Clinton adviser plays down hit list

A longtime adviser to Hillary Clinton played down the importance of a list drawn up by campaign aides that noted the lawmakers and superdelegates who staffers believed had betrayed the former presidential candidate during the 2008 Democratic primary.

{mosads}Among those named on the list, and earning the most negative rating from Clinton loyalists under a points system they devised, were Secretary of State John Kerry, the late Edward Kennedy, and a number of other prominent Democrats including Sens. Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Jay Rockefeller (W.Va), Bob Casey (Pa.) and Patrick Leahy (Vt.), and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.).

Responding to revelations about the existence of the list in the forthcoming book HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton by The Hill’s Amie Parnes and Politico’s Jonathan Allen, the adviser sought to pour cold water on the notion that Clinton aides ever circulated it or relied upon it.

The list, sources tell the authors, was sent to Doug Band, who at the time served as aide de camp to former President Bill Clinton.

“I’m sure Doug does have some sort of fucking memo on his Blackberry like the rest of us,” the adviser said in the book, “but the notion that it is updated, circulated, disseminated, and relied upon is absurd.” The book is set to be released on Feb. 11.

It will focus on Clinton’s resurrection of her political career following her stunning defeat, detailing her relationship with President Obama and how she rebuilt her brand.

Read more from The Hill:

Hillary’s hit list

Kerry, Kennedy top Clinton’s traitor list

Sen. McCaskill didn’t want to be in same elevator with Hillary Clinton