Hil's empty public financing rhetoric. Refuses to say if she'll co-sponsor Feingold/Obama bill!

[flpoljunkie]

Instead Hillary says she will support anything that will move us in the direction of public financing of campaigns--altho, to date, she has not co-sponsored Obama's bill.

This bill, S.436 was introduced 1/30/07 and was co-sponsored by a single Senator--Barack Obama--on 2/14/07. The bill was referred to the Senate Finance Committee where it sits. Senator Max Baucus, D-Montana, is the head of the Finance Committee.

You repeatedly professed to be for public financing on several Sunday news show today--in response to questions about your returning $850,00 bundled by Norman Hsu for your presidential campaign. What are you waiting for? And, what are the rest of the Democratic Senators waiting for, as well?

The Feingold/Obama bill:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN00436:@@@P (Temporary link)

S.436

Title: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1086 to reform the system of public financing for Presidential elections, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Feingold, Russell D. (introduced 1/30/2007) Cosponsors (1)

Related Bills: H.R.776

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
COSPONSORS(1), ALPHABETICAL : (Sort: by date)

Sen Obama, Barack - 2/14/2007

[rodeodance]

1. why not write to her and ask what she does not like about the bill.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Why don't you write her and ask why she has not yet co-sponsored this bill, introduced 1/30/07?

If Hillary was really serious about supporting public financing of presidential elections, why would she not co-sponsor the Feingold/Obama bill--instead of using public financing as a way to deflect criticism from the Hsu bundling fallout.

[Bitwit1234]

3. If no body has sponsored it, there must be something wrong

with the bill. If is was a good one, most of the senators would sponsor it correct. Why pick on Hillary. Oh I know...you just HAD to get that bash in.

[flpoljunkie]

4. What's "wrong" with the bill is that Senate Dems, like they did in the 90's, don't want to level the

playing field. The Clintons promised public financing of federal campaigns when they were elected, but when the Congressional Dems balked, they immediately folded. They would prefer to continue to bankroll their campaigns with special interest money.

[karynnj]

5. Biden actually did co-sponsor Kerry and Wellstone's

(Clean money, clean elections) bill. This was the 1997 version of the bill - which got no assistance from the White House:

S.918
Title: A bill to reform the financing of Federal Elections.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (introduced 6/17/1997) Cosponsors (4)
Latest Major Action: 6/17/1997 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. COSPONSORS(4), ALPHABETICAL : (Sort: by date)


Sen Biden, Joseph R., Jr. - 6/17/1997
Sen Glenn, John H., Jr. - 6/17/1997
Sen Leahy, Patrick J. - 6/17/1997
Sen Wellstone, Paul D. - 6/17/1997

[flpoljunkie]

8. And, who was in the White House in 1997?

[blm]

13. Clean Money, Clean Elections bill should be the law of the land today. Kerry-Wellstone

And I wish it was resubmitted in honor of Wellstone.

[flpoljunkie]

14. What is Kerry waiting for?

[blm]

19. He'll be with the bill. Reid has him in charge of Iraq-Iran-Syria-Pakistan policy

for the senate and he's the one behind the scenes doing the heavy lifting that DOESN'T get discussed or credited. Oh well - that's his lot - do the heavy lifting and others will take the credit eventually.

Staying on top of Iraq-Iran-Syria-Pakistan is the reason Kerry decided to not run again - despite what some think.

[flpoljunkie]

21. Good for Kerry! We need all his efforts toward this end.

[Tellurian]

16. When Republicans sign up...We will too! Until then, why should Democrats go without campaign money?

[flpoljunkie]

18. Surely you are aware that the Feingold/Obama bill would not affect the 2008 race.

[karynnj]

11. not really - many bills and amendments have only a few sponsors

The point is that Hillary could co-sponsor one of the existing ones - but she said she will be introducing legislation. The Durbin one is likely to be the main Democratic bill on this. It should gain co-sponsors as they move towards considering it. That bill is based on teh experience that Maine and Arizona have had with their bills. (Those bills were patterned after Kerry/Wellstone). Has Hillary Clinton ever discussed what she intended to do that was different on this?

[flpoljunkie]

15. Durbin's bill is for Congressional elections only--unless he has another bill I unaware of.

[MethuenProgressive]

6. Only 1 jr Sen as co-sponser? No vote in 8 months? Must be a crappy bill.

:shrug:

[flpoljunkie]

7. See reply #4, MP.

[karynnj]

10. there's also the bill by the Senate whip - that has 9 co-sponsors

S.1285
Title: A bill to reform the financing of Senate elections, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard (introduced 5/3/2007) Cosponsors (9)
Related Bills: H.R.1614, S.936
Latest Major Action: 6/20/2007 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Rules and Administration. Hearings held. COSPONSORS(9), ALPHABETICAL : (Sort: by date)


Sen Boxer, Barbara - 6/15/2007
Sen Cardin, Benjamin L. - 6/15/2007
Sen Carper, Thomas R. - 6/15/2007
Sen Feingold, Russell D. - 5/3/2007
Sen Harkin, Tom - 6/15/2007
Sen Kennedy, Edward M. - 6/15/2007
Sen McCaskill, Claire - 6/15/2007
Sen Obama, Barack - 5/3/2007
Sen Specter, Arlen - 5/3/2007

This is a very good bill - that was widely discussed here. The number of co-sponsors doesn't always mean things are doomed because they are low. I've seen some Kerry ones - accepted by voice vote into bills that had no co-sponsors. (It is likely this happens with everyone , Kerry is the one I have looked up the most. :)

[flpoljunkie]

12. Yes, Durbin's bill would provide public financing for Congressional elections only. Good for Durbin!

[illinoisprogressive]

9. hillary is not for transparancy or reform. She is not good with ethics

[Tellurian]

17. At least she takes a stand. Obama ...present? How many senate votes has he missed completely?

[blm]

20. How many outstanding matters of BushInc criminality did Obama sweep under the rug?

http://consortiumnews.com/2006/111106.html

None. That's the job of the Bushes' adopted family, the Clintons.