Crossing the Clintons
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One after another, they jumped ship and left Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign to back her Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama. And while the chapter on her campaign may be closed, there are still open wounds over those who've crossed the Clintons.

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Former aides to Sen. Hillary Clinton say those who switched their support to Sen. Barack Obama may be on the outs.








"So today, I am standing with Sen. Obama to say, 'yes we can!' " Clinton said on Saturday.


Yes, Clinton can support Obama in his race for the presidency. But as for the former Clinton supporters who switched sides, forgiving and forgetting might not come that easily.


The New York Times reported that some Clinton loyalists have been keeping tabs on those who have crossed the Clintons.


But CNN contributor and longtime Clinton backer James Carville told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Wednesday that article is "laughable."


"It's a very silly piece ... There really wasn't a list ... It's laughable. I talked to a lot of people in Clinton land today and they're not even sure what the point of the story was," he said.


One former Clinton adviser, however, said there's no doubt some have forever burned bridges with the power couple



"I think it would be wrong to say that the Clintons would have an enemies list in the Nixonian sense. They do have long memories, but I don't think they have long knives after the people who broke with them," said David Gergen, CNN senior political analyst.


Former Clinton aide Lanny Davis is one such loyal Clinton supporter with a long memory.


"I certainly know that I will never forget ... I can always forgive but I won't forget, as President Kennedy once said," Davis said.


Davis said he's not upset that some former Clinton supporters endorsed Obama. He said he's upset because he thinks they violated what he calls a fundamental rule of life.


"You don't trash publicly somebody who's been good to you. Period. And that is why Bill Richardson is the No. 1 person whose name evokes the most anger in me," he said.


Former Clinton administration official Richardson said he knows the Clintons have been unhappy with him since he endorsed Obama -- and he's not the only one thought to be on the outs.


The New York Times said several Kennedys won't be in good graces, along with some members of the media, like NBC's Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, and Vanity Fair's Todd Purdam, who drew ire from Bill Clinton for his recent profile of the former president.



So what does it mean? Most likely cold shoulders and no favors.


Former Clinton aides said Bill Clinton can't hold a grudge and can forgive and forget. Hillary Clinton, they said, takes it more personally and it could take her longer to forget.

Reader Comments
  
one minor detail
By Liz Jun 12th 2008 at 5:14 pm EDT
whether this all is or is not true

What is true is the that Clinton machine has been stopped. It no longer runs the Democratic Party nor does the DLC
  
Re: Our Party
By DeeDee Obama-Biden 08 Jun 12th 2008 at 5:27 pm EDT
Or they should have waited until all the primary's was over so the people voices were heard first
  
Re: come on
By Barb Jun 12th 2008 at 5:24 pm EDT
I'm with you, PC. We've got plenty of work to do, and this isn't helping anything.
  
Re: Our Party
By Michelle K. Jun 12th 2008 at 7:25 pm EDT
Matty, I couldn't agree with you more!