"I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that he does not endorse Hillary Clinton."

The Mudcat lobby: Stop Hillary



Edwards advisor Mudcat Saunders, tribune of the working-class rural white guy, on MSNBC not long ago:

I can't speak for John. I can say this that, you know, being a southerner, being a rural American who's been completely devastated by the trade policies of the Clintons, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that he does not endorse Hillary Clinton.

He says it's about NAFTA, and the 22nd Amendment. Full transcript after the jump.

Norah O'Donnell: Clearly, both Clinton and Obama are courting Edwards'
endorsement. Mudcat, who do you think it's more likely he would
endorse?

Mudcat Saunders: Well, you know, you'd have to ask John that. I got
off the phone with him this morning and, heck, I talked to him longer
than usual. I think today John is really interested in making sure
that his staff is okay because, you know, there are a lot of
passionate people on this staff. But, you know, I can't speak for
John. I can say this that, you know, being a southerner, being a rural
American who's been completely devastated by the trade policies of the
Clintons, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that he
does not endorse Hillary Clinton.

Norah: And why is that? That you're going to do everything in your
power to make sure that John Edwards does not endorse Hillary Clinton?

Mudcat: Well, because I believe in the 22nd amendment to the
constitution and I think that this thing is in violation of it.

Norah: Mean having -

Mudcat: Like I said, that when I'm traveling now up through north
Georgia, passing towns and be going through South Carolina and turn
over into the Appalachians and everything looks like, you know,
Sherman went through it but didn't burn thing, I think there is
accountability involved there. For Hillary Clinton to continue to talk
about the unintended consequences of NAFTA -- they weren't unintended,
they were unconsidered. You know, we all heard about the giant sucking
sound when they first started talking about this. I just don't think
the Clintons have been a friend of my people out in rural America.

Thanks.

They SELL their endorsements in case you haven't noticed.

Another poster in this thread said she saw it live on tv.

There's another thread around here where several others reported the same thing.

He did say it.

work this stuff out behind the scenes, but don't make it public. This is bad for the party.

Bad for Hillary is not the same as bad for the party.

anything bad about HRC is akin to supporting the terrorists to her supporters and surrogates-been there-done that

but I wish this happened behind closed doors and not in public. I think that anything negative towards democratic candidates in general hurts us.

obviously. It doesn't hurt "us," it hurts Hillary and helps Obama.

instead of taking down Clinton. I understand what he's trying to do, but there is a different way about doing it. I'm an Obama supporter by the way.

Mudcat needs a new job.

To me it is arrogant for him to be speaking out in public about how he intends to lobby his own boss. I don't care WHAT he says in private to Edwards - in fact as someone involved in the political process for what I assume to be the right reasons, he has an obligation to tell Edwardss exactly what he thinks and why.

This though is different. Mudcat is an employee of John Edwards but he is acting like he was outside of the Edwards campaign attempting to pressure Edwards into supporting his own way of thinking. It IS fine for people who are NOT part of the Edwards campaign to lobby Edwards. But for his employee to go to the public airwaves to make a case why Edwards would be wrong to make a certain choice is unseemly at the least. I am not talking about the arguments Mudcat is making, just him going public with it when Edwards himself has not indicated what choice he will make and why. I would feel the same if Mudcat were arguing againt Obama here.

Now what happens if by some chance Edwards decides to endorse Hillary? That would mean that Mudcat already threw public mud on Edwards for making the wrong choice. That is certainly not showing loyalty to John Edwards.

Can you imagine if a big Clinton person had said this?

like they've been doing all along?

good grief.

we have a joker here who sincerely believes the 22nd amendment prevents her from holding office.

out the poor and middle class. FINALLY someone who tells it like it is.

So the Clintons pushed through NAFTA. Were they too stupid or just too callous? Either way, they are unfit to lead this country. The same could be asked about her war vote.