Halperin: Speaking Fees Question Clinton’s ‘Weakest Moment’ at the Dem Forum

BRZEZINSKI: “So Clinton was also forced to react to Sanders’ criticism of the large speaking fees she’s received over the years. And here’s how she responded to the question about being paid $675,000 by Goldman Sachs for three speeches.”
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CLINTON: “Look. I made speeches to lots of groups. I told them what I thought. I answered questions.”
COOPER: “But did you have to be paid $675,000?”
CLINTON: “Well, I don’t know. That’s what they offered, so — (Laughter) — you know every secretary of state that I know has done that.”
COOPER: “But [indecipherable] for office, they’re not running for an office again.” [crosstalk]
CLINTON: “Well, I didn’t know —“
COOPER: “You must have known.”
CLINTON: “To be honest I wasn’t — I wasn’t committed to running. I didn’t know whether I would or not.”
COOPER: “You didn’t think you were going to run for president again?”
CLINTON: “I didn’t. You know when I was secretary of state several times I said, you know I think I’m done. And you know, so many people came to me, started talking to me. The circumstances, the concerns I had about the Republicans taking back the White House, because I think they wrecked what we achieved in the 1990s.(...) But you know anybody — anybody who knows me who thinks that they can influence me — name anything they’ve influenced me on. Just name one thing.”
(...)
COOPER: “So, just to be clear, that’s not something you regret? Those three speeches? That money?”
CLINTON: “No, I don’t, because, you know, I don’t feel that I paid any price for it and I am very clear about what I will do and they’re on notice.”
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SCARBOROUGH: “Well, I just don’t know where to begin, Mark Halperin. We can start with her suggesting that she didn’t think she was going to run for president. And secondly, saying that she can get $675,000 because everybody is doing it as far as secretary of state go. She said name one thing that anybody has bought with money paying me, George Stephanopoulos said, access. He was there with them and understands, it is about access, especially if you’re getting $675,000 from Goldman Sachs and Hillary Clinton is delivering a speech that Goldman Sachs executives are saying they appreciate it.”
HALPERIN: “To be fair, I think everything you said is correct. But to be fair, she was very good last night, that was easily her weakest moment in that forum. And she still no matter what happens in this primary the overwhelming favorite. But that answer goes to, I think, the biggest contradiction in her campaign now, as she faces off against Bernie Sanders, which is even as she continues to move to the left to try to keep him from having room on the left, she and her supporters suggest Sanders is too left wing to be elected president. And that answer and all the problems she has in dealing with being more of an establishment candidate than Sanders revealed there and it clearly —“