Clinton staff shakeups? Part II...

Posted: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:43 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Staff and responsibility changes are in the works in the Clinton campaign. Several sources indicate that people will come in and layer several of the prominent staffers responsible for the Iowa and New Hampshire strategy. Those likely to be layered include Mark Penn, Mandy Grunwald, Patti Solis Doyle -- and possibly Howard Wolfson.

Clinton co-chair Terry McAuliffe hinted at upcoming changes in an interview on MSNBC at 12:30 pm, when I asked:

Q: Can you sit here today and tell us that your campaign will have the same players ... coming out of New Hampshire as going in?

McAuliffe: Everyone who is in the campaign today will be in the campaign...
Q: Will they have new bosses? James Carville? Paul Begala ? The dream team from 1992?

McAuliffe: I would hope James would come in. He's been making a fortune on CNN -- I'd love to get him on board. We want everybody who believes in Hillary to come in and help in this campaign.

Q: I'm smelling a shakeup in the Clinton campaign.

McAuliffe: We'll bring in more people to help us. We're about to head into Feb 5th, 23 states. From day one, this campaign, and Hillary, has given strict instructions: Anyone who wants to come in can help us. I think a lot of people now, seeing the situation we're in, love Hillary, adore Hllary, want her to be president, are going to come in and say, I'm going to come in and help Hillary. That's natural in a campaign.

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Comments

Isn't bringing in new management to manage the old management, rather than fixing the old management, exactly how bureaucracies grow more and more innefficient? If this is correct, it is an eye opening commentary on how these people might be inclined to run the Executive Branch.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:50 PM)

Hey First Read, how about updating the posts in here a little more frequently.

raf (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:51 PM)

Moving deck chairs around on the Titanic.

wallace (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:51 PM)

Layering or not layering is not why Americans are voting for Obama and not Hillary. The Clinton campaign doesn't get it. They're out of touch.

jstip, Perry, OH (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:51 PM)

Re-arranging the deck furniture on the Titanic

Sierra, SF (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:54 PM)

If I were running a campaign on inevitabilty and lost the first 2 races my staff would be kicked to the curb.

J CHICAGO IL (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:54 PM)

If I were running a campaign on inevitabilty and lost the first 2 races my staff would be kicked to the curb.

J CHICAGO IL (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:55 PM)

With regard to staff changes, out here in Montana they say that if you put lipstick on a pig, you still have a pig. Changing staff, message, slogans or anything else will not make the past the future. The Clintons were great, but they are the 20th Century. Obama is the 21st.

Bill Johnson, Anaconda, Montana (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:58 PM)

Layered? Laid off?

Amy B Portland, ME (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:00 PM)

From Huff Post:

'...Clinton Allies May Dump Millions Into Anti-Obama Group
January 8, 2008 12:25 PM

Manchester, N.H. -- A panicked and cash-short Clinton campaign is seriously considering giving up on the Nevada caucuses and on the South Carolina primary in order to regroup and to save resources for the massive 19-state mega-primary on February 5....'

THAT doesn't sound very confident !!
Let's try smearing Obama !!

'...At the same time, some top independent expenditure groups supporting Clinton have been exploring the creation of an anti-Obama "527 committee" that would take unlimited contributions from a few of Clinton's super-rich backers and from a handful of unions to finance television ads and direct mail designed to tarnish the Illinois Senator's image....'

That'll bring us together Hillary !!
Smear Obama !!
(you sweet heart)

'...The Clinton campaign has raised over $100 million, but has "only" $15 to $20 million left. It faces donor reluctance to give more in the face of the Iowa defeat and the prospect of a second loss in New Hampshire today. Even worse, the campaign fears defections among those fundraisers who want to be with a winner and who might be easily persuaded to support Barack Obama.

While the amount of money Clinton has would seem to be more than enough by past standards, the cost of competing in the February 5 states -- including New York, California, Georgia, New Jersey, Minnesota, Colorado, Tennessee, Massachusetts and Arizona - is unprecedented in the history of American primaries. She will face, in turn, an extremely well-funded Obama campaign, whose cash register right now doesn't stop ringing as donations are coming in over the Internet, by mail and in checks handed over in person....'

Stay tuned for the Clinton smear campaign
Let's hope it doesn't get too ugly

Imagine the 'first black President' doing a little race baiting......

Sierra, SF (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:00 PM)

The Clintons are stuck in a 1990s time-warp!

James Carville and Paul Begala??!!

Heard Joe Scarborough speculate that the campaign would put out Carville as the "attack-dog" on Obama, sort of like he was put out to attack Ken Starr.

So how is this a major "change" in their strategy and tactics from Mark Penn?? Mark Penn attacked Obama on Hardball, etc., along with other surrogates such as Bob Kerrey, Billy Shaheen, Bill, etc. Is the only "change" in the person doing the attacking - i.e. the retro 1990s Carville vs. Penn & Co.??

I heard this news broken on CNN last night around 10:30 by Jennifer Donohue of St. Anselm's College. She said that the Clinton campaign felt Hillary had been mishandled by Mark Penn because he wouldn't let the "real" Hillary be shown. To his credit, David Gergen shot back that Hillary is Mark Penn's boss - not the other way around! In other words, it is rather lame to put all of this failure on Mark Penn's shoulders and not have Hillary accept ultimate responsibility herself.

The Clinton campaign is spinning out of control.

Sarah, Vienna, VA (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:03 PM)

Aren't Carville and Begala on the CNN payroll? How's that work?

Also, if Hillary is so much about change, how come she has the same advisors her husband had?

Leonard Rhiss, Houston Texas (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:04 PM)

A good running campaign, a winning campaign doesn't need this kind of shakeup. It smells of desperation and of last ditch efforts to save a sinking ship.

Mike K, Denver (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:05 PM)

Aren't they sweet !!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/08/clinton-surrogate-appears_n_80449.html

'....The Huffington Post
Clinton Surrogate Appears To Tie Obama To JFK Assassination
January 8, 2008 11:52 AM

With the chips down, we're still waiting for that vaunted Clinton discipline to kick in. This isn't helping:

Today, in Dover, Francine Torge, a former John Edwards supporter, said this while introducing Mrs. Clinton: "Some people compare one of the other candidates to John F. Kennedy. But he was assassinated. And Lyndon Baines Johnson was the one who actually" passed the civil rights legislation....'

Getting a little ugly .....

Sierra, SF (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:08 PM)

"James Carville? Paul Begala ? The dream team from 1992?" No partisanship at all from Ms. Mitchell now is there?

Just what we need right now, some of the most partisan political hacks in recent history to come along and begin the name calling and personal destruction of anyone who gets in Billary's way.

K., Austin (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:08 PM)

I thought Clinton was trying to show a softer image. Now she is going to bring Carvelle on board. Give me a break. He is about tne most negitive and visious person I have ever seen. Best you keep him out of sight to do his dirty work

Hans Werner (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:12 PM)

It would be classic Clintonism to put their interests ahead of a sure (or at least very likely) winner. If Carville et al have any savvy they'll tell it like it is and let the voters decide between Obama and Edwards, who still deserves a look.

Iowan, Cedar Rapids (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:12 PM)

Deck chairs on the Titanic anyone?

Rich, East Brunswick, NJ (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:14 PM)

McAuliffe is a perfect example of an old general fighting the last war. He's been losing Dem's elections for years with his discredited approach. He and the DLC crowd sneered at Dean's 50 state strategy which put Dems in the majority in congress after years of McAuliffe's "please like us because we're almost as tough, conservative and patriotic as Republicans and we hate liberals,too" strategy getting Dems nowhere. Why vote Republican lite when you can just vote Republican and how do you get out of the 40s percent-wise if you just concede every place where winning isn't as easy as falling off a log. Even Bill only won in '92 because they got lucky with Ross Perot taking votes away from Bush senior.

If the Clinton's were as smart as they think they are, neither McAuliffe, Penn nor Carville would have been major players in their campaign strategy. They don't just represent everything slick and sleazy that people hate about politics as usual. They're no good at it anymore and their previous skill was largely due to dumb luck and the spectacular pol, Bill Clinton. Since then they've been about as "brilliant" as Broncos coach Shanahan post-Elway.

Felix, Littleton CO (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:15 PM)

she' s blaiming everyone besides her self as usual, ask , Dick Morris, George Stephonalous, and others that know the true HILLARY. ITS ABOUT MORALS HILLARY, THE THESIS ON COMMUNISTS SHE WORSHIPPED, THE THEFTS SHE SHOULD BE IN PRISON FOR, THE PERVERTED HUSBAND, CALLING JEW M F BASTARDS AND SHE IS GOING TO CALL O BAMA SOME NICE XXX NAMES.

D ANDERS TX (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:19 PM)

D ANDERS TX (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:20 PM)

Hillary campaign makes Rove and Bush look civil.

Bob (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:21 PM)

Yeah, now lets watch for the negative comments to start coming out from the well connected "insider friends" of the Clintons. We've already sees a few, with profuse apologies shortly after, but watch out now.. they will be doing and saying everything they can to plant seeds of doubt in voters minds.

Mike Ponder, Columbus, Ohio (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:22 PM)

Instructions? How about invitations? The status quo is dying. The country will be so much better with an honest debate between real reformers: Obama and McCain. Neither carries the baggage of special interest groups and possesses an understanding of the frustration shared across the electorate regardless of party affiliation. The process is alive and healthy!

Jeffrey Ropp, Pasadena, CA (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:26 PM)

Hang it up, Hillary. Do the right thing. Drop out and endorse Obama. He will beat you in the end anyway so swallow that pride and just DO IT! NOW!

And D. Anders... you're a nut... calm down and take your pills and ditch the worn-out Hannity talking points already!

M. Boley (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:30 PM)

If HRC goes negative, her hopes of the Presidency will be gone forever. 1) If she wins the nomination, she has given permission for Rs to go as negative on her as they wish. She did it first. 2) If she wins the nomination, she will have alienated many who otherwise would have overlooked her flaws. 3) If she loses the nomination and Obama then loses the general, she will never have credibility in the party to try again. Hillary's best option is the ethical option: campaign on her own strengths--but it may be too late to turn the ship. The problem will remain that a strength she claimed, that she was reliably old-guard and could be trusted to bring back old hands, was not a strong enough sales point. She has other good points and needs to emphasize them while toning down her "I've been here before" act, which is not selling well.

Radio Head (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:31 PM)

BILL NEED TO TAKE HIS CIGARS AND HILLARY BACK TO NEW YORK WHERE SHE CALLED THE STUPID JEWS THAT VOTED FOR HER M F BASTARDS. BILL CAN HIDE AGAIN IN HARLEM, WHERE ONE OF HIS BLACK POLITICIANS SAID BILL HAS HAD MORE BLACK WOMEN THAN HIM, AND IM SURE THERE ARE ENOUGH WOMEN FOR HER. IM SORRY NEW YORK BUT IM FROM ARKANSAS AND WE RE SO GLAD THEY DIDDNT COME BACK, AND YOU IDIOTS ELECTED HER WHAT SICKOS

D ANDERS TX (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:32 PM)

Hillary continually talks about experience, experience, experience as well as the other candidates. I don't recall any of them having President of U.S. (Commander & Chief) experience, unless I've blanked-out four years of my life.

D. Young, Savannah, Georgia (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:32 PM)

Hey, First Read - I tried to post something on another thread about an hour ago and it still hasn't appeared! What gives??

The gist? Some polls are showing that Hillary could very easily lose in her own home state of New York on February 5th!

Are you editing out negative Hillary posts?? Would appreciate it if you would go back and print my post!

Rachael, Syracuse (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:34 PM)

AMONG THIS GROUP(on both sides):

"It's Mit Romney".

jj (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:37 PM)

Hillary,
Hang it up. A change in personnel isn't going to help. You are a B**** and always will be. Why don't you just accept the fact that over half of the people in America don't like you! Now don't cry, it's just the facts!!!

J. Morrin Delta Township, MI (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:37 PM)

I would not vote for Hilary in any case! NO WAY!
Not if she cries a million tears! Good Grief!

Julie (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:38 PM)

J. Morrin Delta Township, MI (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:39 PM)

POPE endorses Mit.

jj (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:40 PM)

uh oh dude... i think "layered" sounds like one of those corporate buzz words. i think they should also have it on the radar screen, get ahead of the curve, synergize and maybe even redefine their mission statement going forward. they're all so out of touch.

jopageri, long island, new york (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:40 PM)

The Begala-Carville attack dogs work only if a Republican is the attackee. The media won't tolerate Hillary attacking the media favorite.

Ren Martin (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:44 PM)

This is a clear indication of big trouble in the Clinton Camp. How soon before the first (now second) layer begins abandoning the campaign? That's something to keep an eye on.

Larry Wahl (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:45 PM)

KARMA KARMA KARMA....... We're 'Clintoned Out'
VICIOUS TACTICS, UNTRUSTWORTHY, LIARS, DECEPTIVE MANIPULATORS..... They are unhinged they cannot bulldoze, buy, threaten the voters..... This is 'gloves off' for them, and I shudder to think what they're going to come up with.... Frightening....

Suttons Bay, Michigan (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:47 PM)

"...Moving deck chairs around on the Titanic...."
wallace (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:51 PM)

"...Re-arranging the deck furniture on the Titanic..."
Sierra, SF (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:54 PM)

"...Deck chairs on the Titanic anyone? ..."
Rich, East Brunswick, NJ (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:14 PM)

Could it be anymore plain to see, that these people are political hacks who are getting paid by the Obama camp. to "slam" the message boards with anti-Hillary rhetoric? They've even got their rhetorical-talking-points down pat.
What a pathetic bunch of raw-egg-sucking trolls!

J. Merle Stanley, Westchester, NY (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:48 PM)

Who do you think Senator Obama will choose as his running mate? Edwards? Clinton (Bill)? Kerry? Gore? Sharpton? Jackson? I like former President Palmer as his running mate.

Rick ,Encinitas, California (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:51 PM)

There is an old saying that "A person can fail at many things, but isn't truely a failure until they start blaming others. Sounds a lot like Hillary. Also, she invites any and all questions, yet no one has asked her if she has found those missing billing records from her work at the Rose Law firm. I guess she didn't "plant" one of her people in the crowd armed with that one, LOL. The Democratic Party won't win me back until it publicly dis-owns both Clintons, and that won't happen until McCulliff is gone.

Will Sparta, KY (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:52 PM)

Is this site actually moderated? I suggest that D Anders fabrications be removed. You can't invent your own facts. Nobody claims to have heard or said any of the lies he posts here. Who needs to read fabricated crap from another racist, sexist Texan? I don't know whether to yawn of throw something. Take out the trash, please.

Radio Head (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:53 PM)

And all in caps, too. What a rube.

Radio Head (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:54 PM)

Ah, Hillary, you are no Bill Clinton..

Irving, San Diego, CA (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:55 PM)

latest national poll obama 33%, hillary 33% and edwards 20%

ace (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:57 PM)

Hey MSNBC, how about new management for getting these post out before 2009!

It's about time Hillary. Mark Penn and Howard Wolfson need to go. These two have killed her campaign.

Stopwatchingfoxnews, Rochester, NY (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:59 PM)

Ok -that is really smart...bring in more people well known for their attacks and negativity...I really don't get this. These people with their dirty tactics are making Obama look better and better. How painful to watch all this

MM (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:59 PM)

I have 3 friends who worked with Hillary and claimed she was the greatest boss ever. Dick Morris got caught with a hooker making three way calls to clinton to show off he had the access to a president. He would get the hooker so he could suck her toes. He had a fetish. Hillary fired him. THat is why he hates her. He is a degenerate.

Michael (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 3:01 PM)

I think the problem is the sound of her voice. Can they hire someone to speak for her ?

jstip (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 3:02 PM)

My ignorance is showing again. What does "layering" people mean?

Dot, Illinois (Sent Tuesday, January 08, 2008 3:04 PM)

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