Liberals are preparing blacklists of appointees they want Clinton to avoid
By John Wagner and Elise Viebeck October 28 at 6:00 AM
Liberal advocacy groups are preparing blacklists of candidates for appointments to a Hillary Clinton administration, with one organization even producing opposition research to torpedo contenders they consider too soft on Wall Street or other corporate interests.
Planning for a Democratic victory on Nov. 8, these interest groups and like-minded lawmakers are laying the groundwork to push Clinton, if she is elected, to prove her progressive bona fides through early legislation and personnel appointments.
One liberal group has already forwarded 150 names of acceptable appointees for economic positions to Clinton’s transition team, while others on the left are engaged in opposition research against prospects for administration jobs whom they see as unacceptable.
Leading liberal lawmakers — including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — have also started conveying, privately and publicly, guidance on top Clinton appointees and legislative priorities.
The activity reflects the fragile alliance between Clinton and the progressive wing of her party as she nears the end of a tumultuous race against Republican Donald Trump. Although Clinton has campaigned on several of their key issues, many liberals remain skeptical that she will push those priorities adequately if she wins the presidency — and wary that her ties to Wall Street might affect the administration she would build.
“A lot of people are along for the ride through November 8th and will need assurances after that with big, bold action,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “If you lose people early on, it’s hard to get them back on board.”
Clinton and her aides have declined to discuss personnel issues, citing a policy of staying mum on that front until after the election. But it’s clear that conversations with the left started early: Warren sent Clinton a list of potential administration appointees before Jan. 6, 2015, according to an email hacked from the account of Clinton campaign chairman John D. Podesta and published by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.
Warren, Sanders and other leading liberals have proven loyal soldiers to Clinton during the general election contest, campaigning regularly and urging their supporters to vote for her. Activists hope these efforts will provide the left with leverage if Clinton wins. But they foresee a very short honeymoon period next year should she start nominating unacceptable candidates to positions such as treasury secretary.
Among more than a dozen liberal activists interviewed for this story, there is broad agreement that SEC Chair Mary Jo White, a frequent target for the left, should not remain in her post under a Clinton administration. At Treasury, progressives see red flags for several potential leaders, including Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and Federal Reserve Board member Lael Brainard.
One potential candidate whom Warren and others on the left have signaled to be acceptable is Sarah Bloom Raskin, now deputy treasury secretary, who has a long history of consumer advocacy and is the wife of Jamie B. Raskin, a Maryland state senator running for Congress this year.
Gary Gensler, former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, is also viewed favorably, though Gensler’s past work at Goldman Sachs has given some progressives pause. Gensler serves as the chief financial officer of Clinton’s presidential campaign.
More at link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...able-main_clintonliberals-930a:homepage/story
Back-room deals, secrecy, and suspicion. Yay.
Wonder what I need to do to get on a blacklist?
By John Wagner and Elise Viebeck October 28 at 6:00 AM
Liberal advocacy groups are preparing blacklists of candidates for appointments to a Hillary Clinton administration, with one organization even producing opposition research to torpedo contenders they consider too soft on Wall Street or other corporate interests.
Planning for a Democratic victory on Nov. 8, these interest groups and like-minded lawmakers are laying the groundwork to push Clinton, if she is elected, to prove her progressive bona fides through early legislation and personnel appointments.
One liberal group has already forwarded 150 names of acceptable appointees for economic positions to Clinton’s transition team, while others on the left are engaged in opposition research against prospects for administration jobs whom they see as unacceptable.
Leading liberal lawmakers — including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — have also started conveying, privately and publicly, guidance on top Clinton appointees and legislative priorities.
The activity reflects the fragile alliance between Clinton and the progressive wing of her party as she nears the end of a tumultuous race against Republican Donald Trump. Although Clinton has campaigned on several of their key issues, many liberals remain skeptical that she will push those priorities adequately if she wins the presidency — and wary that her ties to Wall Street might affect the administration she would build.
“A lot of people are along for the ride through November 8th and will need assurances after that with big, bold action,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “If you lose people early on, it’s hard to get them back on board.”
Clinton and her aides have declined to discuss personnel issues, citing a policy of staying mum on that front until after the election. But it’s clear that conversations with the left started early: Warren sent Clinton a list of potential administration appointees before Jan. 6, 2015, according to an email hacked from the account of Clinton campaign chairman John D. Podesta and published by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.
Warren, Sanders and other leading liberals have proven loyal soldiers to Clinton during the general election contest, campaigning regularly and urging their supporters to vote for her. Activists hope these efforts will provide the left with leverage if Clinton wins. But they foresee a very short honeymoon period next year should she start nominating unacceptable candidates to positions such as treasury secretary.
Among more than a dozen liberal activists interviewed for this story, there is broad agreement that SEC Chair Mary Jo White, a frequent target for the left, should not remain in her post under a Clinton administration. At Treasury, progressives see red flags for several potential leaders, including Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and Federal Reserve Board member Lael Brainard.
One potential candidate whom Warren and others on the left have signaled to be acceptable is Sarah Bloom Raskin, now deputy treasury secretary, who has a long history of consumer advocacy and is the wife of Jamie B. Raskin, a Maryland state senator running for Congress this year.
Gary Gensler, former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, is also viewed favorably, though Gensler’s past work at Goldman Sachs has given some progressives pause. Gensler serves as the chief financial officer of Clinton’s presidential campaign.
More at link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...able-main_clintonliberals-930a:homepage/story
Back-room deals, secrecy, and suspicion. Yay.
Wonder what I need to do to get on a blacklist?
.