They say past is prologue and last week we learned that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) will, when given the chance, sell out her convictions for the purpose of political convenience. It’s the same reason Hillary Clinton gave for setting up her secret server.
When asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper if the DNC was in fact rigged against Bernie Sanders she replied, “Yes.” Sadly for Warren, Hillary was able to “bleachbit” her server but Warren cannot do the same to her public statements.
{mosads}Warren’s brand has been built on her perceived willingness to stand up to the powerful, deep pocketed, and corrupt special interests — the so-called “riggers” — on behalf of the forgotten men and women of America.
In Hillary Clinton, Warren had the perfect avatar for the societal scourge she claims she’s dedicated her life to defeating. Few people are lucky enough to have an opportunity to act on their core values and become a true champion for their professed principles.
Sadly, that apparently includes Elizabeth Warren.
Warren blinked once when she finally endorsed “Crooked Hillary” over her ideological comrade Bernie Sanders. Now, she apparently agrees with Donna Brazile and, oddly, President Trump that the DNC was in fact “rigged” against Bernie. What’s more, Warren fails to be properly outraged and she appears unwilling or unable to do anything about it beside sweep it under the rug.
On Fox News Sunday, Karl Rove said, “This was rigged. I got to tell you, it is jaw-droppingly amazing that in the fall of 2015, the Democratic National Committee signs this agreement… This was a document that surrendered lock, stock and barrel control of the Democratic National Committee to Robby Mook and the Clinton campaign hierarchy in Brooklyn. It’s just astonishing.”
What’s not astonishing is that the Clintons would cut corners in their quest to consolidate power — the riggers always hold themselves above the law. This has always been another shameful open secret of Bill and Hillary, Democrats, and other Clinton cronies.
Elizabeth Warren knowingly endorsed Hillary Clinton. The same Hillary Clinton who the Senator once said, “could not afford such a principled position” because “campaigns cost money,” in describing then-Senator Hillary Clinton’s decision to switch her vote on bankruptcy legislation.
Campaigns do cost money and that’s exactly why Elizabeth Warren keeps trying to have it both ways. It’s also why she’s refusing to take a stand against, or even forcefully call out, Clinton’s hostile and potentially illegal takeover of the DNC.
It’s not hard to see what Warren is up to. She wants money from the Clinton crew and the Bernie Bros for when she makes her own presidential run in 2020. Once again, her principals become collateral damage for the sake of political convenience.
It’s always tough taking on special interests. Elizabeth Warren had the chance to take on the biggest special interest in Democratic politics, the Clintons, but chose to be co-opted and complicit in the rigging of her party’s primary instead of challenging their corruption head on.
What do Democrats do when they’re in trouble these days? They deflect and run for the cheap applause lines about President Trump.
Elizabeth Warren tried such a pivot by tweeting, “The DNC shouldn’t play favorites. But that’s a whole lot different from illegally conspiring with Russia. The FBI knows the difference.”
The public now knows the DNC and Clinton campaign had a role in paying for the dirty Trump Dossier. They paid Fusion GPS who hired dossier author Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer, who used information gathered by Russians in the course of his work. Can you connect those dots, Senator? Does that collusion bother you? Aren’t you “outraged?”
History will show that the answer will be no. It’s easy for Warren to speak about her principals from the safe spaces of Senate committee rooms and on her twitter feed. We’ve seen that she shrinks when truly tested — statements become broken promises and she becomes whatever is politically beneficial at any given moment.
As she begins her reelection to the Senate in 2018, clearly positioning herself for the 2020 presidential election, voters have to ask themselves an important question; what did they do when they had the chance to prevent Elizabeth Warren from becoming the appropriator-in-chief? I hope that unlike Warren, they aren’t afraid to take a stand.
Patrick Griffin is the founding partner and CEO of Merrimack Potomac + Charles. He has served as a media consultant and Republican campaign strategist for four presidential campaigns including Presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, former Secretary of Education and current U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.