Hillary's Attempt to Change Momentum: A Gamble?

As one who follows politics with a great deal of interest I can understand why the Clinton campaign for President sees a need for dramatic change in its' organization...something isn't working! Over the past six months the political scene has watched Hillary Clinton's rapid descent from the Democratic frontrunner to what is fast becoming an "Also Ran" candidate.

Only six months ago the media had designated Clinton as the 'inevitable' Democratic nominee for president in the 2008 election. Her organization had raised huge sums of money which many pundits thought could never be matched. Supporting her campaign she had the well organized, and well practiced 'Clinton Machine' which had an unblemished record of political experience and campaign success.

As an 'Ace in the hole' Hillary had her spouse, former President Clinton, the most popular politician and most successful fundraiser in the Democratic Party. The Clinton campaign offered the potential voter 'two presidents for the price of one', and perhaps even more importantly for the campaign allowed the Clintons to campaign in two places at once, causing Clinton's chief political rival. Barrack Obama, to state, "sometimes I wonder just who it is I'm running against".

However, for some unexplained reason even with all of the above advantages the Clinton campaign has sputtered and stumbled and from all appearances seems to be losing ground at a record setting pace.

And so it comes as little surprise that the Clinton campaign sees a need for an organization shake up. Muzzling Bill Clinton was not enough, some more dramatic and effective changes were needed, and so, like most seasoned politicians Hillary turned to her most trusted, most loyal, staffer by naming her former White House Chief of Staff, Maggie Williams, as her new campaign manager.

While there is no question as to Maggie Williams's ability to handle the assignment, even to improve the functioning and results of campaign efforts, one has to question whether the Clintons are one more time putting loyalty and dedication ahead of character and whether this might negatively affect the campaign rather than help it.

There is little question that Maggie Williams is a bright and intelligent operative at any level in the organization. She has an outstanding record of achievement and success in every assignment she has undertaken.

The problem for Maggie Williams, and perhaps for Hillary Clinton, is that as a result of her undying, never wavering devotion to Hillary Clinton Maggie Williams has been entangled in some very questionable, some would say scandalous political chicanery.

It was Maggie Williams who following the controversial death of White House Aid, Vince Foster, was reported to have been seen purging Foster's White House files, allegedly removing large volumes of files that were never seen again. Williams denied the charge and passed a polygraph test, but eyewitnesses contradict her testimony forcing Williams later to admitt to removing 'Clinton' Files' from Foster's office.

It was Maggie Williams who testified via deposition and attempted to justify that it was she who gave access to one Johnny Chung, the infamous Taiwanese businessman who is on record for having contributed in excess of $360,000 to the Democratic National Committee, and is the same Chung the national security agency labeled a "hustler" who should be treated with suspicion.

Once her involvement with Chung was exposed it was Williams who testified before in a deposition for a congressional committee that she was guilty of nothing more than befriending fellow minority in the American political system. Williams justified her relationship with Chung as, The act of an 'African-American' who knew what is like to be on the outside of political circles and struggle just for a chance to compete with insiders, and be given equal status in particular, that shown by the White staff to politically connected 'White males'. For this and other reasons Williams explained, she had an especially high tolerance for Mr. Chung.

Under this justification Williams gave Chung virtually unlimited access to the White House which included some 49 visits and allowed him free access to the White House and to the White House dining facility where he and his associates were free to dine at taxpayer expense, and included recently published photo ops with the president and fist lady.

Chung was often quoted as hoping his contributions to the DNC would allow him to use the White House to entertain his friends and business associates. To parphrase Chung, 'the White House is like a subway: You have to put in coins to open the gates.' Evidently, Chung found the 'subway' available as Whitehouse staffers reported Chung could be frequently found relaxing in the first lady's office, sometimes alone, other times with his Taiwanese associates.[Source]

A 1997 Special Investigation in Connection with 1996 Federal Election campaigns/Section 10 report documented multiple incidents in which Chung in order to gain access to the White House and/or photo ops with the President and first lady for his business friends made inpromptu payments of $40-50,000 to the DNC for access on request, which often was granted.

While the Chung scandal demonstrates the ease with which Whitehouse influence can be bought and sold this in itself is not the fault of Maggie Wiliams who is guilty only fierce and almost blind loyalty to the Clintons. It does however provide a window into her character as this intelligent, idealistic, young woman appears to have sold out her ideals and resorted to deception and distortion in attempt to deny and cover up obvious wrong doing in defense of the Clintons.

The Chung involvement and purchased access to the Whitehouse is an ugly chapter in the Clinton Whitehouse, but such dealings are most certainly not limited to the Clinton administration or to this first lady as previous administrations have been similarly charged.

However in the light of a fiercely fought campaign in which each candidate professes to bring change and integrity back to the Whitehouse it seems ill timed to re-instate one so closely involved and so intensely defensive of the Chung scandal as is Maggie Williams.

To some observers it appears that blind loyalty and unwavering dedication matter more than character.

It remains to be seen how this will play with the voter.