Mediaboss Marketing

Politics Hillary Clinton Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leaves an event at the U.N. in New York City on March 7, 2014 Andrew Burton / Getty Images

Far from being just another aide to Hillary and Bill Clinton, Craig Smith is something of an adopted son. He worked for the pair in Arkansas, was the very first hire for Bills 1992 presidential run, followed them to the White House and then advised both the 1996 and 2008 campaigns. But in recent months, Smith and his mentors havent been talking. Look, Ive known these people for over 30 years, he says. Being in a situation where I cant talk to them is a little odd. But, you know, it is what it is.

The reason for the distance is Smiths current role as a senior adviser for Ready for Hillary, a super PAC that has been set up to organize the grassroots for a 2016 Clinton presidential effort should she run. Super PACs cannot under federal rules coordinate certain types of spending or fundraising with candidates. Smith has interpreted this broadly, cutting off all direct ties to the former First Couple. Our goal is to build the Ferrari of grassroots operations, Smith says. All we need is a driver ready to hit the gas.

Its not wholly as hands-off as all that; the back-and-forth is just carefully choreographed. In recent weeks, Clinton has told friends she is grateful for the Ready for Hillary effort, follows its activities closely and believes it is building exactly the kind of foundation she never erected but discovered she needed in her race against Barack Obama in 2008. The super PAC, meanwhile, has been telegraphing messages to Clinton in plain sight. When people without obvious ties to the Clintons are hired for the group, they are often announced in press releases containing testimonials from someone in the Clintons orbit a move intended to ensure that Hillary will be comfortable with the choice.

(MORE: Clinton Super PAC Ready for Hillary Gets Readier)

As far as Smith is concerned, all systems are go: in the next few months, the group plans to sign up supporters in every state. Should Clinton personally offer endorsements in midterm contests and it would be unusual if she did not Ready for Hillary plans to rush in with fundraising assistance and foot soldiers. In other races, Clinton fans will be urged to promote Democrats up and down the ballot, fostering goodwill and, just as important, gaining practical experience that can be reprised later if Clinton jumps in.

There is now talk among Ready officials about finishing 2014 with 5 million supporters and 2 million active volunteers, numbers that would likely dwarf the assets of all the GOP wannabes combined. If realized, that would be substantially more than the piddling grassroots effort that Clinton mounted against Obama six years ago. Could anyone, Democrat or Republican, catch the Clinton machine this time? I dont know, Smith says. I think it takes a long time to build a grassroots operation. These things dont pop up overnight.

Indeed, they do not, and there is little that is spontaneous about this one. Smith estimates that the entire Clinton effort including all the current super PAC projects and an actual campaign will cost a cool $1.7 billion in total. That back-of-the-envelope calculation is based on his observation that in each presidential campaign the victor ends up spending about 150% of what the winner spent four years before.

The other boost for Ready for Hillary has come from Obamas political machine. Inside Obama world, the battle scars of the 2008 nomination fight have faded, and there is widespread excitement about a Clinton candidacy; her service in the Administration has made her the clear, if unofficial, legatee. I have yet to meet anybody grassroots, donor or elected official who is not enthusiastically for her, says one of Obamas top strategists. The loyalty thing has played a huge role in the difference between support and enthusiastic support.

(VIDEO: Hillary Clinton Kicks Off International Womens Day at the U.N.)

View original post here:

The (Not Very) Quiet Campaign for Hillary Clinton

(CNN) -

A close adviser to Hillary Clinton courted and procured money that was later used to fund illegal get-out-the-vote operations during the former secretary of state's hotly contested 2008 presidential bid, according to allegations formally laid out Monday by federal prosecutors.

The information became public as part of a plea agreement for Jeffrey Thompson, a Washington, D.C. businessman who on Monday pled guilty to conspiracy for masterminding a nearly $670,000 illegal "shadow campaign" for D.C. Mayor Vince Gray's successful mayoral bid in 2010. But within the documents, Thompson told federal prosecutors that Clinton adviser Minyon Moore approached him to raise funds for the Clinton campaign that would end up amounting to more than $600,000.

There is no evidence in the documents that Clinton was aware of the off-the-books effort. Nor is there any indication within the court filing that Moore knew, as well.

A spokeswoman for the Dewey Square Group, Moore's current employer, said in a statement to CNN that the Clinton confidant "fully cooperated with the government's investigation and the facts make clear that she was entirely unaware of any inappropriate activities."

According to the documents, Moore's contact with Thompson began in February 2008 when the Clinton adviser asked Thompson to organize "street teams" in support of the Clinton's primary campaign. At first, these street teams only aimed to help before the Texas primary on March 4, 2008.

The court documents show that Moore introduced Thompson to "INDIVIDUAL C," someone who a government source said was a Clinton supporter in Texas, and Troy White, a New York marketing executive who pled guilty for his work on the street teams last year.

The group also included Luis Vera, the general counsel for the League of United Latin American Citizens, according to a government source, whose task was to help turnout Hispanic voters ahead of the primary. In the court documents, Vera is identified as "INDIVIDUAL B."

After Clinton won the most votes in the Texas primary, the effort continued and Moore worked with Thompson, according to the documents, to deploy teams to Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina and Puerto Rico in an effort to boost Clinton's standing in the lead up to each state's primary.

Federal campaign finance rules outlaw people working for a campaign from soliciting off-the-books contributions and Moore's work with Thompson could be considered in violation of those laws.

Continued here:

Feds: Clinton adviser tied to illegal campaign

(CNN) - After Hillary Clinton lost the 2008 primary to President Barack Obama, Alan Patricof, a wealthy financier who had helped raise sizable donations to the Clinton campaign, took a step back from politics.

That all changes Tuesday night, when the owner of Apax Partners hosts President Barack Obama for a high-dollar fundraiser aimed at filling the campaign coffers of the Democratic National Committee and helping the Democratic body retire some of its campaign debt.

In an invitation for the fundraiser, which was first reported by Politico, Patricof described the event as a "fireside chat" that will both help the DNC and any future campaign by Hillary Clinton.

"We have recently decided that the most effective way that we all can be helpful to Hillary, and the Democratic Party in general, is to make sure that the Democratic National Committee is as strong as possible if Hillary should decide to run in 2016 and, for that matter if any other good candidate appears on the scene if she decides not to be in the race," Patricof wrote in a letter dated February 20.

The financier added, "With that background in mind, Susan and I have decided to extend our support to the DNC this year and to be helpful as we prepare for the upcoming campaign as it evolves."

Attendees to the Tuesday night fundraiser paid the maximum allowable campaign donation for an individual under current campaign laws: $32,400 per person.

Unlike the Republican National Committee, which has no debt, the DNC owes more than $15 million from the 2012 cycle.

Patricof has been a longtime supporter of Clinton. In 2008, he was part of a loyal group of fundraisers called the "Hillraisers" who donated and bundled millions of dollars for the then-senator's White House bid.

When asked by CNN earlier this year if he would look to bundle and fundraise for Clinton in 2016 should she run he said, "Yes, I can say that with certainty."

"I remain a Clinton supporter," Patricof said. "I definitely am very supportive of Hillary should she decide to go forward."

Go here to see the original:

Hillary Clinton donor back in the fundraising mix

Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attends the event "Equality for Women is Progress for All" at the United Nations on March 7, 2014 in New York City

Senior campaign advisor Minyon Moore was linked to a scheme to fund pro-Clinton operations in four states and Puerto Rico to the tune of $608,750 during Clinton's tough campaign for the Democratic presidential primary, the Washington Post reported yesterday, citing documents from US District Court in Washington.

US campaign finance laws impose limits on funding contributions to candidates and their operations, contributions which must be reported to federal authorities. The shadow get-out-the-vote campaign was off the books.

The revelations, potentially damaging to the former secretary of state who is mulling a second White House bid, came to light in statements by Washington businessman Jeffrey Thompson, who pleaded guilty on Monday on corruption charges in a case largely relating to his role in the capital city's 2010 mayoral race.

No evidence has shown that Clinton was aware of the efforts, prosecutors reportedly said. But Thompson told investigators Moore played a key role in the shadow campaign to boost Clinton's standing with urban communities in states like Texas and North Carolina.

"In or about February 2008, Individual A asked Thompson to fund street teams that would be paid to assist Presidential Campaign 1 during upcoming primary elections," according to the statement of offence.

Persons familiar with the case told the Post that Individual A referred to Moore and that Presidential Campaign 1 was Clinton's.

Thompson said Moore arranged for the funding and fed internal campaign materials to Thompson, who would disseminate the strategic information to the street teams, the Post said.

Such action by Moore could have violated campaign finance laws, which bar representatives of a campaign from arranging for illegal contributions.

Moore has close ties with former president Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, who narrowly lost her historic race for the Democratic nomination to President Barack Obama.

Original post:

Hillary Clinton aide linked to illegal campaign operations: report

Author Ed Klein Argues Former Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton Contributed To The Ukraine Crisis
Ukraine crisis before the storm. Fox Business: Lou Dobbs Tonight http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/lou-dobbs-tonight/index.html Fox Business http://foxbusine...

By: yazchat

See the original post here:

Author Ed Klein Argues Former Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton Contributed To The Ukraine Crisis - Video