Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator From New York
1 comment October 6th, 2007
The official launch of Hillary Clinton’s “exploratory” presidential bid occurred in January 2007. However, it was Hillary’s election as a senator from New York in November 2000 that marked the true beginning of the her presidential campaign. The decision to run for senator in the Empire State required Hillary Clinton and soon-to-be ex-president and husband Bill Clinton to relocate to a wealthy county in New York. However, Hillary Clinton realized that being a former First Lady would not be much of a resume to run on. She needed her own political office, upon which to build a resume suitable for a presidential campaign. Sounds Machiavellian, but then, that is in character for the Clintons when it comes to political ambition.
Considering how important her Senate seat is for her presidential campaign, does Hillary Clinton have a senatorial record to run on? Obviously, her paid PR gurus will convince the American electorate that she does. Get behind the media and advertising hype, however, and there is precious little for her to stand proud on. In fact, when compared with her predecessor as New York senator, the late Daniel Patrick Moyhihan, who was a respected intellectual giant of American politics, she comes across as downright mediocre, at best.
Put aside the hype and there is no single example of outstanding accomplishment by her in seven years in the Senate. Her committee assignments, which she will point to as invaluable “experience,” are merely names on her Senate stationary to give her bragging rights. There are no compelling legislative acts that corroborate her claims as being exceptionally qualified for presidential leadership.
Some senators have made vital contributions to America’s national security. Former Democratic senator Sam Nunn, and his Republican colleague, Richard Lugar, together created bipartisan legislation that provided assistance to Russia for improving the security of its nuclear weapons materials that would otherwise be vulnerable to theft by terrorists. Hillary Clinton has no record of accomplishment on national security that even comes within miles of what Lugar and Nunn achieved. So, as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, what did she accomplish? She voted to authorize the disastrous war in Iraq, and did so without even bothering to read the National Intelligence Estimate, which if she had done, would have informed her of doubts the intelligence community had about the claims regarding WMD activity in Iraq.
With such a Senate record, it is astonishing that Hillary Rodham Clinton is the front-runner in the presidential race. However, this really isn’t about her Senate record; that is just window-dressing. It is about conducting the 2008 campaign like a television game show, where the power of celebrity trumps experience. No doubt, Hillary Clinton is the ultimate celebrity among the presidential candidates. However, let us be frank about why: it’s being the wife of former president Bill Clinton, stupid. Take that away, and her Senate record would make her less compelling than most of her Democratic competitors for the nomination (not to mentional Republicans in the general election). No wonder her campaign focuses more and more on silly contests and games, to the exclusion of exposing Hillary’s Senate record to critical scrutiny.
Sheldon Filger, Author
“Hillary Clinton Nude: Naked Ambition, Hillary Clinton And America’s Demise.”
“The Clintons Are A Terminally Unethical And Vulgar Couple, And They’ve Betrayed Everyone Who Has Ever Believed In Them.”
Bob Herbert, Columnist
The New York Times (February 26, 2001)
“Hillary Clinton Nude” available for purchase at Amazon.com and at
www.hillary-clinton-nude.com
