HuffPo - Hillary Clinton Is A Progressive Democrat, Despite What You May Have Heard

[TomCADem]

I guess to frame the question with respect to Republicans, most folks would call both Boehner and Cruz conservative. Yet, if you hold Ted Cruz as the standard of what is a conservative, then Boehner is a moderate, which he isn't. Nonetheless, Boehner was driven out as speaker because he was not sufficiently conservative for the party's base.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/hillary-clinton-is-a-progressive-democrat-despite-what-you-may-have-heard/ar-BBsLCvN?ocid=spartandhp

Does it mean voting like Sanders has, and embracing his agenda? Or does it simply mean consistently pushing for policies that would significantly advance progressive causes, like a fairer economy and a cleaner environment?

By the first definition, Clinton clearly doesn’t qualify as a progressive.

By the second, she clearly does.

The ideological gulf between Sanders and Clinton is real, and it's easy to spot. Sanders thinks everybody should get health insurance from the government and be able to attend public universities for free. He thinks taxes must go up to pay for these programs, mostly on the rich but also on the middle class. Clinton has rejected those ideas as impractical, as policy or politics -- or simply ill-conceived.

[silvershadow]

1. Oh it's not what I've heard that makes me not believe that. nt

[TomCADem]

3. CNN (1998) - Clinton Unveils Plan For Expanding Medicare Coverage

In 2009, Bernie Sanders himself was pushing a Medicare Buy-In plan, which was opposed by Joe Lieberman:

http://www.politico.com/story/2009/12/lieberman-says-no-to-medicare-buy-in-030553

However, before we dismiss this as Hillary copying Bernie, in 1998, Bill Clinton proposed this plan when he was President. So, while it is easy to caricature both Bernie and Hillary as polar opposites, the truth as they are both generally progressive.

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/01/06/medicare/

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Jan. 6) -- Calling it "the right thing to do," President Bill Clinton this morning announced his plan for expanding Medicare to allow more Americans not now covered to have affordable access to health care. (352K wav sound)

"The proposals I am making are designed to address the problems of some of our most vulnerable older Americans," Clinton said. "The centerpiece of our plan will let many more of these Americans buy into one of our nation's greatest achievements, Medicare."

The White House proposal would grant early access to Medicare at age 62 if other forms of insurance were unavailable or unaffordable. The current age requirement is 65. Clinton also proposed that laid-off workers between the ages of 55 and 61 be allowed to buy into Medicare coverage as well. (320K wav sound)

Corporate downsizing and cost-cutting has meant an increasing number of seniors without insurance through layoffs, unemployment or the loss of promised retirement benefits. Fifteen percent of Americans between 62 and 65 currently have no health insurance, a number sure to grow with the baby boomers.

[silvershadow]

5. Is this supposed to indicate Hillary being a progressive or something? I think you posted

the wrong article?

[JimDandy]

2. Oh my. That's delusional.

[pdsimdars]

4. Let's see

You can do what I call pretzel brain and twist things around to fit your purpose or you can look straight on at the facts.




.
This doesn't need "explaining"