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Monday, October 6, 2008

Hillary Clinton on McCain-Palin

posted by on October 6 at 16:05 PM

Way back in August, I wondered when Hillary Clinton was going to offer a pointed feminist critique of Sarah Palin. She still hasn’t, but she got a little closer to one today at the 8th Annual Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee Luncheon in New York.

Excerpts of Clinton’s remarks, just distributed by her press people:

I come today with a very clear, unequivocal message. We are facing extremely difficult times in New York and America. It will be challenging for our nation and our state to navigate through these unchartered waters. We will need leaders who will understand what it takes to reassert our economic stability, create new jobs while at the same time remembering those who are most likely to be left out and left behind.

I am absolutely positive with every fiber of my being that we must elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden to be our President and Vice President on November 4.

As a woman, as a lifelong advocate for women, children and families, as a New Yorker, as a Senator and as an American, this is not even a close choice. This must be approached with the same level of commitment and intensity that we have ever seen by any campaign and by any citizen movement. Because we cannot afford the same failed policies for the next four years that we have endured for the last eight years.

Especially for women, we have a lot riding on this election. Whether it is equal pay for equal work - something which I have fought for my entire life and during my time in the Senate. Barack Obama is for it. John McCain is against it.

Whether it is having control and choice over the most intimate and personal decisions in our lives. Barack Obama is for it. John McCain is against it.

Whether it is expanding Family and Medical Leave so that more people – men and women – can balance family and work in those difficult times when you’re under so much pressure. It needs to be expanded and protected. Barack Obama is for it. John McCain is against it.

Whether it is universal health care. Quality, affordable health care for every single American. Barack Obama is for it and John McCain is against it.

And whether it is a Supreme Court that will protect our rights and side with people who are disadvantaged who are disempowered or not. Barack Obama will appoint justices who will get back on the side of the constitution and our people and John McCain will not.

Clearly, in a time of such serious economic consequences we see the difference in the economic philosophies between Barack Obama and the Democrats, and John McCain and the Republicans. We have had nine straight months of job losses. Costs are going up for average families while wages are stagnant. We know women face economic challenges often first and more personally. Anxiety about paying for gas and groceries and retirement and paying for healthcare bills and keeping up with the mortgage. Small businesses are struggling today. Hardworking men and women are wondering what happened to them. Now, Eleanor Roosevelt is a good person to channel these days and to think through another time when Democrats again came to the rescue. It seems that Democrats are always rescuing America from profligate Republican policies.

To paraphrase one of my favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quotes: ‘a woman is like a teabag, you never know how strong she is until she’s in hot water.’ Well, the same is true for America. We’re in hot water. But we will with the right leadership show strength and resolve. We will roll up our sleeves and get to work. But the only way we will find our way forward is by electing a President and Vice President who understand what’s at stake, who share the values that America represents here at home and around the world that will come with solutions that work.

We need a fresh start, and the Obama-Biden Administration will provide that. America can rise again as we have before from the ashes of the Bushes. And get back on a confident and optimistic path into the future.

The biggest risk for America is four more years of the last eight years. It is the economy and the last thing I want and I hope you agree is to put mavericks in charge of the United States economy at this moment of need. Mavericks in Washington and on Wall Street got us into this mess. Let’s have some adult supervision again and pull ourselves out of it.

I have been all over this country on behalf of the Obama campaign - from Florida to Ohio to New Mexico to California with the same message: that it is time for us to unite.

Not just Democrats and Independents and even repented Republicans, who recognize the stakes of this election are too high for politics as usual.

As I have said many times, No way. No how. No McCain. No Palin. That is not the path that we need to be taking. This is a fight for our future and it is a fight we must win. I have done over 40 events for Barack Obama and at every one I see people moving toward us, making up their minds.

Barack and I may have started on different paths, but we are on the same journey now, and it is a journey to return Democratic leadership to the White House and to America at a time it is desperately needed.

I am hoping under Chuck Schumer’s leadership we will obtain a filibuster-proof Senate which I think is in the realm of the possible. Chuck and I were in LA Friday night raising money for these great Senate candidates we have across our country. I hope we return all of our Democratic incumbents in the House, which I suspect we will, and add to their numbers which I believe we can.

As November 4 approaches, more and more people will be making up their minds to get on the right side of history. The side with the America we believe in, the values we hold dear, that can-do spirit that is unafraid to look reality - no matter how harsh it is - in the face and determine that we can move forward. So I’m hoping that especially those of you who especially worked so hard for me will work as hard if not harder this next month on behalf of our Presidential ticket, Senate candidates and House candidates, and all of the candidates across New York.

RSS icon Comments

1

Palin: Rhymes with STALIN

Posted by just say no | October 6, 2008 4:18 PM
2

Uhhhh, no it doesn't.

Posted by Carollani | October 6, 2008 4:23 PM
3

@2 Duh. It should. Somewhere in the opposite political hemisphere right meets left. That is where Sarah Palin resides.

Palin = Stalin.

Posted by just say no | October 6, 2008 4:30 PM
4

Palin....it's pain with an L!

Posted by Non | October 6, 2008 4:32 PM
5

This is great! Thanks for posting, Erica.

Posted by Bub | October 6, 2008 4:46 PM
6

Oops! I mean Eli. :)

Posted by Bub | October 6, 2008 4:48 PM
7

@4 Very nice! And I'm guessing the L stands for Liar.

Posted by Mike in Renton | October 6, 2008 4:50 PM
8

We will re-defeat Barack in November! Clinton/Palin in 2012!

Posted by DENVEROPOLIS | October 6, 2008 5:06 PM
9

uuuuh, she said teabag.

Posted by butthead | October 6, 2008 5:23 PM
10

YEAH, TEABAG

Posted by beavis | October 6, 2008 5:24 PM
11

Good for Hillary. I especially like this part:

Whether it is having control and choice over the most intimate and personal decisions in our lives. Barack Obama is for it. John McCain is against it.

Whether it is expanding Family and Medical Leave so that more people – men and women – can balance family and work in those difficult times when you’re under so much pressure. It needs to be expanded and protected. Barack Obama is for it. John McCain is against it.

Whether it is universal health care. Quality, affordable health care for every single American. Barack Obama is for it and John McCain is against it.

And whether it is a Supreme Court that will protect our rights and side with people who are disadvantaged who are disempowered or not. Barack Obama will appoint justices who will get back on the side of the constitution and our people and John McCain will not.

Except for the Supreme Court part, you can substitute the names Gregoire for Obama and Rossi for McCain, and exactly the same comparison applies to the Governor's race here in WA.

Posted by ivan | October 6, 2008 6:01 PM
12

So when Hillary said John McCain would be better than Barak back during the primaries, she was just kidding?

I really fail to care what Hillary thinks.

Posted by dwight moody | October 6, 2008 6:07 PM
13

Anyone know where there's a link to help her pay down her debt? She's really going above and beyond the call for a primary competitor, even if I don't like how she chose to do things during the primary itself.

I hope she ends up with a cabinet post (or at least an offer of one).

Posted by Beguine | October 6, 2008 6:34 PM
14

An anagram of "Sarah Palin" is "Anal Parish." Let no one say I lack a sense of humour.

Posted by Seajay | October 6, 2008 7:45 PM
15

Worship the hole!

Posted by palin's colon | October 6, 2008 7:52 PM
16

Mavericks got us into this mess... adult supervision... repented Republicans... I am proud of my Senator right now.

Posted by east coaster | October 6, 2008 9:20 PM
17

@15 awesome.

Posted by lol funny! | October 6, 2008 9:39 PM
18

Preaching
Asinine
Lying
Inbred
Neocon


Not there yet. Someone else give it a try.

Posted by snarky | October 6, 2008 9:56 PM
19

@3 for the win against the Socialist Republicans and Separatist Sarah!

Posted by Will in Seattle | October 6, 2008 11:01 PM
20

Well, actually ... so what if Alaska DID secede from the US? Then the specter of drilling in ANWR wouldn't have to haunt us anymore, and that might impel us to get busy powering our economy with wind and solar. Not to mention getting rid of a mostly Republican-leaning state.

Posted by Seajay | October 7, 2008 2:10 PM
21

This was a fantastic speech, thanks for posting it.

Posted by Donolectic | October 7, 2008 3:44 PM

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