Conceding Kentucky to Clinton, Obama has already dismissed Kentucky Democrats as so many “typical white people” whose participation in the Democratic primary is inconsequential. Kentucky Democrats will determine the outcome of the general election, however. And according to a poll conducted on behalf of Herald-Leader/WKYT on May 7-9, 2008, Obama has an electability problem with Kentucky Democrats.

I quote:

Wright’s remarks are important or very important to 43 percent of those polled. Among white voters, his statements were important to 46 percent, compared to only 11 percent of black voters.

Compounding this problem is Obama’s elitist remark about white, rural, bitter voters who “cling” to guns and religion. According to the poll I cite above,

Twenty-nine percent of voters said they didn’t care about Obama’s comments about rural voters clinging to guns and religion.

In other words, 71% of Kentucky Democrats do care about Obama’s derisive statements about rural white voters who “cling” to guns and religion.

Compare these alarming figures to the following finding of the Herald-Leader/WKYT poll:

Twenty-three percent of those polled said Clinton’s misstatements about whether she was under sniper fire in Bosnia were important to their vote.

Clinton’s statements about Bosnia have not affected Kentucky Democrats’ perception of her viability and electability. I guess the voters of Kentucky know how to pick a President.

—————————————–

Lest one try to dismiss the results of this poll, let us remember that the Democratic nominee will have to win Kentucky in the general election. Bill Clinton won Kentucky in 1992 with 44.55% of the vote, and he won it again in 1996 with 45.84% of the vote. Neither Gore nor Kerry could carry Kentucky, and neither of them managed to win the White House. Kentucky, in other words, is an important swing state, and Obama with his out of touch elitism will not be able to carry it if almost half of Kentucky Democrats find his pastor’s statements offensive.

Clinton, on the other hand, can carry Kentucky. Just listen to this expert on Kentucky politics and culture:

“It is the working class support that Hillary is enjoying and Bill Clinton did alright by the working and middle class,” Gershtenson said. “Those folks enjoyed improving times over the course of his terms and I think that makes a big difference.”

“Typical white people” matter, even if Obama, Brazile and other Washington, DC, elites denigrate and dismiss them. Or perhaps Obama really does despise the “typical white people” of Kentucky. After all, he and his wife listened to the following again and again when they attended the “God Damn America” Church in inner city Chicago for a full twenty years:

For we have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism.

I won’t finish the quote because anything after it is a lie. But at least he started by telling us the truth.

This most recent episode began shortly after Obama’s big losses in Texas and Ohio. His campaign had lost its momentum and decided on a sure fired, tried true and tested strategy to take out Hillary. They were going to smear her.

As reported at Bucknaked Politics:
“New” Politics? Obama
“Punching” and Pushing for Hillary to Drop Out immediately following Obama’s losses campaign manager David Plouffe implied that Hillary should drop out of the race. In an email to “supporters Plouffe offered that:

“It’s clear, though, that Senator Clinton wants to continue an increasingly desperate, increasingly negative — and increasingly expensive — campaign to tear us down.

Yeah, that mean ole Hillary pointed out that Obama lied to the voters of Ohio about NAFTA. In fact he lied at least four times about it. Yes, this campaign is getting expensive. Expensive for the American people if they don’t pay attention to what Obama really has in mind. And as is typical fashion for the Obama campaign when faced with embarrassing revelations that punch holes in the hope hype, they quickly change the subject.

Mr. Plouffe’s email continues:

“We can debate John McCain about who can clean up Washington by nominating a candidate who’s taken more
money from lobbyists than he has, or we can do it with a campaign that hasn’t taken a dime of their money because we’ve been funded by you.”

The message to this is clear. Obama attempts to link Hillary with the special interests and Mr. Purity with, well, purity. You might say he is as pure and as white as snow. Well you probably don’t want to say that. But wait a moment, Bucknaked politics continues:

I must interject yet again. Perhaps Obama hasn’t taken money directly from lobbyists, but one of his campaign co-chairs is a pharma lobbyist. When asked about it at a debate, Sen. Obama got caught on videotape saying “That’s not true” — when it was true. Also, Sen. Obama essentially took an interest-free loan from a political player in Chicago who now faces a criminal trial. The transaction might have been perfectly legal — might be business as usual in Chicago — but it doesn’t evince clean hands or “new politics.”

In case you need this defined let me break it down for you. Obama apparently has a habit of lying. And he has no compunction about lying to the American people in a televised debate. He not only lied about lying about NAFTA. He also got caught lying about lying about not having a lobbyist working directly for his campaign. Oops!

According to Boston.com in a January 6th article Lobbyist/Obama NH Chair enters national conversation

One of Barack Obama’s four New Hampshire co-chairs, who is also one of the state’s most prominent lobbyists, entered the conversation of the Democratic presidential race last night with this phrase from Hillary Clinton at the debate: “When it comes to lobbyists, you know that Senator Obama’s chair in New Hampshire is a lobbyist. He lobbies for the drug companies.” “Not true,” said Obama. But it is true.

You see, Obama’s New Hampshire Co-Chair is a man named Jim Demers. He has his own lobbying firm called The Demers
Group.

He is respected by legislative leaders from both parties and is relied on by reporters to be very knowledgeable with the latest statehouse rumor or how pieces of legislation are moving. He is also a frequent Democratic analyst for WMUR-TV.
He gives thousands in contributions to the state Democratic Party and Democratic campaigns. In 2004, he headed up campaign for Dick Gephardt in the state. And to aid in that effort Demers purchased an RV from eBay that he then drove around the state with Gephardt to campaign events.

And that “interest free” loan being discussed above. That was from that jailed political fixer Rezko. Seriously, you can’t make up stuff this good.

But wait… it gets better.

On the sting of his decisive defeat on March 4th the Obama campaign apparently in a top down approach decided to come out swinging. In a New York Times article on March 6th Lesson of Defeat: Obama Comes Out
Punching, Obama decided to question whether Hillary had actually been vetted.

No really, I am NOT making this up.

“She’s made the argument that she’s thoroughly vetted, in contrast to me,” Mr. Obama said to reporters aboard his campaign plane. “I think it’s important to examine that argument.” Mr. Obama took aim on Wednesday at Mrs. Clinton’s claim that she is a seasoned hand in foreign policy. “What exactly is this foreign experience that she’s claiming?” he said. “I know she talks about visiting 80 countries. It is not clear. Was she negotiating treaties or agreements or was she handling crises during this period of time? “My sense is the answer’s no.”

Then over the course of the new few weeks the Obama campaign has made it a daily talking point to question whether Hillary actually had anything to do with peace in Northern Ireland or helped in any way to get the border open in Macedonia during the Balkan War. Of course the first thing the Obama camp did was trot out that destitute David Trimble who called Hillary’s claim: “a wee bit silly.” And if they were able they would have that be the last word.

But fortunately for the rest of us there were a number of character references of great distinction supporting Hillary’s position. Not the least of which was John Hume, one of the actual architects of the good Friday Agreement.

“I am quite surprised that anyone would suggest that Hillary Clinton did not perform important foreign policy work as First Lady. I can state from firsthand experience that she played a positive role for over a decade in helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland.”

And no less than Ian Paisley, Martin McGuiness and Gerry Adams back up this recollection. And if their words were not enough please consider the words of the Prime minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern. In an article in The Times Tribune Ahern says Hillary ‘hugely helpful’ in peace process

Mr. Ahern called Mrs. Clinton “hugely helpful” in the process both as First Lady and as a U.S. Senator, and suggested some of the criticism of her are unfair. Moderate Catholic leader John Hume credited Mrs. Clinton with speaking to leaders and opinion makers on all sides, making countless phone calls and urging them forward. Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams credits Mrs. Clinton with playing “an important role.”

So, just in case you got lost with all the Obama casing of aspersions, we have Lord David Trimble supporting the Obama position that Hillary had NOTHING to do with achieving peace in Northern Ireland. David Trimble, the incompetent jerk that lost his job because he refused to implement the Good Friday Agreement. But that Lord in front of his name makes him seem really cool and important.

And then we have Ian Paisley, First Minister of Northern Ireland, Martin McGuiness, Deputy First Minister, Gerry Adams, President of Sinn Féin and Bertie Ahern, Prime Minister of Ireland all supporting Hillary’s version. I wonder who has more credibility here? Clue: It’s not Obama.

And then we have the question as to whether Hillary had anything to do with making sure the border to Macedonia was opened during the Balkan War to allow refugees from Kosovo to escape the slaughter. The Obama campaign trots out their impeccable national security expert, Sinbad, who recalls that he didn’t remember a thing about there being an emergency landing with the helicopter. Sinbad’s version sounds like they were out for a casual stroll in the park.

But fortunately Hillary has a credible reference for her efforts during this important trip. A man with unimpeachable credentials, Richard Holbrooke, the architect of the Dayton Accords.

Hillary’s Work on Kosovo & N. Ireland

In these talks, one in the Presidential Palace, another in the residence of the American Ambassador, Christopher Hill, Mrs. Clinton pressed the Macedonian government to fully open the border so that Kosovar Albanian refugees could flee the war zone to safety. She also committed herself to work with the government and people of Macedonia who also faced an emergency because of the threat to their own safety and stability. Hillary Clinton promised to take action to help the Macedonian economy. Returning to Washington, she pressed hard in the administration for action to support the Macedonians. She even contacted American business executives to ensure that American textile contracts in Macedonia were not canceled.

So we have the Sinbad , whoops I mean the Obama side and then we have the Hillary side of the story. I am sure you are wondering which side is more credible. but that doesn’t stop the Obama campaign. No, they have “other questions” about Hillary. Surely something sinister is lurking in her past that that right wing republican machine that let us use their play book surely uncovered. Let’s see if we can cause aspersions by questioning what Hillary did as First Lady. She hasn’t released those files so let’s tell everyone that the reason she doesn’t release them is because she has something to hide. Yes, that’s it. Hillary is untrustworthy. You see with the Obama camp, they don’t really care about facts. they prefer to distort, to cause doubt and to spread innuendo.

And yes today they continue their assault. A reminder that Obama wasn’t kidding when he said: For we have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism.

Read on….

Today ABC News reports that Obama Campaign
Claims Clinton Has ‘Character Gap’

… asserting that Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., is lacking in character and regularly misleads voters.

“She is not seen as trustworthy by the American people,” said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe.

Plouffe said this perception would make it “next to impossible” for Clinton to win the general election.

Today, the Obama campaign blamed Clinton for what Gallup called a “perceived honesty gap” and Plouffe called a

“character gap.”

“Her access was very limited and her trips abroad were largely ceremonial,” Craig said. “She says she is ready to be

commander in chief based on claims that are not supported by reality.”

Hmmmm…. seems the evidence I present above seems to dispute the claims of Plouffe. But that is the Obama way. When those pesky little facts get in the way, lie and tell more lies and get other people to lie for you. LIE LIE LIE.

And don’t forget… spread division, conflict and cynicism too:

Assailing the Clintons’ refusal so far to release any recent tax returns or the names of donors to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library, Plouffe asked, “What are the Clintons scared of? Why won’t they release this information? & What’s lurking there?”

Oh my, there must be something sinister going on here folks. Because Hillary hasn’t released her tax forms. never mind that they aren’t even due to be filed with the IRS until April 15th. The Obama campaign wants to see then NOW!

Like spoiled little children they apparently think they are entitled to see Hillary’s tax forms before the IRS. And we all know that their motives are completely on the up and up. That “incident” where they misreported information about Bill Clinton’s income where they actually questioned his patriotism, that was just a mistake. They never meant to cause him any harm. Naaahhh. Not the Obama folks. They are the New Politics Express. They would never do anything like that.

What I and scores of interested readers want to know is when Senator Obama is going to release his records from his 8 years in the Illinois Senate. When asked Obama seems to be under the impression that he doesn’t have a single sheet of paper documenting his “experience” as an Illinois State Senator. I know he said in one of the debates that he had a tendency to loose papers but 8 years worth of them? I think not. Now a cynical person might suspect that there is something sinister about Obama not having a single document proving his well touted experience. But me?

Something else Obama said in that all important race speech that he gave because race is such an important subject and not at all because he was in trouble for having a racist pastor that hates America:

I would not be running for President if I didn’t believe with all my heart that this is what the vast majority of Americans want for this country.

Well, I suppose it is time for Senator Obama to step down. Because division, conflict and cynicism are the watch words of his “new politics” campaign.

[Former State Dept. official James Rubin putting to rest the Obama camp's attacks.]

I’ve seen posts challenging what I and others have written about Hillary’s experience in foreign policy. Below are facts about what she’s done to help two areas especially afflicted by conflict and misery, Kosovo and Northern Ireland. For any who doubt Hillary’s connection to Northern Ireland, see this recent photo of her [BELOW] with two participants in the mid-90s peace talks …

Those are (Big) Ian (blood & thunder) Paisley (DUP), and Martin McGuinnes (Sinn Fein).  They used to hate each other (hell maybe they still do) but are now serviing as the top two members of the Belfast government.  They came over to DC on a trip to promote investment in Northern Ireland and stopped by to visit their old friend, Hillary.

So without further ado…

FactHub

The Facts: Hillary and Kosovo
3/8/2008 4:15:28 PM

Hillary has done the work of real diplomacy, visiting the front lines, meeting with world leaders, and working behind the scenes to make change.

In the midst of the air war over Kosovo, Hillary Clinton arrived in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on May 14, 1999. Despite concerns about security, she traveled to the international border on the edge of the war zone, and visited with refugees. She met separately with Prime Minister Georgievski and President Gligorov, accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia Christopher Hill, to emphasize America’s support for the stability and security of Macedonia. She discussed refugee policy in these meetings. Before she arrived the Macedonian government had an inconsistent policy that frequently severely restricted the flow of refugees. Indeed in the days leading up to her visit, the flow of refugees had slowed greatly. Hillary pressed these leaders to embrace a border policy that would open the way to allow many more Kosovar Albanians to escape the war zone. After talks between Hillary Clinton and the Macedonian leadership, which included the announcement of two million dollars in aid, the government opened the borders much wider, thereby saving many, many lives.

As a Senator, Hillary Clinton championed prompt recognition of Kosovo’s independence in the context of full protection of minority rights, especially for the Serbs. She has supported the full integration of the Western Balkans into Europe and the transatlantic community.

Testimonials:

Statement of Richard Holbrooke, architect of the Dayton Accords, and former permanent representative to the United Nations.

“It was dire in May 1999 when Hillary Clinton arrived in Macedonia. The government of Macedonia had slowed the flow of refugees from Kosovo to a trickle. After visiting refugees and gaining a first-hand assessment of the situation, the First Lady had intense talks with President Gligorov and Prime Minister Georgievski. In these talks, one in the Presidential Palace, another in the residence of the American Ambassador, Christopher Hill, Mrs. Clinton pressed the Macedonian government to fully open the border so that Kosovar Albanian refugees could flee the war zone to safety. She also committed herself to work with the government and people of Macedonia who also faced an emergency because of the threat to their own safety and stability. Hillary Clinton promised to take action to help the Macedonian economy. Returning to Washington, she pressed hard in the administration for action to support the Macedonians. She even contacted American business executives to ensure that American textile contracts in Macedonia were not canceled. There is no doubt in my mind, nor in the minds of those people I worked with in the Balkans at the time - that her intense efforts resulted in easing a crisis of significant dimensions and contributed to saving many lives.”

Statement of Susan Braden, Director of Central and Eastern Europe, National Security Council, during Clinton Administration

“I was the Director of Central and Eastern Europe at the National Security Council, with responsibility for the states on the front-line of the conflict with Serbia, including Macedonia. The First Lady traveled to the region to bolster these fragile states at a precarious time. In May 1999, working with the Macedonians, we arranged meetings for Hillary with the Macedonian leadership for the purpose of demonstrating support and, in light of the growing refugee crisis, to persuade the government to allow in more Kosovar Albanian refugees. Hillary successfully pressed the Macedonian government to allow in many more refugees. This trip was enormously important in resolving this immediate crisis. It also reassured the Macedonian government, and other states in the region affected by this crisis, that America would support them.”

“Statement from Melanne Verveer, Former Chief of Staff to First Lady Hillary Clinton

As her chief of staff, I traveled with Hillary to Macedonia and sat in on her meetings with the Macedonian leadership. The situation in Macedonia was fragile. There had been demonstrations against the U.S. Embassy, the Macedonian economy was faltering, and there were growing rifts in the Macedonian population over the conflict. In Macedonia, Hillary met with the President and Prime Minister, pushing them on the need to allow Kosovo refugees to flee to safety inside Macedonia. As a result of these talks, they changed their policies, and allowed in thousands of refugees. She spoke to the Macedonian people at the same time and told them that the United States stood with them, that we were grateful for their sacrifices, and she brought with her economic assistance to help Macedonia through this difficult period. Hillary’s diplomatic efforts averted a major refugee crisis and, at the same time, produced benefits for the people of Macedonia.”

News Reports:

Hillary met with the Macedonian President and Prime Minister offering an economic development package. (Hillary) “Clinton heard her story Friday morning on her trip to Macedonia, which was aimed at highlighting the plight of ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo and assuring the poor Balkan nation that the United States understands the stress the influx has placed on it. Aid officials say Macedonia has taken about 233,000 of the nearly 800,000 refugees. Clinton met with Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov and Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski. She announced the release of the first $ 2 million in a $ 21 million economic development package for Macedonia that is designed to help the fledgling democracy create new small businesses.” [Chicago Tribune, 5/16/99]

Hillary met with Macedonian officials ‘trying to diffuse any anti-American sentiment and to bolster Macedonia’s fragile coalition government. “Hillary Rodham Clinton swept through Macedonia on Friday on a visit that illustrated the Clinton administration’s continuing struggle to balance the diverse strands of its Kosovo policy…Ethnic Macedonians, who make up roughly two-thirds of this country’s population, generally oppose NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia. They also fear that if ethnic Albanians — who made up roughly one-third of Macedonia’s population before the crisis — continue to pour in from Kosovo, Macedonians will be reduced to a minority in their own country. So although Clinton spent the morning addressing the suffering of the refugees, she spent the rest of the day trying to defuse any anti-American sentiment and to bolster Macedonia’s fragile coalition government, a mix of Macedonian and Albanian parties.” [Austin American-Statesman, 5/15/99]

The Washington Post: “First Lady Brings Publicity, Aid to Macedonia:” First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, the first high-ranking American to visit here since the Kosovo crisis began, brought two messages to Macedonia today. Touring a refugee camp of 18,000 people, Clinton urged Americans not to become “immune” to the plight of more than 740,000 Kosovo Albanians expelled from their homeland since NATO began its air war against Yugoslavia on March 24. “We are trying to do everything possible to make these lives and stories real, not to let them fade into the background,” she said… And she soothed the irritated government of Macedonia, which has taken in the refugees only reluctantly and at the price of more foreign aid. Clinton today added another $ 2 million to the pot — the first installment of a $ 21 million reallocation of funds for Macedonia… Even as Clinton toured the camp, a few refugees were entering Macedonia from Kosovo. For 10 days, almost no one has crossed the frontier — initially because Macedonian border guards were blocking refugees, then because Serbian authorities were not allowing them to leave… After her camp tour, Clinton met with Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, parliamentary president Savo Klimovski and local aid officials, and her message could not have been more straightforward: “I want to clearly express our appreciation to the government of Macedonia for the efforts they have made. It has been an incredible burden on Macedonia.” [Washington Post, 5/15/99]

Now I actually cut my teeth blogging back in the mid-90s on an old CNN discussion board about Northern Ireland.  I used to know people from both sides of the divide up in the North so I learned a lot from them on a more personal level.  And a friend here in Maryland traveled to the North with Sen. Clinton - can’t recall which trip.

I read whatever I could get my hands on back then - books (current affairs and history), newspapers, on line information.  You name it - I read and absorbed it.

I followed the whole process very closely and lobbied hard for the Good Friday Agreement’s passage via a website I built back in the day.  I still look at it sometimes and marvel at all that went on back then.  Marching season.  Ormagh.  The Quinn boys.  So many suffered and today we see Big (blood & thunder) Ian Paisly sharing power with of all people - Martin McGuinness!  (see the other attached picture).

John Hume represented the SDLP in the peace talks. He and the rest of the people who helped make the GFA possible sacrificed so much!  He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with David Trimble (who represented the Ulster Unionist Party (Protestants) in the negotiations) in 1998.  For more information you can check out the who’s who page from my old website, IrishPeace.com to get an idea as to how closely I followed all this.  So when I say Hillary played a part in helping to bring peace to the North, believe it.  

Read on…

FactHub

The Facts: Hillary and Northern Ireland
3/8/2008 3:12:25 PM

Hillary traveled to Northern Ireland seven times between 1995 and 2004, and gave what Northern Irish leader and Nobel Laureate John Hume recently described as “decisive support” to the peace process in Northern Ireland. She focused especially on encouraging the emergence of women in the political process. In addition, Hillary’s work at the grass roots and behind-the-scenes helped cultivate the conditions necessary for the peace to take hold and last.

As political leaders on all sides of the process have attested, Hillary made important contributions in a wide variety of ways. She made private calls to the negotiating parties on all sides and at all levels to encourage them towards peace. She gave advice and technical assistance to Northern Ireland leaders on a range of governance issues. She used the bully pulpit to inspire and to challenge at a major address in 1998 before leaders from the contending sides.

In 1998 under the auspices of the U.S.-led Vital Voices Democracy Initiative, established by Hillary and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright the previous year - Hillary brought together 400 women in Belfast, Northern Ireland to foster their rise to prominence and leadership and to ensure that their success helped support peace. She met with community workers and with women politicians in Northern Ireland to encourage them to take on a larger role. She carried a pledge to the government of Ireland that the United States would remain a partner in the peace process.

Senator George Mitchell said that “She was very much involved in encouraging the emergence of women in the political process in Northern Ireland, which was a significant factor in ultimately getting an agreement.”

Hillary’s efforts have continued as Senator. She visited the Republic of Ireland on her first trip during her Senate term, and Northern Ireland on her second trip, where she spoke with all of the major leaders in Northern Ireland.

Every year, she meets with the Taoiseach and other party leaders from Ireland. She continues to take calls from all parties to provide help behind the scenes and to keep the process moving forward. And she has held meetings in her office at the request of Northern Irish officials on job creation, trade, agriculture, autism, policing, economic development - and of course reconciliation.

In December 2007, when Martin McGuiness and Ian Paisley were in Washington, they met with President Bush and Hillary, thanking Hillary for her contribution to the peace process.

Testimonials:

Statement from John Hume former MP MEP, founder of the SDLP and an architect of the Good Friday Agreement. He is the only person to win the Nobel Prize for Peace, the Ghandi Peace Award and the Martin Luther King Peace Prize.

“I am quite surprised that anyone would suggest that Hillary Clinton did not perform important foreign policy work as First Lady. I can state from firsthand experience that she played a positive role for over a decade in helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland.

She visited Northern Ireland, met with very many people and gave very decisive support to the peace process. There is no doubt that the people of Northern Ireland think very positively of Hillary Clinton’s support for our peace process, due to her visits to Northern Ireland and her meetings with so many people. In private she made countless calls and contacts, speaking to leaders and opinion makers on all sides, urging them to keep moving forward.

Anyone criticizing her foreign policy involvement should look at her very active and positive approach to Northern Ireland and speak with the people of Northern Ireland who have the highest regard for her and are very grateful for her very active support for our peace process.”

Inez McCormack, first female president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions:

“Hillary Clinton took risks for peace in asking me and others to bring women and communities from both traditions to affirm their capacity to work for common purpose and to assert, when there was no public dialogue which supported it, that working for common purpose on the basis of mutual respect was the core of effective peace building. She used her immense influence to give women like me space to develop this work and validated it every step of the way. This approach is now taken for granted bit it wasn’t then. She told us that if we take risks for peace, she would stay with us on that journey. In my experience, it took hard work, attention to detail and a commitment of time and energy which she delivered steadily and where it was needed over the last decade.”

Baroness May Blood of the House of Lords, who worked for many years as a community leader in Shankill area of West Belfast

“The First Lady sent the message that the work and influence that grassroots women were undertaking within their communities was just as important as anything else that was taking place. I witnessed her building new confidence in women at the grassroots level and their statue grew within Northern Ireland as a consequence. All of a sudden they were being taken more seriously. The message we were also told by Hillary Clinton was that this work needed a political focus.”

Geraldine McAteer, Chief Executive of West Belfast Partnership Board

“As First Lady, Hillary Clinton was extremely supportive of the peace process in Northern Ireland, and in particular, of the women who live here. In her visits during the peace process negotiations she met with women from a range of backgrounds and she recognized there was a real need to strengthen and support the voices of women in the post conflict context and get the needs of women and communities to the forefront of the new political agenda. She recognized that this would be best done through building the skillls of women here. Through her Vital Voices Conference in September 1998, I and others were able to develop our skills for the betterment of our communities.”

News reports:

2007: Hillary honored for her work on the Northern Ireland Peace process. Irish American Magazine named Hillary “Person of the Year”, celebrating “her work on the Northern Ireland peace process”. [Irish American Magazine, April/May 07]

2007: Hillary met with Irish leaders who wanted to ‘pay their respects to Hillary’ for her work on behalf of peace in Northern Ireland.  Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley recently traveled to Washington on behalf of the fledging Northern Ireland government, and they specifically requested two personal meetings: one with President George W. Bush and one with Senator Hillary Clinton. They wanted to “pay their respects to Hillary” for her long and varied role in promoting and working for peace in Northern Ireland. [Guardian, December 8, 2007]. As McGuinness put it, “these are wonderfully exciting times for all of us back home, not least because of the contributions made by President Clinton and Mrs. Clinton.” [AP, December 7, 2007].

1999: Northern Ireland Secretary: `Hillary is one of the essential reasons’ Ireland had peace. An August 1999 issue of Talk Magazine quotes Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam: “Hillary is one of the essential reasons we’ve had 18 months of relative peace. Without her we would have no economic boom.”

1999: Hillary made frequent trips to Northern Ireland where she was ‘not just in the humdrum affairs of state…but in the nitty gritty of the political scene’. “A few years back the notion of an American First Lady speaking out on any aspect of life in Northern Ireland would have been taboo. Now it is accepted that not just this First Lady but also her husband make frequent trips to the North, and that they become involved not just in the humdrum affairs of state such as opening a new training center or mouthing niceties at a conference, but in the nitty gritty of the political scene too.” [Irish Voice, May 25, 1999]

This is real experience folks - and it’s gained over years and years of involvement in real issues and the lives of real people.  It’s not something someone can gain by making last-minute trips overseas.

::::::::::

  ::   My e-mail address is HillarysBloggers@yahoo.com   ::   I’m married with children — I’m a pro-choice, tree-huggin, Million Mom Marchin’, yellow-dog Democrat.

Kosovo declared its independence yesterday and despite joyous celebrations of its newfound status, she faces an uphill climb. The economy is devastated - unemployment is rampant and skyrocketing. Crime and corruption - including human trafficking is widespread. Kosovo’s suffering has taken its toll. And having a primarily Muslim populace has not endeared it to its neighbors.

Countries such as Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, China and most notably Russia and Serbia, refuse to recognize Kosovo’s independence.

When the US and NATO intervened in 1999, they were not without their detractors.
From the US left, Noam Chomsky, Justin Raimondo, Matt Taibbi and the Nation magazine were among those voices that clearly opposed Nato intervention. From the right, the GOP - including then Texas Gov. George W. Bush and now disgraced former congressman Tom DeLay, accused the US of nation building and the use of force without an exit strategy.

Another voice in 1999, that of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke against the ethnic cleansing of the Kosovars. Here she speaks from a refugee camp in Macedonia.

Hillary Rodham Clinton called the refugees’ stories “extremely disturbing,” saying they brought up images that hadn’t been seen in Europe since World War II.

“You feel almost like you’re intruding, but they want to tell you what it felt like when they lost their children,” Mrs. Clinton said.

NATO accuses the Yugoslav army and Serb special police of conducting a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” against Kosovo’s Albanian population.

Mrs. Clinton said the stories echoed images of the Nazi era, as depicted by films like “Schindler’s List” or “Sophie’s Choice.”

“Think about what that means — to be driving people from their homes, separating them from their families, loading them on trains,” she said.

I appreciate her stand. And I’m sure the 1.5 million Kosovar refugees do.
Yes, there were many more tragedies and suffering, a high loss of civilian casualties and all the terrible things that come with war. Milosevic thought nothing of deliberately placing civilians in buildings that NATO told him would be bombed.
Serbs suffered retaliation and revenge killings in the wake of liberation.
Yet considering the alternative, it is hard not to call it a success.
Perhaps that is why the bond between Hillary Clinton and Wes Clark runs deep. They were unable to affect the outcome of Rwanda, and it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
Less than ten years ago, the idea of Kosovo becoming a member of the EU, let alone a sovereign nation was relegated to the realm of the far fetched. It is now a nation.

The oldest ethos is the strong will do what they will and the weak will accept what it must. The Melian debate, as chronicled by Thucydides. (The Melians, despite being an ally of the Lacedaemonians - Sparta - was neutral in the Peloponnesian War.) The following is an excerpt from their debate.

Athenians
Well, then, we Athenians will use no fine words; we will not go out of our way to prove at length that we have a right to rule, because we overthrew the Persians; or that we attack you now because we are suffering any injury at your hands. We should not convince you if we did; nor must you expect to convince us by arguing that, although a colony of the Lacedaemonians, you have taken no part in their expeditions, or that you have never done us any wrong. But you and we should say what we really think, and aim only at what is possible, for we both alike know that in the discussion of human affairs the question of justice only enters where there is equal power to enforce it, and that the powerful exact what they can, and the weak grant what they must.
 
Melians
Well, then, since you set aside justice and invite us to speak of expediency, in our judgment it is certainly expedient that you should respect a principle which you know is for the common good; that to every man in peril a reasonable claim should be accounted a claim of right, and that any plea which he is disposed to urge, even if failing of the point a little, should help his cause. Your interest in this principle is quite as great as ours, inasmuch as you, if you fall, will incur the heaviest vengeance, and will be the most terrible example to mankind.

In the end, Melos was detroyed by Athens, the men killed and the women and children sold into slavery.
Kosovo did not suffer the same fate, only because of US and NATO intervention..

Update

In regards to the bombing of the RTS building and the killing of  16 people, the station director and Milosevic were warned in advance.

from Salon

His second documentary, “Ethnic Cleansing,” looks at the war-crimes trial of a Yugoslav accused of atrocities in neighboring Croatia. His latest, “The Anatomy of Pain,” released last spring, delves into the night 16 RTS employees were killed when NATO bombed the RTS building April 22, 1999. Soon after the bombing it emerged that the director of RTS, Dragan Milanovic, had ordered his staff to work their shift or lose their jobs, even though he knew it was going to be bombed, and had informed a personal friend of his to stay away that night. The film is as critical of the RTS and Serbian leadership as of NATO.