Are the big-money Dems actively clearing the field of potential nominees for President in '08?
I started asking that question a few weeks ago when Mark Warner abruptly stepped aside. One of my friends who is a top advance man for Democratic candidates said that Warner had a "pussy problem" (pardon my French, but that's a direct quote). Could be... I have no evidence about that either way.
But today as Russ Feingold also suddenly pulled out of the race, another scenario seems more likely: Democratic money men and power brokers are knocking off key contenders early in order to pave the way for their chosen candidate(s).
And there's some telling evidence to that effect... after the jump...
Here's my case in a nutshell:
* Supermarket billionaire Ron Burkle has long been joined at the hip with Bill Clinton, whom he backed to the tune of millions of dollars back in the day. Clinton is now an adviser to Burkle's Yucaipa company.
* On the very same day that Mark Warner announced that he would not seek the Democratic nomination, a group of big money players met at Ron Burkle's Beverly Hills mansion to strategize for Hillary:
It's still three years away but Hollywood is already starting to choose sides for 2008. And two very distinct camps have started to form: those backing Hillary, and those desperately searching for the anti-Hillary.
Hillary is descending on L.A. this week, with a small Democratic strategy session planned for Thursday at Ron Burkle's home with, among other Hollywood players, Haim Saban and Rob Reiner, and a trio of fundraisers Friday and Saturday at the homes of Reiner, Bruce Cohen, and Marta Kauffman.
The devoted Hillary-ites include deep-pocket donors like Saban, Steve Bing, and Alan and Cindy Horn....
This bit of news came from Arianna Huffington, who wrapped it up in a "Al Gore is the anti-Hillary" ribbon, speculating that some of these deep pockets might open for Gore. Maybe, maybe not... what's important to note is the timing: Warner pulled out on the very day of this key meeting of Democratic power brokers.
* Ron Burkle has also gifted Gen. Wesley Clark with a high-profile position at UCLA (The Ronald W. Burkle Center For International Relations). Just check out the website: It's all Clark, all the time. (For the record: I'm a huge Clark supporter. I just have to wonder if there's any kind of influence going on here -- because I really want him to run!)
So there you have it. If you were Ron Burkle, and you already owned one Clinton, wouldn't you want the value of the other Clinton to rise?
That's just speculation, of course, but the evidence is stacking up that someone's trying to shake down the key players in the Democratic Presidential race.
The real question is: Should we let them?