Black business group blasts Clinton’s AIDS stance

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/black-business-group-blasts-clintons-aids-stance-2007-07-13.html

Black business group blasts Clinton’s AIDS stance
By Jeffrey Young
July 13, 2007

A group of black business owners strongly criticized Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) Friday for her position on funding for federal HIV/AIDS programs.

In a statement issued Friday and a letter sent to Clinton’s presidential campaign — and copied to Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) campaign — National Black Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Harry Alford accused Clinton of “pandering” to African Americans during the presidential debate at Howard University in Washington last month.

During the event at the historically black university, Clinton called for stronger measures to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS in the black community and vowed to boost funding for programs that provide care to low-income patients under the Ryan White CARE Act.

“I'm working to raise the budget for Ryan White, which the Bush administration has kept flat, disgracefully so, because there are a lot of women particularly who are becoming infected in poor rural areas as well as under-served urban areas in states where, frankly, their state governments won’t give them medical care,” Clinton said.

Clinton’s statements are at odds with her Senate record, Alford wrote.

“I found it interesting that you chose a presidential debate, held before a largely African-American audience to speak out on the fact that HIV/AIDS funding does not fairly reach African Americans with HIV. I only wish you had voted the same way last year in the United States Senate, when we really needed you,” Alford wrote.

more...

[ccpup]

1. I would like to know more

about that vote -- and any poison pill amendments attached to the legislation -- before I start slamming Hillary over this. You would hope these critics of hers would have done their homework as well, but you never know.

[rinsd]

4. See the rest of that article.

[MADem]

6. Harry likes to be a Kingmaker, and a King, or Queen, Breaker, I think

I think this is more about Harry's "Need to be NOTICED" than anything else. If his issue was REALLY HIV funding, why isn't he writing to Bush telling him to UP the dollar amounts in the budget for it, instead of yelling at Hillary for taking care of her own constituents?

See below, the post and the link I provided. He crapped on Obama a while back, too.

He likes to see his name and affiliation in the paper. And going after hot button celebrity politicians is the way to do it. How much attention would the HILL have given him if he asked Bush for more funding, instead of yelling at Clinton for doing what a good Senator does???

Why, NONE.

Harry's favorite person in public life? Why, HARRY, of course.

[MADem]

2. Ahhhhh, THE HILL--that rightwing bastion of half truths!!!

And what a SHOCK that a Senator would put her own constituent's interests first!!! After all, all those southern and rural states cast votes to make her the junior Senator from NYC...didn't they? Ooops, why no, they didn't!!!

Buried in the text, as they always do:

Clinton was one of a handful of senators who fought to protect Ryan White dollars for their home states that would have been redirected to Southern states and rural areas.

The Ryan White programs, enacted in 1990, set aside extra funding for major cities that had large populations of HIV/AIDS patients at the time, such as New York and San Francisco.

In the intervening years, the rates of HIV/AIDS infections have sharply risen in Southern states and rural areas, particularly among blacks.

According to a Henry J. Kaiser Foundation report issued this month, about 500,000 of the estimated 1.2 million Americans infected with HIV/AIDS are black, even though the community represents just 12 percent of the U.S. population.

After striking a deal with Clinton and her allies, Congress passed a Ryan White bill to increase funding for Southern and rural areas but capped how much of the dollars would come from New York and other large states. Clinton voted for the final bill, which President Bush signed in December.

A call for comment from Clinton’s campaign was not immediately returned.

What NERVE of THAT woman, taking care of the constituents who ELECTED her!!!!!! How dare she put her OWN fellow New Yorkers FIRST!!
:sarcasm:

The BushCO GOP bears NO responsibility for refusing to increase the funding levels!! Why no, they're blameless!!!

:eyes:

That said, Harry Alford is an Equal Opportunity Hectorer. While he gleefully sent a copy of his Nanny Nanny Boo Boo letter to Obama, he wasn't always so sweet to Barack, now, was he?

Here he goes after Obama and asks, rhetorically, if HE is a LIAR: http://www.nationalbcc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=199&Itemid=112

You have to ask yourself...are these statements really about Hillary, or Barack, or are they a bit more about Harry, making himself into a "Make Them Accountable" voice. Harry doesn't mind that spotlight, or seeing his name in print.

[rinsd]

5. self delete

[maximusveritas]

7. Yep, you hit the nail on the head

He takes minor points like this and tries to turn it into some major controversy. I'm not fooled.

[MADem]

12. Harry Alford voted for BUSH, too--so consider the source. See post 10 for details. NT

[babylonsister]

8. So please tell me what news organization is without fault. I recognize

the slant at times though don't believe they are always biased, and have been warned off Politico so no longer even cruise over there. Do you have any better ideas? And if so, your input would be welcome.

You can't always avoid a site just because you don't like what they have to say.

[MADem]

13. Well, you can put all the cred you want into a BushCo Black Businessman, but I choose not to.

And the HILL, if you read it regularly, is consistently vicious to Democrats. It's about as Fair and Balanced as FauxSnooze.

I'm not telling you to avoid anything. You knock yourself out. But Harry Alford voted for Bush, endorsed Bush, and the HILL is a fucking GOP tool. So I would be remiss if I didn't warn other readers of this thread to consider the source.

I'm just speaking truth here. Do with it whatever you want.

[rinsd]

3. Curious cutoff as the article then explains what the vote was.

I could see it if you were following the 4 paragraph rule but that is not the case.

"Clinton was one of a handful of senators who fought to protect Ryan White dollars for their home states that would have been redirected to Southern states and rural areas.

The Ryan White programs, enacted in 1990, set aside extra funding for major cities that had large populations of HIV/AIDS patients at the time, such as New York and San Francisco.

In the intervening years, the rates of HIV/AIDS infections have sharply risen in Southern states and rural areas, particularly among blacks.

According to a Henry J. Kaiser Foundation report issued this month, about 500,000 of the estimated 1.2 million Americans infected with HIV/AIDS are black, even though the community represents just 12 percent of the U.S. population.

After striking a deal with Clinton and her allies, Congress passed a Ryan White bill to increase funding for Southern and rural areas but capped how much of the dollars would come from New York and other large states. Clinton voted for the final bill, which President Bush signed in December."

[babylonsister]

9. 4 para? I thought it was 6, as it is in editorials. nt

[rinsd]

11. I always thought it was 4. I apologize for seeming accusatory

Rough day today in GD-P

[MADem]

10. The article is in the HILL. They always do that shit. They give you a nasty headline, and

a sufficient number of paragraphs to thrill the rightwingers. Then, they do the fair and balanced shit at the point after people stop reading--they might as well put it in small print, for all the good it does at balancing the story. That's a fast scan and wrap fish paper, anyway.

And Harry Alford is determined to become a well known name on the national political scene--he wants to be seen as a mover and shaker who must be heard, a powerhouse.

Oh, one more thing--Harry supported GEORGE BUSH--so how do we all feel about whatever the fuck Harry has to say, eh? I'm not a fan:

"Four years ago I had a very hard decision to make. My being president and CEO of the largest black business association in the world forced me to publicly and personally support a candidate for President. . .," wrote Harry Alford of the National Black Chamber of Commerce on july 16. Alford solicited pitches from the major presidential candidates. Gore ignored him, whereas "the other candidates explained their plans well. But with George W. Bush I saw that-besides the sincerity-he actually understood business, small business in fact. he explained his game plan and put timelines with it. I was convinced and stepped forward. For the first time in my life, I supported a Republican for the presidency of the United States." Bush received 9% of the black vote....

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3827/is_200408/ai_n9409692

So, let me be the first to say what really needs saying: Go Fuck Yourself, Harry Alford--who CARES what YOU think?

[Nikki Stone1]

14. So, the title of the OP should be "Bush supporter trashes Hillary Clinton."

ah well...

[MADem]

15. Yep, or BUSH SUPPORTER WHO CALLED OBAMA A LIAR TRASHES SEN. CLINTON

The guy is ALL about himself. A well-fed, cross-my-palm type.

[illinoisprogressive]

16. It was astute of them to catch this and take it to the source. bravo

[MADem]

17. Did you even read this thread? The guy is a BUSH supporter.

The article's headline is misleading. Only half the story is presented in the OP.

The truth is that Bush refused to BOOST the funding, and Hillary Clinton and other Senators with big states and big AIDS issues weren't gonna give up THEIR funding because the Bush budget wouldn't provide for increases. They did what GOOD Senators do--take care of THEIR constituents.

The bad guy here is BUSH. The complaining asshole is the same guy who called Obama a LIAR.

BRAVO?? NO, not BRAVO. BULLSHIT.


Read the whole thread.

[Ethelk2044]

18. She was pandering to African Americans at the Howard Debate

African Americans were smart the saw it. The African American blogs during that time said as much so. She states what she feels will get her elected and people are not going for that anymore.

[MADem]

19. No she wasn't. Just because she is taking care of her OWN NYC population, as a GOOD Senator does

does not mean that she doesn't CARE about others.

She's just damned if she is gonna fuck over the NY AIDS population, black, white, or blue, for that matter, to "cover" for Bush's failure to provide adequate funding. Tell me, now, how does screwing Harlem to help rural South Carolina benefit that population you claim she is 'pandering' to?

Really--answer me.

Christ, did the Kool Aid taste good? It was prepared by Black Republican and Bush Supporter Harry Alford just for you, apparently, and clearly you drank it ALL.

Jesus!!!!!!

[CitizenLeft]

20. here's the Wikipedia article on the NBCC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Black_Chamber_of_Commerce">Wikipedia: National Black Chamber of Commerce

They're sponsored by Exxon Mobile. And this guy gives interviews to HUMAN EVENTS. That's Ann Coulter's rag, isn't it? Or the one she's affiliated with.

They're goals are admirable, but bellying up to the Republican party makes me sick.

[nealmhughes]

21. Here was my take in 2006:

http://screechingrats.wordpress.com/2006/10/03/100000-usd-per-hour-towards-iraq-civil-war-in-iraq-and-congress/

It seems to some that Mrs. Clinton was counting potential Democratic HIV aware voters in Florida, California and the Five Boroughs more than anything else during her standoff.

It takes a lot of gall and hubris to claim that "NY is special because so many of the people with HIV come there for services. . ." not verbatim, but close enough.

She does however, hope that one day there will be no further need for Ryan White as we now know it, rather Medicaid for all at the positive testing for the virus.

Meanwhile, 4 died in SC due to the Legislature and Gov. there not giving a shit about them being on the ADAP waiting list. I guess they should have hitchhiked to NYC, that land of milk, honey and Sustiva.

I won't vote for her unless I am intellectually and morally forced to so do. For that and for Feinstein-Leahy vote. Anyone who loves cluster bombs and uses PWAs -- many of them people of color in the Southeast and Midwest -- has lost my primary vote for eternity.