(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The former Democratic Party chief seriously considered replacing Hillary Clinton with then US vice president Joe Biden as the party's White House candidate after Clinton fell ill at a public event, according to excerpts from a new memoir published on Saturday.
Donna Brazile also wrote that Clinton's campaign was badly mismanaged, 'anemic and had taken on 'the odor of failure. She likened the campaign's New York headquarters to a hospital ward where 'someone had died.
The Washington Post published the searing details after obtaining an advance copy of Brazile's book, which will be released on Tuesday.
Brazile, 57, is a longtime Democratic strategist who served as the Democratic National Committee's interim chairwoman during key months of last year's presidential campaign.
Explosive revelations from Brazile earlier in the week, published by Politico, said Clinton's team essentially took over day-to-day operations of the DNC, in essence rigging the system against Senator Bernie Sanders, who was challenging Clinton for the party's nomination.
Her allegations have convulsed the party as it struggles to rebuild, and whipped up accusations of cheating from President Donald Trump.
Brazile wrote that there were secret deliberations to use her power as party chief and begin the process of removing Clinton and running mate Senator Tim Kaine from the ticket, and replacing them with vice president Joe Biden and Senator Cory Booker.
Brazile thought they held the most appeal to working class voters and could defeat Trump. This was in the aftermath of Clinton's collapse at a September 11 memorial event in New York that was captured on amateur video that quickly went viral.
But Brazile never carried out the plan. 'I thought of Hillary, and all the women in the country who were so proud of and excited about her. I could not do this to them, she wrote.
As for Clinton's campaign, it was poorly run and overconfident, taking minority votes for granted and putting out 'stiff and 'stupid messages, Brazile said.
She charged that the DNC was sidelined during the campaign, with Clinton's team controlling party finances and strategy.
Brazile wrote of fights with Clinton's top lieutenants, including one conference call where she complained of being treated like a 'slave.
'I'm not Patsey the slave, Brazile, who is black, recalled saying. 'Y'all keep whipping me and whipping me and you never give me any money or any way to do my damn job. I am not going to be your whipping girl!
Clinton has not responded to Brazile's accusations.
The head of the Democratic National Committee has vowed to ensure all candidates have an equal chance to win the Democratic presidential nomination after a former party chair accused the committee of rigging the process to aid Hillary Clinton in 2016.
DNC Chairman Tom Perez said in a statement the 2020 nominating process would be 'unquestionably fair and transparent.
Perez made his comments after former DNC Chairwoman Donna Brazile said in an opinion piece in Politico earlier this week that the nomination process had been 'rigged in Clinton's favour after she signed a fundraising agreement with the DNC in 2015.
Clinton, a former US senator and first lady, beat Senator Bernie Sanders for the nomination but lost the election to Republican Donald Trump in November 2016.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, told CNN this week that Perez needed to assure Democrats, including supporters of Sanders, that the process was fair and she agreed that the 2016 nominating process was 'rigged.
Perez said he is 'more committed than ever before to restoring voters' faith in our democratic process because even the perception of impartiality or an unfair advantage undermines our ability to win. That is unacceptable.
Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver told CNN this week he thought the debate schedule was 'rigged.
Perez said the party will 'decide the debate schedule in advance, instead of negotiating it after all our candidates have entered the race and 'any and all joint fundraising agreements will be transparent.
Leaked emails in 2016 suggested the party had actively favoured Clinton over Sanders.
Former Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook on Friday denied the nomination had been rigged in Clinton's favour.
'Hillary Clinton won this primary with almost 4mn votes, Mook told CNN. 'The idea that the DNC could rig a contest frankly is laughable.
Brazile replaced former DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz last year after a furore over the contents of leaked e-mails.
In a soon-to-be published book, Brazile recounts deliberations whether to initiate the process of removing Clinton.
DNC rules give the party's chair the ability to call a special meeting to consider replacing a nominee in the event of the death, resignation or disability after a candidate has officially been nominated, but only the full DNC has the power to fill vacancies.
Brazile's book Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns that Put Donald Trump in the White House, is to be released tomorrow by Hachette Books.
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