Tag: Donna Brazile

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Donna Brazile Claims She Considered Replacing Hillary With Joe Biden On Democratic Ticket

Donna Brazile

From the Washington Post:

Former Democratic National Committee head Donna Brazile writes in a new book that she seriously contemplated replacing Hillary Clinton as the party’s 2016 presidential nominee with then-Vice President Biden in the aftermath of Clinton’s fainting spell, in part because Clinton’s campaign was “anemic” and had taken on “the odor of failure.”

In an explosive new memoir, Brazile details widespread dysfunction and dissension throughout the Democratic Party, including secret deliberations over using her powers as interim DNC chair to initiate the process of removing Clinton and running mate Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.) from the ticket after Clinton’s Sept. 11, 2016, collapse in New York City.

Brazile writes that she considered a dozen combinations to replace the nominees and settled on Biden and Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.), the duo she felt most certain would win over enough working-class voters to defeat Republican Donald Trump. But then, she writes, “I thought of Hillary, and all the women in the country who were so proud of and excited about her. I could not do this to them.”

Brazile paints a scathing portrait of Clinton as a well-intentioned, historic candidate whose campaign was badly mismanaged, took minority constituencies for granted and made blunders with “stiff” and “stupid” messages. The campaign was so lacking in passion for the candidate, she writes, that its New York headquarters felt like a sterile hospital ward where “someone had died.”

What the article nor Brazile seem to mention is that before the DNC head can replace a presidential candidate, the current candidate has to choose to step aside. And when it comes to picking new nominees, it’s the entire DNC – some 350 people.

The WaPo piece makes Brazile’s book seem very much like a hatchet piece on the Clinton campaign.

Airing her dirty laundry (and right before important elections in New Jersey and Virginia) seems petty and selfish.

I hope I never want to sell a book so badly that I’m willing to burn down the house I’ve lived in for years and years.

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Allegation That Hillary “Rigged” Democratic Primary Falls Apart Once You Read The Full Memo

Hillary Clinton

Lots of excitement in Hillary Hater Land this week as it seemed like former Democratic National Committee head Donna Brazile cracked open a “terrible secret” – that the Hillary Clinton campaign had somehow hijacked the DNC for her own purposes before she was even the nominee for the party.

This all came to light as an excerpt from Brazile’s upcoming book was published earlier this week.

Cries of “Rigged!” rang out among “Bernie Bros” and Republicans alike.

“See! She was dishonest. Lock her up!”

Turns out the memo Donna Brazile referenced applied only to the general election. This kind of memo/agreement has been standard operating procedure for the DNC for 15 years.

Here’s part of the memo that no one really took time to read:

“Nothing in this agreement shall be construed to violate the DNC’s obligation of impartiality and neutrality through the Nominating process. All activities performed under this agreement will be focused exclusively on preparations for the General Election and not the Democratic Primary.”

You will note that the entire agreement pertains only to the General Election, not the primary season.

The cash-strapped DNC needed Hillary Clinton’s impressive fundraising powers in 2015. And so, they agreed to give her campaign input on some party hiring and spending decisions but related only to preparations for the general election, not the primary season.

It turns out Bernie Sanders signed the exact same agreement.

So, move along folks. Yet another example of “nothing to see here.”

The full memo can be read here.

Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon shared this on Twitter:

And Brazile backed off the claim:

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CNN Cuts Ties To DNC Chair Donna Brazile

DNC chair Donna Brazile

CNN has severed all ties with DNC chair Donna Brazile after the latest WikiLeaks email dump seems to show Brazile sharing debate questions with the Clinton campaign.

CNN says it is “completely uncomfortable” in continuing with Brazile as a political contributor in light of the hacked emails, and as such, Brazile has resigned her position with CNN.

Via Politico:

Hacked emails posted by WikiLeaks show Brazile, whose CNN contract was suspended when she became interim DNC chair over the summer, sharing with the Clinton campaign a question that would be posed to Hillary Clinton before the March CNN Democratic debate in Flint, and sharing with the campaign a possible question prior to a CNN town hall also in March.

In a statement, CNN spokeswoman Lauren Pratapas said that on Oct. 14, the network accepted Brazile’s resignation.

“On October 14th, CNN accepted Donna Brazile’s resignation as a CNN contributor. (Her deal had previously been suspended in July when she became the interim head of the DNC.) CNN never gave Brazile access to any questions, prep material, attendee list, background information or meetings in advance of a town hall or debate. We are completely uncomfortable with what we have learned about her interactions with the Clinton campaign while she was a CNN contributor,” Pratapas said.

A CNN employee, speaking on background, suggested Brazile may have met the woman who was supposed to pose the question about lead poisoning during a service event planned the day before the debate.