Are any of the current Republican presidential candidates viable contenders with Democrat front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton? In my view, the GOP field is weak on the most vital issue, the Iraq war catastrophe-with one notable exception; Ron Paul.
Libertarian congressman Ron Paul is an official candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. Though I don’t agree with many of his policy positions, he still deserves to be taken seriously and accorded respect for being the only Republican presidential contender to strongly oppose the disastrous Iraq war, initiated by the Bush and Cheney administration, and facilitated by many Congressmen and Senators, including Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Ron Paul reminds me of Lincoln Chaffee, the only Republican senator to vote against the war authorization bill that enabled Bush to launch an unprovoked attack on Iraq. In sharp contrast, unlike Ron Paul or Lincoln Chaffee, Senator Hillary Clinton did vote in support of the Iraq war. Yet, it is Hillary Clinton who is achieving the most political success in positioning herself as the candidate who will terminate the Iraq war. Why?
American politics in its distorted reality rewards the guilty and punishes the courageous. Lincoln Chaffee was voted out of office in last November’s midterm election. Ron Paul has been largely marginalized and ignored by mainstream media, with a few notable exceptions. Hillary Clinton’s Sopranos video, in the meantime, becomes topline national news on the major television networks. So let’s figure, a thoughtful debate on the Iraq war is not newsworthy, but an obsession with the Clintons playing the role of gangsters, that’s fine? I still don’t get it.
It is the nation’s loss that there is not more discussion of Ron Paul’s critique of the Iraq war. He has pointed out that the nation’s founding fathers enshrined in the constitution the requirement that only Congress had the power to wage war. In other words, politicians such as Hillary Clinton voted in favor of surrendering the most vital authority of the peoples’ representatives, the power to wage war, to the president. Given that the first Clinton administration also waged war without a congressional declaration of war, why should we feel that a second Clinton administration would act with more responsibility in the wake of Hillary Clinton’s pro-war vote? If for no other reason, American voters should pay attention to Ron Paul and his message on the war, for he is warning us that the disaster of Iraq flows from a failure by our political establishment to follow the nation’s constitution. This is a serious and thoughtful point, and for that reason is being ignored in favor of laudatory platitudes on Hillary Clinton’s theatrical review on YouTube. Just another example of why America is in trouble.
Sheldon Filger, Author
“Hillary Clinton Nude: Naked Ambition, Hillary Clinton And America’s Demise” (Available at www.hillary-clinton-nude.com and on Amazon.com)
The latest financial numbers from 2008 presidential campaign fundraising indicate that Senator Clinton is raising vastly more money from Wall Street than her competitors, Democrat and Republican. This surge in financial gifts from the investment bankers and employees of large brokerage firms to Hillaryland is far more significant than their impact on the primary contests, which begin in January 2008.
In previous presidential elections, the GOP could look forward to raising more money than the Democrats, largely due to support from Wall Street. However, in 2008, the tealeaves are pointing to a massive defection to Hillary Clinton from the money handlers on Wall Street. This likely means a tectonic sea change in the finances of the general election. Hillary Clinton will likely raise far more money than the Republican nominee will. Furthermore, if the GOP nominee is Giuliani, even more Wall Street money will flow into Hillary’s coffers. This is due to a grudge many investment bankers still hold against Rudy Giuliani from his days as a district attorney, who prosecuted a number of Wall Street operatives.
The money trail flowing from Wall Street to Hillary Clinton is a clear sign that if elected, a President Hillary Clinton will be as beholden to Wall Street for setting national economic policies, as were her two predecessors. As one of these men is her husband, no doubt she is quite comfortable with such a situation. The question is, will this help or hurt America, as the nation faces a period of unparalleled financial challenges? If you happen to think those who created sub-prime mortgages can be trusted to steer the U.S. economy, you have nothing to fear.
Sheldon Filger, Author
“Hillary Clinton Nude: Naked Ambition, Hillary Clinton And America’s Demise.”
“Hillary Clinton Nude” available for purchase at Amazon.com and at
www.hillary-clinton-nude.com
Obama, the anti-Clinton Democrats’ last audacious hope, is now more than 20 points behind Hillary in most public opinion surveys. Now he is behind her in cash on hand. Hillaryland has a war chest that can be spent on the primaries that totals $35 million, versus $32 million for Barack Obama. This does not include another $15 million dollars on hand that Hillary can spend on the general election. To put this number in perspective, Hillary Clinton now has $50 million in cash on hand, about five times as much as the Republican Party’s most successful fundraising candidate, Giuliani.
The cash being amassed by Hillaryland, on top of the vast campaign infrastructure they have put in place, really brings to light how pathetically ridiculous the Obama campaign phenomenon has become. Historians will look back on this period, and wonder how so many media “experts” could be fooled into believing that political neophyte Barack Obama could actually successfully challenge the Clintons, America’s most experienced, ruthless and effective political team. It’s beginning to look like Obama’s fifteen minutes of fame will soon be coming to an end, along with the political fantasies of his financial supporters.
Sheldon Filger, Author
“Hillary Clinton Nude: Naked Ambition, Hillary Clinton And America’s Demise.”
“Hillary Clinton Nude” available for purchase at Amazon.com and at
www.hillary-clinton-nude.com
Amid the media speculation on Al Gore jumping into the 2008 presidential race, how realistic a possibility is it? First there was that “inconvenient” movie, and now it’s the inconvenient Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to Bill Clinton’s vice president, Al Gore. Inconvenient, that is, for Hillary Clinton. So, all this media speculation on Al Gore getting into the 2008 race, how real is it?
To begin with, I think Al Gore believes that Bill Clinton’s behavior as president cost him the presidency in 2000 to George W. Bush. Not without good reason, as I explain in my book, “Hillary Clinton Nude: Naked Ambition, Hillary Clinton And America’s Demise.” Some say that Gore is really enjoying his “re-invented” life, however, I suspect that he would have enjoyed it more as president.
My own belief is that Al Gore would like to get into the race, and would do it to wreck Hillary’s chances, even if he were unsuccessful in gaining the nomination for himself. However, Hillary Clinton’s lead is growing beyond the point where a spoiler would be able to deny her the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.
Since it appears that Hillary is unstoppable, Gore will probably stay out of the race, knowing he would suffer humiliation a second time, and probably far worse the wear this time around, as he knows the political ruthlessness of the Clintons as few others do.
My own estimate is that Al Gore is unlikely to enter the race. The other scenario is that the former vice president might jump in if Barack Obama falls behind John Edwards in the polls. However, if that occurs, it makes Hillary even more unassailable, and therefore does not provide Gore with the break he wants before deciding to run.
I have long felt that Barack Obama’s candidacy helps more than hurts Hillaryland. He not only marginalizes Hillary’s other opponents, such as John Edwards, but also discourages Al Gore from getting even with the Clintons, as long as Obama is perceived as a serious challenger. What the Clintons know, but few others yet realize, is that a junior senator with barely two years experience in national politics is the best leading opponent for the Democratic nomination that Bill and Hillary could hope and pray for. It may be that Barack Obama will go down in history as inconvenient for Al Gore and most convenient for Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Sheldon Filger, Author
“Hillary Clinton Nude: Naked Ambition, Hillary Clinton And America’s Demise.”
“Hillary Clinton Nude” available for purchase at Amazon.com and at
www.hillary-clinton-nude.com
There is a growing sense among the American public that Hillary Clinton will inevitably be the nation’s 44th president. With more than a year to go until the November 2008 general election, an almost surreal collective expectation that Hillary Rodham Clinton will gain her long-held political ambition permeates the land.
Is a second Clinton presidency inevitable? Logically, with 13 months left until the presidential election, nothing is inevitable. However, it is quite certain that Senator Clinton will be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. Her opponents are increasingly looking like pathetic political comedians. Which leaves us with the Republicans.
Watching the GOP presidential candidates debate each other, they are a truly sorry lot, giving the appearance of lambs be led to the Clintonian slaughter. While none of these candidates will identify themselves with George W. Bush, neither will they repudiate Bush’s war-with the notable exception of Congressman Ron Paul. The American people are overwhelmingly convinced that the war is a disaster, and by failing to confront this reality, the GOP contenders are facilitating Hillary’s romp to the White House.
Frankly, I see only two possibilities that will diminish Hillary’s inevitability factor. Either a credible third party must be created, or the Republicans radically reform and rebuild their party, leading to the selection of a candidate of unquestioned leadership excellence. The other requirement is to remind the American people about the administration of Clinton I, leading to a comprehension of the darkness that awaits the nation if Clinton II becomes reality.
Sheldon Filger, Author
“Hillary Clinton Nude: Naked Ambition, Hillary Clinton And America’s Demise.”
“Hillary Clinton Nude” available for purchase at Amazon.com and at
www.hillary-clinton-nude.com
Do you remember Sandy Berger? The lawyer, who worked on the George McGovern campaign of 1972 with a certain couple, namely Bill and Hillary? Well, it turns out, according to media reports, that this same Sandy Berger is now advising the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign on national security matters.
This is not the most auspicious of news regarding Hillary’s intentions, should she capture the presidency. For those who may have forgotten, Sandy Berger the lawyer was selected by President Bill Clinton to be his national security advisor in the period 1997-2001, encompassing Bill Clinton’s second term, with Hillary at his side as co-president. In the views of many, Sandy Berger was not an inspired choice for guiding the president on the most sensitive questions involving national security. This was the period when Al-Qaeda grew power, and placed in motion the means to attack America on 9/11. This was also when a supposed nuclear deal was worked it with North Korea; it later transpired that the North Korean dictatorship brazenly cheated on this agreement. It was also a time when the most invited foreign visitor to the Clinton White House was the corrupt Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, while the Clinton administration largely ignored overtures from a reformist president in Iran for improved relations between the two nations.
So, what happened to Sandy Berger, the national security genius of the Clinton administration? In 2004 the Justice Department launched an investigation when allegations surfaced regarding Berger’s mishandling of classified information. In 2005, Sandy Berger pled guilty on a charge of removing classified documents form the National Archives without authorization.
Now that this “distinguished” national security guru is back to advising the Clintons, what does this really mean? When word leaked out about Berger’s role in the Hillary Clinton campaign, Hillaryland began its game of spinning, downplaying Berger’s involvement with the Clinton political machine. However, I think the meaning of all this is clear. As the French say, “the more things change, the more they remain the same.” Especially with the Clintons.
This episode is just another reminder for the American electorate that, when it comes to Hillary and Bill Clinton, past is prologue, double exclamation point!!
Sheldon Filger, Author
“Hillary Clinton Nude: Naked Ambition, Hillary Clinton And America’s Demise.”
“Hillary Clinton Nude” available for purchase at Amazon.com and at
http://www.hillary-clinton-nude.com
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
“Is this good for our democracy, this air of inevitability? Is it good in terms of how the world sees us…It would be understandable if they were families of a most extraordinary natural distinction and self-sacrifice. But these are not the Adamses of Massachusetts we’re talking about. You’ve noticed, right?”
Peggy Noonan, Columnist
The Wall Street Journal, October 5, 2007
Today’s edition of The Wall Street Journal carried a most insightful column by Peggy Noonan on the meaning of having the Clinton and Bush dynasties dominate the highest political office for multiple presidential terms, without interruption. “Bush . . . Clinton . . . Bush . . . Clinton . . . Getting very sleepy . . .” is the title of Noonan’s column, which I recommend highly.
As I have emphasized in my book, “Hillary Clinton Nude,” Hillary Clinton’s election to the presidency, and subsequent reelection, would mean 28 years, or seven presidential terms, of uninterrupted control of the White House by two undistinguished families. In a nation of more than 300 million souls, this is simply a surreal political absurdity. At the very least, this pattern contradicts the meaning and essence of democracy. As Noonan explains so well, the ability of a “brand name” political celebrity to attract the money needed to gain the presidency is responsible for this sad state of affairs.
The growing inevitability of Hillary Clinton’s triumph in November of 2008 is a prospect that should send chills down the spine of every American who believes that a functioning democracy is essential for America’s long term survival and flourishing.
While Hillary Clinton’s two main Democratic rivals, Barack Obama and John Edwards, devoted significant time to campaigning in Iowa, Senator Clinton focused on building up her campaign infrastructure to ensure she would win a lion’s share of the delegates up for grabs on what is being dubbed “Tsunami Tuesday.” On that day, February 5, 2008, the Democratic nomination will be decided. Hillaryland has played its cards well, and is poised to score a decisive triumph. It is now time for Hillary Clinton to shift gears, and focus on Iowa.
The Clinton political machine knows that if Hillary is victorious in Iowa, her opposition will be crushed, prostrated and laid impotent. In other words, vanquishing Obama and Edwards in Iowa means that Hillary Clinton has won the nomination, and her opponents can be expected to drop out of the race, surrendering to the inevitable.
At present, Iowa is the only state that is competitive, according to the polling data. To maximize her chances of winning, Hillary must accomplish two things. The first, already done, was to reorganize her campaign infrastructure. The next step, about to begin, will feature both Hillary and Bill Clinton flooding Iowa and its media markets with celebrity power and presence. The sweeping plains of Iowa will be saturated with Clintonian power in the weeks leading up the caucus. In addition, behind the scenes, intense politicking and organizational work will be undertaken. This behind-the-scenes maneuvering is something both Clintons are masters at. The object in Iowa will be to create a bandwagon effect, conjuring up the image that those who vote for Obama or Edwards are lining up with losers. In essence, Hillary Clinton will rely on a herd psychology to stampede her way to the victor’s circle in the first electoral contest of the 2008 presidential campaign.
“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
