Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

Out of 11,000 pages, Brian Ross of ABC News picked out one moment that says
more about Clinton’s coverage during the primary season than any single
event.

Hillary Clinton spent the night in the White House on the day her husband had oral sex with Monica Lewinsky, and may have actually been in the White House when it happened, according to records of her schedule released today by the National Archives.

As I said yesterday, it’s impossible to go through 11,000 pages, so I requested
highlights from the Clinton camp on some of the most prominent moments of Hillary
Clinton’s actitivites as First Lady that had to do with foreign policy only, which ABC News found unimportant. They
do not include ABC News’s Ken Starr fetish as the most important moment, which was once
again meant to reduce Hillary Clinton’s stature as a professional politician, leader and potential commander in chief to a wronged woman. It’s pathetic journalism on ABC News’s part,
which adds nothing pertinent we need to know about the first viable female candidate running for president. We all
know the details, so we certainly don’t need to relive it through Ross’s history
lesson.

Below is a sampling of some dates and events Clinton engaged in as First Lady on foreign policy,
which are part of the 11,000 pages released by the National Archives and put out by the Clinton campaign upon request. I think the importance of this information revolves around Clinton’s curiosity and outreach to nations, as well as her travels and interests as First Lady, which was one of activism. As I’ve said many times before, “experience” to be president comes when you’re actually in the job itself, but Clinton’s vast travels and exposure to cultures and the world is valuable, as is her commitment to engagement in the world on many levels. This information was also requested by a foreign
journalist on the
conference call yesterday. This is not a complete list, but an example of
Clinton’s involvement in foreign policy related events as First Lady:

China · Sept. 5, 1995: HRC traveled to Beijing and spoke out for women’s rights and human rights despite efforts by the Chinese government to discourage her visit and pull the plug on her speech. Macedonia · May 14, 1999: Hillary traveled to the Balkans while the NATO-led air war against the former Yugoslavia was still under way as part of a broader U.S. effort that led to the reopening of the border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, permitting thousands of Kosovar refugees to flee to safety. 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. Northern Ireland · Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 1995; Oct. 31, 1997; Sept. 2 – 3, 1998; May 12 – 13, 1999; Dec. 12 – 13, 2000. Hillary traveled to Northern Ireland five times as First Lady 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. Africa · March 17, 1997: HRC traveled to Senegal and met with Senegalese President Abdou Diouf. As she recounts in Living History, Hillary lobbied President Diouf to support legislation banning female genital mutilation and lent assistance to a grassroots campaign against the practice. Soon after that meeting, a law banning the practice was passed. [Living History, p. 400-01]. · March 27, 1997: Hillary also traveled to Tanzania and met with President Benjamin Mkapa. As she recounts in Living History, Hillary encouraged the president to eliminate laws that limited women from owning and inheriting property, restrictions that not only were unfair but hobbled the economic potential of half the country’s population. In 1999, Tanzania passed the Land Law Act and the Village Act, repealing and replacing the laws that had previously discriminated against women. [Living History, p. 403] · March 23 – April 2, 1998: After her 1997 trip to Africa, Hillary lobbied President Clinton to go to Africa. They traveled to Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana, and Senegal.

Now we’ll wait for Senator Obama’s state senate records, as well as his schedules,
to see what he was doing back in Illinois, while Clinton was traveling to 80 countries around the world. Fair game, baby. Tick-tock.