Clinton Camp Freaks Out Over Richardson's Obama Endorsement

Posted by Phoenix Woman, Firedoglake at 12:35 PM on March 23, 2008.

The news of New Mexico governor and long-time Hillary Clinton friend Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama was officially and cleverly greeted by Clinton campaign adviser Mark Penn with a yawn. But apparently James Carville didn't get the memo:

Mr. Clinton helped elevate Mr. Richardson to the national stage by naming him his energy secretary and ambassador to the United Nations. And Mr. Clinton left no doubt that he viewed Mr. Richardson's support as important to his wife's campaign: He even flew to New Mexico to watch the Super Bowl with Mr. Richardson as part of the Clintons' high-profile courtship of him.

But Mr. Richardson stopped returning Mr. Clinton's calls days ago, Mr. Clinton's aides said. And as of Friday, Mr. Richardson said, he had yet to pick up the phone to tell Mr. Clinton of his decision.

The reaction of some of Mr. Clinton's allies suggests that might have been a wise decision. "An act of betrayal," said James Carville, an adviser to Mrs. Clinton and a friend of Mr. Clinton.

"Mr. Richardson's endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic," Mr. Carville said, referring to Holy Week.

Ooooh, snap!

Frankly, Jimmy, you're a fine one to talk about betrayal, considering that you've been one of the voices leading the rearguard action against Howard Dean's efforts to undo the a) shoving of the party ever further towards Republicanism and b) concentration of power in the hands of a few well-paid DC-based elite consultants like, oh, say, James Carville:

Flush with victory after the election, Rahm's allies, led by Carville, try to mount a coup at the DNC by publicly attacking Dean and suggesting he be replaced by Harold Ford, a Tennessee moderate who just lost a Senate race. "You can't go into 2008 having a party chairman that is completely disconnected from the congressional leadership and the campaign committees," Carville tells me, further pounding the wedge that divides the Deaniacs and the Clintonites. When I ask if Rahm agrees, Carville says, "It's not any secret that Rahm has expressed disdain for Dean and not very secret that Rahm and I are close. It doesn't take a lot of dot-connecting here."

What about the Clintons, who, given Hillary's presidential ambitions, have more cause for concern about who runs the DNC in 2008? "Let's just say nobody has called me telling me this is a bad idea. Sometimes silence is eloquence." Not only did Carville's coup fail but it arguably strengthened Dean, who, speaking before his state-party allies, mocked the attempt as a desperate attack from the "old Democratic Party." Cutting his losses, Rahm quickly leaked word to the press that he and Dean had negotiated a truce.

If it's betrayal of Bill and Hillary Clinton that really torques you, where were you when their very good friend Joe Lieberman first stuck a shiv into the backs of the Clintons, back in September of 1998? And what about when, after Bill Clinton stumped for Holy Joe in 2006, Lieberman turned around and endorsed McCain, not Hillary? Where was your scorching condemnation then? Instead of attacking Bill Richardson, you might be better served by minding your own store -- you know, trying to avoid picking up paychecks from right-wing political parties in Latin America, that sort of thing.

Tagged as: richardson, obama, clinton, carville, lieberman, dean

Phoenix Woman is a regular blogger for FireDogLake