Slog - Comments on A Case for Senator Hillary Clinton http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton Hillary Clinton, through the course of the campaign and the debates, has me utterly convinced. She really is the wonk of the group with the keenest sense of how the political process grinds to create policy. Without a doubt, she makes a completely compelling case for herself… as Senate Majority Leader. Before I am accused of writing yet more “pro-Barack Obama propaganda,” I have an embarrassing fact to admit: I love the United States Congress. And I believe the Constitution and founding fathers—endowing the House and Senate with the control of the budget, the right to approve all appointees,... Copyright 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:40:42 -0800 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:41:36 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by bohica
Josh Green made an interesting case for this in a great article in The Atlantic back in 2006, in which he explores how Senator Clinton has managed to be unexpectedly successful in the Senate.

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200611/green-hillary

]]> bohica http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900809 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900809 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:54:19 -0800 Comment by Cleve It takes both. That's the key.

Inspiration and experience. In the case of the Civil Rights acts the legislative mastery also came from LBJ. Not just Mansfield. LBJ who had been Senate Majority Leader and who had gotten the very first civil rights act passed while in the Senate in 1957.

]]> Cleve http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900812 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900812 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:55:53 -0800 Comment by kim well put, jonathan. you almost convinced me, and i've been for hillary a long time.

]]> kim http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900820 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900820 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:00:14 -0800 Comment by Original Andrew


What if today's venal, repulsive, grotesque Congress people really are the best this country can do?


*double shudder*


It’s a good thing they’re focusing now on steroid use in Major League Baseball, which is more in line with their interests and intellectual capacity.

At this point, if the terrahists blew up Congress, God would do a jig.

]]> Original Andrew http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900826 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900826 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:05:54 -0800 Comment by andy niable I've been saying the same thing to my friends for over a year now. She's IN the Senate already (so no contentious national election necessary), she's already being effective, and the "liberal" or progressive forces need an heir apparent for Ted Kennedy, who won't be around forever.

If Hillary cares about to moving America forward, she can--FOR DECADES (and not 4 or 8 years), she can effectively rule the Senate, sprearhead efforts against hostile judges and Supreme Court nominees, etc...

]]> andy niable http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900840 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900840 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:17:06 -0800 Comment by povertyrich Great post, Jonathan.

]]> povertyrich http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900841 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900841 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:17:28 -0800 Comment by andy niable @4--If Congress were blown up, do you really think there'd be a shred of the Constitution or a civil liberty left after the terrorized masses willingly begged for a police state from the current Christofacists in charge?

Is that really your dream, Original Andrew, just because you don't like a few hearings on steroids? Get real.

]]> andy niable http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900848 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900848 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:20:15 -0800 Comment by ghostlawns before reading this post, i was hoping that Chris Dodd would take over as Majority Leader after running a noble campaign based on solid principles. part of his failure was that he talked like a Senator. He's been there for a long time and written solid legislation. Clinton's not a bad choice either and the country would be better off if she stayed in the Senate.

But at this point anybody would be an improvement over Harry Reid.

]]> ghostlawns http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900853 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900853 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:24:08 -0800 Comment by yep Excellent post, Golob; you make a good case. Congressional leaders generally do have more impact on our legislation than the president does right now, and can be at it much longer. They also don't need to be "likeable" to a majority of Americans.

]]> yep http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900870 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900870 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:34:51 -0800 Comment by Original Andrew @ 7,

You’re right; they’d better make sure they take out the White House and the Supreme Court, too.


It will suck living in a Christofascist theocracy, but it’ll be a huge consolation knowing that Ted Stevens and James Inhofe are being gently fucked by Satan with a rusty chainsaw.

]]> Original Andrew http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900878 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900878 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:39:22 -0800 Comment by Huh? Wow, this post is one of the better Slog or Stranger opinion pieces on politics I've ever read. Nice work, Golob.

]]> Huh? http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900923 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c900923 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:11:15 -0800 Comment by chicagogaydude U.S. president is the most powerful position in the world. Nothing else comes close. The brightest person, with the most know-how, who has a shot to get it right now should be the one who occupies it. If you think that's Clinton, then vote for her. Your idealized gov't, Golob, where Congress has the upper-hand isn't the world we live in now.

]]> chicagogaydude http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901015 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901015 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:34:42 -0800 Comment by spencer But would she ever get elected as the Democratic leader in the Senate? How do they choose? I mean, how did they choose a pro-life Mormon to be their party leader?

]]> spencer http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901024 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901024 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:35:48 -0800 Comment by wile_e_quixote Ah yes, the pre-1994 Congress, which was filled with titans and legislative stalwarts before being stabbed in the back by evil Republicans and K. Street Lobbyists. Yes, look back with nostalgia on the careers of such incorruptible paladins as Dan Rostenkowski, Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini and Jim Wright. How could the voters have rejected a political party that gave them these fine, moral and upstanding politicians? What were they thinking?

]]> wile_e_quixote http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901072 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901072 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:43:38 -0800 Comment by Mickymse @12, Actually, as I think both Bill Clinton and Al Gore would agree to, The U.S. Presidency may not quite be the best place to get things done any more...

]]> Mickymse http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901126 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901126 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:56:06 -0800 Comment by chicagogaydude @15 Well, if Bill thinks that, then Hillary isn't listening. And sadly, I think Gore decided it was out of reach for him.

]]> chicagogaydude http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901329 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901329 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:02:28 -0800 Comment by Cale You make a good point but is Obama's rhetoric really that strong? Can he really sell policy like you are talking about? He hasn't been able to convince me in any debate that he is the strongest candidate. Not to mention I disagree with him on some of my most important issues- energy and health care. I'm afraid we just won't see any change with him at the helm.

It may be he is just trying to stay clean in this campaign, but ultimately, people are going to want to see a strong leader. He is almost too cautious not to step on any toes in the primaries. I am worried the Rove machine is going to plow right through him.

]]> Cale http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901480 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901480 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:03:30 -0800 Comment by Judith 100% AGREE, JONATHAN. YOU are FABULOUS.

]]> Judith http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901855 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c901855 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:46:47 -0800 Comment by Coco oh jonathan, how i adore you.

]]> Coco http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c902004 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/a_case_for_senator_hillary_clinton#c902004 2008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:41:36 -0800