The formal organs of the Democratic Party – the DNC (Democratic National Committee) and DNCC (Democratic National Campaign Committee – are in terrible financial shape. And yet a group founded and controlled by Hillary Clinton to co-opt the “resistance” movement is shaking them down for big money, just as they are failing to meet their commitments to fund state party organizations for the 2018 midterms.

The cash-strapped Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) have combined to pay Hillary Clinton's "resistance" group nearly $900,000 for list acquisitions, Federal Election Commission filings show. The DNC, which is in the midst of facing financial hardships, conjured up $300,000 on Jan. 8 to pay Onward Together, Clinton's group, for "list acquisition," according to the FEC filings. The payment was made to Clinton's organization as state Democratic parties were waiting on $10 million in funding for rebuilding efforts that was initially promised last July. (snip) The DCCC also paid hundreds of thousands to Clinton's "resistance" group for "generic committee list rental" between mid-December and late January.

The Clinton-controlled “resistance group” in question is called “Onward Together,” and was announced with fanfare last May. At that time:

Clinton describe[d] the group as “an organization dedicated to advancing the progressive vision that earned nearly 66 million votes in the last election. Onward Together will work to build a brighter future for generations to come by supporting groups that encourage people to organize and run for office.”

Progressive, but not subject to the rules, procedures, and openness to all that characterize Democratic Party groups. What with other upstarts making noise about running for the party’s nomination in 2020, if Hillary decides she wants to once again run, a cash-starved Democratic Party is in her interest, especially if that cash is in the hands of her own group, or groups that are under her financial thumb. Impoverishing a group that can be taken over by enthusiastic supporters of another Democrat candidate (the way Bernie almost dethroned her in 2016) actually works in her personal political favor, even if it screws other Dems. That’s the Clinton way.

Onward together is using some of the funds it squeezed out of the party to bestow in other “resistance” group, and last month had already handed out over a million dollars to Color of Change and Swing Left. In the way of politics, financial ties like this bring control. Hillary knows that the center of gravity of the Democrats is moving far left, and she wants to buy influence there. Money and clout are her instruments, and just as they enabled her to torpedo Bernie Sanders’s candidacy, she hopes they will help her defeat other challengers from the left.

All of this does not bode well for Democrat candidates hoping to take control of the House and Senate in the midterms. Does anyone think that this concerns Hillary? Does anyone think she wants to see a Democrat-controlled House impeach President Trump? She knows first hand how an impeachment effort can be turned against the impeachers. Does anyone think that she wants to hand Elizabeth Warren (for example) a soap box as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee?

Hillary’s private interest is in being able to run against “four years of Republican-controlled government” and no strong progressive figures emerging from the congressional wing of the party as committee chairs.

This is the way the Clintons have always worked, putting their private interests above those of any collective group, from the Democratic Party to the people of the United States of America.

Hat tip: Ed Lasky