FROM: Tim Miller, Executive Director, America Rising PAC
TO: Interested Parties
SUBJECT: Top 10 Reasons Why Clinton 2016 = Obamas Third Term
INTRODUCTION Hillary Clinton has a Barack Obama problem. As President Obamas poll numbers crater Hillary Clinton has made several awkward, failed attempts to separate herself from his administration. Bizarrely, these attempts have been largely in the area of foreign policy, despite the fact that she spent four years as his Secretary of State effusively praising his leadership and policy decisions. There wasnt a single signature issue during his administration foreign or domestic where she publicly offered the slightest whiff of criticism. Obamas policies are her policies. So much so that she is even the Mother of Obamacare. The Obama Administration used the Clinton campaigns health care plan as the basis for Obamacare to a far greater degree that it did the Presidents own campaign plan. No matter how many of her advisors whisper to reporters that shes different from Barack Obama, Americans still know who she is: Barack Obama Part Deux. What follows is a look at just a few of the reasons why a Clinton Administration will be the same as Obamas, but the examples we have are infinite because on issue after issue Sec. Clinton is an Obama clone. So dont let your news outlet be fooled by the endless phalanx of self-serving, anonymous Clinton aides. The evidence that a Hillary Clinton White House would be nothing more than a 3rd Obama term is clear in their records. TOP 10 REASONS WHY CLINTON 2016 = OBAMAS THIRD TERM #1: Clinton showered praise on Obamas leadership abilities As she left the State Department, Clinton triumphantly declared that under President Obamas leadership, America was stronger at home and more respected in the world. 1
1 Secretary Hillary Clinton, Remarks On American Leadership At The Council On Foreign Relations, Remarks, Washington, DC, 1/31/13
Click To Watch And though she seeks distance from his legacy today, she once argued that history would cast Obama in a positive light, saying I believe that President Obama, when history looks at what he did, will get enormous credit. 2 In speech after speech, prior to his declining poll numbers, Clinton repeatedly, and effusively praised Obamas leadership. #2: Clinton specifically singled out Obamas foreign policy leadership for praise saying he passed with flying colors every leadership challenge In a 2011 interview, citing Libya, Iraq, and other foreign policy decisions made by Obama, Clinton echoed the Presidents re-election campaign, crowing, President Obama has passed with flying colors every leadership challenge. 3
Click To Watch #3: Clinton was a big part of Obamas foreign policy failures in Russia, Libya, Syria, and other parts of the world In Russia, Clinton was the face of the Administrations failed Reset policy that has left Putin more belligerent to U.S. interests than ever. 4 She was the leading advocate for military action in Libya, bragging we set into motion a policy that was on the right side of history, on the right side of our values, on the right side of our strategic interests in the region. The nation has since seen the rise of Islamic militias and poses a greater national security threat to the United States than under Gaddafi. 5
In Syria, Clinton defended the Presidents redline punt seeking congressional authorization before confronting Assad, a man she had once branded a reformer. 6 Just last week, Secretary Kerry confirmed that Assad had violated the Obama-Clinton-backed chemical weapons accord he had agreed to in order to avoid U.S. air strikes. 7 The list goes on and on.
2 Hillary Clinton, Remarks at Townterview, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 11/2/10 3 NBCs Meet The Press,10/23/11 4 Ashley Killough, Clinton Criticizes Romneys Remarks On Russia, CNN, 4/1/12 5 Joby Warrick, Clinton Credited With Key Role In Success Of NATO Airstrikes, Libyan Rebels, The Washington Post, 10/30/11 6 Catalina Camia, Hillary Clinton Backs Obama To Seek Approval To Syria, USA Today, 9/3/13; CBS Face The Nation, 3/27/11 7 Kerry: Syrias Assad Has Violated Chemical Arms Pact By Using Chlorine Gas, Agence Free Presse, 9/18/14 Former White House Press Secretary Jay Carney stated the obvious last week when he said the presidents record on foreign policy is something she is more likely to embrace [more] than anything because she was a big part of it. 8
#4: Just recently, Clinton defended Obamas handling of ISIS While unnamed Clinton aides seek to distance her from Obamas indecisiveness toward ISIS in Syria and Iraq, it was the top named source, Clinton herself who defended him in June, saying The United States should not be committed to doing very much at all unless we have a clearer understanding, adding that theres a lot of unanswered questions before I'd be in favor of doing anything more than the President. 9
Click To Watch #5: Clinton and her top surrogate both strongly praised Obamas economic record Clinton has praised the extraordinary leadership by the President and the economic team and patted Obama on the back, saying, thanks to the economic policies that were pursued by the President and endorsed by the Congress we are in a much stronger economic position than we were. 10
Click To Watch And while Hillary Clinton touts the 1990s economy, the architect, Bill Clinton, made the case for sticking with Obamas economic policies maybe even better than Obama himself. During his 2012 DNC speech former President Clinton argued that Obamas policies had laid the foundation for a modern, more well- balanced economy that will produce millions of good new jobs. He asked delegates the age-old question, are we better off than we were when he took office? answering with a resounding Yes! Clinton promised Americans they will feel the economic recovery with Obamas re-election. 11
8 Peter Hamby, Carney: Obama Would Give More Speeches If Networks Would Let Him, CNN, 9/10/14 9 Hillary Clinton, Remarks At BIO International Conference, San Diego, CA, 6/25/14 10 Secretary Hilllary Clinton, Remarks At The 12th Annual Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, Washington, DC, 10/6/10; Secretary Hillary Clinton, Remarks On the Obama Administration's National Security Strategy, Washington, DC, 5/27/10 11 Former President Bill Clinton, Remarks, Democratic National Convention, 9/5/12 #6: Shes a pivotal backer of ObamaCare, who will step on the gas in implementing the unpopular law. Clinton was critical to the passage of ObamaCare, pivotal in key Cabinet meetings, even whipping lawmakers to stick with the President in tight votes. 12 Moving forward, former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius predicts Clinton would step on the gas when it comes to implementing Obamacare. 13 And her 2008 campaign plan was actually closer to the ObamaCare law than Obamas 2008 campaign plan. In fact, during a 2008 Democratic primary debate, Obama said Let's take health care. About 95 percent of our plans are similar. He pointed out the key difference: She believes that we have to force people who don't have health insurance to buy it. Once he became President, however, Obama incorporated Clintons approach, by adopting the individual mandate. 14
#7: Clinton, like Obama, is pandering to environmental donors on the Keystone XL Pipeline, backs Obamas EPA regulations and cap and trade legislation Clinton, whose State Department had purview over the Keystone XL pipeline, like Obama, punted on the issue. After refusing to approve the pipeline, she has repeatedly dodged the question, claiming she cant respond and saying it wouldnt be appropriate to comment on the pipeline. 15
In 2009, Clinton and Obama failed to pass a strong and comprehensive global climate change treaty at a U.N. Summit. 16 Today, she backs Obamas EPA regulations saying she is really proud of President Obama for these new EPA regulations. 17
#8: Clinton will put politics first when it comes to Immigration policy Just as Obama delayed executive action on immigration reform for nakedly political reasons, Hillary Clinton will place politics above achieving something on the same issue. 18 On a rope line following the Harkin Steak Fry, Clinton repeatedly dodged questions about Obamas decision, proving that she, like the President, will only offer empty promises and continue to politicize the issue. 19
Click To Watch #9: Clinton defends Obamas management abilities, disputing the notion that Senatorial experience is not a good background for executive management
12 Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, HRC, 2014, p. 175; Mark Landler and Helene Cooper, After a Bitter Campaign, Forging An Alliance, The New York Times, 3/19/10 13 Kathleen Sebelius, Remarks at Aspen Ideas Festival 2014, Denver, CO, 6/28/14 14 Barack Obama, 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary Debate, Los Angeles, CA, 1/31/08 15 Craig Offman, Q&A With Hillary Clinton: Stand For Your Values On The Hard Choices, The Globe And Mail, 6/15/14 16 Juliet Eilperin and Anthony Faiola, Climate Deal Falls Short Of Key Goals, The Washington Post, 12/19/09 17 Hillary Clinton, Remarks at Chicago Ideas Week, Chicago, IL, 6/11/14 18 Cassie Spodak, Jim Acosta and Ralph Ellis, Obama: Waiting Will Make Immigration Executive Action 'More Sustainable, CNN, 9/7/14 19 Clinton Dodges On Obama Immigration Delay, RisingResponse, Uploaded 9/14/14 In a June 2014 interview, CNBCs John Harwood pressed Clinton on whether there was a management deficit at the top of the Obama Administration, noting that it had been led by three former Senators, in Obama, Biden and herself. Clinton responded Oh, you don't expect me to agree with that, do you? with a laugh. But as Harwood noted, It may not be the last time she gets that question. 20
#10: Obama basically said that Hillary Clintons election would be a continuation of his presidency into a third term, with Joe Biden awkwardly standing next to him Earlier this year, President Obama basically spelled out that Hillary Clintons election would be a continuation of his presidency, before being asked the third term question and backtracking, saying I dont want necessarily to jam them up. OBAMA: I know that weve got an extraordinary Secretary of State who did great service for us and worked with me and Joe to help make the country safer. Whoever the Democratic standard bearer is, is going to be continuing to focus on jobs, making sure that our kids are getting a great education, making sure that were rebuilding prosperity from the middle class out in this country, and I am very much interested in making sure that some of the stuff that weve gotten started continues. CBSS MAJOR GARRETT: It sounds like youre describing, whoever the candidate would be, would be running for a third term of the Obama presidency or an extension of the Obama presidency. OBAMA: I dont want to start, I dont want necessarily to jam them up. 21
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20 John Harwood, Shes Gone From Foggy Bottom, But Chaos Still Hurts Hillary Clinton, CNBC, 6/30/14 21 CBSs This Morning, 4/17/14