Happy New Year to all ATHC readers! It is the start of a new year and the start of a new decade! A lot has happened and I wanted to take a look back and the past 10 years of Hillary Clinton and see what are some of the best moments. Here is a top 10 list of the Hillary Clinton moments of the decade. Post your own favorite moments as well!
2000: Hillary Clinton is first elected First Lady in the US Senate
From the BBC on November 7th, 2000:
Votes are still being counted but exit polls show she has a clear majority over Republican rival Rick Lazio in the state of New York.
The Clinton family voted near their home in Chappaqua, north of the city, with the president telling reporters, "You can't put me down as 'undecided'!"
Mrs Clinton made her victory speech in Manhattan, flanked by husband Bill, her daughter Chelsea, outgoing Democrat Senator Daniel Patrick Moybihan and incumbent senator Chuck Schumer. She told cheering supporters: "Today we voted as Democrats and Republicans, tomorrow we begin again as New Yorkers."
2001: Ground Zero
September 11th was a hard day for all Americans. People were scared, confused, angry. I know everyone had a different experience that day, that week. But something always stands out in everyone's mind. Everyone remembers something touching.
I came across this person, who I will leave anonymous, and their touching experience with Senator Hillary Clinton at Ground Zero.
"There were people everywhere. Many were shouting slogans of support to rescue workers walking towards the carnage. Many others were posting “missing” signs for their “missing” loved ones. The closer we got the Ground Zero, the thicker the crowds became. With the smoke as our guide, we politely pushed through the masses to get to the Triage. We were so determined to get to the victims that I almost knocked over a person standing in my path. When I caught myself, I found myself face to face with Senator Hillary Clinton. That moment was, for lack of a better word, surreal.I looked around wondering how I got so close to her. There were no cameras. There was no media. There was only a single secret service agent calmly walking beside her. His white collared shirt was undone at the neck and his black tie was loosened. Beads of sweat poured off of his head as he fumbled with his earpiece that kept falling out; it was an incredibly hot and humid day.
Our team of five stood shoulder to shoulder. I reached out my hand. There was so much that I wanted to say to her. Senator Clinton, appropriately wearing a black pantsuit, exuded strength. She was incredibly composed. Her eyes conveyed incredible courage and conviction: We will get through this! She wasn’t teary. There was so much to cry about that day, that week, but Senator Clinton stood strong and among her people. I remember the disbelief of that moment, that whole day, that whole week. Although she was shorter than I realized, she was far more powerful than I ever could have imagined.
My thoughts were racing. The only words I could form were: We are Canadians. We came from Canada to help. She nodded acceptingly, looked straight into my eyes, and said thank you. She was hugging people, shaking hands, and listening. She was there when so many of her colleagues were not. Senator Hillary Clinton was present."
2002: Call for 9/11 Investigative Commission
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator Jon Corzine, and Senator Chuck Schumer held a press conference at the US Capitol to call for the inclusion of a September 11 Investigative Commission in the Homeland Security Bill. This bill and the entire 9/11 Commission Report has its troubles and problems and the like. But no matter what people's opinion on it is, there is no doubting the impact it had on our decade.
2003: The Release of Living History
Released on June 9, 2003, Living History was one of 2003's major literary and political events. Hillary Clinton's memoir had already generated a significant amount of hoopla before publication and the great expectations were met with relief when booksales, according to Newsday, reached 600,000 copies in the first week.
Publisher Simon & Shuster then declared Living History to be the top-selling adult nonfiction book ever. I'm not sure where it stands now, however, millions of copies have been sold since and the book was reprinted a number of times.
Hillary had huge publicity for the book. The publisher paid for a Manhattan party at the Four Seasons hotel on the following Monday of the release of the book. Among those on hand to sample the hors d'oeuvres and join in the celebration were TV personalities Walter Cronkite, Barbara Walters and Charlie Rose; former White House aide and now TV host George Stephanopoulos; New York politicians Geraldine Ferraro, Andrew Stein and Mark Green; comedian and author Al Franken; actor Chevy Chase; and singer Judy Collins. Clinton called the publicity surrounding her book "a little overwhelming," but said it had been a remarkable experience. She thanked her mother; her daughter, Chelsea, who was off studying for exams at Oxford; and finally her husband:
"I would not have lived the way I lived or become the person I've become without my husband."
Probably the most recognizable women in the world, Hillary Rodham Clinton still remained a mystery to many people. Few outside her inner circle of friends and family know much beyond her role as First Lady turned Senator. Her book offered a window to her many emotions and personal stories that many, including her devout fans, found fascinating and interesting. The memoir focuses on her eight years at the White House - what she lived through, how she felt about her experiences then and now, why she made the choices she did.
2004: New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton top choice of Democrats in 2004
Although we all know that Hillary didn't run for President in 2004, she was the top choice among Democrats in 2004. 30 percent picked Clinton, compared with 13 percent each for Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts.
2005: Hillary Clinton Says Iraq War Vote was a Mistake
For the first time since she voted to authorize the Iraq war three years ago, Hillary Clinton is now saying that vote was a mistake.
"If Congress had been asked [to authorize the war], based on what we know now, we never would have agreed," Clinton said, in an email sent to her supporters on Tuesday, November 29th, 2005.
While saying she took full responsibility for her error, Clinton repeatedly insisted that she had been misled by "false" intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction presented by the Bush administration. Citing "assurances they gave that they would first seek to resolve the issue of weapons of mass destruction peacefully through United Nations sponsored inspections," Clinton lamented: "Their assurances turned out to be empty ones."
She charged that "the Bush Administration short-circuited the U.N. inspectors - the last line of defense against the possibility that our intelligence was false."
"I have continually raised doubts about the President's claims, lack of planning and execution of the war... while standing firmly in support of our troops... Criticism of this Administration's policies should not in any way be confused with softness against terrorists, inadequate support for democracy or lack of patriotism."
2006: Fight Against the Fight Against Gay Marriage
In June of 2006, Senator Hillary Clinton once again voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment that sought to prohibit same-sex marriage. Although she fought for many issues in the Senate alongside her colleagues, however at the time, this was such a hot bed issue and with a strong conservative Republican administration, every single vote mattered and made a difference.
The bill didn't pass, to much of President Bush's disappointment, and Hillary continued to fight in the Senate for gay and lesbian rights.
2007: "I'm in to Win!"
On January 20th, 2007, only two years before the next President of the United States was to be inaugurated, these words were posted on Hillary Clinton's website: "I'm in." She later added, "And I'm in to win."
We all know the story that happened after this: a hard fought primary, a bitter defeat, a humble concession, and a path to a new administration after the victory of President Obama.
2008: Hillary Clinton's DNC Speech Bridges the Gap: "No Way, No How, No McCain"
It has been hailed as the edgiest Democratic Convention since 1988. In '88 Democrats were worried about Jesse Jackson's rallying speech after a hard fought primary, and 20 years later, Democrats were on the edges of their seats, waiting to hear Hillary's words. Before the speech, Obama supporters questioned her ability to give up the fight for the Presidency and her supporters bitter sweetly awaited her official throwing in of the towel.
When she walked out on stage she was greeted by thousands of signs adoring her classic Hillary symbol and a standing ovation that seemed to never end. Critics and supporters alike were delighted when they heard her words, as she graciously and humbling paved the way for Obama to become the Democratic Nominee for President.
Her words were chilling, bold and humble.
"I am honored to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama. My friends, it is time to take back the country we love.Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines. This is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win.
I haven't spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children, campaigning for universal health care, helping parents balance work and family, and fighting for women's rights at home and around the world . . . to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people.
And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership. No way. No how. No McCain.
Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our President."
2009: Readers Choice!
Now, so much has happened since Hillary Clinton was appointed Secretary of State. I just couldn't choose a favorite moment! So, this one is up for debate! What do you think was Secretary Hillary Clinton's best moment of 2009?? Post your thoughts! Read entire post
