Donkey Tails
 By Maury Goodman
May 2007
 For the "Warrenville Today" Newspaper

Hillary Clinton for President

In my “Candidates for President 2008, part 5”, I will concentrate on the current front-runner, Hillary Clinton. Her web site is hillaryclinton.com. Below are some of her issue statements. On the website can be found specific legislation that she had proposed regarding each of these and other issues.

Strengthening the Middle Class

America's middle class is under siege and ready for a change. People are working harder and longer for less and less. Corporate profits are up. CEO pay is up. Wages are lagging. Household debt is soaring. At the same time, health care, energy, and education costs are rising. Last year, more people went bankrupt in our country than graduated from college.

For six long years, it's like America's middle class and working families have been invisible to our president. He's looked right through them.

Providing Affordable and Accesible Health Care

America is ready for universal health care. Hillary has the vision and the experience to make it a reality. This is a battle Hillary has fought before -- and she has the scars to prove it. She knows better than anyone how to fight and build the political support to get the job done. Nearly 47 million Americans -- including 9 million children -- don't have health insurance. And it's not just the uninsured who are at risk, but those who are underinsured: those who have insurance, but when they need a certain medication, treatment, or surgery, their insurance company refuses to pay for it. Hillary is also focused on the skyrocketing costs of health care -- over the last six years, health care premiums have almost doubled. Hillary has the experience to take on the insurance companies, work with members of Congress from both parties, and ensure that all Americans have the health care they need.

Ending the War in Iraq

America is ready for a leader who will end the war in Iraq and a president who will respect our Armed Forces by properly planning for the missions we ask our troops to undertake. If the Bush administration won't, as president and commander in chief, Hillary will end this war. The war in Iraq has imposed a tremendous cost on our troops, their families, and our budget. Four years after the start of the war, the violence continues to grow, and there is no end in sight. Hillary opposes President Bush's plan to escalate the war and proposed, along with Senator Robert Byrd, legislation to end authority for the war in Iraq. The President would be required to come to Congress to seek new authority. Following deauthorization, Senator Clinton would not support any new legislation that did not start to remove our troops from the middle of this sectarian civil war. She has also proposed a cap on troop levels to January 1, 2007 levels and put forth a comprehensive roadmap for ending the war. If it is followed, Hillary's bill, the Iraq Troop Protection and Reduction Act of 2007, will end the war before the next president takes the oath of office. But she has also been clear: if George Bush refuses to end the war, when she is president, she will.

Promoting Energy Independence and Fighting Global Warming

America is ready for energy independence. Hillary is ready to lead the charge. The choices we make about energy touch nearly every aspect of our lives. Our economy, our national security, our health, and the future of our planet are all at stake as we make a choice between energy independence and dependence on foreign sources of oil. Hillary has championed policies that encourage development of alternative energy technologies and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. She has proposed an Apollo Project-like program dedicated to achieving energy independence. Hillary recognizes that global climate change is one of the most pressing moral issues of our time. She supports policies to reduce carbon emissions and other pollution that contribute to global warming. In the White House, Hillary will lead the charge to stop global warming by investing in clean energy technologies, establishing a national market-based program to reduce global warming pollution, increasing our fuel efficiency, and restoring the United States' rightful place as a leader in international efforts to address the problem of climate change.

Comprehensive Government Reform

Americans are ready for a government that puts competency ahead of cronyism. Government certainly isn't the answer to all our problems. But good government -- smart government -- can be a partner for progress. It can help solve problems and accomplish things together we could never accomplish alone. We all know that in order to meet the challenges of our day -- to lift up our middle class and hard working families; to establish universal health care, energy independence, and fiscal responsibility; to end the war in Iraq and restore our leadership around the world -- we need a government that will rise to the occasion. This isn't about big government or small government, it's about smart government. We need a return to transparency and a system of checks and balances, to a president who respects Congress's role of oversight and accountability. We need a 21st century government to meet our 21st century challenges

Feedback

It is welcomed and appreciated maurygoodman@dupagedemocrats.org