Hillary faces another inner circle defection: Et tu, Patti?
Now that there is no prospect of her ever gaining a political office useful for punishing her enemies, Hillary Clinton’s inner circle of advisors and aides are starting to understand that they free to speak their minds. An arrogant, presumptuous, and imperious individual inevitably steps on toes and angers those around her, personally and politically. So long as the Clinton Machine had access to the levers of power, they would remain silent through a combination of hope for future advantage and fear of retaliation.
Donna Brazile was the first of her collaborators to speak her mind, and so far as anyone knows, has not suffered any potentially lethal injuries as a result. Her status as a well-liked figure able to get along with everyone – even political opponents of the Clintons – and her identity politics category of minority woman also provide cover.
Now, a second member of the Hillary inner circle, also a minority woman, has joined the ranks of Dem insiders willing to squeal. Cristiano Lima writes in Politico:
Hillary Clinton personally "overruled" a recommendation that she fire a top campaign staffer accused of sexual harassment in 2008, her campaign manager at the time said Monday.
Patti Solis Doyle, who headed Clinton's presidential bid when a young female staffer accused senior adviser Burns Strider of repeatedly sexually harassing her, told CNN she urged Clinton to dismiss Strider, but the Democratic candidate rejected the recommendation.
"I was overruled," Solis Doyle said in her first public remarks since news of the harassment controversy was reported by The New York Times on Friday.
Hillary attempted to keep a lid on the controversy by tweeting Friday, brazenly adopting the role of feminist champion:
A story appeared today about something that happened in 2008. I was dismayed when it occurred, but was heartened the young woman came forward, was heard, and had her concerns taken seriously and addressed.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 27, 2018
Ignoring her role as enabler apparently was too much for her former campaign manager:
Hillary’s role as an enabler of sexual harassers (when they are useful to her) strikes at the core of what is left of her appeal to the Democrats’ base. Now that inner circle tongues are wagging, the dam may break and more serious wrongdoing could be exposed, especially if there is an advantage in it for the tongue owners, whether that be best seller status, faithfulness to feminist doctrine, or a cooperating witness plea agreement. The old adage that you have to treat people well on your way up because you’ll see them again on the way down remains wisdom for all those seeking wealth and power. Unfortunately for her, Hillary never seems to have heeded this sage advice.