Women lawmakers stand tall for Clinton

It was a power display unlike anything seen so far in the 2016 presidential race.

Addressing an audience of donors inside Washington D.C.’s Hyatt Regency hotel, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton had a backdrop about which her rivals Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley can only fantasize.

{mosads}Lined up behind Clinton on the ballroom stage were 13 of the most powerful women in America, all supporting her run for president.

Seated on white leather chairs on the Hyatt stage were Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Barbara Boxer (Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Barbara Mikulski (Md.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), and Mazie Hirono (Hawaii).

Every female Democratic Party senator — with the sole exception of Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) who did not attend as she has yet to endorse a candidate for president — made a speech, one after another, endorsing Clinton at the “Women for Hillary” event.

“They have so much courage and smarts,” said Clinton of the senators after their procession of endorsements.

In a secret 2013 letter these same female senators first urged Clinton to run for president.

Warren signed the letter but has not officially endorsed Clinton. The Massachusetts senator, who made news when she met with Vice President Biden when he was considering running for president, is seen as being able to influence presidential politics by her stances. 

Monday night’s line-up highlights Clinton’s advantage over her chief rival Sanders when it comes to the party establishment in general and women in particular, although Sanders claimed last week that he had more female donors than Clinton.

Women for Hillary is a national network of women volunteers, donors and supporters working to elect Clinton and amplify issues “most important to women and their families,” a campaign aide said.

Heitkamp said it was a “bunch of bull” that the female senators were supporting Clinton simply because she is a woman.

“It’s without a doubt that [Clinton is] the single most qualified by far of any person in this race,” Heitkamp said.

Journalists were allowed into the event — the first time this has happened in a Clinton fundraiser — but were hardly free to roam. When a reporter for The Hill left the media zone at the back of the room to mingle with donors, a campaign worker was quick to shepherd him back into the pen.

The Hyatt ballroom was packed with about 1000 donors, according to the Clinton campaign. It followed a midday fundraiser at the Chevy Chase, Md., home of Devin Talbott, the son of Strobe Talbott who was deputy secretary of state during Bill Clinton’s presidency.

Attendance at the evening fundraiser came in tiered levels, according to the invitation published online by politicalpartytime.org. 

For $250 a Clinton backer attended as a “friend” without benefits; while $1,000 qualified one a “supporter” entitled to a “preferred viewing area”; and $2700 designated one a “champion” and netted a photo with Clinton.

Event co-hosts who raised $10,000 were invited to a post-event dinner with Clinton and the senators, while hosts who raised $27,000 could join the dinner and become members of the Hillstarter program for top Clinton fundraisers.

Hosts included Allida Black, the George Washington University history professor who is reportedly leading a $1 million project to improve Clinton’s ‘relatability’ by interviewing old Clinton friends telling “authentic grassroots stories” about their relationships with the candidate.

Co-hosts included well-known lobbyist Heather Podesta and Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen.

In keeping with the Clinton campaign’s self-professed frugality, donors attending the fundraiser had to buy coupons for $10 cocktails and $8 glasses of wine.