The Curious Myth of Hillary Clinton's Senate Effectiveness

Frankly, I'm tired of listening to Senator Clinton portray herself as being in the solutions business -- as boasting a nice, fat resume of accomplishments -- while mocking Barack Obama for being a rhetorical empty suit.

Is she truly a beacon of experience? Because I couldn't think of a single piece of legislation that has her name stuck proudly on the front of it, no equivalent of McCain-Feingold, for example, I headed straight for her campaign website to see what glorious aspects of her vaunted experience I was missing.

Actually, I was missing nothing. There is not one single example of any legislation with her name appended to it. In fact, the page devoted to her Senate biography is a mush-mash, a laundry list of good intentions. When she talks about "sponsoring" and "introducing" and "fighting for" legislation that obviously hasn't passed, that's a smokescreen for failure. By introducing all that legislation that never makes it out of committee, she's guilty of what she accuses Senator Obama of: confusing "hoping" with doing.

Consider these examples:

• "...{she} worked with her colleagues to secure the funds New York needed to recover and rebuild."

• "...she fought to provide compensation to the families of the victims."

• "She is an original sponsor of legislation that expanded health benefit to members of the National Guard and Reserves."

• "Some of Hillary' proudest achievements have been her work to ensure the safety of prescription drugs for children, with legislation now included in the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act." (What in God's name does that mumbo-jumbo mean?)

Yes, it's true that for many years, she was in the minority. But if she is the effective legislator she claims to be, she'd be able find co-sponsors across the aisle who share her commitment to specific issues, in the same way that John McCain found his doppelganger, Russ Feingold.

But an inability to get legislation passed is just the beginning of Senator Clinton's shallow record. For many of the bills she introduced, she couldn't even get a cosponsor in her own party!

Below are some perfectly fine, liberal, progressive bills that she introduced, but was unable to attract a cosponsor of any party, according to the Library of Congress.

Note that while her website proclaims that "She is an original sponsor of legislation that expanded health benefit to member of the National Guard and Reserves", she wasn't able to rustle up a single cosponsor for legislation that would have extended military retirement credit for National Guard Members called up after 9/11.

So Senator Clinton is right when she claims to be the experienced candidate, although it's not the experience she would like us to believe. It's a track record of legislative failure and futility.

89. S.4065 : A bill to direct the Attorney General to conduct a study on the feasibility of collecting crime data relating to the occurrence of school-related crime in elementary schools and secondary schools.
Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 11/16/2006) Cosponsors (None)

88. S.4029 : A bill to increase the number of well-educated nurses, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 9/29/2006) Cosponsors (None)

90. S.4103 : A bill to prevent nuclear terrorism, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 12/7/2006) Cosponsors (None)

77. S.3909 : A bill to amend the foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide assistance for developing countries to promote quality basic education and to establish the achievement of universal basic education in all developing countries as an objective of United States foreign assistance policy, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 9/18/2006) Cosponsors (None)

59. S.2993 : A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose a temporary oil profit fee and to use the proceeds of the fee collected to provide a Strategic Energy Fund and expand certain energy tax incentives, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 5/23/2006) Cosponsors (None)

26. S.1144 : A bill to provide military retirement credit for certain service by National Guard members performed while in a State duty status immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 5/26/2005) Cosponsors (None)

50. S.2260 : A bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to make improvements to payments to Medicare Advantage plans and to reinstate protections in the Medicaid program for working families, their children, and the disabled against excessive out-of-pocket costs, inadequate benefits, and health care coverage loss.
Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 2/8/2006) Cosponsors (None)

Comments

[indie17]

Hillary Clinton's attempt to criminalize flag-burning is still my favorite of her legislative accomplishments. This more than anything shows her character.

Don't mess with my 1st amendment rights, Hillary.

In Dec. 2005: "Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is supporting new legislation to criminalize desecration of the United States flag _ though she still opposes a constitutional ban on flag attacks.
Clinton, D-N.Y., has agreed to co-sponsor a measure by Republican Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah, which has been written in hopes of surviving any constitutional challenge following a 2003 Supreme Court ruling on the subject.

Her support of Bennett's bill follows her position in Congress last summer, when a constitutional ban on flag-burning was debated. Clinton said then she didn't support a constitutional ban, but did support federal legislation making it a crime to desecrate the flag.

In her public statements, she has compared the act of flag-burning to burning a cross, which can be considered a violation of federal civil rights law."

[chhabili]

Hillary Rodham Clinton sponsored a bill to ban flag burning. This was another incident where Hillary Clinton furthered the agenda of the right wing of the GOP. She also voted for the war in Iraq, for the surge in Iraq and also for voting against the ban on cluster bombing that generally kills innocent men, women and children. The 8 years of the Clinton administration which moved so to the right, paved for the fascist administration of George II. Let's blow the myth of the populist agenda of Hillary Clinton.

[dwt]

Both her Iraq vote and the flag amendment bill had nothing to do with her true sentiments. They were, rather, 100% contrived, phony, and politically motivated pandering with the aim of attracting general election votes in her pre-planned 2008 Presidential campaign.

Clue to Hilary, Mitt Romney, and ex-straight talk expresser, John McCain: even the gullible American public can now smell rats the size of horses, after having been manipulated for seven plus years by Karl Rove, G.W. Bush, Dick Cheney, et al., and now getting their noses rubbed in the disastrous results.

The main reason Obama and Huckabee are successful is because they are genuine, articulate, and true to themselves. If Huckster wasn't batshit insane, he would have won the Republican nomination. Since Obama is sane and grounded as well as intelligent, inspirational, and, well, presidential, he will win the Democratic nomination, and eventually the presidency.

[mikekev58]

You can still burn the flag you know. The law would've made you show just how dedicated to your cause you were by risking jail. Courage, not hope!

[mariemburns]

this is quite brilliant. a blogger on another post listed the HRC bills that DID pass -- they were for naming federal buildings & declaring celebratory days for worthy causes. whooptido.

[NYC07]

This is what was posted:

In five years as the most influential Democrat in the Senate, Hillary has managed to get the following laws and resolutions enacted:

Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site

Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month

Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor

Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall

Name courthouse after James L. Watson

Name post office after John A. O'Shea

Designate August 7, 2003, as National Purple Heart Recognition Day

Support the goals and ideals of National Purple Heart Recognition Day

Honor the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton on the bicentennial of his death

Congratulate the Syracuse University Orange Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship.

Congratulate the Le Moyne College Dolphins Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship

Establish the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commemorative Program

Name post office after Sergeant Riayan A. Tejeda

Honor Shirley Chisholm for her service to the nation and express condolences on her death

Honor John J. Downing, Brian Fahey, and Harry Ford, firefighters who lost their lives on duty.

Only five of Clinton's bills are "substantive":

Extend period of unemployment assistance to victims of 9/11

Pay for city projects in response to 9/11

Assist landmine victims in other countries

Assist family caregivers in accessing affordable respite care

Designate part of the National Forest System in Puerto Rico as protected in the Wilderness Preservation System

[AnotherMcIntosh]

"Ethics reform would have been a good response, "

When did this happen?

Didn't Obama vote in opposition to the Ethics Reform Bill when it passed 90 to 8 in the Senate?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/29/AR2006032902424.html

Should he receive credit for its passage?

For whatever reason that he may give for voting in opposition to its passage, it seems that he was not instrumental in getting it passed.

[BitJam]

Did you even read the HEADLINE of the article you linked to?

~~~~~~~~~~

Legislation Stresses More Disclosure; CRITICS HAD SOUGHT TOUGHER ETHICS RULES

~~~~~~~~~~

And guess what? They got those tougher rules passed.

The Truth About Ethics Reform

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/opinion/21mon2.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We’ve long grown used to candidates’ cherry-picking each other’s records to score points in a campaign. But the new Congressional ethics law, and the role Senator Barack Obama played in passing it, have been belittled in troubling ways that are worth noting.

~~~~~~~~~~­~~~~~~~~~~

How Obama defied Reid and got real ethics reform passed

http://www.raisingkaine.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=12761

There is not a salient quote I can pick out but if you read this story you will see that Obama helped blocked a WEAKER version of ethics reform so he could get the STRONGER version passed.

I find it very hard to believe that this was just an honest mistake on your part. If you feel you need to lie and distort Obama's record wouldn't it make more sense to simply support him instead?

If you think Clinton is the better candidate, that's fine. Simply tell us what makes her better. But when you instead spread lies and distortions about Obama you make it appear that you think HE is the better candidate.

[neworleanslady68]

I'm an Obama supporter, but I don't think this article is fair to Hillary Clinton. You know, these have been lonely, dark years for progressives - truly. There are lots of things John Kerry, someone else I admire, has tried to do too and has been unable to get passed. The Republicans are just bastards. It really is that simple. And, unlike Democrats, Republicans ALWAYS follow their leaders (unlike Dems, who have differences of opinion because they prefer THINKING to GOOSE-STEPPING). The fact that Hillary's had these good intentions and been unable to get bipartisan support reflects poorly, not on Hillary, but on those who ignored her efforts.

[CanSoc]

We need more Obama supporters like you, and by "we" I mean progressives both in and outside the U.S. who fervently hope the Democrats recapture the Presidency and expand their membership in Congress to filibuster-proof dimensions. Your willingness to give Hillary the benefit of the doubt reflects well on you and others who believe that supporting Obama doesn't have to mean relentlessly attacking Clinton. I hope (I have no grounds to deny it) that you are in the majority of Democrat supporters, for based on sentiments such as you express the party will build a united, winning coalition next November.

[nynick]

It's Obama's supporters who make it increasingly unlikely I could ever vote for the man. Their use of Republican tactics have tainted my view of their beloved candidate. Most of these anti-hillary comments would be perfectly at home on any number of rightwing blogs. The funny thing is, they assume that all Democrats will automatically vote for the winner regardless of what they say or do. I for one would rather have a President named McCain than a cult leader named Obama.

[TiffShelton]

My friend sent me link to that page with a bunch of legislation introduced.

He tried to pass that off for actual success.

[Harlemnyjazz]

I think that every time Hillary or Bill Clinton proclaim that Barack is a voice without substance, she is actually saying that millions and millions of people that support Obama are just naive, stupid, uniformed, out-of-the-loop, ignorant children. It is as though those that support Obama are so mesmerized by his words that we have not done our homework or that we are backward, political novices. If that is the case then there are millions of stupid Americans that include elected officials, average citizens, CEO's, leaders of major labor unions, foreign heads of state, think tanks, Republicans, people of all races, ages and genders and, on and on.

I think that the Clintons are simply sore losers and just cannot fathom the fact that the so-called heir apparent has been rejected by the American people in a dramatic fashion. Four years from now Americans and the global community will be glad that we put Obama in the Oval office.

[rwe]

Actually you described the cult of Obama quite accurately

[LongTom]

Hope you enjoy the next 8 years in Obamaland!

[mikekev58]

touche, rwe.
And of course when Obama "turns the page", he's not just turning it past the Clintons..­.some of us take that personally!

[Thad]

You seem to have missed the point. The point is that insulting people is not a good way to get their vote. See where you just called me a cultist? What good is THAT going to do as far as getting me to support Clinton?

(You also just suggested I'm stupid and then failed to punctuate your sentence properly, but I suppose that's a bit of a cheap shot.)

[UrbanInterloper]

Cult members or not, Clinton needs their votes to win, and she ain't getting 'em.

Maybe if she and her supporters dropped the name-calling and actually persuaded people to come around to her alternative point of view, she would. You think?

[evalsinca]

I found it interesting that Hillary claims 35 years experience and invokes her experience in trying to push healthcare reform through. But when pushed on NAFTA, she tries to deftly sidestep it by claiming that she did not vote on it, was not in the Senate.
So can someone please explain why she gets to claim credit for the all the good things that happened in the last 35 years, and does not take the blame for the bad stuff?
As Warren Buffett put it: Anyone can be a great golfer if they can only count the holes in which they are under par! Apparently Hillary believes in that!

[hudsuckerproxy]

When the contest is down to McCain vs. Obama, I trust you’ll give the former credit for McCain-Feingold as you’ve done here.

[Squirtapotamus]

Uh, no. He lost any credibilty gained from McCain-Feingold when news broke last week of his use of federal funds as collateral for a bank loan just in case his campaign were to tank, but now that he's the nominee, he's rejecting the federal funds he asked for so that he doesn't have to abide by the spending limits.

John McCain is a hypocrite.

[rwe]

but what he did was legal.... Rezkow ,, illegal...­.

[hudsuckerproxy]

The just-breaking NYT story certainly doesn't help McCain's cause.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21mccain.html?hp

[Thad]

Urm, actually, he WANTS to abide by the spending limits because otherwise Obama is going to kick his ass at fundraising. Pay attention.

[patriotscholar]

Aw, shucks, folks...gu­ess we have to educate those who haven't actually read their records in the Senate. Well, here's the links (Remember, she has been there three more years than Obama):

Hillary Clinton Sponsored Bills:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=300022&tab=bills

Barack Obama Sponsored Bills:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400629&tab=bills

[gayleg]

Wow-- she wanted to end nuclear proliferation AND encourage more people into the nursing profession?

What a bitch!

wm1066, she didn't vote for the bankruptcy bill. Also, your candidate, illustrating his usual cowardice, didn't bother showing up to vote against Kyle Leiberman, so I wouldn't bring that one up if I were you.

[HowardRoarke]

"didn't bother showing up to vote against Kyle Leiberman, so I wouldn't bring that one up if I were you"

Really? Voting for it and not voting are the same thing in your mind?

Hillary voted for Kyl-Lieberman. Why? And what does that say about her?

[april4president]

Wow, very interesting indeed. Is this all true? I'm assuming the Hillarybots would have pounced with more vigor if it weren't.

[foolchild0]

I love how quiet they get when the facts are brought up. :)

[Realbluesky]

She could walk on water for all I care. She voted for and continues to support the war thereby giving legitimacy to an idiot president who is driving the nation into the deepest, darkest hole it has ever been and from which it shall never recover to the extent it ever was. By aiding and abetting the enemy of our nation (Bush) she is an enabler of tyrany.

[moda31]

the MSM keeps recycling this experience vs. hope claim without ever providing any evidence. in fact in his time the senate obama has sponsored and passed more substantive legislation than hillary clinton has in her time in the senate. if you look at his record in the state senate, again plenty of substance. yet they refuse to report on this. not to mention that if the way they've run their campaigns is any indication of executive ability, obama wins again.

[Serfie]

You know, it is funny, it is Barack Obama who is the one running around claiming to be the "uniter, not the divider" and the "hope and change" candidate who can inspire.

Interestingly, Obama has been in the Senate for three years and he hasn't inspired his 100 colleagues, the Democrats being majority in both houses, into ending the war, passing universal health care, fixing the student loan and sub-prime crisis, passing an energy bill and a host of other things.

If Obama can't inspire the majority of his fellow Democrats in Congress now, much less the GOP and Independents, what makes you think he can do a more inspiring job as president?

When it comes down to it, out of the three candidates left, Obama has the thinnest resume and when you match his rhetoric with his actions, the guy is an empty suit.

[apduncan1]

He voted against granting powers to George Bush to invade and occupy Iraq!!!

Did Clinton do that?

Get real.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

[Obama] "voted against granting powers to George Bush to invade and occupy Iraq!!!"

If this would have actually happened, other Obama supporters would be able to proudly say this.

And, if this had actually happened, he might even have been able to force Clinton to hang her head in shame.

The best that he can say is that he did not vote to grant such powers. (He first took office as a U.S. Senator on January 3, 2005)

All three of the major candidates have voted to "support the troops" and more Iraq war funding.

[Lpx303]

It's no use....Peo­ple like this are fed sound bites and they take it as gospel. Obama did not vote against this. How about YOU get real. Obama was an IL State Senator. In Illinois, it was POPULAR to be against the war. Go look at how Schakowsky and Durbin voted. He spoke at an Anti-War rally against he war - YET, he had NO evidence to support his guess that Iraq wasn't a threat. Had Colin Powell sat down with Obama and convinced him of those Bush lies, are we sure he would have voted differently? Come on, YOU GET REAL.

He went off of his gut. It's not judgement. It's luck. He made a decision based off of no reports & intelligence. He was right in the end, but it was a lucky break.

It's not the Congresses fault for voting for it. They were lied to by trusted people in a dark time in American history.

Get real. How can he take credit for judgement when his judgement was without evidence.

[clevelandchick]

From what Adam Hanft uncovered, evidence suggests that Hillary is an empty suit herself.

[HowardRoarke]

If Hillary's resume is so thick, maybe you could tell us what SHE'S accomplished in the Senate. I mean, she did have all that White House experience, right? So what did she do with it when she got to the Senate?

She's had a couple more years in the US Senate, but that's okay. Feel free to list her entire Senate career's accomplishments.

[Lpx303]

People have listed it. But people like you never read it or don't care.

[RobBob]

Compare the text in this article with the fact that Obama wrote/sponsored a comprehensive ethics reform bill *as a freshman senator* and it's clear who can and can't get things done.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

"Compare the text in this article with the fact that Obama wrote/sponsored a comprehensive ethics reform bill *as a freshman senator* and it's clear who can and can't get things done."

Actually, when the Ethics Reform Bill came up for a vote and then passed 90 to 8 in the Senate, Obama voted against it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/29/AR2006032902424.html