After exposing how the Hillary Clinton campaign bought out the Democratic National Committee for her own gain at the expense of a fair election, former interim DNC Chair Donna Brazile appeared on ABC’s This Week with Clinton lackey George Stephanopoulos. While at times Stephanopoulos was cordial, he often hit his guest with Clinton talking points. “But do you think this helps for the book to come out,” he seriously asked at one point.
The very first thing Stephanopoulos wanted to know about Brazile’s claims against the Clinton campaign was whether or not she actually had the power to replace her ticket. “Let’s get some facts on the table first. As DNC chair, you didn't have the power on your own to replace Hillary on the ticket” he stated. “No, But as you well know the charter and the convention rules say that the chairperson, shall, in consultation with the leadership in Congress and others,” she responded while also noting she approved of Clinton as the nominee.
Stephanopoulos read to Brazile from an open letter published and signed by roughly 100 members of Clinton’s campaign team condemning her accusations: “It is particularly troubling and puzzling that she would seemingly buy into false Russian-fueled propaganda, spread by both the Russians and our opponent, about our candidate’s health.”
According to Brazile, her concerns for Clinton’s health after she fainted at a 9/11 event weren’t secret and she apparently shared them with Clinton staffer Charlie Baker (and not the Republican Governor from Massachusetts).
“From the sound of it, it sounds like you had a pretty dysfunctional relationship with the high command in Hillary's campaign,” Stephanopoulos noted with a tinge of condescension. And although she was grateful the Clinton campaign bailed out the DNC of its debt, Brazile unleashed:
Oh, George, let me tell you something. I could not control the purse string of the Democratic Party. And I had to figure out what was going on within the party that the chair of the party, remember, I wasn't just the chair. I'm also a vice chair. I was an officer for eight years. Eight years under President Obama. I knew what was going on within the party. I become chair, and I'm trying to write a check for something, I raised the money, and now they're like: “You have to get signed off from Brooklyn.” I said: “Brooklyn?” This wasn't a standard joint fundraising agreement. They had a separate memorandum of understanding.
“I have gotten e-mails from Democrats, passionate Democrats who say they feel betrayed by all this,” Stephanopoulos said. “But do you think this helps for the book to come out?” A fiery Brazile struck back saying: “You know what I tell them, go to hell! I’m going to tell my story!” She then knocked the Clinton campaign for micromanaging the DNC while never actually coming by to coordinate with them. “They told us to shut up and basically let them win the election.”
The longtime Clinton lackey continued to defend his patron and pushed claims Sanders had a similar offer. “But I have seen the e-mail traffic and it appears from at least one e-mail that the Sanders campaign was offered the exact same term. They could offer an agreement of their own if they raised more money. They chose not to,” he asserted.
Brazile schooled Stephanopoulos on his Clinton-esque claims. “When I found out, the reason the chair of the party, the chair of the Democratic National Committee could not spend the funds, I found the agreement myself. This is the agreement they put out. This is the agreement I found,” she said while holding up the physical documents. She clarified that Sanders was offered a joint fundraising account which he agreed to, but let the DNC control the funds unlike Clinton who controlled the whole DNC.
Interestingly enough, while Stephanopoulos was trying to protect his precious Hillary Clinton, NBC’s Chuck Todd was on Sunday Today saying Brazile’s book could be an attempt to finally push the Clinton wing out of the party.
Transcript below:
ABC
This Week
November 5, 2017
9:03:15 AM EasternGEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Let’s get some facts on the table first. As DNC chair, you didn't have the power on your own to replace Hillary on the ticket?
DONNA BRAZILE: No, But as you well know the charter and the convention rules say that the chairperson, shall, in consultation with the leadership in Congress and others. And so, I had to put it on the table George because I was under tremendous pressure after Secretary Clinton fainted to have a quote-unquote “plan B." I didn't want a “plan B." “Plan A" was great for me. I supported Hillary and I wanted her to win, but we were under pressure.
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS: As you can imagine, there's been quite a reaction to this, including this open letter from the Hillary for America 2016 team signed by about 100 people. They say they are shocked to learn that you were considering this. And they go on to say: “It is particularly troubling and puzzling that she would seemingly buy into false Russian-fueled propaganda, spread by both the Russians and our opponent, about our candidate’s health.”
BRAZILE: Well George, like I said, I talked with Charlie Baker.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Did you mention this to him?
BRAZILE: I kept my own counsel. I’m the chair of the party, George. And I decided I wanted to be upfront with someone inside the campaign. (…) But let me address what my former colleagues-- I wasn't a staff person. I didn’t work for the Hillary Clinton campaign. I was not on their daily strategy calls. I had nothing to do with their data analytics. I was the chair of Democratic National Committee. I was concerned about the entire party. Not just the presidential.
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS: From the sound of it, it sounds like you had a pretty dysfunctional relationship with the high command in Hillary's campaign. You even talk about telling them at some point: “I'm not Patsy the slave?”
BRAZILE: Oh, George, let me tell you something. I could not control the purse string of the Democratic Party. And I had to figure out what was going on within the party that the chair of the party, remember, I wasn't just the chair. I'm also a vice chair. I was an officer for eight years. Eight years under President Obama. I knew what was going on within the party. I become chair, and I'm trying to write a check for something, I raised the money, and now they're like: “You have to get signed off from Brooklyn.” I said: “Brooklyn?”
This wasn't a standard joint fundraising agreement. They had a separate memorandum of understanding. And I had to break it. But in order to break it, I would cause a great commotion. So yeah, I'm not Patsy the slave because I got sick and tired of people trying to tell me how to spend money when all I was trying to do-- I wasn't getting a salary. I was basically volunteering my time. And what I was trying to do, George was to increase the level of enthusiasm and passion for Hillary Clinton and the rest of the ticket all across the country.
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS: It’s not just the Clinton campaign, there's traffic on Twitter right now. I have gotten e-mails from democrats, passionate Democrats who say they feel betrayed by all this. Any regrets?
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS: But do you think this helps for the book to come out?
BRAZILE: Well, George, I mean, this is a lesson of 2016. If I released it next year, they would say: “Donna, you're impacting our 2018.” If I released the following: “Donna, you're impacting--” George, for those who are telling me to shut up, they told Hillary that a couple of months ago. You know what I tell them, go to hell! I’m going to tell my story!
(…)
They don't know what it's like because they're -- the high command of Brooklyn. The people making the decisions, even for the DNC, they didn't come and work with us. They told us to shut up and basically let them win the election. And when we tried to intervene, we had to spend money we raised to try to help them win. And that was my job as chair of the party.
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS: But I have seen the e-mail traffic and it appears from at least one e-mail that the Sanders campaign was offered the exact same term. They could offer an agreement of their own if they raised more money. They chose not to.
BRAZILE: The Sanders campaign set up a joint fund-raising as well, but they chose not to put money in it. But they also chose to allow the DNC to control what little funds they did put in it. This was a separate. What this was was an additional memorandum.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But they were offered the same thing.
(…)
BRAZILE: George, when I went, when I found out, the reason the chair of the party, the chair of the Democratic National Committee could not spend the funds, I found the agreement myself. This is the agreement they put out. This is the agreement I found. And what I tried to do, George, was to work within the parameters of this agreement so that I could to hire staff, so that I could spend money-- money that we raised, and so that I could help Hillary and Tim Kaine and all the other Democrats win. As for any agreements or side agreements with Senator Sanders. I’ve never seen that before, George.
(…)
