Subject: Re: Idea on q and a/statement
From: Craig Minassian <[email-masked]>
To: Nick Merrill <[email-masked]>
Cc: Huma Abedin Contact <[email-masked]>, Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]>, John Podesta <[email-masked]>, Cheryl Mills Contact <[email-masked]>, Phillippe Reines Contact <[email-masked]>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>, Jim Margolis <[email-masked]>, Kristina Schake <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2015 05:43:06 +0000

Larry was open to CVC so I have to double check how we ended up with just WJC but he'll do whatever we want, especially this idea.

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 7, 2015, at 12:30 AM, Nick Merrill <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

+ Craig

On Mar 6, 2015, at 10:53 PM, Huma Abedin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

I like the idea except i thought the Wilmore deal only happened if we gave him a 1 on 1 with WJC. Thats the big close where wjc does selma. Cvc wasn't supposed to be there so that must have just changed.

On Mar 6, 2015, at 9:11 PM, "Nick Merrill" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

I called Craig this evening to give a general download on where we were and get an update about what's going on in Foundation-land.  We got to talking about the day tomorrow and he mentioned that President Clinton and Chelsea are doing an onstage panel with Larry Wilmore (Colbert's replacement on Comedy Central) during the closing plenary tomorrow evening.  HRC is not slated to join, but maybe she should.

Wilmore could sit down with WJC and Chelsea and say something like "Thanks for having me here, it's a pleasure.  And I should tell you, I just emailed HRC (I hear she's a big emailer), and asked if she'd join as well.  (Laughter)."  Then cue HRC walking onstage to applause.  She could sit down, take advantage of the light-hearted environment to make things serious for a moment, and give a version of the statement, maybe with a follow-up or two, and then they would have the rest of the conversation.

It would be just light-hearted enough while giving her the opportunity to address this seriously, be a little conciliatory as discussed, and then get back to a discussion about CGI etc.

Goal would be to cauterize this just enough so it plays out over the weekend and dies in the short term.

Jen and I just discussed, and she was open to it, so I'll let her weigh in, but one of the things she suggested was that if we do this we employ the letter-to-State idea below as well earlier in the day, so in addition to getting the human side of HRC for the cameras, we'd have a set-the-record-straight piece to this that closes off that avenue of attack as well.

It might be crazy, but it might also be the one-two punch we need right now.

Thoughts welcome.

Nick

From: Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Date: Friday, March 6, 2015 at 7:37 PM
To: NSM <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Cc: John Podesta <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Cheryl Mills <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Philippe Reines <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Huma Abedin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Jim Margolis <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Kristina Schake <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Subject: Idea on q and a/statement

For folks to mull overnight, we could have statement/q and a take the form of a letter to the State Department (either from HRC to Kerry or maybe Cheryl to Finer) that would memorialize the process going forward and give us a venue to explain ourselves and provide q and a in less forced setting.

Sent from my iPad

On Mar 6, 2015, at 3:02 PM, Nick Merrill <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

+ Jim

From: NSM <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Date: Friday, March 6, 2015 at 2:48 PM
To: John Podesta <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Cheryl Mills <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Philippe Reines <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Huma Abedin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Subject: DRAFT: HRC Email Statement

As discussed, attached here.
<2015-03-06 Draft - rev2.docx>