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Clinton Campaign Chairman Questions Whether Biden Can Catch Up
Organizationally - First Draft. Political News, Now. - The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/09/17/clinton-campaign-chairman-questions-whether-biden-can-catch-up-organizationally/?_r=0

Clinton Campaign Chairman Questions Whether Biden Can Catch Up
Organizationally
10:47 pm ET 10:47 pm ET

Maggie Haberman

Photo
[image: John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign, at
an event in Las Vegas last month.]
John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign, at an
event in Las Vegas last month.Credit Ethan Miller/Getty Images

During a briefing with donors to the “super PAC” backing Hillary Rodham
Clinton, her campaign chairman said their team would not be affected if
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. joined the race, but questioned whether
Mr. Biden could put together an operation in places like Nevada, an
attendee said.

In the meeting with several supporters of Priorities USA, the campaign
chairman John Podesta, when asked how the Clinton team is viewing a
potential campaign by the Vice President, said he spoke with Mr. Biden’s
adviser Steve Ricchetti a day earlier, according to the attendee.

He also said that Mr. Biden may not make a decision about whether to run
until November, although he didn’t indicate whether Mr. Ricchetti had told
him that or if he based it on news accounts that have raised that timeline
as a possibility. Mr. Podesta, who worked in the White House until earlier
this year, has close ties to many officials there, and Mr. Ricchetti was
his deputy when he was chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.

Mr. Podesta suggested that the Clinton campaign has a strong operation in
Nevada, a caucus state just after Iowa and New Hampshire, and he questioned
whether Mr. Biden would be able to build a strong organization at this late
date, the attendee said.

The remarks were made at a hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where Mr. Podesta
briefed donors, or their advisers.

Of the roughly 10 people there, almost everyone has already pledged money
or written a check to the Clinton “super PAC.” Some of those donors may
again be tapped to write checks.

The people in the room had concerns about the current course of the
campaign, people briefed on what happened said, asking for anonymity in
order to describe private conversations.

Aides to Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Biden declined comment.

But Mr. Podesta acknowledged the campaign has had challenges. He also
described the team’s organizational strength in Iowa.

There were few questions about Mrs. Clinton’s email, the attendee said.

Mr. Podesta has just begun giving time to the “super PAC”, which is
attempting to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in a climate in which
Democrats tend to look less favorably on donating to such outside groups.
Some of Mrs. Clinton supporters have also not felt any urgency about
donating, having not perceived the campaign as particularly close until
recently and with the Republican field diffuse and unsettled.


Eric D. Schwerin
eschwerin@rosemontseneca.com

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