Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Hillary Clinton Slams Halliburton Move

Hillary Clinton has slammed Halliburton, who have decided to move their corporate headquarters offshore to Dubai.

She made the following comments at a press conference today:

"We just heard news that this company that Vice President Cheney used to be in charge of called Halliburton, has decided to move corporate headquarters overseas and I think that raises a lot of serious issues we have to look at. Does this mean they are going to quit paying taxes in America? They are going to take all the advantage of our country but not pay their fair share of taxes? They get a lot of government contracts - is this going to affect the investigations that are going on?

Because we have a lot of evidence of misuse of government contracts and how they have cheated the American soldier and cheated the American taxpayer. They have taken the money and not provided the services, so does this mean that we won't be able to pursue these investigations? I think it raises a lot of very big concerns and I think we are going to be looking into that in Washington.

I think it is disgraceful that American companies are more than happy to try to get no-bid contracts like Halliburton has and then turn around and say we are not going to stay with our Chief Executive Officer or the President of our company in the U.S. anymore. Well I am proud to be an American and I am proud to be part of the greatest country in the world."

Monday, March 12, 2007

Bill's impact on Hillary's Campaign

The following article appeared on Sunday in the San Francisco Chronicle. It details the uniqueness of Hillary's campaign, dealing with the popularity of her husband, her status as former first lady, and her lead in the polls.

A problem for Hillary: Her hubby
Candidate's pitfalls start with ex-president

Martin F. Nolan
Sunday, March 11, 2007
In an early Rudyard Kipling short story, a feuding couple leave a dance. "Take my word for it," a woman says to her companion, "the silliest woman can manage a clever man, but it needs a very clever woman to manage a fool." In a quarrel common in the British Raj of 1880s India and in 1990s Washington, the couple had argued about the husband's roving eye.


In San Francisco on Feb. 23, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton called her husband "the most popular person in the world right now," defining her dilemma as a prisoner of privilege.

How much of her popularity is held in joint custody? Will she be her own woman? How many fans admired her nobly silent Wronged Woman during his luridly documented dalliance? Is there a "Where's Waldo?" future for the First Gentleman? If so, will Hillary Clinton's duties include managing a clever man or a fool?

Many Americans ask these questions, but Sen. Clinton ducks press inquiries. For all her talents, she may learn that voters in Democratic primaries don't cotton to campaigns based on a foregone conclusion. For 40 years, the habit of Republicans is to defer to early favorites. Democrats usually trash them. Such topics are taboo among her consultants and courtiers. Their job is to make inevitable the Clinton Restoration. Privileges can be burdens -- even fame, fortune and Secret Service protection.

Another heavy burden is her privileged status as a liberal Baby Boomer. If she prevails at the Democratic National Convention in Denver next year, she will be the fifth consecutive nominee from that large, self-admiring demographic. Al Gore and John Kerry shared a sense of generational entitlement infected with moral superiority: "I was right about civil rights and Vietnam; aren't you voters lucky to vote for someone as smart as me?"

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Strong Lead for Hillary in Nevada

A poll conducted last week in Nevada has Hillary Clinton in the lead over nearest rival Barack Obama as preferred Democratic nominee for President.

The poll of 600 people was conducted between Tuesday and Thursday last week, and showed Hillary Clinton on 32% compared with Barack Obama on 20%. Closest following were Al Gore and John Edwards, both on 11%.

In the Presidential match ups however, Clinton was behind both Rudy Giuliani and John McCain.

The poll, conducted by Research 2000 has a margin of error of plus or minus 4%.

Nevada has taken on a key status in the primaries this time, coming immediately after the Iowa caucus next January and before New Hampshire. Clinton took part in the candidates forum in Carson City last month, and is expected to make many more visits to the state.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Latest Poll Has Clinton well in Lead

This is a portion of the press release from the Hillary Clinton campaign regarding the latest poll results, from AP/Ipsos. The results are clear from the release, but the spin is always interesting to read! This poll does appear to break the recent trend that showed Barack Obama surging as preferred nominee.

In the first national poll taken completely after the speeches in Selma, Hillary Clinton is the leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination with 38% of the vote of Democrats and Democratic-leaning Independents, to 21% for Barack Obama, 14% for Al Gore and 10% for John Edwards, according to a just released AP/Ipsos poll of over 1000 Americans released today. The poll was conducted Monday through Wednesday. The 17 point margin represents a tic up from two polls that had the margin at 12%.

In the AP/Ipsos poll, Clinton has more of the vote than the next two Democratic candidates combined. In addition, according to the poll, Clinton leads her closest Democratic competitor among voters who say honesty, strong character, compassion, intelligence and stance on issues matter most.

The poll took place between Monday and Wednesday last week, and has a margin or error of plus or minus 4.5%

Clinton Hillcast on GI Rights

Hillary Clinton has done it again - another Hillcast that is - this is her fourth so far.

Having launched her Hillcasts with a speech about her roadmap out of Iraq, she has dedicated this latest one to the welfare of troops.

"Hillary proposes a new GI Bill of Rights to fulfill the promises we've made to our troops and veterans."

Friday, March 9, 2007

Hillary Clinton Supports Veterans

As the campaign to bring the troops home from Iraq hots up in Congress this week, Hillary Clinton is focusing on their welfare when they make it home. Given that over 20,000 troops have been injured in Iraq alone, the welfare of troops will be a central issue for the coming Presidential campaign.

Clinton gave a speech yesterday to the Center for American Progress, and called for better training, and also better care when troops return home.

She laid out a number of key points to her plan:

IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH CARE: In her speech, Hillary proposed improving the screening process for our troops before they deploy to better track mental health conditions and cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. She also proposed a measure to provide assistance to families struggling to care for a loved one with psychological and brain injuries.

FIXING THE DISABILITY SYSTEM: To deal with the high number of disability claims being rejected, Hillary proposed an independent review of denied claims to help veterans get the benefits they deserve.

TAKING CARE OF ORPHANS: To ensure that the children of single parents killed in combat are cared for, Hillary proposed allowing soldiers to designate someone to receive their benefits and care for their children.

A NEW GI BILL OF RIGHTS: In the coming weeks, Hillary will announce a new GI Bill of rights that will expand opportunities for veterans to get a college education, afford their own home and start small businesses.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Strong California Poll Result for Clinton

Hillary Clinton has a commanding lead over Barack Obama for the preferred Democratic nominee in a recent poll conducted in California.

The survey was conducted by Survey USA on behalf of a number of TV news networks in California. 782 likely Democratic Primary voters were surveyed, a larger number than many other surveys. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6%.

Hillary Clinton sits on 44%, with Barack Obama on 31%. Former Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards is on 10%, with New Mexico Governor coming in fourth on 4%.

The poll took place between the 3rd and 5th of March.

Hillary Maintains Lead in USA Today Poll

Hillary Clinton has dropped 4 points, but still maintains a solid lead over Barack Obama as the preferred Democratic nominee in the latest USA Today/Gallup poll.

The poll, conducted between 2 and 4 March, shows Clinton on 36% compared with Barack Obama on 22%. The same poll in January had Clinton on 40% and Obama on 21%.

There was also a surprising surge in the support of Al Gore, rising from 14% in February to 18% in the latest poll. His favorable rating has also increased to 55%. The Clinton camp are closely monitoring Al Gore. Clinton adviser James Carville has already said that he believes that Gore will run for the nomination.

John Edwards' rating fell from 13% in February to just 9% in this poll.

Clinton's favourable rating has decreased slightly from 58% to 54%.

The poll surveyed 482 Democrat and Democrat leaning voters.

Clinton's Southern Accent?

The criticism is coming from the usual suspects against Hillary Clinton regarding her speech on Sunday in Selma where she has been accused of putting on a southern accent.

Watch some the discussion from Hannity and Colmes here - and make up your own mind.

Clinton Leads in NH, Obama Close Behind

Hillary Clinton leads in a recent poll in New Hampshire for preferred Democratic nominee, but like other national polls, Barack Obama appears to be closing the gap.

The Suffolk University Poll shows Clinton on 28% with Barack Obama on 26%. But because the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4%, the result is technically a statistical tie between the two.

John Edwards is in third place with 17% with the closest behind being Joe Biden on 3%.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Clinton Hillcast on Equal Pay for Women

Hillary Clinton has launched her third Hillcast in as many weeks, this time on equal pay and other priorities for women. Clinton is introducing a bill called the Pay Check Fairness Act, "to help close the pay gap for women."

Check it out Hillary's Hillcast here.


New Hampshire Leader Endorses Clinton

New Hampshire House Majority Leader, Mary Jane Wallner has thrown her support behind Hillary Clinton in her bid for the Democratic nomination.

Wallner said that "Senator Clinton has the wisdom and experience that will make her a great President."

"It is important to me that she has shown not only a clear understanding of the challenges working families face today, but that is she is passionate and personally committed to improving childcare in this country," Wallner said.

Clinton has been busy this week, trying to secure the vote of women across the country. She addressed an Emily's List function on Tuesday, put together a Hillcast on equal pay for women, and commenced a campaign called "Women for Hillary" to help bring out the vote for her.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Clinton Opposes Yucca Mtn for Waste

Hillary Clinton has continued her opposition to the use of Yucca Mountain in Nevada, for the storage of nuclear waste. The Bush Administration are planning to bring back legislation to try to store the waste there.

Many Nevada locals are strongly opposed to the use of the mountain. And of course, Nevada is now going to be a crucial early primary state for the nomination, the first after Iowa next January. Keeping on the right side on this issue is very important for Democratic candidates.

Hillary Clinton has released the following statement.

In response to the Bush Administration's recent announcement that it would reintroduce legislation on Yucca Mountain, Senator Hillary Clinton issued the following statement.

"The Bush Administration's latest announcement that it will continue to pursue its misguided policy on Yucca Mountain is very disappointing.

"I've long opposed using Yucca as a site for nuclear waste. Yucca mountain is not a suitable place for long-term storage of our nuclear waste. There are too many unanswered questions about both the geology of the site and integrity of the science done to support the decision to store waste there.

"It's past time to start exploring alternatives to Yucca mountain, because we need to find a safe, secure long-term waste storage solution. As President, I would work with the scientific community to address this problem and come up with alternative solutions."

Clinton Might Tax Gas Guzzlers

Hillary Clinton has indicated that she may support higher taxes for cars with low fuel efficiency. She made the comments yesterday while touring the key state of Iowa, a leading producer of the alternative and renewable fuel source, ethanol.

Clinton said that "Every one of us has to change how we live, how we do business, how we think about energy, and one of the ways we know how to do that is to provide incentives and disincentives through the tax code."

A tax on cars with low fuel efficiency would encourage energy conservation, Clinton argues.

New York Times on Hillary Clinton

The New York Times is today running a major feature piece on Hillary Clinton. It covers her on the campaign trail, and looks deeply at her political style. It's good reading.

March 6, 2007

Clinton Shapes Her Image for ’08 Race

By MARK LEIBOVICH

BERLIN, N.H. — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton signs autographs meticulously, drawing out each line and curve of “H-i-l-l-a-r-y,” “R-o-d-h-a-m” and “C-l-i-n-t-o-n.” She leaves no stray lines or wayward marks.

“Hillary, over here, over here,” called out a young woman from the mob that formed outside the Berlin Town Hall when Mrs. Clinton, Democrat of New York, arrived for a “conversation,” in the parlance of the made-to-order intimacy of her presidential campaign. “Can you sign my Hillary sign, please?” the woman asked.

Mrs. Clinton autographed the poster, carefully. It took a full seven or eight seconds, none of the two-second scribbles of other politicians. She is the diligent student who gets an A in penmanship, the woman in a hurry who still takes care to dot her i’s.

To watch Mrs. Clinton up close during these “rollout” weeks of her presidential campaign is to see a familiar political figure try to reclaim her name.

“I’m Hillary Clinton, and I’m running for president,” she says at campaign appearances. Lamenting that her public image has been distorted by caricature, she often says, “I may be the most famous person you don’t really know.” In the cliché of contemporary politics, Mrs. Clinton is “reintroducing herself to the American people.”

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Clinton Campaigns in Iowa Again

Hillary Clinton has been campaigning in Iowa in the last 2 days, having travelled there Sunday night after her visit to Selma, Alabama the same day.

Her first stop was to the University of Dubuque where hundreds came to listen to her speak.

Yesterday, Hillary was in Des Moines to meet with Iowa legislative leaders, who she spoke to for over an hour.

Clinton also made a pitch on the energy issue, visiting the Pioneer Hi-Bred International in Johnston yesterday morning to speak with scientists about ethanol. Iowa is the country's leading producer of ethanol, and candidates must have a positive stance on this alternative fuel to do well there.

Clinton supports incentives for producers of corn based ethanol.

Monday, March 5, 2007

Hillary and Bill Clinton in Selma


photo: Timothy McIntyre

Barack Obama joins Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton yesterday for the 42nd anniversary of the voting rights marches in Selma, Alabama.

The Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches in 1965 drew international attention when Governor George Wallace ordered state troopers to break up the demonstrations. Troopers used sticks, whips and tear gas to disperse the crowd - all of which was captured on footage shown around the world.

The march was a major turning point for the Civil Rights movement, contributing to the introduction of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

President Bill Clinton was also yesterday inducted into the National Voting Rights Hall of Fame, with Hillary by his side.


Sunday, March 4, 2007

Clinton in L.A for Cleanup Project

Hillary Clinton was in Los Angeles yesterday to help launch a cleanup project called the "2007 Great American Cleanup." This is the release issued by the Clinton campaign.

LOS ANGELES -- Hillary Clinton joined Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, local officials and community leaders Saturday morning to launch a major national community improvement campaign.

Kicking-off the 2007 Great American Cleanup on the steps of City Hall, Clinton urged a large and enthusiastic crowd of local citizens and community activists to take pride in cleaning up their neighborhoods and preserving our environment.

"I know that if we all work together we will have a cleaner and greener and more beautiful environment," Clinton said Saturday after releasing her energy plan this week. "It's not just government that needs to lead. All of us have to make decisions about how we clean up our environment and how we begin to plan for a different energy future."

After the rally, volunteers fanned out to neighborhoods across Los Angeles to plant trees, remove graffiti and debris and clean up downtown areas near senior homes and community centers.

A project of Keep America Beautiful, this year's Great American Cleanup activities are expected to involve more than 2 million people, volunteering in 30,000 events that touch all 50 states. Activities will include beautifying parks and recreation areas, cleaning seashores and waterways, handling recycling collections, removing graffiti, picking up litter and removing scrap tires, planting trees and flowers, remediation of illegal dump sites, and conducting educational programs and events.

Clinton Still Leads in Newsweek Poll

The latest Newsweek Poll still has Hillary Clinton in the lead for the preferred Democratic nominee for President. However, Barack Obama has narrowed the gap from the last Newsweek poll conducted in January.

The latest poll of registered Democrats, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates between February 28 and March 1, shows that in a choice between Clinton and Obama for the nomination, Clinton leads Obama 52%-38%. This was down on the 55%-35% lead Clinton held in January

However, on a choice of Hillary Clinton or John Edwards, Clinton leads 63%-32%.

The wider poll of voters, shows that in a head to head Presidential election, Hillary Clinton would beat John McCain 47%-46% and Mitt Romney 53%-39%.

Rudy Giuliani is narrowly ahead of Clinton, 47% to 46%.

Friday, March 2, 2007

Bill Clinton Will Join Hillary in Selma

Former President Bill Clinton will join Hillary Clinton on Sunday in Selma, Alabama to take part in the annual march to commemorate the voting rights marches in 1965.

This will be Bill's first public appearance with Hillary since she announced her bid for the nomination. Hillary will be giving a speech at a Church in the morning, as will Barack Obama who is giving the keynote address at the Brown Chapel AME Church, the place where the march started 42 years ago.

Later in the day, Bill Clinton will also be inducted into the National Voting Rights Hall of Fame, with Hillary no doubt attending in what will be a major news event.

There is little doubt that the media will also be focusing on how Hillary and Barack interact through the day, given the flare up last week.

But the media will also surely focus on what they see as the significance of the appearance of both Obama and Clinton in Selma - the importance of securing the black vote for the nomination.

Clinton's Hillcast On Energy

This is the You tube version of Hillary Clinton's Hillcast on the Energy issue. We had to wait a while for this one...it took a couple of days for the Clinton team to add it.

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Obama Closing Gap on Clinton

Hillary Clinton is in the lead in the latest Washington Post/ABC poll conducted last week. However, Barack Obama is narrowing the gap between the two, with his rating as preferred Democratic nominee increasing since the January Post/ABC poll.

The January poll had Clinton on 41% compared with 17% for Obama. The latest poll took place between February 22 and 25, after the public argument between the Clinton and Obama campaigns regarding Geffen's comments and his fundraiser in Hollywood.

The result was a drop for Clinton to 36% and an increase for Obama to 24%. And although the sample size of black voters was small, it showed a turnaround for Obama, leading Clinton as the preferred nominee, 60% to 20%.

Al Gore was in third place in the poll on 14%, with John Edwards on 12%.

The same poll however also showed that Clinton's favorable rating is holding up, at close to 50%, while most Democrats don't think her position on the Iraq war is damaging her chances.