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EMUJeff
January 27th, 2008, 9:43 pm
As the 2008 primaries heat up here is some info on one of the candidates. This is not an endorsement, but a starting point for research.
An educated electorate is the only defense against tyranny. Happy voting!
EMUJeff

This candidate introduction is from PresidentialCandidates.net

Biography

Born: 26 October 1947
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Best Known As: First Lady of the United States, 1993-2001
Name at birth: Hillary Diane Rodham
The wife of President Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000, becoming the first First Lady ever elected to national office. After graduating from Wellesley College in 1969, Hillary Rodham went to Yale Law School, where she met Clinton, a fellow student. She served as a staff attorney for the Children's Defense Fund and was also on the congressional Impeachment Inquiry staff in 1974, at the tail end of Richard Nixon's Watergate scandal. Hillary left Washington for Arkansas, marrying Bill Clinton in 1975. She was First Lady of Arkansas (the governor's wife) for 12 years, while raising their daughter Chelsea and practicing law. When Bill Clinton won the White House in 1992 she became First Lady of the United States. During her stay in the White House she was often controversial, weathering criticism about everything from her hairstyles to her involvement in public policy, her role in a questionable land deal in Arkansas (the so-called Whitewater affair) and other scandals. She also endured her husband's much-publicized affair with intern Monica Lewinsky and supported him during the subsequent impeachment hearings. In 2000 the Clintons moved to New York and she was elected to the United States senate, the first former First Lady to be elected to national office. She was reelected to a second term in 2006.

Positions

In 2000, Hillary was elected to the United States Senate from New York. As Senator, Hillary has continued her advocacy for children and families and has been a national leader on homeland security and national security issues.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Hillary worked with her colleagues to secure the funds New York needed to recover and rebuild. She fought to provide compensation to the families of the victims, grants for hard-hit small businesses, and health care for front line workers at Ground Zero. And she continues to work for resources that enable New York to grow, to improve homeland security for New York and other communities, and to protect all Americans from future attacks.
She is the first New Yorker ever to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, working to see that America's military has the necessary resources to protect our national security. She has visited troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and at Fort Drum in New York, home of the 10th Mountain Division and other New York bases, as well as at Walter Reed Military Hospital. She has learned first-hand the challenges facing American combat forces. Hillary passed legislation to track the health status of our troops so that conditions like Gulf War Syndrome would no longer be misdiagnosed. She is an original sponsor of legislation that expanded health benefits to members of the National Guard and Reserves and has been a strong critic of the Administration's handling of Iraq.
But Hillary has recognized that we can't ignore our problems at home while we face challenges overseas. She has introduced legislation to tie Congressional salary increases to an increase in the minimum wage, because she believes if America's working people don't deserve a raise, neither does Congress. She has supported a variety of middle-class tax cuts, including marriage penalty relief, property tax relief, and reduction in the Alternative Minimum Tax, and supports fiscally responsible pay-as-you-go budget rules. She helped pass legislation that encouraged investment to create jobs in struggling communities through the Renewal Communities program. She has championed legislation to bring broadband Internet access, which is so important in today's information economy, to rural America.
In the Senate, Hillary has not wavered in her work to expand quality affordable health care to more Americans. She worked to strengthen the Children's Health Insurance Program, which increased coverage for children in low income and working families. She authored legislation that has been enacted to improve quality and lower the cost of prescription drugs and to protect our food supply from bioterrorism. She sponsored legislation to increase America's commitment to fighting the global HIV/AIDS crisis, and is now leading the fight for expanded use of information technology in the health care system to decrease administrative costs, lower premiums, and reduce medical errors.
Her strong advocacy for children continues in the Senate. Some of Hillary's proudest achievements have been her work to ensure the safety of prescription drugs for children, with legislation now included in the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act, and her legislation to help schools address environmental hazards. She has also proposed expanding access to child care. She has passed legislation that will bring more qualified teachers into classrooms and more outstanding principals to lead our schools. Hillary has been a powerful advocate for women in the Senate. Her commitment to supporting the rights guaranteed in Roe v. Wade and to reducing the number of abortions by reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies was hailed by the New York Times as "frank talk...(and) a promising path." Hillary is one of the original cosponsors of the Prevention First Act to increase access to family planning. Her fight with the Bush Administration ensured that Plan B, an emergency contraceptive, will be available to millions of American women and will reduce the need for abortions. Hillary is strongly committed to making sure that every American has the right to vote in fair, accessible, and credible elections. She introduced the Count Every Vote Act of 2005 to ensure better protection of votes and to ensure that every vote is counted.

EMUJeff
February 13th, 2008, 5:50 pm
Her current strategy of focusing on Texa and Ohio on the fourth of March is eerily similar to the Big State strategy of Giuliani. I wonder if it will have the same gruesome affect on her campaign. Although the states she is losing are mostly small she will need them IF she gets nominated AND with Senator Obama's 8 wins in a row, regardless of the size of the states, he starts to look like a winner.
EMUJeff

Harrison
February 14th, 2008, 2:33 pm
Unfortunately, Jeff, I wholeheartedly agree with you. I think it is very similar to Giuliani's strategy and will have the same consequences. I must say that I am disappointed and frankly surprised by this outcome.

EMUJeff
February 14th, 2008, 5:11 pm
it is surprising. One thing I never would have said about Senator Clinton is that she ran a stupid campaign but I am afraid so many peoples hopes will be dashed. I wonder if they will lose interest in the election as a result?
EMUJeff

Harrison
February 14th, 2008, 5:16 pm
Good question! I wonder just how many voters WILL rally toward another candidate or will they just say, "Oh, well! My guy/gal's not running, so I'm not voting!" However, it's exactly THAT type of apathy that has gotten this country into so much trouble!

Aimee Lee
February 14th, 2008, 11:40 pm
Don't get me started on apathy! GRRRRRRR

As for Hillary making a mistake I guess we will just have to wait and see but you never know.
I am just so proud to call myself an american during these primaries with the first black man, woman and a highly decorated POW as our options I feel I can't go wrong no matter how I vote.
I feel honored to vote in this historic race.

LPTaxpayer
February 15th, 2008, 2:08 am
Isn't it Hillary that is pushing for a re-do of the primaries in Michigan and Florida? She needs these delegates. If they do it, then the democrats should pay for it...not one penny from the Michigan Taxpayer! Not one penny!

EMUJeff
February 15th, 2008, 2:25 pm
Actually, I think she probably would prefer to just have the current delegates seated at the convention. She doesn't do well in caucus's and the main reason she wants Michigan and Florida recognized has to do with the fact she won both AND in the Michigan one she would obtain 70 delegates where Senator Obama doesn't get any since his name wasn't on the ballot.
I wouldn't be surprised if Senator Obama wanted Michigan and Florida caucus's. At least in Michigan it would give him a second bite at the apple.
EMUJeff

Harrison
May 13th, 2008, 3:21 pm
What do you think about her decision thus far to stay in the race? It is mathematically impossible for her to get the totals she needs and Obama has passed her in superdelegates.

Can you really see her as his VP? I know that the DNC would love to have the "dream ticket," but do you really see her willingly taking second place? I just don't think so.

EMUJeff
May 13th, 2008, 4:17 pm
What do you think about her decision thus far to stay in the race? It is mathematically impossible for her to get the totals she needs and Obama has passed her in superdelegates.

Can you really see her as his VP? I know that the DNC would love to have the "dream ticket," but do you really see her willingly taking second place? I just don't think so.
Regarding your second question first, I think She won't take it because she doesn't want to go down in history as the second female VP candidate. In my opinion Obama wouldn't take second if he wants to ever be elected President for two reasons. His contention is that he is the candidate of a new kind of politics. Whether that is really the case or not, but joining her ticket he allies himself with the old politics. Secondly, if she doesn't win the general election he would be the presumptive nominee in 2012, but only if he wasn't on the ticket. Same holds for Hilary. She is only 60, I believe. If she takes the second spot on an Obama ticket, she'll have a hard time getting nominated later if they lose.
As to your first question, I think she is hoping they give in on May 30th at the special DNC Executive Committee meeting Chairperson Howard Dean has called to settle the MI and FL situation. It is obvious that the Dems would have a hard time winning the general election without these two states being in play. If they do and hand out the delegates by the pre-penalty rules she will gain 120 delegates on Obama AND she adds 55 superdelegates to the mix. Many of them from Michigan have been on her side from the beginning and this could revive her campaign donations as well as her chances. Before last Tuesday this would have brought her within 9 delegates of Senator Obama and, since it raises the number of delegates needed to be nominated by 184 it would be anybodies game.
The real winner in this case would be Senator Edwards, who I think is looking for a strong cabinet position and whose 32 delegates would make him highly prized. He would be like the person who has 2% of a companies shares when the other two owners have 49% each. Essentially his endorsement would mean more than ever.
At least that's what I think.
EMUJeff

Harrison
May 19th, 2008, 3:59 pm
I would certainly hope that Edwards would earn a key position; however, maybe remaining a senator would be more favorable.

EMUJeff
May 21st, 2008, 5:40 pm
I'm thinking Senator Jim Webb of Virginia will be the VP candidate if Senator Obama is the nominee.
I'll post my reasons in the Senator Obama thread.
Hillary could be a huge asset if it were a Mayor Giuliani or Governor Romney running against them. But it might be seen as a nod to the old politics if he chose her for VP. Unfortunatly, I have a feeling this is a bit of darned if you do, darned if you don't proposition. Without her, Senator Obama will lose some of the white male the party needs and a lot of the female vote that is traditionally the difference in the election since the late 80's.
EMUJeff

Harrison
May 22nd, 2008, 7:48 pm
I agree with your assessment of Clinton as a VP. If I understood correctly, it will benefit her financially in her campaign if she stays in the race until June 3. I believe that I read somewhere that she may then actually get help from the Obama campaign with her finances!