First and foremost, despite Karl Rove and Republican super-pacs spending millions painting Bernie as “too liberal” [to build him up among progressive voters] and millions more linking Hillary to Wall Street [trying to vilify her among progressives], let us remember Hillary and Bernie voted together 93% of the time:
Hillary also had a more liberal voting record than President Obama when they both were in the Senate.
Many of the videos you see of Hillary opposing gay marriage were posted by right-wing groups to turn liberals against her. Ironically, the clip most commonly used is from a speech Hillary was giving *AGAINST* amending our constitution to ban gay marriage — saying that though she opposes gay marriage in principle, she opposes amending our constitution. Context is everything.
Let us also remember President Obama, Vice President Biden, *AND* Bernie Sanders evolved on gay marriage. Bernie officially evolved on gay marriage in 2009. For Hillary to be vilified for her gay marriage evolution more than her male counterparts is the very definition of sexism. It is also proof Karl Rove is hurting Hillary among the very people that should be enthusiastically supporting her:
"The other party doesn't want to run against her. And if they do, they'd like her as mangled up as possible.” ~President Bill Clinton
This is politics 101 — hurt your enemy from within. Karl Rove loves it. Remember — he was the mastermind behind electing George W. Bush. Don’t let yourself be used by Karl Rove again and become the Ralph Nader of this election! Always remember Hillary and Bernie voted together 93% of the time and that Republicans don’t hate the Clintons for nothing.
The last thing Republicans want is for the Clintons to get back in the White House. Even Bernie remembers the 1990s fondly:
Iraq War:
One of the most common attacks against Hillary from progressives is her vote on Iraq. Given that Donald Trump is attempting to use this vote against Hillary [despite Trump being on audio initially supporting the war], it is important to remember a few key facts.
If Bernie thought the Iraq war was such a mistake on Hillary’s part, why did he confirm her as Secretary of State?
It appears as though Bernie blamed Bush’s war on Bush when he confirmed Hillary as Secretary of State. However, like a typical politician, he is now blaming Bush’s war on Hillary for political gain. Fact is — Hillary gave Bush the authorization to go to war as a *last* resort. Bush went to war as a *first* resort. Bush did not allow the U.N. inspectors to finish their job, something he said he would allow them to do.
Hillary has stated countless times that she regrets giving Bush the authorization for war. But as the Senator of New York, she trusted him in the aftermath of 9/11, something most Americans regrettably did. Patriotism and trust was at an all-time high after 9/11/2001, and no one thought Bush would go into Iraq before the U.N. inspectors were finished. The authorization vote was being portrayed by Bush as nothing more than a tool of leverage against Iraq.
Hillary Clinton on the Iraq War:
“Well, I have said repeatedly that if I had known then what I know now, I never would have voted to give the president authority.
It was a mistake to trust George Bush that he would do what he told all of us he would do. … Now, I do not think that that is a necessarily wrong judgment at the time.
What was wrong is the way this president misused the authority that some of us here gave him. And that has been a tragedy.”
It is also important to look at Hillary’s full record, which includes being one of the few to advocate for the successful raid against Osama Bin Laden. It also includes imposing the toughest sanctions on Iran by convincing the Chinese and Russians to agree to them. Both the sanctions on Iran and killing Osama Bin Laden are two things the Bush Administration couldn’t get done. Furthermore, Hillary’s START treaty with Russia still exists today and she improved U.S. favorability worldwide by over 20 points. Without Hillary, the Iran nuclear deal would not be in existence today, something that is actively *PREVENTING* war.
At the end of the day, Hillary didn’t vote for the Iraq war. She gave Bush the authorization to go to war as a *LAST* resort, and only after the U.N. inspectors finished their job. The authorization vote was simply meant to be used as leverage against Iraq.
Given that Bernie confirmed Hillary as Secretary of State, it is obvious he is using the Iraq war for political gain. Anyone who closely followed history after 9/11 knows that Bush lied and people died. Period. Stop placing Bush’s war on Hillary for political gain.
Furthermore, invading Iraq wouldn’t have even been on the table if Al Gore had won in 2000 [thanks Nader]. And let us remember the Clinton Administration warned the Bush Administration of a Bin Laden air strike. Shortly after, George Bush ignored a memo titled “Bin Laden determined to strike inside U.S.”
If the Iraq war was such a huge issue, why did Bernie confirm Hillary as Secretary of State?
Bush lied. People died. Period.
Trade Agreements:
Though Hillary supported her husbands trade agreements, as Senator of New York, the only trade agreement Hillary ever had the opportunity to vote on was CAFTA [Central American Trade Agreement]. Hillary voted *AGAINST* CAFTA. This important fact is often overlooked by the media and I’m not sure why.
But if we are going to have a liberal war on the 1990s, let’s us also remember what President Clinton did for American workers overall — the full record:
~23 million new jobs
~Incomes rising at every income level
~A balanced budget and surplus
~More Americans lifted out of poverty than at any time in U.S. history
Democrats always have to clean up Republican recessions:
- Reagan/Bush Senior —> Clinton
- Bush Jr. —> Obama
Bernie has lots of blame for Democratic Presidents, yet Republicans are the ones that cause recessions and then halt recovery through *UNPRECEDENTED* obstructionism. I’d take a President Clinton or a President Obama over DUBYA any day of the week.
Minimum Wage:
Hillary supports legislation to raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour. Bernie uses this against Hillary, saying he is in favor of a $15 dollar minimum wage. Basically, Bernie is using the argument of, “my number is higher than yours so I win!” But what Bernie is doing is exactly what a typical politician does: promise what will win you votes rather than tell the truth about what you can actually achieve. Hillary is being honest with voters in supporting the $12 legislation, while simultaneously supporting states such as California and New York that want to raise it to $15 on a state-by-state basis.
Th minimum wage is the perfect embodiment of the fundamental difference between Hillary and Bernie: Hillary is pragmatic about what can actually make a *REAL* difference in people’s lives. Meanwhile, Bernie seems as though he is “$15 or bust.” But the core point is Hillary has *ALWAYS* supported a $15 dollar minimum wage for certain places such as New York City. However, she simultaneously supports what Democratic women are trying to accomplish in Congress by submitting legislation to raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour.
Bernie and his supporters don’t realize we have an obstructionist GOP Congress, and that many Southern voters would punish Democrats from conservative states if they voted for a $15 dollar national minimum wage. $12 is still a huge step forward, and will help 40+ million Americans get a raise. And if we amass a Democratic Congress from winning elections in places such as the South, we could likely get a $15 dollar minimum wage in the near future. Unfortunately, Bernie doesn’t think Southern states matter in taking back control of our government. Maybe that’s why he has been ineffective at passing any of his progressive goals over the last 30 years. Bernie is a changetalker. Hillary is a changemaker.
And for anyone that doubt Hillary’s authenticity and commitment to raising the minimum wage, here is Hillary supporting a minimum wage increase in the year 1992:
Healthcare:
What has changed since Hillary first advocated for single-payer healthcare? The Affordable Care Act. Given the new circumstances, I'm glad Hillary will defend Obama's legacy instead of going back to square one. In the current political landscape, the last thing we need to be doing is going backwards instead of forwards with regards to healthcare.
For those too young to remember, Obama’s signature achievement is the Affordable Care Act, something the Democratic Party has been fighting for since Harry Truman. As evidenced by the Bernie campaign posting a vintage photo of Hillary fighting for universal healthcare in 1993, Hillary has the scars to show for this battle. Hillary Clinton knows firsthand that the Democratic nominee should be defending the Affordable Care Act, not going back to square one.
Remember: we barely passed the Affordable Care Act with majorities in both chambers of Congress. Let's build on the Affordable Care Act instead of relitigating healthcare, a battle that isn't wise to do in the current political environment.
NANCY CORDES: “Secretary Clinton, back in 1994, you said that momentum for a single-payer system would sweep the country. That sounds Sandersesque. But you don't feel that way anymore. Why not...“
HILLARY CLINTON: “Well, the revolution never came. And I waited and I've got the scars to show for it.”
As Hillary noted, pandering to young voters with empty promises on issues such as healthcare will only further erode trust in our government:
“In my case, whether it's healthcare, or getting us to debt-free tuition, or moving us toward paid family leave, I have been very specific about where I would raise the money, how much it would cost, and how I would move this agenda forward.
I've tried to be as specific to answer questions so that my proposals can be vetted, because I feel like we have to level with people for the very reason, Gwen, that you are mentioning.
There is a great deal of skepticism about the federal government. I'm aware of that. It comes from the right, from the left, from people on all sides of the political spectrum.
So we have a special obligation to make clear what we stand for, which is why I think we should not make promises we can't keep, because that will further alienate Americans from understanding and believing we can together make some real changes in people's lives.”
~Hillary Rodham Clinton
On the topic of healthcare, Hillary proves she possesses the political skill to take on the Tea Party whack-jobs, while also having the best plans to continue Obama's progress. Meanwhile, Bernie's over there talking about starting over from square-one, ignoring that we barely passed Obamacare with a Democratic majority.
Both Hillary [Hillarycare] and Obama [Obamacare] have the scars from fighting for universal healthcare. Maybe because Bernie doesn’t have the same scars, he doesn’t t understand the political realities of a GOP obstructionist Congress — a Congress progressives created by not helping down-ticket Democrats get elected, and by writing off places as the South as “too conservative to matter.” Luckily, the Clintons hail from Arkansas and know how instrumental the South is to creating the coalitions needed for the success of a progressive agenda in Congress.
The environment and fracking:
As Secretary of State, Hillary supported fracking as a transitional method to cleaner energy. Fracking is a temporary ‘bridge fuel’ that allows poorer nations to transition away from even worse pollutants. Yet again, Bernie doesn’t understand the big picture — the actual ways in which progress is actually made.
For instance, Obama and Hillary put together the strongest international agreement on climate change that has *EVER* been created: the Paris Agreement. Bernie is quick to criticize the agreement for not going far enough — an agreement which includes over 120 countries and took many years to put together. Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Paris Agreement during the Obama Administration’s first term.
Recently, Vice President Al Gore said this of the Paris Agreement:
"No agreement is perfect, and this one must be strengthened over time, but groups across every sector of society will now begin to reduce dangerous carbon pollution through the framework of this agreement." ~Vice President Al Gore
For those that voted for Nader, just think of how much further along we would be on climate change [Al Gore’s signature cause] if he had become President in the year 2000 — if we had elected a 3rd consecutive Democratic President. But after 8 successful years of a Democrat in the White House, progressives felt comfortable enough in thumbing their nose at Al Gore, ultimately giving us George W. Bush. This progressive betrayal of the Clinton Administration destroyed any chance of *REAL* and *LASTING* progress in regards to climate change.
Furthermore, what about Bernie dumping Vermont’s toxic nuclear waste on a poor, latino Texas town?
If we are going to talk about the environment, let's talk about each candidates *FULL* record.
Obama and Hillary put together the strongest international agreement on environmental protection ever: the Paris Agreement. 120 countries joined this agreement, yet Bernie loves to criticize the accomplishments of others for not being 100% progressive, for not going far enough — yet he has little accomplishments of his own to speak of. It’s easy to diagnose a problem, it’s even harder to fix a problem. It is also worth noting Bernie’s hands are far from clean when you take into account dumping Vermont’s nuclear waste on Sierra Blana, a poor Latino town in Texas.
Israelis vs. Palestinians:
Many love to criticize Hillary when she defends Israel, but the closest we were to achieving peace in the Middle East was under the Clinton Administration:
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, United States President Bill Clinton, and Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat
If we are going to launch a liberal war against the 1990s, let’s remember *EVERYTHING* that happened during the 1990s.
Personally, the photo of President Clinton with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat speaks a thousand words. I remember seeing it in elementary school and thinking if only President Clinton could have remained in office and continued working towards peace and prosperity around the globe. Instead, however, we ended up with George Bush [rather than electing a 3rd consecutive Democratic President and continuing the progress of the Clinton Administration]. I guess progressives just got too comfortable after 8 years of a Democrat in the White House — 8 years of peace and prosperity.
1994 Crime Bill:
Ironically, Bernie cites his pragmatism when trying to explain away his 1994 crime bill vote. He says the Violence Against Women Act is one of the reasons he voted for the ‘94 crime bill. But if Bernie is able to use the Violence Against Women Act as a pragmatic excuse for why he voted for the bill, President Clinton also gets to use the same excuse for why he signed the bill.
If Bernie gets to use the Violence Against Women Act as an excuse, so does President Bill Clinton.
At the end of the day, Bernie is the only 2016 candidate that actually *VOTED* for the 1994 crime bill. Hillary supported her husband but then gets vilified as if she voted for it or something? Talk about a sexist double standard if there ever was one: Bernie, a man, votes for the actual bill that did the damage to African American communities. But Hillary, a woman, gets vilified for using one word she has since apologized for? Time and time again, there is one standard for Hillary Clinton, and another standard for Bernie Sanders.
Bernie Sanders voted for the ‘94 crime bill and needs to take ownership of that. And if he is going to cite pragmatism for why he voted for the crime bill, he is by definition endorsing the very same philosophy he says “let progressives down.”
You can’t have it both ways, Bernie.
Gay Marriage:
President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Senator Sanders all evolved on gay marriage. Why is Hillary, a woman, vilified more than her male counterparts? Bernie officially evolved on gay marriage in 2009.
Hillary Clinton worked closely with the Human Rights Campaign over the years on a variety of issues. Hillary was the first First Lady to march in a gay pride parade.
Here is Hillary marching in a few gay pride parades as Senator of New York:
Hillary fought for stronger hate crime and anti-discrimination laws as New York Senator:
In the U.S. Senate, Hillary championed hate crime legislation, fought for federal non-discrimination legislation to protect LGBT Americans in the workplace, and advocated for an end to restrictions that blocked LGBT Americans from adopting children.
SOURCE
As New York Senator Hillary has worked closely with the Human Rights Campaign, which is why she [and not Bernie] was invited to speak before them:
The applause is deafening.
Hillary enacted lifesaving policies as Secretary of State to save LGBTQ lives around the globe:
As Secretary of State, Hillary advanced LGBT rights abroad and enforced stronger anti-discrimination regulations within the State Department, declaring on the global stage that “gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.”
She led the effort to pass the first-ever U.N. Resolution on LGBT Human Rights, launched the Global Equality Fund, ended State Department regulations that denied same-sex couples and their families equal rights, helped implement LGBT-friendly workplace policies, and updated the State Department’s policy so that transgender individuals’ passports reflect their true gender.
SOURCE
Hillary’s Global Equality Fund is revolutionary and groundbreaking.
Hillary’s actions speak for themselves.
Don’t let Karl Rove brainwash progressives against Hillary. We can’t let them give us Trump like they gave us Bush. Never forget:
Hillary also had a more liberal voting record than President Obama when they were both in the Senate.
“Once and for all: Hillary Clinton is not corrupted by Wall Street”
Hillary is a changemaker. Not just a changetalker.
Go Hillary Go!!
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