Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
(Campaign site)

Main article: Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008

See also: Political positions of Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton, born October 26, 1947, in Illinois, U.S. Senator from New York and former First Lady of the United States. Clinton announced the formation of her exploratory committee on January 20, 2007, with a post on her website.^[1] She has delivered several speeches intended to reach out to moderates, according to analysts. She has also been holding fundraising meetings, including meeting with women from Massachusetts, a key constituency of potential rival and 2004 nomineeJohn Kerry; however, these activities are consistent with the lead up to a campaign for re-election to her Senate seat in 2006. If elected, Clinton would be the first female president. Clinton announced on January 20, 2007, that she will run in 2008 (the same day she announced the formation of an exploratory committee). She has filed the official paperwork for an exploratory committee.^[2] She placed first in theNew Hampshire primary on January 8, 2008 and placed first in the Nevada caucuseson January 19 but fell one delegate short of Barack Obama. She placed first in theFlorida primary on January 29, 2008, but was awarded no delegates, due to a prior ruling of the party unseating the state representatives because of the early date.

• First Lady of the United States: 1993–2001
• U.S. Senator from New York: 2001–present

 Hillary Clinton 

A MAJOR DEMOCRATSCANDIDATE:

 US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (New York)

STATUS: ANNOUNCED CANDIDATE. 

Click here to view our detailed profile of Senator Clinton.

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Hillary on The Issues

• Strengthening the Middle Class
• Providing Affordable and Accessible Health Care
• Ending the War in Iraq
• Promoting Energy Independence and Fighting Global Warming
• Fulfilling Our Promises to Veterans
• Supporting Parents and Caring for Children
• Restoring America's Standing in the World
• A Champion for Women
• Comprehensive Government Reform
• Strengthening Our Democracy
• Reforming our Immigration System
• An Innovation Agenda

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/about/

Hillary was raised in a middle-class family in the middle of America. From that classic suburban childhood in Park Ridge, Illinois, Hillary went on to become one of America's foremost advocates for children and families; an attorney twice voted one of the most influential in America; a First Lady of Arkansas who helped transform the schools; a bestselling author; a First Lady for America who helped transform that role, becoming a champion for health care and families at home and a champion of women's rights and human rights around the world.

Since her path-breaking election to the United States Senate, Hillary has been a steadfast advocate for middle-class families, working to help create jobs, expand children's health care and protect Social Security from privatization. As the Senator representing New York after 9/11, Hillary has fought to strengthen our approach to homeland security and to improve our communications and intelligence operations. As the first New Yorker ever named to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hillary has been a tough critic of the administration's bungling of Iraq and a fierce advocate for proper equipment, health benefits, and treatment for military families.

The promise of America was very real as Hillary was growing up. She learned that no matter who you are or where you're from, if you worked hard and played by the rules, you could provide a good life for your family.

Hillary's father, Hugh Rodham, was the son of a factory worker from Scranton, Pennsylvania. He trained sailors in the Navy during World War II and then returned to Illinois to start a small business selling draperies. He taught Hillary both a deep sense of patriotism and a strong belief in fiscal responsibility. He never took a dime of credit and was so frugal that he used to turn the heat off overnight during the winter to save money, waking up early to turn it back on so the house would be warm when everyone woke up.

Hillary's mother, Dorothy, the daughter of a firefighter, had a tough childhood. Her parents were young and felt unable to care for their children. So when Dorothy was just eight, she and her three-year-old sister traveled alone on a four-day train ride to Los Angeles. There they were raised by a strict grandmother. It was not until Dorothy was a teenager and worked as a helper to another family that she finally knew what a loving family could be. The stories of her mother's difficult childhood imbued in Hillary a fierce sense of justice and a belief that no child should be mistreated and that every child deserves to be loved.

The life that Hugh and Dorothy created for Hillary and her two brothers was a classic 1950s middle-class suburban childhood. Park Ridge in those days was the kind of place where everyone left their doors unlocked and the neighborhood kids all played on the block together. Hillary was a Brownie and then a Girl Scout. She started her political life as a Republican, like her father. She even volunteered as a Goldwater girl!

Faith was central to her family. Her mother taught Sunday school, and Hillary was a regular in her church youth group. She was deeply influenced by her youth minister who taught her about "faith in action." There were trips to the inner city, babysitting for the children of migrant farm workers, and an extraordinary night when Hillary was fourteen and her youth group went to hear a speech by Martin Luther King Jr.

Hillary went to Wellesley College, where she was chosen by her classmates to be the first-ever student commencement speaker. She talked about the tumultuous times that her generation was living through and said, "The challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible."

Next came Yale Law School, where Hillary focused on questions about how the law affected children and began her decades of work as an advocate for children and families. As a law student, Hillary represented foster children and parents in family court and worked on some of the earliest studies creating legal standards for identifying and protecting abused children. Following graduation, she became a staff attorney for the Children's Defense Fund.

After serving as only one of two women lawyers on the staff of the House Judiciary Committee considering the impeachment of Richard Nixon, Hillary chose not to pursue offers from major law firms. Instead she followed her heart and a man named Bill Clinton to Arkansas. They married in 1975 and their daughter Chelsea was born in 1980.

Hillary ran a legal aid clinic for the poor when she first got to Arkansas and handled cases of foster care and child abuse. Years later, she organized a group called Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. When she was just 30, President Carter appointed her to the board of the United States Legal Services Corporation, a federal nonprofit program that funds legal assistance for the poor.

When Bill was elected Governor of Arkansas, Hillary continued to advocate for children, leading a task force to improve education in Arkansas through higher standards for schools and serving on the board of the Arkansas Children's Hospital, helping them expand and improve their services. She also served on national boards for the Children's Defense Fund, the Child Care Action Campaign, and the Children's Television Workshop.

She also continued her legal career as a partner in a law firm. She led the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession, which played a pioneering role in raising awareness of issues like sexual harassment and equal pay. Hillary was twice named one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America.

When her husband was elected President in 1992, Hillary's work as a champion for women was recognized and admired around the world. She traveled the globe speaking out against the degradation and abuse of women and standing up for the powerful idea that women's rights are human rights.

In the White House, Hillary led efforts to make adoption easier, to expand early learning and child care, to increase funding for breast cancer research, and to help veterans suffering from Gulf War syndrome who had too often been ignored in the past. She helped launch a national campaign to prevent teen pregnancy and helped create the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which moved children from foster care to adoption more quickly. Thanks in part to her efforts, the number of children who have moved out of foster care into adoption has increased dramatically.

As everyone knows, Hillary's fight for universal health coverage did not succeed. But her commitment to health care for every American has never wavered. She was instrumental in designing and championing the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which has provided millions of children with health insurance. She battled the big drug companies to force them to test their drugs for children and to make sure all kids get the immunizations they need through the Vaccines for Children Program. Immunization rates dramatically improved after the program launched.

Hillary's 1995 book It Takes A Village, about the responsibility we all have to help children succeed, became an international best seller. Hillary has donated the proceeds -- more than a million dollars -- to children's causes across the country.

Hillary's autobiography, Living History, was also a best seller. It has been translated into 12 languages and sold over 1.3 million copies.

In 2000, Hillary was elected to the United States Senate from New York. As Senator, Hillary has continued her advocacy for children and families and has been a national leader on homeland security and national security issues.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Hillary worked with her colleagues to secure the funds New York needed to recover and rebuild. She fought to provide compensation to the families of the victims, grants for hard-hit small businesses, and health care for front line workers at Ground Zero. And she continues to work for resources that enable New York to grow, to improve homeland security for New York and other communities, and to protect all Americans from future attacks.

She is the first New Yorker ever to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, working to see that America's military has the necessary resources to protect our national security. She has visited troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and at Fort Drum in New York, home of the 10th Mountain Division and other New York bases, as well as at Walter Reed Military Hospital. She has learned first-hand the challenges facing American combat forces. Hillary passed legislation to track the health status of our troops so that conditions like Gulf War Syndrome would no longer be misdiagnosed. She is an original sponsor of legislation that expanded health benefits to members of the National Guard and Reserves and has been a strong critic of the Administration's handling of Iraq.

But Hillary has recognized that we can't ignore our problems at home while we face challenges overseas. She has introduced legislation to tie Congressional salary increases to an increase in the minimum wage, because she believes if America's working people don't deserve a raise, neither does Congress. She has supported a variety of middle-class tax cuts, including marriage penalty relief, property tax relief, and reduction in the Alternative Minimum Tax, and supports fiscally responsible pay-as-you-go budget rules. She helped pass legislation that encouraged investment to create jobs in struggling communities through the Renewal Communities program. She has championed legislation to bring broadband Internet access, which is so important in today's information economy, to rural America.

In the Senate, Hillary has not wavered in her work to expand quality affordable health care to more Americans. She worked to strengthen the Children's Health Insurance Program, which increased coverage for children in low income and working families. She authored legislation that has been enacted to improve quality and lower the cost of prescription drugs and to protect our food supply from bioterrorism. She sponsored legislation to increase America's commitment to fighting the global HIV/AIDS crisis, and is now leading the fight for expanded use of information technology in the health care system to decrease administrative costs, lower premiums, and reduce medical errors.

Her strong advocacy for children continues in the Senate. Some of Hillary's proudest achievements have been her work to ensure the safety of prescription drugs for children, with legislation now included in the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act, and her legislation to help schools address environmental hazards. She has also proposed expanding access to child care. She has passed legislation that will bring more qualified teachers into classrooms and more outstanding principals to lead our schools.

Hillary has been a powerful advocate for women in the Senate. Her commitment to supporting the rights guaranteed in Roe v. Wade and to reducing the number of abortions by reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies was hailed by the New York Times as "frank talk...(and) a promising path." Hillary is one of the original cosponsors of the Prevention First Act to increase access to family planning. Her fight with the Bush Administration ensured that Plan B, an emergency contraceptive, will be available to millions of American women and will reduce the need for abortions.

Hillary is strongly committed to making sure that every American has the right to vote in fair, accessible, and credible elections. She introduced the Count Every Vote Act of 2005 to ensure better protection of votes and to ensure that every vote is counted.

In 2006, New Yorkers reelected Hillary to the Senate with 67 percent of the vote.

Hillary Clinton- The Issues

Hillary has a plan to restore America's middle class. After six and a half years of Bush administration policies, the middle class is struggling to succeed in an economy that is leaving more and more Americans behind.

Income inequality has risen to the highest levels since 1929, and wages have stagnated. In the meantime, health care premiums and college tuition have skyrocketed, squeezing middle class families who have largely relied on their home equity to make ends meet. The burgeoning problems in the housing market further threaten many middle class families.

Understanding that a vibrant middle class is essential to America's prosperity, Hillary will implement a broad set of policies to once again restore opportunity for all Americans.

Hillary's economic blueprint to restore the American middle class includes:

• Lowering taxes for middle class families.
• Providing quality, affordable health care to every American.
• Making college accessible and affordable.
• Confronting the growing problems in the housing market.
• Bolstering retirement security by promoting savings and investment.
• Returning to fiscal responsibility and moving towards balanced budgets.
• Harnessing innovation to create the high-wage jobs of the 21st century.
• Creating a $50 billion Strategic Energy Fund to jumpstart research and development of alternative energies.
• Strengthening unions and ensuring our trade laws work for all Americans.

As president, Hillary will:

1. Lower taxes for middle class families by: extending the middle class tax cuts including child tax credit and marriage penalty relief, offering new tax cuts for healthcare, college and retirement, and expanding the EITC and the child care tax credit.
2. Harness the power of innovation to create high wage jobs of the 21st Century. Investments in alternative energy can create new jobs for the 21st century; expanded access to broadband will bring opportunities to underserved and disadvantaged communities; the manufacturing base can be re-energized through creative partnerships; and increased government support for research will stimulate the development of new technologies and life-saving medicines. Hillary will restore integrity to science policy, reversing Bush administration policies that are holding our nation back.
3. Empower our workers and ensure that all Americans contribute their fair share. Hillary will ensure that unions, which have played an important role in forming and sustaining the middle class, are strong. She will also ensure that trade policies work for average Americans. Trade policy must raise our standard of living, and they must have strong protections for workers and the environment.
4. Restore the basic bargain. Hillary will restore the basic bargain that if Americans work hard and take responsibility, government will do its part to make sure they have the tools to get ahead.
5. Return to fiscal responsibility. After six and a half year of President Bush's fiscal irresponsibility, Hillary wants America to regain control of its destiny. She will move back toward a balanced budget and surpluses. Hillary believes that we should develop a set of budget rules similar to those we had in the 90s which required us to fund new expenditures with new revenues or cuts in other areas.

American Health Choses Plan

Hillary's American Health Choices Plan covers all Americans and improves health care by lowering costs and improving quality. It speaks to American values, American families, and American jobs.

It puts the consumer in the driver's seat by offering more choices and lowering costs. If you're one of the tens of million Americans without coverage or if you don't like the coverage you have, you will have a choice of plans to pick from and that coverage will be affordable. Of course, if you like the plan you have, you can keep it.

• Affordable: Unlike the current health system where insurance premiums send people into bankruptcy, the plan provides tax credits for working families to help them cover their costs. The tax credits will ensure that working families never have to pay more than a limited percentage of their income for health care.
• Available: No discrimination. The insurance companies can't deny you coverage if you have a pre-existing condition.
• Reliable: It's portable. If you change or lose your job, you keep your health care.

If you have a plan you like, you keep it. If you want to change plans or aren't currently covered, you can choose from dozens of the same plans available to members of Congress, or you can opt into a public plan option like Medicare. And working families will get tax credits to help pay their premiums.

Insurance companies won't be able to deny you coverage or drop you because their computer model says you're not worth it. They will have to offer and renew coverage to anyone who applies and pays their premium. And like other things that you buy, they will have to compete for your business based on quality and price. Families will have the security of knowing that if they become ill or lose their jobs, they won't lose their coverage.

Nobody has worked harder or longer to improve health care than Hillary Clinton. From her time in Arkansas when she improved rural health care to her successful effort to create the SCHIP Children's Health Insurance program which now covers six million children, Hillary has the strength and experience to ensure that every man, woman and child in America has quality, affordable health care. 

Hillary Clinton has announced her plan to end the war in Iraq and urged President Bush to act immediately.

"Our message to the president is clear. It is time to begin ending this war -- not next year, not next month -- but today.

"We have heard for years now that as the Iraqis stand up, our troops will stand down. Every year, we hear about how next year they may start coming home. Now we are hearing a new version of that yet again from the president as he has more troops in Iraq than ever and the Iraqi government is more fractured and ineffective than ever.

"Well, the right strategy before the surge and post-escalation is the same: start bringing home America's troops now."

If President Bush does not end the war, when Hillary Clinton is president, she will. Her three-step plan would bring our troops home, work to bring stability to the region, and replace military force with a new diplomatic initiative to engage countries around the world in securing Iraq's future. Hillary has been fighting every day in the Senate to force the president to change course. And today she described how she would bring the war to an end.

Starting Phased Redeployment within Hillary's First Days in Office: The most important part of Hillary's plan is the first: to end our military engagement in Iraq's civil war and immediately start bringing our troops home. As president, one of Hillary's first official actions would be to convene the Joint Chiefs of Staff, her Secretary of Defense, and her National Security Council. She would direct them to draw up a clear, viable plan to bring our troops home starting with the first 60 days of her Administration. She would also direct the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to prepare a comprehensive plan to provide the highest quality health care and benefits to every service member -- including every member of the National Guard and Reserves -- and their families.

Securing Stability in Iraq as we Bring our Troops Home. As president, Hillary would focus American aid efforts during our redeployment on stabilizing Iraq, not propping up the Iraqi government. She would direct aid to the entities -- whether governmental or non-governmental -- most likely to get it into the hands of the Iraqi people. She would also support the appointment of a high level U.N. representative -- similar to those appointed in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Kosovo -- to help broker peace among the parties in Iraq.

A New Intensive Diplomatic Initiative in the Region. In her first days in office, Hillary would convene a regional stabilization group composed of key allies, other global powers, and all of the states bordering Iraq. The- mission of this group would be to develop and implement a strategy to create a stable Iraq. It would have three specific goals:

• Non-interference. Working with the U.N. representative, the group would work to convince Iraq's neighbors to refrain from getting involved in the civil war.
• Mediation. The group would attempt to mediate among the different sectarian groups in Iraq with the goal of attaining compromises on fundamental points of disputes.
• Reconstruction funding. The members of the group would hold themselves and other countries to their past pledges to provide funding to Iraq and will encourage additional contributions to meet Iraq's extensive needs.

As our forces redeploy out of Iraq, Hillary would also organize a multi-billion dollar international effort -- funded by a wide range of donor states -- under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to address the needs of Iraqi refugees. And as we replace military force with diplomacy and global leadership, Hillary will not lose sight of our very real strategic interests in the region. She would devote the resources we need to fight terrorism and will order specialized units to engage in narrow and targeted operations against al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations in the region.

Hillary Clinton has announced her plan to end the war in Iraq and urged President Bush to act immediately.

"Our message to the president is clear. It is time to begin ending this war -- not next year, not next month -- but today.

"We have heard for years now that as the Iraqis stand up, our troops will stand down. Every year, we hear about how next year they may start coming home. Now we are hearing a new version of that yet again from the president as he has more troops in Iraq than ever and the Iraqi government is more fractured and ineffective than ever.

"Well, the right strategy before the surge and post-escalation is the same: start bringing home America's troops now."

If President Bush does not end the war, when Hillary Clinton is president, she will. Her three-step plan would bring our troops home, work to bring stability to the region, and replace military force with a new diplomatic initiative to engage countries around the world in securing Iraq's future. Hillary has been fighting every day in the Senate to force the president to change course. And today she described how she would bring the war to an end.

Starting Phased Redeployment within Hillary's First Days in Office: The most important part of Hillary's plan is the first: to end our military engagement in Iraq's civil war and immediately start bringing our troops home. As president, one of Hillary's first official actions would be to convene the Joint Chiefs of Staff, her Secretary of Defense, and her National Security Council. She would direct them to draw up a clear, viable plan to bring our troops home starting with the first 60 days of her Administration. She would also direct the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to prepare a comprehensive plan to provide the highest quality health care and benefits to every service member -- including every member of the National Guard and Reserves -- and their families.

Securing Stability in Iraq as we Bring our Troops Home. As president, Hillary would focus American aid efforts during our redeployment on stabilizing Iraq, not propping up the Iraqi government. She would direct aid to the entities -- whether governmental or non-governmental -- most likely to get it into the hands of the Iraqi people. She would also support the appointment of a high level U.N. representative -- similar to those appointed in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Kosovo -- to help broker peace among the parties in Iraq.

A New Intensive Diplomatic Initiative in the Region. In her first days in office, Hillary would convene a regional stabilization group composed of key allies, other global powers, and all of the states bordering Iraq. The- mission of this group would be to develop and implement a strategy to create a stable Iraq. It would have three specific goals:

• Non-interference. Working with the U.N. representative, the group would work to convince Iraq's neighbors to refrain from getting involved in the civil war.
• Mediation. The group would attempt to mediate among the different sectarian groups in Iraq with the goal of attaining compromises on fundamental points of disputes.
• Reconstruction funding. The members of the group would hold themselves and other countries to their past pledges to provide funding to Iraq and will encourage additional contributions to meet Iraq's extensive needs.

As our forces redeploy out of Iraq, Hillary would also organize a multi-billion dollar international effort -- funded by a wide range of donor states -- under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to address the needs of Iraqi refugees. And as we replace military force with diplomacy and global leadership, Hillary will not lose sight of our very real strategic interests in the region. She would devote the resources we need to fight terrorism and will order specialized units to engage in narrow and targeted operations against al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations in the region.

Hillary has a bold and comprehensive plan to address America's energy and environmental challenges that will establish a green, efficient economy and create as many as five million new jobs.

Centered on a cap and trade system for carbon emissions, stronger energy and auto efficiency standards and a significant increase in green research funding, Hillary's plan will reduce America's reliance on foreign oil and address the looming climate crisis.

Setting ambitious targets, the plan would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 to avoid the worst effects of global warming, and cut foreign oil imports by two-thirds from 2030 projected levels, more than 10 million barrels per day.

Hillary would transform our economy from carbon-based to clean and energy efficient, jumpstarting research and development through a $50 billion Strategic Energy Fund and doubling investment in basic energy research. She would also spur the green building industry by funding the retrofitting and modernization of 20 million low-income homes and take concrete steps to reduce electricity consumption, including enacting strict appliance efficiency standards and phasing out incandescent light bulbs.

Recognizing that transportation accounts for 70 percent of U.S. oil consumption, Hillary would increase fuel efficiency standards to 55 miles per gallon by 2030, but would help automakers retool their production facilities through $20 billion in "Green Vehicle Bonds."

To take the steps necessary to transition to a clean and renewable energy future, Hillary will urge all of the nation's stakeholders to contribute to the effort. Automakers will be asked to make more efficient vehicles; oil and energy companies to invest in cleaner, renewable technologies; utilities to ramp up use of renewables and modernize the grid; coal companies to implement clean coal technology; government to establish a cap and trade carbon emissions system and renew its leadership in energy efficient buildings and services; individuals to conserve energy and utilize efficient light bulbs and appliances in their homes; and industry to build energy efficient homes and buildings.

Hillary's plan to promote energy independence, address global warming, and transform our economy includes:

• A new cap-and-trade program that auctions 100 percent of permits alongside investments to move us on the path towards energy independence; 
• An aggressive comprehensive energy efficiency agenda to reduce electricity consumption 20 percent from projected levels by 2020 by changing the way utilities do business, catalyzing a green building industry, enacting strict appliance efficiency standards, and phasing out incandescent light bulbs; 
• A $50 billion Strategic Energy Fund, paid for in part by oil companies, to fund investments in alternative energy. The SEF will finance one-third of the $150 billon ten-year investment in a new energy future contained in this plan; 
• Doubling of federal investment in basic energy research, including funding for an ARPA-E, a new research agency modeled on the successful Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency 
• Aggressive action to transition our economy toward renewable energy sources, with renewables generating 25 percent of electricity by 2025 and with 60 billion gallons of home-grown biofuels available for cars and trucks by 2030; 
• 10 "Smart Grid City" partnerships to prove the advanced capabilities of smart grid and other advanced demand-reduction technologies, as well as new investment in plug-in hybrid vehicle technologies; 
• An increase in fuel efficiency standards to 55 miles per gallon by 2030, and $20 billion of "Green Vehicle Bonds" to help U.S. automakers retool their plants to meet the standards; 
• A plan to catalyze a thriving green building industry by investing in green collar jobs and helping to modernize and retrofit 20 million low-income homes to make them more energy efficient; 
• A new "Connie Mae" program to make it easier for low and middle-income Americans to buy green homes and invest in green home improvements; 
• A requirement that all publicly traded companies report financial risks due to climate change in annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and 
• Creation of a "National Energy Council" within the White House to ensure implementation of the plan across the Executive Branch. 
• A requirement that all federal buildings designed after January 20, 2009 will be zero emissions buildings.

From her days as a staff attorney for the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) working as an advocate for children with special needs to her leadership of the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee, Hillary has been a passionate advocate for providing greater educational opportunities to all children. Her work for CDF helped pave the way for the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the first time children with special needs were guaranteed the right to a free, appropriate public education. Her work in Arkansas led to tangible results: teacher salaries doubled, class size fell significantly, learning standards and assessments were implemented, and students were given much greater access to higher-level science and foreign-language courses. Hillary also brought Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters, a model parent education program, to the state in order to better prepare all children to start school.

As the nation's First Lady, Hillary promoted the Prescription for Reading program, encouraging pediatricians to "prescribe" that new parents read to their children. She helped create Early Head Start in order to prepare students from low income backgrounds for school. She also spearheaded the administration's efforts to grow an after-school program from a pilot program of $1 million to a $1 billion program, serving children in all 50 states. As a senator, Hillary worked to reform and fully fund No Child Left Behind. She helped enact legislation to recruit and retain teachers and principals to high-need areas. She has been committed to strengthen and fully fund our special education system. She also helped fight off efforts by the Bush administration to slash afterschool funding by 40 percent. As president, Hillary will fight for each and every child in America to have access to the highest quality schools so that they can fulfill their potential and reach their dreams.

Early Childhood Education

Hillary knows that parents are our children's first teachers, and the early years have a tremendous impact on their lives. That is why she will invest heavily in proven strategies to get all children ready for school, including:

• Nurse home visitation programs to help new parents develop parenting skills.
• Quality child care and Head Start.
• Pre-kindergarten for all four-year olds.

K-12

Hillary also knows that we have to improve our K-12 system in order to ensure that every child is prepared to compete in an increasingly global economy. As president, she will:

• End the unfunded mandate known as No Child Left Behind.
• Meet the funding promises of IDEA to ensure that children with special needs get the attention and support they deserve.
• Recruit and retain thousands more outstanding teachers and principals, especially in urban and rural areas.
• Cut the minority dropout rate in half.
• Create "Green Schools" in order to reduce energy costs and eliminate environmental hazards that can hinder children's development.
• Expand early-intervention mentoring programs to help one million at-risk youth aspire for college and job success.
• Identify at-risk youth early on and provide $1 billion in intensive interventions, such as early college high schools and multiple pathways to graduation, to get them back on track.
• Double the after school program to ensure that 2 million young people have a safe and stimulating place to go between 3 and 6 p.m.
• Invest $100 million in a new public/private summer internship program.
• Provide opportunity for 1.5 million disconnected youth in job programs linked to high-growth economic sectors.

College Access

In the 21st century, a college education is more important than ever. Hillary believes it's time for a new bargain with the American people -- a bargain that gives all Americans willing to work hard the tools they need to get ahead. Her plan will make college more affordable and accessible so that every American who has earned it and wants to go has the chance to get a college degree. As president, she will:

• Create a new $3,500 college tax credit.
• Increase the maximum Pell Grant.
• Strengthen community colleges through a $500 million investment.
• Create a graduation fund to increase college graduation rates.
• Increase to $10,000 the college scholarship for those who participate in AmeriCorps full-time for one year.
• Get rid of the red tape in financial aid.
• Hold college costs down and hold colleges accountable for results though an online college cost calculator, a college graduation and employment rate index, and truth in tuition disclosure.
• Challenge selective colleges to expand access for students from low-income communities.

Hillary Clinton has a long history of fighting for our veterans and will work to ensure our country fulfills its obligations to those who have served and sacrificed for the nation.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hillary has championed legislation to improve the lives of our veterans and their families. She worked to provide access to TRICARE for National Guard and Reserve members. She authored the Heroes at Home Act that will begin to help service members struggling with post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. She worked with others in the Senate to pass legislation to increase the military survivor benefit from $12,000 to $100,000.

As president, she will honor three fundamental commitments: First, every member of our armed forces will receive a fair shot at the American dream when their service is over. Second, every veteran in America will have health care. Third, every veteran will receive the benefits they have earned and the assistance they need - right from the start.

Enact a GI Bill of Rights for the Twenty-First Century. Hillary will enact a GI Bill of Rights for the 21st century that will resurrect the spirit of the original 1944 GI Bill and offer service members, veterans and their families with expanded education, housing and entrepreneurial benefits. Her plan will guarantee equal access for all components of the Armed Forces - Active, Guard and Reserve - that have deployed overseas in support of a combat operation since September 11 or served two years of active duty since September 11. She will fund undergraduate education for service members, as well as education for specialized trade or technical training, and certification and licensing programs. She will expand the VA Home Loan Guaranty program to allow veterans to use low-interest, no-fee loans to purchase, build or improve a home valued up to $625,000. She will establish a Veterans Microloan Program to provide veterans with no-collateral, low-interest microloans of up to $100,000 for entrepreneurial ventures.

Provide Affordable and Quality Health Care for All Veterans. As President, Hillary will ensure that all of the 1.8 million uninsured veterans in this country have access to quality, affordable health care. She will restore the Clinton-era policy that opened the VA’s excellent and cost-effective health care system to all veterans who seek to enroll. She will make a long-term commitment to the VA system to ensure it is adequately funded and has the capacity to avoid backlogs and to handle greater enrollments. And she will provide coverage through the American Health Choices Plan to all veterans who choose not to use the VA system.

Ensure All Veterans Receive the Benefits They Have Earned and the Assistance They Need -- Right from the Start. As President, Hillary will commit to getting a fair, accurate, and timely decision for every veteran filing a disability claim. She will increase the number of qualified VA evaluators to reduce the backlog of claims. She will provide fast-track training for new claims specialists and expand the Benefits at Discharge Program to smooth the transition from service to discharge for all those who serve our country.

Extend Hiring Preferences to Veterans-friendly Contractors. Today, there are between 7.2 and 7.6 million federal contractors, 2 million more than there were five years ago. The privatization of government by the Bush administration has meant veterans are losing job opportunities, because contractors do not necessarily have the same hiring policies as the federal government. Hillary will cut the number of contractors working for the federal government by 500,000 over the next 10 years, saving $10 to $18 billion a year. And she will restore and expand job opportunities for veterans by working to establish a system through which federal contractors afford veterans hiring preference comparable to the federal government’s.

Expand the Helmets to Hardhats Program. Hillary will increase funding for the Helmets to Hardhats program. This program links veterans with local job opportunities in the construction and trade industries by offering apprenticeship programs that teach veterans through on-the-job training supplemented by classroom instruction.

Give Veterans Additional Opportunities to Serve. Hillary will make vouchers worth up to $10,000 available to returning veterans who want to serve in AmeriCorps and select not-for-profit organizations. These organizations would provide at least $5,000 to supplement the voucher. This system will help veterans create normal routines and reenter their communities while doing meaningful work serving their country. Hillary will make this subsidy available to as many as 20,000 veterans a year.

Reduce Homelessness among Veterans. In 2006, nearly 200,000 veterans were homeless on any given night. Hillary will establish a pilot program on homelessness prevention for veterans that will provide subsidies, eviction prevention, and one-time assistance for veterans who fall behind on their rent. She will also expand rental assistance for veterans by calling on Congress to fund an additional 20,000 housing choice vouchers exclusively for homeless veterans.

Expand Veterans Homeownership. Hillary will make homeownership more affordable for veterans. Veterans will receive a 50% discount on foreclosed properties in the government’s inventory, which currently stands at 35,000 homes. And she will eliminate the upfront fees on VA mortgages for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who take out VA loans within two years of leaving active duty. 

America is ready for a president who fights for our children. Hillary has spent her lifetime as an effective advocate for parents and children.

From her first job out of law school at the Children's Defense Fund to her time as First Lady of Arkansas and of the United States to her service in the Senate, helping children has been at the center of Hillary's public life.

In the White House, Hillary will continue her lifelong work to create a world where every child is cherished, loved, and able to fulfill his or her potential.

Among the issues she has fought for and will make a priority as president are:

• Attracting and supporting more outstanding teachers and principals, and paying them like the professionals they are.
• Reforming the No Child Left Behind Act. This law represented a promise -- more resources for schools in exchange for more accountability -- and that promise has not been kept.
• Giving new parents support and training to promote healthy development for their children.
• Increasing access to high-quality early education and helping to create Early Head Start.
• Passing legislation to provide respite care for caregivers of elderly and disabled Americans.
• Helping to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act to enable new parents to take time off without losing their jobs, and expanding it to make it available to more parents and to provide for longer leave.
• Advocating for adoption and for abused and neglected children -- as First Lady, Hillary pushed legislation that more than doubled adoptions out of foster care.
• Promoting programs, like Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters, that provide new parents with support and guidance in caring for their children. As First Lady of Arkansas, she helped bring HIPPY to the U.S.
• Protecting children against violence and sexual content in the media and studying the impact of electronic media on children's cognitive, social, and physical development.
• Providing meaningful support to households, called "kinship care" families, where grandparents and other relatives are raising children.

Americans are ready for a leader who will restore America's reputation in the world, and Hillary is prepared to lead America back in the right direction.

The next president's most urgent task will be to restore America's standing in the world to promote our interests, ensure our security, and advance our values.

America is stronger when we lead the world through alliances and build our foreign policy on a strong foundation of bipartisan consensus. As president, Hillary will lead by the words of the Declaration of Independence, which pledged "a decent respect to the opinions of mankind."

We know we need global coalitions to tackle global problems like climate change, poverty, AIDS, and terrorism. And to keep our country safe, we need to start engaging our enemies again. During the Cold War, with missiles pointed at us, we never stopped talking to the Soviet Union. That didn't mean we agreed with them or approved of them. But it did mean we came to understand them -- and that was crucial to confronting the threats they posed.

Hillary knows that America must remain a preeminent leader for peace and freedom, willing to work in concert with other nations and institutions to reach common goals. Hillary has put forth an aggressive plan to support public schools in developing countries in an effort to achieve universal primary education for the 77 million children around the world who aren't in school because they are too poor.

As First Lady and U.S. senator, Hillary visited more than 80 countries and met countless world leaders as America's representative. In the Senate, Hillary has continued to promote America's interests through her work on international affairs.

Senator Clinton takes very seriously the threats we face from terrorism. She believes President Bush's singular focus on Iraq has distracted him from waging the war on terror effectively and emboldened our enemies. As president, she will be tough and smart in combating terrorism.

Hillary has steadfastly fought for Israel's right to exist peacefully and to defend its people against terrorism. She has condemned Hamas's rise to power. She has spoken out against the problem of anti-Semitism in Palestinian textbooks and condemned Iran's conference on the Holocaust. She also successfully helped Magen David Adom join the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement.

She has continued to advance peace in Northern Ireland by maintaining close ties with Irish leaders and promoting business partnerships between Northern Ireland and the United States.

Hillary has been a forceful and consistent advocate for a more robust response to the violence in Darfur since May 2004. She has raised the issue with the Bush administration and pushed for more resources for peacekeeping efforts.

Hillary's historic statement at the United Nations Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 that "women's rights are human rights" still echoes worldwide. As a lawyer, advocate, First Lady, and senator, Hillary has fought for issues important to women here at home and around the world for decades.

Today, despite the progress women have made, they earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn -- and women of color earn even less. Hillary is leading the charge in the Senate to strengthen equal pay laws and end pay disparities between men and women. She introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen the penalties associated with wage discrimination, to ensure that the federal government sets a higher standard, and to increase oversight of employers. Hillary has also worked to increase access to capital and other support for women-owned businesses.

When it comes to each woman's ability to make the most personal of life decisions, Hillary has stood firm as an advocate for a woman's right to choose. She has expanded access to family planning services, including for low-income women. She spoke out forcefully against the Supreme Court's April 2007 decision that -- for the first time in decades -- failed to recognize the importance of women's health.

Hillary has worked to empower women throughout the world, especially low-income women. She has advocated for access to microfinance programs that enable women to start their own businesses and spoken out strongly against the tragic practice of sex trafficking.

As president, Hillary will continue her lifelong fight to ensure that all Americans are treated with respect and dignity.

Hillary has fought the relentless and insidious efforts by far-right Republicans to limit the protections of Roe v Wade, while also working hard to expand access to family planning services.

Hillary has seen what happens when governments try to control a woman's reproductive health decisions. Whether it was Romania under a dictatorship saying you had to have children for the good of the state or China saying you had to have only one child for the good of the state, governments have dictated the most private and important decisions that we as individuals or families can make.

She has championed the Prevention First Act, which expands access to family planning services for low-income women, requires health insurance companies to cover contraception, and provides a dedicated funding stream for age-appropriate, medically accurate, comprehensive sex education.

As First Lady, she helped pass the Family and Medical Leave Act and helped found the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancies, which established and achieved a goal of reducing teen pregnancies by one-third between 1996 and 2005.

In partnership with Senator Patty Murray, Hillary waged a successful three-year battle to get the Food and Drug Administration to accept the overwhelming recommendation of the medical community and make Plan B (the "morning after" pill) available over the counter.

Hillary's work to empower low-income women has changed lives. She fought for the elimination of school fees, which prevent poor children in some countries from attending school, and for investments in health care and education for women and girls. And she helped found Vital Voices, a not-for-profit organization that continues to work to support women's leadership around the globe.

Americans are ready for a government that puts competence ahead of cronyism.

In the past seven years, we've seen the president hand out jobs to his friends who were not qualified. Give out no-bid contracts to Halliburton. Fire U.S. attorneys who tried to uphold the law. And then there was Hurricane Katrina -- when a natural disaster became a national disgrace. It's a government of the few, by the few, and for the few -- and good luck to everyone else.

Well, how about this for a new approach? No more cronyism, no more corruption, and no more deception. And here's an old-fashioned idea: let's start appointing qualified people to positions of power again.

Government certainly isn't the answer to all our problems. But good government -- smart government -- can be a partner for progress. It can help solve problems and accomplish things together we could never accomplish alone.

We all know that in order to meet the challenges of our day -- to lift up our middle class and hard working families; to establish universal health care, energy independence, and fiscal responsibility; to end the war in Iraq and restore our leadership around the world -- we need a government that will rise to the occasion. We need a return to transparency and a system of checks and balances, to a president who respects Congress's role of oversight and accountability. We need a 21st century government to meet our 21st century challenges.

Hillary has proposed a comprehensive, 10-point plan to restore Americans' confidence in their government by increasing transparency and cutting waste and corruption. Her plan includes:

• Banning Cabinet officials from lobbying a Hillary Clinton administration. 
• Strengthening whistleblower protections. 
• Creating a public service academy. 
• Ending abuse of no-bid government contracts and posting all contracts online. 
• Cutting 500,000 government contractors. 
• Restoring the Office of Technology Assessment. 
• Publishing budgets for every government agency. 
• Implementing Results America Initiative to track government effectiveness. 
• Tracking and eliminating corporate welfare. 
• Expanding voting access and safeguarding voting machines.

In addition to her comprehensive plan for government reform, Hillary has proposed a detailed plan to restore professionalism to the Department of Justice. Under President Bush and his attorneys general, partisanship and cronyism have driven investigations, case selection, and the hiring of new career personnel. We have to believe that justice is blind in America and that our government will effectively and impartially uphold the law. Hillary has a plan to restore that belief. She will:

• Rebuild the Department of Justice's traditional role in defending civil rights and the rule of law, and review charges of improper, politically motivated hiring. 
• Help local school districts pursue voluntary integration and reduce racial inequality, in the face of a Supreme Court decision limiting districts' options. 
• Strengthen our voting laws so that every citizen can fully exercise his or her constitutional right to vote. 
• Combat ongoing racial and sex discrimination in the labor market by improving laws and expanding enforcement. 
• Modernize and strengthen the federal hate crimes law.

Hillary has also outlined a set of proposals to end the Bush administration's war on science and to restore scientific integrity to government decision-making. She will:

• Rescind the ban on ethical embryonic stem cell research. 
• Ban political appointees from unduly interfering with scientific conclusions and publications. 
• Direct department and agency heads to safeguard against political pressure that threatens scientific integrity and to promote transparency in decision-making. 
• Appoint an Assistant to the President for Science and Technology Policy and strengthen the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

America is ready for a leader who will make fair and honest elections a priority. As a senator, Hillary has fought to restore integrity to our elections. She will bring the same commitment to the White House.

Fair and honest elections are the bedrock of a successful democracy. Yet we have seen abuses in national elections since 2000 that have undermined our democracy and Americans' faith in our electoral system.

Hillary is a leading champion of election reform. She has introduced the Count Every Vote Act to avoid repeating the problems of the past and ensure the integrity of our elections. Her bill:

• Provides a paper trail for every vote cast.
• Designates Election Day as a national holiday.
• Allows same-day registration.
• Minimizes long lines at the polls.
• Makes sure that impartial officials administer our elections.
• Allows the attorney general to bring suit against anyone using deceptive practices (like distributing flyers with incorrect information about voter eligibility) to keep voters from voting.
• Helps states invest in better voting technology.

Hillary, along with Senator Barbara Boxer and Representatives Stephanie Tubbs Jones and John Lewis, reintroduced the Count Every Vote Act on the 42nd anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march from Selma, Alabama. She has vowed to continue the fight for this bill because all Americans should be sure their votes are counted.

Hillary has also been a champion for civil rights. She has called for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act -- comprehensive civil rights legislation that would finally prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of their sexual orientation. She has also supported legislation to end hate crimes by empowering federal officers with the greater authority and resources to investigate and prosecute these crimes.

She worked on bills, both of which were passed into law, to honor Shirley Chisholm for her service and to place a statue of Sojourner Truth in the U.S. Capitol. And she strongly opposed the confirmations of Samuel Alito and John Roberts as Supreme Court Justices, and those of Charles Pickering, Miguel Estrada, Janice Rogers Brown, and Priscilla Owen as federal circuit court judges.

Our immigration system is in crisis. The laws we currently have on the books are inadequate and no longer serve our best interests. As a nation, we place a premium on compassion, respect, and policies that help families, but our immigration laws don't reflect that.

Hillary has consistently called for comprehensive immigration reform that respects our immigrant heritage and honors the rule of law. She believes comprehensive reform must have as essential ingredients a strengthening of our borders, greater cross-cooperation with our neighbors, strict but fair enforcement of our laws, federal assistance to our state and local governments, strict penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers, and a path to earned legal status for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar.

Hillary strongly believes we need to do more to know who is in our country by securing our borders and ensuring that employers comply with the law against hiring and exploiting undocumented workers. She supports deploying new technology that can help stop the flow of undocumented immigrants into the country and an employer verification system that is universal, accurate, timely, and does not lead to discrimination and abuse by employers.

Along with these changes, Hillary believes we need to repair those broken portions of our immigration system that irrevocably damage families and force citizens and lawful immigrants to choose between their newly adopted country and living with their spouse or children. We have a national interest in fostering strong families. This is why she introduced an amendment during consideration of the immigration reform bill that would have taken steps to protect the sanctity of families. Our American values demand no less.

And Hillary understands that our immigration policies have a direct impact on American workers. She opposes a guest worker program that exploits workers and creates a supply of cheap labor that undermines the wages of U.S. workers. Hillary believes all workers deserve safe conditions and decent wages. She supports an Ag Jobs program, which will keep our agricultural industry vibrant while enabling agricultural workers to receive the fair wages and labor protections they ought to receive.

When Hillary is president, comprehensive immigration reform will be a top priority.

Hillary has advocated for policies to help smooth the transition of legal immigrants once they arrive in the U.S. so that they can add to our economy and culture.

• She championed the Legal Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act, which would give states the option to provide federally funded Medicaid and SCHIP benefits to low-income legal immigrant children and pregnant women.
• She wrote the Access to Employment and English Acquisition Act to meet the growing demand for English language courses and other job skills.
• She strongly supports the DREAM Act, which provides a path to citizenship through military service or higher education for children who were brought to the U.S. by their parents.
• She offered an amendment to make family reunification the guiding principle of our immigration system.

Our immigration system is in crisis. The laws we currently have on the books are inadequate and no longer serve our best interests. As a nation, we place a premium on compassion, respect, and policies that help families, but our immigration laws don't reflect that.

Hillary has consistently called for comprehensive immigration reform that respects our immigrant heritage and honors the rule of law. She believes comprehensive reform must have as essential ingredients a strengthening of our borders, greater cross-cooperation with our neighbors, strict but fair enforcement of our laws, federal assistance to our state and local governments, strict penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers, and a path to earned legal status for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar.

Hillary strongly believes we need to do more to know who is in our country by securing our borders and ensuring that employers comply with the law against hiring and exploiting undocumented workers. She supports deploying new technology that can help stop the flow of undocumented immigrants into the country and an employer verification system that is universal, accurate, timely, and does not lead to discrimination and abuse by employers.

Along with these changes, Hillary believes we need to repair those broken portions of our immigration system that irrevocably damage families and force citizens and lawful immigrants to choose between their newly adopted country and living with their spouse or children. We have a national interest in fostering strong families. This is why she introduced an amendment during consideration of the immigration reform bill that would have taken steps to protect the sanctity of families. Our American values demand no less.

And Hillary understands that our immigration policies have a direct impact on American workers. She opposes a guest worker program that exploits workers and creates a supply of cheap labor that undermines the wages of U.S. workers. Hillary believes all workers deserve safe conditions and decent wages. She supports an Ag Jobs program, which will keep our agricultural industry vibrant while enabling agricultural workers to receive the fair wages and labor protections they ought to receive.

When Hillary is president, comprehensive immigration reform will be a top priority.

Hillary has advocated for policies to help smooth the transition of legal immigrants once they arrive in the U.S. so that they can add to our economy and culture.

• She championed the Legal Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act, which would give states the option to provide federally funded Medicaid and SCHIP benefits to low-income legal immigrant children and pregnant women.
• She wrote the Access to Employment and English Acquisition Act to meet the growing demand for English language courses and other job skills.
• She strongly supports the DREAM Act, which provides a path to citizenship through military service or higher education for children who were brought to the U.S. by their parents.
• She offered an amendment to make family reunification the guiding principle of our immigration system.

HILLAY CLINTON'S INNOVATION AGENDA:
INVESTING IN IDEAS AND CREATING
HIGH_WAGE JOBS OF THE FUTURE

At a time when workers are anxious about the challenges of globalization and there is growing concern that America is losing its competitive edge, Hillary Clinton offered her views on how innovation can be the key for creating new jobs, stimulating economic growth, and ensuring American leadership of 21st century industries. She detailed policy proposals to renew the nation’s commitment to research; help create the premier science, engineering, technology, and mathematics workforce; and upgrade our innovation infrastructure. Hillary Clinton also rejected the Bush administration’s mixture of science with politics, and pledged to restore integrity to federal science policy.

BACKGROUND: America is still an “innovation superpower.” We have the world’s best university system, an entrepreneurial culture, and the availability of risk capital. Also, we spend more than $300 billion a year on research and development (approximately 2.7% of GDP), more than any other nation. Our products and services are in demand the world over. Last year, Americans captured all of the Nobel Prizes in science.

THE CHALLENGES: Other nations are increasingly investing in their innovation infrastructure, positioning themselves to challenge our leadership. In the last 12 years, China has doubled the percentage of GDP dedicated to R&D, and over that same period GDP itself doubled. Also, our share of the world’s scientists and engineers has declined, and too few American college students are preparing themselves for these careers. Fewer than 20% of American undergraduates are earning degrees in science or engineering, compared with more than 50% in China. And, we now rank 25th in broadband deployment.

THE SOLUTIONS: Hillary Clinton proposed a 9-point plan to renew the nation’s commitment to research; help create the premier science, engineering, technology and mathematics workforce; and upgrade our innovation infrastructure:

1. Establish a $50-billion Strategic Energy Fund. The Fund would finance an energy research agency that gathers the best minds from academia, the private sector, and government to devise ways to make the United States energy independent and reduce the threat of global warming. Oil companies would have the choice of either investing in alternative energy or contributing a portion of their earnings into the Fund. The Fund would also provide tax incentives for homeowners and businesses to make their houses and offices more energy efficient; provide gas station owners a tax credit for installing E85 (ethanol) pumps; provide loan guarantees for the commercialization of cellulosic biofuels; and providing incentives for the development of new technologies that contribute to a cleaner environment.
2. Increase the basic research budgets 50% over 10 years at the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, and the Defense Department. The increased investment can be accomplished through a combination of new and reallocated funds. At present, federal expenditures on basic research total $28 billion, $13 billion of which is spent outside of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
   • Increase research focus on the physical sciences and engineering. Funding for research in the physical sciences and engineering have remained relatively flat for over a decade, while other nations have stepped up spending. Hillary Clinton proposes to direct the federal agencies to commit a large portion of their budget increases to research in these areas.
   • Require that federal research agencies set aside at least 8% of their research budgets for discretionary funding of high-risk research. It is critical to support unconventional research that has the potential of producing break-through results. Under the Bush administration, agencies like the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have reduced support for truly revolutionary research. This is a problem because DARPA has played a major role in maintaining America’s economic and military leadership. DARPA backed such projects as the Internet, stealth technology, and the Global Positioning System.
   • Ensure that e-science initiatives are adequately funded. E-science has transformative potential, and we must accelerate the pace of discovery and investment to ensure that America leads the emerging field. E-science is research that links Internet-based tools, global collaboration, supercomputers, high-speed networks, and software for simulation and visualization. The potential of e-science is great. For example, researchers could one day model climate change by constructing scale simulations of the Earth’s systems. The NSF commits approximately 3% of its budget, or $200 million annually, to the support of e-science through its Office of Cyberinfrastructure.
   • Boost support for multidisciplinary research in areas such as the intersection of bio, info, and nanotechnologies. This is an area of potentially unique competitive advantage for the United States. Few countries have the depth and breadth of our excellence across different scientific and technological fields.
3. Increase the NIH budget by 50% over 5 years and aim to double it over 10 years. Since 2003, the National Institute of Health (NIH) budget has been largely flat, and President Bush proposes reducing it by 1.1% in 2008. Declines in NIH expenditures could significantly affect the quantity and quality of university research, dissuade young people from pursuing careers in science, and impede biomedical advances. NIH-funded research has produced break-through treatments for heart disease, cancer, and AIDS. With funding lagging, there are fewer grants for researchers; there is increased uncertainty about whether funding will be sufficient to complete projects; there is less support for truly creative research; some labs are understaffed; and many construction projects have been scaled back or suspended. The multi-year commitment provides predictability, and the increased funding will help ensure that the next generation of scientists will be well trained.
   • Increase investment in the non-health applications of biotechnology in order to fuel 21st century industry. The NIH dominates federal investments in biology and the life sciences, and there are only a few programs exploring non-health applications of biotech. And although biotechnology is a $50 billion industry, it is still in its infancy-and that is particularly true where the non-health applications are concerned. An example of non-health biotech is the creation of bacteria that can remove toxins from the environment, such as heavy metals or radioactive contaminants. Insights from biotechnology can accelerate growth in a large number of other fields-not unlike the way 20th century developments in the chemicals industry drove growth in oil and gas refining, pulp and paper, building materials, and pharmaceuticals. The NIH will have to work with other agencies to explore these non-health applications.
4. Direct the federal agencies to award prizes in order to accomplish specific innovation goals. The federal agencies should regularly use prizes to encourage innovation when there is a clearly defined goal and when there are multiple technological paths for achieving that goal. Prizes can attract non-traditional participants and stimulate the development of useful but under-funded technology. Hillary Clinton proposes to make prizes a part of the budgets at the research agencies.
5. Triple the number of NSF fellowships and increase the size of each award by 33 percent. At present, the NSF offers approximately 1,000 fellowships per year, similar to 1960s levels, although the number of college students graduating with science and engineering degrees has grown three fold. The NSF fellowship is the key financial resource for science and engineering graduate students. Hillary Clinton proposes increasing the number of fellowships to 3,000 per year. She also proposes increasing the size of each award from $30,000 to $40,000 per year (simultaneously, she proposes to increase the NSF award to each recipient’s school from $10,500 per recipient to $14,000 per recipient to help cover educational costs). It is estimated that this would increase the annual cost of the program from $122 million to $500 million. [Richard Freeman, the Hamilton Project, "Investment in the Best and Brightest," December 2006]
6. Support initiatives to bring more women and minorities into the math, science, and engineering professions. Increasing the educational attainment of women and minorities, particularly in math, science and engineering, is critical to our future as an innovative nation. Women comprise 43% of the workforce but only 23% of scientists and engineers. Blacks and Hispanics represent 30% of the workforce, but only 7% of scientists and engineers. Unless women and underrepresented minorities develop strong math, science, and engineering skills, the average educational attainment of the American worker will decline. Hillary Clinton proposes that the federal agencies adopt criteria that take diversity into account when awarding education and research grants. She also proposes that the federal government provide financial support to college and university programs that encourage women and minorities to study math, science, and engineering.
7. Support initiatives to establish leadership in broadband. Under the Bush administration, the country that invented the Internet has slipped to 25th in the global rankings for broadband deployment. In order to accelerate the deployment of sophisticated networks, Hillary Clinton proposes that the federal government provide tax incentives to encourage broadband deployment in underserved areas. She also proposes financial support for state and local broadband initiatives. Various municipal broadband initiatives are underway around the country to accelerate the deployment of high speed networks. The initiatives are useful for education, commerce, technology development, and the efficient provision of municipal services.
8. Overhaul the R&E tax credit to make the U.S. a more attractive location for high-paying jobs. The 20% incremental tax credit should be made permanent. Since its introduction in 1981, the credit has been extended 12 times and allowed to lapse once. A permanent credit would make the U.S. a more attractive location for R&D facilities, increasing the likelihood that high-paying research jobs will be created here rather than abroad. Hillary Clinton proposes to make the tax credit permanent in order to eliminate uncertainty, and to make it easier for companies to plan their R&D budgets.
9. Restore integrity to science policy. It is important to reinvigorate the Office of Science and Technology Policy to ensure that the President receives objective, fact-based advice. Hillary Clinton will reverse the Bush administration’s irresponsible politicization of science.

SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS TO HILLARY
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/innovation/

President Bush Biography
Vice President Cheney Biography
Laura Bush Biography
Lynne Cheney Biography 

In 1969, Hillary entered Yale Law School, where she served on the Board of Editors of Yale Law Review and Social Action, interned with children's advocate Marian Wright Edelman, and met Bill Clinton. The President often recalls how they met in the library when she strode up to him and said, "If you're going to keep staring at me, I might as well introduce myself." The two were soon inseparable--partners in moot court, political campaigns, and matters of the heart.

After graduation, Hillary advised the Children's Defense Fund in Cambridge and joined the impeachment inquiry staff advising the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives. After completing those responsibilities, she "followed her heart to Arkansas," where Bill had begun his political career.

They married in 1975. She joined the faculty of the University of Arkansas Law School in 1975 and the Rose Law Firm in 1976. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the board of the Legal Services Corporation, and Bill Clinton became governor of Arkansas. Their daughter, Chelsea, was born in 1980.

Hillary served as Arkansas's First Lady for 12 years, balancing family, law, and public service. She chaired the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee, co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and served on the boards of the Arkansas Children's Hospital, Legal Services, and the Children's Defense Fund.

As the nation's First Lady, Hillary continued to balance public service with private life. Her active role began in 1993 when the President asked her to chair the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. She continued to be a leading advocate for expanding health insurance coverage, ensuring children are properly immunized, and raising public awareness of health issues. She wrote a weekly newspaper column entitled "Talking It Over," which focused on her experiences as First Lady and her observations of women, children, and families she has met around the world. Her 1996 book It Takes a Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us was a best seller, and she received a Grammy Award for her recording of it.

As First Lady, her public involvement with many activities sometimes led to controversy. Undeterred by critics, Hillary won many admirers for her staunch support for women around the world and her commitment to children's issues.

She was elected United States Senator from New York on November 7, 2000. She is the first First Lady elected to the United States Senate and the first woman elected statewide in New York. 

ours

• Air Force One
• Camp David
• Marine One

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Party: Democratic

Occupation: Lawyer, U.S. Senator

Current Job / Position: Senator from New York

Web site(s):
Hillary for President 
Sen. Hillary Clinton 
Sen. Clinton's Voting Record

• Nebraskans Overwhelm Caucus Capacity (Feb. 9, 2008)
• Campaigns Prepare for a Long Haul (Feb. 9, 2008)
• Clinton, Obama to Speak at Jefferson Jackson Dinne (Feb. 9, 2008)
• Three Leaders' Chosen Ones (Feb. 8, 2008)
• Area Dems Rally for Candidates; McCain in Norfolk (Feb. 8, 2008)

More Post Coverage of Clinton »

Clinton's Issue Statements

Health Care, Social Security, Iraq, National Security, Energy, Immigration,Affirmative Action, Economy, Budget, Education, Gay Marriage, Abortion, Poverty,Gun Control, Stem Cell Research, Top Priorities

Biography

During the 1992 presidential campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton observed, "Our lives are a mixture of different roles. Most of us are doing the best we can to find whatever the right balance is . . . For me, that balance is family, work, and service."

Hillary Diane Rodham, Dorothy and Hugh Rodham's first child, was born on October 26, 1947. Two brothers, Hugh and Tony, soon followed. Hillary's childhood in Park Ridge, Illinois, was happy and disciplined. She loved sports and her church, and was a member of the National Honor Society, and a student leader. Her parents encouraged her to study hard and to pursue any career that interested her. 

Biography

Personal

Birthdate: October 26, 1947 (Chicago, Ill. )

Hometown: Park Ridge, Ill.

Spouse: Bill Clinton

Children: Chelsea Clinton

Religion: United Methodist

Education

• Yale Law School, J.D., 1973
• Wellesley College, B.A., 1969
• Maine South High School

Experience

Businesses Owned, Past Careers, Board Memberships, Etc.:

• Attorney, Rose Law Firm, 1976-1992
• Faculty, University of Arkansas Law School, 1975
• Board Member, TCBY Yogurt Company, 1985-1992
• Board Member, Wal-Mart, 1985-1992
• Board Member, Arkansas Children's Hospital
• Board Member, Children's Defense Fund
• Co-Founder, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families

Public Service / Elected Offices:

• Senator, United States Senate, 2001-present
• First Lady of the United States, 1993-2001
• First Lady of Arkansas, 1979-1981, 1983-1993
• House Judiciary Committee, 1974

Book(s)

• Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids' Letters to the First Pets by Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
• It Takes a Village by Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Witness to Genocide: The Children of Rwanda: Drawings by Child Survivors of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994 by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Richard A. Salem

Endorsements

98 campaign endorsements (of 584) by state-level political figures.

Latest Endorsements

• Nevada: Bob Coffin (Jan. 10, 2008)
• Michigan: Lee Gonzales
• Michigan: Mark Schauer
• Nevada: John Oceguera
• Nevada: William Horne

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Do you have a plan to make health care more accessible to Americans? If so, how would you do it?

Yes. I recently unveiled a plan that will provide quality, affordable health care to all Americans, including the 47 million who don't have coverage today. I believe we have a moral imperative to provide quality health care for all Americans, and when I am President, enacting legislation to provide guaranteed quality, affordable health care will be my top domestic priority. My plan is based on the principles of shared responsibility and choice. If you have a plan you like, you keep it. If you want to change plans or aren't currently covered, you can choose from the same plans available to Members of Congress or opt into a public plan like Medicare. My plan will lower costs and improve quality, making health care affordable and accessible to everyone. It will lower health care costs by modernizing the system, focusing on preventive care, coordinating and streamlining care for chronically ill patients, and getting rid of the hidden cost of providing care to the uninsured. Under my plan, working families will get a tax credit to help pay for their premiums, insurance companies won't be able to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions, and people won't lose coverage if they switch or lose their jobs.

Do you support allowing a portion of the money currently withheld for Social Security to be put into private accounts? Why or why not?

I strongly oppose Social Security privatization. Social Security is a solemn promise to our seniors, and I am committed to keeping that promise. I am proud to have fought President Bush's attempt to privatize Social Security, which would have dismantled Social Security's guaranteed benefit structure, reduced Social Security benefits, and put seniors' retirement at risk by subjecting individuals to the whims of the stock market. Social Security is the single greatest domestic program in our history, and we have to protect it.

What specific changes would you make to the Social Security program?

I have a clear, straightforward plan to deal with Social Security. First, return to fiscal responsibility. That will give us the kinds of options we had in the late 1990s, when we had a plan to keep Social Security solvent until 2055. Second, set up a bipartisan process to address Social Security's long-term challenges. Third, as part of that process, we should consider a range of modest fixes to strengthen the program. But I will never agree to privatization, and I do not believe we should fix Social Security on the backs of the middle class or our nation's seniors. I also believe that in addition to protecting Social Security for future generations, we need to do more to promote retirement savings. That's why I have a plan to give every American the chance to open a new American Retirement Account, with generous matching tax cuts of up to $1,000 to help middle-class families save.

Do you support setting a deadline for either a withdrawal or a partial pullback of troops from Iraq? If so, what would be the date of that deadline?

Yes. I have voted for end dates in May 2008, June 2008, and December 2008. But President Bush is not willing to set an end date. When I am President, I will end the war in Iraq. I will convene a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, my Secretary of Defense, and my National Security Council to draw up a viable plan to bring our troops home starting within the first 60 days of my administration. When I am President, I will withdraw our forces from the sectarian fighting. There will be no American soldiers refereeing a civil war. No more combat patrols in Baghdad.

What distinguishes your plan for Iraq from those of the other candidates?

I have laid out a detailed plan for ending the war in Iraq swiftly and responsibly. As President, I would bring our troops home, work to bring stability to the region, and replace a military force with a new diplomatic initiative to engage countries around the world in securing Iraq's future and America's national interests. I would focus U.S. aid on helping Iraqis, ensuring that financial resources are used properly and not wasted, stolen, or hoarded by government ministries or ministers. I would also convene a regional stabilization group of allies, other global powers and all of the states bordering Iraq to develop and implement a strategy to create a stable Iraq. I would organize an international effort funded by a wide range of donor states, under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to address the needs of Iraqi refugees.

What would be your top three national security priorities if you were elected?

As President, my top national security priorities will be to end the war in Iraq, to reinforce the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan, and to rebuild our shattered alliances. These three priorities are all essential components of restoring American power and leadership around the world.

What types of regulations and guidelines do you plan on implementing or promoting in order to deal with climate change and to make our country less oil dependent?

I recently announced my plan to address the energy and climate crises. I have three big goals: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, the level necessary to avoid the worst impacts of global warming; to cut foreign oil imports by two-thirds from projected levels by 2030; and to transform our carbon-based economy into an efficient green economy, creating at least five million jobs from clean energy over the next decade. Specifically, my plan includes a new cap-and-trade program that auctions 100 percent of permits, an energy efficiency agenda to reduce electricity consumption by 20 percent from projected levels by 2020, and a $50 billion fund for investments in alternative energy. In addition, I will work toward doubling federal investment in basic energy research, taking aggressive action to transition our economy toward renewable energy sources, and increasing fuel efficiency standards to 40 miles per gallon by 2020 and 55 miles per gallon by 2030. I will also support a green building industry, modernize low-income homes to make them more energy efficient, and make it easier for low-income Americans to buy green homes and invest in green home improvements. Lastly, I will create an energy council within the White House.

Should the government have a role in encouraging development of energy efficient technologies and sustainable energy resources? If yes, how would you do it?

I believe that the government has a responsibility to provide a framework, incentives, and investments to move us toward energy independence; lead again in the international arena; and reform its organizational structure to address this new energy challenge. But I also believe that the private sector -- including oil companies, utilities, auto companies, and businesses -- and individuals must do their part in meeting the goals I have set. As I mentioned above, I have a comprehensive plan to confront global warming and move our country toward energy independence. But let me describe in detail two specific proposals I have announced to develop energy-efficient technologies and sustainable energy resources. The $50 billion fund for investments in alternative energy that I will create will demand that oil companies invest in clean energy. It's about time that oil companies do their share in funding clean energy technologies. I am going to give oil companies a choice: invest more in renewable energy technology or pay into the fund. The fund will eliminate oil company tax breaks and make sure that oil companies pay their fair share in royalties when drilling on public lands. This fund would jumpstart a clean energy future by injecting $50 billion over 10 years into research, development, and deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean coal technology, ethanol and other homegrown biofuels. Under my plan, I would seek to produce 25 percent of electricity from wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and other renewable resources by 2025. I would encourage investment in renewable energy production by making permanent the 1.9 cent per-kilowatt-hour tax credit for producing electricity from renewable sources. Families and businesses will receive tax incentives to install small-scale renewable energy technologies such as rooftop solar panels. We would establish national 'net metering' standards to ensure that families and businesses that install solar panels or other renewable energy resources can sell power back to the grid on fair terms.

How do you think the United States should handle illegal immigrants? Do you support President Bush's immigration plan?

The failure of the Congress and the White House to pass comprehensive immigration reform has left the country with a broken system that needs to be fixed. As President, I will work to pass comprehensive immigration reform that includes five key elements. I believe we have to toughen security at our borders, by placing more people and technology there. I will ensure that my policy cracks down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants and applies strict penalties for those who exploit these workers. I think that we should work with local communities to deal with the consequences of a broken immigration system. I plan to work with our neighbors to the south to find ways to provide economic opportunities for their own people. And, lastly, I will make sure that my policy provides a path to earned legalization that requires people to learn English and pay fines.

What are your top three priorities with regard to immigration?

My top three priorities, which are outlined in more detail in the previous question, are to ensure that comprehensive immigration reform includes toughening security at our borders, placing stronger restrictions or sanctions on employers, and providing a path to earned citizenship for people who have been living and working in the United States lawfully.

Do you support affirmative action? If you do, why do you think it is a benefit to our country? If not, what do you think would be gained by changing or eliminating it?

I support affirmative action that opens the doors of opportunity, but I don't believe in quotas to guarantee results. For millions of Americans, affirmative action policies helped knock down barriers of the past that prevented them from attending school, entering the workforce, or starting a small business. I was in support of the University of Michigan affirmative action cases because I believe that diversity in higher education is a vital national interest. The benefits of diversity are real-- and not only in our school system but also in our economy and society overall. As President, I will support strong and sensible affirmative action. I will call upon corporate America to be as diverse as the customers it serves. I will call on schools to support programs to meet the needs of all of its students from different backgrounds. And I will build an administration that reflects America's diverse backgrounds and values.

Do you agree or disagree with the argument that only the wealthiest Americans are benefiting from the current economic growth? Why or why not?

There is no doubt that our economy is not working for many working Americans. While by some measures the American economy has improved over the last six-and-a-half years, the fruits of that progress haven't reached most of our families. In 2005, all income gains went to the top 10 percent of households in the United States while the bottom 90 percent saw a drop in their incomes. But that isn't because they're not working hard -- they're working longer and harder but they're not getting rewarded for that. Over the past six years, productivity has risen 18 percent but family incomes have fallen $1,300. As a result, we are seeing a growing gap between the haves and the have-nots that is threatening America's middle class, which is the backbone of our country. According to a 2006 Goldman Sachs study, the most significant contributor to higher corporate profit margins over the past five years has been a decline in labor's share of national income. Over the 12-month period ending July 2006, slow growth in labor compensation accounted for 64 percent of the increase in corporate profit margins.

What are the three most important things you would do to promote economic growth and prosperity?

I believe it's time to reject President Bush's philosophy of a 'you're-on-your-own' society and to replace it with a progressive commitment to shared prosperity. My first priority will be to lay the foundations for an economy that will create good, high-paying jobs in the United States. To this end, I will end tax breaks for American companies that ship jobs overseas. I will implement an energy plan that will drive innovation, expand domestic manufacturing, and help create five million new 'green collar' jobs in the country. I have laid out a comprehensive innovation agenda to modernize our research and technology infrastructure to keep the United States on the cutting edge. And I will raise the minimum wage and expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is one of our nation's most effective tools to encourage work. My second priority will be to provide quality, affordable health care to all Americans, which I view as essential to our economic success. The skyrocketing cost of health care is undermining the competitiveness of America's businesses and is particularly burdensome for small businesses, which have been responsible for 80 percent of net new job growth since 1990. That is why a key component of my plan is to lower costs throughout the entire health care system. My plan will also provide a tax credit to small businesses to help them create good jobs with health care benefits in the United States. My third priority is to ensure that our education system is preparing students to compete in the 21st century economy. My plan begins early by investing in universal Pre-K. I will reform our K-12 system to ensure that our students have the necessary resources to stay on track and enroll in two- or four-year colleges. I will work to bring more women and minorities into the math, science, and engineering professions, and increase the number of science and engineering students graduating from our colleges. And I will make college affordable with a new $3,500 tax credit and expand and strengthen our community college system.

If elected, would you balance the budget? If you answered yes, how soon would you do it?

I want to move towards balanced budgets. I believe we can achieve big goals in this country again while restoring our commitment to fiscal responsibility. That is why I have been very clear throughout the entire campaign to explain how I would pay for every new initiative I announce without increasing the deficit. We need to turn the page on the Bush administration's fiscal recklessness. Over the past six-and-a-half years we have witnessed the most dramatic fiscal deterioration in our nation's history -- turning trillions in projected surpluses into deficits as far as the eye can see. Now, we're borrowing more and more from foreign countries like China, our national debt is three times higher than even the Bush administration itself projected, and we're leaving our children and grandchildren to pay the bill. I want America back in control of our fiscal destiny. It will take hard work and tough choices, but I am confident that we can put America back on a path to balanced budgets. I remember -- and many Americans might, too -- that we began the 1990s with record deficits but we ended the decade with $5.6 trillion in projected ten-year surpluses, 22 million new jobs, and average family income gains of more than $8,000.

Would you roll back tax cuts that were supported by the Bush administration?

I have called for reinstating the pre-Bush income tax rates for those earning over $250,000 as part of my plan to provide quality affordable health care to all Americans. I also oppose the Bush administration's commitment to completely eliminate the estate tax. Instead, I would freeze the estate tax at $7 million per couple and redirect those revenues to provide tax credits to help tens of million of families save and invest as part of my American Retirement Accounts proposal. Finally, I would extend the middle class tax cuts, including the 10 percent income tax rate, the child tax credit and marriage penalty relief.

Do you support the No Child Left Behind program? Why or why not?

When the No Child Left Behind Act was enacted, I viewed it as an historic promise between the federal government and educators. Schools would be held to higher standards than ever before and the government would make a record investment in those schools so they could meet the new expectations. Unfortunately, that promise has largely been broken because NCLB has been underfunded and schools have struggled to meet the mandates imposed by the law without the resources that were promised. So we need to make changes. First, I want to create a system that rewards schools that make progress towards the proficiency goals. I support growth models, which measure the progress of every child. I would also like to find ways to invest in better testing methods -- tests that assess higher level skills like critical thinking. Second, I believe the one-size-fits-all approach to fixing troubled schools is problematic. I strongly believe educators and school leaders need to have substantial input into efforts to turn around struggling schools and that schools should have more flexibility in determining the right solutions for addressing the problems they face. I am also concerned about the narrowing of curricula that I am hearing about in local communities. Some schools have eliminated physical education and others are cutting back on social studies, science, art, and music. This is a problem, and I think we have to ensure that children receive a well-rounded education.

What changes, if any, would you attempt to implement in national education policy?

As President, I will work to support our children from their earliest years in school, in Pre-K, until they graduate from college. I have proposed investing $10 billion to ensure that all four-year-olds in the country have access to quality Pre-K; studies have shown that early education leads to higher achievement and graduation rates. My agenda will place special emphasis on children from limited-English and/or low-income households, ensuring that they receive priority in enrollment and receive these services at no cost. In addition, I have unveiled a plan to make college more affordable for middle-class families. My plan would more than double the college tax credit, raising the maximum amount of benefits that students and their families can receive from $1,650 to $3,500. This new credit could cover more than 50 percent of the typical cost of public colleges and universities and more than the full cost of tuition for community colleges. In addition, I have proposed to increase the maximum Pell Grant and ensure that it is adjusted annually to take account of rising college costs. Furthermore, I will offer incentives for community colleges and four-year institutions to partner and support their students until they graduate.

What is your position on the proposed constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman?

The question of marriage is one that historically has been left to the states. I opposed the so-called 'Family Marriage Amendment' because this issue has no place in the Constitution.

What is your position on civil unions between same sex partners?

I believe gay and lesbian couples should have the same rights and responsibilities as all Americans, and I believe that civil unions are the best way to achieve this goal. As President, I will work to ensure that all Americans in committed relationships have equal benefits."

Do you support the Roe v. Wade decision or would you like to see this decision overturned? Why or why not?

I support Roe v. Wade. Throughout my career, I have fought to ensure that every woman has the right to make the most personal of life decisions with her family and her doctor. I believe that abortion should be safe, legal and rare. I have worked to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in America, and I strongly oppose the efforts of those trying to roll back reproductive rights in the country. I voted against President Bush's Supreme Court nominees, Samuel Alito, Jr. and John Roberts, because I believed that they posed a very significant threat to the future of Roe v. Wade.

Should the federal government have a role in seeking an end to poverty? What would you do, specifically, to deal with poverty?

When I am President, I will make new investments to reduce poverty and increase opportunity for low-income Americans. One example is my comprehensive plan to address the crisis of the millions of young people in the United States who are out of school and out of work. To support our children in their earliest years in life, I will invest $10 billion for universal Pre-K and increase support for nurse home visits for first-time mothers. I will invest in mentoring and internship programs to help at-risk middle-school students stay on track for college and job success. I will provide job-training opportunities for young people who have fallen off-track in high-growth industries like renewable energy, health care, construction, and financial services. To support responsible fatherhood, I will triple the Earned Income Tax Credit benefit for childless adults and invest in employment and education programs for fathers who pay their child support. I will work to close the prison revolving door by creating new Reentry Partnership Grants that reward communities that devise successful home-grown strategies to reintegrate ex-offenders into the economy and society.

Do you think gun control has an impact on crime rates in the United States?

While I support the Second Amendment and believe law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns, I also believe strongly in smart laws that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists, which can help us fight crime. We should take reasonable steps to protect Americans from gun violence and, at the same time, safeguard the right of law-abiding citizens to use firearms for hunting and other recreational purposes. Illegal guns contribute to violence, and we have a problem when people acquire guns illegally or commit crimes with guns.

Do you think tighter restrictions should be in place for those buying a firearm?

I respect the right of Americans to own and bear arms, but we need protections in place to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands. I support closing the gun show loophole and making sure our background check system is truly instant and accurate. Background checks at gun shows can stop gun sales to criminals, terrorists, and seriously mentally ill individuals like the Columbine shooters without burdening law-abiding gun buyers. I also support extending and reinstating the assault weapons ban while exempting hundreds of hunting and recreational weapons. And I support giving local law enforcement access to data that helps them track down guns sold to criminals and terrorists.

If elected, would you keep the current ban on funding for embryonic stem cell research in place? Why or why not?

I have pledged to lift the current ban on funding for embryonic stem research. This is because science, not narrow ideology, should drive our national research agenda. Stem cell research has the potential to transform lives, to help us find cures for illnesses including Parkinson's disease, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, Huntington's disease, and spinal cord injury. One hundred million Americans suffer from these diseases. The ban on stem cell research prevents scientists from pursuing developments that could lead to cures for these devastating illnesses. This ban is also a problem because some of our brightest researchers and scientists are choosing to do their work elsewhere -- or deciding to go into a different field of research entirely -- because they will not be supported in the United States. As a result, we are losing our international competitive edge to countries like Singapore and the United Kingdom, which support stem cell research. We are literally losing the race toward scientific progress. When I am President, we will once again stand up for science and research, for open and free inquiry, and for the critical investments that will make us richer, safer, smarter and stronger in the years to come. I have also proposed to increase the National Institutes of Health budget by 50 percent over five years and to double it over 10 years. Since 2003, the NIH budget has been largely flat, and President Bush proposes reducing it by 1.1 percent in 2008.

What would be your top three overall priorities if elected?

When I am President, my top three priorities will be providing quality, affordable health care to all Americans, ending the war in Iraq, and strengthening the middle class. It is a tragedy that there are 47 million Americans without health insurance and many more just a pink slip away from losing the coverage they have. Health care just isn't affordable for many people -- premiums have been skyrocketing and half of all personal bankruptcies in the United States are caused by medical bills. My plan will focus on offering high-quality care -- ensuring that Americans have access to preventive, basic, and chronic care that is coordinated and delivered by well-trained health care professionals. And I will implement cost-savings measures throughout the health care system so that cost is no longer a barrier to having health insurance for any American. The war in Iraq is sapping our military strength, absorbing our strategic assets, diverting attention and resources from Afghanistan, alienating our allies, and dividing our people. As I have said previously, if President Bush does not end the war, when I am President, I will. For 35 years, I have worked to improve the lives of America's children and families, and I will continue to do so when I am President. I will create new well-paying jobs through investments in alternative energy and innovation, increase the minimum wage, support our unions, and keep and create middle-class tax cuts. I want to eliminate incentives for American companies to ship jobs and profits overseas, and I plan to invest in new industries at home to make America competitive in the global economy. I will ensure that all American children have access to quality education, starting with Pre-K and continuing until college, and that they are prepared to enter the workforce so that all Americans have a chance to live up to their potential.

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AP Photo: Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., addresses a rally in the Hunter College...

• Slideshow: Hillary Clinton

Clinton faces 

daunting delegate deficit

Obama's victories in Wisconsin and Hawaii on Tuesday — his ninth and 10th in a row — left him with 1,178 pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses in The Associated Press' count. Clinton has 1,024.

Another 1,025 remain to be awarded, most of them in contests in 14 states, Guamand Puerto Rico. It takes 2,025 to win the nomination.

Further complicating Clinton's challenge, Obama appears particularly well-positioned to win at least one of the remaining states with ease. Mississippi, with a primary on March 11, fits a pattern of Southern states with large black populations that he has won handily, including South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana.

The rival campaigns maintain their own delegate counts. And while both agree Obama is the leader, they differ on the significance.

"The only way in this system to amass delegates is to win by big margins. Close races result in close delegate distribution," David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, told reporters in a conference call.

"The only way she can do it is winning states like Ohio 65-35, Texas 65-35,Pennsylvania, you know, 70-30. and you go on and on and on. She'd have to win pretty much all the states, even states where we're considered to have some strength," he added.

Clinton's top aides said Plouffe was deliberately trying to set unrealistically high expectations for the former first lady.

"We expect to do well in both those states," said Harold Ickes, speaking of Texas and Ohio, which hold primaries on March 4. "But 65 percent is a far reach and there is no expectation here that we're going to hit that number."

"We're in the neighborhood of about 75 delegates behind, that is less that 3 percent of the total number of delegates who have been elected. We expect to narrow that gap substantially by the end of this process," he added.

Obama's lead in delegates won at the ballot box is partially offset by Clinton's advantage among superdelegates — members of Congress, governors and other party leaders who are unpledged to either candidate. She leads in that category, 238-173, cutting Obama's overall margin to 89 delegates in the AP count.

Superdelegates are free to shift allegiances. And Clinton's recent string of primary and caucuses defeats coincides with a slow erosion of support among the same party leaders who established her as the front-runner months before the first votes were cast.

She has failed to add any since Super Tuesday on Feb. 5, while Obama is slowly gaining ground.

The former first lady lost two more superdelegates during the day, both in New Jersey, when one switched to Obama and the other moved to uncommitted.

Additionally, Reps. Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Ron Kind of Wisconsin, both superdelegates, endorsed Obama.

"My constituents overwhelmingly chose Barack Obama to be their nominee, and I am proud to pledge my superdelegate vote to him as well," Kind said in a statement.

Further underscoring Clinton's political peril, Rep. David Scott of Georgia announced he would vote for Obama rather than the former first lady, and Rep. John Lewis said he might switch, as well.

Superdelegates aside, results in earlier states show how difficult Clinton will find it to overtake Obama's lead when the primaries resume in two weeks.

In general, delegates are allocated on the basis of popular votes within congressional districts, and any candidate who gains 15 percent of the vote is entitled to at least one.

Clinton won New Jersey with 54 percent of the vote and Massachusetts with 56 percent on Feb. 5. But because Obama ran relatively well, particularly in some congressional districts, she won the delegate competition by only 28 delegates combined in the two states.

Contrast that to Obama's home state of Illinois, he won slightly less than 65 percent of the vote — and won 55 more delegates than Clinton.

The contests left on the calendar include primaries in Ohio, Texas, Vermont, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky,Oregon, Montana and South Dakota as well as caucuses in Wyoming, Guam andPuerto Rico. There are 44 delegates unallocated from primaries and caucuses held earlier.

Associated Press Writer Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report.

Wed Feb 20

This is an overall view inside a gymnasium at the University of Texas at Austin Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, in Austin, Texas, after it was prepared for Thursday's 90-minute televised debate between Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Wed Feb 20 

Sam Feist, a CNN political director, speaks on stage in a gymnasium at the University of Texas at Austin Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, in Austin, Texas, after it was prepared for Thursday's 90-minute televised debate between Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.(AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Wed Feb 20  

Tom Schwinn, an art director from New York City, works at a table in a gymnasium at the University of Texas at Austin Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, in Austin, Texas, after it was prepared for Thursday's 90-minute televised debate between Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Wed Feb 20  

This stage is shown in a gymnasium at the University of Texas at Austin, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, in Austin, Texas, after it was prepared for Thursday's 90-minute televised debate between Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama, who will be seated on the left, and Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is to be seated on the right.(AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Wed Feb 20  

Steven Ross, a debate consultant from Washington, D.C., is shown on stage in a gymnasium at the University of Texas at Austin Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, in Austin, Texas, after it was prepared for Thursday's 90-minute televised debate between Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama, who is to be seated on the left, and Hillary Rodham Clinton. AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Wed Feb 20  

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama addresses a primary campaign rally at the Toyota Center February 19, 2008 in Houston, Texas. Hillary Clinton licked her wounds Wednesday after her 10th successive electoral mauling by White House rival Obama, stressing experience over hype ahead of must-win battles in Texas and Ohio.(AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Dave Einsel)

Wed Feb 20  

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton speaks at a "Low Dollar" fundraiser at Hunter College in New York City. Clinton licked her wounds Wednesday after her 10th successive electoral mauling by White House rival Barack Obama, stressing experience over hype ahead of must-win battles in Texas and Ohio.(AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Mario Tama)

Wed Feb 20  Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton speaks at her Wisconsin primary election night campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, February 19, 2008. (Aaron Josefczyk/Reuters)

Wed Feb 20  Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton acknowledges supporters at her Wisconsin primary election night campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio February 19, 2008. (Aaron Josefczyk/Reuters)

Wed Feb 20  Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton speaks to people during a round table discussion at a small diner in Parma Ohio February 19, 2008. (Aaron Josefczyk/Reuters)

Wed Feb 20  Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) greets supporters during a campaign stop in New York, February 20, 2008. (Keith Bedford/Reuters)

Wed Feb 20  Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign stop in New York, February 20, 2008. (Keith Bedford/Reuters)

Wed Feb 20   Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton acknowledges her supporters at her Wisconsin primary election night campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio February 19, 2008. (Aaron Josefczyk/Reuters)

Wed Feb 20  Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton laughs with Mayor Dean DePiero, mayor of Parma Ohio, during a round table discussion at a small diner in Parma Ohio February 19, 2008. (Aaron Josefczyk/Reuters)

Wed Feb 20  Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., addresses a rally in the Hunter College auditorium in New York, Wednesday Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

 

Wed Feb 20  Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., makes a campaign stop at the Hunter College Auditorium in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Wed Feb 20  

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., applauds at left, as Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., reacts during her introduction by Schumer, D-N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, during a campaign stop at the Hunter College Auditorium in New York.(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Wed Feb 20,  Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., makes a campaign stop at Hunter College Auditorium in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Wed Feb 20,  Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., center, accompanied by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and others, arrives for a rally under security's watchful eye, left, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, in the Hunter College auditorium in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Wed Feb 20  Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., greets supporters at a rally in the Hunter College auditorium in New York, Wednesday Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Wed Feb 20  Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio on February 19. Clinton was licking her wounds after her 10th successive electoral mauling by White House rival Obama, stressing experience over hype ahead of must-win battles in Texas and Ohio. (AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Jeff Swensen)

• Nebraskans Overwhelm Caucus Capacity (Feb. 9, 2008)
• Campaigns Prepare for a Long Haul (Feb. 9, 2008)
• Clinton, Obama to Speak at Jefferson Jackson Dinne (Feb. 9, 2008)
• Three Leaders' Chosen Ones (Feb. 8, 2008)
• Area Dems Rally for Candidates; McCain in Norfolk (Feb. 8, 2008)
• Aggressive Obama TV Spending Prompted Clinton's Loan (Feb. 8, 2008)
• Wag the Blog: The Debate Over Debates (Feb. 8, 2008)
• Friday Senate Line: Dems Remain Strong (Feb. 8, 2008)
• Clinton Focuses on McCain (Feb. 8, 2008)
• Obama Leads in Poll; Clinton Hits the Airwaves (Feb. 8, 2008)
• MSNBC's Shuster to Offer On-Air Apology to Clinton (Feb. 8, 2008)
• Michigan's Missed Moment as Clinton-Obama Fight Continues (Feb. 8, 2008)
• Presidential Candidates Boost Presence in Local Area (Feb. 7, 2008)
• Primary Briefing (Feb. 7, 2008)
• Kennedy Helps Clinton and Obama Break the Ice (Feb. 7, 2008)
• Clinton Campaigns in Virginia (Feb. 7, 2008)
• Obama Agrees to Debates with Clinton (Feb. 7, 2008)
• Kerrey Appears in New Clinton Ad (Feb. 7, 2008)
• No Knock-Outs from Here to the Convention (Feb. 7, 2008)
• Clinton Lent Her Campaign $5 Million (Feb. 7, 2008)
• Clinton's California Dream Team (Feb. 7, 2008)
• John McClinton? (Feb. 7, 2008)
• Va. Is Next Battleground In Democrats' Long Fight (Feb. 7, 2008)
• Internet Donors Fuel Obama (Feb. 7, 2008)
• What's Next? (Feb. 7, 2008)
• Democratic Leaders: Md. Remains Relevant (Feb. 7, 2008)
• You've Got Mailers! (Feb. 7, 2008)
• No winner yet in NM Democratic caucuses (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Bragging Rights (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Clinton Loaned Campaign $5 Million Last Month (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Spinning Super Tuesday (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Obama says GOP will have dirt on Clinton (Feb. 6, 2008)
• McCain widens lead, Clinton lends cash (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Democrats In 9 Races Cite Desire For Change (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Clinton Loaned her Campaign $5M (Feb. 6, 2008)
• MA: How Clinton Won It (Feb. 6, 2008)
• GA: Contenders Phone It In (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Clinton Wins California, While Obama Takes Mo. (Feb. 6, 2008)
• ILLINOIS | A Favorite Son vs. a Long-Lost Daughter (Feb. 6, 2008)
• NEW YORK | Loyalty vs. Pride (Feb. 6, 2008)
• For Clinton, A Lively Dead Heat (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Democrats' Votes Display a Racial Divide (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Missouri Lead Flips After Clinton Claimed It (Feb. 6, 2008)
• AK: Obama Freezes Out Clinton (Feb. 6, 2008)
• ID: Obama Sweeps With 80 Percent (Feb. 6, 2008)
• NY: Clinton Wins 46 Delegate Advantage (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Party Rules Help McCain, Roil Race for Democrats (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Clinton and Obama Trade Victories (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Voters Don't Share Kennedys' Ardor for Obama (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Who Won? (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Obama-Clinton Rivalry Muddles D.C. Alignments (Feb. 6, 2008)
• A Tightening Potomac Primary? (Feb. 6, 2008)
• What Does the Muddle Mean? (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Super Tuesday Winners and Losers (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Scalia to Determine Democratic Nominee (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Democrats Choose Different Paths Toward Nomination (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Super Tuesday Winners and Losers (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Evenly Matched Dems Portend a Long Race (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Two Mich. congressmen endorse Clinton (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Analysis: Clinton-Obama battle goes on (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Presidential race turns to Mid-Atlantic (Feb. 6, 2008)
• Clinton Backers: Mass. Win an 'Upset' (Feb. 5, 2008)
• 8 Questions Super Tuesday Could Answer (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Two Races, One Big Day (Feb. 5, 2008)
• AL: Only Twisters Are at the Polls (Feb. 5, 2008)
• TN: Fox News Gives It to Clinton (Feb. 5, 2008)
• NJ: Clinton Wins in Garden State (Feb. 5, 2008)
• As Super Tuesday Results Roll In, Clinton Addresses Supporters in New York(Feb. 5, 2008)
• TN: Clinton Staffers Celebrate Win (Feb. 5, 2008)
• AL: AP Gives Win to Huckabee, Obama (Feb. 5, 2008)
• TN: Fox News Gives It to Clinton (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Super Tuesday Viewer's Guide (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Super Tuesday: Afternoon Update (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Obama Wins Georgia (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Obama, Clinton Swap States (Feb. 5, 2008)
• NY: Clinton, McCain Start Early (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Clinton Challenges Obama to a Debate a Week (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Talking Points From Clinton for Everyone (Feb. 5, 2008)
• OK: Networks Call for Clinton (Feb. 5, 2008)
• TN: Clinton Staffers Celebrate Win (Feb. 5, 2008)
• KS: Obama Wins Caucuses With 3-1 Margin (Feb. 5, 2008)
• MA: University Polls Give Edge to Clinton (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Obama Camp Needles Clinton (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Talking Points From Clinton for Everyone (Feb. 5, 2008)
• T.V. Talk Turns to Exit Polls (Feb. 5, 2008)
• MO: Heavy Turnout Despite Wintry Mix (Feb. 5, 2008)
• TN: Fox News Gives It to Clinton (Feb. 5, 2008)
• CA: Some Ballot Trouble for Independents (Feb. 5, 2008)
• OK: Networks Call for Clinton (Feb. 5, 2008)
• AR: Former Gov., First Lady Projected Winners (Feb. 5, 2008)
• NY: Clinton's Homework Pays Off (Feb. 5, 2008)
• NJ: Clinton Wins in Garden State (Feb. 5, 2008)
• DE: McCain, Obama Win (Feb. 5, 2008)
• KS: Obama Wins Caucuses With 3-1 Margin (Feb. 5, 2008)
• TN: Clinton Staffers Celebrate Win (Feb. 5, 2008)
• MO: AP Calls for Clinton (Feb. 5, 2008)
• With No Clear Winner, Spin Wars Fierce (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Clinton Wins in Northeast to Take Early Lead (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Analysis: Clinton and Obama start anew (Feb. 5, 2008)
• NJ: Clinton Wins in Garden State (Feb. 5, 2008)
• NY: Clinton's Homework Pays Off (Feb. 5, 2008)
• AR: Former Gov. First Lady Projected Winners (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Obama Wins in Georgia and Illinois; Clinton Takes Tennessee and Oklahoma(Feb. 5, 2008)
• OK: AP, CNN, CBS Call for Clinton (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Obama Wins in Illinois, Clinton Takes Oklahoma (Feb. 5, 2008)
• TN: Fox News Gives it to Clinton (Feb. 5, 2008)
• AL: Only Twisters Are at the Polls (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Talking Points from Clinton for Everyone (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Obama Camp Needles Clinton (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Obama Beats Clinton in Georgia (Feb. 5, 2008)
• DE: Turnout No Longer 'Abysmal' (Feb. 5, 2008)
• DE: Turnout No Longer 'Abysmal' (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Super Tuesday: Afternoon Update (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Super Tuesday Viewer's Guide (Feb. 5, 2008)
• TN: Tornado Watch Shutters Obama Stronghold (Feb. 5, 2008)
• MA: University Polls Give Edge to Clinton (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Clinton and Obama Clash on Super Tuesday (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Clinton Praises Supporters; Ca. Still Undecided (Feb. 5, 2008)
• AZ: NBC Projects Clinton as Winner (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Clinton Consolidates Northeast, Halfway Point Nears (Feb. 5, 2008)
• TN: Keep an Eye on Shelby County (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Defining Success on Super Tuesday (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Clinton Challenges Obama to a Debate a Week (Feb. 5, 2008)
• CT: 'Astounding' Showing for Primary Vote (Feb. 5, 2008)
• IL: Early Ballots Show Young Voter Spike (Feb. 5, 2008)
• MO: Weather May Affect Voting (Feb. 5, 2008)
• MN: Dems Buzzing Before Caucus Starts (Feb. 5, 2008)
• CA: SF Mayor for Clinton Because of Obama Snub? (Feb. 5, 2008)
• NM: A Mystery State (Feb. 5, 2008)
• AZ: Early Ballots Could Have Impact (Feb. 5, 2008)
• CT: Steady Turnout (Feb. 5, 2008)
• NJ: Gov. Corzine Waits to Vote (Feb. 5, 2008)
• NY: Lowey Recovering from 'Coronary Incident' (Feb. 5, 2008)
• AR: High Turnout, Tornado Warnings Expected (Feb. 5, 2008)
• GA: 200 Complaints Before Noon (Feb. 5, 2008)
• AL: Late Rain Could Affect Voting (Feb. 5, 2008)
• MA: Turnout Could Beat Kennedy Record (Feb. 5, 2008)
• OK: Turnout Close to '96 Record (Feb. 5, 2008)
• AR: Record Early Voting (Feb. 5, 2008)
• CA: Democrats, Get Your Calculators Ready (Feb. 5, 2008)
• NY: Heavy Turnout, Few Problems (Feb. 5, 2008)
• MO: Clinton Takes Lead (Feb. 5, 2008)
• CA: SF Mayor for Clinton Because of Obama Snub? (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Clinton, Obama Turn Focus To Area's Feb. 12 Contests (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Clinton Still Finds Time to Legislate (Feb. 5, 2008)
• NOW Again Attacks Obama's Illinois Voting Record on Abortion Bills (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Clinton Casts Super Tuesday Vote (Feb. 5, 2008)
• Clinton, McCain roll to victory in NY (Feb. 5, 2008)
• KS: Excitement Over Caucuses High (Feb. 4, 2008)
• NY: Clinton's Home-Field Advantage (Feb. 4, 2008)
• In Patriot Country, Clinton Hopes For a Win (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Hillary vs Barack on Meeting Dictators (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Suburbanites (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Clinton Makes January Haul Public (Feb. 4, 2008)
• GOP Money Problems Grow (Feb. 4, 2008)
• The Efficacy of Electability? (Feb. 4, 2008)
• GOP Money Problems Grow (Feb. 4, 2008)
• OK: Since Vote Will Matter, High Turnout Expected (Feb. 4, 2008)
• MO: Bellwether State Hopes for High Turnout (Feb. 4, 2008)
• AL: Tight Races on Both Sides of the Aisle (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Clinton On Message, and On Television (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Small Prize, But Big Name Visits (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Obama on the Move in Bay State (Feb. 4, 2008)
• The Efficacy of Electability? (Feb. 4, 2008)
• A GOP Tie; Obama Leads with Dems (Feb. 4, 2008)
• McCain Ahead at Home; Dem. Race Tight (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Relative Power (Feb. 4, 2008)
• For Obama, a Most Congenial Spot (Feb. 4, 2008)
• TN: Native Son Out, But Turnout Could Still Break Record (Feb. 4, 2008)
• AR: Clinton and Huckabee Ties Go Deep (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Remote Super Tuesday Outpost (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Democrats Caucus Tomorrow (Feb. 4, 2008)
• FixCam Week in Preview: Super Tuesday Edition (Feb. 4, 2008)
• FixCam Week in Preview: Super Tuesday Edition (Feb. 4, 2008)
• GOP Senators Reassess Views About McCain (Feb. 4, 2008)
• NM: Scrapping for Delegates (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Forget February. What About November? (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Mayor Mobilizes for Clinton (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Gearing Up for Super Tuesday (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Clinton, Obama Run Up The Miles to Gain an Edge (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Moderates (Feb. 4, 2008)
• Closing Arguments for Super Tuesday (Feb. 3, 2008)
• Clinton Leads in Race for Maryland Money (Feb. 3, 2008)
• MTV/MySpace Presidential Super Dialogue (Feb. 3, 2008)
• Clinton Pressed on Electability (Feb. 3, 2008)
• At Missouri Church, Clinton Talks of History (Feb. 3, 2008)
• A Competitive Primary, a Family Divided (Feb. 2, 2008)
• Track the '08 Money Chase (Feb. 1, 2008)
• Obama, McCain Bolster Their Presence in Va. (Feb. 1, 2008)
• Head to Head Clinton Obama Shelve Rancor (Feb. 1, 2008)
• The Line on Running Mates (Feb. 1, 2008)
• Which "Super" Do You Choose? (Feb. 1, 2008)
• Barrier-Breaking Race, Ready For Close-Up (Feb. 1, 2008)
• '08 Hopefuls To Talk With MTV, MySpace and The Fix (Feb. 1, 2008)
• Clinton and the Iraq Vote (Feb. 1, 2008)

January 2008

• Elbows Get Sharper as Debate Wears On (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Candidates Made Each Other's Points (Jan. 31, 2008)
• A Scramble for Edwards and Giuliani Fundraisers (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Exploring Healthcare Differences Again (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Obama: One of Us Will Be President (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Clinton on Clinton, Part Two (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Democratic Debate Wrapup: A Tame Affair (Jan. 31, 2008)
• For Democrats, Battle In Bay State Is Fierce (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Democratic Debate Preview: Lights Out In L.A.? (Jan. 31, 2008)
• A Clinton Corner in Obama's Home Town (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Republican-Bashing on Iraq (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Clinton, Obama Spar On Electability (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Romney, New Primary Date Put Utah on the Political Map (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Bill Low-Keys It in Denver (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Point Scoring on Immigration (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Stakes High Going into Hollywood Democratic Debate (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Romney Cast as Foil for Easy Laughs (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Immigration: Republicans' Secret Weapon? (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Edwards, Giuliani Withdraw From Race (Jan. 31, 2008)
• The McCain Impact on the Democrats (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Obama Calls Out Clinton on Drivers Licenses (Jan. 31, 2008)
• McCain's Effect On The Democratic Race (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Presidential Candidates' Focus Shifts to California (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Two New Economic Ads From Clinton (Jan. 31, 2008)
• The Kennedy Endorsement (Jan. 31, 2008)
• Clinton Thanks Edwards for 'Public Service' (Jan. 30, 2008)
• Much Ado About Not Much (Jan. 30, 2008)
• In Background, a Battle for Superdelegates (Jan. 30, 2008)
• A More Subdued Bill? (Jan. 30, 2008)
• Clinton's LBJ Comments Infuriated Ted Kennedy (Jan. 30, 2008)
• Sanchez Sisters Have a Shoe In Each Camp (Jan. 30, 2008)
• Chelsea Clinton Finds Her Voice (Jan. 30, 2008)
• Obama calls Clinton divisive figure (Jan. 30, 2008)
• A frosty moment between Clinton, Obama (Jan. 29, 2008)
• No Tea Leaves to Read in Floor Moment (Jan. 29, 2008)
• Obama Ready on 'Day One,' Kennedy Says (Jan. 29, 2008)
• Obama Mines Small, Traditionally Red States (Jan. 29, 2008)
• Clinton Plans Rally After Unsanctioned Fla. Primary (Jan. 29, 2008)
• The Endorsement Hierarchy Revisited (Jan. 29, 2008)
• The Edwards Factor (Jan. 29, 2008)
• Richardson's Choice (Jan. 29, 2008)
• Kennedy: No Clinton slight intended (Jan. 29, 2008)
• Florida, from Panhandle to Keys (Jan. 29, 2008)
• Stop Them Before They Co-President Again (Jan. 29, 2008)
• McCain, Romney Make Last-Minute Appeals in Fla. (Jan. 29, 2008)
• Obama's Ground Game Advantage (Jan. 29, 2008)
• Clinton Thanks Florida Voters (Jan. 29, 2008)
• Florida: First Thoughts on McCain, Clinton Wins (Jan. 29, 2008)
• Is Winning Florida a True Boost for Clinton? (Jan. 29, 2008)
• Thousands Gather at American for Glimpse of Obama (Jan. 28, 2008)
• Passing the Kennedy Torch (Jan. 28, 2008)
• Team Obama Is Courting Everybody But the Press (Jan. 28, 2008)
• In Rezko Arrest, an Echo of Hsu? (Jan. 28, 2008)
• Md., Va., D.C. Seek Strength in Numbers After Super Tuesday (Jan. 28, 2008)
• How Obama Finesses the Press (Jan. 28, 2008)
• Kennedy Endorsement Gives Obama Key Boost (Jan. 28, 2008)
• Crunching the South Carolina Numbers (Jan. 28, 2008)
• At Home, Clinton's Not Quite a Local (Jan. 28, 2008)
• Kennedy Will Endorse Obama In Blow to Clinton (Jan. 28, 2008)
• Candidates on the issues (Jan. 28, 2008)
• Top Candidates' Teams Look to the Lawyers (Jan. 28, 2008)
• Black Vote Was Vital, But Not the Whole Story (Jan. 27, 2008)
• Clinton on Clinton and Togetherness (Jan. 27, 2008)
• After Florida Primary, a Clinton Visit (Jan. 27, 2008)
• A Margin That Will Be Hard To Marginalize (Jan. 27, 2008)
• In Fla., McCain and Romney Argue About Iraq (Jan. 27, 2008)
• Edwards's Appeal Overshadowed by Rivals' Celebrity (Jan. 27, 2008)
• Obama Is Big Winner in S.C. Primary (Jan. 27, 2008)
• Clinton Party to Shut Down Early (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Edwards Defends the Campaigning Spouse (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Defeated, and Getting Their Dance On (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Bill Clinton Campaigns in Missouri (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Clinton Looks Toward Florida (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Clinton Addresses Supporters After S.C. Primary (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Democrats Set to Vote in S. Carolina (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Obama Landslide Despite Racial Split in S.C. (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Cheering a Win, Booing President Clinton (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Big Night in S.C. (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Edwards Camp Responds to Clinton Calls (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Clinton Flies as Race Goes to Obama (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Further Thoughts on S.C. and What Lies Ahead (Jan. 26, 2008)
• Clinton Touts Plan for Economy (Jan. 25, 2008)
• The Line: So Much For Our 50-Days Out Predictions (Jan. 25, 2008)
• Wag the Blog Redux: Clinton vs. Obama on MLK Day (Jan. 25, 2008)
• Black America Feels the Sting of Ex-President's Comments (Jan. 25, 2008)
• The GOP debate in Florida (Jan. 25, 2008)
• New Racial Dynamic in S.C. (Jan. 25, 2008)
• Courting Votes in the Show Me State (Jan. 25, 2008)
• An Ambien Dream? Nope -- the Clinton Campaign (Jan. 25, 2008)
• Delegate Math, Super Tuesday and Clinton (Jan. 25, 2008)
• Clinton Supporters Address Race Issue (Jan. 25, 2008)
• Clinton Also Embraces Republicans (Jan. 25, 2008)
• Barnstorming and BBQ on Menu in S.C. (Jan. 25, 2008)
• Friend of Bill Goes Off on Bill (Jan. 25, 2008)
• Obama Hits Back on SC Radio (Jan. 24, 2008)
• Some in Party Bristle At Clintons' Attacks (Jan. 24, 2008)
• Super Tuesday Won't Decide Nominations (Jan. 24, 2008)
• Some in Party Bristle At Clintons' Attacks (Jan. 24, 2008)
• Obama Campaign Pulls Negative Spot, Too (Jan. 24, 2008)
• Obama Slams Clinton's War Vote (Jan. 24, 2008)
• McCain Criticizes Clinton's 'White Flag' (Jan. 24, 2008)
• Clinton Pulls Negative S.C. Ad (Jan. 24, 2008)
• Chelsea Clinton Steps into Spotlight (Jan. 24, 2008)
• Measuring the Bill Effect (Jan. 24, 2008)
• Democrats Attack Iraq Security Proposal (Jan. 24, 2008)
• Edwards Jabs Clinton for Leaving S.C. (Jan. 23, 2008)
• Clinton Now Looking Beyond S.C. (Jan. 23, 2008)
• Politicians Power Up With 'Green-Collar' Workers (Jan. 23, 2008)
• HRC Taking a Pass on S.C.? (Jan. 23, 2008)
• Clinton vs Obama on CNN (Jan. 23, 2008)
• Pa. governor endorses Clinton (Jan. 23, 2008)
• Fact Check: Clinton, Obama & Health Care (Jan. 23, 2008)
• Bill the Attack Dog (Jan. 22, 2008)
• Voices Are Raised in Democratic Debate (Jan. 22, 2008)
• Veepstakes: Let the Speculation Begin! (Jan. 22, 2008)
• Democratic Candidates, Congressional Leaders Differ on Economy (Jan. 22, 2008)
• Candidates Face Big Primaries With Smaller War Chests (Jan. 22, 2008)
• Clinton Presses Case Against Obama (Jan. 22, 2008)
• Wag the Blog: On Speeches and Substance (Jan. 22, 2008)
• Bill Clinton's South Carolina Ties (Jan. 22, 2008)
• Out of Control (Jan. 22, 2008)
• Democratic Debate Highlights (Jan. 22, 2008)
• The Other Clinton Is an Absent Presence (Jan. 22, 2008)
• Turning Up the Heat (Jan. 21, 2008)
• A Shift Toward Obama Is Seen Among Blacks (Jan. 21, 2008)
• More Thoughts On Nevada and South Carolina (Jan. 20, 2008)
• After Nevada Caucuses, Charges of Foul Play (Jan. 20, 2008)
• Low Turnout on the Strip (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Key Voting Blocs Pave the Way for Clinton (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Delegate Math: Who Won Nevada? (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Obama Edges Clinton in Delegate Count (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Nevada/South Carolina: Winners and Losers (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Clinton Addresses Reporters in Las Vegas (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Obama, Edwards React to Nevada Outcome (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Casino Executives Split Support (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Bill Clinton a Boon, After All (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Gender Gap Benefits Clinton (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Clinton Wins Nevada Caucuses (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Clinton Wins the Wynn Caucus (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Inside the Bellagio Caucus (Jan. 19, 2008)
• No Love Fest, But No Fistfight Either (Jan. 19, 2008)
• New Clarity, for Both Parties (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Casino Executives Split Support (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Clinton Wins Nevada (Jan. 19, 2008)
• Romney Wins Nevada, Democratic Caucus Begins (Jan. 19, 2008)
• The Friday Line: Uncertainty Reigns (Jan. 18, 2008)
• Campaigning for His Wife, Shadowed by Past Battles (Jan. 18, 2008)
• A Newly Confident Clinton Focuses More on Economy Than on Obama (Jan. 18, 2008)
• Chris Matthews Backs Off 'Nasty' Remark on Clinton (Jan. 18, 2008)
• Obama Camp Pushes Back On 'Rookie' Ad (Jan. 18, 2008)
• Rangel: Clinton Will Overcome "National Perceptions" (Jan. 17, 2008)
• Pro-Obama Labor Group Blasts Clinton in Nevada Radio Ad (Jan. 17, 2008)
• Clinton Supporter Apologizes to Obama (Jan. 17, 2008)
• The National Polls Don't Matter, Right? (Jan. 17, 2008)
• Obama Aide: Clinton Is 'Prohibitive Favorite' in Nevada (Jan. 16, 2008)
• Welcome to Hil Force One (Jan. 16, 2008)
• Clinton vs Obama on Iraq (Jan. 16, 2008)
• Distinctions With a Difference in Nevada (Jan. 16, 2008)
• Fix Pick: Obama, the New Gary Hart? (Jan. 16, 2008)
• In South Carolina, Talk About History (Jan. 16, 2008)
• Wag the Blog: Clinton, Obama and Race (Jan. 15, 2008)
• Romney Wins Michigan (Jan. 15, 2008)
• Thoughts on a Politics-Heavy Night (Jan. 15, 2008)
• Race Returns as Topic in Nevada Debate (Jan. 15, 2008)
• Candidates Differ on Energy Policy (Jan. 15, 2008)
• Obama Addresses E-Mail Lies (Jan. 15, 2008)
• Court: Anti-Hillary Movie's a Political Ad (Jan. 15, 2008)
• A Clinton Playbook That Doesn't Fit Their Opponent (Jan. 15, 2008)
• Feb. 5 Primaries to Pose A Super Test of Strategy (Jan. 15, 2008)
• The Racial Row That's Dividing the Democrats (Jan. 15, 2008)
• BET Founder Johnson Defends His Recent Criticisms of Obama (Jan. 15, 2008)
• As Candidates Agree, Aides Keep Sparring (Jan. 15, 2008)
• A Negative Turn in a Dangerous Game for Clinton, Obama (Jan. 14, 2008)
• Who's Backing Whom? (Jan. 14, 2008)
• Clinton, Crying Foul -- or Craftily Playing the Game? (Jan. 14, 2008)
• The Case Against Hillary Clinton (Jan. 14, 2008)
• McCain Moves Into Lead; Obama Gains on Clinton (Jan. 14, 2008)
• The Race Within the Republican Race (Jan. 14, 2008)
• An Outbreak of Goodwill in Nevada (Jan. 14, 2008)
• Obama and 'the Race Card' (Jan. 14, 2008)
• Good Options Can Mask Bad Choices (Jan. 14, 2008)
• Obama Slams Clinton's 'Meet' Appearance (Jan. 13, 2008)
• Clinton, Obama Campaigns Spar Over Remarks (Jan. 13, 2008)
• Edwards, Obama Join Fray Over Clinton MLK Comments (Jan. 13, 2008)
• Clinton Says Obama Playing Racial Politics (Jan. 13, 2008)
• Will They Play the Race Card? (Jan. 13, 2008)
• Clinton Takes Pride in Obama in S.C. (Jan. 13, 2008)
• Gone From the Granite State, But Tactics Not Forgotten (Jan. 12, 2008)
• Union Files Suit Over Casino Caucuses (Jan. 12, 2008)
• To Clarify 'Fairy Tale' Remarks, a Call to Sharpton (Jan. 11, 2008)
• Fix Pick: Taken to Task on Endorsements (Jan. 11, 2008)
• Populist, But Not Popular Message on Economy (Jan. 11, 2008)
• Clinton, Obama Fight for Vegas Votes (Jan. 11, 2008)
• Young Feminists Split: Does Gender Matter? (Jan. 11, 2008)
• The Line: Conventional 'Wisdom'? (Jan. 11, 2008)
• Who's Ready For a Female President? (Jan. 11, 2008)
• Clinton Says Economy 'Isn't Working for Everybody' (Jan. 11, 2008)
• Obama, Clinton Amp Up Fundraising (Jan. 11, 2008)
• Politics and Porn as the Sin City Caucus Looms (Jan. 10, 2008)
• New Hampshire Primary: Winners and Losers (Jan. 10, 2008)
• Clinton's Campaign in N.H. Touched Chord With Women (Jan. 10, 2008)
• Turning It Around (Jan. 10, 2008)
• Reports of Clinton's Death, Greatly Exaggerated (Jan. 9, 2008)
• Clinton Cash Machine Keeps on Churning (Jan. 9, 2008)
• No Cash Flow Woes for Clinton (Jan. 9, 2008)
• Voters Face Confusion in Michigan Dem Race (Jan. 9, 2008)
• Clinton Fundraising Remains Strong (Jan. 9, 2008)
• The View from Virginia (Jan. 9, 2008)
• For N.Y. Candidates, Quandries Ahead (Jan. 8, 2008)
• 'It's Not Easy,' An Emotional Clinton Says (Jan. 8, 2008)
• Hillary Tears Up: Help or Hindrance? (Jan. 8, 2008)
• Little New Hampshire Could Hold Big Significance for Both Parties (Jan. 8, 2008)
• A Chink in the Steely Facade of Hillary Clinton (Jan. 8, 2008)
• Obama Carries Momentum to N.H. (Jan. 8, 2008)
• Not a Game (Jan. 8, 2008)
• An Emotional Clinton Reflects on How She Does It (Jan. 7, 2008)
• Stumping for Wife, Clinton Pushes Back Against the Press (Jan. 7, 2008)
• Numbers Shift in Advance of N.H. Primary (Jan. 7, 2008)
• A Woman President? Not for Clinton Hecklers. (Jan. 7, 2008)
• Clock Ticking as Clinton Struggles to Rewrite Script (Jan. 7, 2008)
• An Old Phrase's New Turn (Jan. 7, 2008)
• Obama's Rise Dismays Clinton's Supporters (Jan. 6, 2008)
• Underdog Clinton Goes After Obama (Jan. 6, 2008)
• Winners and Losers: A Good Night for Obama, McCain (Jan. 6, 2008)
• Defending Hillary's Mini-Diatribe (Jan. 6, 2008)
• Seeing Beyond Gender (Jan. 6, 2008)
• From the Throng, Chris Matthews Tries to Book Clinton (Jan. 6, 2008)
• Clinton Reaches Out to Younger Voters (Jan. 5, 2008)
• Playing Catch-Up May Be Harder This Time (Jan. 5, 2008)
• Obama: The Movement Has Begun (Jan. 5, 2008)
• After a Win, No Time to Lose (Jan. 5, 2008)
• The Facebook Primary (Jan. 5, 2008)
• In Calling The Race, The Media Miss by a Mile (Jan. 5, 2008)
• Clinton, Obama Tied in NH; McCain Leads GOP Field (Jan. 5, 2008)
• McCain's Immigration Plan (Jan. 5, 2008)
• Everybody Loves a Change (Jan. 5, 2008)
• Clinton Seeks to Box Obama into Cultural Corner (Jan. 4, 2008)
• Clinton's Two Questions (Jan. 4, 2008)
• Comeback Kid, Take Two? (Jan. 4, 2008)
• Waiting For Clinton in Nashua (Jan. 4, 2008)
• Acknowledging Change in the Air (Jan. 4, 2008)
• Clinton Team Retools For N.H (Jan. 4, 2008)
• The Friday Line: Next Stop New Hampshire (Jan. 4, 2008)
• An Earthquake in the Midwest (Jan. 4, 2008)
• The Fix Does Manchester (Jan. 4, 2008)
• On All Sides, Stakes Couldn't Be Higher (Jan. 3, 2008)
• Watching Clinton 48 hours before the Iowa vote. (Jan. 3, 2008)
• In Call, Clinton Concedes to Obama (Jan. 3, 2008)
• Candidates Make a Final Push in Iowa (Jan. 3, 2008)
• Clinton Joins the Girls on the Bus (Jan. 3, 2008)
• Sen. Hillary Clinton Delivers Remarks on Caucus Results in Iowa (Jan. 3, 2008)
• Too Quick to Triangulate (Jan. 3, 2008)
• Door-to-Door for Clinton (Jan. 3, 2008)
• Turnout Time (Jan. 2, 2008)
• For Democrats, Change Is of the Essence (Jan. 2, 2008)
• What If She Loses? (Jan. 2, 2008)
• Hillary's Two Minute Ad (Jan. 2, 2008)
• Clinton Pitches Her Experience; Disputes Register Poll (Jan. 1, 2008)
• The Final Spectacle (Jan. 1, 2008)