NY Magazine: Arthur Finkelstein wants to Swift Boat-ize Hillary Clinton

[Stephanie]

Shades of Scaife.

____________________


Intelligencer: February 7–14, 2005

New PAC Attack Tries to Sink U.S.S. Hillary
Wannabe Swift Boaters seek to “stop her now.”

Arthur Finkelstein, the political guru who helped create George Pataki, now wants to Swift Boat-ize Hillary Clinton. Senior New York Republicans say he’s creating a political action committee called “Stop Her Now”—all you need is the pronoun with this crowd, apparently—which will attempt to raise more than $10 million nationwide to use against Her during Her 2006 reelection campaign. The PAC will “bloody her up long before her presidential run,” vows a top state Republican, adding the model is indeed the Swift Boat Vets. Stop Her Now will bludgeon Clinton with ads, whether or not the New York GOP has found a candidate to take her on, which is looking increasingly difficult. Jeanine Pirro, the sex-crime-avenging Westchester D.A., is reportedly considering it. But Pirro aides have whispered that she would rather run for attorney general. Still, one senior GOPer says that some Republicans are urging a Hillary challenge instead, arguing that Pirro’s convicted-tax-evader husband, Al Pirro, makes it tougher for her to replace the squeaky-clean Eliot Spitzer (and Hillary is saddled with Bill’s past).
—Greg Sargent

http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/people/columns/intelligencer/11028/

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[sasquatch]

1. What is there damned obsession with her about?

Maybe she should just invate them in a room and strip so they can get it the hell over with.

[LittleClarkie]

2. Uh, they're gonna make me have to get all nice about her, aren't they

Oh no you don't, you bastards!!

Time to go study me some Hillary. I'm doin' it for the party!

[mdmc]

5. AU H2O

conservative...

Go Hillary 2006!

[LittleClarkie]

7. That took me longer than it should have

Cute.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

9. Read her book. Think you will find that she is not nearly as

devious as repugs try to portray her. In the book she came off as completely human, loves her husband - warts and all, crazy about her kid, extremely smart (maybe smarter than Bill), has strong principled ideals and has worked on children's issues a long time before she hooked up with Bill.

She had an impressive resume when the repugs decided that since she is married to Bill so she is fair game in the need to take him down. There is nothing the GOP detests more than a mouthy woman that won't take direction. Try to wipe the slate clean on what you have heard about her, what you impression is about her and then read the book, do a little investigation into her causes that she has championed - she is not afraid of a lot of hard work and she is not afraid of taking on issues near and dear to her heart. She started out a Republican, saw the error of her ways, worked on the Committee investigating Watergate as a staff lawyer. She knows how Washington works and plays the game very well. And that is what the repugs fear most about her.

I'm not suggesting she should be president - although I would love to see her in the White House with a promotion, I do not want a divisive candidate in '08 - we are going to have to pull out all the stops to win against a corrupt system without having to spend time and capital on the attack the repugs would launch against her as a presidential candidate. Its enough they have painted a target on her for the mid-terms.

Guess you can tell I like Hillary. Is she a "perfect" Senator, nope, one doesn't exist but she is a damn sight better than at least 80-85 others in the club with her.

[LittleClarkie]

10. Good advice

I'm as enthusiastic about her as I started out being with Kerry.

And you can see how THAT turned out. :D

[mdmc]

11. I got that Goldwater thing from her book

She is my disappointing Senator. I think that I too may have to defend her...

[GetTheRightVote]

3. Time to back our party members, agree or disagree, we must be team players

to keep our numbers strong against the repubs machine.

:kick:

[Goldeneye]

4. Someone mentioned how personal attacks on the opposition

is one of the 14 signs of fascism.

Here it is:

14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

http://www.couplescompany.com/Features/Politics/Structure3.htm

[DRoseDARs]

6. Did she not bleed enough in her political career? n/t

[OHdem10]

8. You would have thought Hannity

is colluding with Finklestein. I just happen to be surfing by Faux
and was stopped dead in my tracks. Hannkity actually appeared to be fawning over Hillary. He and Newt were going on at great length
about what a formidable candidate she will be. They, O'Reilly
and a few others over there have chosen our 2008 candidate. They
said as much."Hillary is it". Back to Hannity and Newt.For a while
there Hillary had virtues and strengths i did not even know she had.

Then in that same nice, honey rolls off my lips, tone---they go in for
the kill. They begin to talk of her recent speeches and how she
is moving to the right so as to put herself in the center. Hannity trying to act like a wise sage in this most"sincere" sounding voice.
"While she has done good work on the Armed Forces Committee and
she gave some good speeches outlining her positions Abortion etc
Here is where I have a problem. We all know she is moving to the right. He goes on--There is no core belief--she is being expedient simply for politcal gain." This is the same hatchet job done by the Bush Campaign on Kerry. Remember how Bush campaign came out with
one flip-flop allegation after another very early in the campaign
and unfortunately it stuck .

Hannity ends his little hatchet job with "I guess I am old fashioned
and want politicians who really believe what they say. Hillary is
changing her positions because she thinks that is what people want to hear." Guys I tell you they were smoothe. 2008 has begun and we
are just getting our new leader for the party.

Yesterday on Inside Politics, someone reported on the Finklestein article; and their analysis is: Finklestein is out to try to mess up
her re-election and if that fails--he will have muddied her good in case she runs for President.



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