Subject: HRC
From: Brent Budowsky <[email-masked]>
To: John Podesta <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2015 17:04:11 -0400

John, I would (strongly) suggest HRC be far more forceful offering a reform agenda ASAP,
including saying that before any fast track trade legislation is passed major information
should be declassified and the public should be informed, as lobbyists are now.  Not take
a position on the agreement itself but definitely take a position on disclosure before fast
track.

I have been vigorously criticizing the Shweizer book, but I absolutely believe the Clintons
have a money problem, and they are not fully aware of the danger of this.  The problem is
not that she is "caught" doing anything unethical or illegal, but that a) Republican Congressional
hearings will widen and a long term perjury trap and endless cycles of news stories, and
b) at some point the public may not want to spend the next 18 months and then 4 years
talking about Clinton issues and may simply want to move on.

The net net of everything HRC has done since leaving the State Department is that her trust
numbers have fallen dramatically.  Frankly it is inexcusable that all foreign donations were
stopped months ago and that some continue today.  Except for her Citizens United position
that I publicly and loudly applauded, she has said virtually nothing of consequence and
inspiration for two years which has created a gigantic news void that has been filled by stories about her tactics, her money, her consultants and her maneuvers and on current course I see  
nothing that will change that.

She needs to be bold, pro-active and reformist and make hard decisions on matters such as
ending ALL foreign donations to the foundation NOW, forcefully and clearly offering reformist
ideas, and not play a four corner offense stalling and avoiding bold positions thinking her
position is safe----which I believe it is not.

My worst concern is that I do not believe the Clintons are in sync with the public mood on
why her trust numbers have fallen so dramatically.

The views I express here represent the overwhelming majority of private views of Democrats
I know but I am not convinced they have expressed this to her, as directly as I am expressing
this here......

Sent from my iPad