Monday, February 11, 2008

Trouble in Hillaryland

From the Chicago Tribune's political blog, The Swamp:
Patti Solis Doyle had been living on borrowed time as Clinton's campaign manager following the disastrous showing in Iowa and the rockiness leading up to the New Hampshire primary.

"What happened today would have happened the day after New Hampshire had we lost," one source said, adding that others may soon follow Solis Doyle's departure.

Initially, Clinton's former White House chief of staff, Maggie Williams, was brought in to run the campaign even though Solis Doyle was still there. The result was confusion and awkwardness for the staff, who weren't sure who was really in charge.

But even more problematic was the campaign's money crunch. Over the last seven years, Clinton had raised $175 million for her reelection and her presidential campaign. But Solis Doyle didn't tell Clinton that there was next to no cash on hand until after the New Hampshire primary.

"We were lying about money," a source said. "The cash on hand was nothing."

In turn, Clinton didn't tell Solis Doyle that she was lending her own money to keep the campaign afloat. Solis Doyle found out third-hand. And when she asked Clinton about it, the senator told her she couldn't understand how the campaign had gotten to such a point.

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