Sen. Clinton: Sandy Berger has 'no official role in my campaign'

[sabra]

Source: USA Today

At the end of an interview with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton a short while ago, USA TODAY's Susan Page inquired about reports that former Clinton administration national security adviser Sandy Berger is advising her.

Susan asked whether Clinton has any qualms about having Berger as an unofficial adviser to her campaign, given his mishandling of sensitive, classified intelligence documents in 2003?

"He has no official role in my campaign. He's been a friend for more than 30 years. But he doesn't have any official role," Clinton said.

But he's an unofficial adviser, Susan asked?

"I have thousands of unofficial advisers," said Clinton, "and, you know, I appreciate all of that. But he has no official role in my campaign."

Read more: http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/10/sen-clinton-san.html

---

Examiner article:

http://www.examiner.com/a-977346~He_s_back__Sandy_Berger_now_advising_Hillary_Clinton.html

[DURHAM D]

1. It seems like we have a bunch of these threads going already.

I could be wrong because my eyes are crossed.

[trumad]

2. What's that hissing sound?

awww the air being let out of the Hillary haters.

[movonne]

8. And how do you know she is not lying??

[JuniperLea]

10. I'm not hearing anything

This is how it goes in politics. Nothing new here.

[aquart]

21. You do them wrong. They never tire.

[IndianaGreen]

3. "Official" as in being paid. It's the unofficial role we are talking about.

8 years of Bush spin will be followed by 4 years of Clinton spin.

Mike Hirsch of Newsweek was the first to write about Berger's role within Camp Hillary.

[DURHAM D]

4. I too am a Clinton adviser.

I swear, I really am.

I think I need to be investigated.

[leftchick]

5. "I have thousands of unofficial advisors"

yeah I am spun out already on clinton's non answers. :puke:

[DURHAM D]

6. Seems you throw up more than anyone I know.

:puke:

[leftchick]

18. I can't help it

I find her nauseating, at least as much as bush. Probably more as her hypocrisy is stunning in its audacity.

:puke: :puke: :puke:

[LeFleur1]

42. Bush

You find Hillary as nauseating as Bush?

Oh. My. God. Go look at her voting record. Then go back to the right wing crazy forum.

It's fine to discuss, support, and advocate for your candidate, but to insult a Democrat by saying she/he is as nauseating as Bush is just...too Republican.

[JuniperLea]

12. I wonder if she is using the same media trainers

That Bill used during his campaign. If not, she should be. Her's is a hard row to hoe... seems she could use some help.

I'm neither for nor against her... but I wont' be voting for her in the primary.

[Frances]

15. I thought Berger was on our side.

I thought the Repubs were the ones who hated him.

Enlighten me.

[IndianaGreen]

16. Berger is a convicted felon

If you want to have felons in your campaign, go ahead, but don't complain when someone points this out to you.

[Frances]

17. If I remember correctly, Berger needed to read some papers

but the National Libray was closing so Berger took the papers home to read them there. He got caught. What he did was against the law and he was punished. So I can understand that it would not be politically correct to have him as a paid advisior.

But it seems kind of silly to use Hillary's talking with Berger as a major argument against supporting her.

There are much more important issue.

[Maribelle]

25. There you go again. Do you even know what "convicted felon" means?

Berger plead guilty to a misdemeanor. He is not hardly a felon.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

22. You're right, and the only reason I didn't post that in my thread this morning...

...is that I didn't particularly want to hear the chorus of "Hirsch is a freeper! Hirsch is a freeper! Hirsch is a freeper! Hirsch is a freeper! Hirsch is a freeper!"

I didn't do a background check on Bill Sammon. My bad. But he wrote the article and the SF Examiner chose to print it and Raw Story chose to link to it on their front page, so let's just call this "Berger-gate." A big journalistic scandal that kept us all busy on Monday morning.

As I said in my own thread, the SF Examiner link came from Raw Story. They've since removed the link in favor of this one. I didn't post it because I love Hillary or Hate Hillary. I posted it because it was on Raw Story and the last time I looked they were a "trusted source" on DU, even though they do screw up from time to time.

And yeah, Elvis isn't being paid, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's left the building.

:patriot:

[waiting for hope]

31. I was flipping earlier and stopped

on Fox - They had "Burglar with Clinton's Campaign" or something to that effect. I just say the word Burglar. Hmmm, kinda predicted earlier today : http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/10/8/10580/7236

[aquart]

7. She can't even talk to a friend without grief.

Every second of every day is an explosive minefield.

But it ain't because she's a woman, oh no. That's NOT the reason.

[JuniperLea]

9. That's politics in the big city

It's been that way from the very beginning... no more so for Hill than any other.

[DURHAM D]

11. Its all settled for me now.

She can't be our President - she has too many smart friends. :sarcasm:

[JuniperLea]

13. More like too many snarky DU supporters

Ugh

[aquart]

19. As opposed to right-thinking people like....?

Not a bit biased and judgmental there. No sir.

[Mojorabbit]

23. No but this

is a mistake in her otherwise "flawless" campaign. She gave an unnecessary talking point to the other side and they will run with it. I am not saying what she is doing is wrong, just saying how it is in politics esp when you are trying to overcome perceptions from the past.

[hisownpetard]

14. Is there a politician alive (of any sex, any party) who is capable of uttering a simple

declarative sentence without slipping in a qualifying adjective (like "official") that
provides them with that ever-handy and ultra-important loophole?

It's all so tired and tiresome.

[aquart]

20. Only a sure loser can afford it.

And it's disingenuous to even pretend it's possible.

[antiimperialist]

24. If Clinton doesn't drop Berger, she's in trouble

Clinton should cut any connections she has, official, or unofficial, with someone who stole records from the National Archives.
It would hurt her candidacy if she's nominated.

[Tellurian]

26. I'd rather see her with a trusted friend; then Obama surrounded w/Republican operatives...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1752381.ece

[antiimperialist]

28. So what do you think? Should Clinton keep the felon?

regardless of Obama, who is not part of this discussion...what do you think Clinton should do?

[Maribelle]

30. Once again - Berger is NOT a felon.

Berger plead guilty to a misdemeanor

[Tellurian]

32. First of ALL..He isn't a felon...

The charge was a misdemeanor. None of the material was original documents just copies. They were all returned.

End of story. And yes, I see no reason she shouldn't keep him... It's all hyperbolas hype!

[skyounkin]

33. To my understanding

Berger is a pretty smart guy and I think we need more smart people in politics so keep him on. Jesus even if the idiot king had anyone who had a freaking clue this world "might" be a better place.

[Zhade]

35. Um, his "stealing records" was rightwing propaganda.

It didn't go down like that. At all.

[eallen]

36. I oppose Hillary, but I won't fault her on this.

One doesn't drop a friend just because they did wrong. She should make clear that not only has he no official capacity now, but that he will have no official capacity if she is elected. Beyond that, I cannot fault her for contact with an old friend.

:hippie:

[Zandor]

27. Another Hillary-bashing fable bites the dust n/t

[samsingh]

29. so what if he does ?

[Zhade]

34. Wow, she reinforced the rightwing lies about Berger and the documents by disclaiming him.

Such courage!

:sarcasm:

[Tellurian]

38. If you WIKI him... it's all there...

no need to rebuild Roma..

[eallen]

39. He pleaded guilty.

I don't know the details of what he did, and given that the prosecution let him off with probation and a fine, even they must not have viewed it as all that significant. But. He pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information. Either he really did do that, or he committed perjury when he made that plea.

In either case, that largely disqualifies Berger from further service that requires high security clearance.

BTW, if you think I'm saying this just because I plan on voting for Obama, first note my earlier comment in this thread. I don't see this as an issue for Clinton.

:hippie:

[BenDavid]

37. That's good and if the right is going

to be critical about to whom someone sought advice, then well lets see...reagan sought advice from Richard Nixon as did George H.W. Bush....

Ben David

[Evergreen Emerald]

40. wow! This shows how important FoxNews is to the propaganda

They created the Berger story and aired it non-stop in an attempt to avoid reporting about Bush-and-co's-illegal behavior and it is now on DU as if it is actually news!

It shows how hard it is for us to be skeptical when it comes to the media. It also is a shame that campaigns will use such twisted-distorted-stuff.

[Beausoir]

41. Yep. A non-story gets peddled by FOX and DU sucks it up like a Hoover.

[pipoman]

43. I tire of these stories

where criminal acts or wrong doing is overlooked or proclaimed to be an attack of the opposition when the criminal or wrongdoer is in my party. The same crime or act is an indictment of the entire opposing party if a person does it.

Sandy Berger is a convict. He knowingly committed a criminal act. Whether he acted upon the urging of another we will never know...there is certainly suspicion.

What would all of you apologists for Berger be saying if Scooter Libby were taken onto the campaign of one of the Repubs?

This is stupid for Hil.