Clinton looks to tighten inner circle
Hillary Clinton faces a stiff challenge in constructing a lean and mean campaign team that avoids the drama and leaks that hurt her 2008 effort.
Clinton is working with an enormous Rolodex that includes aides and advisers from her days as senator and secretary of State, as well as from her husbands time as president.
Many of those people want very badly to be a part of another Clinton campaign and possibly another administration.
The problem is their circle is only getting bigger in light of the people shes brought on, going all the way back to Arkansas, said Jim Manley, a Democratic strategist.
Some are advising Clinton in the lead-up to a campaign announcement to mimic President Obama, who, in 2008, relied on a small set of advisers including David Plouffe, David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs.
The small cadre of advisers resulted in a disciplined operation from top to bottom on strategy, messaging and even leaks to the press.
Its really why we won, plain and simple, explained a senior campaign staffer on the 2008 Obama team.
Early plans indicate that Clinton will rely on former Obama and Bill Clinton adviser John Podesta as her campaign chairman, with longtime aides Huma Abedin, Cheryl Mills, Philippe Reines and Jake Sullivan serving as advisers.
Robby Mook would serve as a campaign manager tasked with handling day-to-day operations.
Other senior advisers are likely to include Clinton favorites Minyon Moore, whose stock is continuously rising, one source says, as well as Tom Nides, who served as deputy secretary of State under Clinton; and Dennis Cheng, the top contender to handle Clintons campaign finances as The Hill reported last week.