After years as the former secretary of state’s loyal assistant, Huma Abedin is emerging as a campa [View all]

[riversedge]

Interesting article. Have to admit, I was hesitant about opening the link after reading the headline--but



Hillary's shadow

After years as the former secretary of state’s loyal assistant, Huma Abedin is emerging as a campaign power center of her own.

By Annie Karni

7/2/15 5:34 AM EDT


.....When she is on the trail, Abedin has taken on an expansive set of duties. On trips to South Carolina, for instance, which Clinton visited last week to attend the funeral of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Abedin has held two private meetings with South Carolina state legislators on her boss’s behalf.

When Clinton got stuck in traffic on her way to a meeting with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio — who since the meeting has refused to endorse her campaign — Abedin met with him one-on-one for 45 minutes before Clinton eventually appeared.

It marks a transformative shift for Abedin, from loyal assistant, more often seen than heard, to campaign power center of her own. “For all intents and purposes, she’s No. 3 on the campaign, after [campaign chairman John] Podesta and [campaign manager Robby] Mook,” explained a Clinton campaign aide.

Her elevation comes as longtime top Clinton aides like Cheryl Mills, Maggie Williams and Philippe Reines have receded in influence and are not functioning as part of the current campaign’s inner circle. Instead, Abedin has been elevated to the most senior member of Clinton’s old guard, and the person filling a role Clinton has always valued: the strong, trusted, female adviser.

Clinton and Abedin, according to top officials who worked with them at the State Department, also share a visible bond that comes from having spent the majority of the past two decades side by side.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/hillary-clinton-2016-campaign-huma-abedin-119671.html#ixzz3eqL6sTGB