A 2008 New York Times article contradicts claims from Hillary Clinton’s camp that she does not have an enemies’ list. The Times reported that three Clinton associates and campaign officials claimed that Doug Band, “chief gatekeeper to former President Bill Clinton,” kept a list of who was an ally and who was an enemy of the Clintons.
Terry McAuliffe, the chairman of Hillary’s 2008 presidential campaign and now the governor of Virginia, acknowledged that Band had some sort of list but defended him, saying, “The Clintons get hundreds of requests for favors every week. Clearly, the people you’re going to do stuff for in the future are the people who have been there for you… revenge is not what the Clintons are about.” He added that keeping lists is a practical matter, asserting, “You have to keep track of this.”
Philippe Reines, a spokesman for both Bill and Hillary, said bluntly, “There is no list.” But the Times reported there are various names prominent on the Clinton loyalists’ hit list, including Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico; Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, the House Democratic whip; Gregory B. Craig, the attorney for Bill Clinton in his impeachment and trial; David Axelrod; Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri; and several Kennedys.
The Times also added Matt Drudge’s name to the list, calling him an “online gossip purveyor.” Other names listed by the Times include Todd S. Purdum of Vanity Fair, MSNBC, Anthony Lake (who worked for the Clintons before becoming an Obama adviser), and Susan Rice.
David N. Bossie, President of Citizens United and former Chief Investigator of the House Oversight Committee, reacted to the growing perception that the Clintons and/or their minions keep hit lists, stating:
As this latest evidence shows, Hillary Clinton is a ruthless political operator who surrounds herself with people who take cut-throat politics to a whole new level. Her team obviously lied to the New York Times back in June of 2008 about a hit list. Unfortunately it is just one of many lies that Clinton’s people think they can get away with.
Joe Andrew, who was appointed chairman of the DNC by Bill Clinton and then switched from being a superdelegate for Hillary to one for Obama with his home state of Indiana about to have its primary, said: “When you’re on the losing end of a campaign, your sense of victimization is higher.” Bill Richardson was unfazed, saying, “I know they’re unhappy, but I’ve been on these lists before.”
The New York Times reported:
While Mrs. Clinton has a short list of people who disappointed her, Mr. Clinton, who reportedly has an encyclopedic memory of all the people he has helped, employed or appointed over the years, apparently has a far longer one, the campaign officials said. Mrs. Clinton’s friends have a list of their own (it has frequently included the former president), as do veterans of Mr. Clinton’s White House (who love to blame Patti Solis Doyle, Mrs. Clinton’s former campaign manager), Clinton campaign employees (who complained incessantly — and continue to — about Mark Penn, the demoted chief strategist), Clinton fund-raisers and women’s groups who supported Mrs. Clinton’s campaign.
Susie Tompkins Buell, a co-founder of Esprit clothing who calls herself “a soul sister” to Mrs. Clinton, boasted, “I won’t forget these people.” She said “these people” included Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Janet Napolitano, and Kathleen Sebelius.
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