily fooled and manipulated and skeered of terrorists

Hint: cheat, deceit

[Two Americas]

87. they know what they are doing

We make a fatal mistake when we assume they have the same goals as we do, or the goals they claim to have. Win hearts and minds in Iraq? What would make anyone think that is a goal of theirs? Because they say so?

How do they get into office? They do whatever it takes.

This administration has been spectacularly successful. No administration has so efficiently and effectively achieved the goals of the right wing and looked after the interests of the wealthy and powerful few. A big part of their success is at convincing us that they are incompetent, and that they have the goals they tell us they have.

[Texas Hill Country]

80. agreed. 1000%

[Ken Burch]

93. The positions supported by the activist community ARE supported by "the people" as well.

The activist community wants the U.S. out of Iraq as soon as possible. So do "the people".

The activist community wants corporations to have less of a say in our political system. So do "the people".

The activist community wants universal health care(not-for-profit single-payer).
So do "the people".

I could go on and on.

It's only HRC that has tried to drive a wedge between activists and the people. What she doesn't get is the people who want "activists" to have no role in politics vote straight-ticket Republican.

HRC wants big donors to matter instead of activists. Given that it was big donors who imposed the DLC era on the party, doesn't that bother you?

[tishaLA]

45. you mean lying about MoveOn opposing Afghanistan

is "dead on accurate"? As Bill C would say, "give me a break."

[goldcanyonaz]

14. Will this site be as celebrated when they turn on Obama?

[BuyingThyme]

15. Elitist.

[crankychatter]

19. Act like a Democrat - Get Support from Democratic Activists - It Ain't Rocket Science

doh

k/r

[undeterred]

40. ding ding ding ding ding

But Hillary is totally unclear on the obvious: There are no "DLC Activists"

[NJmaverick]

24. This was the organization that was created to help her husband

This woman has zero moral values or ethics.

[Ichingcarpenter]

28. Many Hillary supporters don't even know this.

just like anything else about their candidate

[SoFlaJet]

42. EXACTLY nomad

sad isn't it?

[dmr]

27. I'm an American CITIZEN, and a VOTER

She's whining because American CITIZENS and VOTERS prefer another candidate over her!

[HooptieWagon]

29. Damn Democratic activists

kind of upset the corporate feeding trough... about time! kudos to them...

[PM7nj]

30. The worst part: She is parroting Rove!

She is repeating right-wing talking points about MoveOn being against the war in Afghanistan. That was a lie that Karl Rove fabricated. The rest of it is just her usual whining.

[BootinUp]

31. Is this a reputable source when it comes to

primary politics? I have my doubts.

[PM7nj]

33. What? Do you think the audio is fabricated?

Other than her lie, which was first started by Karl Rove, I don't think this is a big deal. Just more whining from "tough" Hillary.

[Life Long Dem]

32. That's the ticket. She is a "victim" of the "activist base"

:crazy:

[Dr Fate]

34. Yeah- those people who opposed Joe Lieberman, the war and Bush are the problem...

Not the candidate who did the opposite!!

[monicaaida]

38. BREAKING NEWS In Canada, Clinton Co-Chair/Fundraiser Downplays Candidate's NAFTA Rhetoric

In Canada, Clinton Co-Chair/Fundraiser Downplays Candidate's NAFTA Rhetoric



http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/

[amandabeech]

41. With respect to Canada, not Mexico.

To be fair.

If NAFTA were dropped, our previous trade treaty with Canada would spring back to life. My recollection is that it was a fair treaty, and very significant amounts of trade were done under it.

It is not trade, per se, but trade with low-wage, low-regulation countries that really sucks the jobs out of this country. Canada and we are on a roughly level playing field, which is not the situation with Mexico, unfortunately for Mexico and its citizens.

[democrattotheend]

49. Just posted it on Kos

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/18/19136/9615

[ima_sinnic]

43. oh, is this her big "bombshell"? nothing to slam Obama with, so slam the voters themselves?

same MO -- a "leak" from a closed fundraiser -- does she think people will see Obama supporters and MoveOn as "dirty hippies" they can't relate to?

are we going to have to listen to "democratic-activist-gate" for days on end now as some kind of smear thing?

the woman has gone totally bat-shit crazy.

I am being somewhat facetious here -- but who "leaked" this recording, anyway?

[Arugula Latte]

46. Translation: "Why can't the millions of riffraff just stay out of it and let a few big donors

pave the way to my rightful coronation."

Hillary Antoinette

[Raine]

48. But but Bill says that Hillary doesn't whine...

:rofl:

[ORDem]

50. Man, you gotta warn people when you post a big closeup of H like that.

Scary. :dem:

[yurbud]

52. next she'll attack Chelsea and Bill

[Arrowhead2k1]

53. The biggest thing is that she is ACCUSING Democratic activist of INTIMIDATING HER VOTERS.

She atleast needs to answer to that. That's a somewhat serious accusation. Will she back-peddle or is she going to fight the Democratic base?

[ima_sinnic]

56. oh, that's the big "smear"--she'll have people testifying in ads about how intimidated they were

LOL :rofl:

[OnionPatch]

57. Activist = Bad now?

Geez, I thought I was doing my civic duty and being a responsible adult when I engaged in the political process and became an activist. Guess I'll just go crawl into my hole now and let the "experts" like Hillary take care of everything.

[SoFlaJet]

60. This is a clear case of what goes around, comes around

the Clinton campaign puts a mole in an Obama fundraiser in SF and tapes his comments (which spawn Bittergate) and now we find this bit of karmic backlash. This is a killer-to lose 3 million true democrats (MoveOn) and maybe the only blog site left on the web (FDL) that never turned against her-ever, in one day....WOW!!!

[pdxmom]

62. She really needs to answer for this statement:

"And they (MoveOn) 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."

What national security and foreign policy positions does Hillary disagree with MoveOn regarding? Ending the Iraq War? The illegal wiretapping? I think it's VERY important that we know what these position differences are.

[NJSecularist]

63. Does anyone remember why MoveOn was originally formed? In response to what incident?

Such a short memory Hillary has...

[hfojvt]

70. I don't

but it was in the article

[mckeown1128]

64. Good thing she has alread lost the nomination...

because I don't think I could bring myself into the voting booth for this lady... and even if McCain/Bush/Lieberman scared me into the booth to vote for her I would never forgive myself. I don't like this person at all. She just jumped one of those big aquarium tanks with the 50+ sharks in them.

[pompano]

71. Are we officially ...

a Queendom yet? Someone wake me when this trainwreck is over and Obama is our nominee.

I can see one bowl of gruel and one bowl of slumgullion per day in my future as I am whisked off into the bowels of the Queens castle for re-education...er uhm...labor, pouring the finest gold of the whole world for Bill and Hill busts to adorn the castle wells and landscapes abroad.

Here Here!

:sarcasm:

[Blarch]

65. what a hack.

total hack.

[jefferson_dem]

66. Ruh Roh! Hillary is about to lose her last lingering defenders in the netroots.

The folks at mydd, who have been loyal Hillary soldiers, are nearing the breaking point ...

Clinton Blames Increased Democratic Activism for Her Struggles
by Jonathan Singer, Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:15:24 PM EST

I'm decidedly in the camp that believes that increased Democratic activism is a good thing, both for the party and the nation as a whole. With more of the Democratic base voting and volunteering and contributing, the Democrats have a much better shot at winning the White House with more than 50.1 percent of the vote -- a feat they haven't accomplished in 44 years -- and thus begin to enact much of the progressive change this country so desperately needs at this juncture. Apparently, though, some believe that increased Democratic activism isn't wholly a good thing, that there are negative consequences to these voters becoming more engaged in the American democracy.

<SNIP>

Senator Clinton's remarks depart radically from the traditional position of presidential candidates who in the past have celebrated high levels of turnout by party activists and partisans as a harbinger for their own party's success -- regardless of who is the eventual nominee -- in the general election showdown.

The comments also contradict Clinton's previous statements praising this year's elevated Democratic turnout in primaries and caucuses, and appear to blame her caucus defeats on newly energized grassroots voter groups that she has lauded in the past as "lively participants" in American democracy.

<...>

The disclosure of Clinton's remarks disparaging the prominence of party activists in the caucus process comes after she repeatedly suggested that Obama's electability had been compromised because he had allegedly offended other key Democratic constituencies.


This is pretty remarkable audio, Clinton attacking MoveOn -- incorrectly, in fact -- for purportedly opposing the Afghanistan War when that was not at all the case.

But even more astounding than Clinton's specific attacks on MoveOn, a grassroots organization founded to defend her husband against the Republican power-grab that was the 1998 impeachment, an organization that is made up of more than three million activists, most of whom are diehard in their loyalty to the Democratic Party, is the fact that Clinton is maligning the Democratic base, specifically those who have been driven to the polls at least in part in response to the Iraq War.

It's not clear to me what it is about the view of American foreign policy held by these party regulars that Clinton disagrees with -- whether it was the view that Congress should not have authorized the Bush administration to commence military action against Iraq, whether it is that Congress should stand up against the Bush administration so that it cannot do the same against Iraq, or something else. I would actually be interested in hearing what that disagreement is.

I would also be interested in hearing more about this so-called "intimidation," if Clinton believes that it is a bad thing that voter turnout in almost every primary and caucus this year has set new records.

It could be that there is a valid explanation for these comments, that they were taken out of context, that they don't really reflect her views of the Democratic base and the netroots, that they were merely the result of the inevitable exhaustion brought on by near-constant campaigning. I'd like to hear it. But until I do, it's hard not to come away from these comments with the sense that Clinton holds a key part of the Democratic base in contempt.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/4/18/191524/201#commenttop


As is Jane Hamsher at FireDogLake - http://firedoglake.com/2008/04/18/hillary-clinton-attacks-moveon/#more-21991

[DearAbby]

67. How many Members in MoveOn.org?

Can she afford to piss off 3.2 Million people? The activist base are the foot soldiers of anyone's campaign...can she reall afford to piss them off?

[jenmito]

68. Olbermann just covered it! n/t

[redqueen]

69. She's repeating Rove's lie.

Just like she repeated those lies about Iraq.

*sigh*

[Maribelle]

76. Since when is speaking the truth wrong? I wish Obama followers would make up their minds.

[DerekJ]

77. Truth!! What truth?!!

[my3boyz]

82. Dan Abrams panel destroying her on this. LOL nt

[ErinBerin84]

86. haha

Dan is so funny. "TONIGHT: BREAKING NEWS!!!!"


I doubt the MSM will even care, Dan. The liberals don't count. Though it was annoying that the Republican Joe Watkins was like "Yes, maybe that's why she HAS been losing caucuses! Moveon.org DESTROYS!"

[oasis]

83. Hillary was being polite by using the term "Democratic activists".

So I'll give her credit for that.

[workinclasszero]

84. Looks like Hillary's scorched earth campaign

set her own damn house on fire!:nopity:

GO NETROOTS!!! GOBAMA!!!:applause:

[Robbins]

88. MoveOn

Remember this was set up to stop the Republicans In their Clinton Impeachment.Now they reward them by using republican talking points against them,and saying they Intermate her supporters at Caucus.
Of course It can't be Is she can't get enough people to support her at caucus.I am getting a little sick of the whinning about Caucus.If she hated them so much why did she compete In Iowa then?She so didn't complain when she won Nevada and New Mexico.Republicans never piss off their activists.
Mccain has been kissing the asses of them for the past 4 years.Yet she has now pissed off 3 million
Democrats.Is It any reason why her number are so low.

[ErinBerin84]

91. I'm sick of her complaining about caucuses too

I remember several pundits even saying before Iowa that Hillary would excel because caucuses favor the establishment, and the campaign would know enough about caucuses to have the superior organizational skills. Hell, remember how her campaign spent something like one hundred thousand dollars worth of food for their "victory party" that was supposed to happen after Iowa? Didn't she say "Campaigning is tough, but caucusing is easy!" in Iowa too?

[Two Americas]

89. scorched earth

Scorched earth, kitchen sink, desperate, shrill - do any of those words and phrases that get moronically repeated over and over again really contribute anything to the discussion?

[mindfulNJ]

92. wtf Hillary

Drop out now dear...you need a nice long rest.



:crazy: