What are the five greatest accomplishments of the 2008 candidates---

[ProSense]

U.S. Congress or other U.S. government-level office?

Cool, groovy, personable are not accomplishments!

Supporters, please help for the undecided!

[Demeter]

1. The GOP Are Putting Comedians Out of Business

[Island Blue]

2. K & R because I'm undecided too.

If five is too many to list, how about two or three? Anything would be helpful.

[ProSense]

40. I'd settle for that. n/t

[ProSense]

3. Nothing? n/t

[Tellurian]

8. Here are a few of Senator Clinton's Accomplishments:

in the interests of accommodation, please access the links to her Congressional Record:

http://clinton.senate.gov/senate/legislation/

And..a few highlights:

A brief summary of Senator Clinton's beginnings and accomplishments

As Senator, Hillary has been a Champion for the State of NY,

"Hillary Rodham Clinton was elected United States Senator from New York on November 7, 2000, and she was overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term on Nov. 7, 2006. She is the only First Lady ever elected to the United States Senate. Now midway through her six-year term, Senator Clinton has proven to be a strong advocate for New York, working in a bipartisan way to pass legislation, secure millions in appropriations and draw attention to issues that matter to people throughout New York State. Senator Clinton serves on the Senate Committees for Environment and Public Works; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; and is the first New York Senator to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

During the 108th Congress, Senator Clinton made homeland security, economic security, and national security her top priorities.

"After the terrorist attacks of 2001, Senator Clinton worked hard to secure $21.4 billion in funding to assist clean up and recovery, to provide health tracking for first responders and volunteers at Ground Zero and to create grants for redevelopment. This past year she has remained vigilant - issuing two comprehensive studies that examined the disbursement of federal homeland security funds to local communities and first responders. Senator Clinton is committed to making certain that funds are delivered and services provided by the most direct and efficient means possible."

"As part of a continuing effort to work on upstate New York economic development,

...Senator Clinton led a bipartisan effort to bring next-generation broadband access to rural communities;

...Co-sponsored the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act;

...Included language in the Energy Bill to provide tax exempt bonding authority for environmentally conscious construction projects, like the mall project in Syracuse; and introduced an amendment to create jobs by repairing, renovating , and modernizing our schools.

...To help displaced workers, Senator Clinton won an extension of Unemployment Insurance that was passed on the first day of the 108th Congress.

...She has called for an additional extension to help displaced New York workers weather the weak job market.

...Senator Clinton has continued to speak out against the tax cuts for wealthiest Americans, which has led to the elimination of a federal budget surplus and a return to irresponsible deficit spending."

"Excerpts from a fairly good article on Hillary's rise...she has, in a very short time, become a very successful Senator. Ask the firefighters in New York City, now being her strongest supporters...ask what they think of her leadership.

"The day after September 11, she surveyed the devastation at Ground Zero with New York’s other senator, Charles Schumer. Realizing the need for federal help, she called Byrd first thing the next morning. “We’re in real trouble, and it’s going to take a lot to put the city back together. Can you help?” This time Byrd agreed at once: “Count me as the third senator from New York.” With his assistance on the Appropriations Committee, New York secured $20 billion in recovery funds."

"The other major accomplishment involved the Pentagon’s list of recommended military-base closures announced last May, which included the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, one of the largest employers in a depressed area of the state. From her seat on the Armed Services Committee, Clinton played a prominent role in fighting the decision of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) West Virginia’s Air National Guard base had also been targeted for closure. Late one Friday night while preparing an appeal, a Byrd staffer came across an obscure 1917 statute denying the federal government the authority to close a National Guard base without authorization from the state’s governor—which, if he valued his job, would never be forthcoming. Byrd’s staff tipped off Clinton’s, since New York’s appeal hearing came sooner.

Through her work on Armed Services, Clinton had developed close relationships with several Air Force sources at the Pentagon, and got hold of a document showing that the savings claimed for closing the Niagara station had been grossly exaggerated. Clinton personally laid out the information to the BRAC chairman, Anthony Principi. In September, word came from the White House that New York had been spared."

- Sen. Clinton's Senate office website

http://clinton.senate.gov/index.cfm

[Hart2008]

14. Where's the beef! This is Pork! (and the math is wrong too...)

After 9-11 the whole country wanted to help New York. Really, there is no one better at bringing home the pork than Senator Byrd. It is nice that he is helping Hillary learn those tricks. She sure knows who to call for help, but I think you missed the question here.

This is about accomplishments that qualify the candidate for the Presidency. What you have listed is how well Hillary brings home pork for New York. The Senate is full of career politicians like that, but it doesn't qualify any of them to be President.

To be fair, Senator Byrd does have his redeeming qualities. What a shame Hillary didn't take Senator Byrd's advice about voting for the IWR...

"re-elected to a second term on Nov. 7, 2006...Now midway through her six-year term, Senator Clinton..."
Hmmmmmm...
Hillary started her second term in January 2007.
The term is for 6 years...
so midway through her term would be January 2010, Right?

Did someone at Team Hillary fail math, or are we puffing a wee bit here?

:rofl:

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hart2008]

26. I'm not amused by pettifogging or insults.

Smears?

Facts are stubborn things, especially when they are not denied.

Insulting someone when you can't answer a question isn't very mature, nor is it helpful to your candidate.

[Forkboy]

37. I had never heard the word "pettifogging" in my life.

But it was just used in a book I'm reading and now by you.Twice in a day.

Spooky :scared:

:)

[karynnj]

15. Using your criterion, what bills has she actually got passed

Some of these are interesting:
"Senator Clinton led a bipartisan effort to bring next-generation broadband access to rural communities"
I see several bills in Thomas - some sponsored by Clinton some not- all sent to committee, was it passed?

"Co-sponsored the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act;" The sponsor was Wyden; other co-sponsors were Alexander, Baucus, Cantwell, Corzine, Hutchinson, Landriea, Levin, Mikluski, Warner, Allen, Bayh, Clinton, Hollings,{b] Kerry , Lautenberg leiberman, and Rockwell. (If it's significant enough to put on Hillary's list of top accomplishments - I guess we need to know more aboutthis.

"Senator Clinton has continued to speak out against the tax cuts for wealthiest Americans, which has led to the elimination of a federal budget surplus and a return to irresponsible deficit spending."
Every 2004 Democrat from Kuchinich to Leiberman did this

Even I think that Clinton has done more than this.

[Tellurian]

19. Karynnj...I am not getting paid to instruct you in research.. nm

[Hart2008]

22. Why can't she answer Karynnj's question? I hear crickets!

Don't feel bad Karynnj. She won't answer mine either.

[karynnj]

25. I don't feel bad, she can't help it

I could easily find Hart or Kerry accomplishments 7 years into their respective terms. I'm not worried about my research skills.

[karynnj]

23. I assume I have already done more research than you have from your cut and paste job

which is longer than it is impressive. It seems you have difficulty listing 5 things.

[Forkboy]

28. That seems "very thin" to me.

[frogcycle]

4. i'm coming up with zip

oh, wait

Richardson - just watch his ad

&t=OEgsToPDskL0RWV42nRGBDnH9HUsO1Na

for the rest of them... not so much

[FrenchieCat]

30. It appears that you may be right.......

based on the "sparse" responses to this thread....namely the discussion of too few candidates.

It's kind of like asking that question from 8 someones who wants the job and getting and getting like two who respond. Kinda of sad and telling!

[Hart2008]

5. Hillary Clinton: First woman on the board at Wal-Mart!

We can expect her to improve life for ordinary working Americans, health care for all, higher wages, just like she did at Wal-Mart!

[Tellurian]

6. Yes, when Wal-Mart was new and not like it is today..

when they went Big Business...she resigned..

But you can look up thread and read a little..about what Hillary has accomplished..

[Hart2008]

9. You mean when Hillary was on the board at Wal-Mart all its employees had health insurance? n/t

[Tellurian]

10. Hillary was on the board when Wal-Mart first opened in 1986

As Wal-Mart grew over the years and began to evolve into even a mere shadow of itself today, it was a giant conglomerate. She began to see the unequal treatment of their employees. So, she resigned. Do you have a problem with that? I don't.

Clinton returned $5,000 to the political action committee of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., a company with long ties to the Clintons dating back to their days in Arkansas, where Wal-Mart is headquartered.

Clinton campaign spokeswoman Ann Lewis said the money was returned "because of serious differences with current company practices."

The senator served on the Wal-Mart board from 1986 to 1992, and was close with the Walton family that created the nation's largest retailer.

But the senator signaled a new stance on the company's business practices in a speech last week, when she told the U.S. Conference of Mayors that the company should provide better worker benefits.

"Cities and states are saying we can't keep holding the bag here," Clinton told the conference, citing a new Maryland law requiring Wal-Mart to spend 8 percent of payroll in health benefits or contribute to insurance plans.

http://blog.wakeupwalmart.com/ufcw/2006/02/hillary_clinton.html

[Hart2008]

16. So from '86 to '92 all Wal-Mart employees had good health care and good wages, right?

"Despite her criticism, Mrs. Clinton maintains close ties to the Wal-Mart executives through the Democratic Party and the tightly knit Arkansas business community. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, speaks frequently to Wal-Mart’s current chief executive, H. Lee Scott Jr., about issues like health care and even hosted Mr. Scott at the Clinton’s home in New York in July for a private dinner."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/19/us/politics/19cnd-walmart.html?_r=3&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

"She's got a deeper bench of big money and corporate supporters than her competitors," says Eli Attie, a former speechwriter to Vice President Al Gore. Not only is Hillary more reliant on large donations and corporate money than her Democratic rivals, but advisers in her inner circle are closely affiliated with unionbusters, GOP operatives, conservative media and other Democratic Party antagonists.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070604/berman

My idea of the Democratic Party is that it looks out for ordinary working Americans. So I have a big problem with people who want to turn this into a second Republican party. One of those is enough.

Does Hillary still own $100,000 of stock in Wal-Mart?
Did she sell it or donate it to charity?

[Tellurian]

18. Have you ever considered your ideas are limited?

you sound more like a Republicrat. Where you're not sure of anything and haven't taken the time to investigate what each candidate's platform entails. I suggest reading a bit more rather than cherry picking meaningless articles designed to cast Sen Clinton in a bad light. Research and Google are your friends.

Get back to me with a short synopsis of each candidate explaining how they differ in detail and your suggestions on how they can improve specific aspects of their platform to be what your idea of a democratic candidate should be. You may discover you're not a prospect for democrat leanings after all.

[Hart2008]

20. Why won't you answer my questions?

All you do is change the topic.

Republicrats own stock in Wal-Mart.

[Tellurian]

21. You'll have to supply the info..

I've asked you for before I can respond to your comments..

G-nite.

[Hart2008]

24. Oh, So from '86 to '92 not all Wal-Mart employees had good health care and wages. n/t

[rinsd]

36. Her stock is in blind trust. You'll have to ask Edwards about his stock though

"Clinton amassed nearly $100,000 worth of Wal-Mart stock as a director, much of which she and her husband placed in 1993 into a blind trust that they still maintain.

She is not the only Democratic candidate with Wal-Mart ties. During his Senate term, John Edwards disclosed owning between $1,000 and $100,000 in company stock. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, serves on the board of a Wal-Mart supplier. And Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut accepted $5,000 from Wal-Mart's PAC in 2004."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-hillary19may19,0,5168474.story?coll=la-home-center

[rinsd]

35. Gary Hart gave Condi Rice her start as his foreign policy adviser in 1984.

If we're gonna dredge up old ass shit, let it all hang out.

[jillan]

7. Biden - I'll be more than happy to brag--------

*Helped write original VAWA (99) - Violence against women act, and he is right there fighting for it ever time it is up for renewal.

*In 1994 wrote the bill that put 100k more cops on the streets that Clinton (Bill :) not Hill) signed into law.

also, all of this:
Senator Biden has authored most major criminal law initiatives of the past 25 years, including:


• the law creating a nationwide system for tracking and registering sex offenders;

• the law to provide federal funding to eliminate the estimated national backlog of 500,000 untested rape kits, to solve crimes and get sex offenders off the streets;

• an innovative public-private partnership to expand the technological capacities of the national domestic violence hotline.

• measures to increase the number and availability of federal prosecutors, public defenders and judges;

• the law allowing for the seizure of the property of drug dealers;

• the law abolishing bail for dangerous criminals;

• the law doubling the penalty for a criminal who uses a gun while committing a crime;

• the law to fund training for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) and Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFE) programs nationwide;

• the law to permit federal prosecutors to bring "John Doe/DNA
indictments" against perpetrators of sex crimes, to preserve the
ability of law enforcement to put rapists behind bars, even if they
are not apprehended for years;

• the law to authorize Children's Advocacy Centers, which bring
together law enforcement, prosecutors, child protective services, and
medical and mental health professionals to provide comprehensive
services to kids who are the victims of sexual and physical abuse;

• the law to create the Child Safety Pilot Project, to allow FBI
background checks for volunteers who work with kids at child-oriented
programs like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

http://biden.senate.gov/committee/judiciary.cfm


*His legislation making the week of Veteran's day as Veteran's Awareness Week.http://biden.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=239186

*Most recent was his legislation which passed the Senate 98 -0 to provide our soldiers with MRAPs (mine resistant, ambush protected vehicles) which was in the bill the the idiot in chief just vetoed. Hence the "keep shoving it down their throat" remark.

Gee that's more than 5. I could go on. But Biden voted for the Bankruptcy bill so who cares about all of the great things he has done for this country

[Tellurian]

11. I like Biden too..

How long has he been a Senator, you didn't mention that in your post-

[jillan]

12. Since he was 29-

A loooooong time! He was the youngest person ever to get elected to the Senate.

If he doesn't make it - I'll be with you supporting Hillary.
I am looking for experience at this time.

[Tellurian]

13. yes, he was pretty impressive at the debate..

after all the "happy talk", we nicknamed him the LION!



"The Roaring Lion"

[trevor380]

27. Clinton's greatest accomplishment

Running for a third term

[FrenchieCat]

29. Don't we have more folks running then the ones

listed thus far?

How come supporters aren't listing their 5 accomplishments? :shrug:

[politicasista]

31. Good question

:shrug: :hi:

[FrenchieCat]

39. Guess it's a hard question? Listing 5 things is just

more than reasonable? :shrug:

Not very impressive, I must say!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

32. Chris Dodd

has done a number of things, probably the most important was both authoring and pushing for over 10 years to get the Family Medical Leave Act signed by President Clinton. His efforts were so important that he was named the National "Head Start Senator of the Decade", and in light of that fact, he is also pushing for the reforms necessary to fix everything that is wrong with NCLB.

While not the achieving the most desireable result, Dodd was instrumental in getting Republicans to agree to the voting reform which lead to HAVA in the wake of fiasco 2000. The importance of this is that the GOP didn't even want to come to the table on this, but Dodd pressed its need as a Civil Rights issue, and got the movement on track.

Not an accomplishment but certainly a strong formative influence: Dodd's father was chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials. Dodd cites this as giving him an immense sense of justice, and part of his current drive to protect the principles of Habeas Corpus under threat by Bush, and resulting in his bill: 'Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007'.

Again, not yet an accomplishment, his proposed 'Corporate Carbon Tax' is a leading, specific proposal in the current campaign as far as environmental credentias go.

On foreign policy, Dodd was first among all the candidates to be on board with Feingold-Reid to end US involvement in Iraq. His first experience after college in fact was as a Peace Corps volunteer serving in the Dominican Republic, and later as an Army reservist with the Guard. In fact he is the only candidate with any military service at all this time.

[rinsd]

33. 5 things from rinsd for Hillary Clinton

These are 5 things that draw me to the Clinton campaign in terms of accomplshiments.

1) Her body of work fighting for choice when it comes to abortion(which could include other than basic legislation votes her no votes to confirming Roberts & Alito)

2) I like her work on veteran's health measures.

3) Her work with the Children's Health Insurance Program.

4) She is/was against Bush's tax cuts and was for using the surplus to pay down the national debt.

5) Voting against the FMA in 2004 and 2006.

Those are 5 of mine.

I notice most of the others were hit peices instead of people touting their candidate. A pity. But kudos to you for trying.

[SaveElmer]

34. Edwards: Earning 500K to "learn" about poverty...

Since snarky answers seem to be the rule here!!!

[illinoisprogressive]

38. for Senator Obama

Constitutional professor: concidering what it has gone thru the past 6 years and the total disregard of this administration for it, it would be nice to have someone who knows it, respects it and understands it.

Community Organizer: This is the roots of his call to public service

Editor of Harvard Law Review: Need I say more?

State Senator: Did the health care bill that covers those under 18, and tons of other legislation plus how to work with republicans and still get your way.

Civil rights atty: this gives an insight to the importance of individual rights and how important they are

I did not put down US Sen. as this is widely known and I wanted to put down his more local stuff.
Also, accomplished and bestselling author: since Bush cannot speak or read, this is a nice change.

[ProSense]

41. Inquiring minds! n/t