Clinton and Obama Shoot Down Rumors of Convention Disunity

Last updated on August 11th, 2014 at 12:02 am

Clinton advisor Maggie Williams and senior Obama advisor David Axelrod put out a joint statement this morning to refute a Politico story that there is still tension between the two camps.

The basic gist of the story is that Clinton supporters are angry at the topic President Clinton was given for his Wednesday night speech. Clinton wanted to talk about the economy, but he instead was given the topic of national security, while the Obama supporters are upset because they feel like they are bending over backwards for the Clintons.

Williams and Axelrod said in their statement , “We understand that some in the news media are more interested in reporting the rumor of controversy than the fact of unity. The fact is that our teams are working closely to ensure a successful convention and will continue to do so. Senator and President Clinton fully support the Obama/Biden ticket and look forward to addressing the convention and the nation on the urgency of victory this Fall. Anyone saying anything else doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Period.”

To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

Williams and Axelrod are right the Politico story is nothing but rumor. If you read the story closely, it cites its sources as a Clinton backer, a high placed Obama supporter, a long time advisor, or people close to. There is nobody from either campaign quoted in this story. These sources could be anybody, including you and me. Politico does a ton of good work, but this entire story is a rehash of what was proven months ago. The problem isn’t with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. They work together well.

I would even suggest that President Clinton will be a team player. The problem is between is the supporters of Clinton and Obama. After such a bitter, hard fought primary, each side’s most ardent supporters are having a difficult time accepting each other. I wouldn’t exactly call this breaking news or a surprise, but I think that supporters on both sides need to let it go and put it in the past. Supporters on each side want the same basic goal, a Democratic president. If they are going to accomplish this, they need to stop focusing on the primary, and start looking towards November.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association