David Axelrod, former adviser to President Obama, took a quick pot shot at Hillary Clinton, saying that when he thinks of the “Ready for Hillary” mantra that’s been making waves on the White House fundraising trail, he thinks — ready for what exactly?
“What happened in 2008 was that Hillary’s candidacy got out in front of any rationale for it, and the danger is that that’s happening again,” he said, on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC. “You hear ’Ready for Hillary’; it’s like, ready for what?”
Mr. Axelrod said Mrs. Clinton ought to be using the time before she announces her candidacy to decide exactly what it is she seeks to accomplish as a White House candidate and presidential hopeful.
“Now Hillary’s task is to define what it is that she’s running for and running about,” Mr. Axelrod said, The Hill reported. “And what would the future look like under another President Clinton — and I suspect that’s what she’s taking her time working through now, but she has to answer that question.”
Mr. Axelrod’s comments come on the heels of pressure by progressives for Sen. Elizabeth Warren to run.
And of a Warren run, Mr. Axelrod said: “My suspicion is that what she’s doing is trying to influence how Hillary frames her candidacy and the issues she focuses on. I think Elizabeth is very sincere about her concerns about what’s happening in the American economy and Hillary hasn’t yet said what exactly her program will be, what she’s running on. I think Elizabeth knows she’s got maximum leverage by still being in the conversation,” The Hill reported.
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• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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