Report: Clinton Blames Caucus Losses on Democratic Activists, MoveOn
FOXNews.com
Friday, April 18, 2008
After Super Tuesday, Hillary Clinton blamed her losses in caucus states on Democratic activists, and particularly on MoveOn.org, according to an audio recording posted on The Huffington Post.
The Web site reported Friday that Clinton was talking to a group of donors at a small closed-door fundraiser when she made the remarks, saying the "activist base" of the party "flooded" caucus sites and intimidated her supporters.
"Moveon.org endorsed [Sen. Barack Obama] -- which is like a gusher of money that never seems to slow down," she told the group, according to The Huffington Post.
"We have been less successful in caucuses because it brings out the activist base of the Democratic Party. MoveOn didn't even want us to go into Afghanistan. I mean, that's what we're dealing with. And they turn out in great numbers. And they are very driven by their view of our positions, and it's primarily national security and foreign policy that drives them.
"I don't agree with them. They know I don't agree with them. So they flood into these caucuses and dominate them and really intimidate people who actually show up to support me."
The intimidation charge is nothing new. Bill Clinton leveled similar charges during the Nevada caucuses, claiming Obama's union supporters were bullying people into voting for him. Clinton actually won those caucuses, though Obama still received one more delegate than Clinton. Obama has won every other caucus state to date.
But the criticism of MoveOn, the liberal anti-Iraq war group that endorsed Obama, is generally a topic Clinton stays away from in public.
Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan released a statement Saturday saying, "Hillary Clinton's decision to trash Democratic activists in a closed-door meeting with donors after publicly praising them when she needed their support is just another example of why she has such a serious credibility problem with the American people."
MoveOn also rebuked Clinton for her reported comments. The anti-Iraq war group said in a statement to The Huffington Post that the New York senator's claims were "divisive" and added, "MoveOn never opposed the war in Afghanistan."
The Huffington Post caused a headache for Obama a week ago when it reported that he told a group of San Francisco donors that small-town voters "cling" to religion and guns out of bitterness over lost jobs.
Click here to read the full article and hear the recording of Clinton's comments.
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