Hope Starts Here

Excerpt from Hillary Clinton's victory speech after Texas, Ohio & R.I wins:

"I want to end (this speech) by sharing with you a message that I got late last month from someone who didn't have much money to spare, but sent me $10 for my campaign and sent an e-mail in which she wrote: "My two daughters are two and four, and we chant and cheer for you at every speech we see. I want them to know anything is possible."

Tonight I say to them, keep on watching. Together, we're going to make history. To those little girls, I say this is America, and we do believe you can be anything you want to be, and we want our sons and our daughters to dream big. I have big dreams for America’s future. The question is not whether we can fulfill those dreams, it's whether we will. And here's our answer: yes, we will.

We will do what it takes, and we will once again make the kind of progress that America deserves. We’re going to protect our country and preserve our constitution. We’re going to lead with our values. We will reach out to those on the margins and in the shadows because that's what we do in America. We break barriers, we open doors, we make sure every voice is heard. Together, we will turn promises into action, words into solutions, and hope into reality." (end quote)

Yes, She Will!

Thank you Rhode Island, Ohio and Texas! In January 2009, the entire world will thank you when Hillary telephones world leaders, allies and supporters and says, "We're back."

Congratulations, team Hillary! Hope starts here.

This Writer Endorses Hillary Clinton - Senator, Mother, Wife, and My Favorite Dorothy

Women unite! We need a strong, dedicated voice of reason in the White House. We need someone who truly cares about every American, not just the privileged few. Hillary Clinton cares. Hope starts here. Go to:

http://hillaryclinton.com/ .

Logo is from Hillary's website.

Never Surrender, Hillary

Once upon a more gracious and generous time, the US Agency for International Development commissioned an eight hundred pound plaque to honor First Lady Hillary Clinton in recognition of her leadership on world issues, human rights, women's rights and for her work in reinforcing America's global status. The plaque, which was presented to Mrs. Clinton on March 16, 1999, said:

May all who pass through these portals recognize the invaluable contributions to worldwide development made by the First Lady of the US, Hillary Clinton.

This plaque and accompanying photos were displayed at the entrance to the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC until the new Bush Jr. Administration took office. Bush & party spent a fortune to cover the plaque with an unrelated photo collage, before finally having the exhibit removed and put in storage in a government warehouse.

Today, some in this country would like to put Senator Hillary Clinton in storage, and send a clear message to American women that they should learn their place as well. Why hasn’t this country advanced beyond hypocrisy and sexism? Perhaps her critics fear Hillary Clinton because she is a tough, sincere and determined woman who will use her power as President to make America a tough, sincere, determined country again.

As you read this, American wives, mothers, sisters and daughters are dying beside men in combat. These brave women soldiers are dying because they answered America’s call. If women can die in war for causes they believe in, a woman can work to end that war and bring those soldiers home.

A fierce defender of human rights, Senator Hillary Clinton is, in many ways, a combat veteran. When other leading Democrats meekly bowed to his will, Senator Clinton relentlessly challenged President Bush on numerous issues that affect the everyday lives, freedom and security of all Americans.

In December of 2007, Senator Hillary Clinton introduced legislation (S. 2426, the Congressional Oversight of Iraq Agreements Act of 2007) to prevent President Bush from tying the hands of his successor by negotiating a long-term security agreement with the Iraqi government.

By February 2008, Senator Clinton’s bill was uniting Democrats. Cosponsors for Senator Clinton’s bill include Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Evan Bayh (D-IN), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jim Webb (D-VA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

Kudos to Senator Obama for joining Senator Clinton’s fight when asked; still, comparing the green young Senator to Clinton is like comparing a single apple seedling to a productive apple orchard. He has great expectations, but he is simply not ready to produce that which is necessary for change.

New presidents often have commendable ambitions, but no working knowledge of how to turn campaign promises into facts. Naïve and eager to please, they struggle through their freshman year, fumbling to make their noble agendas relate to the very challenging and very prohibitive real world.

In 2009, there will be no time for on-the-job-training by the new president.

When addressing global issues, Senator Clinton’s leadership as the first US Senator to serve on the Senate Arms Services Committee will prove invaluable. She repeatedly tackled the Sudanese regime, fighting to stop the genocide in Darfur. The Senate unanimously adopted legislation that Clinton co-sponsored that sought deployment of UN peacekeepers, strengthening of sanctions against the Government of Sudan and support for the African Union Mission in Sudan. That is on record.

Hope starts here.

Regarding health care: Hillary Clinton’s fight for affordable health care for all Americans is fact, not fiction. She helped create the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which currently provides health insurance for six million children. She has proven her dedication to providing quality, affordable health care to all Americans by standing up to her critics, challenging them eye-to-eye, never blinking.

Speaking up for the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Senator Hillary Clinton challenged the Bush Administration to move thousands of victims out of contaminated Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailers into safe housing. She asked that immediate steps be taken to assess the health impact on those living in FEMA trailers, and to develop short and long term plans to address the victims’ health care needs. That is on record.

Hope starts here.

Fighting for an end to the mortgage crisis, Senator Clinton introduced the Mortgage Refinancing Initiative of 2008, which will provide an opportunity for at-risk households to refinance unfair mortgages. She urged the mortgage industry to end the foreclosure crisis and guarantee that it never recurs. Senator Clinton reintroduced the 21st Century Housing Act, which strengthens the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), makes FHA loans available to more Americans, and increases access to a responsible alternatives to subprime loans. This is a fact America can depend on, not a wish America hopes will comes true.

Senator Clinton’s vote (and those of the Senate) for the use of military force in Iraq was based on the information which she had at the time. George Bush's war machine drove that bus into the ditch. Hillary acted with leadership and courage at a time when some in the Senate were hiding behind indecision.

In January 2007, Senator Hillary Clinton traveled to Iraq to evaluate the situation there. During her third visit to the war torn area, she expressed her gratitude to our troops; then met with U.S. commanders and Iraqi leaders. She returned to the United States determined to stop President Bush’s war machine and bring our troops home.

In February 2007, Senator Clinton introduced the Iraq Troop Protection and Reduction Act to halt President Bush’s escalation policy and enable President Bush to end the war before he leaves office. Again, she challenged Bush on a matter close to the heart of every American. That is on record.

Hope starts here.

This election is about more than war, more than health care, more than affordable housing. Hillary Clinton knows it’s about other issues vital to the survival of every American, even the food we feed our children. In February 2008, Senator Clinton added her voice to those of Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and several colleagues in a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees. This letter voiced support of the Farm Bill, which directs funds for the specialty crop industry, which comprises fifty percent of America’s cash crop receipts. She asked for full mandatory funding of programs that encourage healthy, better quality fruits and vegetables, and benefit conservation, trade and marketing. She supported projects that combat obesity and juvenile diabetes, and other programs crucial to agricultural communities across rural America. That is on record.

Hope starts here.

This election isn’t American Idol. It’s not reality TV. This election is not about which candidate oozes the most personality and charm, or who is the latest media darling. It’s not about being swept up in a flamboyant multimedia campaign that flashes a handsome face, winsome grin and inspiring rhetoric, but no solid, workable real world solutions, no outstanding knowledge and leadership in global issues, and no authority when it comes to taking a powerful stand for this country from day one.

Senator Hillary Clinton is one tough lady with a heart of gold. She is determined. She is passionate about America and its people. What other woman in the history of our nation made a stand for what she believed in and faced such rude, sexist, misogynistic name calling, slander and disrespect?

America, that is no way to treat a lady.

It is a sad testiment to a failed administration that Americans have been conditioned by the Bush regime to accept, even embrace, ignorance and mediocrity.

Point to ponder: Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge? By Patricia Cohen (published February 14, 2008, The New York Times.)

To quote Ms. Cohen: “Such, uh, lack of global awareness is the kind of thing that drives Susan Jacoby, author of The Age of American Unreason, up a wall. Ms. Jacoby is one of a number of writers with new books that bemoan the state of American culture. But now, Ms. Jacoby said, something different is happening: anti-intellectualism (the attitude that “too much learning can be a dangerous thing”) and anti-rationalism (“the idea that there is no such things as evidence or fact, just opinion”) have fused in a particularly insidious way. Not only are citizens ignorant about essential scientific, civic and cultural knowledge, she said, but they also don’t think it matters.” End-Quote.

Honorable Democrat Al Gore added his voice to this cause in his book, The Assault on Reason. New York Times literary critic Michiko Kakutani reviewed Gore’s book in her article: Al Gore Speaks of a Nation in Danger (The New York Times).

Kakutani says:
(quote) “Mr. Gore’s central argument is that “reason, logic and truth seem to play a sharply diminished role in the way America now makes important decisions” and that the country’s public discourse has become “less focused and clear, less reasoned.” This “assault on reason,” he suggests, is personified by the way the Bush White House operates. Echoing many reporters and former administration insiders, Mr. Gore says that the administration tends to ignore expert advice (be it on troop levels, global warming or the deficit), to circumvent the usual policy-making machinery of analysis and debate, and frequently to suppress or disdain the best evidence available on a given subject so it can promote predetermined, ideologically driven policies.” (end quote)

America, since when are on-the-job experience and credibility, global awareness, determination and intellect considered handicaps in a woman, or a presidential candidate?

Not only is Senator Clinton being openly disrespected for possessing these qualities; Clinton supporters are being trashed for exercising their freedom of choice. To slander even one Clinton supporter is to slander all Clinton supporters.

A cross section of Clinton supporters and endorsers includes (among many): The New York Times; Des Moines Register; New York Daily News; The Concord Monitor; American Federation of Teachers; The American Nurses Association (2.9 million reg. nurses); International Alliance Of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists And Allied Crafts Union; SEIU Locals 1199 And 32BJ; Office and Professional Employees International Union; Sheet Metal, Air Rail and Transportation Workers; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (1.4 million members nationwide); International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; Amalgamated Transit Union; United Transportation Union; numerous Governors, Congress-persons and Senators, including Sen. John Glenn; Rob Reiner; Quincy Jones; Ted Danson; Eva Longoria Parker; Mary Steenbergen; Jack Nicholson; Former Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller; Barbra Streisand; author Anne Rice; Earvin "Magic" Johnson; Stephen Spielberg; Key Texas leaders Former U.S. Congressman and Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox, Former U.S. Congressman Jim Chapman and State Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, an icon for the Hispanic community throughout Texas.

Some say she s not ready to answer that 3 am call. Try telling these American heros:

TESTIMONIALS: Former Admirals, Generals and Senior Defense Officials on Why They Support Hillary Clinton to be the Next Commander-in-Chief

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=6298

Flag Officers Endorsing Hillary Clinton for President and Commander-in-Chief:
General Wesley Clark; General John M. Shalikashvili; General Henry Hugh Shelton; General Johnnie E. Wilson; Admiral William Owens; Lt. Gen. Joe Ballard; Lt. Gen. Robert Gard; Lt. Gen. Claudia J. Kennedy; Lt. Gen. Donald L. Kerrick; Lt. Gen. Frederick E. Vollrath; Vice Admiral Joseph A. Sestak; Major General Roger R. Blunt; Major General George A. Buskirk, Jr. ; Major General Edward L. Correa; Jr. Major General Paul D. Eaton Major General Paul D. Monroe. Jr.; Major General Antonio M. Taguba; Rear Admiral Connie Mariano; Rear Admiral Alan M. Steinman; Rear Admiral David Stone; Brigadier General Michael Dunn; Brigadier General Belisario Flores; Brigadier General Evelyn "Pat" Foote; Brigadier General Keith H. Kerr; Brigadier General Virgil A. Richard; Brigadier General Preston Taylor; Brigadier General John M. Watkins, Jr. ; Brigadier General Jack Yeager.

Civil-rights leader Rep. John Lewis’s endorsement of Clinton over Obama dealt a blow to the Obama campaign.

Speaking of Clinton, Lewis said:
(quote) “I have looked at all the candidates, and I believe that Hillary Clinton is the best prepared to lead this country at a time when we are in desperate need of strong leadership. She will restore a greater sense of community in America, and reclaim our standing in the world.” (end quote)

Environmental activist and icon of one of the nation's most prominent political families, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Hillary saying:

(quote) "Hillary Clinton has the strength and experience to bring the war in Iraq to an end and reverse the potentially devastating effects of global warming," Kennedy said in a statement released by Clinton's campaign. "I watched proudly as Hillary won over New Yorkers across the state in her race for the Senate seat my father once held. Since then, she's been re-elected in a landslide victory and proven that she is ready to lead this nation from her first day in office. Hillary will inspire the real change America needs." (end quote)

Sharing her opinion of Hillary Clinton, African-American Poet and Author Maya Angelou, whose magnificent voice has risen for global causes countless times with dignity, grace, wisdom and brilliance, said:

(quote) "Each generation of African-Americans stands on the shoulders of those who came before. Today, the challenges facing us threaten the dreams we have had for our children. We need a president with the experience and strength to meet those challenges" (end quote)

At this time in our history when so many are lifting bowed heads and crying out for hope, Ms. Angelou’s quote in support of Hillary Clinton unites every American, black, brown, white, young, old, male or female.

Make history, America. Defend Hillary Clinton in her battle to restore the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Hope starts here.

NEVER SURRENDER, HILLARY!

The adventure has just begun.

Bravo, Senator Clinton. Stand tall. Hold your ground. When you win your battle for the White House, America wins.

This essay (c) 2008 by http://neversurrenderdorothy.blogspot.com/. Thank you.