The 2008 Candidates part 2 of 5 Senator Hillary
Rodham Clinton
This is the second of a five part series on my opinion of the
candidates as non-biased as I can make it, based on facts obtained from the
internet, newspapers and visual media. The candidates are presented in
alphabetical order.
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Experience - Senator, former first lady, law
professor, attorney
She is experienced with the workings of congress, which
her husband wasn't when he assumed office, understands the politician
ramifications of the office based on experience in the White House, and has a
working knowledge of the law. All of these have their pluses and minuses as you
can judge for yourself if this is what you want in a candidate. My comments
will be presented on each candidate in the fifth and last publication, with a
summarization with pros and cons.
Platform-Senator
Clinton has a very large and varies platform, as assembled from the media
records, which I will attempt to summarize.
Abortion -
Supports Roe vs Wade ruling, right to choice, late term abortions only to save
mother's life, parental notice of teen pregnancy, stem cell
research, sexual education to reduce teen pregnancy.
Budget/Economy -
Pay off the national debt, reduction of outsourcing of jobs to bring back home,
no history of support of reduction of federal spending.
Civil Rights -
rights for gays in domestic partnerships, reduction of prostitution, emphasis on
women's rights, apology for slavery is due, more focus on changes to civil
rights in the present.
Crime - Supports
"Three Strikes" rule; construct more prisons, increased funding and stricter
sentences for hate crimes, require DNA testing for federal executions.
Education -
Opposes merit pay for individual teachers, salary increase to
attract more teachers, smaller class sizes with more after-school programs
available to reduce gang membership,
metal detectors in schools, more of arts education in schools, no school
vouchers, pro-public education voting record, support charter schools.
Foreign Policy -
Fight terrorism with cooperation, maintain peace as a
strategic choice,
become more engaged in world affairs involving human rights; by staying engaged
with the rest of the world.
Gun Control -
Supports limiting access to guns by looking for early warning signs of violent
intentions among buyers, license and register all handguns, increase control on
guns to keep them out of the wrong hands.
Health Care - affordable health care
options for all citizens with universal coverage, increase
US commitment to the Global AIDS crisis, regulate underage smoking by high
penalties on selling tobacco to minors, Strengthen the Medicare program.
Homeland Security - nuclear test ban
treaty, reauthorize Patriot Act but exclude the wiretap provision.
Immigration - supports guest worker
program, allowing guest workers to gain citizenship.
Social Security - social security protects
both families and retirees, pro-senior voting record
War & Peace - re-deployment out of Iraq in
90 days; critic of the Iraq war under Bush's lead but she voted in favor of it
in 2002, no construction of permanent bases in Iraq but wants a continual
residual force, limit the number of troops in Iraq and war funding, improve
relations between Israel and the United States, condemn bigotry against Muslims
as a form of anti-terrorism.
Welfare & Poverty - AmeriCorps fully
funded, aid the homeless, establish a National Affordable Housing Trust Fund for
the United States, provide equal access to capital and jobs for all.
Senator Clinton, as do all candidates, has what I consider both good and bad
ideas, with some being sorely needed but I am very skeptical on the
implementation and funding of others. She has already publically stated that if
elected, she is in favor of repealing all of the 'Bush' initiated
tax breaks, which would increase the burden on the working classes. Improving
the medical care for seniors and those who can't afford if is a very good thing
as well as support for the homeless. One of the Presidential pretenders to the
throne needs to set up NOW and address the fuel and food costs that will soon
strangle our nation.
Civil rights and hate crimes are a multi-sided street, which need to be
observed as a whole. As far as terrorism, ou can't cooperate with a
terrorist as THEY WANT US DEAD and do not understand compassion as they view it
as being weak; the world in general hates the United States, and in general
condemns us, but, which country has the largest number of immigrations if we are
so bad?
On Gun Control, how can you tell a person has the potential for violence as
we and the firearms dealers are not qualified to make that judgment; as far as I
know, having been to gun shops and gun shows, all hand guns are licensed and
can't be purchased without a background check; if the wrong hands is children,
then the owners must be penalized, but passing a law will not keep guns from
criminals. After Katrinia, in New Orleans, the sheriff's deputies illegally went
door to door, confiscating all licensed guns, which left the home owners as
sitting ducks for looters, muggers and general mayhem, as no one removed the
illegal guns from criminals. The United Nations wants the entire world to be gun
free, which makes it easier for big government to enforce any laws they so
desire.
Social security and health care both must be addressed as should the mass of
homeless persons. We need to realize that we can't support nor can we police the
world, as we will soon exhaust our resources, then we will have our hand out,
but the majority of the world will laugh at us. Affordable health care is a
must, but not socialized medicine as that is not working in several countries.
On Senator Clinton, I grade her a C-.
That's my opinion and I'm
sticking to it!
