Donna Brazile defends depiction of campaign
Former DNC chair spars with critics of new book; says Clinton was “Plan A”
WASHINGTON – Donna Brazile, the former interim chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, said critics of her forthcoming book critical of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign can “go to hell,” while the current DNC chair, Tom Perez, said one of the book’s most controversial claims is “without merit.”
In an interview on ABC’s This Week, Brazile defended her contention that she once considered using her powers to remove Clinton from atop the 2016 presidential ticket. When Clinton fainted in New York City, Brazile said she considered replacing her and her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine with Biden and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.
“I was under tremendous pressure after Secretary Clinton fainted, to quote unquote have a Plan B. I didn’t want a Plan B. Plan A was great for me. I supported Hillary, and I wanted her to win.” In a separate interview on NBC’s
Meet the Press, Perez called “the charge that Hillary Clinton was somehow incapacitated ... quite frankly ludicrous.” She was a “tireless candidate,” and besides, Brazile did not have the power to remove Clinton, he said. The claim will make people “perhaps start wondering about other claims in the book,” he said.
Even as Brazile is critical of a special fundraising agreement between the campaign and the DNC, when asked if the primaries were rigged for Clinton and against Sanders, she said, “I found no evidence, none whatsoever.”
The Democratic Party tensions displayed Sunday come two days before the gubernatorial election in Virginia in which the Republican, Ed Gillespie, is narrowing the gap with the Democrat, Ralph Northam, making some party officials anxious. Yet Brazile said she is determined to speak out.
“For those who are telling me to shut up ... you know what I tell them? Go to hell,” said Brazile. “This was worse than Hurricane Katrina in terms of the emotional toll,” she said. “They don’t know what it was like to be over at the DNC,” she said.
Brazile was responding to a letter from 94 former Clinton campaign members that says she is misrepresenting the campaign and blasted her for once considering removing Clinton as the party’s presidential nominee.
In Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns that Put Donald Trump in the White House, Brazile alleges that before Clinton became the Democratic nominee, her campaign signed a joint agreement with the DNC and Hillary Victory Fund, in which her campaign would finance the DNC in exchange for oversight from the Clinton campaign. Usually, the nominee doesn’t take over fundraising until after the nomination has been accepted.
Perez said Clinton won by 4 million more votes in primaries, which are controlled by the states, whereas Sanders did well in caucus votes, a process which the party does control.
I didn’t want a Plan B. Plan A was great for me. I supported Hillary, and I wanted her to win.”
Donna Brazile