The company we choose to keep.
In 2008, during the Democratic primaries, Obama was attacked from multiple angles for his friendship with Pastor Jeremiah Wright.
One of the people to say that this relationship mattered, that is, it somehow reflected poorly on Obama was then candidate Hillary Clinton:
"You don't choose your family, but you choose what church you want to attend."
Choices someone makes - so the theory goes - tell you something about the person making them.
Now, if you agree with 2008 Hillary about this, then it might tell us something about 2016 Hillary, if you look at who she has chosen to associate with.
Let's start at the top of her campaign, her campaign chairman - John Podesta:
"John David Podesta (born January 8, 1949) is the Chairman of the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.[2]
Podesta previously served as Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton and Counselor to President Barack Obama.[3] He is the former president and now Chair and Counselor of the Center for American Progress (CAP), a liberal think tank in Washington, D.C., and is also a Visiting Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center. He was a co-chairman of the Obama-Biden Transition Project."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Podesta
Very impressive resume, which kind of buries the lede.
"In 1988, he and his brother Tony co-founded Podesta Associates, Inc., a Washington, D.C., "government relations and public affairs" lobbying firm. Now known as the Podesta Group, the firm "has close ties to the Democratic Party and the Obama administration [and] has been retained by some of the biggest corporations in the country, including Wal-Mart, BP and Lockheed Martin.""
They also represent the country of Saudi Arabia.
Hillary moneyman highlights new Saudi connection
"The Saudi contract with the Podesta Group, owned by veteran Washington lobbyist and Clinton campaign bundler Tony Podesta, calls for the firm to provide “public relations” and other services on behalf of the royal court of King Salman.
It included an initial “project fee” payment of $200,000 last month and unspecified further sums over the course of the next year, according to documents recently filed with the Justice Department Foreign Agents Registration Act office.
The retention comes at a time when the Saudis are being condemned by United Nations officials over reports that their bombings against Houthi strongholds in Yemen’s civil war have resulted in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of innocent civilians, including children."
https://www.yahoo.com/politics/hillary-moneyman-highlights-new-saudi-connection-194828485.html
The Podesta Group is one of the biggest Lobbying firms in DC. John Podesta's brother Tony, who is called a "super lobbyist". He is basically an influence peddler. Tony "has repeatedly been named one of Washington's most powerful lobbyists and fundraisers." And of course John, who still co-owns the firm, makes a lot of money off of it's ability to get clients what they want.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Podesta
Again, it's clients include weapons manufacturers, big pharma and Saudi Arabia.
How does a lobbying firm manage to get a co-owner in the White House over and over (and if Hillary is elected, over) again?
It may have something to do with the fact that the Democratic Party gets a lot... wait I mean a LOT... of money from the Podestas:
The reports disclose that Podesta had raised $140,175 for the Clinton campaign through Sept. 30. Two weeks ago, just days after filing its Saudi contract with the Justice Department, Podesta held a Clinton campaign fundraiser at his home that offered fine Italian food cooked by five gourmet chefs, including himself and his brother, the campaign chairman.
The Podesta Group point man on the Saudi account is David Adams, who previously served as assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs in 2011 and 2012, making him Clinton’s chief Capitol Hill lobbyist for her last two years as secretary of state, according to Justice Department filings reviewed by Yahoo News.
That's all very cosy.
Now, if you believe 2008 Hillary, we should be looking at these choices and drawing inferences about her character.
I wonder what 2016 Hillary would say.