About this $5,000 per kid Hillary proposal.....

[PresidentObama]

Did she propose this? Or was she thinking out loud as an idea? If she hasn't given any specifics, I don't get why the outrage that she would come out and say something like this. On paper, it seems like a good idea. But it's not going to happen. I'm pretty sure she realizes that.

I like Senator Clinton, but I have reasons why I'm not supporting her. This certainly isn't one of them.

So whats the big deal? Since when do politicians not say crazy things that seem nearly impossible?

[Captain Hilts]

1. I have no problem with it. nt

[ElizabethDC]

2. Apparently it was a "thinking out loud" kind of thing

See here:

Blake Zeff, a spokesman for the senator's campaign, said a baby bonds program "is not a firm policy proposal but an idea under consideration."

Link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jIpv5kDAEINrqxxrA77ciz1ub0KQD8RULLR00

I don't think the proposal is a bad idea, but I also don't think it's ever going to come to fruition.

[PresidentObama]

3. Sheesh, it's not like Obama and Edwards don't have "think out loud" moments with ideas....

I don't see the big deal. I guess the anti-Clinton crowd will hook onto anything they can get.

[ElizabethDC]

5. Yep, it's funny to see what things become controversial here on DU.

I wonder what the response would have been like had one of the other candidates proposed it.

[PresidentObama]

6. Read the post below, apparently Edwards did in 2003.

The basis of the proposal is good, it's just not achieveable.

DU makes it seem like Hillary is proposing we hijack all newborns and throw them off bridges. I don't understand the outrage.

[terisan]

11. Please back up your statement of unachievable with evidence. nt

[PresidentObama]

13. Do you think it'll make it's way through Congress?

I doubt it. I would suggest that Hillary, if elected, focus more on passing her universal healthcare plan and ending the tragic war in Iraq and worry less about "this sounds good on paper" kind of proposals. We've got a lot of problems that need addressing, that Hillary will have her hands full. This just doesn't seem like a battle she should and would engage herself in. Plus I have no reason to believe this isn't just a think out loud idea, and not necessarily part of Hillary's vision for America.

[terisan]

16. I think talking about what we need (including healthcare) in our country will help end occupation

What we have lost in terms of opportunity and well-being in our country since Bush is enormous. He has successfully lowered everone's expectations.

In terms of foreign relations, all we can talk about is ending the war. In terms of education he has lowered expectations to getting every student to read and do basic arithmetic-only the basics ---avoid any achievement risks.

If the Democratic candidates could agree on plans like this one, we will be able to talk about where we want our country to be in 4 or 8 years,

I think we need to see beyond Stopping Bush and Stopping the Occupation and we need to make those wasted trillions in debt real in terms of what we could have.

[sandnsea]

4. Edwards proposed it in 2003

I don't know the current DU outrage because it's always like a band of banshees running after the concocted outrage of the day. I do know that Edwards proposed this in 2003 and I was surprised to hear Hillary claim it as her own.

[terisan]

12. Let's give edwards credit and ask him to take credit. Two Dem Candidates in agreement is good. nt

[sandnsea]

14. Hey I like the idea

I always thought it was stupid to provide all the assistance to people at the end of their life, when some real education or business help on the front-end could make the back-end help completely unnecessary. Although I'd still choose national health care over a $5,000 bond.

[Lucinda]

7. I like the bond idea

We waste that amount of money annually on nonsense. Why not do something good with it.

[truedelphi]

10. And not just nonsense - it gets wasted on such cruelties as

The Iraq War - several months ago it was posited that the Iraq War has cost each woman, man and child in the USA over 9,000 dollars a piece.

[Union Yes]

8. Memo to Hillary.... First,

Balance the budget and stitch up the gaping wound in Social Security and Medicare.


Then we can talk about giving sushi to every American later.

Remember that thing you once clung to Hillary? That thing was called ideology.

[terisan]

9. "It's not going to happen" is the mantra of the left and the reason Repubs win and Democrats lose.

I think Democrats have brainwashed themselves into losing. This a a reasonable proposal, far less absurd than the Iraq occupation. In November 2006 Republicans didn't say, the Dems won so our continued occupation of Iraq isn't going to happen.

Discussion of this proposal will focus the country on the needs of our citizens, allow for some long-range planning, and highlight what the expense of the Iraq occupation is taking from us.

I voted for Gore and I voted for Kerry. When Election 2000 was in the process of being stolen, we were so lacking in organization the Republicans had more people in the street than we did.

Kerry and we were insufficiently prepared to deal in November 2004.

Republicans on the other hand, will stand up and scream for their totally absurd positions.

This is a very reasonable proposal and may be much cheaper than the college loan industry fiasco we have now. It needs discussion and it needs to have built in ways to keep the banks and the universities from turing it into their cash cows.

[Evergreen Emerald]

15. Any reason to feign outrage and attack

[Nedsdag]

17. Sadly, she's not even serious about her own proposal.

It's like her husband's school uniforms proposal in 1996: cute but will never be put into law.

[hedgehog]

18. It's called running it up the flag pole to see who salutes.

Which you can argue as a good or bad thing.