Hillary Clinton: More Than Just Talk

With the critical foreign policy challenges America faces in the world today, voters will have to decide which candidate has the strength and experience to be the next president of the United States.

In an attempt to deflect attention from the fact that Senator Obama served in the Illinois state senate just three years ago and would have less experience than any president since World War II, Senator Obama and his advisors have gone on the attack. They have criticized the role Senator Clinton has played in promoting American interests during her eight years as First Lady, seven years in the Senate, and four years as a member of the Senator Armed Services Committee.

Senator Clinton as First Lady was "America's finest ambassador abroad," Madeleine Albright's office said at the time. Hillary Clinton did much more than "get picked up at the airport by a state convoy and security detail . . . . and get lunch" with an ambassador, as Senator Obama implied recently. As Newsweek reported about Senator Clinton's diplomatic missions as First Lady, "She often travels to remote regions where no presidential motorcade would venture and where no secretary of state would have time to go." Her 1995 speech at the UN World Conference on Women in Beijing, where she famously proclaimed "women's rights are human rights," remains an inspiration to leaders of the fight for women's equality around the world. Long before others, she visited countries stricken by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria throughout the world, urging better prevention and treatment strategies, and returned to Washington to push for greater action within the US government. Her 1995 trip to India helped open the door to the transformation in relations between the world's two largest democracies. She raised awareness on mine issues in the Balkans and led humanitarian efforts on behalf of Kosovar refugees.

As Senator, Hillary has fought to ensure our troops have the body armor they need while in combat, and she has passed laws so that returning soldiers are treated with dignity when they return home. She has placed education at the center of U.S. international assistance. She has been a leader in combating nuclear proliferation and the threat of nuclear terrorism. She has championed efforts to end the genocide in Darfur and been a leading voice in calling for action to end global warming. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, she has visited our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan three times.

By contrast Senator Obama has been in the U.S. Senate under three years. His campaign has touted his experience as chairman of a subcommittee on European affairs, which, according to Congressional Quarterly, has not held a hearing since he assumed the chairmanship nearly a year ago. Senator Obama has traveled to Iraq once, 23 months ago.

We respect Senator Obama's opposition to the war as a state senator in Illinois. But when he was actually in a position to influence policy from the U.S. Senate, he did not give a speech devoted to Iraq for 11 months, and waited 16 months to give his first floor speech dedicated to Iraq, which happened to express his opposition to Senator John Kerry's troop withdrawal plan. He said of his views on Iraq in 2004, "There's not much of a difference between my positions and George Bush's position at this stage." When asked if he would have voted for the 2002 resolution on Iraq had he been in the Senate at the time, he said in 2004, "I don't know." Since he joined the Senate, Senator Obama's voting record on Iraq has been virtually identical to Senator Clinton's. Indeed the only time they voted differently was when Senator Clinton voted against confirming General Casey, the former Commander of Multinational Forces in Iraq, to be Army Chief of Staff.

Senator Clinton is committed to ending the war in Iraq. She will bring our troops home responsibly and swiftly, and in her first term. Last July, she announced her detailed plan to withdraw our troops from Iraq, beginning within her first 60 days in office. She has voted repeatedly to bring the troops home at a pace of one to two brigades per month. Two weeks ago she voted for legislation that would require President Bush to bring combat troops home by December 2008.

Similarly, Senator Obama's campaign contends he "stood up against the march to war with Iran." They ignore the fact that Hillary went to the Senate floor last February long before Senator Obama to warn the Bush administration that they could not take any military action without congressional approval. She co-sponsored legislation with Senator Webb that denies the administration any funds for military action against Iran. And she has joined with Senator Durbin on a resolution that denies the President any unilateral authority to use force against Iran.

Senator Obama has also criticized Senator Clinton's support for a resolution urging the Bush administration to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. But Senator Obama also supports designating the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization. In fact, Senator Obama cosponsored legislation in April that called on the Secretary of State to do exactly that. While Senator Obama says he opposed this resolution, in truth, he did not cast a vote. He missed the vote. He said nothing to indicate that he opposed this legislation before the vote. He was silent at a Presidential Debate that took place on the very day the vote was cast.

As Senator Obama has acknowledged, we do not know how we would have voted on Iraq if he had been in the Senate in 2002, but we do know what he did as a Senator in 2007 on a resolution he said was "dangerous." He missed it.

At this time of great international challenge, we need a President who will take a stand when it counts. We need a president who can inspire the world and win its trust and confidence. From her experiences as First Lady where she garnered the respect of people around the world, Hillary Clinton is uniquely positioned to repair the breach of the Bush Administration's foreign policy disasters, and restore American leadership in the world on Day 1 of her Presidency.

Comments

[HardCoreDem]

C'mon -- let's get real, folks.

Hillary's the most seasoned Democratic in the race. Her policy views are totally solid, her experience unmatched, and she's been a terrific Senator.

AND (no matter what those GOPers may claim) the Republicans are completely terrified of having to run against her.

All of us know what the Republican hit-machine is capable of. We saw it in 2004. This election will be no walk in the park and any Dem who tries to waltz through the race singing "Kumbaya" is going to get creamed.

There's only one candidate in this race who can stare these jerks down, beat them on their own terms, AND who doesn't need on-the-job training -- Hillary.

Let's make it happen!

[MRb1000]

Show me papers to prove this information!!!!!

[blueraven]

Nice attempt to continue the big lie campaign against Obama. Failed, but nice try.

The vitriol and nonsense Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama are flinging at each other both directly and via proxies such as yourself is beginning to make me hope they both get dissolved by it.

[nica24]

Thank you, finally, I am so sick of the crap being thrown at Hillary! You are going to take a beating over this article, but THANK YOU! It has gotten to the point that most people don't even know why they hate Hillary. You can say what you want about both Hill & Bill, their years were great! Maybe she doesn't brag about her accomplishments because she watched what was done to Gore when he mentioned bringing the internet to government! This country retalliated by electing the worst president ever! And how about Kerry, not elected for being too smart & patrician, and smeared for being a war hero! And exactly how did that work out for us? We wound up with another 4 yrs. of the draft dodging idiot child who would be king and his evil wizard side-kick! The changes we need to survive this time need to be done slowly, building our relationships with the world once again. She needs to play politics and as much as we hate it, she needs to court big business - This does not mean she will be beholden! Please don't compare her to the moron Georgie, everything he does, including his relationship with oil, is done specifically for greed and power. And as far as a Clinton Dynasty, bring it on, crap, i'd vote for Chelsea. It was a Bush dynasty that never should have been allowed, how could anyone thing that was a good idea? Bush senior wasn't that bright, what made most of this country thing his spoiled brat son could be any better.

[JimR]

So will we have another highly secretive Health Care Task Force, like the one Hillary Clinton led in 1993?

And just what is her experience again, besides 7 years in the U.S. Senate? Oh right, she was First Lady. And what exactly did she do as First Lady that qualifies her to be considered for president? Oh right, we can't see any of those documents, because Bill Clinton asked the National Archives to withhold those.

If you liked the secrecy of the Bush Adminstration, you'll LOVE the secrecy of a Hillary Clinton administration.

[darrelplant]

Is this the same Lee Feinstein who was still claiming in 2004 in Foreign Affairs that Saddam Hussein had WMD and that the Bush doctrine of preemptive war "does not go far enough"?

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20040101faessay83113/lee-feinstein-anne-marie-slaughter/a-duty-to-prevent.html

[TheRationalLeft]

If we talk about foreign policy as being one the primary criteria for selecting 08' president, then the only name that should come up is Joe Biden. But of course even the so-called "informed" bloggers keep promoting Hillary as the "most experienced" candidate. It's like saying that George W. Bush is the most informed person on stem cell research.

[KSH]

I love these paid advertisements.

If you want to tout Hillary's experience and her glory - you should be able to do that without calling out Senator Obama - no Edwards, no Guiliani, no Romney, no McCain anyhwere in this article. You should just post this on her website.

[dantheman]

Bullshit! Hillary was wrong on Iraq, and she was a cheerleader for W every step of the way. Only when public opinion shifted against the war did she change her position. She voted for the war to not appear politically weak. She didn't even bother to read the NIE. She claims she has staffers for that. Well that sure worked for us, right?
Hillary supports unrestrained free trade, the kind that devastated Mexico's economy and forced millions to come to the US to feed their families. Hillary is weak on foreign policy, weak on domestic issues, and not fit to be president.

[mommadona]

Dear Lee:

Council on Foreign Relations , Inc.

(War)Business as usual, eh, dude?
War means business, eh?

The DLC STILL DOESN'T 'GET IT', eh?

We don't want a damn Margaret Thatcher.
The little "Yosemite Sam" still in office is just about all the war-mongering "pax americana" we can handle right now.

[RealBlackGirl]

If I believe everything in this article then I have to ask why doesn't she just share all of these specifics when she asked. However, as I type this I am watching the hostage situation in her campaign office in New Hampshire. Thank God the hostages have been released and it looks as if there will be a peaceful resolution. As a result of this unfortunate crisis the entire campaign season is changed. She is a victim of a horrific event and she will not be criticized or questioned again.

[dtd]

Are closeted bigots in the Democratic Party getting so hysterical over the prospect of a Black president that they are forgetting how to add???? Senator Obama has MORE elected office experience than Senators Clinton and Edwards. He has served in public office now 11 years compared to only 8 for Clinton and 6 for Edwards. Moreover, George Bush served only 6 years as Gov of TX before being elected President. Oh I get it, there's experience then there's an experience that begins with a with a "N".

[raptor]

"We respect". This is just a press release for her.

[Ides]

Hillary Clinton is the least trusted Democratic Candidate among other Democrats. She has cleverly carved herself a niche of uninformed voters inspired by her last name and her gender.

I would usually say "good for her." This time, I won't.

One thing I can say is that Hillary Clinton really is more than just talk. Considering how little she has to say about her positions when asked, she has to be something other than obfuscation and regimented silence.

Yes, Hillary Clinton is more than just talk, she's a repeatedly demonstrated, proven mistake whose greatest achievement as a liberal is a Nixonian healthcare mandate disguised as help for the underprivileged.

Clinton: "My opponent would leave millions more not covered by healthcare­."

Obama: "My opponent would prosecute those not covered by healthcare­."

Sounds a little different when she gets hit back, doesn't it?

[ericdavid]

Mr. Feinstein should reveal his high-ranking position in the Clinton campaign in the text (if not the header, as Peter Daou did recently) of his post. Then it's obvious that this is just more politics-as-usual campaign spin.
All of this "Hillary is SO experienced" nonsense is just that -- nonsense. First Lady is a ceremonial position with no power or responsibility. She was a glorified housespouse for 8 years. Ok, maybe she went on a few junkets during that time. So what.
Also, Senators have almost no managerial responsibility. Mrs. Clinton has never had to balance more than a family checking account. That's the sum of her financial expertise in a time of massive budget deficits and a mortgage crisis.
After 2 terms of administrative failure by a President annointed by virtue of a famous last name, we can't afford another "learn by doing" Chief Executive who feels it's her turn at the wheel. Hillary has no managerial track record. Add in her consistent vague and evasive responses to policy questions, and we're left with little idea of what she'd actually do once in power. All we know is that she wants it, desperately.