What Hillary Stands For: Getting Stuff Done

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1681670,00.html

Indeed, a few minutes after the photo op, Senator Clinton offered the clearest statement of her own — and her husband's — philosophy that I've ever heard. It came during a brisk question-and-answer session with local residents. A retired dairy farmer complained about the deregulation of his industry and asked what she'd do about it. "During this campaign, you're going to hear me talk a lot about the importance of balance," she began, after acknowledging that the Bush Administration had gone too far toward deregulation in most areas. "You know, our politics can get a little imbalanced sometimes. We move off to the left or off to the right, but eventually we find our way back to the center because Americans are problem solvers. We are not ideologues. Most people are just looking for sensible, commonsense solutions."

It was classic Clinton. And having watched both Clintons for nearly 20 years now, I believe it is an honest summation of what they think they're about: "Getting stuff done," as Bill Clinton used to say. That means being flagrantly political, working the system, making the compromises necessary to get the best deal possible to enact their priorities. It is the domestic-policy equivalent of Realpolitik, and it drives partisans crazy on both sides of the political divide.

I'm always curious: How many HRC supporters like her as an individual entity, and how many are just still in love with Bill and want him back in the white house and the public eye?

Twice as part of group of employees who were "lobbying" her on a social issue of great concern to my previous employer, and once on my own about a personal matter. She was warm, attentive, compassionate, funny, and of course, completely familiar with the details of the issues.

Wouldn't that description also describe Edwards or Obama or Biden if you met them face to face?

I don't think Edwards or Obama come close to being as up on the issues as Clinton. Biden is another story. He's a real wonk; a policy guru type

I think that's an important facet of the equation--what kind of stuff are we talking about here?

Tough, Undercover, Flim Flam. :)

strengthening the social safety net, protecting children, women's rights, help for people with AIDS, abortion rights..........

actually gotten DONE?

got Plan B accessible OTC, helped secure the $20billion to rebuild after 9/11, fought to provide compensation to the families of the victims, grants for hard-hit small businesses, and health care for front line workers at Ground Zero. She also passed legislation to track the health status of our troops so that conditions like Gulf War Syndrome would no longer be misdiagnosed. She is an original sponsor of legislation that expanded health benefits to members of the National Guard and Reserves, introduced legislation to tie Congressional salary increases to an increase in the minimum wage, She worked to strengthen the Children's Health Insurance Program, which increased coverage for children in low income and working families. She authored legislation that has been enacted to improve quality and lower the cost of prescription drugs, she worked to ensure the safety of prescription drugs for children, with legislation now included in the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act, and her legislation to help schools address environmental hazards. She has also proposed expanding access to child care. She has passed legislation that will bring more qualified teachers into classrooms and more outstanding principals to lead our schools. Hillary is one of the original cosponsors of the Prevention First Act to increase access to family planning. Her fight with the Bush Administration ensured that Plan B, an emergency contraceptive, will be available to millions of American women and will reduce the need for abortions.

Sure, those are all very worthy accomplishments and I certainly respect what she's done. Although you listed nothing regarding immigration reform and energy policy.

What troubles me is her apparent lack of accomplishment in the two critical areas: foreign policy and Bush's various areas of destruction of our judicial system, including the Roberts and Alito appointments. These are the concerns I most want my next president to address.

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and having the largest embassy in the world in Iraq, perpetually protected by the projection of U.S. military might.

:yoiks: Bush could have never done all that he did ... Thanks Hillary! :sarcasm:

There's good "stuff" and then there's bad "stuff:

The prospect of Hillary getting stuff done doesn't comfort me in the slightest... :scared:

demanding of our leaders? Getting the wrong things done is not going to help anyone.

How about standing for these things:

Principle
Honor
Integrity
Honesty
Courage

It's just an illustration of how being able to "effect" things doesn't necessarily make you a good leader.

You can be a real shithead and "get stuff done". And likely, if that's all you stand for, you are a shithead.

Hitler isn't on the ballot

:puke:

That is truly offensive to Senator Clinton, her supporters and to anyone who lost loved one's because of Hitler's Fascist campaign. Sad.

amorphous, fluffy list. I hate to break it to you, but people have different takes on whether any given candidate has those qualities, and even how to define them. I'm not a Hillary supporter, but that list is a riot. Politics is indeed the art of the possible. You're never going to find a pure as the driven snow politician. You're looking for a saint, not a president

edited to add: Your absurd Hitler comment demonstrates a total lack of character, honesty, truth, etc.

It's a shit thing to say, and you just covered yourself in it. Way to go.

that and this whole notion that Hill even has a modicum of leadership quality in her.

People are going for her for 2 reasons, her gender and puffed up clinton nostalgia. It has nothing to do with what she's done or stands for.

Anyone arguing otherwise is just spreading bullshit.

Sorry, that isn't the center. And this still doesn't tell me what Hillary's gotten done.

and if you look into the theories behind the right-wing politics of the last 40 years, you will realize that Bill Clinton was, perhaps unwittingly, a pawn of the extremist right-wing during his presidency. NAFTA, the cut-backs to welfare, the failure to regulate the securities market and big corporations, failure adequately to fund research and development of alternative energy sources and many other policies of Clinton served the further spread of the extremist version of free market economics. Clinton balanced the budget on the backs of the poor and middle class. We need a president who will do better.

Hillary needs to make it very clear that she will put America's middle and working classes first and foremost. Hillary accepts money from the lobbyists for the big corporations. She can talk moderation as much as she wants. I want to know specifically what her plans are to promote the interests of us middle class and lower middle class citizens over those of the big corporations.

Can we really afford 4-8 more years of Clinton-omics?

SHE'S DONE STUFF! LEAVE HILLARY ALONE! YOU BASTARDS!!!

Borrowing someone's productivity motto isn't going to help her sinking campaign.

:sarcasm:

us on the brink of war with Iran, she put an end to the efforts of those peaceniks who tried to get our troops redeployed out of Iraq, she got the job done when we needed to quash the plan to create a Senate Office on Public Integrity, she made sure China won MFN status and we got "free" trade agreements with Asia and Latin America and the Middle East, she got the job done again in terms of passing the "three strikes" imprisonment law, and he got us all universal health care back in 1992!

Oh wait ... forget that last one, but she got the job done on all the others!

She definitely stands for (and on) these puppies.... or a reasonable facsimile..



:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

or was that the best you could come up with?

Education

President of Wellesley College's Young Republicans (Go AUH2O!)



Professional

. got the Patriot Act renewed

. got capital gains and dividend tax cuts extended

. got us on the brink of war with Iran

. stopped peaceniks who tried to get our troops redeployed out of Iraq

. quashed the plan to create a Senate Office on Public Integrity

. helped win MFN status for China and "free" trade agreements with Asia, Latin America, Mid East

. got the "three strikes" imprisonment law passed

the best woman we can run is Bill Clinton's wife? Please.

Worked with Marion Wright Edelman (you know who that is, right?) on the Children's Defense Fund.

Worked for the dems as a young attny on the impeachment of Richard Nixon.

Protege of Saul Alinsky.

Worked for McGovern for President.

Worked for women's rights and choice for over 35 years.

Worked to expand health care.

Opposed right wing judges.

Opposes Mukasey.


My list is factual. Yours? Not so much.


So what if she was a repub during her freshman year in college? She wasn't after that.

She was hardly solely responsible as you indicate, for the PA. Clinton supports raising taxes on high income Americans and closing tax loopholes for Hedge Fund managers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/14/business/14tax.html

I profoundly disagree with her vote on Kyle/Lieberman, but you don't seem to grasp that bushco doesn't need Congressional authority to bomb Iran, and that the resolution in question doesn't give it him in any case.

She voted against CAFTA, not for it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/14/business/14tax.html

You provide no links for your claims.

Clinton is a mixed bag. I don't support her, but making her out to be some repuke clone, is absurd.

What "STUFF"?

During her Senate tern, she championed "Flag Burning" legislation.
She also led the charge against violent cartoons in Video Games.
BOTH Republican issues.

The quote in the OP is also embarrassing.

Hillary was asked a direct question:

"What will you do about deregulation in the Dairy Industry?"

Answer:
"During this campaign, you're going to hear me talk a lot about the importance of balance," she began, after acknowledging that the Bush Administration had gone too far toward deregulation in most areas. "You know, our politics can get a little imbalanced sometimes. We move off to the left or off to the right, but eventually we find our way back to the center because Americans are problem solvers. We are not ideologues. Most people are just looking for sensible, commonsense solutions."
:wtf:

So what is Hillary going to do? :shrug:
Is she Fer it or Agin it?
Who can tell?
Another DoubleSpeak non-answer.



I challenge the OP to decipher Hillary's statement, and tell me where she stands on deregulation of the Dairy Industry.



"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

What "compromises" would she be planning? And exactly WHO would she be "driving crazy"?

That's the BIG question.

It's just a cheap way of ignoring your critics, even when their criticisms are valid.

You can always say "I just want to get stuff done, but they are trying to stop me!"

Look what happened since Bush decided to "get things done" in Iraq.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLBSLLIhUs
Hillary pushes for more h1-b visas and outsourcing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLNOSGM2jK4
Lou Dobbs: Hillary Clinton's hypocrisy (part 1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgdrh2Bc95M
Lou Dobbs: Hillary Clinton's hypocrisy (part 2)

The general population, or just the corporate clients of Burson-Marsteller?

Hillary gets things done for NY., and Bill got a lot done for this country...

Together, they will be the "DYNAMIC DUO," because we need 2 president's to clean-up the Bush mess!!