Exiting on a high are we? No. No. No.
The Herald Tribune where most articles published in the NYTimes appear has this essay of caution:
Those loyal to the Clintons take note of those who were not
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was gracious in her full-throated endorsement of Senator Barack Obama. But that does not mean all is forgiven by others in the Clinton universe.
For proof, look no further than Doug Band, chief gatekeeper to former President Bill Clinton.
Band keeps close track of the past allies and beneficiaries of the Clintons who supported Obama’s campaign, three Clinton associates and campaign officials said. Indeed, he is widely known as a member of the Clinton inner circle whose memory is particularly acute on the matter of who has been there for the couple — and who has not.
“The Clintons get hundreds of requests for favors every week,” said Terry McAuliffe, the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. “Clearly, the people you’re going to do stuff for in the future are the people who have been there for you.”
McAuliffe, who knows of Band’s diligent scorekeeping, emphasized that “revenge is not what the Clintons are about.” The accounting is more about being practical, he said, adding, “You have to keep track of this.”
Band, who declined to comment, is hardly alone in tallying those considered to have crossed the former candidate or the former president in recent months by supporting Obama. As the Obama bandwagon has swelled, so have the lists of people Clinton loyalists regard as some variation of “ingrate,” “traitor” or “enemy,” according to the associates and campaign officials, who would speak only on condition of anonymity.
[.]
Several names and entities are common among various list makers. The lineup invariably begins with A-list members like Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico; Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, the House Democratic whip; Gregory Craig, Bill Clinton’s lawyer in his impeachment and trial; David Axelrod, Obama’s chief strategist; Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri; and several Kennedys. Some members of the Democratic Party’s rules committee, the state of Iowa and the caucus system in general are also near the top.
The news media have already focused on some list entries, including the online gossip purveyor Matt Drudge (who had the nerve to show up at Hillary Clinton’s departure speech on Saturday), Todd Purdum of Vanity Fair (the author of a recent profile of Bill Clinton) and the cable network MSNBC (whose hosts Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann are charter list members, Clinton associates said).
The lists are also reported to include lesser-known Obama-supporting members of Congress (for whom the Clintons campaigned), former ambassadors (appointed by Bill Clinton) or Clinton White House officials turned Obama advisers (like Anthony Lake, a former national security adviser, and Susan Rice, a former White House and State Department official).
These are people who should know better than to ask the former president or first lady for a job recommendation for a son-in-law.
[.]
That A-List. I note Gregory Craig is listed – Bill Clinton’s lawyer in his impeachment and trial and now with the Obama camp; but Bill owes Craig a debt of gratitude for a lifetime – a debt that’s immeasurable.
The fact that Craig joined the Obama camp speaks volumes of the Clintons. During an Attorney-client relationship you do get to know each other very, very well.
Yeah just saying, it speaks volumes.
Hmmmmm. So what about the B-List? Is there one?
I’m thinking Bloggers.
It’s good to know McAuliffe, Ickes and Penn won’t be in our face. Shame on McAuliffe that he would be interviewed for this article; giving a stamp to the idea, a fact, of a Clintons’ enemies list being made public. Classless.
