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Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 3086
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 20, 2007 - 04:31 pm: | 
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Clinton Launches 2008 White House Bid
By BETH FOUHY and MARC HUMBERT
Jan 20, 9:52 AM (ET)
NEW YORK (AP) - Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton embarked on a widely anticipated campaign for the White House on Saturday, a former first lady intent on becoming the first female president. "I'm in and I'm in to win," she said on her Web site.
Clinton's announcement, days after Sen. Barack Obama shook up the contest race with his bid to become the first black president, establishes the most diverse political field ever.
Clinton is considered the front-runner, with Obama and 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards top contenders. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who would be the first Hispanic president, intends to announce his plans on Sunday.
"You know after six years of George Bush, it is time to renew the promise of America," Clinton says in a videotaped message in which she invites voters to begin a dialogue with her on the major issues - health care, Social Security and Medicare, and the war in Iraq.
"I'm not just starting a campaign, though, I'm beginning a conversation with you, with America," she said. "Let's talk. Let's chat. The conversation in Washington has been just a little one-sided lately, don't you think?"
Clinton, who was re-elected to a second term last November, said she will spend the next two years "doing everything in my power to limit the damage George W. Bush can do. But only a new president will be able to undo Bush's mistakes and restore our hope and optimism."
In a defiant statement - and a nod to questions about her electability - Clinton said: "I have never been afraid to stand up for what I believe in or to face down the Republican machine. After nearly $70 million spent against my campaigns in New York and two landslide wins, I can say I know how Washington Republicans think, how they operate, and how to beat them."
With millions in the bank, a vast network of supporters and top status in nearly every poll of Democratic contenders, Clinton is undertaking the most viable effort by a female candidate to capture the White House.
She is the first presidential spouse to pursue the office; her husband, Bill, served two terms in the White House from 1993-2001.
The announcement was the latest step in a remarkable political and personal journey for the 59-year-old Clinton - from Arkansas lawyer to first lady to New York senator to front-runner for the Democratic nomination.
A polarizing figure since she burst onto the national scene during her husband's first presidential campaign, Clinton engenders strong opinions among voters, who either revere or revile her but rarely are ambivalent.
She often is compared to her husband and found lacking in his natural charisma. Others have criticized her for being overly cautious and calculating when so many voters say they crave authenticity.
Many Democrats, eager to reclaim the White House after eight years of President Bush, fret that she carries too much baggage from her husband's scandal-plagued presidency to win a general election. Among many voters, she is best known for her disastrous attempt in 1993 to overhaul the nation's health care system and for standing by her husband after his marital infidelity.
Clinton's allies counter by citing her strengths - intelligence, depth of experience, work ethic and immense command of policy detail. Advisers argue those skills, plus her popularity among women and younger voters, position her strongly as both a primary and general election candidate.
In her first run for the Senate from New York in 2000 - a state where she had never lived and where she was branded a carpetbagger by many - Clinton won a landslide victory. Through dogged campaigning - including a "listening tour" of the state's 62 counties - Clinton was able to convince voters even in the conservative upstate region that she would represent them effectively in Washington.
Clinton's 2002 vote authorizing military force in Iraq has become a significant political challenge. It angered activists who want her to repudiate her vote and aggressively seek to block Bush's proposed troop increase.
She has toughened her criticism of the conduct of the war and Bush's handling of the conflict, and she recently called for capping troop levels in Iraq at around 140,000. She has rejected calls from liberal groups and Edwards to cut off funds for Bush's planned increase in U.S. troops.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070120/D8MP2PPO3.html
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Enchanted
Veteran Poster
Username: Enchanted
Post Number: 673
Registered: 11-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 20, 2007 - 07:43 pm: |
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Blech. |
Libralind2
Regular Poster
Username: Libralind2
Post Number: 454
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 20, 2007 - 11:00 pm: |
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OH DAM..I thought I dreamed this..
LiLi..who has GOT to turn off the TV while sleeping..lawd |
Yvettep
Veteran Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 1585
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 21, 2007 - 01:14 pm: |
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Interesting point being brought up by some: She appears to be purposefully staying clear of the name "Clinton." For example, her materials supposedly say "Hillary for President" and her website refers to her on a first name basis only. (I say supposedly cuz I haven't actually checked it myself.)
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Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 3092
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 21, 2007 - 01:44 pm: |
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That's funny. Hillary is trying to distance herself from her husband's bad name. There's going to be plenty drama on the political scene for the next few months and I can't wait to watch it.
LiLi - I'm glad I'm not the only one around here who sleeps with the TV on. It's a rarity the thing ever gets turned off around here - I don't even turn it off when I leave the house anymore - it just stays on 24/7!
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Libralind2
Regular Poster
Username: Libralind2
Post Number: 460
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 21, 2007 - 02:09 pm: |
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Mzuri..I really cant sleep with the TV on..but what had happened was..I woke up the other morn..clearly the day she said this and turned the TV on and fell back to sleep..cause not only did I think I dreamed this..I dreamed some other crazy shyet that I wont share...LOL
LiLi |
Chrishayden
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 3428
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 11:28 am: |
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The Constitution bars her from being President.
She has already been President--remember the CO-PRESIDENCY song and dance?
Wait till they start pulling that one on her. |
Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 3113
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 11:39 am: |
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The Constitution isn't barring her from anything. But what's really going on is that she's running for a third term on Bill's behalf. She's trying to distance herself from him in order to fool the people, and as soon as she's elected (and that's a big IF) she'll be a puppet on a string. Bill Clinton will be running the White House once again.
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