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Senator Hillary Clinton And Key Members Of Obama-Biden National Security Team Announced

Senator Hillary Clinton and key members of Obama-Biden national security team announced

Chicago -- President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden officially announced key members of their national security team today: nominating Senator Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, selecting Defense Secretary Robert Gates to remain as Secretary of Defense, nominating Eric Holder as Attorney General, nominating Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, nominating Susan Rice as Ambassador to the United Nations and selecting General Jim Jones, USMC (Ret) as National Security Adviser.

"In this uncertain world, the time has come for a new beginning -- a new dawn of American leadership to overcome the challenges of the 21st century, and to seize the opportunities embedded in those challenges. To succeed, we must pursue a new strategy that skillfully uses, balances, and integrates all elements of American power: our military and diplomacy; our intelligence and law enforcement; our economy and the power of our moral example. The team that we have assembled here today is uniquely suited to do just that. They share my pragmatism about the use of power, and my sense of purpose about America's role as a leader in the world," said President-elect Obama.

"It is an honor to be a part of this team, led by the President-elect -- a team that will see to it that America can lead the world not only by the example of our power, but also by the power of our example. I believe we have assembled a national security team that is poised to recapture the totality of America’s strength," said Vice President-elect Biden.

The national security team members announced today are listed below:

Senator Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State
Over nearly four decades in public service, as an attorney, First Lady, Senator, and presidential candidate, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has become one of the nation's foremost champions for children and families and advocates for women's rights and human rights. During the Clinton Administration, she transformed the role of First Lady, fighting for universal health care and helping to lead successful bipartisan efforts to improve the adoption and foster care systems, reduce teen pregnancy, and provide health care to millions of children through the Children’s Health Insurance Program. As a representative of the United States, she championed American interests as well as the rights of women and girls in more than eighty countries around the world. In November 2000, Senator Clinton became the first First Lady elected to public office and the first woman elected independently in New York State; she has since won reelection. In the Senate, she has continued to advocate for equal access to health care, education, and economic opportunity for women and girls around the world. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Clinton has fought for and secured in law improved health care for members of the National Guard and Reserves and worked to bring our troops home safely and responsibly from Iraq. She also serves as the only Senate member of the Transformation Advisory Group to the Joint Forces Command, working to modernize our military. And Senator Clinton has continued to fight for quality, affordable health care for every American, working to strengthen the Children’s Health Insurance Program and expand the use of health information technology. Most recently, as a groundbreaking candidate for President of the United States, Senator Clinton became the first woman ever to win a presidential primary, receiving more than 18 million votes as an advocate for working families and a voice for millions of Americans who have felt invisible to their government.

Posted by Mike on December 01, 2008 | Permalink

Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, Senator

Statement Of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton On Barack Obama,

STATEMENT OF SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

Tonight, we are celebrating an historic victory for the American people. This was a long and hard fought campaign but the result was well worth the wait.

Together, under the leadership of President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and a Democratic Congress, we will chart a better course to build a new economy and rebuild our leadership in the world. And I look forward to doing all that I can to support President Obama and Vice President Biden in the difficult work that lies ahead.

For too long, middle class families in this country have felt invisible, struggling alone as wages stagnate, jobs disappear, and the costs of daily life climb upward. In quiet, solitary acts of citizenship, American voters gave voice to their hopes and their values, voted for change, and refused to be invisible any longer.

Posted by Mike on November 04, 2008 | Permalink

Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Clinton And Bill Clinton To Crisscross Country In Support Of Obama-Biden In Fnal Stretch

CLINTONS TO CRISSCROSS COUNTRY IN FINAL STRETCH

Senator Clinton and President Clinton to Campaign for Obama-Biden and Other Democrats in Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia

On Wednesday, October 29, Senator Hillary Clinton will campaign for Democrats throughout New York.

In the morning, Senator Clinton will endorse the re-election of Congressman Mike Arcuri in Utica, NY.

Later in the morning, she will attend an Erie County Democrats Rally with local Democrats in Buffalo, NY.

In the afternoon, Senator Clinton will participate in a GOTV Rally for Eric Massa, Dan Maffei Alice Kryzan and local Democrats in Rochester, NY.

Tomorrow evening, Senator Clinton will attend the Monroe County Democrats Dinner in Rochester NY.

In the coming week, Senator Clinton will travel to Ohio, Florida, and Virginia on behalf of the Obama-Biden ticket. She will also be making stops in Kentucky for Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford.

President Bill Clinton will also be crisscrossing the country for Obama-Biden. On Wednesday, President Clinton will make stops in Pennsylvania and Florida, attending a joint rally with Senator Obama in Orlando.

On Thursday, President Clinton will attend events in Youngstown, OH, Toledo, OH before traveling to Minnesota on behalf of Senate candidate Al Franken. On Saturday, President Clinton will attend events in West Virginia and New Jersey before traveling to New Hampshire on Sunday to campaign for Obama-Biden and Senate candidate Governor Jeanne Shaheen.

Posted by Mike on October 28, 2008 | Permalink

Tags: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton To Campaign For Barack Obama On The Iron Range Next Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Sen. Hillary Clinton to Campaign for Obama in Hibbing

ST. PAUL – U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton will hold a public rally for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign next Tuesday evening at Memorial Arena in Hibbing.

Sen. Clinton will speak with Minnesotans about her trust in Sen. Obama’s steady leadership and ability to turn around our economic crisis and bring the change American families need.

CHANGE WE NEED RALLY WITH SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON

Hibbing Memorial Arena
400 East 23 St.
Hibbing, MN 55746

Doors Open: 6:00 PM

The event is free and open to the public.  Tickets are NOT required, but an RSVP is strongly encouraged. 

***For security reasons, do not bring bags.  Please limit personal items.  No signs or banners allowed.***

Posted by Mike on October 16, 2008 | Permalink

Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Iron Range, Minnesota

Statement From Senator Hillary Clinton On Tonight's Presidential Debate

STATEMENT FROM SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON ON TONIGHT’S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Senator Hillary Clinton issued the following statement after tonight’s presidential debate:

“Barack Obama is closing the deal in this election and America is closing the door on the last eight years of failed Republican policies.

“The American people have now seen what both tickets are offering four times, and the choice could not be more clear: Barack Obama offers the steady leadership we need.

“This was John McCain's last chance to present clear, detailed solutions to address this economic crisis we're in and we only saw more of the same.

“I've been barnstorming for Barack Obama and Joe Biden all across the country because I believe so strongly that we need their leadership in the White House, and I know that more and more Americans agree with every passing day."

Posted by Mike on October 15, 2008 | Permalink

Tags: Hillary Clinton, Presidential Debate

TRANSCRIPT: PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AND SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON DELIVER REMARKS AT “OBAMA FOR AMERICA” RALLY IN SCRANTON, PA

TRANSCRIPT: PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AND SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON DELIVER REMARKS AT “OBAMA FOR AMERICA” RALLY IN SCRANTON, PA

President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton delivered the following remarks at an “Obama for America” rally this afternoon with Senator Joe and Jill Biden in Scranton, PA.

President Bill Clinton: Thank you. Thank you, Scranton.

First, let’s give it up for Jill Biden. She is great - she did a great job. Thank you very much.

Thank you Mayor Chris Doherty, it’s great to be back in Scranton. Thank you very much. Thank you Senator Casey for being here. Thank you Congressman Paul Kanjorski for being here. Folks, Paul Kanjorski’s got a tough race. He’s got a tough race because some people in his district believe that illegal immigration is a bigger cause of their economic problems than President Bush's economic policies. I got news for them and I've got news for you – you need to help him get re-elected. Thank you.

My job is to introduce Hillary so she can introduce Senator Biden. As if any of us needed an introduction in Scranton. I want to say one thing – after I bring Hilary up here, I have been dispatched by the Obama-Biden campaign to go to Virginia where we’re going to win for the first time in 40 years. I just want you to know when I saddle off the stage, it's not because I’ve heard them both speak before.

There's only 23 days left and we're all maximizing our potential to get out the vote and to win this election.

I just want to say something about what this election means to me and to Hillary and why we’re here. I am profoundly grateful to all of you who helped me to serve and who supported her. More than you will ever know, I am grateful.

In the last 2 days I haven’t been thinking about politics very much and therefore I’ve been thinking about this election more in real terms. Yesterday, Hillary and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary.  You know what my best present was? She actually let me watch most of those football games yesterday, it was great – what a gift.

Anyway, today we came to Scranton for the 3rd christening we have celebrated at the Court Street Methodist Church in her brother, Tony's, family.  I’ve been thinking about all this and I looked at little Simon Joseph getting his head wet today and I thought to myself: we can't let the America he christens his children in be in the shape America’s in today.

This is not just about politics. We have got to literally repair the basic financial system of America, restore the economy so that it works for ordinary people again and the American Dream is alive and well and poor people can work their way into it, and restore America's standing in the world.

You know because Joe Biden's from here that he understands middle-class economics with middle-class values.

I hope you know that the next Vice President for the first two years, will be relatively more important in the larger world than has ever been the case because the President's going to have to close the door to the Oval Office and get this country out of the ditch.

In addition to the fact that Joe Biden understands you and your lives, I think it's worth pointing out that if you had a secret ballot of all the Republicans and Democrats in the Congress - all of them - and you asked them to put two or three names down of the people in the entire Congress who do the most about the economic, political, and security challenges of America and the world, his name would be on every single secret ballot.

I really like that because sometimes you hear some people talk about people from places like Scranton and Arkansas. They act like we're by definition “rubes,” and we're not and he's not and Barack Obama could not have made a better choice. So we're proud of you.

Now, finally I want to say that I expect to spend the rest of my natural life trying to show people how grateful I am who supported Hillary in her long quest this last year.

I knew 37 years ago when I first met her that I'd never met anybody like her before and I might not ever meet anybody like her again.

But I just want to tell you something – I have been working in national presidential campaigns in some form or fashion since 1968. She has done 50 events for Senator Obama. She has not only done more to support him than any runner-up in the Democratic primary process in my lifetime, she has done more than all the other runner-ups combined.  That says a lot about why she ran for President and what she believes in.

The reason that's important here is that more than three-quarters of you supported her and you need to remember, if you supported her, why you did it. Think about that little baby that got christened in that church today. Look around here at the young people who are here. Think about what we owe them. What do we owe the next 20 or 30 years?

Hillary and I were walking yesterday and thinking about the 33 years we've spent. No matter what happens to us from now on out, we're leaving this old world ahead.  You've been good enough to us and fortune has smiled on us. We can't get behind because of what we have been given. Those of us who are in this position have a profound obligation to think about the challenges of this moment and what we have to do to give our kids a better deal.

If you ask yourselves who has the best ideas, who's got the best instincts, who's got the best ability to understand these challenges, who's got the best supporting cast, the answer is Barack Obama.

That's why Hillary's here, that's why I'm here, that's why you're here. Come on up.


Senator Hillary Clinton: Thank you all so much. 

It is great being back in Scranton and I thank my husband and I am thrilled he could be here with us. He is on his way to Virginia but we wanted to be here together with Joe and Jill to make a very simple message abundantly clear: We must elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden on November 4.

It’s great that Joe has roots here in Scranton as do I – and we will make sure that those roots and those values are carried into the White House after Joe wins. Isn’t it going to be wonderful to have a Vice President you’re proud of and excited about?

It’s great being here with Senator Bob Casey and his family, with Congressman Kanjorski and his family. I just want to reiterate what Bill said. We need as many Democrats in the Congress as we can get and we need to send Paul Kanjorski back to the House of Representatives. And I want to thank Mayor Doherty and everybody associated with not only the city and the county and this region - there are a lot of good things happening here in Scranton. And I know you are going to keep working hard to make sure that this great city, county and region have as positive a future as you have a storied past. You can count on me Chris to be your partner. 

As Bill said – I’ve been crisscrossing the country campaigning for Barack and Joe. Why? Because this election is too important to sit on the sidelines of history. I haven’t spent 35 years in the trenches fighting for universal health care, for children, for families, for women, for middle class people to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our nation and the hopes of our people.

We are here today having a great time – lots of excitement and speeches and applause and rallying – but we are in a financial crisis in America. And it is a crisis born and bred by failed Republican policies championed by George Bush, John McCain, and the Washington Republicans.

You know what they have said and done – gut regulations, cut taxes for corporations and billionaires. When you try to talk about the home mortgage crisis, which I did throughout my campaign, they sort of shrug and say ‘what home mortgage crisis?’ For two years, I and others have said that people are losing their houses. They have been victimized by predatory lending. Families can’t pay their mortgage bills. And that this mortgage crisis would mushroom out of control and become a full blown economic crisis.

But to President Bush and John McCain, middle class families sinking into debt are invisible. We can help Americans losing their houses. But we can only do it by if we make sure the Republicans lose the White House come November. Now when this crisis finally hit Wall Street and big financial firms came calling, well suddenly, oh my goodness, President Bush and John McCain and the Republican base snapped to attention. A big bank is going to fail - well bail it out. A big financial firm is going to fail - well, bail it out. A big insurance company is going to fail – why, bail it out.

What about the millions of people losing their homes and their jobs every single day? Where is their bailout? If stocks to continue to plummet, homeowners fall further and further into default and many face foreclosures. People are afraid to open up their 401K statement, aren’t they? Retirees’ nest eggs are starting to crack.  Businesses can’t find credit. Students can’t find college loans. The global credit crisis is shaking the foundation of the 21st century economy.

And in this election, failure is not an option. We must commit ourselves to making sure we elect leaders who will put people first, remember who built this country, who sacrificed and made us what we are today.

That’s why this week I am barnstorming across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and on to other battleground states that we can and must win because we cannot afford 4 more years of the last 8 years and that’s all the Republicans offer.

The Republicans’ answer to jobs being outsourced: continue tax incentives to companies that outsource jobs, of course. The Republican answer to a broken health care system: throw everybody to the mercy of insurance companies with no tax incentive for employers to keep providing coverage and to offer real protection to people with pre-existing conditions. The Republican answer to rising economic insecurity: John McCain still wants to privatize Social Security. Can you image if your Social Security had been in the stock market the last 3 weeks? The Republican answer to 8 years of stagnant wages and 9 straight months of job losses is just more of the same.

According to the Republicans in this new global economy, America can’t win unless most Americans lose. It makes absolutely no sense, but that is truly what they believe. That’s why they ignored the home mortgage crisis until it became a financial crisis.

That’s why John McCain and has even proposed more tax cuts for the oil companies and the drug companies. That’s why John McCain has said repeatedly that the fundamentals of our economy are strong. Because to John McCain and George Bush the middle class isn’t fundamental, it’s ornamental. They don’t understand that we are at the core of whether this country goes up or down.

That’s why my friends sending the Republicans to solve this economic crisis is like sending the bull to clean up the china closet. They broke it and we’re not buying it anymore.  Barack Obama and Joe Biden will be leaders who will lead us out of this economic crisis. They will once again clean up this economic mess that Republicans have left behind.

In case anybody doubts we can do this – I want you to think back. By the close of the Clinton Administration, America had created 22 million new jobs. Our nation had built an economy with the lowest child poverty rate in 20 years. Wages were rising and prosperity was shared. We produced a balanced budget and a budget surplus.

Now, 8 years later we have to add a digit to the national debt clock. It took a Democratic President to clean up after the last President Bush. It’s going to take a Democratic President to clean up after this President.

Make no mistake about it  and we’ve done it before and we’ll do it again. America will once again rise from the ashes of the Bushes.

For 2 years on the campaign trail – in fact, for my entire adult life – I have been fighting for families left out and left behind, for the chance of every child to reach his or her God-given potential. That’s why I respect Dr. Jill Biden so much because she has worked for 27 years to help our young people realize their potential. I have fought for the people of this country who have felt invisible to their own President - like he just doesn’t even see them. And that’s who I am fighting for today.

That’s why there is only one choice in this election. Wherever I go around the country campaigning for Barack and Joe - I hear people asking each other: Well, who are you for? That’s not the right question. More importantly, the question is: Who is for you?

Just look at what Barack and Joe have proposed  - a thousand dollar tax cut for hard working families covering 95% of Americans who would be eligible. They’ll end the tax breaks for oil companies and drug companies and insurance companies. They’d invest millions more in clean energy jobs, manufacturing, and infrastructure instead.

And Barack and Joe will fight for health care for all Americans. That is my passion. I’m going to work as hard as I can with President Obama and Vice President Biden until we achieve quality, affordable health care for every American and I am looking forward to being on the back lawn of the White House on a beautiful day like this when President Obama signs into law quality, affordable health care for you and you and you.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden are for you and that’s why I am for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

My friends, this is an all-hands-on-deck moment for America. We’ve got to work hard and we’ve got to work together. This is a fight for the future and it is a fight we must win.

It starts right here in Scranton where my father was raised and where he’s buried My grandfather worked in the Scranton lace mills all of his life, starting when he was 11 years old until he retired at the age of 65. My family spent summers in a cabin on Lake Winola. We went swimming and fishing and played a lot of pinochle.

My grandfather built that cabin nearly 100 years ago and it’s still standing because here in Scranton, people are built tough. Here in northeastern Pennsylvania, we don’t go down without a fight.

And I remember how proud my father and his brothers were that they could build a good life with good jobs – jobs that supported the family that gave my grandfather, who didn’t even finish elementary school, the chance to send 3 sons to college. The people in Scranton and northeastern Pennsylvania are like people I’ve met across America. The kind of people who get up every single day and work hard.  You don’t ask for much. You never give up. You soldier on for your families and your communities.

And you deserve a President who will get up every day thinking about you.

And we are so lucky that by the side of our next President will be a man who really understands – who has been fighting his whole life for what he believes in, the values he was raised with. Joe Biden is a good friend and a great man. Joe has never forgotten where he came from. He’s never forgotten how his family had to struggle and his parents even had to move so his dad could find work. He has been a leader on national security. A leader for women, and children and families and the author of the landmark Violence Against Women Act. 

Joe has been a voice for the hardworking middle class of this country because it’s not to him about politics. It’s not theoretical or abstract. It’s in the gut. I could not ask for a better partner in the Senate and America could not ask for a better Vice President.

It really comes down to how much each of us is willing to do in the next 23 days. Sure, the polls show Barack and Joe ahead now and that’s good news. But I don’t pay much attention to polls. Nobody should be lulled into any false sense of security.

Bill was talking about how he and I have been involved in presidential politics since 1968 - 10 presidential elections and Democrats have only won 3 of them.  And of course Bill won 2 out of the 3.

That’s why you have to leave here committed and ready to go to work. You have to talk to your friends and neighbors. I know you have friends and neighbors who aren’t decided yet. I know you have friends and neighbors, and maybe even some family members who are not decided yet. You might even have a few leaning the wrong direction.

So I am deputizing every one of you to go out and make the case because Barack and Joe are not asking you to marry them. They are asking you to vote for them – and vote for yourselves.

If we can pull a big vote out of northeastern Pennsylvania for Barack and Joe, there isn’t any way they lose Pennsylvania. And if they win Pennsylvania, there is no way they lose the White House.

So let’s work for the next 23 days and let’s elect Barack Obama and the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden.

Posted by Mike on October 12, 2008 | Permalink

Hillary Clinton's Plan To Protect American Homeowners

Hillary Clinton Press Releases addressing the Housing Crisis during the 2008 Campaign

3/24/2008

Hillary Clinton's Plan to Protect American Homeowners

Impact for African American Families and Communities
Today, Senator Clinton announced her plan to protect American homeowners from the growing housing crisis, which threatens to drive our economy into a painful downturn. The housing crisis has a disproportionate impact on African-American families, and threatens to set back the gains in homeownership among African-Americans that we have seen over the past decades.

"Over the past week, we’ve seen unprecedented action to maintain confidence in our credit markets and head off a crisis for Wall Street Banks. It’s now time for equally aggressive action to help families avoid foreclosure and keep communities across this country from spiraling into recession,” said Clinton. “The solution I’ve proposed is a sensible way for everyone – lenders, investors, mortgage companies and borrowers - to share responsibility, keep families in their homes, and stabilize our communities and our economy."

There is a significant impact in the African American community, consider:

Fifty-two percent of mortgages to African-American families in 2006 were subprime loans, compared with 22 percent for white families. [Center for Responsible Lending, 2007]

African-American borrowers were 2.7 times more likely to be issued a high-cost loan and 1.8 times more likely to be issued a high-cost refinance loan than white borrowers. [ACORN, 2007].

African-American women are particularly at risk: they received subprime mortgages at the highest rate of any demographic group - despite having slightly higher credit than their male counterparts. [Consumer Federation of America, 2006]

Senator Clinton has been speaking out for over a year on the need to take action to address our housing crisis, and has been out in front in calling for major reforms: from cracking down on unscrupulous mortgage lenders to establishing a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and a five-year interest rate freeze on subprime mortgages. After more than a year of downplaying the problems in our housing market and criticizing Senator Clinton’s proposals, the Bush Administration now says it is willing to consider more aggressive action. But the time for mere consideration has passed. That’s why today Senator Clinton proposed a new plan to protect American homeowners. Her efforts will directly help African American families and communities:

Senator Clinton’s new action to help at-risk homeowners restructure their mortgages will help African-American families stay in their homes. Senator Clinton believes we should extend the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) capacity to guarantee restructured mortgages as proposed by Rep. Frank and Sen. Dodd, and that the government should stand ready to play a more proactive role in purchasing, restructuring, and reselling underwater mortgages. These steps will help hundreds of thousands of African-American families avoid foreclosure and maintain the value of their homes.

Senator Clinton’s $30 billion fund for states and localities will help African-American communities fight the foreclosure crisis in their neighborhoods. Senator Clinton understands that communities with high rates of subprime lending and mounting foreclosures are at risk of falling into devastating downward economic spirals. She believes that if we can extend a $30 billion lifeline for a Wall Street bank, we should be able to extend $30 billion to help these communities stem the impact of mounting foreclosures. Subprime lending has been particularly prevalent in majority African-American communities. In New York City, for example, 46 percent of mortgages in the African-American neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens, were subprime, compared to just over 3 percent in mostly-white Bay Ridge, Brooklyn – despite nearly identical median household incomes. As foreclosures mount, Senator Clinton’s $30 billion lifeline can be used to buy and rehabilitate foreclosed properties and ward off blight. Senator Clinton is committed to providing these neighborhoods with tools they deserve to weather the storm as the mortgage crisis deepens, including:

Supporting Efforts to End Discriminatory Lending Practices. There is substantial evidence of discriminatory lending practices in the subprime industry. As one lawyer from the NAACP observed “it’s almost as if subprime lenders put a circle around neighborhoods of color.” Senator Clinton’s $30 billion fund will provide support for community-based efforts to investigate and pursue claims against discriminatory lending practices.
Encouraging Responsible Borrowing. Senator Clinton’s $30 billion housing stimulus will also support homeowner counseling and education programs to make sure families have the information they need to make the right decisions. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have estimated that between one-third and one-half of all subprime borrowers could have qualified for prime mortgages.

3/24/2008

FACT CHECK: Sen. Obama Accepts Over $1 Million From Subprime Lending Industry

The Obama campaign’s response to the comprehensive plan Hillary laid out to address the housing crisis today was not to discuss their disagreement with her proposal but to assert that Hillary has received contributions from subprime loan companies.

Considering that Sen. Obama has received $1.18 million from subprime lenders and has taken more campaign contributions from the top ten issuers of subprime loans, that attack rings hollow as just words. Sen. Obama has a record of talking about standing up to special interests and then caving to their demands. Hillary has a 35-year record of standing up to special interests and delivering results.

Obama has taken $1,180,103 from the top issuers of subprime loans. [cq.com]

Obama received $266,907 from Lehman. [Cq.com]

Obama received $5395 from GMAC. [Cq.com]

Obama received $150,850 from CS First Boston. [Cq.com]

Obama received $11,250 from Countrywide. [Cq.com]

Obama received $9052 from Washington Mutual. [Cq.com]

Obama received $161,850 from Citigroup. [Cq.com]

Obama received $4600 from CBASS. [Cq.com]

Obama received $170,050 from Morgan Stanley. [Cq.com]

Obama received $1150 from Centex. [Cq.com]

Obama received $351,900 from Goldman Sachs. [Cq.com]

Sen. Obama has taken more money from the top 10 issuers of subprime loans than Hillary. Sen. Obama has received $434,420 from the top 10 issuers of subprime loans. Hillary has received $364,950. [Cq.com; USA Today]

December 5, 2007

Hillary Calls On Wall Street To Address Housing Crisis

Hillary goes to the Nasdaq stock exchange today to call on Wall Street to help clean up the housing foreclosure crisis it helped create. Wall Street not only enabled reckless mortgage lending, it encouraged it - 1.8 million home foreclosure notices have been filed this year, a 74% increase from 2006. Now it’s time for lenders, homeowners and investors to come together to solve this crisis and stem the tide of foreclosures.

Hillary will challenge lenders and financial institutions to take three immediate steps today: 1) Voluntarily support a moratorium of at least 90 days on home foreclosures; 2) freeze the fluctuating rates on subprime loans for at least 5 years until they can be converted into fixed rate, affordable loans; 3) Require regular status reports on the progress they’re making in converting unworkable mortgages into loans families can afford so we have real accountability.

Hillary is proposing a comprehensive work out - not a bail out - that would end the foreclosure crisis. If Wall Street refuses to act, Hillary will propose legislation to tackle the problems in the housing market head on.

As we see growing economic challenges - from the housing crisis to rising energy costs-- it’s clear that we need a leader with Hillary Clinton’s strength and experience to create the change America needs. Hillary has proposed allocating up to $5 billion in immediate assistance to help communities and distressed homeowners weather the foreclosure crisis, and called for $1 billion in emergency energy assistance for families facing skyrocketing heating bills this winter.

FORECLOSURE MORATORIUM: Hillary will call for a moratorium on home foreclosures of at least 90 days so that a rate freeze can take effect and at-risk homeowners can get financial counseling to help them transition to affordable loans.

FREEZE ADJUSTABLE RATE LOANS: The rate freeze must last at least 5 years, or until subprime mortgages have been converted into affordable loans. A typical subprime adjustable rate loan is raising monthly payments by 30% to 40% for many families, causing a wave of housing defaults across the country.

REQUIRE ACCOUNTABILITY: Hillary will ask for regular status reports on the progress Wall Street is making in converting unworkable mortgages into loans families can afford.

August 7, 2007

Hillary Clinton Announces Plan to Address Mortgage Lending Abuses; Preserve Dream of Home Ownership

DERRY, NH - With foreclosure rates continuing to skyrocket across the country, Senator Hillary Clinton in Derry, NH today laid out a plan to preserve the American dream of home ownership that would crack down on unscrupulous brokers, curb mortgage lending abuses, assist families facing foreclosure and expand affordable housing options.

"Today, we have a choice. We can look at the statistics, wring our hands, and continue to do nothing, or we can do what America has always done in times of difficulty: acknowledge that we face a real challenge, and confront it head-on with real solutions," said Clinton. "I think the choice is clear. I think we need to act now, with smart, practical solutions to strengthen our housing and mortgage markets. If I were President, I would address abuses across the mortgage industry with a plan to curb unfair lending practices and hold brokers and lenders accountable, give families the support they need to avoid foreclosure, and increase the supply of affordable housing."

New Hampshire resident Kristi Schofield joined Senator Clinton in Derry today. On July 31st, Kristi and her husband Paul lost their home of eight years in East Hamstead, NH because it had been purchased by the bank at a foreclosure auction. Yesterday, their mortgage company asked them to be out of the house in 17 days. They had planned to raise their three children and spend the rest of their lives in their home, but their adjustable rate mortgage payments continued to climb from $2,400 to its current level of $6,000 a month.

"We tried to do the right thing and continued to make the payments as long as we could with our savings and what earnings we had from unemployment, temporary and part time work. My husband had a good job, we had a great home. We were living our dream. Hillary Clinton is standing up today because she wants to help protect the American dream," said Schofield.

Earlier in the year, the problems in mortgages seemed limited mostly to subprime loans. According to the New York Times, nearly 14 percent of subprime borrowers were delinquent in the first quarter. Now, there is increasing evidence that problems have spread beyond just subprime mortgages. There were 1.3 million foreclosures last year, and there have been more than 900,000 foreclosure filings so far this year. In New Hampshire, there were approximately 150 foreclosure filings last year, but there were more than 1,400 in the first six months of this year. The home is the largest asset most people have. The loss of it affects everything from people's economic security, to their retirement plans, to their ability to pay for their children's education.

To make matters worse, home prices are weakening and sales have slowed. It would now take almost nine months to work off the inventory of unsold homes. And this growing problem with mortgages may be limiting access to credit for middle class families. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that "jittery home-mortgage lenders are cutting off credit or raising interest rates for a growing portion of Americans . . ." This threatens to become another hurdle to home ownership, the greatest source of wealth for average Americans.

"We need to put an end to fly-by-night mortgage brokers peddling loans to unqualified applicants based on inflated appraisals. We need to help those facing the pain of foreclosure. We need to secure the marketplace and put reforms in place right now," said Clinton.

Protecting The Dream Of Home Ownership

Senator Clinton's plan will curb mortgage abuses, assist families facing foreclosure, and expand affordable housing to protect the American dream of home ownership. She will introduce her plan when Congress returns in September.

Crack Down on Unscrupulous Brokers:

Require mortgage brokers to disclose to borrowers that their compensation rises when borrowers' mortgage rates and mortgage fees are high. Too many prospective homebuyers believe that the mortgage broker is acting on their behalf. In fact brokers earn more when they steer borrowers to mortgages with higher rates and fees. The broker's and borrower's interests are not always aligned. Borrowers need to be aware of this when assessing the advice brokers give them. To address this need, Hillary will require that brokers disclose to borrowers how they are paid.

Work with states to develop strong licensing standards and require federal registration for mortgage brokers. Unscrupulous brokers have steered people into high cost mortgages, qualified them for loans they could not afford, and attached fees unnecessarily. These brokers are responsible for many of the lending abuses that occurred in recent years, but there is no single, national source for information about individual brokers. Hillary will establish national registration for brokers so that prospective borrowers can easily look up a broker's employment history, violations, complaints, and other information. As President, she will also work with the states to develop strong licensing standards to ensure that mortgage brokers are qualified and properly screened.

Crack Down on Mortgage Lending Abuses:

Eliminate prepayment penalties on mortgage products. Prepayment penalties, which are often used on subprime, Alt-A, and non-traditional mortgages, are a problem for borrowers. These penalties can lock borrowers into loans until the rates and monthly payments escalate. Families should not be discouraged from responsibly paying off their mortgages early, particularly when this would allow them to avoid balloon payments or high floating rates. Studies have shown that loans with prepayment penalties have a 52% greater risk of default than those without. Hillary will restrict the use of prepayment penalties.

Require mortgage lenders to include the cost of taxes and insurance in the underwriting assessment of higher-risk mortgages. Many borrowers fail to consider taxes and insurance costs when weighing whether they can afford a particular mortgage. Sometimes, lenders exclude those costs from the underwriting assessment, and in the process qualify people for mortgages they cannot afford. Hillary will require that taxes and insurance costs be included in the underwriting assessment so that prospective homeowners can properly determine whether they can afford a particular house. This requirement would apply to subprime mortgages, Alt-A mortgages, and non-traditional mortgages like interest-only, no-money-down, and payment option ARMs.

Help Reduce Foreclosures:

Establish a $1 billion fund to assist state programs that help at-risk borrowers avoid foreclosure. Hillary will establish a $1 billion fund to support state programs that help at-risk borrowers avoid foreclosure. Some state programs help borrowers make the single payment necessary to become current on their loans; others help borrowers renegotiate their loan terms, or simply provide financial counseling. These foreclosure mitigation efforts are more important than ever right now. Federal assistance for state programs that assist at-risk borrowers supplements Hillary's call earlier in the year for "foreclosure timeout." At-risk borrowers and lenders should be encouraged to work out alternatives to foreclosure.

Expand Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's Foreclosure Prevention Efforts. Hillary would expand the goals of Fannie and Freddie, the government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that help stabilize the mortgage markets, to include helping a larger number of at-risk homeowners avoid foreclosure. This would be consistent with Fannie's and Freddie's existing goals that promote home ownership. The GSEs already help mitigate foreclosures by enabling some borrowers to swap into less risky, lower-cost loans. Fannie also helps homeowners arrange payment forbearance, financial counseling, and loan restructurings. Hillary will expand those initiatives to make foreclosure mitigation a greater priority.

Expand Affordable Housing:

Establish a $1 billion fund to provide federal support to housing trust funds established by state, county, and municipal governments. The rise in home prices over recent years, coupled with stagnant wages, has meant that people are committing an increasing share of their salaries to mortgage payments. Between 2001 and 2004, for example, the number of households paying more than half of their incomes on housing increased by 1.9 million. The Joint Center for Housing Studies estimates that housing is a "severe cost burden" for 15.6 million low- and middle-income households. Families facing such strains often forgo necessities. Other families simply forgo home ownership, or turn to high risk, alternative mortgage products. In order to encourage the development of affordable housing, Hillary will establish a $1 billion fund to support state, county, and municipal housing trust funds. Housing trust funds generally use dedicated funding sources to support initiatives like building subsidized rental housing and safety net housing, and they also support nonprofit housing developers. Hillary's fund will supplement the funding states, counties, and municipalities have already dedicated to these initiatives.

The plan announced today supplements the plan Hillary announced earlier this year to address the problems in subprime mortgages. In that earlier announcement, Hillary called for expanding access to independent face-to-face counseling; restricting prepayment penalties for subprime mortgages; requiring "plain-talk, no-fine-print disclosure"; promoting "foreclosure timeout" in which at-risk borrowers and lenders work out alternatives to foreclosure; and strengthening the Federal Housing Administration so that it could provide more homebuyers with an alternative to the subprime market.

Posted by Mike on October 09, 2008 | Permalink

Tags: Hillary Clinton, Housing Crisis, Mortgage, Subprime

Senator Biden And Jill Biden To Be Joined By President Clinton And Senator Hillary Clinton At Scranton, Pennsylvania Event

Senator Biden and Jill Biden to be joined by President Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton at Scranton Event
Both Senators have family roots in the area

PHILADELPHIA — Vice presidential nominee Senator Joe Biden will be joined by President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton at a rally on Sunday.  President Clinton and Senator Clinton will speak to voters about how Barack Obama and Joe Biden will fight for middle-class families and make Washington and Wall Street work for Main Street again. Senator Biden will discuss how an Obama/Biden administration will provide desperately needed leadership to restore the middle class, create tens of thousands of jobs in Pennsylvania and change the way Washington works.  Jill Biden will also speak at the rally.

Both Senator Biden and Senator Clinton have strong ties to Scranton: Biden, born and raised there, recently returned to the home where he grew up.  Senator Clinton's family roots are all in Scranton.    

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12

Scranton, PA

CHANGE WE NEED RALLY WITH SENATOR JOE BIDEN, JILL BIDEN, SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON AND PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON

Riverfront Sports Complex
5 West Olive Plaza
Scranton, PA 18508

Doors Open: 1:15 PM
Program Begins:  3:15 PM

This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are NOT required.  However, an RSVP is strongly encouraged.   Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

***For security reasons, do not bring bags. Please limit personal items. No signs or banners allowed.***

Posted by Mike on October 09, 2008 | Permalink

Tags: Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Pennsylvania, President Clinton, Scranton, Senator

STATEMENT FROM HILLARY CLINTON ON TONIGHT’S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

STATEMENT FROM HILLARY CLINTON ON TONIGHT’S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Hillary Clinton issued the following statement responding to tonight’s presidential debate:

“Tonight’s debate proved once again that an Obama-Biden Administration will provide the fresh start America so desperately needs.

“The biggest risk for American families is four more years of the last eight years and mavericks in charge of the United States economy. Mavericks in Washington and on Wall Street got us into this mess.

“As we saw, Senator Obama displayed beyond a doubt that he understands both the gravity of the financial crisis facing America, and the challenges we face in Iraq and around the world. Senator McCain offered only more of the same failed policies of the Bush Administration. It's time for a change.”

Posted by Mike on October 07, 2008 | Permalink

Tags: Debate, Hillary Clinton

STATEMENT FROM HILLARY CLINTON ON TONIGHT’S VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

STATEMENT FROM HILLARY CLINTON ON TONIGHT’S VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Hillary Clinton issued the following statement responding to tonight’s vice presidential debate:

“Tonight's debate underscored the stark choice American families face in this election.

“I've known Senator Biden a long time – as Americans saw tonight, he is a strong, passionate and experienced leader. Like Barack Obama, Joe Biden understands both the economic stresses here at home and the strategic challenges in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world.

“We saw yet again that Senator McCain and Sarah Palin will offer only more of the same failed policies of the Bush Administration. America's hardworking Middle Class families deserve better.”

Posted by Mike on October 02, 2008 | Permalink

Tags: Debate, Hillary Clinton, VP

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