Hillary Clinton’s ‘Hit List’ Included Kerry

New book reveals aides were keeping track of 2008 slights

  • Share
  • Read Later

Aides on Hillary Clinton’s failed 2008 presidential campaign kept a detailed list of Democrats they felt had betrayed her by backing Barack Obama in their long and bitter primary fight, according to a new book.

Then-Sen. John Kerry, who would succeed Clinton as Secretary of State years later, was among the worst offender in the eyes of Clinton aides, according to the book, HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton. Kerry endorsed Obama at a critical moment in the race, after Clinton had recovered from losing the Iowa caucuses to win the New Hampshire primary.

“Almost six years later most Clinton aides can still rattle off the names of traitors and the favors that had been done for them, then provide details of just how each of the guilty had gone on to betray the Clintons—as if it all had happened just a few hours before, write the authors, reporters Jonathan Allen of Politico and Amie Parnes of The Hill. “The data project ensured that the acts of the sinners and saints would never be forgotten.”

The book comes out next month, but excerpts were published Monday by Politico and The Hill.

Other pols on Clinton’s sort-of enemies list included Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), as well as Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Rob Andrews (D-N.J.).

Clinton has said she’ll decide later this year whether to run for president again in 2016.