Hillary (& Bill) Clinton

excerpts from the Iowa Daily Report

official draft Hillary website:

November 16-30, 2003

SideShow

The one person who almost received more attention than Hillary Clinton Saturday night at the Jefferson Jackson Day Dinner in Iowa was Bob Kunst, the Florida man who has launched the www.hillarynow.com website. He had some of the best lines that he delivered outside the Jefferson Jackson Day Dinner. He said he wants to "shake things up all the way to the rafters" and get Iowans to vote for Hillary Clinton in the Iowa Caucuses. Kunst says he formed the online effort because he feels "our country is in great danger and she's the only one that can get Bush out of there." Lots of cameras and reporters covered this sideshow. (11/16/2003)

With supporters like this

The Washington Post has a story about the Draft Hillary divide that is just too comical. Go check it out! Here are some excerpts:

How divided is the race for the Democratic presidential nomination? Even the Draft Hillary movements can’t stand each other.

 "We're avoiding him," says Adam Parkhomenko, the 18-year-old leader of VoteHillary.org in Arlington, talking about Bob Kunst, leader of Miami Beach-based HillaryNow.com.

"I'm avoiding him," says Kunst of Parkhomenko. "The kid is on a total ego trip."

Not true, says Parkhomenko. "We wouldn't be in this situation if the guy had just returned my e-mails. And when he finally did, all he wanted was for me to help him to sell bumper stickers."

"I'm way too busy for this nonsense," Kunst declares.

Then there is the Newsweek article that says the Clintonistas are not giving up:

THE SCENARIO, as sketched by this hard-boiled insider, calls for Clinton to make an entrance as healer and unifier at the end of the primary season in May or June in the unlikely—but not impossible—event that none of the existing contenders has amassed a majority of the convention delegates. “You’d have to have Howard Dean not wrapping it up, and being an angry, wounded front runner,” this adviser said. “You’d have to have two of the other challengers tearing each other apart in primary after primary. Then Hillary could come in, well in advance of the convention, and say, ‘Look, somebody has to save the party’.” (11/17/2003)

Trojan horse

Hillary is ginning up opposition to the Medicare bill. She sent out the following e-mail:

In recent days, I have been trying to study and understand the implications of the Medicare compromise, which totals 1100 pages. In an attempt to hide its worst elements, this bill has been designed to be purposely confusing and cumbersome. Read my full statement at http://activate.friendsofhillary.com/t?ctl=4B3763:1F0AD46

I am astonished and saddened at how this legislation wraps a skimpy drug benefit around many radical elements that will harm Medicare and undermine programs that people need. This bill is a Trojan horse for our seniors!

In medicine, the core ethical principle is the Hippocratic Oath: "First, do no harm." This legislation should be held to the same standard. But this legislation violates the Hippocratic Oath:

> It takes away benefits people already have.

> It forces people to pay more out of pocket for benefits that they already receive.

> It drastically skews the system against traditional Medicare.

This bill is confusing and there's a catch. The catch is: The whole bill is designed to bring about the demise of Medicare.

SPEAK OUT! I have said that Medicare is a promise we made to our seniors, a promise that I am not willing to break. Talk to your friends, your family, your Representatives in Congress and tell them that you will not undermine Medicare. Visit http://activate.friendsofhillary.com/t?ctl=4B3723:1F0AD46 to let us know your thoughts about this Trojan horse of a bill. (11/22/2003)

How he did it

Some have wondered how President Bill Clinton didn’t seem to mind about all that happened around him. His former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin reveals in his latest book that Clinton shared his technique with him, according to the Washington Times’ Inside the Belway:

Incredibly enough, Mr. Rubin took these "mental devices" Mr. Clinton revealed and, for lack of his own personal crisis, applied them to his tennis game.

"While playing, I kept in mind the thought that even ... a fine tennis player makes a lot of errors; the object is to focus on hitting the shot as well as possible and not to worry about either the likelihood of messing up or the outcome of the point," he says.

"When I told [political operative] Steve Friedman that the Lewinsky matter had improved my tennis game, he waited with bated breath for what I had to say. He may have been somewhat disappointed by my explanation." (11/26/2003)

Combat zone bound

The Associated Press is reporting that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will spend Thanksgiving in Afghanistan before traveling to Iraq with a former Army paratrooper turned senator to meet with soldiers and ask questions about the United States' ongoing nation-building efforts.

The former first lady and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., have both been critical of the administration's handling of post-combat problems in the war on terrorism, particularly after major military operations ended in Iraq. Clinton and Reed said Tuesday they were concerned about the current efforts to win the "hearts and minds" of Iraqis. 11/26/2003)

More troops needed

Hillary Clinton visited Afghanistan on Thanksgiving and had Thanksgiving Dinner with the troops. According to CNN Hillary Clinton announced the U.S.’s resolve in Afghanistan and called for more troops:

"The U.S. is resolved to stand as a strong partner and to ensure that the terrorists, whoever they are, wherever they come from, will be dealt with," Clinton told reporters in Kabul. "The message should be: The Taliban terrorists are fighting a losing battle."

Later, after enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with U.S. troops at Bagram Air Base, just north of the capital, Clinton said in an interview with The Associated Press that more troops are needed to defeat Taliban militants and provide the security needed to rebuild the country.

National Public Radio is adding to the story that Clinton is stating the troops don’t necessarily have to be U.S. troops. (11/27/2003)

Overshadowed

Hillary Clinton probably thought her visiting the troops in Baghdad would be a big deal, but after yesterday only a few print sources even mentioned her visit. Our country can only hope for her a safe trip. Her welcome back will not be as attention-grabbing as she had anticipated and she will no doubt have certain words of criticism for the Bush administration. (11/28/2003)

Could Hillary be critical?

A New York Post story titled “Hillary plays second Banana” has Hillary praising Bush for the Thanksgiving Dinner trip then criticizing the President’s policy:

"The obstacles and problems over here are much greater than the administration usually admits to," said Clinton, adding that she learned much from seeing things firsthand. "Everybody has to be honest."

Clinton, whose four-day trip was planned with less secrecy than Bush's, is nevertheless under tight security along with her traveling colleague Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.).

Clinton said she planned to spotlight some of her findings in coming weeks, but she did not elaborate.

Hillary also wants the United Nations to take over Iraq. (11/29/2003)

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