Media Matters: Myths and falsehoods about Hillary Rodham Clinton

[RobertSeattle]

Looks like quite an opus on all the silly "memes" the talking heads use regarding Hillary.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200702130005

On January 20, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) announced the formation of her presidential exploratory committee. Yet despite the claim by conservative news outlets such as Fox News that the Washington press corps is "pulling for her," media reports and commentary are already rife with myths and falsehoods regarding her record, her motivations, and Americans' perceptions of her, as Media Matters for America documents below. Whether new or old, these erroneous claims reinforce the baseless and often demonstrably false characterizations of Clinton commonly perpetuated by the media -- that she is "calculating," "dishonest," "vicious," "ruthless," "unelectable," "unlikable," and even "unqualified."

(More at link)

[Sweet Freedom]

1. Thanks. FYI: Added to the Debunker

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=284x334

[William Bloode]

2. She voted for war, torture, and the bankrupcy bill.

That makes her about as worthless as the tits on a boar hog to me.

[Warpy]

20. She's a DLC corporatist

She's got a decent civil rights record but she's anti worker and anti union and in my book, that makes her anti American.

If she's our choice in November, 2008, I'll vote for her. I'll need to shower afterwards.

If the DLC tries to cram an antichoicer down our throats, though, I'll write in my recently deceased cat. I can't cross that line any more than I would have been able to cross the abolitionist line in the 1850s.

[William Bloode]

25. Yeah but shes our only hope!

:sarcasm:

[paulk]

28. she did not vote for the bankruptcy bill

jeez... can't you Hillary haters even get the facts right?

Also, thanks for pushing the "IWR was a vote for war" meme that right wing put out there. Thanks for helping to spread the blame for BUSH'S WAR around.

And where do you get the "she voted for torture" ?

[William Bloode]

33. I stand corrected on that point.

[Captain Hilts]

36. And Bill Clinton vetoed it twice. nt

[nicknameless]

38. She did vote for a similar Bankruptcy bill in March 2001 -- but not the later one.

... So did Schumer.
It's number 15 on the list at this site:

http://www.pirg.org/score2003/newyork.html

[cascadiance]

40. BUT, she didn't vote AGAINST the bankruptcy bill that day either! She was conveniently ABSENT!

A true progressive representing Democratic values and her constituency instead of corporate masters would have made a point to vote against it. She IS a corporatist! There's no getting around it!

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0331-33.htm

She, like Lieberman (who voted for cloture but against the bill in the final vote), were trying to have it both ways, and try to be their definition of "bipartisan" (being in the middle between the people and the corporations!).

[Missy M]

3. I wish people on DU would also read this ....

many are not aware of Senator Clinton's stand on many issues. Thank you for posting this, it is appreciated.

[William Bloode]

4. Most here could care less really.

The biggest reason is the same as mine. She voted for war, torture, and the bankrupcy bill. None of those really represent what the party is about.

[lancdem]

6. You made your point earlier

I prefer to have my own opinion about individual candidates and what my party is about, thank you. :eyes:

[William Bloode]

8. And i'll make it again.

SHE VOTED FOR WAR, TORTURE, AND TO HURT THE COMMON INDIVIDUAL WITH THE BANKRUPCY BILL. I'll shout it over and over, because it's truth. And no none of those fit in the Democratic, Progressive party.

I guess next you'll tell me how great Lieberwhore is.

[lancdem]

12. As if you know anything about me

I'm sorry you think every progressive needs to share your viewpoint. You don't speak for me for as a Democrat. I speak for myself.

[William Bloode]

15. So you thought the war was good?

You think the torture bill was fine and dandy? What about penalizing poor and middle class families with the banrupcy bill?

Yeah those are all nice true Progressive ideals.

[lancdem]

19. I care about many issues, and look at a voting record

in its entirety, as well as candidate's lifetime of service, whether it's HRC or someone else. Sorry if that's an alien concept to you.

[karynnj]

27. She did NOT vote for the torture bill

I seriously hope that Hillary is not the candidate but she did not vote for the torture bill. As can be seen by the Senate record. She even made a foor speech on it.

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 109th Congress - 2nd Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate


Vote Summary

Question: On Passage of the Bill (S. 3930 As Amended )
Vote Number: 259 Vote Date: September 28, 2006, 06:37 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Bill Passed
Measure Number: S. 3930
Measure Title: A bill to authorize trial by military commission for violations of the law of war, and for other purposes.
Vote Counts: YEAs 65
NAYs 34
Not Voting 1
Vote Summary By Senator Name By Vote Position By Home State


Alphabetical by Senator Name Akaka (D-HI), Nay
Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Allard (R-CO), Yea
Allen (R-VA), Yea
Baucus (D-MT), Nay
Bayh (D-IN), Nay
Bennett (R-UT), Yea
Biden (D-DE), Nay
Bingaman (D-NM), Nay
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Nay
Brownback (R-KS), Yea
Bunning (R-KY), Yea
Burns (R-MT), Yea
Burr (R-NC), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Nay
Cantwell (D-WA), Nay
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Chafee (R-RI), Nay
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea
Clinton (D-NY), Nay
Coburn (R-OK), Yea
Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Coleman (R-MN), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Nay
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Craig (R-ID), Yea
Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Dayton (D-MN), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Yea
DeWine (R-OH), Yea
Dodd (D-CT), Nay
Dole (R-NC), Yea
Domenici (R-NM), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Nay
Durbin (D-IL), Nay
Ensign (R-NV), Yea
Enzi (R-WY), Yea
Feingold (D-WI), Nay
Feinstein (D-CA), Nay
Frist (R-TN), Yea
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Gregg (R-NH), Yea
Hagel (R-NE), Yea
Harkin (D-IA), Nay
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Nay
Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Jeffords (I-VT), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kennedy (D-MA), Nay
Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Kohl (D-WI), Nay
Kyl (R-AZ), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Nay
Levin (D-MI), Nay
Lieberman (D-CT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Nay
Lott (R-MS), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Yea
McCain (R-AZ), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Murray (D-WA), Nay
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Obama (D-IL), Nay
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Nay
Reid (D-NV), Nay
Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Santorum (R-PA), Yea
Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay
Schumer (D-NY), Nay
Sessions (R-AL), Yea
Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Smith (R-OR), Yea
Snowe (R-ME), Not Voting
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Sununu (R-NH), Yea
Talent (R-MO), Yea
Thomas (R-WY), Yea
Thune (R-SD), Yea
Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Nay

[William Bloode]

30. I stand corrected.

Thanks.

[Missy M]

7. Well if they "could care less" that means they care...

I'm not sure you should be speaking for most people on DU. You of course can have your reasons but did you read the whole article?

[William Bloode]

13. You would think.

It's an old remark, and conveys that you don't care one whit. And fyi, it seems Hillary supporters are in the minority....verily.

[Missy M]

18. The proper old remark is "I COULDN'T care less"!!!

your remark means you care.

[William Bloode]

22. Depends on you region.

Here it it goes "i could care less". Things are not the same all ove ya know.

[qanda]

10. The thing that gets me is that she is relatively inexperienced also

Unless people count her husband's experience as her own. She had been in the Senate for as long as Obama is now, when people were calling for her to run for President last time around. I guess I don't understand the double standard.

[William Bloode]

11. I don't get it either.

It's mystifying sometimes. She not only does not have a bunch of exp, shes a known appeaser, and waffler.

[lancdem]

14. Thank you for proving Media Matters' point

and repeating the RW and MSM talking points about her.

[William Bloode]

24. Hey the truth is the truth.

She will never get my vote. I will vote for no candidate that voted for the war, torture, and the bankrupcy bill. I might have been able too look past some things, but those hurt the people Democrats are supposed to protect.

[paulk]

32. the truth is only the truth when it's the truth

something that's in rather short supply in your threadjacking here.

[William Bloode]

34. I'll have to admit i may have got carried away.

Sometimes when you don't like someone you get carried away.

[Pyrzqxgl]

37. She didn't vote for torture as you've had pointed out to you twice in this thread

Doesn't matter if you're for or against the lady you've got no call to distort her record, apologize for it, and then go and distort it again. Makes me think you might be set more on stirring up trouble than supporting Democrats.

[lancdem]

16. There's no double standard

Hillary didn't run in 2004 after just two years in the Senate.

[qanda]

35. My point was that there was no one telling her not to run

Because of inexperience.

[onehandle]

5. Media Matters is obviously working for Rove to nominate Hillary.

How else could you explain them "defending" her?

:crazy:

[lancdem]

9. I'm assuming you're joking

I'm sure you know that Media Matters aggressively defends Obama, Edwards, Pelosi and others from RW media bias.

[onehandle]

17. Yep. They rock.

I always enjoy David Brock's reports on Franken.

[lancdem]

21. Me too

:hi:

[Captain Hilts]

23. thanks for posting this. VERY interesting! nt

[dmallind]

29. ...bbb...but she voted for the war!!!!!!!!!!!

And of course if she is the Dem nominee (which is likely - she has led in every mainstream poll taken, has a massive funding advantage and name recognition out the wazoo, plus has already had her closets throughly skeleton-checked) your only other possible alternative for President will be somebody who is far more likely than she to continue this war and start others.

Doesn't THAT matter to anyone? Why would you withhold a vote for a supposed "warmonger" simply to elect by default an even greater and quite possibly REAL warmonger?

Yes I've heard all the arguments about principles and conscience and soul of the party but none of those - not one - will change the probability of our starting or continuing other Middle East Crusades in the next administration. The person sitting in the Oval Office certainly will. Which vote is really more anti war?

[Captain Hilts]

31. Who's saying she didn't vote for it? Who's talking about voting for her?

She's about 4th on my list, but I acknowledge she isn't getting a fair shake from the RW press, or by many here.

[blm]

26. I'm glad they defend her from RW, but the issues I have with her aren't debunkable.

She and many other name Democrats would not give backup to Kerry on crucial matters like Tora Bora, Abu Ghraib and Rumsfeld's firing DURING the 2003-2004 election cycle.

Bush had plenty of bigname GOPs coming out to attack Kerry for his stands on these issues and to support Bush, but why on earth were the bigname Dems staying quiet and not lending public support on these SERIOUS matters at a time when every strong Dem voice was needed?

Anyone remember what Dem vets gave very public support to Bill Clinton in 92 and defended him staunchly over the draft dodger attack from RW?

I do support Media Matters going after every RW lie against ANY Dem. I wish the Clintons felt compelled to reciprocate when other Dems need it.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

39. Thank you for posting

David Brock is a hero in my eyes, and his work is invaluable.

This debunking is excellent, and though I'm familiar with all the points, I'm bookmarking it. Though I think he missed Arianna Huffington - I swear, every time I see her on TV she's slamming Senator Clinton. It's very tiresome. Tonight I heard her add to her usual slams that voters are looking for candidates who are "authentic," which is a bullshit marketing term akin to calling products "natural."