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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Clinton deputy campaign manager out

Posted: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 8:24 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Mark Murray
NBC News has confirmed that Clinton Deputy Campaign manager Mike Henry resigned yesterday from the campaign, per a Clinton campaign source.

Per the source, the reason for the departure was to allow new campaign manager Maggie Williams to organize her own campaign team.

Henry's departure was first reported by Chris Cillizza on WashingtonPost.com.

Henry is the person who wrote the now-famous Clinton campaign memo that Clinton shouldn't compete in Iowa.

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And as the Titanic-- the ship that couldn't be sank-- slowly slipped into the deep waters, those with the status and with the savvy to abandon ship early obtained lifeboats and were saved.
The more the Clinton campaign attaches importance to Texas and Ohio as their end all be all states, the more they're setting themselves up for a catastrophic failure if they don't win those states by wide margins.

They really need to stop this 50+1 strategy of only campaigning where you think you'll do well and adopt the Obama strategy of campaigning everywhere, even if it looks bleak.

That is the only way to ensure a wide swath of support in the fall against John McCain. The days of 50+1 need to end.
Henry was probably looking for a paying job.


The domino effect.

clunk.
The rats always leave the ship just before it sinks.
Rearranging the deck chairs. . . yada yada. . .

Sorry Hill, you already hit the iceberg and it's name was Barack Obama!
{ Henry is the person who wrote the now-famous Clinton campaign memo that Clinton shouldn't compete in Iowa. }

Hey, turns out Henry was right.
The fall of Rome (Clinton Dynasty) ... right before our eyes.
Hang down you head, John/Mike Henry, poor boy you're going to...lose
Texas has an open primary on March 4.  Independents and Republicans should consider voting for Obama if they want to ensure that Hillary and the Clintons' era is over.
More racist remarks from a Clinton backer.

When someone says "Some whites aren't ready for a black president"... it's code for "I'm not ready for a black president." They just find it more comfortable to project their racism on others.
READY on DAY 1?  Huh?  She can't even choose a staff when she had 5 years to do so (she had a team in place planning the Presidential race in 2003).
The last one out, please turn off the lights...this party is over!!

HILLARY IN 2012!!!
MSNBC, can we please switch away from this awful Clinton commercial and let Pat Buchanan speak (never thought I'd say that)?  

She's not talking about the races today.  You're giving her ridiculous airtime.  On second thought, let her continue to speak.  I haven't heard more platitudes since high school speech class.   Ugh.
Clinton is speaking in El Paso right now. Is it me, or is she trying to sound more and more like Obama? She's even using his finger pointing thing - you know, the bent finger sorta pointing with each emphatic point.
Senator Clinton is a great Senator.  She has the ability to perhaps take over Senator Byrd's role as the librarian of the Senate.  I sincerely hope she decides to do this.
Somebody should remind Hillary that another New Yorker had a similar strategy of looking for the next state for a victory...

btw, where is Rudy Guiliani these days?
Remember NH?  Don't get too comfortable.  Hillary will fight and scrap for any possible way to win. (Florida, Michigan)  Keep working and donating.  We need a bomb proof margin.

8 in a row, 2 more coming shortly!  YES WE CAN!!!  
Jerry puts its best... the Titanic has began to sink!!!
People do not leave a winning team! The deck of cards are falling right before their eyes!

Ouch! it must have hurt really bad! The name Obama is now a nightmare in the Clinton's camp.

Obama have won 3-0 tonight! Obama 3; Hillary 0...
Clinton's firewall states, like the Berlin Wall, are about to come crashing down right in front of us.  

Again, I will be glued to my television watching the whole thing with glee...
Obama-Clinton equals landslide in November and a mandate for years to come.
As I sit and watch the election returns (Hillary is speaking right now) it occurs to me that Hillary will . . . oops! 'would' make an excellent Vice-President.  There is no doubt that her ideas, experience (full disclosure - I'm an Obama supporter who has great respect for Hillary Clinton) - yes, I said 'experience' -, sincerity, intelligence are excellent qualities but I don't think she has the temperment to be in the 'top job'.  To me, it seems that she can easily alienate people, if only temporarily.  I see Barack as a strong leader who can get people behind an idea and contribute to something, even if they are not 100% in agreement.

Again, in my opinion, she can be a little 'dismissive' towards people who do not agree with her.  It's not personal, it's more like 'I don't have time for you right now' but is very willing to happily work with you on something else later.

Obama has shown his leadership skills as a professor of law (able to teach students in their early 20's with ragining hormones), organizing in the low income areas of Chicago and his phenomenal campaign.  His leadership, intelligence and leadership skills took him from an unknown State Senator (shoot cliche it may be but - a poor black boy from the poor side of the tracks) to a very real chance of winning the Presidency of the United States.

Obama/Clinton 08!!
They r all remarkable candidates. You need a leader who must put the US 2nd to none in the world. Im not an American but I love the US and always wanted to be a US citizen. The President should be one who trust in Jesus Christ and keep his commandements. I want to see the US prosper and continue to lead the world. GOD Bless America
Obama/Edwards...A new era in American politics
The next staffer is the division head of the Clinton Smear Office, Bill Clinton. He'll continue to inject gender, race, etc. into the campaign in a desperate attempt to sway voters who are easy targets for their quick buys of the Clinton smears. They are the voters who will also think tht a single magical word is what is needed in a presidency: EXPERIENCE. Look at a lot of the Washington politicians -- they have very long experiences in politics, yet they could not figure how to tame the raging flames of partisan politics that is doing more harm than service to America.
Well, Senator Clinton will take my beloved Texas and Ohio. It ain't over till its over, and baby she will be there in January. Barack is no President Kennedy and never will be despite his daughter's and Uncle Teddy's backing???????? The clan has lost there way, but so has the mainstream Democratic Party. Go Figure. Stand up and be counted. RM Lake Charles,La
I wonder if anyone else caught what I caught during the last Democrat debate... The candidates were asked about the possibility of a shared tickets....Hillary made some comment...then Obama commented that Hillary would be considered on anyones short list, then they stood up with Obamam rising several headsa  above Hillary in stature HA HA HA.  Too bad for short people.  Well maybe I took it the wrong way, but I thought it was funney
Hillary should be on anyone's short list.
Regarding the "not campaigning in all 50 states", don't forget the Clinton machine was the one that opposed Howard Dean's 50 State Strategy.  Thankfully he ignored her and the Dems have been winning local & state elections all over the place and most importantly, not giving up on half the country before even starting.
There seems to be a parallel between Hilary Clinton's amended strategy in mid primary and that of a now-resigned-and-resoundly-failed Rudolph Juliani. The latter famously abandoned early primary contests of Iowa and New Hampshire to focus his resources on Florida. That strategy fell flat on his face. We now know that he only ended up getting one delegate out of his gigantically expensive campaign. Hilary is following Rudy. She has abandoned, or downsized her campaign in post Super Tuesday states to focus on Texas and Ohio. And voters in these states have deserted her like she abandoned them.
I wonder if Hilary will meet Rudy's fate in Ohio and Texas? She has set herself up for the quagmire she is in. I doubt if she will recover and overtake the juggernaut that Obama racing machine has become.
I agree with Big Mike...we haven't won yet.  Soldier on, troops!  I'm increasing my monthly contribution, and on March 4, and I'll be voting Obama!
In my view, Hillary Clinton decided to run from the fight and do we need someone who first instinct is to run?  Even Huckabee has more backbone than she does.  What go does it to try to win ONLY the big states. Apparently she doesn't believe in her own message and how it doesn't resonate with the voters.  And now 2 of her most senior staff members are leaving.  I feel another tear is going to come from her soon.
Why do some feel the need to drag a candidate down, just because they don't agree with them? Look, all of these candidates are hard working people who are doing it appears a thankless job to some of you, by stomping the campagne trail day in day out in hopes of getting the chance to make a better life for all of us. Let's examine our own contribution to to our country before we're so fast at knocking the efforts of others. Who ever eventually wins this race , stands to to inherit quiet a mess on Jan20,2009 That's punishment enough without any punches along the way from ill or not so well meaning blogers.
The smart campaign managers are bailing out to be replaced by long time die hard Hillary Centurions.  These replacements are the kind of people who are willing to loose and die in order to stand by their woman.  It is not a good sign when such people are the only ones left standing with the candidate.

Obviously Team Hillary learned nothing from Giuliani all-chips-on-the-next-huge-state strategy. Writing off all the contests between Super Tuesday and Texas/Ohio is going to go down in the history books as being the dumbest move a supposedly top-notch campaign ever made.  Do they really think that the voters of Ohio and Texas are ignorant of what is going on in the rest of the country?
No more political dynasties on either side! I don't want any more Presidents with the name Clinton or Bush!
I'm sobbing buckets of tears! There all jumping ship, Oh booo   hoooo.

The Washington self serving paper hanger has lost. Seeing the lies and hollow experience, plus being busted one of many see the writing on the wall.

All of America is not stupid, nor do they like low life people to assume for them!
Ronald Milliken,
You sound like you have a secret affair with Hillary. Seriously, you sound to be one of the easy targets of the Clinton smear factory. I am not sure what is keeping you and others so attached to your candidates that you seem to care little about the partianship in Washington and the scandas the coutnry witnessed during the Clinton presidency. You have every right to jump on the wagon of your chosen saint, but are there any qualities other than experience that you could share with us that you believe qualifies Clinton for the presidency? Have you researched each cndidates' records? And what do you mean "Obama is no President Kennedy" when the two have very different backgrounds? Because of the word "inspiration"?
WHAT BLOWS MY MIND:
The Clinton campaign blows its money wad and everyone is running for the door? - Ok is this who we want managing the accounts of our country - I mean she cannot even manage her own campaign, cannot maintian tesm loyalty, and now she wantd to hsvr us entrust her to manage the country's finances ?? Its not like she can withdraw a couple trillion out of her personal bank account and bail us out.
EXPERIENCE:
Usually I am a big fan of the experience value point - not sure why it echos so hollow with Hillary - I guess its because deep down I think she is disingenuous and that matters more to me - I feel she is trying to sell me - I mean, the response to the greatest weakness question was classic insight into a person that is part of the machine  - her votong for the war and then her rationalization were the same - her best time for me is when she showed her true self - tears make you  human - not weak
shes a good lady - a tough lady - just too conditioned by the machine - I hope she accepts the vp position - he can teach her alot - and she still has so much to give
As a hardworking Obama supporter, any suggestion that Obama should pick Clinton as his running mate if he wins the nomination, is ridiculous.  Maybe for some of you life-long Dems, that seems like a "dream ticket" b/c you just can't let go of the Clinton name, but the whole premise of Sen. Obama and what he stands for(i,e. rejection of the old, dirty ways of doing things) will be shattered if he picks her.  It is time to turn the page and retire the Clintons who have brought more harm than good to the Democratic party.
I wonder if Obama and Clinton's positions were reversed right now - I bet you my last dime that the media and Clinton camp would be claiming Obama to be DEAD and BURIED!! it's a big ONLY IF

Go Obama Go!
It's too bad that us democrats got stuck with these two. Hillary has too much bagage and Barrack will be absolutely torn appart by the republican attack dogs. When Karl Rove gets through with him his own wife will begin to doubt him, never mind the electorate. So, we all better get ready for the third Bush term because that is what the first McCain term will be like. Too bad we did not promote a nice guy like Richardson (My favorite) or Joe Biden. They would have waltzed into the White House.
Obama rocks!
The Atlantic came out with a chilling article about why the Clinton campaign is imploding - "Inside the Clinton Shake-up"
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200802u/patti-solis-doyle
There's a real shake up in the Clinton Campaign, and this just makes her superdelegates and campaign contributors(the big ones) very very nervous.

I know that if I invested $2300 in her campaign, I would be really squirmy if she's losing so much and making so many potentially negative changes.

If she felt like she was winning, she wouldn't be changing the team like she is. So this is definitely a negative feather in her cap.
Another low rent scandalous Clinton administration is just what our country doesn't need!
People within jumping ship? Well, this really getting to be the sign of poor leadership! But it was expected, as hollow experience of hollow being expands into day by day misjudgments. The poor manner in which the DNC operates expounds why their infrastructure is polled as the lowest ever in history. I guess the DNC could be lead by a goat, but the Jackass still has the reins.
They never expected the race to go past Super Tuesday so the Clinton campaign didn't set up a ground campaign in states that followed.  They didn't save any money to compete and they didn't have a 50 state message.  For all her experience she was caught unaware and unprepared.   Her campaign will be a learning model for future candidates.  I don't think she is out of the race but since she needs to win Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania by an almost 20% margins it is looking almost impossible.  I expect the knives to come out and as she says she is a fighter, so we will see.
Nobody likes Obama - he is a divisive liar and he will say and do ANYTHING to get power!

Hillary 08!!!


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