Clinton aide met with Warren-aligned liberal group

A Hillary Clinton adviser recently met with the head of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, the liberal issues group most closely affiliated with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, both sides confirmed.

The meeting is the first sign that Clinton’s team is trying to build a bridge with those who are actively supporting Warren, whom many on the left want to see challenge Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016.


MSNBC first reported that the meeting might take place. On Thursday, PCCC co-founder Adam Green confirmed that he had met with a Clinton aide in the past few weeks, but declined to identify the aide or describe what was discussed.

Although Green’s group has been tied to Warren, whose progressive stands have earned her adulation but who insists she’s not running for president, the PCCC has not joined the “Draft Warren” efforts being led by MoveOn.org.

MoveOn, which has a wide membership that began during the Bill Clinton impeachment days and morphed into anti-war activism during George W. Bush’s presidency, has stepped up with a $1 million down payment for the draft effort.

Another group, Ready for Warren, has struggled mightily with fundraising after being disavowed by the Massachusetts senator. The Howard Dean-founded Democracy for America also is spending $250,000 on the draft effort, which had an Iowa kickoff on Wednesday evening.

Although it has stayed out of the draft effort, Green’s group is pushing forward with a focus on Warren’s message of economic populism. Her stances gained new potency last week as she fought against congressional approval of the “cromnibus” bill and a provision that benefited big banks.

“Our unique role is, we’re trying to impact the playing field,” said Green, whose group is working to organize a coalition in New Hampshire to push prospective candidates to campaign on the Warren agenda.

A Clinton spokesman acknowledged the meeting but declined comment and would not provide details.

Clinton, a former secretary of state and former senator, has not commented in-depth about the cromnibus bill. But earlier this week, she gave a very liberal-leaning speech on police relations with the black community.