"Take a good look at her. She will probably be President of the United States
Submitted by Nick Kelly on April 26, 2008 - 4:47pm.
Barack Obama | FDNY | Hillary Clinton | IWR vote | Joint Chiefs | Democratic politics
one day." Classmate Nancy Wanderer at Hillary's Wellesley Commencement, May, 1969.
That quote occurs at nine and a half minutes into this excellent video of Hillary's early years. In addition to shedding great light on how Hillary early on learned to be such a fighter, and how she became a supporter of progress for all people, this video also contains a brief description of the time Hillary and Bill first met:
Bill: "She just put down the book she was reading, and walked the entire length of the law library, and walked up to me and she said -"
Hillary: "- If you're going to keep looking at me, and I'm going to keep looking back, we at least ought to know each other. I'm Hillary Rodham -"
Bill: (finishing Hillary's sentence): "- and what's your name?" :)
Bill: "...I...I couldn't remember my name..." :)
Hillary and Bill soon became a couple, and for many years, much of her story was a very important part of his story. There are many sources you can find to learn more about that if you wish; but my focus in this diary is on very important parts of Hillary's story that you won't find in most of those other sources; and that's why my next recommendation for your "good look at her" is this very recent video of Ann O'Leary describing Senator Clinton's leadership during the 9/11 crisis. Ann was Hillary's Legislative Director at that time. She was speaking to a group of volunteers at an informal phone-calling party on April 20.
Of course, after that terrible day, many people in New York needed someone to turn to to get things done, and pull things back together for them; and Senator Clinton did just that. If you have any doubts about that, just ask an FDNY firefighter.
...because of her, and the people who stood with us in the House, some of us who would have died are alive....I don't know much about politics anymore, but I know this: That's the kind of person who ought to be President.
The trouble is, no Democrat gets to be President without surviving some sorts of undeserved attacks on their characters and/or their records. In Senator Clinton's case, the single most damaging undeserved attack on her has come because of her vote for the IWR in 2002. Very few of her Democratic critics are aware that her opponent for the nomination might also have voted for that resolution if he had been a United States Senator at the time. He, himself, said so in 2004, while he was running for the US Senate. Furthermore, in his one famous 2002 anti-war speech, he said:
You want a fight, President Bush?Let's fight to make sure that the UN inspectors can do their work.
which is interesting, because that’s precisely what Senator Clinton and others authorized when they passed the IWR just nine days later in 2002. My point is, that Hillary has been undeservedly attacked and smeared for doing something her critical opponent has said he might very well have done himself. For more on this, click here.
Hillary's fine work as New York's junior Senator was rewarded by the voters of New York in 2006, when she was re-elected by a landslide winning the vote in all but four counties in the state, including those in heavily Republican upstate New York.
She has since been endorsed by an ever-widening cross-section of Americans, and is the first Presidential candidate in history to be endorsed by two former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In a way, that is even more remarkable, considering that with our help, (and now is the time) Hillary will be the very first woman to be elected President of the United States, and Nancy's very astute 1969 prediction will come true! :)
very good to watch.
Thanks very much. It was fun putting this diary together.
Nick Kelly
Wes Clark could still secure America as a national security candidate.
one or two things in those videos that they enjoyed?
I've already posted about the first Hill-Bill meeting.
So, please, everyone - I encourage you to post something else about any one of those videos for the benefit of our dial-up Clarkies.
Thanks for pointing this out, Arky.
Nick Kelly
Wes Clark could still secure America as a national security candidate.
some short comic relief:
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/15383#comment-299487
After Sunday, you may have to scroll down at that link to my post entitled: "Coincidence? I think not." :)
Nick Kelly
Wes Clark could still secure America as a national security candidate.
Nick, when it takes a couple of links to get somewhere, it's often helpful to have your links open in a new window. If you use the hyperlink icon, you can specify that the link should be opened in a new window. The default is to open the link in the same window.
It's especially helpful because opening a link in the same window wipes out all the "new" markers for posts you haven't read yet. I'd love to see the setting changed so that links open in a new window by default.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
Wes Clark endorsed Hillary Clinton last September.
Nick Kelly
Wes Clark could still secure America as a national security candidate.
Thanks, Nick. Notice how "New" is preserved when you open the link in a new window. Very handy.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
First rate, thank you.
"Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants."
Gen. Omar Bradley
Ann O'Leary's description of what Hillary did on 9/11, displaying all the best qualities we need in a President.
I've been there many times to interact with members of Congress and/or their staffers; and I can vividly imagine Hillary arriving at the Capitol Building at the very moment those confused and legitimately frightened people were evacuating. Ann's description of how Hillary calmed everyone and took charge is surely consistent with what so many flag officers see in her, and why so many retired Generals and Admirals have endorsed her. She has everything it takes to be in command during the most dangerous crisis.
Nick Kelly
Wes Clark could still secure America as a national security candidate.
its a powerful example of her abilities and inclination to be a mover and a fighter. And Bill's speech about immediately after 9/11. I think campaign should use them.
Sent all to DU, and 25 looked at post, at least.
As is HRC. Thanks, Nick.
The General gets it right.
Competence--What a concept!
all agree with you on Hillary being "Superb". From the description of their cheers, imagine how charged they must have been when she discarded her prepared speech and confidently took issue with what the Commencement speaker had said! Wow! I doubt that happens very often.
I'll bet they would have all cheered just as loudly if they had been with her on lots of other occasions, such as in China as First Lady when she calmly took on the Chinese government for violating human rights.
Hillary is truly a long-time champion of the people, and a superb speaker of truth to power. She will be an outstanding President with the courage and the ability to face the most powerful nay-sayers and move our country forward to a brighter future for all.
Nick Kelly
Wes Clark could still secure America as a national security candidate.
Of course the Bill Clinton story brought tears to my eyes. I have almost never seen him so sincere, intense, and emotional as he tells the story of the firefighter/caddy.
But what really struck me was the reaction to the Senate the day of 9/11. Here is a 9-month Senator to whom the grizzled Senators of both parties turn for leadership. It was her eight years in the White House and just who she is as a person that caused that reaction. The whole country needs to know that story.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
The audience reaction was just the same as in that video taken in Iowa months earlier. From laughter to rapt silence to a standing ovation approval. It is very powerful, and Bill Clinton does a fantastic job of telling it.
Ann O'Leary's informal video tells a similarly powerful story, and I agree that Hillary's team (including whomever can help to do so) should try to make certain that the whole country hears this story.
Nick Kelly
Wes Clark could still secure America as a national security candidate.
It's nice to get to read something positive about Senator Clinton.
Appreciate this.