Richardson's Obama Endorsement Beginning of the End for Clinton

Today, Bill Richardson signalled what may well have been the beginning of the end of Hillary Clinton's campaign for the Presidency by endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for President. In my opinion, this move to Obama by one of the most influential Super Delegates may well be a signal to the other Super Delegates that Mrs. Clinton has crossed the line on party loyalty by promoting John McCain over Obama, and is doing considerable damage not only to the Democratic Party, but to its chances for victory in November. This may open the floodgates to a victory by Obama.

Dear Friend,

During the last year, I have shared with you my vision and hopes for this nation as we look to repair the damage of the last seven years. And you have shared your support, your ideas and your encouragement with my campaign. We have been through a lot together and that is why I wanted to tell you that, after careful and thoughtful deliberation, I have made the decision to endorse Barack Obama for President.

We are blessed to have two great American leaders and great Democrats running for President. My affection and admiration for Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton will never waver. It is time, however, for Democrats to stop fighting amongst ourselves and to prepare for the tough fight we will face against John McCain in the fall. The 1990's were a decade of peace and prosperity because of the competent and enlightened leadership of the Clinton administration, but it is now time for a new generation of leadership to lead America forward. Barack Obama will be a historic and a great President, who can bring us the change we so desperately need by bringing us together as a nation here at home and with our allies abroad.

Earlier this week, Senator Barack Obama gave an historic speech that addressed the issue of race with the eloquence, sincerity, and optimism we have come to expect of him. He inspired us by reminding us of the awesome potential residing in our own responsibility. He asked us to rise above our racially divided past, and to seize the opportunity to carry forward the work of many patriots of all races, who struggled and died to bring us together.

As a Hispanic, I was particularly touched by his words. I have been troubled by the demonization of immigrants -- specifically Hispanics -- by too many in this country. Hate crimes against Hispanics are rising as a direct result and now, in tough economic times, people look for scapegoats and I fear that people will continue to exploit our racial differences -- and place blame on others not like them. We all know the real culprit -- the disastrous economic policies of the Bush Administration!

Senator Obama has started a discussion in this country long overdue and rejects the politics of pitting race against race. He understands clearly that only by bringing people together, only by bridging our differences can we all succeed together as Americans.

His words are those of a courageous, thoughtful and inspiring leader, who understands that a house divided against itself cannot stand. And, after nearly eight years of George W. Bush, we desperately need such a leader.

To reverse the disastrous policies of the last seven years, rebuild our economy, address the housing and mortgage crisis, bring our troops home from Iraq and restore America's international standing, we need a President who can bring us together as a nation so we can confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad.

During the past year, I got to know Senator Obama as we campaigned against each other for the Presidency, and I felt a kinship with him because we both grew up between worlds, in a sense, living both abroad and here in America. In part because of these experiences, Barack and I share a deep sense of our nation's special responsibilities in the world.

So, once again, thank you for all you have done for me and my campaign. I wanted to make sure you understood my reasons for my endorsement of Senator Obama. I know that you, no matter what your choice, will do so with the best interests of this nation, in your heart.

Sincerely,

Bill Richardson

Barack Obama on Iraq and National Security

Barack Obama Speaks out on Iraq and National Security

The Cost of War: Barack Obama

Barack Obama explains how the cost of the War in Iraq has damaged our economy and caused great hardship in America. He assigns the blame directly at the feet of John McCain and Hillary Clinton, both of whom authorized the war based upon flimsy and faulty intelligence. This is a 20-minute speech.

The Two Faces of Hillary: Michigan Primary

Does this lady EVER mean what she says?

Here is a video of Hillary Clinton's personal opinion on the Michigan primary:




Seems like she has changed her mind. Desperation will do that to you.

Hillary on Iraq War Vote

Hillary Clinton explains her vote on the War in Iraq. Or does she . . . The bill was entitled, "Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002".

Obama Speech: A More Perfect Union

Barack Obama speaks in Philadelphia, PA at Constitution Center, on matters not just of race and recent remarks, but of the fundamental path by which America can work together to pursue a better future. This speech on race and politics has been called the greatest speech since Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream". Brilliant!

Barack Obama: 5 Ways America Will Lead Again

Here is the best video yet of Sen. Obama's plans for the future of America. Answers many questions and is quite detailed. Very informative. A 5-part video series.

Don't pay attention to those who would try to distract you from this visionary's greatness by focusing on the words and deeds of others. Guilt by association is old-style politics. We prefer change we can believe in.


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Hillary's Experience Doesn't Add Up

Reprinted from factcheck.org

Hillary's Adventures Abroad

March 13, 2008

We find some exaggerations in Clinton's claims of foreign policy experience.

Summary

On March 6 Hillary Clinton claimed that, unlike Barack Obama, she and likely Republican nominee John McCain have "cross[ed] the commander-in-chief threshold." In a CNN interview the day before, Clinton had listed five foreign policy accomplishments. We can't determine how much behind-the-scenes work Clinton did while first lady, and she certainly took an active interest in foreign policy when her husband was president. Moreover, her time as first lady plus her longer Senate career do give Clinton more foreign policy experience than Obama. But the public record of her actions shows that many of Clinton's foreign policy claims are exaggerated.

* Clinton claims to have "negotiated open borders" in Macedonia to fleeing Kosovar refugees. But the Macedonian border opened a full day before she arrived, and her meetings with Macedonian officials were too brief to allow for much serious negotiating.

* Clinton's activities "helped bring peace to Northern Ireland." Irish officials are divided as to how helpful Clinton's actions were, and key players agree that she was not directly involved in any actual negotiations.

* Clinton has repeatedly referenced her "dangerous" trip to Bosnia. She fails to mention, however, that the Bosnian war had officially ended three months before her visit – or that she made the trip with her 16-year-old daughter and two entertainers.

* Both Bill and Hillary Clinton claim that Hillary privately championed the use of U.S. troops to stop the genocide in Rwanda. That conversation left no public record, however, as U.S. policy was explicitly to stay out of Rwanda, and officials say that the use of U.S. troops was never considered.

* Clinton's tough speech on human rights delivered to a Beijing audience is as advertised, though Clinton herself has been dismissive of speeches that aren't backed by solutions.

Analysis

Over the past two weeks – beginning with that well-known 3 a.m. ad where she calls herself "tested" – Hillary Clinton has been arguing that she has significantly more foreign policy experience than Barack Obama, her rival for the Democratic nomination. On her Web site, Clinton cites five specific examples of her foreign policy experience: her assistance in bringing peace to Northern Ireland; her work to help open Macedonia’s borders to Albanian refugees; her trip to the Bosnian war zone to promote U.S. policy; her speech on women’s rights delivered in Beijing; and her public statements on Rwanda. Obama's camp has fired right back with charges that Clinton is exaggerating her foreign policy experience. And when initially pressed to name a "moment" when Clinton was "tested in crisis" her two chief spokespeople responded with an awkward silence.

Officials from Bill Clinton’s administration are largely divided as to the extent and effectiveness of Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy role as first lady. For example, Richard Holbrooke, a former assistant secretary of state and ambassador to the U.N., claims that Clinton’s "intense efforts" in Macedonia "contributed to saving many lives." On the other hand, Susan Rice, also an assistant secretary of state during the Clinton administration, argues that Clinton was never asked to do any "heavy lifting" and says that Clinton’s role was more about "gentle prodding or constructive reinforcement." That Holbrooke and Rice would remember Clinton’s role differently is unsurprising: Holbrooke is a foreign policy adviser to the Clinton campaign, while Rice has the same role with Obama’s campaign.

Indeed, the New York Times recently reported that, as first lady, Clinton did not hold a security clearance nor did she sit in on meetings with the National Security Council. We examined some of the specific examples of Sen. Clinton’s experience and found that most of them are weaker than advertised.

Border Patrol

In a March 5 interview on CNN, Clinton said that she "negotiated open borders to let fleeing refugees into safety from Kosovo." Clinton is referring to her May 14, 1999, trip to Macedonia, which shares a border with Kosovo. According to her Web site, Clinton "traveled to the international border on the edge of the war zone" before meeting with Macedonia’s president and prime minister.

We note, first, that Clinton’s claim that the refugee camp was "on the edge of a war zone" gives an exaggerated picture of the risk involved. Traveling to the Kosovo border was more dangerous than remaining in Washington, and the trip did involve some risk. But Clinton did not land in the middle of an active combat zone, and the risks that she did take were not exceptional: Prior visitors to the refugee camp included Richard Gere and Bianca Jagger. For that matter, much of the "war" in Kosovo consisted of NATO airstrikes against the Yugoslav troops who had forced thousands of ethnic Albanians to flee Kosovo, and the nearest NATO ground troops were deployed in Albania, more than 100 miles away from Clinton.

More significantly, Clinton did not in fact "negotiate on matters such as opening borders for refugees during the war in Kosovo." Macedonia had reopened its border to Kosovar refugees the day before Clinton’s arrival, as has been widely reported. Clinton now says that she pressed for opening the borders "much wider." In a written statement that the Clinton campaign has circulated widely, Holbrooke, the Clinton administration’s chief negotiator on peace in the Balkans, says that there is "no doubt" that Hillary Clinton's actions saved lives.

So how much "pressing" did Clinton actually do? According to her official travel schedule, Clinton was in Macedonia for less than nine hours, nearly half of which she spent touring refugee camps. Clinton was scheduled for photo ops with the prime minister at the residence of the U.S. ambassador at 2:20 p.m. At 2:50 p.m., she had a photo session with Macedonia’s president at his residence, followed by a 3:20 photo op with the first lady. That would leave a total of 30 minutes for negotiations, minus time for photos. Indeed, at the time, the New York Times reported that Clinton’s trip was so scripted that "Administration officials chose which refugees Mrs. Clinton would speak with." News reports on Clinton's own Web site characterize the first lady's visit as "sweeping through Macedonia" offering "publicity" and "aid."

A Proponent of Peace

Clinton has taken an interest in the Northern Ireland peace process, visiting the area seven times between 1995 and 2004 – making five of those trips as first lady. Clinton has said that she "helped bring peace to Northern Ireland." Of course, "helped" is a fairly weak claim, one that could be made by nearly anyone who contributed in a way that didn't actively hinder the process. Clinton was not directly involved in the peace negotiations that eventually led to the Good Friday Agreement. Her work focused on encouraging Irish women to take a more active role in the male-dominated peace talks. There is universal agreement that Clinton "helped." The dispute is about how much she helped.

Figures close to the negotiations are split in their assessments. Clinton's campaign has been busy sharing some responses with the press. For example, former Sen. George Mitchell – the lead U.S. negotiator – told the Chicago Tribune that Clinton’s visits were "very helpful" and that her work with women was a "significant factor" in contributing to the success of the process. And in a written statement, John Hume, who shared a Nobel Peace Prize with David Trimble for their work on the Good Friday Agreement, said that Clinton provided "decisive support" for the process. Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams agreed, telling the Irish Times that "Senator Clinton played an important role in the peace process" and praising her as "extremely well informed on the issues."

But not everyone agrees. Trimble, for instance, remembers things differently, saying that Clinton’s role was mainly that of "cheerleader" and not one of "principal player." One of Hume’s aides – perhaps inadvertently showing why the peace process really did need to have more women involved – opined that Clinton was active "in a classic woman politicky sort of way," although he said that Clinton was "certainly investing some time." And an Irish historian who has written extensively about the peace process told the Tribune that Clinton’s work was "nice" but also "ancillary to the main thing."

Key players agree that Clinton was an active behind-the-scenes supporter of the peace process and that she was an important player in getting women involved in the negotiations. Getting parties to the table is a crucial part of any peace process. But we note that many could claim foreign policy credentials for bringing principal figures together, including U2's Bono – who convinced Hume and Trimble to appear together for the first time during the referendum campaign and whose photo with the two Irish politicians has been called "one of the enduring images of the peace process."

Dodging Bullets with Sinbad

Clinton has also touted her March 1996 visit to war-torn Bosnia as evidence of her foreign policy experience, and her campaign has made references to a Washington Post article that described the visit as "the first time since Roosevelt that a first lady has voyaged to a potential combat zone." In a December campaign stop, Clinton recounted a harrowing trip, with her aircraft engaging in a tight corkscrew landing to avoid potential sniper fire. As Clinton explained, the unofficial White House policy was, “If it's too dangerous, too small and too poor, send the first lady.”

We can’t speak to what may or may not have happened on the military transport that delivered Clinton to Bosnia. She is right, though, that she visited a potential combat zone. But what she fails to mention is that the Dayton Peace Accords – which officially ended a year-and-a-half of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina – had been signed in December 1995. So by the time of Clinton’s March 1996 visit, the war itself had been over for three months. Indeed, the accords were so successful that by June 1996 Anthony Lake, a member of President Clinton's national security team, could say with confidence that predictions of "renewed fighting" in Bosnia had turned out to be unfounded. Clinton also correctly quotes the Post. But she leaves out the part of the article that discusses Pat Nixon's visit to a Saigon field hospital in 1969 and Barbara Bush's Thanksgiving celebration with American troops in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm.

Moreover, Clinton’s visit was part of what the New York Times described as a "good-will tour." Other stops included a meeting at Baumholder Army Base in Germany with the families of military personnel who were deployed to Bosnia and meetings in Turkey and Greece to promote women’s rights. Chelsea Clinton, then 16, accompanied her mother on all the stops; on the Bosnian leg of the tour, they were joined by singer Sheryl Crow and the comedian Sinbad, who came with a host of donated items, including a big screen TV and candy bars, designed to boost the troops’ morale.

Rwandan Pillow Talk

At a campaign stop in Iowa in December 2007, Bill Clinton told a gathering of potential caucus-goers that Hillary advocated the use of U.S. troops to stop the genocide in Rwanda. When asked whether it was true, Hillary Clinton replied with an unequivocal, "It is."

We're hardly in a position to dispute a private conversation between Bill and Hillary Clinton. It is worth noting, however, that the conversation doesn't seem to have had any sort of verifiable effect. The conversation is not recorded in the memoirs of either Clinton. And there is no record of the former president raising the possibility of deploying troops with any of his advisers. Prudence Bushnell, the State Department official who held the Rwanda portfolio during the Clinton administration, told the Tribune that the U.S. did not ever consider a military intervention in Rwanda. Bushnell is not affiliated with any campaign. For that matter, the U.S. took an active role in removing the few international peacekeeping forces that had been in place. According to an article in The Atlantic by Samantha Power of Harvard (and author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning book on America's role in combating genocide), "staying out of Rwanda was an explicit U.S. policy objective." Power, of course, was an Obama adviser until her celebrated reference to Clinton as a "monster," but Power's article was written in September 2001 – well before Obama ran for the U.S. Senate.

Chinese Rights

On March 5, Clinton told CNN that "I've been standing up against ... the Chinese government over women's rights and standing up for human rights." Clinton is referring to a speech (you can watch it here) that she delivered in 1995 as part of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women. Clinton was critical of China's record on human rights generally and on women's rights in particular, and her forceful remarks drew praise at home from Republicans and Democrats alike. The Chinese were less pleased; her remarks were blacked out, and only 5,000 party members were permitted to hear the speech. Moreover, Clinton's speech achieved a diplomatic end: As incentive for the first lady to come to China, the Chinese government released Harry Wu, a human rights activist whom the government had jailed following his conviction on spurious espionage charges.

Clinton is exactly right as to the details of her China speech. Does a tough speech count as foreign policy experience? Clinton frequently says that Obama "offers speeches" while she "offers solutions," so by her own standards, the China speech doesn't deserve much consideration. We'll leave it up to you to determine how much China's human rights situation improved between 1995 and 2007.

– by Joe Miller

Sources
Baker, Peter. "The Trail: Hold the Crumpets." The Washington Post, 29 December 2007.

BBC News. "Trimble and Hume Centre Stage for Referendum," 19 May 1998.

Benac, Nancy. "Clinton's Foreign Policy Record Examined." AP, 8 March 2008.

Berke, Richard L. "Irish Feel Fierce Crosswinds as Fateful Vote Nears." 20 May 1998. The New York Times. 13 March 2008.

Clinton, Hillary. "George Stephanopoulos' Exclusive Interview with Sen. Hillary Clinton." George Stephanopoulous, 30 Dec. 2007.

Dorning, Mike and Christi Parsons. "Clinton's experience claim under scrutiny." Chicago Tribune, 7 March 2008

Hamby, Peter. "Clinton: Obama 'missing in action'." CNN. 29 Feb. 2008.

Harnden, Toby. "Nobel Winner: Hillary Clinton's 'silly' Irish Peace Claims." The Telegraph, 8 March 2008.

Healy, Patrick. "The Résumé Factor: Those 2 Terms as First Lady." The New York Times, 26 Dec. 2007.

Helman, Scott. "Bill Clinton: Hillary was right on Rwanda." Boston Globe, 10 Dec. 2007.

"Hillary Clinton to Visit Troops." Orlando Sentinel, 25 March 1996.

Lake, Anthony. "Bosnia After Dayton." U.S. Department of State Dispatch, 24 June 1996.

Murphy, Dean E. "Mrs. Clinton Suggests That U.S. Engage Aggressively in World Affairs." 18 October 2000. The New York Times. 13 March 2008.

Pomfret, John. "Everyone Say 'Hoo-ah! 'In Bosnia, Mrs. Clinton Gets a Warm Welcome." The Washington Post, 26 March 1996.

Power, Samantha. "Bystanders to Genocide." The Atlantic, Sept. 2001.

Oliver, Joe. "Hume Put Health on the Line in His Pursuit of Peace." 19 October 1998. Irish Examiner. 13 March 2008.

Reuters. "Hillary Clinton's Thanks on Bosnia." The New York Times, 25 March 1996.

Rhode, David. "Crisis in the Balkans: Macedonia." The New York Times, 24 May 1999.

"Schedule for Trip of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to Macedonia." U.S. Newswire, 13 May 1999.

Staunton, Denis. "Obama campaign accuses Clinton of inflating NI role." The Irish Times, 12 March 2008.

"The Facts: Hillary and Kosovo." The Fact Hub, 8 March 2008.

"The Facts: Hillary and Northern Ireland." The Fact Hub, 8 March 2008.

Vlahou, Toula. "Mrs. Clinton brings hope, pledge to dispirited camp." Boston Globe, 15 May 1999.


Copyright © 2003 - 2008, Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
FactCheck.org's staff, not the Annenberg Center, is responsible for this material.

Obama Victory Speech Exposes Hillary's Errors in Judgment

As Barack Obama was being interviewed by Chris Matthews of MSNBC on the night of Obama's landslide victory over Hillary Clinton in Mississippi, an important fact came up during Obama's discussion of the war in Iraq and its devastating effect on our economy. They discussed a report from the 911 Commission that confirmed that "no collaborative relationship existed between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda.

The Sept. 11 commission reported yesterday that it has found no "collaborative relationship" between Iraq and al Qaeda, challenging one of the Bush administration's main justifications for the war in Iraq.

Along with the contention that Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction, President Bush, Vice President Cheney and other top administration officials have often asserted that there were extensive ties between Hussein's government and Osama bin Laden's terrorist network; earlier this year, Cheney said evidence of a link was "overwhelming."

But the report of the commission's staff, based on its access to all relevant classified information, said that there had been contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda but no cooperation. In yesterday's hearing of the panel, formally known as the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, a senior FBI official and a senior CIA analyst concurred with the finding.

Bush continues to defend his statements that Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein collaborated.


An important point raised by Barack Obama was that Hillary Clinton had also stated that Iraq and Al Qaeda collaborated. I hadn't seen that before so I conducted some research and determined that Obama is correct. This information was taken directly from Mrs. Clinton's website:

October 10, 2002

Floor Speech of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
on S.J. Res. 45, A Resolution to Authorize the Use of
United States Armed Forces Against Iraq

As Delivered

"Today we are asked whether to give the President of the United States authority to use force in Iraq should diplomatic efforts fail to dismantle Saddam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons and his nuclear program...

In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members, though there is apparently no evidence of his involvement in the terrible events of September 11, 2001."

Hillary Clinton not only voted to authorize George Bush to go to war in Iraq, but was using the same faulty logic as he was using at the time. She later was the ONLY one of 9 Democratic candidates to vote to declare the Iranian Republican Guard a terrorist organization, once again adopting the Bush Party Line.

HILLARY CLINTON DECLARES AN IRAQ-AL QAEDA LINK

SOUND JUDGMENT is a vital component in a Commander-in-Chief and Mr. Obama has clearly demonstrated a clarity of vision in crisis situations that Ms. Clinton just does not seem to possess. She talks about results but has passed no legislation of any note since becoming a US Senator, failed in her quest to establish universal healthcare during her husband's administration by failing to gain a consensus among her peers, and even says she voted for the Bankruptcy Act, then hoped it would not pass.

Here is the Chris Matthews - Barack Obama interview:

Countdown for John McCain's 100 Years of War in Iraq