The Hill‘s lefty columnist Brent Budowksy may want to learn what Hillary Clinton‘s top aide John Podesta really thinks of him.
Especially before turning himself into such an embarrassing suckup to Podesta.
In the latest WikiLeaks email dump of Podesta emails, Podesta emails longtime Clinton aide Cheryl Mills about Budowsky.
“To you only: Brent Budowksy. Leftie with no following, but clearly Roy sort of agrees with concerns.”
And now, some context:
In a group email from January, 2014 that included Podesta, Mills, Philippe Reines, Jim Kennedy, Minyon Moore, and Judy Trabulsi, Budowsky’s so-called friend, Roy Spence, founder and chairman of Austin’s GSD&M Ad Agency, shares with HRC aides what Budowksy is thinking about publishing in a column.
Spence, a longtime Clinton friend who wrote The 10 Essential Hugs Of Life, considers himself her “Chief Encouragement Officer.”
“Roy-Don’t be surprised if I write a column soon that Hillary is going to blow it, and is repeating her mistakes of 2008, with stories about her ‘shadow campaign’ of consultants milking her for a lot of money, while she gives paid speeches to banks, while she acts like an incumbent, and says virtually nothing important about what Democrats stand for, while the most admired person in the world is the pope for saying the kind of things she should be saying but isn’t about economic fairness. This has got to be the worst pre-campaign in my memory. Imagine running as the candidate for the Democratic nomination as the candidate of banks, consultants and insiders. Unbelievable.”
Reines asked, “Roy, I can’t tell from the chain – who sent you that original e-mailing saying they were about to write a column? It’s awfully belligerent. But if it’s someone serious, we should start by presenting an alternative view.”
Spence replied, “Hey I kept it confidential…he/she is kinda serious writer-but that is not my point…just want to get clear on our collective POV at this stage of the journey.”
Podesta wrote privately to Mills, “To you only: Brent Budowksy. Leftie with no following, but clearly Roy sort of agrees with concerns.”
It’s amazing what happens in a year a half.
In August, 2015, Budowsky wrote an email to Podesta telling him HRC was “picture perfect.”
But he unloaded a whole lot more than that, including that sources told him that Clinton needs a food taster and body armor the next time she visits the White House, alluding to serious problems with President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
Subject: HRC was picture perfect yesterday
On Thursday, August 27, 2015, Budowsky wrote Podesta concerning a column he wrote about why Biden should not run for president.
Warning: There is so much sucking up in this email that it’s almost hard to read without gagging.
“IMO yesterday was a very good day. I am thrilled that on the email issue HRC offered a change of tone towards what I consider the strongest position, and her handling of the Biden issue was picture perfect. Advocates such as myself can take a respectful but harder line, while she took the right respectful but softer line. I would warn that regarding at least some Obama White House staff, when the Clintons next dine at the White House they should bring a food taster and wear body armor that covers their backs with at least some people there. I picked this up from several sources, though I will not write about this. Virtually all the reaction to my Why Biden Shouldn’t Run, and Won’t column was strongly positive except for some mainstream media players who want to gin up a divisive battle. My guess, speculating, is that Biden saw it and probably asked his staff ‘Could he be right that I would be seen as a vulture candidate?'”
Budowsky blathered on to Podesta about an interview he did with The Sunday Times of London, you know, just to assure him he’s in their court.
“I did give an extended interview to The Sunday Times of London who called about my Biden column. The reporter directly asked me about reports he is hearing that some in the White House are working to undermine HRC. I thought about it for a full minute, and then told him that it doesn’t matter to me whether he quotes me or not, but my on-the-record answer was that my take is that many in the WH support HRC, at least some privately do not, and that there are a handful of individuals over there who are preternaturally Machiavellian, preternaturally stupid, and preternaturally indiscreet though IMO this is a minority view of little practical consequence to the campaign.”
Podesta replied, “Thanks. I am sure you are right, although I think most, including at the top are on our side.”
Moral of the story: Budowsky needs better friends.
