Hillary's Secret Weapons

June 28, 2007 — -- Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., may be the star of the show, but she owes her success to 10 women behind the scenes.

They call themselves Hillaryland: a network of women hired by Clinton who have been by her side for 10 to 16 years. Though the group's name began as a joke, Hillaryland's mission is serious. They're fiercely loyal to the New York senator and know her better than almost anyone does.

Though none of them thought Clinton would run for president when they first met her, they told ABC's Kate Snow that they're now doing everything they can to get her elected. That includes sharing with the public a side of the senator few people ever see.

"She's got her own life and her own career, and one of the things that Hillary is so good at is being a mother who loves her daughter to have her own life," said Mandy Grunwald, Clinton's director of advertising.

Ann Lewis, Hillaryland's senior adviser, said that when they're not in the public eye, Hillary and former President Bill Clinton are as loving a couple as any.

"We see them informally, we see them when the cameras are not there, and when they're sitting around the table talking either about their day or about something they're about to do," she said. "These are two people who love each other."

Clinton is so close with her inner circle that she's been present at some of their children's births. Lissa Muscatine, Hillaryland's communication director, was pregnant with twins when Clinton hired her, and said Clinton made balancing work and family a priority for her staff.

"She said, 'If we can't make this work in the White House for women and small children, how can we expect ... this to work for women in other work places?'" Muscatine said.

Clinton's campaign manager Patty Solis Doyle said that after the birth of her first child, Clinton told her to bring the baby to work. According to Cheryl Mills, Hillaryland's legal counsel, Clinton provided a much needed model of how to be a good parent while juggling work.