Swift-Boating Hillary Clinton

After years of systematically trying to destroy her reputation and derail her political career, GOP operatives and surrogates again have Hillary Clinton in their crosshairs. Has she already taken their best?

A recent USA Today/Gallup Poll found that New York Senator Hillary Clinton "has significantly widened her lead over Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination." While it is still many months away from the first primaries and it is by no means a done deal, the former First Lady appears to be heading for the nomination.

For years, Republican Party operatives and their surrogates have been predicting, dreading, and in some cases reveling in a Democratic Party presidential ticket headed by Hillary Clinton. In attempts to destroy her reputation and derail her political career Hillary hunters have thrown just about everything but the kitchen sink at her. While they haven't succeeded in stopping her, they have managed to drive up her negatives and turn a significant portion of the electorate against her.

For more than two decades, Hunting Hillary has been a major right wing preoccupation. Anti-Hillary books were written and strategy papers devised. Over the years the hunters became more sophisticated, better funded and more determined; direct mail campaigns morphed into e-mail alerts which now coexist with rants in the right-wing blogosphere. For the 2008 campaign, Hillary bashers are using humor, planning more books, and even a movie to get their message across.

At the conclusion of Bill Clinton's second term as president Hillary hunting reached for the stars. During her first run for the senate from New York State in 2000 the Washington, D.C.-based National Conservative Campaign Fund issued a "Special Report: Campaign Strategy to Stop Hillary Clinton." By mid-year, veteran conservative activist Morton C. Blackwell organized the Emergency Committee to Stop Hillary Rodham Clinton. In another effort on behalf of the American Conservative Union's "The Hillary Rodham Clinton Voter Alert Campaign," former New York Republican Party Congressman Gerald Solomon sent out a 92 page paperback book titled "Hillary Rodham Clinton: What Every American Should Know."

The National Conservative Campaign Fund (NCCF) provided a detailed strategy aimed at stopping Hillary by: 1) Driving up her unfavorable poll numbers by "attacking her pro-big government liberal record"; 2) Setting up a "Defeat Hillary Clinton" website to recruit supporters; 3) Printing and distributing scads of targeted anti-Hillary materials; 4) Running anti-Hillary newspaper and radio advertisements; 5) Start early and strike often.

The NCCF made it clear that its ultimate goal was to stop Hillary in 2000, and therefore "destroy any hope she has of being elected President in the future."

Morton Blackwell took off after the so-called liberal media. He sent an "emergency" e-mail to his constituents warning them that the "establishment media" would continue to protect both former President Bill Clinton and Hillary from revelations about "the worst of their crimes, corruption, and cover-ups."

Joining Blackwell "to get the truth out about Hillary" were such stalwart conservatives as Edwin Meese III, President Ronald Reagan's Attorney General, Lynn Nofsinger, a senior advisor to Reagan, Republican Congressman Ernest J. Istook of Oklahoma, former California Congressman Robert (B-1 Bob) Dornan, and Alan Keyes, the Black conservative who was overwhelmingly defeated by Barack Obama in the 2004 Illinois Senatorial campaign.

The American Conservative Union -- whose goal was to distribute some six million copies of its book -- claimed that the book was an "abbreviated yet clear snapshot of the words, deeds, and misdeeds of the most self-absorbed and power-struck First Lady in our nation's history."

In addition to issuing campaign strategy talking points, launching e-mail campaigns, and publishing mini-books, the American Enterprise Institute co-sponsored, along with David Horowitz's Center for the Study of Popular Culture (now called the David Horowitz Freedom Center), a conference called "The Legacy and Future of Hillary Rodham Clinton," which The Nation's David Corn reported was definitely "tilted toward the Hillary-sucks side."

Before health problems forced then New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani to drop out of the race, he had hired conservative direct mail guru, Richard Viguerie to fundraise around the theme of exposing Hillary's leadership of "ultra left-wing Democrats."

'Stop Her Now'

In February 2005, longtime GOP public relations maven and campaign consultant Arthur Finkelstein, the head of Arthur J. Finkelstein & Associates, launched what he hoped would be the death blow to the political aspirations of Hillary Clinton. His "Stop Her Now" website aimed to raise $10 million to help defeat her in the 2006 New York senatorial race. For Finkelstein, "Stop Her Now" would be the mother of all gathering places for Hillary-bashers.

However, "Stop Her Now" failed to live up to expectations as Hillary handily won election.

The Washington, D.C.-based "Stop Her Now" (website) -- "Rescuing America from the radical ideas of Hillary Clinton" -- however, is not yet history. It continues on under the management of Dallas, Texas businessman Richard H. Collins (website), a major contributor to the campaign of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. Collins, a graduate of Southern Methodist University -- the future home of the George W. Bush library -- serves as Chairman and CEO of Richard Collins Enterprises, a family investment company, and is also Vice President and Director of the Collins Family Foundation.

Collins is currently the finance chairman of the re-election campaign of Michael L. Williams, one of three members of the elected Texas Railroad Commission, a regulatory body that has authority over the oil and natural gas industries. Williams, the highest-ranking Black person in statewide Texas politics, is seeking re-nomination in the March 2008 Republican primary.

According to a Townhall.com bio, Collins also serves as Chairman of DALENPAC (Dallas Entrepreneurial Political Action Committee) and "has been a strong activist in the Republican Party." His "Stop Her Now" effort "is a campaign focused on exposing the real truth about Hillary Clinton through the use of satire and humor ... delivered online ... showcas[ing] a daily blog, the Hillary Show, a weekly cartoon, and the most recent political happenings in the 2008 Presidential race."

"Stop Her Now," according to its website, is "an organization of concerned citizens that is dedicated to spreading the TRUTH about Hillary Clinton and her dangerous ideas and plans for our country. ... "STOP HER NOW is intent on revealing to the American public the TRUTH about just who Hillary Clinton really is. We're out to expose her as a confirmed left-wing radical and life-long liberal who long ago sold her soul to the divisive, radical and ultra-liberal special interest groups who see everyone as 'victims' and want to use your tax dollars and the power of the state to make things right."

In a recent column posted at a blog called "Against Hillary" ("Keep Corrupt and Dishonest Hillary Clinton Out Of The WhiteHouse"), Collins resuscitates a number of so-called Clinton-era scandals, warns voters not to be taken in by Hillary's claim of having "experience," and caps his assessment by writing that "Even a cursory review of her time in the White House reinforces the truth that not only is Hillary a big government liberal, but an arrogant and vicious one."

Floyd Brown and David Bossie are back

In early July, McClatchy Newspapers' Sean Cockerham pointed out that Floyd Brown is "among the nation's best-known conservative political knife throwers." Brown has earned that distinction by his tireless efforts "hunting Democrats."

Over the years, Brown, a frequent guest on CNN's "Crossfire," and "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher" -- before Maher was fired by ABC and went on to host HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" -- has had his share of successes and failures.

According to Cockerham, he was "responsible for the 'Willie Horton' television ad that helped derail the Michael Dukakis presidential campaign in 1988." However, his efforts to put the kybosh on the political career of Bill Clinton, which included writing a book called "Slick Willie: Why America Cannot Trust Bill Clinton," and the creation of "a 1-900 line in 1992 so callers could hear edited excerpts of telephone conversations between Clinton and Arkansas lounge singer Gennifer Flowers," failed dismally.

"Now Brown and the national conservative group he founded, Citizens United (website), are working on 'Hillary: The Movie' to come out this fall," Cockerham reported. "This project aims to expose the truth about her conflicts in the past and her liberal plot for the future," Citizens United says on its website.

On January 20, 2007, Robert Novak, columnist with the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote at Townhall.com:

"People on Republican mailing lists this week received an appeal for funds from Dick Morris, President Bill Clinton's political strategist in 1995-1996, asking for a contribution of between $25 and $100 or more to finance a film documentary critical of Sen. Hillary Clinton."

"Signing the letter as 'Former Clinton Adviser,' Morris wrote: 'If you liked how the Swift Boat Veterans turned the tide against John Kerry, you understand how a top Clinton aide can turn the tables and stop a Clinton-style liberal from becoming the next president of the United States.'"

"Morris' appeal was made through the Presidential Coalition, run by conservative activist Dave Bossie. The letter described Morris as dedicated to electing presidents like Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Since 1996, Morris has been an author, columnist and television commentator."

Founded by Brown in 1988, Citizens United (CU) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit 501(c)(4), whose day-to-day operations are run "by his protege," David Bossie. According to Wikipedia, Bossie, who serves as CU's president, "was chief investigator for the Whitewater hearings held by U. S. Senator Lauch Faircloth, and was an investigator for Representative Dan Burton (R-IN), the chairman of the House investigation into alleged Clinton campaign finance abuses."

Bossie was later fired "for selectively editing and releasing to media the transcripts of prison conversations of former Clinton administration official Webster Hubbell that created the impression that Hillary Clinton was involved in billing irregularities at the Rose Law Firm where she and Hubbell both worked."

In May 1998, the Washington Post reported that the removal of Bossie "..came as Gingrich sought to contain the damage, condemning 'the circus' that took place within Indiana Republican Dan Burton's Government Oversight and Reform Committee and scolding Burton at a closed Republican Conference meeting for refusing to say that he [Rep. Burton] was embarrassed by the episode. Speaker Newt Gingrich said "I'm embarrassed for you [Rep. Burton], I'm embarrassed for myself, and I'm embarrassed for the [House Republican] conference at the circus that went on at your committee."

Bossie is president and manager of The Presidential Coalition LLC, "a Republican front group," that according to SourceWatch, a project of the Center for Media & Democracy, "registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a Section 527 political action committee on June 30, 2005," and it is "affiliated with Citizens United."

Citing documents gathered by the Campaign Finance Institute, SourceWatch points out that "In the 2005-2006 election cycle, The Presidential Coalition raised $707,485 in contributions and expended $7,256,082 ... [and] From January 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006, the PAC reported $322,637 in contributions and $3,733,433 in expenditures."

Citizens United has devoted a fair amount of time to films and filmmaking. In 2004, as part of the nationwide conservative campaign to have Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" blocked from being shown in movie theaters across the country, Citizens United filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission claiming that the film violated federal election laws.

According to SourceWatch, Citizen United Production's ACLU Movie website features "ACLU: At War With America," featuring Michael Boos, Mark Corallo, Former Congressman John Hostettler, Michael Medved, former Attorney General Edwin Meese III, Deroy Murdock, US Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, Michael Reagan, Alan Sears, Mathew Staver and Victoria Toensing."

In September 2004, "Fred Thompson, Charles Krauthammer, Fred Barnes, Michael Medved, Michael Barone and Bill Sammon among other Washington veterans" were featured in Citizens United's film "Celsius 41.11 - the Temperature at Which the Brain Begins to Die," allegedly to "[counter] the lies and deceptions of 'Fahrenheit 9/11' and [provide] a full deconstruction of Senator John Kerry, the Democrat presidential nominee."

The website also provides links to other Citizen United movies: "Broken Promises: The United Nations at 60," and "Border War: The Battle Over Illegal Immigration."

"Hillary: The Movie" is still "in production." It is described as "includ[ing] interviews with renowned Clinton expert Dick Morris and others. This project aims to expose the truth about her conflicts in the past and her liberal plot for the future."

However, the film's web page asks for visitors' assistance: "Help us make this film! We are looking for stories, original pictures videos or audio and general information that could help us make this movie even better!"

According to McClatchy's Sean Cockerham, Brown returned to the state of Washington -- his birthplace -- "last year after working for five years as executive director of Young America's Foundation, an organization that acquired the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, Calif." Brown said he oversaw preservation of the ranch and construction of the $20 million Reagan Ranch Center.

He has a consulting and media firm in Washington, Excellentia Inc. (website) and he "says it specializes in marketing to conservatives and Christians, and that past clients have included the Bob Dole and Steve Forbes presidential campaigns."

Citizens United recently announced that it had "expand[ed] its headquarters with the purchase of the neighboring newly-renovated, Victorian-style townhouse":

CU's Movie Production staff will immediately utilize the new building and move in right away. With work continuing at break-neck speed on the Hillary Movie, our production team is maxed out on space for their equipment, editing bays, and filming capabilities. The basement of the new building will become the production headquarters and be renovated to fully meet our needs in this area.

Richard Collins, David Bossie, Floyd Brown, and Dick Morris haven't cornered the market on Hillary bashing: HilCAP (website) -- "the Hillary Clinton accountability project" -- a project of the [Ramona, California-based] United States Justice Foundation (website) is "intended to educate the public about the largest federal election campaign fraud ever reported," according to its website. "Through its representation of whistleblower Peter Paul in his ongoing landmark court case, Paul vs. Hillary Rodham Clinton, William Jefferson Clinton, et al., the USJF will uncover in court and expose evidence linking Senator Hillary Clinton and then-President Bill Clinton with orchestrating a multi-million-dollar fraud against Paul, the Federal Election Commission and other Federal agencies, as well as the voters of New York, in connection with her 2000 election to the U.S. Senate."

In September 2000, as editor of CultureWatch, the DataCenter's newsletter tracking the religious right and related conservative movements, I wrote that:

There are three things driving these anti-Hillary campaigns: the inordinate gift right-wing groups have for taking advantage of a terrific fundraising opportunity; the Right's fear that a Hillary win will be seen as an affirmation of her husband's tenure; and that the victory will be a steppingstone to the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in the not-too-distant future.

For the Right, there's usually an upside. If she does get elected, they will have Hillary Clinton to kick around for many years to come.

And boy did they try to kick her around. And, they raised lots of money.

This time around, however, there appears to be little upside for conservatives to another Clinton presidency.

For more please see the Bill Berkowitz archive.
Bill Berkowitz is a longtime observer of the conservative movement. His WorkingForChange column Conservative Watch documents the strategies, players, institutions, victories and defeats of the American Right.

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