-Caveat Lector-
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Clinton Follows the Money - The Nation
Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 22:08:35 -0600 (CST)
From: Michael Eisenscher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Organization: ?
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
The Nation December 22,
2000
Clinton Follows the Money
A few weeks ago, the Democrats' nominee was promising to fight for
"the people against the powerful." Now the election's over, so hold
that talk about "the people" until the next campaign.
by William Greider
The power play was swift, effective and ugly. Within hours of Albert
Gore's concession, Bill Clinton was moving the levers of insider politics to
install his personal money guy, Terry McAuliffe, as the next chairman of
the Democratic National Committee. Mr. Albert is already history because
Mr. Bill intends to run this party for the next four years. That is terrible
news for any hope that the out-of-power Democrats might regenerate
themselves as the party of new ideas and fundamental reforms. Clinton
will defend his checkered legacy and advance his own unspecified
ambitions by dispensing the mother's milk of politics--money--to those
Democrats who adhere to his manipulative, hollow style of leadership.
Think small, act symbolically. Talk reform, but stick with the New
Democrat moneybags on the big economic questions. Among other
things, this move makes a weak joke out of the Democrats' supposed
commitment to campaign finance reform. Indeed, it insures that the
stench of extralegal money scandals that Clinton-McAuliffe generated will
continue to hang over the party. Only now, George Bush's Justice
Department will be in charge of the investigations and may show more
thoroughness than Clinton's has. Has the statute of limitations expired on
the 1996 election and other money schemes connected to McAuliffe?
Democrats must hope so if they allow this guy to become nominal party
leader.
The DNC has not been a meaningful institution for many years--it's a
mail drop for political money, that's all--and normally no one except
insiders should care who's in charge. But Terry McAuliffe is special. This
man has fabulous connections--he reeks of them--but party-building is not
among his talents. He raises big bucks for the Clintons' personal debts
and the presidential library, even offered to put up $1.35 million in earnest
money for their mortgage. He was leading co-engineer of the 1996
fundraising scandals when Clinton blew out the gaskets on the campaign
finance laws, when reformers plausibly argued that the "soft money" law
(not to mention perjury laws) had been violated by the Clinton money
machine. McAuliffe, furthermore, was named in court testimony by a
former DNC finance director as the inside player who repeatedly
promoted an illegal money swap between the Teamsters and party
donors. Teamsters president Ron Carey, the supposed reformer, was
tossed from office, two aides pleaded guilty and a third was convicted.
McAuliffe's ascension should provide good grist for Senator John
McCain's floor speeches on campaign finance reform.
Party leaders and rank-and-file activists should rise up in anger and
reject Clinton's clever ploy, though there is little reason to hope they will
do so. This deal is wired at the top. House minority leader Dick Gephardt
was an usher at McAuliffe's wedding. Democratic Senate leader Tom
Daschle bubbles up with praise. Leaders of organized labor are cozy with
Terry, too. They do union business deals and pension-fund investments
with him (including one Florida real estate project the Labor Department
investigated because, according to the Orlando Sentinel, McAuliffe
realized a $2.4 million profit without investing any money of his own).
Friendship trumps principle, especially when money makes the friends.
If McAuliffe gets the DNC job, he will be a living window on the party's
cynicism. A few weeks ago, its nominee was promising to fight for "the
people against the powerful." The election's over--hold that happy talk
about "the people" until the next campaign.
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