bdmetronews desk ॥ Hillary Clinton says despite what you may have heard, her 2016 presidential campaign won’t be a repeat of 2008.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Clinton dismissed criticism that six-figure speech fees she was paid by big banks like Goldman Sachs following her tenure as secretary of state make her vulnerable to the special interests of Wall Street — a point her rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, has made repeatedly.
“Look, I gave speeches to a wide array of groups, from health care groups to auto dealers and many, many more,” Clinton said. “And I think what they were interested in — because what we talked about was the world, coming off of four years as secretary of state in a complicated world, people were interested in what I saw, what I thought, they asked questions about matters that were on their minds.”
Clinton suggested she was booked by those who wanted to know about her role in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
“[There was] a lot of interest in the bin Laden raid, how such a tough decision was made and what I advised the president,” she said.
“Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd asked Clinton if she thought those institutions like Goldman Sachs that paid her might expect something in return.
“Absolutely not,” Clinton replied. “You know, first of all, I was a senator from New York. I took them on when I was senator. I took on the carried interest loophole. I took on what was happening in the mortgage markets. I was talking about that in 2006. They know exactly where I stand.”
Clinton also insisted she isn’t concerned about the ongoing FBI investigation into her use of a private email server as secretary of state.
“I’m not concerned because I know what the facts are,“ she said. “I never sent or received any material marked classified.”
The Democratic frontrunner doesn’t believe the FBI investigation is a cloud hanging over her candidacy.
“I cannot control what the Republicans leak and what they are contending,” she said. “And I thought it was interesting, Chuck — as a political observer you’ll understand why — you know back a couple of months ago, [House Majority Leader] Kevin McCarthy spilled the beans that the Benghazi investigation was all about bringing me down, something that I suspected, but I went ahead, testified for 11 hours, answered all their questions and even they admitted there was nothing new.”
Clinton also addressed the report that former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg would consider launching an independent presidential bid should she lose the Democratic nomination to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is polling neck and neck with Clinton in Iowa and leading her in New Hampshire.
“The way I read what he said is if I didn’t get the nomination, he might consider it,” Clinton said. “Well, I’m going to relieve him of that and get the nomination so he doesn’t have to.”
And Clinton laughed off the suggestion by some political observers that her 2016 presidential campaign lacks enthusiasm just as it did in 2008, when she lost in the Democratic primary to Barack Obama.
“I can only react to what I’m doing, feeling, getting responses from people,” she said. “I feel really great that we have the level of enthusiasm that we do. And we also have a really good team on the ground that’s been working for months to make sure it’s not here today, gone tomorrow.”
