Archive for the ‘Hillary Clinton’ Category

Hillary Clinton’s gripes sow distrust, and Russia likes it – Chicago Sun-Times

Hillary Clinton may be the most tone-deaf politician in modern history. Repeatedly over the course of a 41-year career as a political wife, candidate and appointee, shes said and done things that have alienated voters.

Who can forget her acerbic comments during the 1992 presidential race? I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, she told one reporter on the campaign trail in describing her decision to continue her legal career while first lady of Arkansas.

And then there was her response in defending her husband from allegations of extramarital affairs: You know, Im not sitting here, some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette.

OPINION

More recently, there was her testimony in front of the committee investigating the attacks on a U.S. post in Libya that resulted in the deaths of four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador: Was it because of a protest, or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided theyd go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?

And of course, there was this infamous claim during the presidential campaign: You could put half of Trumps supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. She described these people as irredeemable, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic you name it.

But Clintons tin ear hasnt improved with age or experience. This week, she told a California audience, I take responsibility for every decision I made but thats not why I lost (the presidential election).

She went on to blame the Democratic National Committee, saying that after she became the partys nominee, she inherited nothing from the Democratic Party: It was bankrupt. It was on the verge of insolvency. Its data was mediocre to poor, nonexistent, wrong. I had to inject money into it to keep it going.

She didnt bother to mention that DNC operatives were alleged to have helped her secure the nomination in the first place. She portrayed herself as a victim, even using the word to describe why the assumption she was going to win hurt her.

And of course, she blamed the Russians not without some justification, given their alleged role in hacking her emails and using WikiLeaks to dump them at the height of the election and former FBI Director James Comeys investigation of her private email servers.

Clintons lament, however, helps neither her nor the investigation into Russias meddling in the election. The best thing she could do right now is to stay silent.

Like it or not, Donald Trump won the election according to rules set up in our Constitution, securing enough electoral votes to win the presidency.

There has been no evidence that Russia hacked voting machines and altered the vote count. And even if Trumps operatives helped weaponize information gleaned from the meddling as Clinton claimed without citing evidence other than hearsay saying so publicly without proof may undermine the case against the Russians among those who will simply chalk up the charges to partisan whining.

The more Clinton blames others for her election loss the less sympathetic a figure she becomes. She has never been her own best advocate. Whether its the vast right-wing conspiracy, the Russians or Comey, someone else is always to blame when things dont go her way.

She wants to be perceived as a powerful woman in her own right one capable and deserving of leading the most powerful nation in the world on the one hand and a hapless victim of forces beyond her control on the other.

Shed be better off separating her defeat from the very real possibility that one of Americas strongest adversaries tried to interfere in our election.

Hillary Clinton and many Democrats seem to miss the forest for the trees in the Russia story. Russia may well have wanted to see Clinton defeated and Trump elected, but its ultimate purpose was to undermine confidence in American institutions and our electoral process.

It wanted to sow seeds of distrust among American voters and to undercut American influence in the world, regardless of who won. Turning the story of Russias involvement in the 2016 election into a partisan issue helps further Russian aims, and the real loser is American democracy.

Linda Chavez is the author of An Unlikely Conservative: The Transformation of an Ex-Liberal.

Send letters to: letters@suntimes.com

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Hillary Clinton's gripes sow distrust, and Russia likes it - Chicago Sun-Times

Newly released email: Clinton asked to fly on separate plane from Michelle Obama in 2011 – Washington Examiner

Hillary Clinton asked a top aide in 2011 whether she could fly on a separate airplane from former first lady Michelle Obama to Betty Ford's funeral, according to a newly released email.

Judicial Watch released on Thursday more than 2,000 emails from Clinton's unauthorized private email server she used as secretary of state. One of the documents revealed a conversation between Clinton and then-Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin about how she would rather not ride the same plane as Obama en route Ford's funeral in Palm Desert, Calif.

"I'd be honored to speak," Clinton said in reference to Betty Ford's funeral. "Is it OK that we and Mrs. O take two separate planes?"

The recent email release allegedly shows Clinton receiving and sending more classified information via her private unsecured server. Many of the conversations revolve around the individuals involved with the Clinton Foundation receiving favors from Abedin.

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Newly released email: Clinton asked to fly on separate plane from Michelle Obama in 2011 - Washington Examiner

Hillary Clinton: Writing my book can be ‘so exhausting’ – Washington Examiner

Hillary Clinton said Thursday that the act of writing her book is sometimes "exhausting" and requires her to either talk a walk, or take a nap.

"Sometimes I'll work on it for a couple of hours. I have a little writing area in the attic of our little farm house," she said at the Book Expo in New York.

"And you know, I'll work on it, and I've got, you know, great colleagues who are doing research and helping me think through how best to present things," she said.

"And it's so exhausting that I just literally have to get up," Clinton added. "Either go for a walk or go to bed. Those are my two choices."

Clinton said her book would be about her failed presidential election and how she felt about it as it unfolded in full public view last year.

She said she was writing about her experience as the first woman to ever be nominated as a major party candidate.

Clinton's memoir is expected to be published in September.

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Hillary Clinton: Writing my book can be 'so exhausting' - Washington Examiner

‘Pittsburgh Voted for Hillary Clinton:’ Pittsburgh Mayor Responds After Trump Cites City in Climate Speech – KTLA

Crowds gather to protest the U.S. withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement on June 1, 2017. (Credit: CNN)

President Donald Trump invoked the people of Pittsburgh to defend his climate change decision Thursday, and the citys mayor bristled in response.

Explaining his choice to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement, Trump said: I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.

Pittsburghs Democratic Mayor Bill Peduto, in an interview on CNNs The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, said Trump was off-base to point to his choice as benefiting the city in part because Pittsburgh swung strongly for Hillary Clinton.

The city of Pittsburgh voted for Hillary Clinton with nearly 80% of the vote, Peduto said. He may be talking about all of western Pennsylvania, but its a far cry from being Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh is in Allegheny County, a blue pocket in the red region of Western Pennsylvania. Allegheny as a whole swung by more than 10 points for Clinton.

Peduto told CNN affiliate WPXI he was outraged at Trumps line.

Pittsburgh is the example, Peduto said. We were that city that China is like today where the smoke was so, filled the air so much, that the streetlights would stay on 24 hours.

Peduto told CNN he would issue an executive order Friday pledging Pittsburgh would follow through on carbon reduction goals.

Its up to cities not the federal government to ensure carbon emission guidelines are being followed, according to the mayor.

In cities across America, youll see mayors standing up and saying, we got this, he told AC 360.

When host Anderson Cooper asked him whether he has a message for the President, the mayor said: What you did was not only bad for the economy of this country, but also weakened America in this world.

On Twitter after Trumps speech, Peduto pushed back against the President invoking Pittsburgh.

The United States joins Syria, Nicaragua & Russia in deciding not to participate with worlds Paris Agreement. Its now up to cities to lead, Peduto tweeted.

However, Russia signed on to the Paris agreement, and the US is joined only by Syria, a war-torn nation, and Nicaragua, which argued for a stronger agreement, in opposing the international accord.

Peduto told CNN he was in Paris when the agreement was being forged and also argued that responsibility for the bulk of the US commitments lay with the states, not Washington.

The Pittsburgh area has a noted air pollution issue. The American Lung Association gave Allegheny a failing grade in its most recent State of the Air report.

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'Pittsburgh Voted for Hillary Clinton:' Pittsburgh Mayor Responds After Trump Cites City in Climate Speech - KTLA

Clinton slams New York Times, DNC, Comey for her loss – CNN

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28. The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state was the first woman to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Before marrying Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here she attends Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Her commencement speech at Wellesley's graduation ceremony in 1969 attracted national attention. After graduating, she attended Yale Law School.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Rodham was a lawyer on the House Judiciary Committee, whose work led to impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in 1974.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

In 1975, Rodham married Bill Clinton, whom she met at Yale Law School. He became the governor of Arkansas in 1978. In 1980, the couple had a daughter, Chelsea.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Arkansas' first lady, now using the name Hillary Rodham Clinton, wears her inaugural ball gown in 1985.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

The Clintons celebrate Bill's inauguration in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1991. He was governor from 1983 to 1992, when he was elected President.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Bill Clinton comforts his wife on the set of "60 Minutes" after a stage light broke loose from the ceiling and knocked her down in January 1992.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

In June 1992, Clinton uses a sewing machine designed to eliminate back and wrist strain. She had just given a speech at a convention of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton jokes with her husband's running mate, Al Gore, and Gore's wife, Tipper, aboard a campaign bus.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton accompanies her husband as he takes the oath of office in January 1993.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

The Clintons share a laugh on Capitol Hill in 1993.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton unveils the renovated Blue Room of the White House in 1995.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton waves to the media in January 1996 as she arrives for an appearance before a grand jury in Washington. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. The Clintons' business investment was investigated, but ultimately they were cleared of any wrongdoing.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

The Clintons hug as Bill is sworn in for a second term as President.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

The first lady holds up a Grammy Award, which she won for her audiobook "It Takes a Village" in 1997.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

The Clintons dance on a beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 1998. Later that month, Bill Clinton was accused of having a sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton looks on as her husband discusses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. Clinton declared, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." In August of that year, Clinton testified before a grand jury and admitted to having "inappropriate intimate contact" with Lewinsky, but he said it did not constitute sexual relations because they had not had intercourse. He was impeached in December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

The first family walks with their dog, Buddy, as they leave the White House for a vacation in August 1998.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

President Clinton makes a statement at the White House in December 1998, thanking members of Congress who voted against his impeachment. The Senate trial ended with an acquittal in February 1999.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton announces in February 2000 that she will seek the U.S. Senate seat in New York. She was elected later that year.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton makes her first appearance on the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Sen. Clinton comforts Maren Sarkarat, a woman who lost her husband in the September 11 terrorist attacks, during a ground-zero memorial in October 2001.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton holds up her book "Living History" before a signing in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 2003.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton and another presidential hopeful, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, applaud at the start of a Democratic debate in 2007.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, in June 2008. She had recently ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Obama.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Obama is flanked by Clinton and Vice President-elect Joe Biden at a news conference in Chicago in December 2008. He had designated Clinton to be his secretary of state.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton, as secretary of state, greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting just outside Moscow in March 2010.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

The Clintons pose on the day of Chelsea's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

In this photo provided by the White House, Obama, Clinton, Biden and other members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in May 2011.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton checks her Blackberry inside a military plane after leaving Malta in October 2011. In 2015, The New York Times reported that Clinton exclusively used a personal email account during her time as secretary of state. The account, fed through its own server, raises security and preservation concerns. Clinton later said she used a private domain out of "convenience," but admits in retrospect "it would have been better" to use multiple emails.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton arrives for a group photo before a forum with the Gulf Cooperation Council in March 2012. The forum was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Obama and Clinton bow during the transfer-of-remains ceremony marking the return of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who were killed in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton ducks after a woman threw a shoe at her while she was delivering remarks at a recycling trade conference in Las Vegas in 2014.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton, now running for President again, performs with Jimmy Fallon during a "Tonight Show" skit in September 2015.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton testifies about the Benghazi attack during a House committee meeting in October 2015. "I would imagine I have thought more about what happened than all of you put together," she said during the 11-hour hearing. "I have lost more sleep than all of you put together. I have been wracking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done." Months earlier, Clinton had acknowledged a "systemic breakdown" as cited by an Accountability Review Board, and she said that her department was taking additional steps to increase security at U.S. diplomatic facilities.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders shares a lighthearted moment with Clinton during a Democratic presidential debate in October 2015. It came after Sanders gave his take on the Clinton email scandal. "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails. Let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America."

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton is reflected in a teleprompter during a campaign rally in Alexandria, Virginia, in October 2015.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton walks on her stage with her family after winning the New York primary in April.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

After Clinton became the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, this photo was posted to her official Twitter account. "To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want -- even president," Clinton said. "Tonight is for you."

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Obama hugs Clinton after he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The president said Clinton was ready to be commander in chief. "For four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline," he said, referring to her stint as his secretary of state.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

Clinton addresses a campaign rally in Cleveland on November 6, two days before Election Day. She went on to lose Ohio -- and the election -- to her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

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Clinton slams New York Times, DNC, Comey for her loss - CNN