Foxy Lady.
Hillary made her first appearance on the Fox News Channel, getting interviewed on "Fox News Sunday." She was on at the same time as an Armed Services Committee colleague, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.). Together they called for a larger military, pledged a thorough investigation of abuse against Iraqi prisoners in Baghdad.
"A number of us have been sounding this alarm. We have to face the fact we need a larger active-duty military," said Hill. "We cannot continue to stretch our troops, both active-duty, Guard and Reserve, to the breaking point, which is what we're doing now." She also agreed with Graham that increasing the military would be costly, but that "I don't think we have any alternatives."
The lovefest with Graham continued as they stated their mutual desire for an end to partisanship in order to win the war in Iraq. "We are the greatest nation in the history of the world, said the senator from New York. "We have rule of law. We have due process. We have ideals and values. And, frankly, that's what we think we're fighting for. It is imperative that we do this right and that we follow the investigations wherever they lead."
When host Chris Wallace noted that Graham was one of the House managers who prosecuted her husband's impeachment in his Senate trial, Hillary said that she believes "in redemption and growth," even for Republicans. "People who were previously misguided can see the light," she said. For his part, Graham seemed conciliatory: "We have polar opposite views on a lot of things. But we're not going to win this war if we focus on what divides us. We need to focus on what brings us together."
Hillary also took the time to lavish praise on one of Graham's mentors, Sen. John McCain, claiming that she would support the pro-life Republican if John Kerry chose him as his running mate. "I'm a big admirer of John McCain," she said. "I have the greatest respect for him." It ends up that the possibility of Kerry choosing a pro-lifer as Vice-President is, ironically, a matter of choice, since it's "such a personal decision for him that I will support whomever he chooses." She even insisted that "We have pro-life Democrats," somehow forgetting how pro-life Democratic Governor Bob Casey of Pennsylvania was forbidden to speak at the same Democratic National Convention that nominated her husband in 1992.
Hill: Beat Bush.
In a mass e-mail appeal to potential donors to the Democratic Party, Hillary says that re-electing President Bush will mean a loss of freedoms and "create an America we won't recognize." According to Sen. Clinton, "the stakes in this election are incredibly high" because if the evil Republicans "get their way, you and I will be living in an America governed not by our hopes, but by our fears...we'll be living in an America where we see our freedoms diminished when they ought to be embraced, our rights restricted when they ought to be strengthened."
While she doesn't come right out and say that four more years of President Bush means that America will suffer through the Dark Ages, she did mention, "We'll be living in an America that shrinks away from the political and economic challenges of the 21st Century." Her implied criticism of the Patriot Act caused the Republican National Committee to reply that "Hillary Clinton seems to have the same problem John Kerry has when it comes to being on both sides of this issue. After voting in favor of the Patriot Act, both Hillary Clinton and John Kerry now attack this common sense law."
Hillary also used the fundraising e-mail to gloat about the chances for John Kerry, saying that "A year ago everyone had written Democrats off. The media had taken for granted the re-election of George Bush. Isn't it fun to prove them wrong?"
More Cash for NYC.
Hillary wants even more federal dollars for New York City, officially introducing legislation to change the formula to provide the Big Apple with over $250 million in additional funding each year. Said Hill: "The 9/11 Commission hearings last week made it clear that New York City is still a target of terrorism and yet it is not getting the homeland security funding it needs." She also noted that it "just makes no sense" that the Department of Homeland Security allocated the State of Wyoming $38.31 per person and allocated to New York State less than $5.50 per person.
Hillary's proposed change in the way the funds are distributed would mean more money for New York City, and Sen. Clinton said she is "pleased that President Bush, Secretary Ridge and Mayor Bloomberg agree with me on this. If terrorists are looking at things like the presence of critical infrastructure, proximity to borders or ports, or symbolic targets, common sense tells us we should consider these factors as well."
