Hillary Clinton's Senate Accomplishments

Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005 10:29 p.m. EDT
Dick Morris: Hillary's 'Paltry' Senate Record


New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has been a great Senator for New York - at least according to her fans in the media, who regularly note how hard she works while insisting she's done much for adopted home state.

Baloney, says Dick Morris and Eileen McGann. In their new book "Condi vs Hillary," they blow the lid off Hillary's pathetic Senate performance - a list of accomplishments that are so meager her supporters ought to be embarrassed.

Morris and McGann note: "Hillary has had a total of twenty bills passed since she entered the Senate. Of those, fifteen have been purely symbolic in nature."

Lest they be dismissed as Hillary-haters who don't want to give the former first lady the credit she deserves, "Condi vs Hillary" itemizes Mrs. Clinton's legislative "achievements" (such as they are).

In five years as the most influential Democrat in the Senate, Hillary has managed to get the following laws and resolutions enacted:

• Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site

• Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month

• Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor

• Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall

• Name courthouse after James L. Watson

• Name post office after John A. O'Shea

• Designate August 7, 2003, as National Purple Heart Recognition Day

• Support the goals and ideals of National Purple Heart Recognition Day

• Honor the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton on the bicentennial of his death

• Congratulate the Syracuse University Orange Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship.

• Congratulate the Le Moyne College Dolphins Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship

• Establish the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commemorative Program

• Name post office after Sergeant Riayan A. Tejeda

• Honor Shirley Chisholm for her service to the nation and express condolences on her death

• Honor John J. Downing, Brian Fahey, and Harry Ford, firefighters who lost their lives on duty.

Only five of Clinton's bills are, according to Morris, "substantive":

• Extend period of unemployment assistance to victims of 9/11

• Pay for city projects in response to 9/11

• Assist landmine victims in other countries

• Assist family caregivers in accessing affordable respite care

• Designate part of the National Forest System in Puerto Rico as protected in the Wilderness Preservation System

Concludes Morris and McGann: "In the face of Hillary Clinton's reputation as an effective U.S. senator, this record of paltry accomplishment is sobering. As much as Alexander Hamilton, Harriet Tubman, and the American Revolution deserve our recognition, one thinks the voters of New York may have expected more of their junior senator."

Not to mention their soon-to-be presidential candidate.

[ReformWNY]

Shameful.

[ERIEMAN]

Originally posted by ReformWNY
Shameful.

If it's true, yeah, that is shameful...But like i said in another thread, people should stop concentrating on picking on Hillary's record. EVERYBODY'S record is downright shameful. I used to really like Hillary, until i realized that she's no different from everyone else.

[ReformWNY]

I didn't see anything good from anyone else's record either.... so I'm not attacking anyone. They are hitting Byron Brown's record hard like this as well -they did it to Kerry as well.
Just hope there's more to it than this.

[WestSideJohn]

I'm very disappointed that neither of our Senators voted yes for the Coburn amendment. The fact that this amendment only received 15 yes votes in the Senate is disgusting.

[atotaltotalfan2001]

Originally posted by ERIEMAN
If it's true, yeah, that is shameful...But like i said in another thread, people should stop concentrating on picking on Hillary's record. EVERYBODY'S record is downright shameful. I used to really like Hillary, until i realized that she's no different from everyone else.

I'll always appreciate that she tried to put together a universal health care plan for this country. She was viciously attacked for it -- and, wouldn't you know it, all these years later more people than ever are without health care plans.

[steven]

In five years as the most influential Democrat in the Senate, Hillary has managed to get the following laws and resolutions enacted:

Since the senate peeking order is based on seniority not popularity isn't this statement a bit disingenuous? She was a junior senator after all.

Shouldn't the comparison be done between her and another junior senator?

Hillary campaigned on creating 50,000 jobs in WNY which she failed to even generate. As far as being a junior senator, Hillary is on various committees when she actually shows up!

Her main purpose was utilizing the New York State Senate as her stepping stone to the Presidential election of 2008. Hillary has spent more time out of the country on fact finding missions than in her own state.

Her greatest fear would be Rudy Guillani running for Senate in 2006 against her. Fortunately, Rudy doesn't have to prove anything and will pick and choose his spots.

[WNYresident]

Most of the stuff she has done seems rather useless when it comes to NYS economy. Would our livelyhood be a little bit more important at it's current situation than what a buildling is named? etc?

[steven]

Originally posted by anselmo1
Hillary campaigned on creating 50,000 jobs in WNY which she failed to even generate.

LOL, you say that like its an easy tasks. Can you name one state pol who has accomplished generating 50 k jobs for western NY?

Originally posted by anselmo1
Her main purpose was utilizing the New York State Senate as her stepping stone to the Presidential election of 2008.

That remains to be seen, I still think she will make a run at the governors mansion

Originally posted by anselmo1
Her greatest fear would be Rudy Guillani running for Senate in 2006 against her.

On this I have to disagree with you 1000%, Guillani has no political future, cheating on your wife and hiring illegals is no way to endear yourself to the republican party base, much less the conservitive party. The warm glow he had from 9/11 is gone now and any election he would choose to enter would be rife with the tales of his infidelity to his wife and he is aware of that. Common sence should tell him to leave 9/11 as his legacy and the only way he can do that is not to run again for public office.

[LHardy]

Originally posted by steven
..... Guillani has no political future, cheating on your wife and hiring illegals is no way to endear yourself to the republican party base, much less the conservitive party. The warm glow he had from 9/11 is gone now and any election he would choose to enter would be rife with the tales of his infidelity to his wife and he is aware of that. Common sence should tell him to leave 9/11 as his legacy and the only way he can do that is not to run again for public office. [/b]

As the Dems pray! Please don't run for Pres, Please don't run for Pres!

All the qualities of a centrist Democrat and a Fiscal conservative for the Republicans.
Not all Republicans are Christian right. In fact they are such a small part of the base that the Dems have yet to figure that out.
How they hate it when the get beat by thier own rules.

[WestSideJohn]

Originally posted by LHardy
How they hate it when the get beat by thier own rules.

Nonsense. Nothing would make me happier than a Republican President who was moderate (my code word for "sane") on social issues and a fiscal conservative.

Federal spending is up almost 35% since President Bush took office. It's up over 25% if you factor out the cost of the War on Terror that is going so well. This President, who promised us "smaller, leaner government" has yet to veto a single spending bill.

So go ahead, Republicans... put your money where your mouth is and nominate a fiscal conservative... then maybe we'd all win.

Now, I realize this thread is about Hillary Clinton, and not George W. Bush. But here's a question: are you also outraged that Mr. Bush has yet to fulfill his campaign promises:

1. smaller, leaner government (yet spending is up 35%)
2. uniter, not a divider
3. reduce national debt by $100,000,000,000 per year

Or does it only annoy you when a Democrat fails to deliver?

[citymouse]

Originally posted by LHardy
As the Dems pray! Please don't run for Pres, Please don't run for Pres!

All the qualities of a centrist Democrat and a Fiscal conservative for the Republicans.
Not all Republicans are Christian right. In fact they are such a small part of the base that the Dems have yet to figure that out.
How they hate it when the get beat by thier own rules.

Rudy is a moderate republican from (shudder) NEW YORK CITY.
He won't sell well in Texas, Oklahoma and the other bastions of redneck stability. He won't be a candidate for president.

[citymouse]

Does this record consider bill's she may have co-authored with Republicans. Or ones she loaned her support to that were authored by others. Remeber, she is in the minority in the senate.
More important than how many bills she promoted is her voting recored and how it pertains to the views of the voters that supported her and sent her there in the first place.

When you consider these points I think she has done a decent job of representing the interests of her constituants.

[therising]

Originally posted by citymouse
Rudy is a moderate republican from (shudder) NEW YORK CITY.
He won't sell well in Texas, Oklahoma and the other bastions of redneck stability.

I find great irony in the fact that you shudder at the thought of NYC; then you call people in other States rednecks.