H.R. 3355 (103rd): Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 was passed on Aug 21, 1994. Hillary Clinton gave her SuperPredators speech at Keene State College on January 26, 1996.
Cspan labels the video: "Mrs. Clinton spoke to a Keene State University audience about the seven principles of President Clinton’s campaign."
The legislation passed 16 months prior to First Lady Clinton's touting of the "principles of President Clinton’s campaign. This was not a forceful talking point to get the legislation passed because the legislation had already become a law. This was a prepared speech, not a miss-spoken or a poorly worded statement. I think it would be reasonable to believe that the language of the speech presented by First Lady Clinton was chosen very carefully. Why would she choose to say these awful words if they were not representative of her true beliefs and principles?
Bernie Sanders might have voted for the legislation, but he did so picking the lesser evil option. There are good points to the legislation like the assault weapon ban, sex crimes registry, Violence Against Women Act to name a few. However there are some really bad provisions in the legislation like the expansion of private prisons, three strikes and your out, and gang membership punishment that was aimed at minorities, people suffering from drug addiction and other disenfranchised Americans.
Saying that Bernie Sanders was "for the crime bill" is disingenuous at best. I can only imagine the "Bernie hates women, Bernie supports sex offenders, Bernie is in bed with the NRA, Bernie is soft on crime," republican talking points that would be coming from Hillary's supporters if Bernie Sanders had not voted for HR3355.
Hillary Clinton was accepting contributions from lobbyists representing the For Profit Private Prison Industry until October 2015. In 2015, Hillary racked up the almost $275,000 in contributions from Capital Council, the lobbyist for the profit prison organization Geo group. After renouncing ties to the For Profit Prison Industry, in December 2015, Hillary Clinton finally made a $8600 Donation to the New York Women’s Prison Association, a group that helps women transition out of prison. I can’t personally claim quid pro-quo corruption, but it sure does seem like Geo Group was investing in access.
This is just one of many positions that Hillary Clinton has taken and then reversed their position or evolved on. Unfortunately, this personal growth only seems to appear when the growth or vacillation personally benefits Hillary Clinton.
This is Amazon’s description of Crashing The Gate. The book that was the primary reason I became a compulsive reader of this site.
Crashing the Gate is a shot across the bow at the political establishment in Washington, DC and a call to re-democratize politics in America.
This book lays bare, with passion and precision, how ineffective, incompetent, and antiquated the Democratic Party establishment has become, and how it has failed to adapt and respond to new realities and challenges. The authors save their sharpest knives to go for the jugular in their critique of Republican ideologues who are now running--and ruining--our country.
Written by two of the most popular political bloggers in America, the book hails the new movement--of the netroots, the grassroots, the unorthodox labor unions, the maverick big donors--that is the antidote to old-school politics as usual. Fueled by advances in technology and a hunger for a more authentic and populist democracy, this broad-based movement is changing the way political campaigns are waged and managed.
A must-read book for anyone with an interest in the future of American democracy.
How in any shape or form does Hillary Clinton represent the future American democracy? I feel that Hillary Clinton is the epitome of the self-serving, establishment candidate that I try to vote out of power.
I can’t see that there will be strong Democratic electoral enthusiasm if we stay with the ‘meh’ minor incrementalism being put forth by Hillary Clinton. I am an eternal optimist, but with Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee, unfortunately I only foresee see the same sadness in our collective future that America endured when Al Gore lost to GWBush. How will meh overcome record Republican voter turnout? How will meh inspire future progressive leaders to get involved with the Democratic party? How will meh inspire people to become anything other than an low information voter or simply become involved in selecting Democrats who represents the American People’s best interest?
We finally have a candidate in Bernie Sanders that is trying to change who the government represents. Changing from codifying laws that benefit Lobbyists, Corporations and special interest groups to laws that serve the People of this great Nation. America needs a candidate like Bernie Sanders.