Politico: John Podesta Favored to Head Hillary Clinton Campaign

If Hillary Clinton decides to launch a campaign for the presidency, White House adviser John Podesta appears to be the favorite to lead her effort, Politico reports.

Speculation has been rampant since Podesta, a longtime confidante of Bill and Hillary Clinton, was seen at a July 28 meeting of individuals who have been discussing staffing for a potential 2016 presidential run.

The meeting took place at the M Street headquarters of Messina Group, a Democratic strategies firm.

"In more than 20 interviews, Podesta was mentioned repeatedly as the person most likely to take on the role of campaign chairman — or chief executive officer or another top role, depending on how a potential campaign would be structured — if Clinton runs in 2016. The interest in Podesta is a reflection of both Clintons’ comfort and familiarity with him, but also of his standing among progressive voters with whom Clinton has had a sometimes strained relationship," Politico reported.

Sources close to the Clinton camp confirmed that recruiting Podesta has been discussed.
Podesta accompanied Hillary Clinton to Las Vegas, where she delivered a speech Sept. 4 to an audience at the seventh Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas. Podesta conducted the question-and-answer session after her remarks.

While it was her first appearance at the event, former President Bill Clinton spoke at the first summit in 2008, and Podesta, who served as the former president's chief of staff, has been a frequent attendee, reports The Las Vegas Sun.

Podesta is the founder of the Center for American Progress, a Washington-based think tank, which is one of several policy consulting groups currently advising the Obama administration on strategy concerning handling the violent insurgency of the Islamic State, reports The Daily Beast.

The think tank's June report argued for a more aggressive posture toward the group formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), one which is more in line with Hillary Clinton's approach. It said the United States "should prepare for limited use of U.S.— and if possible allied — air power on ISIS targets to degrade their ability to further destabilize the country, which may require prepositioning of some additional military assets in the region, including armed drones and personnel to advise the Iraqi government."

Politico notes the absence of front-runners for other positions, including individuals to manage polling, ads, or communications.

Related Stories:

• John Podesta Answers Questions About Hillary, Guantanamo
• John Podesta's Think Tank: Prepare to Bomb Iraqi Insurgents