Confimation Hearings Under Way - Let the Poo Flinging Begin!
Up first? Ms. Senator Hillary Clinton, President Elect Obama’s choice for Secretary of State. What can we dig up? Hmmmmmmm. I know, her husband runs some, you know, charity kind of things. I’ll just BET there’s some dirt there!
Well, not exactly. The AP breathlessly reports that Clinton intervened at least six times over six years in government issues directly affecting companies that later joined the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Global Initiative. For a bit of background the Clinton Global Intiative or CGI was an outgrowth of the Clinton Foundation and
reflects his (Bill Clinton’s) belief that governments need collaboration from the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and other global leaders to effectively confront the world’s most pressing problems. After attending thousands of meetings during his career in which urgent needs were discussed but no action was taken to solve them, President Clinton saw a need to establish a new kind of meeting with an emphasis on results.
(later)
To fulfill the action-oriented mission of CGI, all members devise practical solutions to global issues through the development of specific and measurable Commitments to Action.
The website further notes that, since it was begun, members of the CGI have made over 1,200 commitments around the world with a monetary value of about $46 billion.
And Hillary somehow was involved with six of the companies? What did she do?
Well, first off, in 2004, she wrote a letter to the FCC expressing concerns about the effect on local carriers, such as a company named PAETEC of changes in local exchange carrier access rates. A family foundation associated with the chief executive of PAETEC later joined the CGI (in 2007) and has since made a $10 million dollar pledge to MIT for development of solar energy.
Second, in 2005, she wrote to HHS urging approval of Gardasil, the newly developed human papillomavirus vaccine. HPV infection is a leading cause of cervical cancer, by the way (a fact not mentioned by the AP.) Merck, the developer of the vaccine, later also joined CGI.
Another company that suspiciously aligned with CGI was Barr Pharmaceuticals. AFTER Hillary wrote to HHS in August 2005 urging that “science, not politics” guide the agency in it’s decision to approve Plan B, AKA the “morning after” pill.
Finally, the article relates that in 2003, Hillary intervened in a dispute about building a pipeline on behalf of KeySpan Energy along with “several other members of Congress from New York”. And, suspiciously, in 2007, KeySpan, now called National Grid, joined the CGI.
So, wait. First I’m only counting four things, not six. And two of these “interventions” involved issues of great significance to feminists and anyone concerned with women’s health issues. Hell, I wrote to HHS about Plan B. I wasn’t aware of Gardasil when it was being approved or I would have written about that too! Hillary is nothing if not a feminist, and has always championed women’s health issues. I would have been pissed off if she HADN’T written those letters.
And the other two, hugely suspicious, letters involve supporting constituent issues and, in the case of the pipeline, she was also supported by several other NY Congress people.
Not to mention that what these companies are doing, by involving themselves in the global community through membership in the CGI, is a very positive and good thing. Why does the AP want to make it look like some kind of payola?
Hahahahahahahahahaha. What am I saying. It’s the AP!!
Posted by marindenver on 01/13/09 at 01:55 PM • Permalink
Categories: Movies • Politics • Election '08 • Editorials • Our Stupid Media • Hillary Clinton •
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