One of the Girls.
Former First Lady Clinton was the keynote speaker to celebrate the opening of an exhibit on the lives of Eleanor Roosevelt and Jacqueline Kennedy at the New York Historical Society. The show is part of a larger presentation called "First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image," a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition on all the nation's First Ladies that just began its seven-city tour. Mrs. Clinton asked the audience, "What is it about First Ladies that causes arguments and discussions around dinner tables? People will overlook policies of war and peace to argue about a First Lady's hairdo and wardrobe." Hillary went on to note that "the historic fascination with a person who exercises absolutely no formal authority" is understandable because in the days before women held positions of power, "the First Lady was the nation's highest-profile quasi-political woman." Hillary also said that Eleanor and Jackie were two of her favorite First Ladies and that Mrs. Kennedy even "gave me some very sage advice about protecting our daughter, and with all respect to everyone, staying away from the press as much as possible. And she had a very acute and wry set of perceptions about what life in the White House would be like for me." Hillary, however, did not mention her infamous "s???? ©ances" with Mrs. Roosevelt and did not comment on one of the more peculiar of Mrs. Roosevelt's exhibits, a 1957 pistol license that enabled her to pack heat.
Not Expecting Opposition.
Hillary made her first attempt to promote government-sponsored birth control and sex education since she announced she was the Great Moderator on Abortion, and she failed in the Senate. During debate over the 2006 budget, Sen. Clinton tried to insert an amendment to add $100 million for family planning services, sex education and contraception programs, along with a provision that none of the funds would be used to expand the "abstinence-only" programs championed by President Bush. But her amendment fell short on a 47-53 vote, mostly along party lines. After the vote, Hillary claimed to be dumbfounded, saying, "I'm trying to understand in my own mind what the objections are. For those people who are deeply committed to a position that is against abortion, this should be an amendment they embrace." Her amendment failed even though it had the prominent support of Minority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.), whom the media have been characterizing as pro-life. Said Hill: "This is such an important issue and it is part of our effort to seek common ground with people who have very different and deeply held opinions on this range of issues. Obviously, we will continue to speak out and work for it." Around the same time as her amendment failed, Hillary teamed up with her fellow Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to question Dr. Lester M. Crawford, President Bush's choice to lead the Food and Drug Administration, about why the FDA had so far refused to allow over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill Plan B. "What has disturbed many of us is what appears is political interference in a scientific process,'' said Clinton. "We rely on the FDA for everything we take, and I am hopeful that we will reverse what appears to be a dangerous slide into political opinion as opposed to scientific evidence."
HRC Better Than JFK.
One of Hillary's top political strategists, long-time feminist activist Ann Lewis, sister of Rep. Barney Frank (D.-Mass.), said recently that candidate Clinton will do a better job than the Democrats' last presidential nominee in convincing Americans that she'll keep the nation safe from terrorist attacks and other national security threats. The HILLPAC communications director told the Forward in New York that "the first and crucial step for the Democrats to regain the public trust and confidence is to make clear that people can have confidence in us that we will keep them safe," and that Hillary "has a coherent approach to national security that can serve as a model." Lewis's proof? Clinton has "established herself as an unquestioned supporter of Israel and bolstered her security credentials by getting a seat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Lewis also said that Americans "don't vote for plans, they vote for Presidents."
