Huma Abedin is Hillary Clinton's closest confidante and most valued personal assistant/technology consultant. They share a lot in common: Wayward husbands, love of money, being the subject of multiple federal investigations, etc. Vanity Fair has profiled Abedin in its latest issue. Here are some of the highlights:
1. "It’s safe to say that over the years Abedin and Hillary have spent more time together than either has with her husband."
Yeah, that does seem like a pretty safe thing to say. In fact, some State Department aides openly wondered whether Abedin's dick-tweeting husband, former Rep. Anthony Weiner, was driven to sexting because Huma "was never around. She gave so much to Hillary Clinton, what did she have left for him?"
2. "The campaign has put the fear of God into many who might speak about her."
Vanity Fair notes that Clinton surrogates are usually a very talkative bunch, but "have gone mute on the subject of Huma Abedin," who is described as "the third rail" of Clintonworld. Those who did speak on the record offer up some impressively obsequious drivel, such as this quote from Hillary campaign manager John Podesta: "Huma is a terrific leader. She’s multifaceted, has a great strategic sense, and she’s a wonderful colleague. She’s an integral part of the team, and her competence is only exceeded by her humility."
3. "...Weiner had mistakenly tweeted a photograph of his erection, meant for a 21-year-old college student in Seattle, to his 45,000 followers."
Read over that sentence. It's rather stunning to see it spelled out like that.
4. "[Weiner] resigned the following day, which meant the end of his $174,000 salary, leaving the couple to make do with Abedin's $155,000 State Department compensation."
In almost any other context apart from the Clintons, the words "make do" might seem a little out of place here.
5. "In addition to the State Department and Teneo jobs, Huma was hired as a consultant to the William J. Clinton Foundation to help plan for Hillary's 'post-State philanthropic activities,' and as a personal employee of Hillary's."
At one point following her husband digital crotch scandal, Huma was pulling in four different (presumably six-figure) paychecks while working at the State Department, and living in a four-bedroom, 2,120-square-foot Manhattan penthouse owned by a prominent Clinton supporter.
6. "Whether it's palatable for the vice-chairmen of Hillary's presidential campaign to be embroiled in allegations of conflicts of interest, obtaining patronage jobs, or misrepresenting time worked remains to be seen."
If no one, including the candidate herself, was "embroiled in allegations" involving "patronage" and unearned cash, it wouldn't be a Clinton campaign, would it?