Hillary Clinton Taking Fire From Left as Well as Right
As a Democrat with liberal leanings, I can personally say that it is pretty disappointing to watch her stances on issues. We expected better from her.
- Anne Erickson
Poor Hillary. The nutcase Right has painted her as the castrating avenger, the leading light for the Lesbo-Feminist agenda, which would neuter all men and cast them in the role of mindless drones under the control of women. Now the Liberal Left is getting on her case as well. Apparently, Liberals are disappointed that she is not taking the point when it comes to pushing their issues. The poor girl just can't catch a break.
WASHINGTON, May 29 — After years of being vilified by conservatives, Hillary Rodham Clinton is suddenly facing mounting criticism from an unlikely quarter: liberals.
Core Democratic constituencies that helped Mrs. Clinton win her Senate seat in New York two and a half years ago are expressing deep disappointment in her, saying she has been unwilling to challenge President Bush and Republican leaders in Congress on issues of importance to them.
Those who have expressed disappointment in Mrs. Clinton include gay rights advocates, antiwar organizers and even advocates for children and the poor, a group with which she has been closely associated for decades.
Political analysts and critics on the left say Mrs. Clinton appears to be modeling herself on her husband, Bill Clinton, who was also criticized for abandoning the Democratic Party's liberal base to win larger political appeal. In Mrs. Clinton's case, they say, she appears to be taking for granted her liberal allies, a strong source of support, in favor of cultivating a broader audience.
Geez, folks, how about y'all just get over yourselves? Relax, have a couple of vodka gimlets, and stop fretting about Hillary, willya? You knew what you were getting when you elected Mrs. Clinton as your Senator. NOW you're professing disappointment because she is doing her job? Perhaps the problem here is that y'all are having problems dealing with the reality that, as a Senator, Mrs. Clinton is charged with representing AN ENTIRE STATE, not just some narrowly-focused special interest agenda.
Mrs. Clinton's aides say her decisions are not part of any calculated effort to win over a wider constituency outside New York. Rather, they say, they reflect positions she has held since her days as first lady, like advocating stiffer restrictions on welfare recipients.
"This view of Hillary Clinton as a dyed-in-the-wool leftist is a caricature," said Howard Wolfson, an adviser to Mrs. Clinton. "Anyone who is surprised about her views on welfare reform and the war was not paying attention during the campaign."
Mrs. Clinton was unavailable for comment. But her spokeswoman, Karen Dunn, indicated that the differences do not make her any less an ally of the left. "She is one of their strongest advocates, but that doesn't mean that there is always agreement on how to approach every single issue," Ms. Dunn said.
Perhaps these impatients woolly mammoth Liberals should attempt to come to grips with the fact the politics is, in the words of the late Tip O'Neill, "the art of the possible". In today's rightward-leaning political climate, does anyone really care to delude themselves into thinking that Hillary Clinton (or anyone else, for that matter) would be able to successfully spit into the political wind? If so, you really need to give some thought to having your medication adjusted.
