Never in a million years did I think Hillary would be the one.
I have always said that no congressional Democrat could win the WH because few of them had the courage to take a principled stand on any issue and to stick with it. Rarely do they say what they mean and mean what they say. Not to mention the fact that few had the spine to take on the Republicans the way they should be. They were always afraid of upsetting those swing voters.
I also implicitly believed that the Democrat who could win the White House, would be a Democratic with the courage to take on the SCLM.
I thought Wesley Clarke would be that person.
Now comes Hillary. That old Hillary with whom I was obsessed during the Clinton years is back, full strength. She sees the arena as it is and she makes no bones about it.
Over the past few years, I feel she faltered. She seemed to be too prepared to compromise her beliefs, and a bit too cosy with those who sought to destroy her in the past. I will admit I lost faith.
Now the events you're about to read of may be a one time thing as she throws red meat to her followers, but she struck every single one of my pet peeves and that was good enough for me. I am a little bit excited again.
You read about her.
June 6, 2005
Senator Clinton Assails Bush and G.O.P. at Campaign Fund-Raiser
By PATRICK D. HEALY
Senator Hillary Clinton castigated President Bush and Washington Republicans today as mad with power and bent on marginalizing Democrats during a speech to 1,000 supporters at her first major re-election fund-raiser, which netted about $250,000.
Mrs. Clinton, who is running for a second term in 2006 and is widely described as a possible Democratic nominee for the presidency in 2008, said that her party is hamstrung because Republicans dissemble and smear without shame and the news media has lost its investigatory zeal for exposing misdeeds.
Left unchallenged, especially if Democrats fail to pick up seats in next year's Congressional elections, she said, Republican leaders could ram through extremist conservative judges, wreck Social Security and make unacceptable concessions to China, Saudi Arabia and other nations that are needed to finance the United States budget deficit.
"There has never been an administration, I don't believe in our history, more intent upon consolidating and abusing power to further their own agenda," Mrs. Clinton told the audience at a "Women for Hillary" gathering in Midtown Manhattan this morning.
"I know it's frustrating for many of you; it's frustrating for me: Why can't the Democrats do more to stop them?" she continued to growing applause and cheers. "I can tell you this: It's very hard to stop people who have no shame about what they're doing. It is very hard to tell people that they are making decisions that will undermine our checks and balances and constitutional system of government who don't care. It is very hard to stop people who have never been acquainted with the truth."
More? Go here: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/06/nyregion/06cnd-hillary.html?ei=5088&en=b585460017437f70&ex=1275710400&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=print