Don't expect Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton to ever release the transcripts of her paid Wall Street speeches,
The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza writes.
Why? Probably because they'll show her complimenting those very Wall Street types she's currently vilifying in her campaign, Cillizza writes.
"My guess is that in the speeches, Clinton acknowledges her various friends and acquaintances at Goldman Sachs (and other Wall Street firms) and praises them for the work they are doing. 'You guys get a bad rap but …, '" Cillizza said.
While such is "standard-issue small talk," it could look "really, really bad in the context of the campaign," he said. "Imagine a transcript of Clinton speaking to some big bank or investment firm, thanking a litany of people she's 'been friends with forever' and praising the broader enterprise for 'all you do.'"
The campaign of rival Bernie Sanders would use those words to paint her as a hypocrite since she now calls herself a "progressive" fighting against the top 1 percent.
Clinton was asked in Thursday's debate about releasing the transcripts. Moderator Chuck Todd told Clinton there are transcripts and asked whether she would release them.
"I will look into it. I don't know the status, but I will certainly look into it. But I can only repeat what is the fact that I spoke to a lot of different groups with a lot of different constituents, a lot of different kinds of members about issues that had to do with world affairs," Clinton replied.
"'I will look into it' means, of course, no way, no how, not ever," Cillizza said.
Clinton noted in Thursday debate: "I was the one saying you're going to wreck the economy because of these shenanigans with mortgages. I called to end the carried-interest loophole that hedge fund managers enjoy. I proposed changes in CEO compensation."
If transcripts show she either didn't do that – or did something more – hurts her argument, he said.
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