*I host a radio show in San Francisco called Your Call and post about it when relevant.
Senator Hillary Rodhman Clinton is in California on a two-day trip raising money for her presidential bid and picking up endorsements. As most media coverage continues to focus on the sound bites and staged speeches, we’re focusing on records and money trails. On today’s Your Call, we’re beginning our On the Record series. What are the voting records of presidential candidates? Where are they getting their campaign contributions? Who’s making the decisions behind the scenes? We’re kicking off our ongoing series by taking a look at the record of the only woman running for President: Senator Clinton.
For the next year and a half, hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent to get your vote. The presidential primaries are nearly seven months away, but the spin, the inside the beltway analysis, and the staged soundbites are drowning out candidate’s records. When candidates leave behind their consultants, they make declarations they can’t take back. Their votes.
Over the next four months, Your Call will have ‘On the Record’ shows to look at candidate’s voting records. Each month, we will highlight three of the 20 candidates running for president. Today we’re talking about the only woman in the race: New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Since her election to the senate nearly 7 years ago, Senator Clinton has voted more than 2,000 times. They include a vote for the war in Iraq, a vote for the Patriot Act, and a vote against its extension.
According to a Washington Post analysis, Senator Clinton has voted with a majority of her Democratic colleagues 97.2% of the time. She opposed John Roberts and Samuel Alito’s nominations as chief justice, supported increased funding for embryonic stem cell research, and supported a bill to expand oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico.
The ACLU has given Senator Clinton a lifetime score of 74%
Human Rights Watch – 89%
Plannd Parenthood – 100%
Secular Coalition for America – 100%
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – 88% – in November, 2005, she approved a tax bill to extend tax cuts primarily aimed at the wealthy
United States Public Interest Research Group – they work to preserve the environment, and protect consumers – 90% – in June, 2005, she voted no on an amendment to increase auto gas milege standards – in September, 2005, she voted against an amendment to strip subsidies for the nuclear, coal, gas, and oil industries from the Senate energy bill
Darfur Scores – a project of the Genocide Intervention Network – A+
Public Citizend – 90% – voted yes on a free trade agreement with Oman
Her most significant vote was for the Iraq war. The New York Times is out with a lengthy piece about Senator Clinton’s war votes.
What does Senator Clinton’s voting record say about what she would do as President?
In addition to focusing on voting records, we’ll also discuss campaign contributions. Senator Clinton is currently traveling up and down the state of California raising money for her war chest. As of the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission, which date from the first quarter of 2007 (January to March), she was in the lead with a $36 million war chest, shattering previous records for funds raised at that stage of a campaign, with hefty sums coming from large financial firms, lawyers and lobbyists.
We’ll also discuss Senator Clinton’s inside circle of consultants, campaign managers, and fundraisers.
Today’s guests:
Michael Tomasky, editor of the Guardian USA, the American focused wing of the British newspaper, the Guardian. Before joining the Guardian he was the editor of American Prospect, and from 1995 to 2003 he was chief political columnist of New York magazine. He is author of “Hillary’s Turn: Inside Her Improbable, Victorious Senate Campaign.”
Ari Berman, a contributing writer for The Nation and a Puffin Foundation writing fellow at The Nation Institute. Berman’s latest article, “Hillary Inc.,” is about Senator Clinton’s campaign ties to big business.
