UK Minister Peter Hain endorses Hillary for president

[T_i_B]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/15/nhain115.xml

Peter Hain, the Northern Ireland Secretary, yesterday issued a rare endorsement by a UK minister of a White House candidate, praising Hillary Clinton and stating that it would “be fantastic to have a woman president”.

Mr Hain was visiting Washington to ask for President George W Bush’s administration help in persuading Ian Paisley, the Democratic Unionist Party leader, to sit in government with Sinn Fein next month.

But he took time out to express his support for Democrats. Before meeting Senator Clinton for the fourth time as a minister, he said: “When the Democrats won last November of course every Labour member, like me, cheered because they’re our sister party.” Mrs Clinton was “formidably briefed on Northern Ireland and an extremely impressive interlocutor”.

Mr Hain also met Senator John McCain, a Republican candidate who could face Mrs Clinton in the 2008 presidential election, but clearly backed his rival.

[LeftishBrit]

1. Personally, I don't think it's appropriate for a politician in one country to endorse specific

candidates (as opposed to policies) in another country. There's been a little too much of this recently between the UK and USA, in both directions. E.g. McCain's coming to our Tory party conference, and comparing Cameron with JFK (as if McCain would have supported JFK anyway!)

At least I'm glad Hain prefers the Dems to the GOP - nowadays you can never be quite sure. Our Labour Party used to be well to the left of your Dems. Now at least its leadership is well to their right.

[T_i_B]

2. Not quite as bad as John Howard v Barak Obama

but I see your point nonetheless. Mind you, it's interesting that a man who is campaigning from the left for the deputy leadership of the Labour party promising a "war on inequality" has chosen to endorse a candidate who is too right wing for the majority on DU!

[papau]

8. Too right for majority? - Hillary polls near 79% of Democrats nationally

but she is certainly not the DU favorite! :-)

As of 1/20/07:

* Hillary was named the "Most Admired Woman" for the fifth year in a row, eleven of the last fourteen years, and has been first or second in that list in every year since 1993.1
* Hillary Clinton is the only Democrat who beats John McCain and Rudy Giuliani in the latest Newsweek poll.2

Hillary Clinton 50
John McCain 43

Hillary Clinton 48
Rudy Giuliani 47

* She beats candidates like Mitt Romney with overwhelming margins.

* In the latest CBS News poll, Hillary has the highest favorability of any 2008 contender (Democrat or Republican) with 43 percent, up from 32 percent in September. John Edwards' favorability is 34 percent, Al Gore's is 32 percent, Barack Obama's is 28 percent, John Kerry's is 22 percent, Rudy Giuliani's is 41 percent and John McCain's is 39 percent.4

* Hillary is the candidate Democrats like best, with a favorability rating of 79 percent, compared with 65 percent for John Edwards and 54 percent for Barack Obama.

* Hillary is the candidate Democrats increasingly believe is their best chance to regain the White House. Sixty percent agree that "if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, she'll have as good a chance as any Democratic nominee to be elected President," up from 46 percent in August 2006.

* Hillary leads the Democratic primary horse race with 39 percent, compared with 17 percent for Barack Obama, 12 percent for John Edwards, 10 percent for Al Gore and 7 percent for John Kerry. Her lead is even larger when respondents are allowed to make a first and second choice, with 60 percent choosing Hillary and 33 percent for the next-closest candidate.

* Hillary's Democratic primary support is climbing while others are stalled or falling. Clinton leads with 37 percent (up from 28 percent in October) while Obama is at 15 percent (down from 17 percent in October), Edwards is at 9 percent (down from 13 percent in October) and Kerry is at 7 percent (down from 12 percent in October).

* The latest Gallup poll conducted before her exploratory committee was formed has Clinton ahead of Barack Obama 53/39, and leading the field with 29 percent, with Edwards having announced and showing a 5-point gain (from 8 percent in December to 13 percent in January).

* She is too new to the primary states for reliable poll numbers, but at least one American Research Group poll shows her ahead in Iowa and New Hampshire. And they have new polls out today showing her ahead in most states.

Sources:

1. "Most Admired Woman," Gallup, December 27, 2006

2. “Clinton Leads ’08 Dems; No Bounce for Obama” ABC/Washington Post Poll, January 21, 2007

3. Newsweek Poll, December 17, 2006

4. CNN Poll, December 19, 2006 (PDF)

5. CBS News Poll, January 6, 2007 (PDF)

6. LA Times/Bloomberg Poll, December 13, 2006 (PDF)

7. Cook Political Report/RT Strategies Poll, December 17, 2006 (Word Doc)

8. "Clinton, Giuliani top new CNN Polls," December 11, 2006

9. "Clinton Remains the Front-runner Among Democrats," Gallup, January 18, 2007

10. American Research Group Iowa Poll, December 23, 2006, and ARG New Hampshire Poll, December 27, 2006

[The Magistrate]

11. A Very Interesting Compilation, Sir

There is no doubt Sen. Clinton enjoys great support among rank and file voting Democrats, who constitute the base of the Party.

[Clark2008]

13. But presidents aren't chosen "nationally."

They're chose by state-by-state Electoral College votes - and I'm not sure Hillary could win enough states to pull it off.

[fuzzyball]

21. I will 2nd that motion...great compilation!!

GO HRC!!!

[papau]

26. :-)

:-)

[LeftishBrit]

27. In any case, Hain is the most critical of Bush of anyone in our current government

He's been pretty strong on the subject before.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6273045.stm

If Blair wasn't a lame duck, Hain would probably be facing the sack by this stage.

[Apollo11]

3. To be fair - it's not really out of line

Peter Hain, like Hillary Clinton, voted to authorize the invasion of Iraq and has been an apologist for the Bu$h-Blair policy over these past 4 years (although Hillary has changed tack in recent weeks).

Peter Hain hopes to be elected this year as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, potentially as Deputy Prime Minister. So reminding Labour Party members that he does like Bu$h is in his own political interest.

But there's a difference between 1. saying "Hillary is the best candidate" (which Hain did not say) and 2. praising Hillary and stating that it would “be fantastic to have a woman president” (which he did).

All of us agree that it would be fantastic to have a woman president at some point. But there are differences about whether it has to be Hillary Clinton in 2008, or if other factors are more important.

Hain was lucky that Hillary could find the time to meet with him (thereby boosting his candidacy for Deputy Leader). Of course he is going to say some nice things about her, so their meeting gets in the press.

[itsmesgd]

4. It has begun. Wow, this is like Blair kissing shrub's ass for the past six years

We have already seen that Blair is being run out of town after his long standing worship of the shrub. Is this the next UK leader showing that he is ready to start puckering up to our "royalty"? I realize that he is only the Northern Ireland Secretary, but will Blair's replacement do the same after he steps down later this year? Will the UK continue to send their troops to die wherever our commander in chief tell them to do so?

I say, Yes. I also would be willing to bet that, like his predecessor John Major, Blair will be given an important position with the Carlyle Group. John Major was appointed the European Chairman of the Carlyle Group. This is the same game that politicians over here play, they pass legislation that favors corporations, and after they retire they are given cushy jobs as payback. Blair has paid his dues and it is time for him to collect. Peter Hain from Northern Ireland is just starting the routine of getting his name on a corporation's wish list somewhere.

[T_i_B]

5. Next PM is most likely to be Gordon Brown

Hain is only running for the deputy leadership of the Labour party.

And even then, the man who could oust Labour at the next general election is no leftie but David Cameron of the Conservatives. Hain is well down the pecking order of potential prime ministers to tell you the truth.

[itsmesgd]

6. Does Gordo support the shrub

or is he having to pretend that he dislikes shrub until he is elected?

[Apollo11]

7. Rupert Murdoch runs the show

Gordon Brown will support America and buy more nuclear missiles because Rupert Murdoch wants him too.

When the next election comes in 2009 or 2010, Brown believes that the outcome will depend of whether THE SUN (daily tabloid owned by Murdoch) endorses him or the Conservative Leader - David Cameron.

I'm sure our friends living in the UK will confirm that this is the case. :)

[itsmesgd]

9. how cute is that, Murdoch supports Hillary

anyone care to place wagers on who the media wil fix to win the pres?

Just like the British we'll have our Bush-Clinton dynasty (27 years and counting)

[T_i_B]

10. He's seen as more left wing then Blair

And that's been the case for many years. He's still very much New Labour though and UK foreign policy is not likely to change unless you guys elect a Democrat and we go back the the sort of special relationship Blair and Bill Clinton had.

[Apollo11]

12. "more left wing than Blair"

This label would apply to most people in Britain.

But in Gordon Brown's case - I haven't seen much evidence to back it up.

Brown wants an "Open Europe" and more free trade, not a "Social Europe".

[T_i_B]

14. Wanting more free trade and a more open Europe is not an exclusively RW position

The EU is more loved by the left then the right over here in Britain. Indeed you are more likely to find people opposed to an open Europe in the hard right UK Independence party then on the UK left.

[Apollo11]

15. He is outside the mainstream European social-democratic tradition

Brown does not much like his fellow Europeans.

That's why he spends most of his holidays in the USA.

In the EU Council of Finance Ministers (EcoFin) - Brown's reputation is "last to arrive, first to leave". During 10 years - he has made no friends among his counterparts in the other 26 Member States.

He is also known for making sweeping generalisations about how the American model is superior and Europe should be striving to emulate America's flexible labour markets and attractive investment climate.

But I accept he might be more left wing than Norman Tebbitt and the UKIP. :eyes:

[DaveinMD]

16. free trade

among EU nations is a good thing because the countries at similarly developed. Therefore, there isn't the race to the bottom like we have with Mexico, China and India.

[Apollo11]

17. I agree very much with you

But Gordon Brown wants the European "common market" which already exists among the 27 Member States to be more open to trade with all the other countries of the world.

Another "New Labour" ally of Tony Blair is Peter Mandelson - who since 2004 has been in charge of Trade in the European Commission. He also believes in the power of free trade to drive economic growth and bring benefits (not mentioning exactly who benefits the most!)

[T_i_B]

18. Really?

Here's a list of EU member states. Can you honestly say that they are all "similarly developed"?

Germany
France
United Kingdom
Italy
Spain
Poland
Romania
Netherlands
Greece
Portugal
Belgium
Czech Republic
Hungary
Sweden
Austria
Bulgaria
Slovakia
Denmark
Finland
Ireland
Lithuania
Latvia
Slovenia
Estonia
Cyprus
Luxembourg
Malta


Mind you, trade with poorer nations is no bad thing IMHO, and I'm a bit of a Euro-sceptic myself! it's the whole unaccountability and bureaucracy stuff I don't like with the EU. Just take a look at the CAP for starters.

[DaveinMD]

19. I'll be honest

I hadn't realized it had expanded ot that point. I was really talking about the older members. You are obviously much more informed about it than I am.

[Apollo11]

22. You won't catch me in bed with the U.K.I.P.

The European Union is as accountable as can be reasonably expected.

All the decisions (budget, legislation, policies, etc.) are agreed by the Council of Ministers, consisting of Ministers who represent the national goverments that have been elected in each of the 27 Member States.

Most decisions also need the agreement of the European Parliament, of which the members are directly elected by the citizens of the 27 Member States every 5 years.

The Council and Parliament appoint the President and Members of the European Commission for a 5-year term, and can dismiss them at any time.

What are the alternatives for the future of Europe?

- The UK leaves the club and lets the other 26 "get on with it" (or 27 if you add Scotland).

- We go back to the old system of "every country for itself" (as existed prior to 1952 - when almost continuous warfare was a price worth paying for national sovereignty).

VIVA EUROPA !! :)

[Apollo11]

24. Are California and West Virginia "similarly developed"?

Was Texas "similarly developed" when it split from Mexico and joined the USA?

But these are not the most important questions to ask.

The key point is: do the benefits of the Union outweigh the costs?

The benefits of supporting economic development in eastern Europe are difficult to measure.

The potential cost of not supporting their economic and political progress is also hard to judge.

But most historians would agree that the USA ultimately benefitted (both politically and economically) from supporting Western Europe's reconstruction after WW2.

[Apollo11]

25. From today's "The Guardian"

Comment: Why Kosovo should become the 33rd member - and Serbia the 34th

by Timothy Garton Ash

The Guardian - February 15, 2007

(...)

At the moment, no one in European politics dares to say this, although EU foreign ministers did make some encouraging noises to Serbia earlier this week. In fact, half of Europe is half-regretting the enlargements we've already made. But I will say it: in the big Balkan EU enlargement of 2014, Kosovo and Serbia join the EU as its 33rd and 34th members - or the other way round according to the Serbs. The other 2014 joiners are Montenegro, Bosnia and Albania. (Croatia and Macedonia slipped in a bit earlier and, in case you're wondering, Turkey joins in 2020.) As proposed a few years ago by a commission chaired by Giuliano Amato, on the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the first world war, the Sarajevo summit of 2014 should celebrate this achievement. From Sarajevo to Sarajevo.

As it approaches its 50th birthday this March, the European economic community that became a union has an extraordinary story to tell about the spread of peace, freedom and the rule of law (see www.europeanstory.net). But a political narrative has to describe where we are heading as well as where we are coming from. The story is only as good as its next chapter. Kosovo should be part of it.

www.timothygartonash.com

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2013176,00.html

[fuzzyball]

20. Thank you Mr Hain...you show good judgement...eom

[incapsulated]

23. I'm not surprised, Bill Clinton was very popular in Europe and UK

And he is the last sane president they remember.

Supporting Hillary is like supporting Bill.

:shrug: