Posted on 01/05/2005 5:55:47 AM PST by Maria S
Longtime Clinton advisor and keeper of scandal secrets Harold Ickes has withdrawn from the race for Democratic National Committee chairman after publicly expressing doubts that his political protege, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, could win the White House in 2008.
"I just decided I probably did not have enough of the attributes [a chairman needs] to do the party justice," Ickes told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
The hard-nosed operative was widely credited with guiding Mrs. Clinton through the turbulent waters of New York politics in her successful 2000 Senate bid - and had been seen as the Clintons' favorite to replace their handpicked party chairman Terry McAuliffe. But that was before Ickes told Time magazine last month: "I'm one of the few in the semi-inner circle who [doesn't] think she can win" the White House.
In an interview with the New York Observer last week, the former top Clinton advisor said, "My sense is she hasn't made any decision to [run in 2008]."
But Ickes is almost alone in that assessment, with most other political pros believing Mrs. Clinton has the Democratic nomination all but sewn up.
"She's so far ahead of Kerry and Edwards and any other possible nominee in the primaries that there really won't be a primary," longtime Clinton adviser Dick Morris said last week.
Even Ickes admitted Sen. Clinton appears to be laying the groundwork for a presidential bid. "If she decides to run she's doing totally the right things," he told the Observer.
If the Clintons did elbow Ickes aside after his inopportune comments about Hillary's White House prospects, it wouldn't be the first time they unceremoniously dumped the savvy aide.
After Ickes helped steer Mr. Clinton to reelection in 1996 by raising millions of dollars is suspect campaign cash from Asian donors, he was forced out as deputy chief of staff. Incoming chief of staff Erskine Bowles, it turns out, insisted he be fired.
Despite his abrupt dismissal, Ickes declined to cooperate with investigators probing his White House fundraising in the Chinagate scandal.
Video of this should be titled:
"When Libturds eat their own!"
I think Ickes is wrong. Hillary has as much chance as any Democrat. All she's got to do is hold onto the basket case Blue States that voted for Kerry, and win Florida by demogoguing social security and medicare.
She does have a chance...and she's all they've got. Clearly she intends the DNC to be headed up by her selection. And I think her campaign manager will be her so-called husband.
ickes is out only because he has way too many skeletons in his closet; not because Hillary didn't want him.
what choo got?
Ickes doesn't need the headache. He's smooth as silk right where he is. Harold Ickes did great in directing the Donk's largest ($60 million) 527 fund raising efforts. The man got paid well and will remain right where he is. Candidates will come begging to him.
Heading up those 527s is as powerful a position as heading up the Donk national committee.
Lots of well known mob connections, including many with unions.
Well if Hillary Clinton decides to go with Conyers to contest the Election (so far she has told the DUmmies she is thinking about it) she is going to be up SH#$@t's creek when it comes to Re-election in NY State. Most NYers are pretty well satisfied that Bush won (of course they may not be happy cause they are Dems) but they believe he won fairly! The DUmmies are emailing and calling each and every Senator to get them to stand with Conyers. So far Chafee, Boxer, Clinton and maybe some others said they would think about it. But that depends on the number of calls and e-mails they get asking them to do it. We should bombard our Senators with calls telling them they are risking their next election if they do it!
Wonder if something's about to hit the fan scandal-wise, and Ickes is jumping ship...?
Chairman of the CPUSAHis daddy was a commie and he's a commie.
(FYI - CPUSA is Communist Party USA)
As are 90% of the DIMOCRAPS.
Perhaps we should call and encourage Conyers, Boxer and Clinton to proceed with their contest. Not one of them should be in public office.
Like a personality.
Some people have committed Arkancide for less.
Thats true!
She won't; and they are too stupid to realize they are being played.
Disagree. She will lose 20% of the men that voted for Kerry. She is deeply hated--even amongst demonrats.
Well from what I've been reading she played innocent and said "I haven't heard anything about it yet" but now that they have bombarded her office with e-mails and calls she has no choice but to say "I'll look into it" just to shut the DUmmies up. Some Senators have out right refused to do it!
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