ABOUT FIRST READ

First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



More 'New Hillary' after Meet the Press

Posted: Sunday, January 13, 2008 11:44 AM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- If you're looking for a good picture to illustrate the "New Hillary" --  look at how Clinton acted after Meet the Press. She was greeted by supporters as she left the studio here where the show was taped, and she took a detour on the way to her car to reach through the iron gate to shake hands. After a few seconds, she gestured and said "I'll come around" and walked out onto the sidewalk to continue greeting people.

People on the street were surprised. "I can't believe that just happened!" commented one volunteer in a Hillary T-shirt said, looking at the hand Clinton was shaking.

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Comments

Its pretty sad that the expectation seems to be that Hillary would not go out and meet her supporters for a couple of minutes. "New and Improved Hillary" - guess thats what she means by change
The bad part is that it seems everyday we see a new Hillary, the next day reminds us that they are still the same. Whle the recount in New Hampshire is still going on. The Clinton's have left that state Devided and in turmoil. An article in the Washington Post reminds us a snake by any other name is still a snake:

The presidential campaign has moved on from New Hampshire, but it has left behind it deep fissures and feelings of resentment among local Democrats that some fear may linger all the way until November.

Some supporters of Barack Obama, stung by his narrow loss to Hillary Clinton, are lashing out at a large group of Democratic women leaders in the state who signed a letter criticizing Obama's commitment to abortion rights, a letter that went out by e-mail to many New Hampshire voters two days before the primary.

Other Obama backers are upset about efforts by top Clinton supporters to remove poll observers that the Obama campaign had stationed around the state on primary day, an intervention that the Obama supporters say hindered their get out the vote efforts.

Obama supporter Bill Siroty, a former Democratic chair for the town of Amherst, said the ill will is running so high that it could keep Democrats in the state who supported Obama from rallying behind Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, should she win the nomination.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/01/12/taken_for_granite.html

The Clinton Campaign keeps reminding us that integrity is not a part of their character or Their campaign! The abortion rights group in Illinios, state that Senator Obama received a 100% vote of approval from them. Of course that little fact was not important to the Clinton campaign!
I was impressed by Mrs. Clinton's strength and refusal to let Tim Russert bully her. I do think Hillary hurts herself when Bill is allowed to run off at the mouth, and Obama's campaign hurts him by taking her comments out of context and twisting them into something unrecognizable.
She will be the President of the "people". She will change the middle class, by improving their lives.The Republicans are "very,very" nervous and well they should be. The Republican party is "over".
Doesn't anyone notice all of this nonsense.  How many Hillaries are there?  The next one will probably be male, younger and taller.

Some people feel one is too many.

Duba changes slogans every week also, and look at the job he's doing.
Hillary Clinton did a fabulous job this morning on Meet The Press. I'm sorry I can't say the same for NBC and Tim Russert. The clip from Bill Clinton's speech at Dartmouth was just as she said - incomplete and taken out of context. I attended that event and when the "fairytale" comment was made Mr. Clinton was speaking directly to Obama's stance on the Iraq war. So why don't we get the full story as part of responsible reporting? If we as voters are to rely on the press for information to help us make our informed decision then the press is going to have to give us ALL the information we need in a truthful manner. I will be using other news sources in the future. I agree with the opinion of Alan Greenspan that Hillary is the most imminently qualified candidate we have. HILLARY 08!
The interesting thing is that if Hillary is indeed a changed person (greting people and actually speaking to them on an even level), then it is inarguably due to Obama...so, even Obama's message has changed his archenemy.
Hillary Clinton spent almost the entire hour on the defensive.   Russert could have been a lot more forceful, but he wasn't.  Kind of disappointing really.  He let her get away with claiming that Obama distorted her comments and caused the outrage amongst the African-American community.  That's a ridiculous and, more importantly, dishonest assertion.  She's playing the victim!  She should have just admitted that her comments here badly made and apologized, not claimed that there's a conspiracy against her by saying that Obama pushed everyone into being outraged. He didn't even comment on it until she began asserting that he and his campaign, not the individuals and leaders and media, are the ones causing this controversy.  She's continuing to cherry-pick his record on Iraq, just like Bill did.  Cherry-picking is what Bush did extensively in 2000 against Gore and in 2004 against Kerry.  She's also continuing with the false claim that Obama's plan leaves out 15 million people.   Not really, Obama's plan is about universal ACCESS, whereas Clinton's mandate would force people to buy coverage, and thus allow her to make the claim on very shaky ground that her plan doesn't leave out anyone.
It's hard to imagine that anyone could tell more bald faced lies in one setting as did Hillary Clinton.

She lies with such ease, it seems second nature to her

After 15 years of lies and dishonesty coming from the White House, it's time for a change

15 years of lies and dishonesty from the White House

15 years of scandals from the White House

15 years of unethical beahvior from the Whit4e House

TIME FOR A CHANGE

Hillary Clinton, 15 years of dishonesty, scandals and divisiveness

Hillary Clinton, cold, calculating, dishonest, unethical, divisive
Isn't it funny that the 'New Hillary' lies as much as the old Hillary

Kind of like the 'New Nixon'

Hillary Clinton, 15 years of lies, dishonesty, scandals, swindles, cover ups, and divisiveness
She was wonderful on Meet The Press. Go Hillary. You have my vote!
I am so tired of the press looking to sell stories rather than embracing the notion of accuracy. I think its time to consider the good of the country instead of hidden agendas that are mainly focused on greed. I think Hillary has not been given a sympathy vote from women but instead women have recognized the need to support Hillary because she is truly committed to the welfare of the country and has the ability, strength and courage to clean up the mess. Finally, I would like to say that if the 'Meet The Press' host really thinks his manipulations against Hillary were not noticed then he has insulted the intelligence of the American people.  Sincerely For Peace. J.C.  Dahlonega, Ga.













j
Barack Obama
Senior Lecturer in Law  

EDUCATION

Harvard Law School, J.D. 1991, Magna Cum Laude.
President, Harvard Law Review
Executive Board, Black Law Students' Association
Columbia University, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, 1983


Illinois State Senator - 13th Legislative District, Chicago, 1996 - 2004
Minority Spokesperson for the Public Health & Welfare Committee, Member of the Judiciary and Revenue Committees, Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.
Areas of legislative interest include welfare reform; public school funding and accountability; tax accountability and tax fairness; campaign finance and ethics reform; job training and workforce preparation; economic development and technology access; and juvenile justice issues.

University of Chicago Law School
Senior Lecturer, 1993 -

Miner, Barnhill & Galland, P.C.
Of Counsel, 1996 -  
Specializing in civil rights and voting rights litigation, employment law, and the representation of not-for-profit and community development corporations in urban redevelopment activities.
Associate, 1993 - 1996
Litigated voting rights and employment cases, wrote appellate briefs and argued appeals in the United States Court of Appeals, helped to structure and finance efforts to construct mixed-income housing to replace public housing in and around Cabrini Green, served as general counsel to community health clinics, social service agencies, and charter schools throughout Chicago.

Illinois Project Vote
Director, April 1992 - November 1992
Organized and directed a voter registration and education campaign targeted at minority and low-income voters in Cook County. Recruited and managed 10 paid staff and 700 volunteers; helped raise $200,000 for the project; coordinated a companion multi-media campaign; established office and reporting systems. Resulted in approximately 150,000 newly registered voters in the 1992 Presidential election.

Developing Communities Project
Director, June 1985 - June 1988
Organized and directed a not-for-profit community development program in low-income areas of Chicago's Far South Side. With a membership of over twenty churches and civic groups, the organization trained local leaders to formulate and execute a range of community development projects, including job training programs for area unemployed, college prep programs for low-income students, parent initiatives to reform public schools, and campaigns to clean up hazardous waste sites.

Business International Corporation
Writer/Financial Analyst, January 1984 - January 1985
Researched, wrote and edited articles, reports, and how-to manuals on international business and finance for multinational corporations.

Honors

Outstanding Legislator Awards from Campaign for Better Health Care and Illinois Primary Health Care Association, 1998

Best Freshman Legislator Award from Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct Organizations, 1997

Legal Eagle Award for litigation leading to Illinois' compliance with national "Motor Voter" Legislation, 1995

Monarch Award for Outstanding Public Service, 1994

Crain's Chicago Business "40 Under 40" Award, 1993

Obama helped to deliver the first significant campaign finance reform law in Illinois in 25 years. He brought law enforcement groups around to back legislation requiring that homicide interrogations be taped and helped bring about passage of the state’s first racial-profiling law. He was a chief sponsor of a law enhancing tax credits for the working poor, played a central role in negotiations over welfare reform and successfully pushed for increasing child care subsidies (NYT, 7/30/07).  Here in Chicago, Obama worked as lead organizer for the Developing Communities Project, a campaign funded by south-side Catholic churches to counteract the dislocation and massive unemployment caused by the closing and downsizing of southeast Chicago steel plants. (ChicagoReader 12/8/95)   As a Chicago community organizer, Obama notched accomplishments ranging from job-training programs to a successful attempt to improve city services at the Altgeld Gardens housing project, chaired a voter-registration drive that helped carry Illinois for Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton in 1992 and led an effort to acquire state money for a dropout prevention program that still operates today.


"As a state legislator, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting successful legislation on ethics and health care reform. He sponsored a law enhancing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for child care. He expanded healthcare to include 154.000 people in Illinois(including 70,000 children).  Obama also led the passage of legislation mandating videotaping of homicide interrogations, and a law to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they stopped. During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, Obama won the endorsement of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, whose president credited him with having been "immensely helpful in working with police organizations" on death penalty reform."

Although Barack Obama has represented urban areas of the country where gun violence was a community concern, he has been a long-time and consistent supporter of all Americans’ right to bear arms. Senator Obama has led the way in protecting our law enforcement officials by cracking down on armor-piercing bullets while also protecting individual rights of hunters and gun owners.

o Obama said he supported better enforcement of existing gun laws, not new ones. Obama said he supported “common sense gun control measures. For now, the federal government should focus on better enforcement of existing gun laws, rather than creating new ones.”

o Obama voted to give concealed carry for retired police and military. Obama voted to allow retired peace officers and military personnel who have served honorably for at least 10 years to receive a permit to concealed firearms. He was the only Chicago Democrat to do that. [93rd GA, SB 2188, 3/26/04, 3R P; 40-13-1]

o Obama voted to allow the use of a handgun for hunting. Obama voted to allow the use of a handgun during the open hunting season for deer. [93rd GA, SB 257, 3/24/03, 3R P; 47-5-2; 5/28/03, HA 1 SC; 55-2-0]

o Obama said municipalities should control local gun regulations, not the state. ‘That law eviscerated anti-handgun ordinances in some communities… The way I feel, Wilmette should not determine Mattoon’s firearms ordinances and Mattoon should not determine Wilmette’s.’&r dquo ; Obama said, “I don’t necessarily support those (gun-ban) laws… but I think local communities should have the right to pass them, and that’s what this law was about.” [Chicago Tribune, 10/8/04; Springfield Journal-Register, 6/3/04]


As a member of the Democratic minority party of the Senate for six of his eight years there, Obama wrote a health insurance law that covered an additional 20,000 children, a welfare reform law, an earned-income-tax-credit law for working-poor families, and death penalty reform that passed unanimously. During his last two years in the majority, he sponsored 780 bills, 280 of which became law.

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----continued---
While in the US Senate Obama has passed Lugar-Obama, a bill that expands the Nunn-Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons, including shoulder-fired missiles and anti-personnel mines. He has also passed the "Coburn-Obama Transparency Act" provides for a web site, managed by the Office of Management and Budget, listing all organizations receiving Federal funds from 2007 onward, and providing breakdowns by the agency allocating the funds, the dollar amount given, and the purpose of the grant or contract. In addition to those two he has also gotten through the "Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act," which had his name on it as the first sponsor.
He also worked with Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) in strengthening restrictions on travel in corporate jets to S.1, the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007. And then Obama sponsored with Kit Bond (R-MO) an amendment to the 2008 Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder military discharges, and calling for a review by the Government Accounting Office following reports that the procedure had been used inappropriately to reduce government costs. He sponsored the "Iran Sanctions Enabling Act" supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, and joined Chuck Hagel (R-NE) in introducing legislation to prevent nuclear terrorism. He also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to provide one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.
"I sit on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee," he said. "So I have frequent interaction with world leaders who come to visit here, and I take trips on various fact-finding missions, whether it's to Iraq or Russia or Africa. But you know, probably, the strongest experience I have in foreign relations is the fact that I spent four years living overseas when I was a child in Southeast Asia."
"A lot of my knowledge about foreign affairs isn't just what I studied in school -- I studied international relations when I was in college -- it's not just the work I do on the Senate foreign relations committee.

-----------------
As a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama is committed to helping the heroes who defend our nation today and the veterans who fought in years past.

In January 2007, Senator Obama reintroduced the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act to improve the VA’s planning process to avoid budget shortfalls in the future.
---
He authored the Sheltering All Veterans Everywhere Act (SAVE Act) to strengthen and expand federal homeless veteran programs that serve over 100,000 homeless veterans annually.
---
Part of the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act, which Senator Obama reintroduced in January 2007, would help veterans transition from the DOD health system to the VA system by extending the window in which new veterans can get mental health care from two years to five years.
READ MORE AT:
http://obama.senate.gov/issues/veterans/


--
Honoring Our Veterans
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/veterans/
---cont'd---
Barack Obama fully supports funding the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), a successful program that provides federal funds for hiring officers and acquiring equipment. President Bush proposed to slash COPS funding by 80 percent while Senator Obama believes this funding must be restored. Barack Obama voted to increase the penalty for assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon and increased penalties for assaults upon a peace officer in general.

Barack Obama respects the Second Amendment right of gun owners and believes we can pass and enforce common sense gun laws to keep guns away from children and from criminals who should not be allowed to possess them due to their past conduct. He is also a strong supporter of making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent, and believe such weapons belong on battlefields and not on our streets. Gun owners and hunters have absolutely nothing to fear from an Obama presidency.

Obama favors restoring firefighter funds for equipment and training which President Bush has fought to cut, as well as full support for our nation's first responders such as police, firefighters and emergency medical professionals.


Obama co-sponsored the Combat Meth Act of 2005 which puts federal funds into the fight against methamphetamine, provides assistance to children affected by meth abuse and places restrictions on the sale of the ingredients used to make the drug. Obama supports while Bush has opposed grant programs to provide funds for specialized units of law enforcement officials to investigate and prosecute drug dealers within Lee County.

Barack Obama introduced legislation to combat domestic violence by providing $25 million per year for partnerships between domestic violence prevention organizations to combat violence against women. In our country approximately 1,400 women die as a result of domestic violence and one in four women in the United States will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. Barack Obama co-sponsored the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a measure that encourages law enforcement and community organizations to provide services, grants and education to prevent sexual assault, domestic violence and dating violence.

Barack Obama helped create a national sex offender database through co-sponsorship of Dru's law and co-sponsored the sex offender registration and notification act which increases penalties against those who commit sex crimes against children under the age of 12.
-------------------------------
Ensuring that the Voting Section Protects the Right to Vote:

Barack Obama has been a life-long defender of voting rights. After law school, he registered 150,000 new voters in Chicago. As a civil rights lawyer, he defended minority voters who challenged redistricting plans that diluted their vote. As a constitutional law lecturer, he taught classes on voting rights. And in the US Senate, he has led the fight to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act, to oppose discriminatory photo-ID laws and improve our election machinery. His " Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act", which has passed the House of Representatives and the Senate Judiciary Committee, will enable investigations into deceptive and fraudulent practices.  It establishes significant, harsh penalties for those who have engaged in fraud, and it provides voters who have been misinformed with accurate and full information so they can vote.
 ---
UPDATE OF 12/20/07:  Washington, DC – Today, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced that a provision authored by Obama and Senator Hagel (R-NE) in the Senate and advanced by Schiff in the House requiring a comprehensive nuclear threat reduction plan passed as part of the omnibus appropriations bill. This provision requires the President to submit to Congress a comprehensive plan for ensuring that all nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material at vulnerable sites around the world are secure by 2012 from the threats that terrorists have shown they can pose. The Senate passed the omnibus appropriations bill last night and the House approved the same bill today. It will now be sent to the President to be signed into law.


Barack Obama is on the following committees in the US senate:

Senate Foreign Relations Commitee
Senate Commitee on Veterans' Affairs
Senate Commitee on Health, Education, Labor, Pensions
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Foreign Policy Forum   .... Nov 27th, 2007
 Barack Obama and several of his top foreign policy advisors held a foreign policy forum   in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Panelists included:

Richard Danzig – Former secretary of the Navy under President Clinton
Tony Lake – National Security Advisor to President Clinton
Adm. John Hutson (USN Ret.) – Bow, NH resident; Dean of Franklin Pierce Law Center; former U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General and nationally-known expert on detention and interrogation
Samantha Power – Pulitzer Prize-winning author and renowned professor of human rights and foreign policy
Susan Rice – Former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Senator Barack Obama

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post_group/ObamaHQ/Cx7J
---------------------------------


LEARN & ISSUES
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

http://obama.senate.gov/
http://obama.senate.gov/podcast/
http://obama.senate.gov/votes/index.cfm?start=21
http://obama.senate.gov/press/070621-obama_announces_3/

Environment---LCV(League of Conservation Voters)lifetime voting record scores for Democratic candidates:
Barack Obama is #1
BHO 96//HRC 90//JB 84//BR 82//CD 77//JRE 59//DK(no score)
http://www.lcv.org/voterguide/

Obama on Charlie Rose
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5456752353400414374


Barack Obama 2002 Iraq interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXzmXy226po

Barack Obama (HRC gave GWB blank check)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ-rdZ2TcII&NR=1

Hillary Clinton on Iraq
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyC7loMop58&feature=related

John Edwards in 2002 on Iraq
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4x_KnWEDjs

Bill Clinton 2003 (in 2007 He says something different)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWm8riukyeM

KNOW THE FACTS
http://factcheck.barackobama.com/
I believe that, based on Barack Obama's self-written books 'Dreams from MY Father' and 'Audacity of Hope'/
his work throughout the years to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the hopeless(poor and union-workers)/ his speeches etc, he is a better candidate. He did not just happen upon Democratic principles in this campaign, he gave up hundreds of job offers over 20+ years ago to go work for $12,000/yr in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Chicago. He graduated magna cum laude/became head of Harvard Law Review/Civil Rights Attorney/taught constitutional law for over 10 years etc.  Obama went to work with churches that organized job training and other programs for residents of a massive housing project in Chicago. He persuaded the city to provide summer jobs, remove asbestos, repair toilets, pipes and ceilings. He went door to door, offering help for three years, then went to Harvard Law School. After law school, he registered 150,000 new voters in Chicago. He was finally able to pay off his college debt using proceeds from his first bestselling book.
All the media speculation on Sen. Clinton is unjustified. From her demeanor or fashion choices she is constantly critized. Why does't Chris Matthews and CNN and other media outlets pay the same amount of time on her male counterparts?
Before the CNN/Youtube debate a few months ago, I was undecided and went into the debate with an open mind, however after the debate, I started leaning towards Obama.
Then Hillary came out the next day and attacked Obama as “naive and irresponsible” for saying he would be willing to engage with leaders of rogue nations directly. After hearing Hillary’s criticism, I did some research and found her interview with Keith Olbermann from 2006 where she said “as president, one of my first acts would be to talk to Iran directly.”
Ok, then I found the clip of Hillary telling Al Hunt of Bloomberg News in 2006 that “nukes were off the table” regarding Iran, yet she had just criticized Obama for saying the same thing regarding Al qaeda targets inside Pakistan.
Ok, so then Hillary attacks Obama for saying as president, he would act IF Pakistani president Musharraf refused to act on solid intel on Bin Laden and other high-value Al qaeda targets. Hillary says Obama’s words “will destabilize a nuclear power…words matter and presidents should not always say what they think.” I then did some research and found out that Hillary told the Urban Radio Network’s April Ryan on August 2nd 2007 that “if we have actionable intelligence on high-value Al qaeda targets inside Pakistan, I would make sure they were killed or captured.”
Ok….so at this point, my decision to support Obama is solidified, and I start to wonder why those who support Hillary refuse to address her inconsistent positions. (posted by Gilberto)
Senator Clinton was great on MTP today. She pointed out how Barak has little experience or knows any way to work with with anyone in Washington.  He is so busy scrambling to get "THE INSIDERS" to endorse him he looks like a Washington pit boss. LOL Who is he kidding he has to catch up before he can change anything! Hope he gets Bush to kiss his grits too!
Everyone understands some women will vote for Hillary because she is a woman.  Everyone understands some women will NOT vote for Hillary because she is a woman.
Everyone understands Some people will vote for Barak because he is black.
Everyone understands some people will NOT vote for Barak because he is black.
So understand some people vote some do not, let the games begin.  We shall see how it all shakes out.
The Obama folks can keep stirring the hate, they are good at it.  They will fail.
The only experienced president is a current or former one. I want a president with the correct judgment. I want a president that will be trusted here and around the world. I want one that talks straight with the American people. Someone with ethics. One that opens up the gov't to the people(Barack Obama's speech and Q&A session with Google). I want a president that does not use divisive slogans such as 'turn up the heat on Republicans'. As a Dem, I want a president that appeals to the swing voters(Repubs and Independents). I want one that tries to govern blue and red state(United States of America). I want a president that expands my party. Finally, I want a president that knows and understands that people making over $97,000 is NOT the vast middle class.
We have had ENOUGH Bushes/Clintons on the presidential ticket since 1980.
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NYT----"But during those two terms in the White House, Mrs. Clinton did not hold a security clearance. She did not attend National Security Council meetings. She was not given a copy of the president's daily intelligence briefing. She did not assert herself on the crises in Somalia, Haiti and Rwanda.

"And during one of President Bill Clinton's major tests on terrorism, whether to bomb Afghanistan and Sudan in 1998, Mrs. Clinton was barely speaking to her husband, let alone advising him, as the Lewinsky scandal sizzled."
-----------------------
She(HRC in '93) was put in charge of health care with a democratic president, democratic congress, and with polls showing large support for universal health care. Yet she managed to fail.
the new Hillary is as farce as the old one. she will change whenever it is in her best intgerest. dont be fooled by this slick politician. she is not for the country , dont overlook the mess in arkansas with real estate, etc. beware of her
Remember what happened to other Democrats during the Clinton years. Fewer senators, fewer representatives, fewer governors, fewer state legislators.  
--
Republicans gained control of both houses of Congress for the first time in more than 40 years after the 1994 elections.
Democrats lost control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years, along with control of the Senate and 10 gubernatorial seats---


Keep in mind that there were also party switches from 1992 to 1996 election(1994 was bad for Dems):
Democratic # of senators went from 56 to 47 to 45. Republican # of senators went 44-53-55.
House of Rep. was 258-198-206 for Dems.
House of Rep was 176-236-228 for Repubs.
House of Rep had 1 Ind.
Governors were Dem 21/Repub 14 then changed in 1994 to Dem 11/Repub 24.(no real shift..+-one.. in gov party control in 1996).

----------------------------------
Speaking of throwing people under the bus, we have only to look the Clinton record of 1992 to 2001.

A partial list of names reads: Vince Foster (tragic suicide), the seven White House Travel office workers (fired and rehired when charges were untrue), Lani Guiniere (yanked nomination), Zoe Baird (yanked nomination), Jocelyn Elders (invited to resign), DeeDee Myers (invited to resign), George Stephanopulous (run-in with Hillary, resigned), Webb Hubbell (jail), Susan McDougal (jail), Jim McDougal (jail), Mack McClarty (resigned), Gov. Jim Guy Tucker (jail), Paula Jones (at least she got some money for her pain), Juanita Broaddrick, Gennifer Flowers, Kathleen Willey, Monica Lewinsky (she got crushed by the bus), Linda Tripp (she did a bad, bad thing and got steamrolled), Al Gore (impeachment, Clinton fatigue and sleaze factor made it impossible to run without having to run away from the Clintons).

ps..Granted, she is not Bill, but they did say there was a twofer back then. Now she is claiming his experience; and in Iowa he claimed her bad experience. MY HEAD IS SPINNING FROM THAT HITJOB SHE DID ON MTP. I know for a fact that what she said was not the truth. Does anyone go to a restaurant to stand and eat? She voted for IWR and Kyl-Lieberman...end of story.
This is great for Hillary.  This is what she needed to do from the start.  I think that if she is more open to the public and draws more contrasts with obama on his rehtoric vs his results she will win the nomination and go on to win the fight for the white house

The woman sickens me more by the minute. Watching her Slime could make you juump of a bridge.


Hillary will never be president, Mark my words. 35 years of experience my behind. Dumb democrats will nominate her and watch her cry again after she loses to Mccain (experience)


"In the debate Tuesday, will someone please ask Senator Clinton what she accomplished during the first Clinton Administration?  You guys have been giving her a pass on her rhetoric of accomplishing change for 35 years.  How about a simple question of "what are the 3 most important things you accomplished while in the White House?"  It's important information for Americans to know before we vote" Seconded
Hiiary is playing it smart. By being more accessible she is trying to relate to the voters. The amount of press she is receiving compared to her male counterparts ia unbalanced. Between Chris Matthew's obsession with her to the overwheming press coverage, she seems more sympathetic. And what galls me that while the press is busy with the upcoming election, Bush and his cronies are under the radar again. Our country is on the verge of collapse. Between the morgage meltdown and the rescession there will be economic hardships for all. Meanwhile Bush is in the Middle East rattling his saber again
"Born agin, born agin  --  Praise Gawd Awmighty I am born agin, Brothers 'n' Sisters! Praise Jesus I am rose from the dead! The scales has fell from mah eyes, and Now I Am Myse'f! I am now She Who Has Listened  --  She Who Cares (nobody else really does) About Each and Every One Of You  --  She of the Brand New Day! Forget the Old Hillary (even though she was never wrong and never once put a bad foot forward)  --  This is The Real Me! My Own Voice! Free at last from the shackles of my handlers! Ain't it Wonderful, Brothers 'n' Sisters? Can't you feel The Power? The Love? The overwhelming Hillary-ness of it all!?!"

The whole Jimmy Swaggert routine  --  minus the admission of sin ...
Why does Carrie Dann has to say "acted". Do you act your whole life, Carrie? Do you act when you lend a helping hand to someone?

You are a journalist. Dont bring your hatred out thru your words. Or put a disclaimer saying you are one of the people who dislikes Hillary.

Journalistic integrity is very important especially when immature voters are easily swayed by fairy tales.
She is just trying appeal to everyone to get votes on her public facade.  In reality, she is not so nice. I read somewhere that people in Bill's administration we afraid of her. I think Bill is afraid of her. She panders to every group she addresses.  If they are black, she puts on a "sista" facade.  If Obama is leading on "Change"  she (and all the rest) pepper everything they say with "change".  Whatever works.
If emotes whatever is needed at the time.  She says whatever works at the time.  She may change it later when it is not as visible.  This is not leadership.

If she had integrity and leadership qualities, she would defend Obama against the slander (such as that he took his oath on the Koran and that he is Muslim)  that has come against him as a result of her campaign.  Yet she doesn't because it is in her best interest to sling doubt and mud his way.  Old school politics.

The press doesn't say much about her appearance on Access Hollywood the night before the NH primary.  Her appearance was a politically safe appeal to people that don't follow politics. No hard questions. Just smile and talk about how "real" you are. The "new" Hillary - new since she found her "voice". Translation:  She has a new way to appeal to voters.

It's all about appearances - that is what we need change from.  We've had 8 years of a president whose main priority is photo ops and mud slinging. NO MORE!
Hillary is just more of it.
For any of us watching the past 8 years, the tactic used by the White House time and again has been to stick to a particular line (regardless of its truth) and then repeat it over and over until finally people say, "maybe that's true since i've heard it so much."

And now, the candidate who claims she's bringing change is employing the same tactic.  Despite the fact that Planned Parenthood has officially come out and said that they helped Barack develop the strategy of voting "present" on some abortion votes, TO PROTECT DEMOCRATS, Senator Clinton slimed Obama again this morning by mentioning these "present" votes.

She has no conscience and cares more about her personal ambitions than does does about her party, her country, or whoever is reading this.

She's experienced all right.  There may be nobody better than Karl Rove at playing the destructive deceptive games that this campaign is willing to play to win.

Democrats deserve better.  Women deserve better.  America deserves better.
Go Hillary Go!!!
It's been quite an experience to watch today's meet the press. Once again, Tim did a fantastic job quoting both Clinton's and Obama's responses to the war back in 2002. It's undeniable that Obama was the one who made the right choice for the nation at that time. Clinton did not. But of course, the senator didn't want to talk about her mistake. Instead, she repeatedly start the criticism on Obama's later votes associated to the war. I seriously doubt whether she has enough "experience" to understand that not only starting the war is wrong, but also it makes it even more wrong to cause the mess and lost in Iraq and the US troops. If you started wrong, you don't want to end it more wrong. I guess that's why Obama voted for increasing the fund for the troops later. He simply doesn't want the US troops to suffer more, and he doesn't want to leave Iraq in a mess. That's more responsibility for me than Clinton's strategy.
I think it is more a case of the real Hillary being exposed rather than a new Hillary.  I have met her several times in small gatherings and she is both accessible and empathic.  She has an instant connection with strangers.  I am not sure why it doesn't come across on TV.  Perhaps it is the personality version of not being photogenic?  It would be a shame if people didn't get to see what a warm and genine person she really is.  
Not being report by anyone but FOX and Drudge is that a top advisor to Hillary clinton has been arrested for Aggrevatied DWI, Not only is hillary a BIGOTED RACIST but she hires drunks
Hillary - YOU ROCK!  The press is running the campaign now and they are SO enamored with the new kid on the block that they are giving him a free ride on almost everything.  You are tested, tried and true - you will be able to weather the storm better in a general election and I look forward to the first female president
There is no "New Hillary", and if there is..that's even more evidence not to trust her.
What little respect I had for Hillary was lost with that pretend crying episode the other day.
By the way, the person she had that "connection" with voted for OBAMA!

I don't want someone in office who can change after "35 alleged years" of doing it her way. If she wants to run on her history and previous  personality, she shouldn't be trying to change it.

Anyway, the combative, defensive, double-talk clintonesque persona was back in full swing during the MTP Interview. I knew she couldn't pretend to be caring or personable for more than a week.

Obama is the best choice!
Go Obama!!
There is no "New Hillary", and if there is..that's even more evidence not to trust her.
What little respect I had for Hillary was lost with that pretend crying episode the other day.
By the way, the person she had that "connection" with voted for OBAMA!

I don't want someone in office who can change after "35 alleged years" of doing it her way. If she wants to run on her history and previous  personality, she shouldn't be trying to change it.

Anyway, the combative, defensive, double-talk clintonesque persona was back in full swing during the MTP Interview. I knew she couldn't pretend to be caring or personable for more than a week.

Obama is the best choice!
Go Obama!!
Where is the integrity, Hillary?
THIS ISSUE BEGAN WITH THE CLINTONS DOING A DOUBLE PUNCH TWIST ON OBAMA'S INSPIRATIONAL COMMENTS ON JFK AND MLK.

There is no new Hillary. The HRC style as the glib tongued one continues.
FACT: Obama did not compare himself to JFK and MLK. They were offered as examples of the realization of hope.
FACT: The Obama campaign has NEVER brought up the issue of race pertaining to the Clintons.
FACT: HRC cannot refer to a single word or comment that originates with OBAMA on this particular issue. Why didn't Russert ask HRC to give an example of her allegation that the Obama campaign had twisted her words? Russert is famous for the follow up question. Why did he let HRC slide on this very important follow up question for proof of her false accusation against Obama?
HRC HOPES that if she continues to tell the race lie enough times and in various news settings that the voters will come to accept her lies about Obama as the truth.

The Clintons double-punched with their race comments, and then the Clintons twisted Barack's response to their racial comments yet again, in order to capture the 24-7 news cycle prior to the NH primary.

The Clinton strategy does not have a moral compass. They play all of the angles because that is their way of winning.

The Clintons have demonstrated again and again that they are not, and have never been true friends to the Black community. They are true manipulaters and users of the Black vote to win elections, only.

They do not deserve to return to the White House. They are not worthy of another term because of their incredible deficiencies in character and integrity.

The level playing field is character and integrity. Where is the integrity, Hillary? Where is the integrity?
Why don't people believe that this women is genuine. I am sick of people dissing her because of her husband's mistakes. It wouold be an honor for me to cast a vote for Hilary Clinton for President of the United States.
Several of my friends and I got together to watch Meet the Press this morning.  
I think Hillary Clinton was very impressive and as a result after much consideration and thought I have decided to vote for Hillary in the Primary.  
I think she will be an excellent Presidet and will win in the general election.
However, lately some isues have come to light that concern me about Obama's chances in the general election.
Obama has a lot of explaining to do with his flip flop on several positions where he promised one thing and did the opposite after he was elected--reauthorizing the patriot act and voting to fund the war.
Not to mention voting "present" over 130 time--taking no position on issues at all.
On Meet the Press Hillary Clinton put it very well when she said, "We need a leader with the experience to enact the changes we want."
Mrs. Clinton was very articulate and well spoken despite the barrage of attacks from Mr. Russert.
I have decided today that I will vote for Clinton.
No, they "diss" her because she is opportunist who is untrustworthy and dishonest.
Now, all of a sudden , she has brought race into this contest.  she is not capable of just sticking to the facts or what she might try to do. she, herself, can not do anything, only talk about it
Dear Nick,

I couldn't agree with you more.  At least she has something to show for all her years of service.  What has Obama done to really help anyone.

I am also fed up with the race card on all sides.  It is just as offensive for Obama to try to use it against her as it is for a white person to play it against an African American.  I listed to the complete text of what both Hillary and Bill said and there was nothing racially oriented at all.  How could anyone accuse these 2 people of racism considering what they have done to try to improve the conditions for African  American and Hispanic people in this country.

Wake up America.  I can talk change all day, but what have I done at the end of the day.

David Corse
nick   read no more hillary.com   and clintons scandals .com  and pardons.com   and go puke
That women is a genuine as Sam Donaldsons hair.

Hillary is trying to have it both ways suggesting in NH that that black leaders can talk the talk but need help from other to walk the walk and turning around and blaming Obama for misinterpretting her crude manipulation.

I have voted democrtaic all my life but will not do so if Hillary is the nominee. My vote would go to a third party candidate if there is a credible one on the ballot or will go unvoted if there is none. I cannot bring myself to vote for a person who is cold and ruthless about destroying what is good in her own party so that she can climb the bodies of the slain to reach her throne.

Kumar Narayanan


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