Hillary+Clinton

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= = = = = = =THE CHOICE IS CLEAR. VOTE HILLARY '08= = = Get to Know Hillary National Security The War in Iraq The Economy Taxes Energy/Global Warming Government Appointments Nuclear Weapons Health Care Education Abortion Middle Class/ Poverty = =

== = = =Get to Know Hillary=

== Hillary was born and raised in Park Ridge, Illinois. She grew up in a suburban town with her parents and her two brothers. At the age of 14, Hillary witnessed a speech given by Marin Luther King Jr. and was inspired to make change in her country. After attending Wellesley College, she went to Yale to become a lawyer. She soon fell in love and married Bill Clinton. They moved to Arkansas where she started a legal clinic for the poor. Eventually she led the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession, where she helped address issues surrounding sexual discrimination, especially in the workplace. She was named one of the top 100 most influential lawyers in the United States not once, but twice in her career as a lawyer.

As the first lady of America, she helped to make adoption a better process. This included the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which made it so that children would spend less time in foster care and move on faster to permanent families. She also battled major Pharmaceutical companies for not properly testing their products intended for use on children. Despite her plan for universal health care not succeeding up to her expectations, we cannot overlook her success in providing health care to many Americans. She was influential in creating the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which gave millions of children nationwide health coverage that could otherwise not be afforded.

== As a Senator for New York after 9/11, Hillary has taken issues such as national security to heart. She served on the Senate Armed Services Committee and made sure that our troops were properly funded in order for them to fulfill their job to the best of their abilities. In addition to our troops serving today, she helped veterans by passing legislation making it so that Gulf War syndrome could no longer be ignored. Hillary has created legislation that would link the minimum wage to the congressional wage, making it so that congress can not ignore the need for a raise in the minimum wage any longer. She continues to fight for the issues that matter, like women’s rights, health care, supporting Roe v. Wade while reducing the number of abortions had nationwide, and addressing a safe way out of Iraq.

Political Affiliations

 * Democratic Party

Former Political Offices

 * First Lady of Arkansas
 * First Lady of America
 * U.S. Senator of New York

Experience
Professional Experience:
 * Attorney, Rose Law Firm, 1976-1992
 * Faculty, University of Arkansas Law School, 1975
 * Author of a Grammy Award book
 * Former Staff Attorney, Children's Defense Fund.

Political Experience:
 * Appointed to the US Legal Services Corporation by President Carter
 * Served the Children's Defense Fund, Child Care Action Campaign, and Children's Television Workshop
 * Helped create the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997
 * Senator, United States Senate, 2000-present
 * First Lady, President Bill Clinton, 1992-2000
 * First Lady, State of Arkansas, 1978-1980, 1982-1992.

=The Issues=

 __National Security:__ Hillary takes a unique stance on National Security. Like other candidates, she supports funding in the defense program and specific operations to stomp out terrorist groups. Where she stands apart is her vision of creating a just America that stands for peace, freedom, and hope. She greatly stresses the importance of improving America's vision and believes this is one of the best ways to keep America safe. She has pointed out that these attacks did not always occur as often. She has traveled around the world to 82 different countries during her term as First Lady and has seen that people in third world countries looked up to America and found hope for a better life through it. Hillary believes that the ever worsening reputation of America is contributing to a worldwide drop in that former feeling of aspiration. By withdrawing troops from Iraq and promoting peace in the Middle East, Hillary hopes to set the stage for a new American reputation, one that will allow us to be less of target for worldwide terrorism. After this is accomplished, we will be able to focus our national security budget on the currently established terrorist groups and hopefully eradicate them without having to worry about new ones springing up.



 __The War in Iraq:__ = = = = =media type="youtube" key="T-Ml493K7Qc&rel=1" height="197" width="238"= = = = = = = = =

If Bush does not end the war during the remainder of his term, Hilary will. She has a three step plan that she will implement. Step one is bringing the troops home immediately. Hilary plans to meet with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, her Secretary of Defense, and her National Security Council to draw up a comprehensive plan to withdraw troops within 60 days. By meeting with the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs she will make sure the veterans receive the proper healthcare service and benefits they deserve. Step two is setting up a government, not simply propping one up. She looks to trust the government into the hands of the people. To keep this stable, she hopes to institute a high level U.N. official to oversee that the peace is being kept in Iraq. The same has already been done in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Kosovo to stabilize their governments and has some degree of proven success. Step three is diplomatic initiative in the region. This step will create long lasting peace in the area by convening with the U.N. and the neighboring countries of Iraq. The bordering countries will be encouraged to stay out of Iraq civil war on any other fighting in Iraq. The U.N. will be used to mediate between opposing factions within Iraq. Hilary would then focus the funding in Iraq towards stabilizing the nation and would attempt to raise further money in a multibillion dollar effort to keep the region stable for years to come. In addition to these plans there would be additional operations meant to target terrorism and stomp out the Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups in the region.

 __The Economy:__ Clinton has sponsored legislation designed to reduce the deficit by reinstating some taxes that had been cut. She has co-sponsored legislation related to debt and deficit reduction. She does not approve of Bush's tax cuts and is focused on helping expand the middle class in order to close the severe socioeconomic gap in our nation. She wants to enact a "stimulus package" totaling as much as $110 billion to deal with the effects of a possible recession. The package would consists of funds to help deal with the effect of the sub prime mortgage crisis, to help lower-income families pay for higher home energy costs, to extend unemployment insurance, and to possibly provide some tax refunds. Clinton is willing to put money towards energy conservation. Her energy plans include: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% from 1990 levels by 2050, cutting foreign oil imports by two-thirds from projected levels by 2030, and transforming our carbon-based economy into an efficient green economy, creating at least 5 million jobs from clean energy over the next decade.

//"Tax cuts alone cannot secure the middle class. They are not the cure-all for everything that ails the American economy."//

 __Taxes:__ Hilary Clinton hopes to lower taxes for middle class families, as opposed to the current tax-cuts for high earners. She plans on achieving this by extending the middle class tax cuts including child tax credit and marriage penalty relief, offering new tax cuts for healthcare, college and retirement, and expanding the child care tax credit. Hillary Clinton believes that Bush’s tax-cuts for high earners should be allowed to expire, and then reformed. She acknowledges that economic growth has occurred under Bush, but believes it is not spread wide enough across socioeconomic classes, and has widened income gap between the highest and lowest earners. Hillary Clinton supports retaining the Social Security tax cap, because without it the middle class will have increased taxes which would not close the gap. The tax cap makes income in excess of $102,000 nontaxable for social security. The result is that the top 6% of income earners don't pay the social security tax on income above $102,000. She wants to change the law that allows companies to defer taxes on any profits made overseas, due to the increase in outsourcing. This way our country will be able to benefit from the sales and some of the money will remain in our economy.

//"It's not as if America hasn't been successful economically these past years," she said. "But the measure of success doesn't relate to what's happening in households across our country, because, while productivity and corporate profits are up, the fruits of that success just haven't reached many of our families. It's like trickle-down economics, but without the trickle."//

 __Energy/Global Warming__ If Hillary is to become president, she will help America to establish a green, efficient economy that will potentially create up to 5 million new jobs. This then will lower the effects of Global Warming and improve our economy. One goal is that in 2020, about 20% of America's electricity consumption will be reduced. This will be accomplished by investing in green collar jobs and by starting a green building industry that creates products following strict standards. In addition it will help make 20 million low-income homes more energy efficient and affordable. Also, to decrease electricity consumption, she plans to transition our economy towards renewable energy sources. Hillary plans to invest $50 billion Strategic Energy Fund to improve alternative energy. Therefore, by 2025, America will be able to generate 25% of its electricity, and 60 billion gallons of home-grown bio-fuels will be available by 2030. In addition, America can reduce its reliance on foreign oil. On top of this all, Hillary also will create the "National Energy Council" within the White House to ensure implementation of her plans across the Executive Branch.

 __Government Appointments__ During Bush's term as president, America has seen him hand out jobs to many of his friends who were not even qualified. Because of this, America has a unreliable and untrustworthy government. Hillary promises change. If she is to be president, she will changed this system. Instead of handing out jobs like Bush, she will start appointing those who are qualified for positions of power. There will be no more corruption and no more deception. She has even created a 10-point plan to help this happen.

1. Ban Cabinet officials from lobbying a Hillary administration 2. Strengthen whistle blower protections 3. Create a public service academy 4. End abuse of no-bid government contracts and posting all contracts online 5. Cut 500,000 government contractors 6. Restore the Office of Tech Assessment 7. Publish budgets for every government agency 8. Implement Results America Initiative to track government effectiveness 9. Track and eliminate corporate welfare. 10. Expand voting access and safeguard voting machines

 __Nuclear Weapons__ For nuclear weapons, she opposed the international treaty to ban land mines. She voted against the Feinstein-Leahy amendment restricting U.S. exports of cluster bombs to countries that use them against civilian-populated areas. She opposed restrictions to the U.S. arms transfers and police training to governments that engage in gross and systematic human rights abuses. She voted to suspend important restrictions on U.S. nuclear cooperation with countries that violate the Non-Proliferation treaty. She insists that the U.S. should maintain the right to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear countries.

 __Health Care__ Hillary wants to provide affordable quality health insurance for all Americans. Her plan will offer new coverage choices for the insured and uninsured, with the same choice of health plan options that members of Congress receive and a guarantee of quality coverage. It will lower premiums and increase security by removing hidden taxes, stressing prevention and a focus on efficiency and modernization, ensure that job loss or family illness will never lead to a loss of coverage or exorbitant costs, and end unfair health insurance discrimination. It will promote shared responsibility and ensure affordable health coverage for all. It will provide tax relief to ensure affordability, limit premium payments to a percentage of income, create a new small business tax credit, strengthen Medicaid and SCHIP, and launch a retiree health legacy initiative. It will be a fiscally responsible plan that honors our priorities.

 __Education__ Hillary is very passionate about improving the education of America. Her past experience working for the Children's Defense Fund has helped her to understand and achieve her goals. Beginning with the early childhood education, Hillary plans to focus heavily on this area. She has many strategies to get all children to be ready for the future schooling years. One strategy is that there will be a nurse home visitation program to help teach the new parents parenting skills. This is important because these years of a child's life is very important and will give them the proper foundation to grow upon. Then continuing to kindergarten through 12th grade, Hillary plans to prepare the students to be ready to enter the competitive world. To do this, she will recruit thousands of more qualified teachers and principals. She will increase the after school programs available after schools. She will also invest $100 million in new internship programs in the summer. In addition to this all, Hillary also promises more changes that will improve the future of America's next generation. She will increase the rate of college graduations by making college more affordable and accessible. Hillary also will challenge colleges to expand access for students from low-income families.

 __Abortion__ Hillary is pro-choice, not pro-abortion. This means that Hillary doesn't necessarily approve of abortion, but she believes every women has the right to choose if they want to abort their child or not. She says, "Being pro-choice is trusting the individual to make the right decision for herself and her family, and not entrusting that decision to anyone wearing the authority of government in any regard." But although she is pro-choice, Hillary has been very considerate and has strove to provide alternatives beside abortions. Hillary has made it so that adoption is easier. That way children can get into foster homes more quickly ensuring them with a safe and loving family.

 __Middle Class/Poverty__ Hillary believes that no one should have to raise their family in poverty if they work hard every day. She has a vision to rebuild rural communities to make sure that they can achieve their own dreams and live successful lives. She plans to open up more opportunities by increase out the number of jobs and raise the minimum wage. She will expand access to capital and strategic advice for small businesses. She will strengthen the middle class and restore it back to where it should be. She will carry out many plans to achieve this. Some of the many things she plans to do is lower taxes for the middle class families. She will also provide good and affordable health care to every American citizen. She will help fix the increasing problems in the housing markets. She will also improve unions and make sure trade laws work for all American's citizens. The middle class is important to America's greatness, and she plans to make it that way.

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**Hillary Blog 08**
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