Blogs for Hillary

Stem Cell Research Update

2006-07-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I wanted to write you with a quick update on the vote to override President Bush's veto of the stem cell research bill.

Unfortunately, last night the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives pushed a very quick vote on the override. Their strategy was to hold a vote before the public -- which has consistently supported stem cell research by huge margins -- could weigh in. While a large majority voted to overturn President Bush's veto in a 235 to 193 vote, they fell short of the two-thirds majority required.

So President Bush's veto will stand, keeping huge obstacles in the way of future stem cell research.

Make no mistake: this fight is far from over. Hillary, who co-sponsored the bill passed by Congress, will continue to speak out on this issue and make it a top priority. We must keep fighting for additional funding for stem cell research and eliminate the arbitrary restrictions President Bush has put on the scientists who are pursuing tomorrow's cures.

We must also intensify our efforts to elect as many Democrats as we can to the House and Senate this November. Across the country, Democratic candidates are speaking out about this issue, making it a top priority in the 2006 elections. When we have Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, you can bet we'll pass this legislation again.

We've updated our online action. You can still show your support for this vital research that holds so much potential for so many families. I urge you to sign on in support of stem cell research and to tell your friends and family to join you.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/stemcellresearch

Thank you for your support.

Jesse Berney
Internet Director
Friends of Hillary

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Stem Cell Research, Presidential Veto, Bush, Congress, Politics

Time To Save Lives

2006-07-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend,

A few minutes ago, George W. Bush used his presidential veto for the very first time when he overturned a bill passed by Congress that would expand desperately needed federal funding for stem cell research.

Think about that for a moment. For five and a half years, Bush never saw fit to veto a single bill. But now, when Congress votes to support research that could save millions of lives, Bush breaks out his veto stamp for the first time.

Stem cell research has shown promise in treating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, cancer, spinal cord damage, and countless other conditions and injuries. It could change the lives of every family affected by them -- spouses, parents, children. But with one small action, Bush has robbed millions of Americans and their families of hope for effective treatments.

It is indefensible that President Bush's first veto could cost of millions of lives. We need to stop him.

It's up to Congress to overturn the veto and restore the hope Bush has taken away. But that won't happen without a huge outpouring of public support to garner the votes we need in the House and Senate. Sign on today to stand with Hillary in favor of overturning Bush's stem cell veto.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/stemcellresearch

President Bush had a choice. He could use his authority to put America on the side of life-saving science and research, or he could issue his first-ever veto to stop research, denying hope to millions of Americans. It's clear he chose wrong.

I doubt there's a single one of us whose life hasn't been touched by a disease or an injury that stem-cell research could one day help alleviate or even cure. With virtually limitless promise, this research is far too important for arbitrary restrictions.

Join Hillary in support of stem cell research and tell Congress to overturn Bush's unconscionable veto.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/stemcellresearch

Thanks for your support, and please be sure to spread the word to your family and friends.

Jesse Berney
Internet Director
Friends of Hillary

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Stem Cell Research, Presidential Veto, Bush, Congress, Politics

It's Just Not Fair

2006-07-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

It's a matter of simple fairness. Since 1997, members of Congress have refused to give minimum wage workers a raise - not one penny - while voting to give themselves more than $30,000 in raises.

Here's the bottom line: The minimum wage is just $5.15 an hour. That means that someone working a full-time job, 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, earns just $10,712 a year. That's more than $5,000 below the poverty line for a family of three. And as the cost of living goes up, that $5.15 is worth less and less every day.

It's time to tell Congress "No more." Hillary has introduced a bill that would make sure Congress doesn't get another raise in their own pay until those making the minimum wage get a raise too. Stand with her by supporting her bill:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/minimumwage/

Why does this Republican Congress refuse to take action? We've seen where their priorities are: big, new tax breaks to the very wealthiest Americans. When it comes to helping working families, the Republican Congress can't be bothered.

Maybe this way, they'll finally take notice. Let's tell the Republican Congress that they're not getting another raise until America gets a raise. Tell Hillary you're standing with her.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/minimumwage/

There are millions of people in this country who are working hard but can't make enough to get by. With minimum wage earners making the same money they did nine years ago, wages across the board have stayed stagnant. With health care costs and housing and energy prices on the rise, middle class families are working harder than ever and still can't get ahead.

Let's get the Republicans in Congress moving. Let Hillary know you support her bill that ties all future Congressional raises to raises in the minimum wage.

Thank you for taking action.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. We can win this fight if Congress knows that people are watching. Please forward this message to your friends and tell them to get involved.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Minimum Wage

Time For A Change In Iraq

2006-06-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I took to the Senate floor to talk about why it is time for a change in Iraq and to call on Republicans to stop playing partisan politics with the war while our troops are in harm's way. I spoke out in favor of the Levin amendment, which calls for a transition in strategy that will bring stability to the country and allow the troops to begin coming home.

I wanted to share with you some excerpts from my remarks. I encourage you to read the full text on my website at http://www.hillaryclinton.com/speech/view/?id=953.

I think it is time to choose whether or not we believe we have the right road map for success in Iraq. While our troops are serving bravely and with our national security in the balance, it is time to choose what is more important, a strategy to win in Iraq or a strategy for Republicans to win elections here at home....

I support this responsible way forward, a road map for success that will more quickly and effectively take advantage of Iraqi oil revenues, build up Iraqi infrastructure, foster Iraqi civil society, challenge Iraq's neighbors to do more to ensure stability in Iraq and allow our troops to begin coming home....

Let's be clear about what this debate is about. My friends on the other side of the aisle believe that the status quo is working in Iraq. They do not believe we need a fundamental change in policy. They choose to continue blindly following the president. We Democrats disagree. We believe we need a new direction in Iraq that will increase the chances for success on the ground....

They may not have a war strategy, but they do have an election strategy. This is the road they took America down in 2002. It was a dead end for our country then, and it's a dead end now....

This is not a time for partisanship. It is past time for this administration to level with the American people, for this Congress to find its voice and fulfill its constitutional duties to check and balance the Executive Branch, and for the Iraqis to chart a clear and responsible path to stability and peace....

The conflict in Iraq has now gone on longer than U.S. fighting in the Korean War before the armistice. We ought not to attack one another for asking the tough questions and presenting alternatives about how to achieve success, limit the loss and sacrifice of our young men and women.

I believe we must end our current open-ended, unconditional policy in Iraq. These decisions require serious debate, one without partisan political attacks.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Iraq, Levin Amendment

Keep The Internet Free

2006-06-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

You may have heard about an issue called "Net Neutrality." I want to tell you a little bit about Net Neutrality, why I believe it's so important to our democracy, and what you can do to help.

Today, the Internet is an open marketplace of ideas where anyone can join in. With traditional media, like TV, radio, or newspapers, it's been difficult for average citizens to have a voice. But now, new technology is giving a wide variety of citizens the voice to speak out -- anyone with a computer connected to the Internet can set up a website that's just as accessible as those owned by a large media conglomerate.

The result has been an incredible diversity of new sources of information and opinion, and a growing, vibrant source of political debate. I think that's healthy for our democracy, and I want to see it continue.

Now, this open architecture that makes the Internet so powerful is being questioned. Some argue that it would be better for companies to give certain traffic on the Internet -- content that they are paid to deliver faster -- higher priority.

But this kind of preferential treatment could make it harder for individual voices to be heard. That's why I hope you'll join me as a co-sponsor of Net Neutrality legislation:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/net/

I've become an original co-sponsor of the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, which would prevent Internet service providers from blocking, degrading, or giving a lower priority service on their networks.

That means a free and open Internet for every web page -- whether a blog created by a concerned individual or the home page of a large newspaper. That's the kind of open debate that makes our democracy stronger!

The fight for Net Neutrality has brought together business leaders, bloggers, good-government advocates, and many more. Please join them and me in this fight as a citizen co-sponsor of the Internet Freedom Preservation Act. Sign on today:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/net/

Please join me in protecting an Internet where everyone can have a voice. Sign on as a citizen co-sponsor of this important Net Neutrality legislation, and please forward this message on to your friends and family.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Internet, Net Neutrality, Internet Freedom Preservation Act

Hillary Takes On Anne Coulter

2006-06-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Anne Coulter is truly tacky and I am glad to see that Senator Clinton isn't about to let her tasteless comments slide ...

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton lashed out at Ann Coulter for a "vicious, mean-spirited attack" on a group of outspoken 9/11 widows, whom the right-wing television pundit described as "self-obsessed" and enjoying their husbands' deaths.

Coulter writes in a new book, "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," that a group of New Jersey widows whose husbands perished in the World Trade Center act "as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them."

She also wrote, "I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much."

Via: MSNBC

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Anne Coulter, 911 Widows, World Trade Center, 911

Playing Politics With Our Future

2006-06-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

"This is not a conservative administration," Hillary told supporters in New York this week. "There is nothing conservative about it. It is radical. It is upending. It is undermining our constitutional democracy."

As the New York Sun reported, Hillary "attacked the Bush administration...for playing politics with gay marriage, ignoring global warming, and failing in both Iraq and New Orleans."

Here is some of what she said:

[W]hen I travel around and speak with people who I represent, and hear about everything from terrorism to gas prices to childhood health care to energy independence to global climate change to affordable housing - there's a long list - but this is not on the list.

It is unfortunately on the list for the political machine of the White House and the Republican majority, and so I hope that as we weigh the campaign for re-election and I try to help elect Democrats around the country to take back one or two houses of Congress, we will all stand up and be counted.

We will all stand up for a return to fiscal responsibility that will give us a chance to make the right decisions and investments that will make our country richer and stronger in the future. We will stand against the wrongheaded decisions that are being made by the administration and Congress that are slashing so many of the programs to the most vulnerable among us and not giving people the confidence to make smart investments in energy independence and protecting ourselves against global climate change...

...[I]t's not enough to just hope that we're going to have better relations around the world. ... We need to be willing to stand up and fight up for those values. And here at home, we need to continue to protect and nurture that which had made America great and has made it the envy of the world.

Now there is a way to track down terrorists that is within the rule of law and not outside of it. We know that our civil liberties and our right to privacy and our individual freedoms are not a luxury - they are what set us apart from the rest of the world. Our respect for the rule of law is what makes America unique and gives us the confidence to defend against our government, to be politically active and fight for causes that we think are important. We cannot allow our constitutional democracy to be eroded. We can have global security and liberty.

...And we all need - Republicans, Democrats, and Independents - we all need to stand together and make it very clear that we will not go back. As I travel around our state, I'm encouraged by the number of the people who come to my events who say they didn't support me last time and tell me that they are Republican, and I always say, "We're glad you're here. Welcome." And I also ask them, "Well, why are you here?" And they always say something like, "I didn't sign up for all of this."

They didn't sign up for a government that interferes with personal, private, intimate relations.

...They didn't sign up to be the largest debtors in the history of the world where we have to borrow $60 billion a month from China, Japan, and others.

They didn't sign up for the United States government who totally dismantled the Federal Emergency Management Agency and battled with colleagues and didn't know what to do.

They didn't sign up for the mean-spirited divisiveness against gays and lesbians, and tried to make it somehow a political issue as to the life you lead and who you are.

...They didn't sign up for a president who denies global climate changes and refuses to deal with reality of what is happening in our world that has far-reaching consequences for our children and our children's children.

...[I]f we don't take back one or both houses of Congress, we cannot change the direction of the country; we cannot convince the administration of the Republican majority to make decisions based on evidence, not ideology.

We can't deal with what we need to do in Iraq if we don't have a Congress that can conduct investigations and make it absolutely clear that the administration, that their failure in Iraq has endangered not only our men and women in uniform, not only the Iraqi people, but the entire region.

...[W]e can begin working together again - rebuilding the consensus we had in this country until relatively recently about what we needed to do, to build a strong America at home and aboard.

To read the entire speech, please go to http://www.hillaryclinton.com/speech/view/?id=908. And thank you, as always, for your friendship. With so much at stake in the 2006 elections, your support is more important than ever!

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Global Warming, Iraq, New Orleans, Gay Marriage, Bush, Terrorism, Fiscal Responsibility

Talking Sense On Immigration

2006-03-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

Immigration is the lifeblood of America, a bedrock value tied to our founding and one that constantly renews the greatness of our country. America is and will always be a home for people who are willing to put in the hard work to create a better life for themselves and their families.
-- Hillary Rodham Clinton

Dear Friends,

The Senate Judiciary Committee has reported out a bill on immigration law reform which will now be considered by the full Senate. Hillary has made clear her position and the principles by which she will consider new legislation.

"Our immigration system is in crisis," Hillary said, citing dangers to national security, the exploitation of undocumented workers, and the strain on state social services. "We have a system that is broken, and we have to find practical but fair solutions to fix it."

Hillary believes we need comprehensive, immigration reform based on these principles:

Strengthening our borders including new technology to help our Border Patrol agents be more effective and new enforcement laws that are both strict and fair;
A fairer process for people seeking to come to America, especially to reunite divided families, and harsh penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers;
Greater cooperation with neighboring countries, especially Mexico; and
An earned path to citizenship for those already here working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar for becoming a citizen.

At the same time, Hillary said, "So I will support plans that meet these principles, and I will oppose one-sided solutions that simply sound tough but do little to deal with either our porous borders or the millions of families who live here." She has spoken out strongly against the bill passed by the House of Representatives which would criminalize those who offer any kind of assistance - even food or health care - to undocumented immigrants.

Hillary believes we should insist on a balanced, fair, and effective immigration policy - one that strengthens our laws and national security while respecting America’s history and values.

To read Hillary’s full statement on immigration reform, click here.

Thank you for your friendship and support.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Immigration Reform, Border Protection

The Republican Children's Tax

2006-03-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

The Senate voted this week for a budget that continues the Bush administration's reckless fiscal policies and misplaced priorities, voting against Democratic efforts to restore funds for needed programs by restricting top-heavy tax cuts. Instead, they voted to raise the federal debt ceiling to almost $9 trillion dollars! Hillary voted against the budget and against raising the debt ceiling.

She said:

The budget approved by the Senate doesn't pass the basic tests of fairness, fiscal responsibility and fails to reflect the values of the American people. While holding the line on many of the President's deep budget cuts to education, health care, and income security for working families, this budget does find room for tax cuts for the wealthy, the giveaway of the Artic Wildlife National Refuge to the oil industry, deeper budget deficits, and the ever growing threat of an exploding national debt which is expected to reach nearly $12 trillion in just five years.
...
Instead of building upon the progress made in the 90's, when tough decisions were made on both the spending and revenue side which resulted in budget surpluses, job creation and unprecedented economic growth, the Republicans instead chose a path that moved our nation towards the four largest budget deficits ever and the highest level of indebtedness of any nation in the history of the world.

Instead of making investments in the American people through education, job training and health care and creating a foundation for new economic opportunities and a stronger America in the future, we have increasingly ceded our fiscal sovereignty to foreign nations like China, Japan, and the OPEC consortium who now finance about 45 percent or $2.2 trillion of our nation's publicly held debt.

Instead of offering budget plans that were balanced and didn't place further burdens on the middle class, the neediest in our society and future generations, we were given reckless tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy.
...
Clearly, today should be a wake up call for all Americans concerned about the future of our children and the economic security of our nation. ...Raising this debt limit while embracing policies that further exacerbate the deficit is in essence a "children's tax," a burden borne not by this Administration or this Congress, but by our sons, our daughters and our grandchildren.
...
As this is only the first step in the budget making process, I will continue to fight for the priorities and values important to New Yorkers and Americans.

Everyday we are reminded of the importance of the 2006 election and the difference your support for Hillary can make.

Thank you so much for your friendship.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. Yesterday, Hillary spoke with many of you and took questions on a conference call about health care. To listen to the call, please visit http://www.hillaryclinton.com/.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Federal Budget, Debt Ceiling

What We're Fighting For

2006-03-14T08:24:00.000-08:00

"Let's just run through some of the choices that the Washington Republicans made. Now they could have saved the surplus, invested in Social Security and Medicare, paid down the debt, covered the cost of Iraq and Afghanistan and paid the modest tax cuts for the middle class and working poor. Instead, they chose massive tax cuts aimed at those who needed them the least, tax loopholes and giveaways for oil companies to top-off their record breaking profits."
Hillary Clinton, February 25, 2006

Dear Friends,

This week, the Senate is voting on the budget - and once again, we are watching the Washington Republicans at work. It's not a pretty sight.

When we see the budget decisions that people make, we know what they truly value.

At a time when American families tell us one of their biggest concerns is losing access to health care, the Republicans latest budget calls for more cuts in health care. And this on top of the cuts Congressional Republicans pushed through a few weeks ago, higher costs for 7 million people in Medicaid, including 3.5 million children. No wonder the number of Americans without health insurance is climbing, while health care costs are squeezing employers and employees alike.

As Hillary said, it's a question of choices. At a time when we should be taking serious effective steps toward developing alternative energy sources, to move us closer to energy independence, the Republican budget takes a step backward - attempting to use the budget process to open the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas drilling and claiming billions of dollars in "phantom" revenues to mask the soaring federal deficit.

The Washington Republicans could have chosen to invest in education - increasing opportunities and success and making us stronger as a nation for the challenges of the 21st century. Instead, they presented a budget which under-funds No Child Left Behind, shuts the door to after-school programs for thousands of children, and makes college education even more expensive.

And what about keeping America safe? Democrats in Congress have tried to pay for doubling cargo inspections at ports by reducing the tax cut for people making more than $1 million a year. But the White House and Republican leadership thought it was more important to protect the full amount of the tax cut for millionaires than to increase protection at our ports - and as this budget shows, they still think so!

As we follow the votes in Washington this week on the budget, let's keep in mind the real life impact of these votes on our lives and our future. Hillary will be working with her colleagues in the Senate to speak up about what's wrong with the Republican budget and to amend it so it truly reflects our values. She will go on fighting for policies that help us meet our moral obligations: to make affordable health care a reality and get America moving in the right direction again. And we'll continue to keep you informed about her work.

Thank you for your continued friendship.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. If you would like to read Hillary's most recent speech about the choices Republicans have made - and how we can do better - just click on this link.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Federal Budget

Rove Obsessed

2006-02-27T12:42:00.000-08:00

I think Hillary just might be right ...

Reacting to a new book quoting Karl Rove as saying she will be the 2008 Democratic nominee for president, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that President Bush's chief political strategist "spends a lot of time obsessing about me."

The former first lady also said she believed Rove, national GOP Chairman Ken Mehlman and other Republicans are using her to divert attention from Republican problems as the 2006 congressional elections approach.

"Karl Rove is a brilliant strategist. So, if I were thinking about this," she told WROW-AM radio in Albany, "I'd say, why are they spending so much time talking about me?"

"What they're hoping is that all of their missteps, which are now numbering in the hundreds, are going to somehow be overlooked because people, instead of focusing on the '06 election, will jump ahead and think about the next one," said Clinton, D-New York.

Via CNN.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Port Security = National Security

2006-02-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

"The fact is, we do live in a post-9/11 world," Clinton said, using her response to one of the reporters' questions to announce legislation banning foreign state-owned companies from U.S. ports. "As a matter of national security in the post-9/11 world, I think we have to take a hard look at this."
Washington Post, February 24, 2006

Dear Friends,

Today, Hillary and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) will introduce their bill prohibiting companies owned or controlled by foreign governments from purchasing port operations in the United States. As Hillary told the Miami Chamber of Commerce this week, "We cannot cede sovereignty over our critical infrastructure like our ports. That is a job America has to do."

Port security is not a new issue for Hillary; she has strongly spoken out about the need to protect the ports since 9/11 and has voted in support of Democratic measures to increase port security - measures defeated by opposition from the White House and the Republican Congress.
Here is an update on what she has done in the past ten days:

On February 17: Hillary and Sen. Menendez announced they will introduce legislation to prohibit companies owned or controlled by foreign governments from purchasing port operations in the United States. "Our port security is too important to place in the hands of foreign governments," Clinton said.

February 21: Four United States Senators urged Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to schedule for immediate consideration when Congress returns on February 27 legislation being introduced by Senators Robert Menendez and Hillary Clinton to block the sale of U.S. port operations to foreign governments. The letter was signed by Senators Clinton, Menendez, Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Boxer (D-CA).

"This sale will create an unacceptable risk to the security of our ports," the Senators wrote. "We therefore request that emergency legislation we are introducing to ban foreign governments from controlling operations at our ports be slated for immediate consideration when the Senate convenes on February 27."

February 23: At a special hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hillary questioned Bush administration officials: "Port security is national security," she said. "We know from the work of the 9/11 commission and other expert commissions that port security is one of our weak links. We have not funded it adequately; we have not taken it seriously. That is a particular concern to me as a Senator from New York"

And Hillary spelled out other reasons to be concerned, saying "The track record of this administration on homeland security, its inadequate funding, its bureaucratic dysfunction at the Department of Homeland Security, as evidenced most tragically in Katrina but in many other similar instances over the past four and a half years, does not create an atmosphere of confidence."

After that hearing, DP World announced a "voluntary cooling off period." (The deal had been set to take effect March 2.)

February 24: Hillary joined Senators Menendez, Schumer (D-NY), Coleman (D-MN), Snowe (R-ME), Collins (R-ME), Coburn (R-OK), and Reed (D-RI), to sponsor emergency legislation to suspend the Dubai port deal immediately and begin an immediate 45 day investigation into the takeover's effect on national security as required by federal law - a requirement that was ignored in the initial dealmaking.

"It is clear that the Bush administration has failed to adequately address valid national security concerns. We will do everything possible to make sure the administration conducts the mandatory investigation required under the law and does not compromise security at our ports," she said.

February 26: Hillary joined her colleagues, Senators Schumer and Menendez, at a press conference at the Port of New York to announce that they will introduce their bill February 27 calling for the full 45 day investigation.

Hillary has made it clear that she expects the law to be followed and welcomes the news that the investigation that she and others have called for will have a chance to proceed. The administration should use this delay to conduct the investigation that the law requires.

"The announcement should be coming out of the White House." Hillary said, "The president should be showing leadership."

Thank you, as always, for your interest and your support. We'll continue to keep you informed of Hillary's work.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Port Security, National Security

Veto It

2006-02-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Where are the Republicans' values?

George Bush and his Republican allies want us to think they share our concerns for working families who try every day to meet their responsibilities.

But, the reality is that day after day, people are losing out to the callous policies and incompetent leadership of this administration.

Ask families struggling every day with the rising costs of health care or college students who have been working to pay for their education and find the costs going out of reach.

Listen to senior citizens trying to deal with the Bush Medicare drug bill and finding themselves trapped by complicated rules and unanswered questions. And Katrina survivors are once again left stranded by the Bush administration.

Now the new Bush budget has come along, giving us the latest evidence that this administration is walking away from our responsibilities to our families, to respect our elders, and provide a better life for our children.

From taking the $255 Social Security death benefit away from people who have just lost a loved one and cutting off the monthly Social Security survivor benefits of 16 and 17-year olds if they're no longer in school to cutting out funding for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Deduction program for low-income women which had provided more than 6 million tests and diagnosed 23,000 cases since 1991, Americans are being left behind.

At the same time, the administration just handed big energy companies a $65 million giveaway - and they still refuse to negotiate Medicare drug prices with the big drug companies, which could save billions!

Don't let them get away with it. Join me today in actively and vocally rejecting the Bush Fiscal Year 2007 budget as a deeply flawed blueprint for America's future. Sign our "Veto the Bush Budget" petition today.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/budget

While we can't make George Bush respect our values, we can make him understand that we are standing up for them. There are hundreds of Republican officeholders who have to face the voters this November. We have to challenge each and every one of them to stand up to the reckless and wrong-headed policies of this administration - or face the voters' wrath for failing to do so.

Do they want to invest in a future that creates opportunity for all Americans? Or will they keep aiding and abetting the president's efforts to throw our values overboard and tilt the balance even more dramatically against middle class Americans, veterans, seniors, and children?

It's time to speak up. Sign our petition to veto the Bush budget today.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/budget

These cuts reflect George Bush's priorities, but not the values of the American people. In the weeks ahead, Hillary will do everything in her power to drive that difference home. I urge you to join me in this critical undertaking. Together, we'll win the most critical policy and electoral contests of 2006.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Budget

Really, How Low Can You Go?

2006-02-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Once again, the message is "you are on your own."

President Bush's budget calls for taking the $255 Social Security death benefit away from people who have just lost a loved one and cutting off the monthly Social Security survivor benefits of 16 and 17-year olds if they're no longer in school.

George W. Bush wants to produce Social Security "savings" over the next decade at the expense of widows and orphans, even as he lavishes trillions of dollars in tax cuts on the wealthy and well-connected.

These proposals - like so many other wrong-headed ideas in Bush's 2006 budget - are morally and fiscally bankrupt. And I pledge to you that I will do everything in my power to make sure they never see the light of day.

And if anyone is still asking you just what's wrong with George Bush's leadership, tell them about his latest budget. Tell them what you think of a president who wants to cut back on the meager benefits available to the most vulnerable while he goes on rewarding the most comfortable.

We thought the president got the message last year when Congress stopped his scheme to privatize Social Security. But, when it comes to protecting the health and well-being of America's families, this administration just doesn't get the message.

And, when people need our government to be there for them the most, this White House is painfully slow to act. That's the inescapable conclusion at which even Republican investigations of the response to Hurricane Katrina have arrived.

It's hard to judge which is doing more harm - their calculated proposals like denying benefits to widows and orphans or their mind-boggling incompetence. But, one thing's for sure. We can't let America's families bear the brunt of either their bad ideas or their stunning failures of execution.

Throughout 2006, the health and well-being of our families is on the line. That's why we've got to work as hard as we have ever worked to win the pivotal policy debates and electoral contests of this dramatically important year.

We stopped the attack on Social Security last year, and we will stop them again. Thank you, as always, for your support. It means a lot to know I can count on you to stand with me as we take on these challenges.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Social Security

Don't Forget Katrina Survivors

2006-02-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

George Bush's too-brief reference to Hurricane Katrina in his State of the Union speech gave hard-hit families another demonstration of what they can expect from this White House: Little help. No hope.

Now we have learned that the White House was told that a levee in New Orleans had broken on the night of the storm, even though administration officials claim to have been caught by surprise!

Knowing that his administration's stunning incompetence deepened their pain and suffering, you might think President Bush would feel a special obligation to take action. Far from it.

The Bush White House has moved on. Their new budget, flush with more tax cuts for the well-to-do, offers no new aid and no additional reconstruction funds.

We cannot let that stunning display of indifference stand as America's response.

Yesterday, Senator Clinton heard first-hand from members of the Katrina Survivors Association. These are hard-working people asking only for help rebuilding their lives, their neighborhoods, their schools and their communities.

Hillary has made clear her commitment to do right by these survivors. Simple human decency demands no less.

As Hillary said, "If America doesn't take care of its own, how can we go around and tell the rest of the world that we're going to help take care of them?"

"We owe these fellow Americans every possible effort to ensure the problem is not exacerbated by sending those who lost everything into communities without continued care and a plan for the future," she told Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, whose department oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

It has been five months since Hurricane Katrina and the inept response of the Bush Administration devastated an entire region of our country. That's far too long for people to go without answers to fundamental questions: When can I go back home? How can I get my family's life back to normal? When will my children's schools be rebuilt?

As you know, Senator Clinton has led the drive to create an independent Katrina Commission to get to the bottom of the failed governmental response to this crisis. She believes we have an obligation to ensure that no American ever goes through a natural disaster of this magnitude again with so little help from our government. And just as important, we have to be there for those who have gone through it until they get back on their feet.

Thank you for your friendship and for standing with Hillary as she speaks up for our values and speaks out for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. A number of you have written in cheering Hillary’s speech to the United Autoworkers, where she took on the administration for trying to use fear as a political strategy. You can see the speech for yourself here.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Hurricane Katrina

Republicans & The Fear Card

2006-02-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

Hillary, as usual, tells it like it is ...

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday accused Republicans of "playing the fear card" of terrorism to win elections and said Democrats cannot keep quiet if they want to win in November.

The New York Democrat, facing re-election this year and considered a potential White House candidate in 2008, said Republicans won the past two elections on the issue of national security and "they're doing it to us again."

She said a speech by presidential adviser Karl Rove two weeks ago showed the GOP election message is: "All we've got is fear and we're going to keep playing the fear card."

Via CNN.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

A Budget That Leaves Millions Behind

2006-02-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

As Hillary said, "Instead of investing in the future and creating opportunity for more Americans, the president's budget tilts the balance even more dramatically against middle class Americans, veterans, seniors, children and our most vulnerable Americans. I will fight these misplaced priorities in the Senate."

The latest Bush budget takes another big step toward remaking America as this administration wants to see it: slashing programs that mean hope and opportunity for middle class families, like keeping the doors of college open.

From education to veterans' health benefits, from Medicaid to Medicare, from chronic disease prevention and research to the National Institutes of Health - everyone is cut.

For the last five years, the Bush Administration's misplaced priorities have caused real hardship and suffering for ordinary Americans. This budget means more of the same, leaving more and more citizens behind.

And no area is hit harder than health care.

The Bush Administration proposes $36 billion in cuts to Medicare during the next 5 years - $105 billion in a decade. That means even more problems for those seniors now struggling with the Republican drug plan, which has brought so much confusion and hardship!

In George W. Bush's new budget, even veterans are asked to pay higher co-payments and a new enrollment fee for their health care. The result will be that many veterans will opt out of the system because they won't be able to shoulder the new costs.

Like most Americans, Hillary understands that we need to be in the business of supporting our troops - whether supplying them with needed body armor or providing affordable health care when they return home. But the Bush Administration just doesn't get it.

Hospitals - already squeezed by the soaring cost of drugs and the rising costs of technology - will be squeezed once again as their reimbursement rates are reduced in the new Bush budget.

None of this comes as a surprise -- but that doesn't mean we can just let it happen, either.

That's why it is so important that we can count on Hillary to speak out for our values and those of mainstream Americans as she responds to this right-wing budget. Just as she's speaking out for the thousands of you who shared your health care stories, and signed her petition for an open debate on health care solutions, Hillary will do the same for the millions left behind by the Bush budget.

Hillary has been a life long advocate for children and families, and for policies that invest in America's future. She will fight harder than ever to get our nation back on track. Thank you in advance for standing with us. And thanks, as always, for being a Friend of Hillary.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. In 2006, Hillary will continue to address your concerns as she speaks out for a commonsense approach to health care that benefits ordinary Americans. Your support will help her spread her message and fight back against the inevitable right-wing attacks that she will face every day.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Budget

What About the State of Our Health Care?

2006-01-31T19:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

George Bush may have had an election year conversion about the importance of health care, but as I listened to his State of the Union Speech tonight, it's clear he still wants to take us in the wrong direction.

I can tell you from the people I have spoken to, and the thousands of stories you have sent me concerning your health care struggles, that few Americans, if any, would find relief from the Bush assortment of flimsy band-aids and "private account" gimmicks.

George Bush and his Republican allies want us to think they share our concerns about making health care more accessible. But the reality is, they offer nothing but more of the same - help for those who need it the least, and everyone else is left out in the cold.

As Rose from Johnstown, NY wrote me: "If this administration has botched up the Medicare RX plan, making it so confusing, what will they do to a health care plan? I shudder to think of it. Whatever they attempt to do becomes a disaster except for helping their wealthy friends."

It's time to have a real conversation about health care. What kind of country do we want to live in? I believe in an America where every single person has the best possible chance for a healthy future.

If you agree, join me in calling for an open debate about one of the most important issues we face as a nation.

http://www.HillaryClinton.com/discusssolutions

For the sake of Democrats, Republicans, and all Americans, we can and we must do better at helping people get the health care they need.

Jill, in Minneapolis, who suffers from Graves Disease, wrote me to say she can't find coverage for any of the medications prescribed by her doctors. "My health issues are not my fault," she writes. "I've done nothing to give myself a chronic disease. Why am I being punished for having it?"

We can't allow our fellow Americans to be punished any longer. The time for this discussion is right now. No more backroom deals with insurance companies. No more health care decisions behind closed doors that place the special interests over the interests of ordinary Americans.

We may not control the levers of power in Washington, but we can make a powerful statement by showing our strength in numbers. Please join me in calling for an open discussion on health care now.

http://www.HillaryClinton.com/discusssolutions

We have already succeeded in getting health care back on the front pages. That's why the Bush Administration was forced to throw together a plan which essentially tries to do with health care what they failed to do with Social Security.

The President can talk all he wants about caring for America's seniors, but we know the true beneficiaries of his policies are the insurance companies and the well to do.

Health care decisions must be made for the benefit of all Americans.

When drug and insurance companies spend $140 million lobbying Republicans on the Medicare drug benefit, and the result is that Medicare is barred from negotiating lower drug prices for seniors; safe, affordable drugs from Canada are blocked; and there is a back-door $22 billion giveaway to insurance companies. It's no wonder the American people have lost confidence in the ability of this Congress' to make common-sense decisions for the public good.

I've had my own experience in working for health care reform, and I know it won't be easy. But I also know we can never address this issue until we are willing to have an honest conversation - not behind closed doors - but through an open discussion.

http://www.HillaryClinton.com/discusssolutions

Together, we can jumpstart this conversation and start finding solutions. I'm ready to speak out for health care, and I hope you will join me.

Thanks for your friendship and for all you do.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

P.S. This is not a partisan issue - the need for health care impacts all Americans. If you agree, please sign on at http://www.HillaryClinton.com/discusssolutions - and ask your friends, family, and colleagues to do the same.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Health Care

Stop the $22 Billion Special Interest Giveaway!

2006-01-24T19:31:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Republicans are nothing if not consistent in putting their special-interest friends first.

Today, the Washington Post revealed a back-room deal by Republicans to preserve a loophole in Medicare payment policies that allows insurance companies to receive excess payments from Medicare -- to the tune of $22 billion.

You read that correctly.

The Senate tried to act to save Medicare $26 billion in payments to insurance companies. But, in the Republican-controlled conference committee -- where both Democrats and the public were shut out -- lobbyists for the insurance companies successfully eliminated all but $4 billion of the savings.

Even a prominent Republican health care lobbyist, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, "I have worked many [budget] bills, and this was the most closed I've ever seen."

Once again, Republicans and their campaign contributors win, and the American people lose.

I am not going to stand for it.

Just because Republicans have the audacity to hand over $22 billion in Medicare payments to their lobbyist friends while cutting Medicaid for children and seniors – that doesn't mean we have to take it.

Rep. John Dingell of Michigan and I will introduce legislation to close, once-and-for-all, the loophole allowing insurance companies to bilk Medicare. We will use the savings to restore funding to children's health care and Medicaid slashed by Republicans.

I know how fundamental this issue is to New Yorkers and to Americans everywhere. In fact, before the Washington Post story broke, I had hoped to write you with one simple update today: the first day that I asked you to your share your health care stories with me, over 1,000 of you responded.

That's no fluke. It shows how many Americans are suffering as they have to make terrible choices. Bills they can't pay, insurance they can't afford, pain they can't get treated. It's simply wrong, and I'm going to make sure that all Americans and their representatives know just how wrong it is.

If you haven't shared your health care story with me yet -- about how it is impacting you and your family -- please do so today. Many of your stories will be posted on HillaryClinton.com, and others will be shared at roundtable discussions going forward.

Please use this link to send your story:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/healthcarestories/

We are united in our determination to stop George Bush from doing with health care what he tried to do with Social Security. We will find real solutions for Americans – not more Republican corporate giveaways under the guise of helping people.

This is a national crisis and a moral failing. And, together, we will turn it around. Please stay tuned for our next steps as we chart a better course to provide health care for all Americans. In the meantime, please send me your health care story by using this link.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/healthcarestories/

Thanks for your friendship and for all you do.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

P.S. To read the Washington Post article on the secret GOP sessions with insurance lobbyists, use this link.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Speak Up for Health Care

2006-01-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

They are at it again. What the Bush Administration tried and failed to do with Social Security, they now intend to do with health care. They want to shift the health care system into private health care savings accounts.

We're not going to let them. Once again, we must stop their ill-advised, unfair plan in its tracks.

What would private health care savings accounts (HSA's) mean for Americans? It would mean that the well to do, those who are already the best able to pay for health care, would perhaps be fine. But those who are already struggling to pay for health care -- everybody else -- would be left out in the cold again.

Just as they did with their Medicare Drug bill, the Bush Administration is putting the special interests first and wishing everybody else the best of luck.

Now, I've had some experience with health care. I know that making health care more accessible for every American family will not be easy. But I also know that we will never get there if we don't address the facts and determine we are going to help all Americans. That's why I am hosting a roundtable on health care this week in Rochester, New York -- the first in a series.

Many of you will not be able to attend; that's why I need to hear from you about your stories about health care -- or lack thereof. Many of your stories will be posted on HillaryClinton.com, and others will be shared at our roundtable discussion going forward.

Please use this link to share your story:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/healthcarestories/

We have already seen the ineptitude of the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress when it comes to health care. Their new Prescription Drug Plan, touted as a benefit for America's seniors, has literally left tens of thousands of seniors denied their medications, overcharged, or turned away from pharmacies.

Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry is the true beneficiary. The Bush plan prevents Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices for seniors. It bars Americans from re-importing safe, affordable prescription drugs from Canada. It has the wrong priorities.

I didn't vote for the Bush Medicare plan, but I am determined to fix it. And I'm determined to do the same with access to affordable health care as well.

There are now over 45 million uninsured Americans. There are over 13 million uninsured children. In New York alone, 3 million people do not have health insurance. Premiums are rising at over twice the rate of inflation and the number of employers offering coverage is dropping.

The Republican majority's proposed cuts in Medicaid would raise co-pays and premiums for over 7 million Americans, including 3.5 million children.

This is a national crisis and a flat-out moral failing. We need to make sure all Americans and their representatives know the truth about how our present health care policies are impacting you and your family.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/healthcarestories/

It's time to speak up about health care. Please help me tell the true story –- your story –- about health care and our need to chart a better course.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/healthcarestories/

Thanks for your friendship and for all you do.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

President Clinton In 2008

2006-01-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

Even the White House knows who will be president in 2008 ...

President Bush's advisers are resigned to the Democratic capture of the White House in 2008, according to senior Republican sources close to the White House.

GOP sources said White House strategists have attempted to persuade Mr. Bush that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York Democrat and her party's current front-runner to be the next presidential nominee, cannot be defeated in 2008. Bush strategists said the president should instead focus on seeking to retain the Republican majority in both houses of Congress in 2006 and 2008.

"There is nobody in the White House that will openly say we lost the presidency in 2008," a senior GOP source said. "But while the Democrats are completely focused on 2008, the White House has been completely aloof."

Of course, they are thinking she will only have it for one term, but I am thinking they are wrong. They were about Bill too. :)

Thanks to ISOU for the initial coverage.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, 2008

Hillary Tells It Like It Is

2006-01-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Hillary took the opportunity to speak on this administration and the legacy it is leaving behind ...

Speaking during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event, Clinton also offered an apology to a group of Hurricane Katrina survivors "on behalf of a government that left you behind, that turned its back on you." Her remarks were met with thunderous applause by a mostly black audience at the Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem.

The House "has been run like a plantation, and you know what I'm talking about," said Clinton, D-New York. "It has been run in a way so that nobody with a contrary view has had a chance to present legislation, to make an argument, to be heard."

"We have a culture of corruption, we have cronyism, we have incompetence," she said. "I predict to you that this administration will go down in history as one of the worst that has ever governed our country."

The White House couldn't actually come up with and adequate response, so they did what they always do ... attack the messenger.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Unforgivable!

2006-01-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

ABC News
January 10, 2006

Sen. Clinton Says Lack of Body Armor is 'Unforgivable'
She Has Called for an Investigation Into Why Soldiers Are Not Fully Protected

Dear Friends,

I wanted to let you know that Hillary is taking action in response to press reports that supplying more extensive body armor to our troops in Iraq could have saved lives. She has called for investigations by the Senate Armed Services Committee, of which she is a member, and the Government Accountability Office, and she has written to the Army urging that every effort be made now to provide additional body armor to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It is our duty to protect our men and women in uniform," Hillary said in an interview on Good Morning America on Tuesday, January 10. "The very least we can do is give them the very best body armor and armored vehicle."

"This is Bush-Cheney policy. ...The President speaks out strongly and even harshly from time to time about issues he thinks are important. Let's hear him speak about men and women who wear the uniform of our country."

As Hillary wrote to the Secretary of the Army, "According to these press reports, the Army is still deciding what body armor plates to purchase. With every day the Army delays the decision of which additional body armor to procure, we put more of our men and women at risk."

And in her letter to the General Accountability Office she said, "In April 2005, the Government Accountability Office found that there were delays in body armor acquisition as well as ineffective distribution. I request that you expand your investigation to include the military's effectiveness in providing body armor designed to limit fatalities and injuries to our troops."

For full copies of Hillary's letters to the Secretary of the Army, the General Accountability Office and the Senate Armed Services Committee, please go to www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/letters/

Thank you, as always for your interest and support.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Defamation Suit Dismissed

2006-01-10T08:08:00.000-08:00

According to CNN:

A federal appeals court Monday dismissed a defamation lawsuit that Gennifer Flowers filed against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and two advisers to former President Clinton.

Flowers sued James Carville and George Stephanopoulos in 1999 after they suggested on talk shows that the audiotapes she used to try to prove she and President Clinton had an affair were doctored.

Flowers, a former lounge singer, amended the suit in 2000 to add the former first lady, whom she accused of conspiring to plant false reports that the tapes were doctored.

On Monday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a Nevada district court ruling that the claim against Hillary Clinton was barred by the state's four-year statute of limitations.

Flowers also was unable to prove that Carville and Stephanopoulos intentionally or recklessly made false statements, the three-judge panel ruled in affirming U.S. District Judge Philip Pro's ruling.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Thank You

2006-01-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your support at my year-end reporting deadline. Your commitment sends a message loud and clear to my Republican opponents: we are strong, united, and prepared to fight back against whatever comes our way.

The urgency of these 2006 elections cannot be overstated. The Bush Administration and their allies in Congress have demonstrated time and again that they are out-of-touch and out-of-step with the needs of ordinary Americans.

Together we'll make sure their failed policies are out of time too.

You can count on me to continue to fight for the values we care about: a government that works for the American people, and serves our interests, not the special interests. An end to cronyism, incompetence, and cover-ups. Leadership that values families in actions and budgets, not just in rhetoric.

You and I know how important these mid-term elections are going to be. They are our best chance to get America going in the right direction once again.

As I prepare to go back to fighting for our priorities in the Senate, I am grateful to know I can count on your friendship and support. Your commitment will be the key to our success this year. Thank you for standing with me.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Our Values Under Attack

2005-12-30T18:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

I've made my New Year's resolutions. Next year, I am resolved to work harder than ever to get our country back on the right direction once again.

I am resolved to keep speaking out about my disagreements with this administration and their congressional allies: a budget that cuts back on health care, education, and even child support enforcement to make room for additional tax cuts for the wealthiest among us. Cronyism and incompetence that weaken the social fabric of our nation. A secret program that spies on Americans!

The values that made America in the 20th century not just the economic leader of the world, but the moral leader of the world are under attack today.

The 2006 elections offer the best opportunity we have to change the direction of our country. With a critical December 31st deadline fast approaching, I hope you'll help.

https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com

I am determined to wage a strong, successful campaign in 2006. I'm going to keep fighting for New York - fighting against budgets that hurt New York's working families - and speaking out for policies that are true to America's values: policies that will make our nation stronger, safer and smarter. Economic policies that strengthen the middle class. National security policies that tell the truth and level with the American people.

We are going to set an example in the Senate race in New York with a positive campaign built on progressive Democratic principles. Will you make a contribution today to help me build the campaign that gets this message out?

https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com

There is only 1 day left before the end-of-year reporting deadline arrives. I hope you'll join me, and act before time runs out.

Thank you for your friendship and support, and my very best wishes for the New Year.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

This Holiday Season

2005-12-21T11:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

At this holiday season, we take joy in our family and friends, reflect on our blessings, and think of those in need.

In Louisiana this week, I met with survivors of Hurricane Katrina struggling to rebuild their lives.

Months after Katrina, thousands of families in Louisiana and Mississippi are still without homes, and it is so important that they know they are not forgotten. They need our continued support.

As you make up your holiday lists, I hope you'll keep them in mind. For more information on how to help, visit the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund here.

There is so much for all of us to do in the year ahead. I appreciate your friendship and support, which makes my work possible, and I look forward to continuing to work with you. Thank you for all your help.

Best wishes for a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year!

Sincerely,
Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Clinton's Challenger Quits Race

2005-12-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

According to CNN:

Jeanine Pirro, the long-time prosecutor who had been set to run against Sen. Hillary Clinton next year, has decided to drop out of the U.S. Senate race, a Republican party official said Wednesday.

---

Polls have shown Clinton widely popular in the state and heavily favored to win re-election in 2006.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Hillary Speaks in Kentucky

2005-12-13T13:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Hillary spoke to 2,000 people at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville on December 2 on behalf of the Kentucky Democratic Party. The event raised $600,000 – more than the Party has ever raised in a single event!

A number of people have asked about the speech. Here are some excerpts. If you'd like to read the whole speech, it's posted at:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/kentuckyspeech/

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton Speaking to the Kentucky Democratic Party
December 2, 5005
(excerpts)
...Americans have always risen to the challenge that confronted us. And at the dawn of the 21st century, we face real challenges. From global competition to global warming. From rising health care costs to rising energy costs. And yet Republicans in Washington are not even serious about addressing these challenges. They're not willing to take them on. And their failure of leadership is leaving America unprepared for the future we face.

...I believe that the Democratic Party should and will take on these tough challenges. I believe we can do it. We can reverse high energy costs, and we can become energy independent and break our addiction to foreign oil which is undermining our economy and our security. I believe we can make quality health care more affordable and available for every single American. I believe we can make the investments today in both the public and the private sector that will promote high-paying quality jobs and will ensure that American business can compete in the global marketplace not by engaging in a race to the bottom where people are paid wages they cannot live on but by lifting up our economic sights and making the investments that will make us richer and stronger.

And I believe we can defeat terrorism, secure our homeland, and make Americans feel safe again by leveling with the American people, telling them the truth, and pursuing strategies that will actually work, not just platitudes and rhetoric that are not working.

...[L]et's take some of these problems we face. Energy's a perfect example. We have a short-term problem: helping people pay their bills, and that will be particularly important this winter. ...[T]here are a lot people who are going to have to pay hundreds of dollars more to heat their homes. ...The price of natural gas has tripled in the past months and families can expect to spend 30-50% more just to heat their houses. ... And we have increasing evidence, from scientific findings to brutal storms, that we are warming the planet at a rate that can endanger the futures of our children and grandchildren.

These problems will not go away by ignoring them. They certainly will not go away by forming secret energy task forces. But they can be addressed if we roll up our sleeves and go to work together. It will take new technologies and new priorities, but we can do this. We have always, in America, led the way in virtually every new technology, from telephones to electric lights to the personal computer to new miracle drugs. We not only can be, we must be leaders in the energy revolution. We can make better investments in alternative energy. We can make better use of the coal that comes right from Kentucky. We can invest not only in clean coal but in solar and in wind, in fuel cells, biofuels and so much else.

...[T]he same thing is true about healthcare. Now this, as you know, is a subject that I've had some experience with. And I still have the scars to show for it. But I am not sorry that we tried twelve years ago to make sure we provided health care that was affordable and of high quality and available to every American. And in fact, we have the same problems we had back then, don't we? In fact we have more uninsured people and health care premiums are going up by double digit inflation. A twenty percent jump in the past two years.

...I believe, and I have worked to pass legislation which I passed through the Senate just a few weeks ago, that we should have more health information technology that will give us better information about health care, give every one of us a safe, secure, confidential electronic medical record...to learn more about how to take better care of ourselves, reduce medical errors, improve the quality of care, and give us a chance to save billions of dollars in our system.

... But you know as well as I do that to fix health care is going to require more than just computerizing it. We've got to figure out how to help people afford health care. There are many common sense ideas around. Why not let early retirees buy into Medicare? Why not let families buy into the federal government's health care system?...Why not renegotiate the Medicare prescription drug benefit so that, number one, it's understandable, and people actually know what they're buying when they sign up for one of those plans that comes in the mail? And number two, why don't we let Medicare negotiate for lower prices the way the Veteran's Administration was able to do starting in the Clinton Administration?

...[I]t's not only the health care system that's at risk, the health of our economy is also at risk. ...[I]n a short period of time, we have not only piled up a massive debt for our children and our grandchildren, but we have surrendered our fiscal sovereignty to foreign capitals and foreign bankers. Every single month we have to borrow $60 billion. And where do we get that? We get it from Beijing and Seoul and Tokyo and Riyadh.

...If you ever wonder why this Administration can't get tough on China remember, they have to borrow money to feed that debt that they have exploded in the last four years to provide tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.

And apparently they're not finished yet. ...They're pushing an economic plan right now in Washington that is cutting health care, cutting education, cutting so many of the important programs...in order to fund even more tax cuts. ...And then they want to try to conceal and reduce the impact by raising the cost of college loans. By cutting child care to working families. By imposing new burdens on Medicare and people on Medicaid. The president's discovery of poverty in front of a cathedral in New Orleans hasn't even lasted ninety days.

...I know I speak for everyone here when I express our deep and profound gratitude to the men and women of our armed forces. …[T]hey honor our country every day with their courage, their selfless dedication and their success in the battles we send them to fight.

...I think we need a plan for winning and concluding this war, and the President can begin by taking responsibility for the false assurances, faulty evidence and mismanagement of this war. And it is past time for the President, the Vice President, and anyone associated with them to stop impugning the patriotism of their critics.

... America has a big job to do now. We must set reasonable goals to finish what we started and successfully turn over Iraqi security to Iraqis. The elections on December 15 will give us a chance to work with a government that is truly elected to represent all of the Iraqi people. We must deny terrorists the prize they seek in Iraq, and we must repair the damage to our reputation. We must reform our intelligence system so we never go to war on false premises again. We must repair the breech with the Muslim world and we must again work to create international alliances because we cannot win the war against terrorism unless we have more friends than enemies.

I know when America leads with its values and fearlessly faces the facts we do make the best decisions. ...We can make a difference, we can elect Democrats, and when we elect Democrats we elect a better future for America. Thank you and God bless you.

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Kentucky

Hillary Speaks on Iraq

2005-11-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

To: Friends
From: Ann

I want to be sure you see Hillary's response today to questions about Iraq.

November 29, 2005

Dear Friends,

The war in Iraq is on the minds of many of you who have written or who have called my office asking questions and expressing frustration. When the President addresses the nation tomorrow on the war, the American people want and deserve to know how we got there, why we are still there, how we have executed the war and what we should do now. In short, the President must explain his plan for the war in Iraq.

There are no quick and easy solutions to the long and drawn out conflict this Administration triggered that consumes a billion dollars a week, involves 150,000 American troops, and has cost thousands of American lives.

I do not believe that we should allow this to be an open-ended commitment without limits or end. Nor do I believe that we can or should pull out of Iraq immediately. I believe we are at a critical point with the December 15th elections that should, if successful, allow us to start bringing home our troops in the coming year, while leaving behind a smaller contingent in safer areas with greater intelligence and quick strike capabilities. This will advance our interests, help fight terrorism and protect the interests of the Iraqi people.

In October 2002, I voted for the resolution to authorize the Administration to use force in Iraq. I voted for it on the basis of the evidence presented by the Administration, assurances they gave that they would first seek to resolve the issue of weapons of mass destruction peacefully through United Nations sponsored inspections, and the argument that the resolution was needed because Saddam Hussein never did anything to comply with his obligations that he was not forced to do.

Their assurances turned out to be empty ones, as the Administration refused repeated requests from the U.N. inspectors to finish their work. And the "evidence" of weapons of mass destruction and links to al Qaeda turned out to be false.

Based on the information that we have today, Congress never would have been asked to give the President authority to use force against Iraq. And if Congress had been asked, based on what we know now, we never would have agreed, given the lack of a long-term plan, paltry international support, the proven absence of weapons of mass destruction, and the reallocation of troops and resources that might have been used in Afghanistan to eliminate Bin Laden and al Qaeda, and fully uproot the Taliban.

Before I voted in 2002, the Administration publicly and privately assured me that they intended to use their authority to build international support in order to get the U.N. weapons inspectors back into Iraq, as articulated by the President in his Cincinnati speech on October 7th, 2002. As I said in my October 2002 floor statement, I took "the President at his word that he will try hard to pass a U.N. resolution and will seek to avoid war, if at all possible."

Instead, the Bush Administration short-circuited the U.N. inspectors - the last line of defense against the possibility that our intelligence was false. The Administration also abandoned securing a larger international coalition, alienating many of those who had joined us in Afghanistan.

From the start of the war, I have been clear that I believed that the Administration did not have an adequate plan for what lay ahead.

I take responsibility for my vote, and I, along with a majority of Americans, expect the President and his Administration to take responsibility for the false assurances, faulty evidence and mismanagement of the war.

Given years of assurances that the war was nearly over and that the insurgents were in their "last throes," this Administration was either not being honest with the American people or did not know what was going on in Iraq.

As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I heard General Eric Shinseki, the Army Chief of Staff, tell us that it would take several hundred thousand troops to stabilize Iraq. He was subsequently mocked and marginalized by the Bush Administration.

In October 2003, I said "In the last year, however, I have been first perplexed, then surprised, then amazed, and even outraged and always frustrated by the implementation of the authority given the President by this Congress" and "Time and time again, the Administration has had the opportunity to level with the American people. Unfortunately, they haven't been willing to do that."

I have continually raised doubts about the President's claims, lack of planning and execution of the war, while standing firmly in support of our troops.

After my first trip to Iraq in November 2003, I returned troubled by the policies of the Administration and faulted the President for failing to level with the American public. At the Council on Foreign Relations, I chided the President for failing to bring in enough international partners to quell the insurgency.
I spoke out often at the Armed Services Committee to Administration officials pointing out that the estimates they provided about the war, its length and cost lacked even basic credibility.
And I challenged Secretary Rumsfeld more than once that he had no benchmarks to measure actual progress which would lead us to believe we had a strategy that was working.
Last month, I signed a letter with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and dozens of other Democratic Senators voicing strong concerns that, without a solid plan, Iraq could become what it was not before the war: a haven for radical Islamist terrorists determined to attack America, our allies and our interests. The letter asked the Administration "to immediately provide a strategy for success in order to prevent this outcome."
Just a few weeks ago, I joined a bipartisan majority in the United States Senate in voting for an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill calling upon the President and his Administration to provide answers and a plan for the war.
It is time for the President to stop serving up platitudes and present us with a plan for finishing this war with success and honor – not a rigid timetable that terrorists can exploit, but a public plan for winning and concluding the war. And it is past time for the President, Vice President, or anyone else associated with them to stop impugning the patriotism of their critics.

Criticism of this Administration's policies should not in any way be confused with softness against terrorists, inadequate support for democracy or lack of patriotism. I am grateful to the men and women of our armed forces and have been honored to meet them twice in Iraq. They honor our country every day with their courage, selfless dedication, and success in battle. I am also grateful to the thousands of unknown men and women in our security forces and around the world who have been fighting the larger war against terrorism, finding terrorists’ cells, arresting them and working to prevent future attacks. And I applaud the brave people who have been risking their lives every day to bring democracy and peace to Afghanistan and Iraq.

I recently returned from visiting Israel and Jordan, seeing first hand the tragedy of spreading terrorism. As a New York Senator, I believe New York has a special bond with the victims of such terrorism, and we understand both the need to fight terrorism and the need for a clear plan in Iraq so that we can focus our resources in the right ways to prevent it from again reaching our shores.

America has a big job to do now. We must set reasonable goals to finish what we started and successfully turn over Iraqi security to Iraqis. We must deny terrorists the prize they are now seeking in Iraq. We must repair the damage done to our reputation. We must reform our intelligence system so we never go to war on false premises again. We must repair the breach with the Muslim world. And we must continue to fight terrorism wherever it exists.

Like all Americans, I hope the Iraqi elections are a true expression of democracy, one that is committed to majority rule, minority rights, women's rights, and the basic rule of law. I hope these elections will finally put the Iraqi people on the road to real security and independence.

If these elections succeed, we should be able to start drawing down our troops, but we should also plan to continue to help secure the country and the region with a smaller footprint on an as-needed basis. I call on the President both for such a plan and for a full and honest accounting of the failures of intelligence – something we owe not only to those killed and wounded and their families, but to all Americans.

We have to continue the fight against terrorism and make sure we apply America's best values and effective strategies in making our world and country a better and safer place. We have to do what is right and smart in the war against terrorists and pursuit of democracy and security. That means repudiating torture which undermines America's values. That means reforming intelligence and its use by decision makers. That means rejecting the Administration's doctrine of preemptive war and their preference to going it alone rather than building real international support.

I know when America leads with its values and fearlessly faces the facts, we make the best decisions. That is what is missing at the highest levels of our government, and what we desperately need now – answers to the questions about Iraq that only the President can provide. I hope he will level with the American people and provide us those answers in his Annapolis speech and give us the plan that has been sorely lacking.

Sincerely yours,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Women's Health Deserves Science, Not Ideology

2005-11-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

I want to give you an update on Hillary's work on behalf of women's health, trying to ensure that decisions about health care are made on the basis of science and not ideology. We have news to report both on emergency contraception and protecting women against cervical cancer.

Plan B Emergency Contraception
Hillary continues to urge the Food and Drug Administration to issue a decision on access to Plan B emergency contraception, as recommended by the FDA's own scientific and professional staff.

Last week, the Government Accountability Office released a study requested by Senators Clinton and Murray in June 2004 on the FDA's failure to make a decision. According to the GAO report, high-level professional staff at the FDA were told by high-level management that this application would be rejected even before the staff had completed their reviews. The decision to make no decision was made by political appointees - not the scientific and professional staff.

"This long-awaited report leaves no question that science was compromised in the FDA's decision making process on Plan B," Senators Clinton and Murray said.

Protecting Women and Girls from Cervical Cancer
Now Hillary has called on Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt to ensure that decisions about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine are made on the basis of science - not politics.

Almost 14,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and more than 3,900 die of the disease.

In her letter to Secretary Leavitt, Hillary wrote:

[R]ecent press reports indicate that certain organizations are beginning to mobilize against the vaccine, arguing - without scientific evidence - that it may encourage sexual activity among youth. ...I too believe our children and the public health at large are best served when young people abstain from sex. But it would be unconscionable to withhold the HPV vaccine, which holds tremendous promise to protect against the devastating disease of cervical cancer, for political or ideological reasons.

Thank you to the thousands who signed our petition supporting Hillary's call to the FDA. We'll continue to keep you informed of her work in this and other issues. And thank you, as always, for being a Friend of Hillary!

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

I Knew I Could Count on You

2005-11-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends:

I knew I could count on you. The response to the $1 a Week Pledge to Election Day 2006 has been overwhelming, and I am so very grateful. Thank you for your support for my campaign for re-election - an election now less than a year away.

Together, we need to continue to work to get America back on the right track. As my opponents and their "Stop Hillary Now" allies go on the attack, I want you to know that I'm not backing down.

Our nation cannot continue on the course set by George W. Bush and the Republican controlled Congress. From the budget...to the costs of energy and health care...to their failure to build a national security policy that would make our country stronger, this administration and their congressional allies are taking us in the wrong direction.

We must stop them before it's too late.

Your response to my campaign tells me that you're ready to fight back. So many of you stepped forward to contribute $1 per week that I know you share my determination to keep fighting for the issues and the values we care about. And if you haven't contributed yet, I hope you will consider doing so now:

$51 contribution - just $1 per week to Election Day

Again, I want to thank all of you who have already made that $1 per week contribution and those who are going to do it today. Your support is going to make the difference.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

$51 contribution - just $1 per week to Election Day

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

KDP Fundraiser Featuring Hillary Clinton

2005-11-16T14:03:00.000-08:00

I got this in email and wanted to pass it on:

Fellow Democrats,

In just 17 days Democrats from across the Commonwealth will come together to begin to rally for the effort to elect competent, respectable and honest leadership to our government at every level. We are honored to have as our special guest United States Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Judging from the out cry from the Republicans, we know we have found the correct key by securing Senator Clinton’s appearance.

We need and invite your support.

As an example, we Democrats are anxious to correct the mistake of an opportunist State Representative from Christian County, who after accepting substancial direct financial assistance from our Party to win an election, switched his party registration. Now a Republican, you can play a role in holding him accountable and help run Rep. Carr in the ditch. Furthermore, Kentucky Democrats will not allow this arrogant State Senate President to leave the good people in their Louisville senate district unrepresented for more than a year without a final remedy. Kentucky Democrats will not allow the corruption, waste, fraud and abuse brought by Ernie Fletcher and Steve Pence to go unchecked. We fully support State Auditor Crit Luallen and Attorney General Greg Stumbo’s efforts to up hold their constitutional responsibilities to uncover the Fletcher Pence wrong doings. We will not allow them to hide behind the smoke screens of pardons and finger pointing spin.

President Bush and his radical allies in Washington have squandered opportunity and disgraced the United States. Kentucky Democrats will not allow Republicans to misrepresent Kentucky Families anymore by under funding post-secondary education, cutting health care benefits for state employees and our children’s teachers, and continuing their corruption within the Governor’s office without repercussion. Democrats are preparing to put an end these untruthful, cowardly and disrespectable acts.

Help us defeat the corrupt Republicans who misrepresent you.

As an organization, the Kentucky Democratic Party is committed to finding a way to return Kentucky to the sensible and responsible leadership that focuses on the core values that made the Commonwealth what it is today. It is time for Kentucky’s elected officials to focus on the issues that matter most to Kentuckians and affect their everyday lives. We are committed to finding and supporting Democratic candidates in Kentucky who will put Kentucky’s future ahead of partisan politics. It is our obligation and pledge to Kentucky citizens to find leaders who will work for them!

We cannot succeed without your help.

Don't miss your opportunity to meet the Honorable Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton! Seating is very limited and seating will be sold on a first come first serve basis.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS NOW!

If you have any questions or need assistance, please call 502-695-4828 and ask for Jamie Emmons, Kate Wood or the staff at our KDP offices.

Thank you for your support,

Jerry Lundergan, State Chairman
The Kentucky Democratic Party

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Countdown

2005-11-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

When Republicans strengthened control of the White House and Congress last year, we knew it would be bad - we just didn't know it would be this bad, this fast.

Who knew Vice President Cheney would start lobbying for the right to torture?

Who knew President Bush would immediately have the opportunity to fill two Supreme Court vacancies?

Who knew the nightmare in store for at-risk communities when the Bush Administration entrusted FEMA to Michael Brown?

The good news is that the 2006 elections are now less than a year away, and last week, Americans declared that they are ready for change. From electing Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey to defeating anti-worker initiatives in California, voters rejected Bush Administration policies and GOP negative politics.

I need your help to continue our fight to get America back on the right track. Please let me know you will be with me week in and week out by contributing $51 today - that's just $1 a week for this critical election year.

$51 contribution - just $1 per week to Election Day

In my own re-election in 2006, I'm facing personal attacks and distortions of my record, from national and state Republicans and - we have been promised - a host of "independent" groups.

As Republican budgeters try to cut funds for food stamps and health care, I've been attacked for refusing to go along with George W. Bush's irresponsible, top heavy tax cuts!

And they're right; I won't go along.

I'll continue to speak up against budgets which would make the most vulnerable Americans pay for irresponsible Bush economic policies. I'll continue to speak out for a sensible energy policy, one that asks the large oil companies to continue to help meet the soaring costs of home heating oil and develop alternative energy sources.

I'll continue to speak out for American values and insist that nominees to the Supreme Court defend our precious constitutional rights and liberties - with your support.

$51 contribution - just $1 per week to Election Day

The GOP has declared me their #1 target for the 2006 election. And they will have millions of dollars to get their attacks out.

I am determined to wage a positive and effective campaign - one that emphasizes our shared ideas, our energy, our values and our vision. And I promise you we will fight back hard against any negative attacks that come my way.

Your contribution of $51 will help make the difference.

$51 contribution - just $1 per week to Election Day

Thank you for your continued support - week in and week out. I am so glad to know I can count on you.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

P.S. As Karl Rove wrote in an e-mail to a New York Republican one year ago, "We have to do something about her." Well, I'm going to do something about that - with your help. I hope I'll have your support.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Clinton Beats Rice

2005-11-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

According to an article MSNBC:

When asked who would win if Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ran against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nation's highest office, the Democratic former First Lady got the nod by 53.5 percent, to 31.8 percent for Rice.

The article also goes on to say that we shouldn't expect a woman president in 2008. While I do hope that Hillary runs, I can honestly say that I will support her just as much in 2012 as I will in 2008.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

At Work for Our Values

2005-11-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Speaking at the funeral of Rosa Parks this week, Hillary said, "We all need to remember that we can all have Rosa Parks moments. Every time we stand up for someone who is being mistreated, every time we turn away from prejudice and bigotry, every time we support those who are on the front lines fighting for our rights, we are part of Rosa Parks and her legacy."

To see the entire text of her remarks, visit hillaryclinton.com.

Here are some other projects Hillary's working on:

Protecting Children around Vehicles
On Monday, October 31, she introduced bipartisan legislation with Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY) to improve child safety in new cars by installing already available technology that will enable drivers to detect the presence of a person behind their vehicle and prevent the kind of accident that kills hundreds of young children a year.

"These tragedies are heart wrenching," Hillary said, "not only due to the unimaginable suffering these families endure, but because they are preventable. ...With modest, cost effective steps, we can prevent scores of terrible automobile accidents from occurring across our nation."

A Budget that Reflects Our Values
Hillary voted against the Republican budget, saying, "While the proponents of this budget will claim that their proposal is a solid step forward in reducing the deficit, in reality what they will only achieve is the partial financing of their tax cut agenda on the backs of seniors on Medicare, those living in poverty on Medicaid and low income housing residents."

And she spoke out about the report of the President's advisory panel on federal tax reform, which recommended elimination of the state and local tax deduction. She pointed out that such a move would further burden middle class tax payers as well as "every municipality in the nation that depends on these taxes to fund essential public services, ranging from education to public safety."

Preparing for a Flu Outbreak
And she responded to the President Bush's announcement of a pandemic flu plan, pointing out that "our nation is simply not prepared to handle a major flu outbreak, let alone a pandemic.

"...The fact is that this Administration has not supported necessary funding to repair our broken public health infrastructure, to enable state and local health departments to not only combat the threat of pandemic influenza, but the real-life conditions which they face every day."

November 8 Is Election Day
If there are elections in your community on Tuesday, November 8, please be sure to cast vote. And thanks, as always for being a Friend of Hillary.

Thank you,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

A Call for Action on Emergency Contraception

2005-10-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Will you join me in supporting Hillary's work calling for a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision on Plan B emergency contraception that is based on science, not ideology?

Last August, after two years of delays and inaction, the FDA once again refused to make a decision on the application to make Plan B emergency contraception available over the counter. This last-minute delaying tactic came even though Hillary and Senator Patty Murray had been promised a decision by August.

The FDA has refused to make a decision even though their own scientific advisory panels voted overwhelmingly to approve the application - putting ideology over science so egregiously that Dr. Susan Woods, Director of the Office of Women's Health and a widely-respected voice for scientific integrity and women's health at the FDA, resigned in protest.

Instead, the FDA once again called for additional "public comment" by November 1. Well, I think it's time they heard from the public. With just one week before the public comment period ends, let's tell the FDA that American women are entitled to a decision.

Please sign our petition and submit your comments:
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/FDA/

Join us to insist that the FDA make a decision now and make it based on scientific evidence. Stop endless delays that have badly damaged the FDA's reputation and put women's health at risk.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/FDA

The available scientific evidence is compelling. Emergency contraception (EC) helps prevent thousands of unintended pregnancies every year, without increasing the rate of unprotected sex. Researchers estimate that if made available over-the-counter, emergency contraception could prevent as many as half of the 3 million unintended pregnancies in the U.S. annually.

The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and more than 70 other organizations have voiced their support for making Plan B available over-the-counter, as the FDA scientific panels recommend.

Hillary has joined with Senator Patty Murray to do everything in their power to make the FDA live up to its responsibility and give American women a decision. Let's give them the support that their leadership deserves and that this critical issue demands.

Thank you,

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. We will present this petition and your comments to the FDA on November 1. The more names we have, the louder the voice they will hear. So please forward this e-mail to your friends and ask them to sign. Let the FDA know American women deserve real science and real health care options!

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Increase the Vaccine Supply

2005-10-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Hillary is working to increase the supply of vaccine to help meet the dangers of a worldwide flu epidemic and avian flu outbreak.

"Before we can be prepared to handle a response to a pandemic or avian flu outbreak, we need to make fundamental fixes to our flu vaccine infrastructure - and the clock is ticking," she said. "We need to ensure an adequate and consistent vaccine supply by encouraging more vaccine manufacturers to enter and stay in the United State market."

Hillary has introduced legislation with Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) to ensure adequate supplies of flu vaccine, to help prevent recurring shortages of vaccine and strengthen the vaccine delivery infrastructure to be able to respond to a crisis. The legislation would establish market guarantees, enabling the federal government to purchase, stockpile and buy back stores of vaccine, and increase research into vaccine development alternatives.

This week, Hillary called on Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt to act immediately and address the delivery problems being faced by state and local health departments to make flu vaccine available and increase communication and outreach efforts to enable state and local providers to meet the needs of vulnerable patients.

"We still don't have the flu vaccine production and distribution infrastructure we need to ensure a stable supply and demand for season flu vaccine, raising serious concerns about our ability to respond to a flu pandemic or an outbreak of avian flu," she wrote Secretary Leavitt. "It is imperative that we have a seasonal flu vaccine production and delivery system in place that works."

Hillary has pledged to keep working with Sen. Roberts to focus attention on their bipartisan bill, the Influenza Vaccine Security Act, and make the reforms needed to strengthen our current public health system.

Please continue to stay in touch with us for more information about Hillary's work on this and other issues, and thank you, as always, for being a Friend of Hillary.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Campaign Ad for Hillary?

2005-10-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

Whatever keeps them busy :)

Conservative conspiracy theorists speculate that the hit ABC drama Commander in Chief -- starring Geena Davis as President -- doubles as a campaign ad for Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Via CNN.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Thank You For Being There

2005-10-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I want you to know how pleased and gratified I am by the support for our end-of-September fundraising drive. We have taken another big step toward building that community of friends and allies that will enable us to meet the challenges of our 2006 re-election campaign.

The response I received tells me that we will be ready to meet those challenges...ready to respond to the attacks that have already started and will only intensify...ready to carry our positive message of hope and opportunity into one of the most critical election years America has ever known.

Every day, I do my best to be there for you, to give expression to the values we share and the issues we care about. Working together, we will make the difference!

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

She Deserves It!

2005-10-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame:

Inspired by Alan Shepard, the first American to journey into space, a 14-year-old from suburban Chicago wrote a letter to NASA in 1961 asking what she needed to do to become an astronaut.

She got a curt reply: Girls are not being recruited by the nation's space program.

"It had never crossed my mind up until that point that there might be doors closed to me simply because I was a girl," recalled the letter writer, better known today as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, as she was enshrined Saturday in the National Women's Hall of Fame, along with nine other inductees.

Via CNN.

Tags: Hillary, Hillary Clinton

Hillary and the Hall of Fame

2005-10-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends:

Tomorrow, October 8, Hillary will be inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY, site of the first women's rights convention ever held in America. As she said in 1998, "Much of...what women can do today can be traced to the courage, vision and dedication of the pioneers who came together at Seneca Falls. Now it is our responsibility to finish the work they began."

Today, Hillary continues that work in the United States Senate:

She is a strong supporter of our constitutional right to choose and of increasing women's access to reproductive health care so that abortion will be "safe, legal and rare." She has criticized the refusal of the Bush Administration to make emergency contraception more available, as recommended by its own scientific panels, and with Senator Patty Murray, she has called for a GAO review of this decision.
Hillary co-sponsored the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act and worked to ensure that it passed the Senate without weakening amendments. She pointed out the bill "focuses resources and attention on some of the most vulnerable women in our society - women who too often suffer in silence."
She is the principal sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act of 2005, which would strengthen enforcement of equal pay laws. As she wrote in a letter to President Bush, co-signed by other members of Congress, "By empowering people with relevant information, ensuring...access to data...and aggressively enforcing equal pay laws...we can make a real difference for working women." And Hillary opposes attempts by the White House to weaken the Family and Medical Leave Act, which has made an important difference for millions of families.
Hillary is a strong advocate for Title IX, which ensures equal access to education and sports for young women in school and opposes attempts to weaken it. She received the Presidential Award from the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports.
Hillary has worked in Congress to ensure recognition for women's achievements. She was the principal sponsor for legislation awarding the Congressional gold medal to Dr. Dorothy Height, and this year she successfully sponsored legislation to rename a federal post office building in honor of former Congresswoman Shirley A. Chisholm, "who blazed a trail so that others might follow."

With her induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame, along with Betty Bumpers, co-founder of Every Child by Two; Dr Rita Colwell, former head of the National Science Foundation; and architect Maya Lin, Hillary will be recognized for her work on behalf of women around the world, promoting the importance of access to education, health care and political participation. As she said at the United Nations International Conference on Women in 1995, in a statement that continues to reverberate today:

"Human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights."

For more information about Hillary's work on these and other issues, please go to www.hillaryclinton.com. Thank you again for your interest and support.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary

What Winning Campaigns Do

2005-09-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Yesterday, Hillary wrote asking you to send as generous a donation as possible to help her with an impressive display of grassroots support before our September 30 reporting deadline for her 2006 re-election campaign. That deadline is now just hours away. And, if you haven't acted, I urge you to do so now.

https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com

In her message, Hillary told us that "winning campaigns rise to every challenge." And that's just what our Friends of Hillary network is doing. So many friends have joined us already to help counter attacks from four Republican opponents, Republican campaign committees, and outside interest groups - all vying to take the lead in Hillary's defeat.

Leaders like Hillary Clinton don't come along often. When they do, they deserve our determined, energetic support. (And I can assure you, the other side has noticed - that's why they are trying so hard to stop her!) If you haven't acted yet, I urge you to make a personal statement of your support for Hillary's re-election right now as we count down the final hours to a vitally important deadline.

https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com

If you haven't participated yet in this important grassroots drive, I hope you will do so now. Together, we'll make it clear that we intend to stand with Hillary in her re-election campaign, just as clearly as she stands up for our values in the U.S. Senate.

Thanks so much for all you do.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary

Learning the Hard Way

2005-09-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

If there is one lesson we've learned the hard way, it is this: elections matter.

Their outcome deeply affects the direction our country takes - from the health and safety of our families to the makeup of the Supreme Court, from the future of Social Security to our need for a national energy policy, for the sake of our economy and our national security!

It has now become absolutely clear that the 2006 elections will present the American people with fundamental choices about our country's future. Through our New York Senate race, you and I have a central role in these critical elections.

We have to be there for one another every step of the way.

Right now, with a vitally important September 30th deadline at hand, is an especially important moment. If we are to campaign from a position of strength, we have to demonstrate that we are ready, willing and able to take on the full array of candidates, Republican party committees, and outside interest groups aligned against us.

https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com

That's why I am so excited about the strong grassroots support our campaign has attracted. Hundreds of thousands of people have already added their energy and passion to our efforts - including thousands who have participated this week as our critical end of September reporting deadline approaches.

If you have already taken part this week, please accept my thanks. If not, there is still time for you to act, and I hope you can do so quickly.

https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com

Winning campaigns rise to every challenge thrown in their path. Our challenge right now is meeting the September 30th deadline with proof that we are capable of holding our own as one candidate confronting four opponents. There is too much at stake in these upcoming elections to do anything less. I promise you that I will do everything I can to carry our efforts forward. I know that you will do the same, and I am so pleased to know that we will be working together.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary

"Hillary is going to be all right"

2005-09-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

It's four Republicans campaigning against one Democratic Senator.

We always knew there would be a time in Hillary's re-election campaign when she'd face more than one opponent. I didn't know it would come so soon! There are now four candidates for the Republican nomination for Senate. They aren't talking about their own ideas - they are out there full-time launching attacks against Hillary.

And that's not even counting the "Stop Hillary" drives by the national Republican Party and right-wing groups that have made Hillary their number one target.

This week, with a critical deadline fast approaching, you have the opportunity to make sure Hillary can hold her own against them all.

https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com

The deadline for the end of September Federal Election Commission reporting period is Friday at midnight. This is an especially important filing - the first time that the strength of our campaign will be measured against a full field of Republican opponents.

Let's use these next three days to demonstrate that, no matter what her opponents throw at her, Hillary has strong grassroots supporters willing to stand by her every step of the way.

We all know how powerfully and clearly Hillary Clinton leads on issues that matter: leading the effort to create an Independent Katrina Commission, calling for a sensible energy policy, strengthening the integrity of our elections with her Count Every Vote initiative, and voting against the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court.

As a leader in the Senate and advocate for our values, Hillary is indispensable. That's why I was surprised the other day when a friend told me she wasn't planning to contribute because "Hillary is going to be all right."

Now, there is no bigger fan of Hillary's strength and capability than me. But that doesn't mean we can leave her to fight all by herself. We cannot take the chance of leaving Hillary to face attacks from four candidates while we watch from the sidelines!

I can't emphasize enough how essential it is that we generate a powerful display of grassroots support for Senator Clinton before our Friday night deadline. I urge you to do your part to help.

https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com

The 2006 elections are far too important for us to do less than our best - and to stand by our best, to help strong Democratic candidates every step of the way. That includes making sure that the Senator who is certain to draw more attacks than anyone can count on our support.

Please do what you can today.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. Hillary is so committed to the importance of the 2006 elections that - even as she prepares her own re-election campaign - she has told us she wants to support other Democratic candidates however she can. That's one more powerful reason for you to give her the help she needs in this campaign.

Tags: Hillary

No on Roberts

2005-09-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends:

With the future of women's rights, civil rights, and privacy rights at stake, I cannot vote to confirm John Roberts.

I have an obligation to my constituents to make sure that I cast my vote for Chief Justice of the United States for someone I am convinced will be steadfast in protecting fundamental women's rights, civil rights, privacy rights, and who will respect the appropriate separation of powers among the three branches. After the Judiciary Hearings, I believe the record on these matters has been left unclear. That uncertainty means as a matter of conscience, I cannot vote to confirm despite Judge Roberts' long history of public service.

In one memo, for example, Judge Roberts argued that Congress has the power to deny the Supreme Court the right to hear appeals from lower courts on constitutional claims involving flag burning, abortion, and other matters. He wrote that the United States would be far better off with fifty different interpretations of the right to choose than with what he called the "judicial excesses embodied in Roe v. Wade."

When questioned about his legal memoranda, Judge Roberts claimed they did not necessarily reflect his views and that he was merely making the best possible case for his clients or responding to a superior's request that he make a particular argument. It is hard to believe he has no opinion on so many critical issues after years as a Justice Department and White House lawyer, appellate advocate and judge.

It is telling that President Bush has said the Justices he most admires are the two most conservative justices, Justices Thomas and Scalia. It is not unreasonable to believe that the President has picked someone in Judge Roberts whom he believes holds a similarly conservative philosophy, and that voting as a bloc they could further limit the power of the Congress, expand the purview of the Executive, and overturn key rulings like Roe v. Wade.

I will, therefore, vote against his confirmation. My desire to maintain the already fragile Supreme Court majority for civil rights, voting rights and women's rights outweighs the respect I have for Judge Roberts' intellect, character, and legal skills.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tags: Hillary

For an Independent Katrina Commission

2005-09-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends:

Here's an update on some of Hillary's current work:

She is leading an effort in the Senate to establish an independent panel to investigate the inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina, saying, "Only through an independent Katrina Commission will we ever be able to know that no storm or act of terrorism will ever again leave us so unable to respond."

Republicans defeated the effort on a party-line vote, but Hillary and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said they will continue to work for an independent panel. And Hillary will also continue work on her legislation establishing FEMA as an independent agency once again, with competent professional leadership.

Hillary co-sponsored legislation which was unanimously approved by the Senate, requiring the Federal Trade Commission to begin an immediate investigation into the cause of soaring gas prices following Katrina. The provision, which she co-sponsored with Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), is part of the appropriations bill for the Commerce, Justice, and State Departments and calls for a report to Congress and recommendations for action within 30 days. On Wednesday, the FTC announced that it would begin such a probe.

"No one anywhere in the country should be able to get away with profiteering from a disaster like Hurricane Katrina," Hillary said in comments reported in the Buffalo News. "This investigation will help make sure that New Yorkers and consumers around the country are not gouged at the gas pump."

On Tuesday, Hillary hosted her annual New York Farm Day, showcasing New York agricultural products, award winning wines, and restaurants on Capitol Hill. In the last three years, this event has become one of the most popular receptions in Washington, bringing new appreciation and new markets for New York farmers, vineyards and chefs.

And Hillary is speaking out on behalf of Democratic candidates. Last week, she endorsed the candidacy of Freddy Ferrer, the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York. As the New York Times reported, she said "He believes that if you're given an opportunity in life, you have an obligation to make sure the door stays open behind you. Now these are not only Freddy's values, these are Democratic values."

For more information about Hillary's work on these issues and so many more, you can always check in with our web site at www.hillaryclinton.com. And thank you, as always, for being a Friend of Hillary!

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

Tags: Hillary

What Are They Scared Of?

2005-09-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

This from NewsFlash:

Senate Republicans on Wednesday scuttled an attempt by Sen. Hillary Clinton to establish an independent, bipartisan panel patterned after the 9/11 Commission to investigate what went wrong with federal, state and local governments' response to Hurricane Katrina.

The New York Democrat's bid to establish the panel — which would have also made recommendations on how to improve the government's disaster response apparatus — failed to win the two-thirds majority needed to overcome procedural hurdles. Clinton got only 44 votes, all from Democrats and independent Sen. Jim Jeffords of Vermont. Fifty-four Republicans all voted no.

"Just as with 9/11, we did not get to the point where we believed we understood what happened until an independent investigation was conducted," Clinton said.

Hat Tip: ISOU

Tags: Hillary, Hurricane Katrina

Time for Action

2005-09-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends:

Hillary is speaking out about the need to take action in the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Appearing on four morning television shows today and talking to reporters, she spoke of meeting with hurricane victims in Houston:

"At every turn I encountered our fellow citizens with desperate questions and few answers," she said. "Certainly there was nobody in charge at the federal government, and there was nobody willing to take responsibility to work with state and local officials."

Hillary has introduced legislation to restore FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to Cabinet-level, independent status, as it was in the Clinton Administration. "The bureaucracy created by moving FEMA under the Department of Homeland Security is clearly not working..." she said

For a copy of Hillary's complete statement, please visit www.hillaryclinton.com.

"FEMA was the lead agency during the Clinton Administration. It was in charge. ...FEMA took on the role of helping to prepare localities and states to be in a position to respond. ...That philosophy...was rejected by this administration. ...[FEMA] was basically taken apart and denied funding."

Hillary also called for an independent Katrina Commission to provide a comprehensive evaluation of what could have been and should have been done to avoid the extraordinary damage, loss of life and inadequate relief problems that have contributed to the suffering of so many thousands of Americans.

"This was a massive disaster but there were certainly enough warnings and enough people who had given warnings to the government before. ...I want an independent commission to investigate because I don't believe it's appropriate for this government to investigate itself, and because I think we should focus on recovery efforts. ...I believe we owe the people better. ...I think we owe the American people answers."

Asked this morning on the Today Show where the money to rebuild should come from, Hillary said:

"It comes from the first instance in not making those tax cuts for rich people like us permanent. You know, it means let's get back to shared sacrifice. Let's take care of each other. Let's plan for the future. Let's do what is necessary to put Americans first again."

Working together, we can do it. Thank you, for your interest and support.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis

P.S. If you haven't yet made a contribution to hurricane relief, please do it now. You can select an aid agency to support at www.hillaryclinton.com.

Tag: Hillary

Hillary calls for Independent Investigation

2005-09-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hillary calls for an investigation after the lack of response by FEMA and other agencies the first few days after Hurricane Katrina:

Even as they called for investigations of the government's response, several Democratic senators said it was already clear that Brown, the FEMA director, should go.

Bush should have appointed a director with more experience, said Hillary Rodham Clinton on CBS' "The Early Show."

Clinton, who also appeared on ABC and NBC Wednesday, urged the appointment of an independent investigative panel along the lines of the September 11 commission.

She bristled when asked about Republican accusations that she was trying to capitalize on a natural disaster to help her political career.

"You know, the questions that have been raised about the competence and the effectiveness of this administration certainly are not limited to what's happened with Katrina," she said on NBC's "Today." "And every time anyone raises any kind of legitimate criticism and asks questions, they're attacked."

Via CNN.

Tag: Hillary

Our Thoughts, Our Prayers, Our Help

2005-09-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

As we learn more about the destruction and loss caused by Hurricane Katrina, I know each of us is thinking about what we can do. If you have not already made a contribution to aid in hurricane relief efforts, I hope that you will do so by going to:

https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp

As I said yesterday when I visited the Red Cross office in New York, my heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the victims of Hurricane Katrina, who are faced with not only devastating personal losses, but also with the widespread destruction of their communities.

New Yorkers will never forget the generosity that descended upon New York City four years ago in our time of need, nor the enormous difference it made in our efforts to cope and to rebuild in the face of great tragedy.

I'm going to the New York State Fair in Syracuse tomorrow, and will be talking about Katrina, and how we can work together to reach out to the people who have lost so much. If you're going to the Fair, I hope you'll come by to say hello. And please join me in sending our thoughts, our prayers and our help.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tag: Hillary

Devastation as Far as the Eye Could See

2005-08-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Hillary went to Alaska last week with a bipartisan congressional delegation to see the effects of climate change first hand, and to speak out about the need for action to limit greenhouse gas emissions. She has some strong words for what she found:

"The signal from Alaska and the Yukon is clear," Hillary said. "Climate change is happening; it will impact all of us; and its time that we took meaningful steps to address it...we can't afford to live in an evidence-free zone where science takes a back seat to ideology."

The delegation, including Senators Collins (R-ME), Graham (R-SC) and McCain (R-AZ), met with scientists and Inupiaq Eskimo residents who spoke of rising sea levels, melting permafrost and shrinking glaciers. They flew over forests ravaged by spruce beetles, who were moving north as the climate changes. "We saw devastation as far as the eye could see. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that this is related to warming," Hillary said.

The Anchorage Daily News reported Hillary "was struck by the account of a 93 year old woman she met at a fish camp...The woman told her she'd been fishing there her whole life but that lately the fish have strange bumps on them, growths Clinton said sounded like some sort of tumor."

And these concerns aren't limited to Alaska. "The changes are signs of things coming elsewhere in the globe," Hillary said.

A rise in sea level would increase the risk of flooding to natural systems like beaches and wetlands, and structures such as buildings and transportation, damaging agriculture, ecosystems and water resources. As the New York Sun reported in an article on Hillary's trip, "Dr Cynthia Rosenzweig of Columbia [University] said climate change could also lead to more severe periods of drought in New York, added energy costs and worsening public health."

"I don't think there is any doubt for anyone who actually looks at the science," Hillary said. "Unfortunately there are still many in Washington who refuse to acknowledge the science because it does not fit their agendas."

"We need to take concrete steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Hillary said, "and I will work in the Senate to pass legislation that will achieve this goal." Hillary was a strong supporter of a resolution passed by the Senate calling for legislation to enact a mandatory emissions reduction program, and she is a cosponsor of "The Climate Stewardship and Innovation Bill," sponsored by Senators McCain (R-AZ) and Lieberman (D-CT) which would limit and eventually cap emissions from utilities and industries.

Climate change is just one of the issues Hillary will be working on this fall as the Senate gets back to work, and we'll continue to keep you informed.

Sincerely,

Ann Lewis
Friends of Hillary

Tag: Hillary

Hillary: global warming science "overwhelming"

2005-08-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

The Guardian reports Senator Clinton said:

"It's a little scary ... I don't think there's any doubt left for anybody who actually looks at the science. There are still some holdouts, but they're fighting a losing battle. The science is overwhelming."

Cross-posted at Hillary Now.

Hillary On Global Warming

2005-08-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Four senators, including Hillary Clinton, are calling on Congress to cap U.S. greenhouse gas emissions:

Sens. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, told reporters Wednesday in Anchorage that Inupiat Eskimo residents in Barrow have found their ancestral land and traditional lifestyle disrupted by disappearing sea ice, thawing permafrost, increased coastal erosion and changes to wildlife habitat.

Heat-stimulated beetle infestation also has killed vast amounts of the spruce forest in the Yukon Territory, they said.

Such observations provide more ammunition in the fight for a bill, co-sponsored by McCain and Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Connecticut, to cap U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, McCain said. That bill repeatedly has failed to pass the Senate.

"People around the country are going to demand it," McCain said. "It's the special interests versus the people's interest."

Of course, Bush supports a voluntary plan for industry to cut greenhouse gas output. He has no interest in biting the hands that feed him, regardless of what it is doing to our environment.

Via CNN.

Tag: Hillary

Pirro, Cox, Spencer and Brenner - Oh my!

2005-08-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

It's August and things are heating up! There are now four people vying for the Republican nomination to run against Hillary for the United States Senate. The latest is Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who launched her campaign last week.

Eventually, one of these four candidates will emerge as Hillary's opponent. Until that happens, we'll face attacks from four different directions. That's why Hillary needs your immediate help to fight back.

Make a Contribution

It seems as if the race for the Republican nomination is little more than a contest to see who can best attack Senator Clinton. Pirro wasted no time in joining the mudslinging, accusing Senator Clinton of not working for New Yorkers, and starting her campaign with a string of insults.

Meanwhile, Edward Cox, son-in-law to former president Richard Nixon, continues to attack Hillary for what he calls her "extreme" positions on health care, abortion, and taxes. And former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer went so far as to accuse Hillary of "aiding and comforting the enemy" when she asked Secretary Rumsfeld about divisive comments made by White House aide Karl Rove. There's also tax lawyer William Brenner whose campaign touts him as the "anti-Hillary."

We know Hillary's Republican opponents will be well-financed. In 2000, Rudolph Giuliani spent $20 million to run against Hillary and Rick Lazio spent $40 million more. Between Republican candidates, party organizations and efforts like the "Stop Hillary Now" attack machine, we will see an even more aggressive effort to weaken and defeat Hillary over the next 18 months.

According to news reports, Pirro's candidacy may be the result of urging from White House officials and national Republican Party operatives who have made Hillary their number one target in 2006. This May, the New York Times reported:

Ken Mehlman, the chairman of the Republican National Committee and President Bush's campaign manager last year, recently called Ms. Pirro and urged her to run for the Senate, her advisers said. Deputies of Karl Rove, the president's chief political strategist, also pointed to Ms. Pirro as a natural choice against Mrs. Clinton during a meeting with New York Republicans last week.

It's absolutely essential that our campaign has the resources to fight back. With Republicans revving up their anti-Hillary efforts into high gear, we need your immediate help.

Make a Contribution

They know they can't beat Hillary by running against her record. Hillary has been working her heart out for New York. She helped win $20 billion in reconstruction and homeland security funds following 9/11 attacks, and fought for resources to cover the screening and monitoring of 9/11 workers and volunteers at Ground Zero. Because of Hillary's work, the new transportation bill includes billions for badly needed transportation projects in New York. She's launched an innovative "Farm to Fork" initiative that links upstate and Long Island farmers to New York City restaurateurs and helped to advance an "eBay university" that allows upstate craftspeople to use the power of the Internet to build their businesses. Now Hillary is fighting to protect children from violent and inappropriate video games like Grand Theft Auto.

Hillary continues to be a strong advocate for New York's children and families and a persuasive voice on the most critical issues facing America. Don't let the Republican piling on undermine the political strength of a Senator who has been effective and straightforward. Don't let Republican attacks define the political landscape in 2006. Send Hillary your help right now.

Sincerely,

Patti Solis Doyle

Tag: Hillary

Republicans build "tunnel back to the 19th century"

2005-08-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

In Hillary's speech to the DLC a while back, she said:

"After more than four years of Republican control, our government has not only gone off track, it has reversed course. They turned our bridge to the 21st century into a tunnel back to the 19th century."

From Hillary Now.

"Counter Clinton Library" fails

2005-08-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

A Newsmax darling, the Counter Clinton Library, planned for construction near the actual Clinton Library in Arkansas, has failed. "I'm giving up," backer Richard Erickson told AP. He said most of the donations to the library had been eaten up in administrative costs. One really must beware which negativity-based "charity" one donates to, I suppose.

From Hillary Now.

Senate candidate Pirro speechless

2005-08-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

It could happen to anyone, but when the White House-selected candidate for New York Senate loses her place in a diatribe against Hillary Clinton, you bet I laugh.

Hat tip, washingtonrox. Cross-posted at Hillary Now.

Hillary Focussing On 2006

2005-08-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

Bill Clinton addressed Pirro's allegations in an interview earlier this week:

"Jeanine Pirro is wrong. Hillary has not used any doormat and, by the way, she doesn't even have a Republican opponent yet. I don't know who the Republicans are going to nominate," Clinton told CNN.

In her speech formally launching her Senate campaign Wednesday, Pirro, a three-term district attorney in Westchester County, said Mrs. Clinton is out of touch with New Yorkers.

"She asked us to put out a welcome mat, and New York did. But now she wants to use New York as a doormat to the White House," Pirro said. "If Hillary wants to be president, she should be honest with herself and her constituents and say so." (Full story)

The former president said his wife has "been a great senator for New York," and that New Yorkers "know she's been a good senator."

"I think the people will support her service in the election next year. That's what I think's going to happen."

Recent polls show Hillary Clinton is widely popular in the state and heavily favored to win re-election in 2006.

Her husband said the family follows a key political rule: "Don't look past the next election or you might not get past the next election."

So, he said, his wife is focusing on continuing her service for New York, not the 2008 presidential election.

Via CNN.

Tag: Hillary

Pirro Challenging Clinton

2005-08-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

Jeanine Pirro, in an effort to undermine Hillary Clinton's base and disparage her commitment to the citizens of New York, is claiming that Hillary is just using New York as a doormat to the White House. Honestly, I think she is worried that people will focus on her husband.

Pirro, 54, serving her third elected term as district attorney in affluent Westchester County, just north of New York City, has her own liability -- her husband, Albert, who served 17 months of a 29-month prison sentence for tax fraud.
Leaving prison in 2002, Albert Pirro spent six of the 17 months in a halfway house and was released early because of good behavior and finishing a drug and alcohol treatment program.

Via CNN.

Tag: Hillary

Hillary For Women's Health

2005-07-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hillary joins other female senators urging the FDA to consider the health and safety of women first:

A bipartisan group of nine female senators -- including California Democrat Dianne Feinstein and Maine Republican Olympia Snowe -- on Thursday sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford urging the agency to consider women's health safety in its final decision on the implants.

The senators said the in letter they are "extremely concerned that the risks of this device are far disproportionate to the benefit that a woman undergoing breast augmentation would realize."

"Silicone implants, while providing a prosthetic with more natural characteristics, bear greater risks than saline implants," the letter said, citing interference with mammographies and the inability to detect ruptures without MRI scans.

The senators noted "limitations" with safety data provided by Mentor. They also cited a 2000 FDA study that found a failure rate of 55 percent in women who had silicone implants for an average of 16 years.

"FDA does not know the true failure rate for Mentor's device, nor the implications of implant rupture," the letter said.

The senators rejected the idea that warnings issued to women who receive the implants would address safety concerns, saying that "such conditions have proven to be ineffective or unenforceable."

Noting that saline implants have remained available for women who have undergone mastectomies, the senators encouraged the FDA to continue examining other promising new prosthetics for breast cancer patients.

The other senators sending the letter were New York Democrat Hillary Clinton, Texas Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison, California Democrat Barbara Boxer, Louisiana Democrat Mary Landrieu, Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow, Arkansas Democrat Blanche Lincoln and Maryland Democrat Barbara Mikulski.

Via CNN.

Tag: Hillary

Keeping Momentum

2005-07-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

As the Senate is preparing for confirmation hearings on the new Supreme Court nominee and the upcoming recess, Hillary is working hard to keep our momentum on health care reform. Already this year we have four major accomplishments and even Newt Gingrich was speaking of Hillary's health technology legislation as a "major breakthrough."

The Associated Press reported:

Gingrich said he now supports a key proposal that Mrs. Clinton had offered more than a decade ago, when she proposed creating a single system for medical billing so that all insurers and providers would be able to use similar procedures and save time.

She compared it to the bar codes on food packages that allow grocery store clerks to quickly scan them for a price.

"I thought this was a no-brainer," Clinton said. "This one thing ignited an incredible reaction."

From incredible reaction to bipartisan cooperation: The Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee has unanimously approved the Wired for Health Care Quality Bill Act, co-sponsored by Hillary with Senators Bill Frist (R-TN), Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA) to increase the use of electronic health records and create standards for health information technology -- as Hillary said, "a critical first step to marrying quality and technology to improve patient care in America."

Heath care for members of the National Guard and Reserve: Last week the Senate unanimously passed legislation sponsored by Hillary and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to expand access to health care benefits of the National Guard and Reserve, "...an important step towards easing the burden on members of the National Guard and Reserve and their families," Hillary said.

Important victories for women's health: The Senate agreed to the Clinton-Chafee (R-RI) amendment directing funding to United Nations Population Fund projects in 150 countries, including programs for safe childbirth and maternal health care, preventing and treating obstetric fistula, and making contraceptives available. Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration agreed to reach a decision on making emergency contraception available over-the-counter by September 1, so Hillary and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) lifted their hold on the nomination of the FDA Administrator.

Children's Health continues to be a priority: Speaking at the 2005 National Council of La Raza Annual Conference, Hillary announced she would be introducing new legislation to protect children's health: the Family Asthma Act and the Home Lead Safety Tax Credit. "Every child deserves to grow up in a clean, healthy home environment," she said. And she joined Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Jim Jeffords (I-VT) to introduce the Kids Safe Chemicals Act of 2005 to create a non-toxic environment by requiring the testing of chemicals in daily use.

With her work on health care, keeping children safe, and keeping our country strong, Hillary continues to make a difference. I hope you're enjoying your summer, and thanks, as always, for being a Friend of Hillary!

Sincerely,

Ann Lewis

Tag: Hillary

A Personal Message

2005-07-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I am so pleased to be able to send you this personal video from Hillary with two important messages. First and foremost, the video conveys Senator Clinton's personal thanks for your support in helping get our 2006 efforts off to such a strong start. As you may know, the most recent campaign filing demonstrated the breadth and depth of our campaign. Senator Clinton's message also includes a comment on the nomination by President Bush of Judge John Roberts to the Supreme Court.

Watch the Video:
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/thankyouvideo

As Hillary says in her video, the next Supreme Court Justice will make decisions that determine the kind of country we live in for years to come. I hope you will listen to her statement and go to our website www.hillaryclinton.com to hear her conversation with Congressman John Lewis about what's at stake with the Court.

Thank you, as always, for being a Friend of Hillary!

Sincerely,

Ann Lewis

Tag: Hillary

Standing Behind Parents

2005-07-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

Hillary takes a stand for parents:

"There is no doubting the fact that the widespread availability of sexually explicit and graphically violent video games makes the challenge of parenting much harder," said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who asked the Federal Trade Commission last week to investigate one of the most violent titles, "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."

Update: Company now admits explicit sex was built into the game disc and has changed to an adults-only rating.

Tag: Hillary

$6 Million in 3 Months

2005-07-15T19:20:00.001-07:00

I just received this in email ...

In a Senate race that could have implications for the 2008 presidential contest, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton raised more than $6 million between April and June.

Via CNN.

Tag: Hillary

Join The Team

2005-07-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

If you would like to join our team over at HillaryClinton.com - please feel free to send us an email and we will add you. You don't have to have a website, just an email address.

Of course, if you would like to add your blog to Blogs for Hillary, please click here.

Let's Get Going

2005-07-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend,

As you know, I am moving forward in my campaign for re-election to the Senate, speaking up for the values we share, and fighting back against my opponents who have declared me their # 1 target in 2006.

Today we take an important step with the launch of our new website:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com

We are kicking off this new site with a very special feature: "Conversations with Hillary." For the next several weeks we will be talking to national leaders and getting their perspective about the critical issues of our time.

Watch Conversations with Hillary:
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/conversation/lewis

Our first conversation is with one of my personal heroes, Congressman John Lewis. From his courageous days in the civil rights movement through his leadership in the United States Congress today, John Lewis has been a force for equality and justice. John and I had the chance to sit down and discuss the role of the Supreme Court in our history – and what is at stake today.

I urge you to watch this conversation. The more people who see it, the more we can spark conversations about protecting the values we share and the principles we cherish.

There are few people with John Lewis's perspective: from the front lines of the civil rights movement to what we should do today to maintain the precious system of government which we inherited and ensure that America offers a brighter future for all our children.

This new website is a reflection of my personal commitment to make sure that our 2006 Senate campaign is successful in winning support and providing an opportunity for talking together, deciding what is important to us, and finding common ground solutions that help move our state and country forward.

I believe this campaign is a chance for us to show a different kind of politics: a campaign that reflects our ideas, our energy, and our vision.

I am excited by the opportunities offered by our new website to engage my friends and supporters to exchange information and ideas. Together, we can make a difference!

Thank you for your interest.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

P.S. If you agree that this is a discussion we should have, please forward this to your friends. With so much at stake, I hope to reach as many people as possible!

Tag: Hillary

They Can't Handle It

2005-07-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Republicans sure can't handle the truth, but Hillary tells it like it is:

"I sometimes feel that Alfred E. Neuman is in charge in Washington," Clinton said during the inaugural Aspen Ideas Festival, organized by the Aspen Institute, a non-partisan think tank.

The former first lady drew a laugh from the crowd when she described Bush's attitude toward tough issues with Neuman's catch phrase: "What, me worry?"

It wasn't the first time that Clinton had likened Bush to the Mad kid. In April, she told New York Daily News reporters and editors, "We're in a very dangerous fiscal situation, and this administration is Alfred E. Neuman -- what, me worry?"

Via CNN.

Tag: Hillary

Just Hours Away

2005-06-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

The deadline we've been working towards for weeks is now just hours away.

As our opponents ratchet up their "Stop Hillary Now" fundraising machinery, we must demonstrate that our campaign has broad and deep grassroots support.

Your donation right now can help us make a truly impressive showing as the Federal Election Commission reporting deadline rapidly approaches. If you have already donated, please accept my thanks. But, if you haven't, please understand that you have only a few hours left to act.

Please contribute before midnight tonight:

https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com

I promise you this: I will use every dollar you send to run a tough, principled and winning campaign - one that will make it crystal clear that you and I know how to stand up for what we believe in and win.

If you are still thinking about making a single donation to my 2006 campaign, now is the time to act. This is the moment when your support can have the strongest, most positive impact on the course of our campaign.

https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com

More than 25,000 of you supported my campaign last quarter - let's make that number even greater this time. With the clock ticking toward midnight, I urge you to act now!

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tag: Hillary

A Deadline We Can't Miss

2005-06-28T06:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

June 30th at midnight - just two days away - is a critical deadline for Hillary's campaign. She has already been singled out as the Republicans' number one target for defeat next year.

You and I both know why. Her courage, her clarity, her ability to connect with people scare her opponents. When 2006 is over, they want Hillary out of the Senate.

It's not going to happen - not if we join together in support of her as she fights for what we believe in.

Please contribute before this critical deadline:

https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com

If you are worried about the direction of our country and want leaders like Hillary fighting to get us back on the right track, take a stand now. Help Hillary raise the funds her campaign needs in the next 48 hours to make it clear to her opponents that we're with her all the way. That we'll never let the tens of millions of dollars they're getting ready to spend take away one of our most promising and effective political leaders.

The mid-year Federal Election Commission report is the yardstick that the political operatives and pundits use to judge what kind of shape candidates are in for the 2006 elections. Let's fill Hillary's campaign headquarters with grassroots support like no one has ever seen in the year before an election.

https://contribute.hillaryclinton.com

This is your chance to demonstrate how firmly you stand in Hillary's corner. Make the most of it. Send as generous a donation as possible, and send it now, before the midnight deadline arrives on Thursday.

Chelsea and I are so proud of Hillary and what she is doing. We all thank you for your friendship and generosity.

Sincerely,

Bill Clinton

Tag: Hillary

Help Hillary Block Him

2005-06-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

The Bush administration has dodged the issue of birth control at every turn. When asked outright whether President Bush opposes birth control, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan refused to "dignify [the question] with a response." Apparently American women don't deserve to know the president's stance on birth control.

To make matters worse, Bush has nominated Lester Crawford, who has helped block attempts to improve women's access to birth control, for the top job at the FDA. During his tenure as acting commissioner, the FDA has ignored the recommendation from its own scientific and medical experts and blocked an application to make the morning-after pill available without a prescription.

Take action today! Speak out with two Senate leaders, Patty Murray from Washington and Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, who are holding up his nomination until the FDA acts on the application. Urge your senators to join Sens. Murray and Clinton and oppose Crawford.

Tag: Hillary

DailyKos Poll

2005-06-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

Check out the 2008 Democratic Presidential Candidate Straw Poll at DailyKos. Go vote now! Hillary is one of the candidates. :)

Tag: Hillary

New Additions!

2005-06-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

Blogs for Hillary is proud to announce some new additions for our members. I am sure you will love the new features as they will not only promote Blogs for Hillary, but your blogs as well.

We have the new Blogs for Hillary Aggregator.

We have a new Blogdigger Group. Please set your blog to ping http://www.blogdigger.com/RPC2 or use ping-o-matic and make sure that Blogdigger is checked.

If you would like the code for the Blogs for Hillary blogroll, please click here. You can copy it and put it on your own site. We hope everyone will add the blogroll to their blogs. It will not only increase exposure to our sites, but also Blogs for Hillary.

Our blogroll can also be found on Bloglines.

There is also an official webring now. Please join!

You can also join the 2008 webring as well.

All members of Blogs for Hillary are automatically added to the aggregator, blogdigger, bloglines, and the blogroll. The webrings are optional, but we hope you choose to join them as well. Also, the links to all these new features have been added to the sidebar for your convenience.

Also, when posting about Blogs For Hillary or Hillary Rodham Clinton, please use the code found at this link within your post. It is a Technorati Tag and will give Blogs for Hillary, your site, and what we have to say about Hillary more coverage.

I hope you like the new additions. Feedback is definitely welcome! :)

Clinton, Frist Push Medical Records Bill

2005-06-16T06:16:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bill Frist, two senators in the mix of speculation about the White House race in 2008, touted a medical records bill Thursday that they said is necessary to prevent life-threatening mistakes.

Clinton, a Democrat who led President Clinton's unsuccessful push for substantial health care overhaul in the early 1990s, said the standard of record-keeping in the United States remains "in the Dark Ages" at a time when people can easily access a wide range of information on the Internet.

The bill that Clinton is working on with Frist, the Senate Majority Leader from Tennessee, would try to move the medical community away from what many believe is an over-reliance on paper records.

Clinton, who represents New York, had joined a former Republican foe, former House Speaker New Gingrich, last month to promote the medical-records bill.

Appearing with her Thursday on NBC's "Today" show, Frist said that the aim of the bill the pair is pushing is to set a new national standard by which some 6,000 hospitals and over 9,000 health care providers can better communicate with one another.

Frist, a heart and lung surgeon, talked of a hypothetical situation where a person might be rushed to a rural hospital suffering symptoms of a heart attack.

"Every moment counts when their medical record is not there. [Medical] History, allergies ... ," he said. "Under our bill, we lower the cost of health care and limit errors and make the records available to the hospital, the patient and the physician."

Clinton said lawmakers would have to ensure that such electronic records be secure and that confidential information is protected.

"But what's happening right now is that hospitals, doctors, practices, so many other organizations, are beginning to move in this direction," she said. "There are no standards. ... We need to have the information easily accessible."

Where medical record-keeping is concerned, Clinton added, "We're really in the Dark Ages. We don't have that capacity."

Clinton said the bill would "create a framework" by which hospitals and other health care facilities could upgrade their record-keeping.

"We have to make the case for it," she said. "But I know that both Senator Frist and I are determined to move this legislation because for every month that we wait, people are spending money on these systems which may or may not make the kind of seamless system that we are looking for in this country."

Frist, asked about his and Clinton's possible run for the presidency, replied, "We're both running. I'm running the Senate, and she's running for re-election."

Clinton referred to her earlier experience at the front-line of health care policy during her husband's first term when she was asked how big a role she thought politics would play in consideration of the bill.

"Obviously, Senator Frist has a lot more experience actually delivering health care," she replied. "I probably have more personal scars from talking about this than anybody else. But, together we're willing to wade into this."

Via CNN.

Tag: Hillary

HillNews - 6/15/05

2005-06-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Hillary joined with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Tuesday to launch the Senate Manufacturing Caucus. "For generations, our manufacturing sector has been the backbone of the American economy," Hillary said. "Manufacturing jobs built our great Middle Class and allowed millions of families to live the American dream and create a better life for their children. That bedrock strength is being eroded, and we cannot afford, as a country, to sit back while our manufacturing capability slips away."

Senators Clinton and Graham noted the need to invest more in research and development to keep our manufacturers competitive and to address the legacy costs of health care and pensions that threaten American companies and their workers. The caucus will hold field hearings across the country, bringing together business and labor leaders, economists and other stakeholders.

Last week, in a bipartisan vote, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved Hillary's legislation to strengthen safeguards on radioactive materials used to make a dirty bomb. The major provisions of Hillary's bill, the Dirty Bomb Prevention Act, will now be included in the Nuclear Security Act of 2005, to be voted on by the full Senate.

"One of the things we need to do is to keep radioactive materials out of the hands of terrorists to prevent them from making a dirty bomb," Hillary said. "By passing this legislation, we can do a better job of controlling radioactive material so it does not fall into the hands of those who wish to do us harm."

Hillary also brought up the decision by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission rejecting a petition for backup power sources for emergency notification sirens at nuclear power plants such as Indian Point, NY and secured a commitment from Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-OK) to consider a provision addressing this issue. "This decision defies common sense." Hillary said of the NRC action, "What good are emergency sirens if they are not going to sound in the event of an attack?"

US News and World Report features one of Hillary's innovative efforts in upstate New York:

"...as of a couple of years ago, few people had heard of the fishing outfitter.... That's when Damon got The Call: Would he join a co-op dreamed up by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce to sell local crafts on eBay? He did. Sales jumped 150 percent, and now he's even selling overseas. Clinton has leveraged her name to bring together big and little firms like Damon's to make money on the Internet."

While she's working to get things done in New York and in Washington, Hillary is speaking up about the problems she sees with an administration "that wants to turn Washington into an evidence free zone."

"I always believed in the facts," she told a thousand supporters at last week's New York Women for Hillary breakfast. "But there is no appetite for that right now in Washington... Facts about global warming, facts about mercury in the water... Facts about people staying unemployed longer... Facts about the number of uninsured going up.

"The President's budget cut investments in science and research. Cut the kind of university research that could lead to not only cures for diseases, but to new technology that will give America a cutting edge advantage...

"What I'm trying to do is to bring as much focus on real problems that people have here in New York, and in this country, and try to keep attention where it needs to be so that we can together make progress."

That's it for this week. Keep watching for our new, improved campaign website. And thank you, as always, for being a Friend of Hillary.

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis
Director of Communications
Friends Of Hillary

The Party Of The Center

2005-06-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

From the article, What Brand Would You Buy?

A second sign came on May 29, when the New York Times reported that 24 leaders of groups ranging from the conservative U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the liberal AFL-CIO had been meeting secretly for seven months because they were worried about the sketchy, inefficient quality of American health care and wanted to figure out a proposal for universal coverage. Two weeks earlier, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Newt Gingrich, the yin and yang of politics in the 1990s, announced that they had found common ground on the issue as well.

The renewed search for a comprehensive health-care solution reflects a deeper tide of concern in corporate America over the debilitating costs of providing health insurance and pensions for employees. These concerns are accompanied by general alarm in the Party of Sanity over the fiscal irresponsibility of the Bush Administration, the continuing frustration over the war in Iraq, and the Administration's failure to lead instead of attempting to dominate an Alliance of Sanity in the world.

Is it possible that these victories represent the glimmerings of a blissfully reasonable new era? The front runners for the presidency in both parties, Senators John McCain and Hillary Clinton, are essentially Sane sorts. But both will have to navigate the partisan interests, especially the secular and religious extremists, in their respective parties. And both will have to worry about being overtaken by candidates representing their party's version of the Party of Passion.

In fact, there appears to be a growing market for a moderate version of "America First" populism, which has been represented in recent presidential elections only by extremists like Pat Buchanan and Dennis Kucinich. The outlines of this product are well known: more restrictive trade and illegal-immigration policies, a "bring the troops home soonest" foreign policy and a more conservative view of social issues like abortion and gay marriage.

Via CNN.

Help Hillary Fight Back

2005-06-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

What I see happening in Washington is a concerted effort by the Administration and the leadership in Congress to really create absolute power. ...They are trying to turn Washington into an evidence free zone.

Last week the Senate averted the "nuclear option" - the attempt by the White House and Republican leadership to end America's two hundred year old tradition of checks and balances.

Now we are fighting every day to prevent attempts by the same people to remake America in their image - reversing the progress we have made as a country, not just undoing the achievements of the Clinton Administration, but taking us backward to the nineteenth century!

I need your help to fight back: www.friendsofhillary.com/fightback

While we are fighting back in Washington, Republicans are raising tens of millions of dollars to defeat me in 2006. "Whatever it takes," says the New York state Republican chairman. "STOP HER NOW" urges a new "independent" 527 committee.

They're going to find out that I am not easy to stop. I'm going to keep on working hard for the people of New York. I'm going to keep on working in the Senate for smart, effective policies that will make our country stronger and our children's future brighter.

www.friendsofhillary.com/fightback

And I'm going to continue speaking out about George W. Bush's policies because I think they are wrong for America:

It is wrong to keep piling up debt with irresponsible fiscal policy, endangering our national security and our ability to invest in education and economic growth;
It is wrong to disregard scientific evidence on issues ranging from the reality of global warming to the value of stem cell research; and
It is wrong to demand absolute power and try to stop dissenting voices - because our nation was built on the principle of checks and balances, and respect for the rights of minorities and majorities is a hallmark of American democracy!

I'm going to keep on fighting for our principles in the Senate and in my campaign, and I hope that you will be there beside me. Your support has been important to me in the past; now, in this fight against the Republican power grab, I need it more than ever.

Please make your contribution now: www.friendsofhillary.com/fightback

Thank you so much for your friendship, and your support.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

PS: It is so important that we demonstrate in 2006 that voters reject Republican attacks. We can win by fighting back and by standing up clearly and forcefully for the principles we share. But I need your help to get our message out.

It's Still Early

2005-05-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

While promising, we have plenty of time to get the numbers even better:

Poll: Majority may vote for Clinton

A poll earlier this month by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute found overwhelming support for her -- 67 percent -- among New York voters, if she decides to run for re-election next year. Among Democrats, however, 65 percent surveyed want her to pledge to serve out a full term if she runs, negating a 2008 White House bid.

Sixty-one percent also said they'd like her to run for president. (Full story)

Via CNN.

HillNews - 5/17/05

2005-05-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend,

You've probably heard that Hillary appeared at a press conference with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich last week, calling for a bipartisan effort to improve health care in America through better use of technology. "We have the most advanced medical system in the world, yet patient safety is compromised every day due to medical errors, duplication and other inefficiencies," Hillary said. "Harnessing the potential of information technology will help reduce errors and improve quality in our health system." Yesterday's New York Times opined, "[T]he cause this odd couple was promoting in the press conference heard round the world is actually a very good one - the need to drag the health care industry out of the dark ages of scribbled notes and into the modern world of electronic record keeping."

There's more; as we wait for Republicans' "nuclear option," we thought we'd remind you that Hillary keeps working for quality, accessible health care. She criticized the decision by the White House and Congressional Republicans to slash Medicaid funding by $10 billion, pointing out that "Medicaid is truly the last resort for?children, seniors, disabled Americans and New Yorkers living with AIDS and other chronic diseases."

On April 27, Hillary spoke on "Closing the Health Care Divide," a plan to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care, calling for more attention to diseases that disproportionately impact racial and ethnic minorities, such as asthma, which affects 25 % of the children in central Harlem - more than twice the national average.

Last week, Hillary joined with Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) to write Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt to call attention to the fact that once again in the Bush Administration, politics seemed to trump science. Specifically, they wrote the Secretary about the disturbing claim by a controversial member of an FDA advisory panel that he stopped approval of over-the-counter-sales of emergency contraception, even though the overwhelming majority of the FDA's scientific advisors supported it. "Once again, what Satan meant for evil, God turned into good," Dr David Hager said in a videotaped sermon.

In their letter, Senators Clinton and Murray called for an investigation into the issues raised by these comments. "As we have previously stated, we are concerned that the FDA's decision-making process is placing personal beliefs over science. And Dr. Hager's statements only add to our deep concern."

Also last week, Hillary traveled to several upstate military bases including Rome, where the Dept of Defense has recommended that the Air Force Research Laboratory be reduced, and Niagara Falls, where the base was targeted to close. Hillary pledged to make the case for these installations and the important role they play in America's national security. As she said of the force based at Niagara:

"In November 2003, I had the opportunity to fly from Baghdad to Kuwait with members of the 914th Airlift wing wearing night vision goggles," she said, "and I can attest to their skill and bravery."

Now it's on to this week's challenge: defending the Constitution. Please let us know if you would like more information about any of these issues, and thank you, as always, for being a Friend of Hillary!

Sincerely,

Ann F. Lewis
Director of Communications
Friends of Hillary

Count Every Vote

2005-05-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Despite long waits, machine malfunctions, and exit poll discrepancies on November 2, speaking of counting legitimate votes from legitimate voters accurately evokes ridicule at best in the mass media.

As usual, the international media covers what our own will not. Canadians consider the fact that Americans waited 7 hours to vote important. Australia cares about our democracy, too.

We'd be remiss to allow the media to bully us into not talking about voting irregularities. It's not that we think Kerry won, but shouldn't the numbers match?

In a speech, Hillary pointed out that as the greatest democracy in the world, we have an obligation to do it right:
"Being the leading democracy demands that we ensure that when voters show up at the polls, they do not have to wait hours to vote. It demands that we take all reasonable measures to ensure that voting machines are safe and secure and that the vote that a voter intends to cast is the one that is actually cast and counted. Democracy demands that those who are charged with a special responsibility to our voting process, such as state election officials and voting machine manufacturers, absolutely have no conflict of interest-either in reality or in perception-between their moral and professional obligation to the voters and their own political views. These are things that at a minimum should be required of any democracy, but especially ours because of the unique position that the United States of America holds at this moment in history. And yet, once again, we had a federal election that demonstrates we have a long way to go before we can meet these fundamental responsibilities."

In response, she is working to pass the Count Every Vote Act, which:
- Makes election day a public federal holiday.
- Seeks to do away with wait time of more then 60 minutes.
- Determines jurisdictions in 2004 where voters waited more than 90 minutes.
- Requires a plan to fix long waits from from bad jurisdictions.
- Calls for Election Day registration.
- Mandates a voter verifiable paper record.
- Calls for no-excuse absentee balloting.
- Improves security requirements for electronic voting machines.
- Requires early voting in all states.
- Requires 45 days notice of all names removed from a registration list.
- Makes it illegal to discard registrations on the wrong kind of paper.
- Requires a recount of 2% of polling places if there is a challenge.
- Provides additional funds.
- Allows valid ballots cast in the wrong precinct to be counted.
- Allows signed affadavit as identification.
- Restores voting rights to 4.7 million people.

These rules will improve the voting process, making it less chaotic and more accessible to the majority of Americans.

Encourage your Congressman or woman to support Count Every Vote here. You can even tell them what you'd like changed.

From IDH.

Gas prices, Bubba and Dubya

2005-05-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

In Bill Clinton's first term, the price of a gallon gas went up 2 cents. In George W. Bush's first term, it went up 54 cents.

In Clinton's first term until May 9, the price of a gallon of gas went up 13 cents. In the same time under Bush, gas has gone up 91 cents.

In Clinton's entire time in office, the price of a gallon of gas went up 22 cents. At the current rate, in Bush's entire term, it will have gone up $1.37, to a national average of $2.65 a gallon.

We can't afford to keep Republicans in charge.

This information is from the Department of Energy.

From IDH.

Political quizzes

2005-05-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

Pew Typology
PoliticsMatch
World's Smallest Political Quiz
Are You a Republican?
On the Issues Quizzes
Your Political Profile

From IDH.

Poll says it's time for a woman in the White House

2005-05-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

A Siena College poll found that 81% of voters say they're ready to vote for a female President, and 63% say the country is ready for a woman President. Hillary fared better than Barbara Boxer, Elizabeth Dole, and Condoleezza Rice, and respondents said a woman would be better at matters of both foreign and domestic policy.

It seems that ABC is also ready for a woman president. They're working on a new television show starring Geena Davis about the trials of the first woman President! I'll post more details as they emerge.

A study suggests even though they're equally successful when they do so, women don't run for office as often as men because they like to be asked. On that note, Hillary, will you please run for President, pretty-please with sugar on top? And if no, Barbara Boxer, same question.

From IDH.

Hillary was always a centrist

2005-05-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hillary is not "moving to the center," no matter what Rush Limbaugh says. She was always in the center.

From IDH.

Hillary was already the president

2005-05-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

Hillary supported Republican Barry Goldwater in high school, and was president of the Young Republicans at Wellesley College. She says of the change, "I have gone from a Barry Goldwater Republican to a New Democrat, but I think my underlying values have remained pretty constant; individual responsibility and community. I do not see those as being mutually inconsistent."

From IDH.

Bill Clinton: Stop Her Now might help Hillary

2005-05-14T18:14:00.000-07:00

In the New York Post, Bill Clinton said of Arthur Finkelstein's Stop Her Now campaign, "I don't think somebody can just up and stop somebody else if they've done a good job and if they defend themselves — and I have no doubt she will do that."

Clinton mentioned that polls show even New York Republicans rate Senator Clinton highly.

Clinton said of the Stop Her Now web site, "I haven't seen it and I don't expect to see it and I don't expect it to work."

When asked if he thought it could help Hillary, he said, "If it's unfair, intemperate, over the top, yes I do."

From IDH.

Providence firefighters support Hillary

2005-05-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

Firefighters protesting their contract with Providence, Rhode Island showed support for Hillary as they picketed the mayor who attended a fund-raiser for Senator Clinton.

From IDH.

What's the matter with Kansas?

2005-05-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

I've read Thomas Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas? Unless it's too late, Hillary's discussion of preventing abortion through better contraception could relieve much of the moral outrage over abortion that Franks sees in Kansas.

In addition to sex, though, there's money to fight about. The red states are poorer than the blue states. Thomas Frank puts some numbers on it, as does Salon writer Andrew O'Hehir. For example, Delaware County in New York, where a shocking number of people are on public assistance, went 70% for George Dubya in 2000.

Many poor people hate taxes more than any George Soros or Teresa Heinz, perhaps because poor people actually pay taxes and feel it. They hear Republicans talk about cutting taxes and think it's great. They don't realize the taxes being cut are on things like Humvees, enormous inheritances, and stock dividends.

From IDH.

Hug of doom

2005-05-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

Republicans are tiring of Rove's dirty tactics. But they're not clear of these guys yet. Bush's guy for Texas Governor in 2006, Rick Perry, is circulating a video of possible opponent Kay Bailey Hutchison briefly embracing Hillary, who calls Hutchison "my partner on so many important fronts." Perry has defended the tactic; Hutchison called it a "political cheap shot."

From IDH.

NPR discusses 2008 contenders

2005-05-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

In April, NPR mentioned Hillary as a potential 2008 Presidential candidate:

Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York has recently made overtures to the kind of voters who said "moral issues" were most important to them in the 2004 election.

From IDH.

Richard Avedon portrait

2005-05-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Here's what photographer Richard Avedon thought of Hillary Clinton.

From IDH.

Stop Her Now has no legs

2005-05-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

First, the guy behind it is a raving hypocrite (he's gay and married and a Republican) and everyone knows it this time.

Second, he's not trying very hard. Salon's War Room points out that stophernow.com's meta tags, which try to bring Googlers to a web site, include the line "Stop Her Now is a collaboration of over 7,600 independent Baptist churches in America, who are against the deportation of Jews from Gush Katif in Gaza and Northern Samaria." The site's keywords: "Israel, Gush Katif, Gaza Strip, Northern Samaria, Jews, settlers, Christian, Baptist, Oklahoma." Googling this brings up an Israeli extremist site strikingly similar in design to the anti-Hillary site.

From IDH.

Hillary 1, Greenspan 0

2005-05-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

An April exchange with Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan showcased Hillary's quick wit. Greenspan tried to throw blame at everyone for the expensive deficits created by Bush's tax cuts.

Greenspan: "It turns out we were all wrong."

Hillary: "Just for the record, we were not all wrong, but many people were wrong."

From IDH

Wanna show the Hillary love?

2005-05-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here's some pro-Hillary paraphernalia that's caught my eye:
Action Figure
Marc Jacobs T-shirt
Hillary's Sweet Lemon Mint
"A woman's place is in the House" Sticker
Free Bumper Sticker
Bumper Sticker
"Jesus was a liberal" Sticker
Hillary Clinton mask
Think Blue 2008 Bracelet
Women's T-shirt
Women's T-shirt
Unisex Warhol T-shirt
Men's Long-sleeve Tee
Men's T-shirt

Sadly, I have no financial interest in selling any of these items.

From IDH.

Hillary's Sweet Lemon Mint

2005-05-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

An Illinois nursery has named a variety of mint after Senator Clinton.

From IDH

Hillary leads us a new direction on abortion

2005-05-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

"I have met thousands and thousands of pro-choice men and women. I have never met anyone who is pro-abortion. Being pro-choice is not being pro-abortion," Hillary said on abortion.

In a January 24 speech to annual conference of the Family Planning Advocates of New York State, she said, "We can all recognize that abortion in many ways represents a sad, even tragic choice to many, many women."

"The fact is that the best way to reduce the number of abortions is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in the first place."

To that end, Hillary's budget amendment requesting $100 million to prevent unplanned pregnancy (thus reducing abortion -- you following me?) was shot down by Republicans, who would prefer to spend that money on eight hours in Iraq (where they're ending more lives).

Hillary's bill to prevent abortions would have required insurance companies to cover contraceptives if they cover any prescription drugs. When Republicans voted it down, they called birth control pills "lifestyle drugs." In a shocking display of discrimination against women and plain stupidity, however, the Bush administration's drug benefit covers erectile dysfunction pills.

In Bush's first term, eight states saw an increase in abortion rates and four saw a decrease. This reverses the progress made during Clinton's presidency. The abortion rate fell 25% between 1990 and 1995, and another 11 percent between 1994 and 2000.

From IDH.

Off to the races!

2005-05-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

From Political Wire, Sportsbook.com gives Hillary the best odds for 2008.

From IDH.

Tucker Carlson eats shoes

2005-05-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

Tucker Carlson, recently forced on liberal PBS viewers by Republicans, promised to "eat his shoes" if Living History sold a million copies. She didn't hold him to it, exactly.

From IDH.

Media violence and children

2005-05-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

In March, Hillary called for voluntary ratings on media for children. Andrew O'Hehir of Salon overreacts here.

By now, parents do know that "Grand Theft Auto" isn't just about stealing cars. But when it first came out, and when new games come out, there's no way for parents to tell how awful they are.

Salon's O'Hehir, like anyone else who thinks they oppose Hillary, misunderstands her motivations in calling for voluntary ratings. He accuses her, as so many people still do, of "triangulating" or "shifting to the center."

What will happen when they realize Hillary really believes in the great things she proposes?

From IDH.

The "Truth" About Hillary

2005-05-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

A book due for release in June about Hillary Clinton, called The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She’ll Go to Become President even describes itself as character assassination on its book flap.

The book's author, Ed Klein, writes only character assassination. And as if they needed more assassinations, Klein has written four books about the Kennedys and the Kennedy family, with allegations such as that the late John Kennedy Jr. and his wife Carolyn were estranged because the late Mrs. Kennedy was a cocaine addict who wouldn't have children. (Interestingly, Klein's own wife is divorced. What did she know, and when did she know it?)

It's really too bad that such books masquerade as political participation, when they're much more like Jackie Collins novels, and just as factual. Klein's book will be based on the speculation of people who probably won't give their real names.

Several employees of the book's publisher, Penguin, are reportedly disgusted that their company plans to sell the book, which has been described as "trash."

I plan to boycott Penguin books until we have a woman President. I encourage you to take a similar stand. If you're interested, Penguin's phone number is (800) 788-6262.

From IDH.