Tag: Bill Clinton

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President Clinton writes op-ed urging SCOTUS to strike down DOMA

Former President Bill Clinton, who signed DOMA into law, has written an op-ed urging the US Supreme Court to overturn the discriminatory law.

President Clinton writes, in part:

Americans have been at this sort of a crossroads often enough to recognize the right path. We understand that, while our laws may at times lag behind our best natures, in the end they catch up to our core values. One hundred fifty years ago, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln concluded a message to Congress by posing the very question we face today: “It is not ‘Can any of us imagine better?’ but ‘Can we all do better?’ ”

The answer is of course and always yes. In that spirit, I join with the Obama administration, the petitioner Edith Windsor, and the many other dedicated men and women who have engaged in this struggle for decades in urging the Supreme Court to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act.

Read the entire op-ed at Washington Post.

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Frank Bruni for New York Times: “Dear President Clinton”

“Dear President Clinton, 

What a year you’ve had, the kind that really burnishes a legend. At the Democratic National Convention, on the campaign trail, in speeches aplenty and during interviews galore, you spoke eloquently about what this country should value, and you spoke unequivocally about where it should head. Such a bounty of convictions, such a harvest of words, except for one that’s long overdue: Sorry.

“Where’s your apology for signing the Defense of Marriage Act? And why, amid all the battles you’ve joined, and with all the energy you’ve been able to muster, haven’t you made a more vigorous case for same-sex marriage, especially in light of your history on this issue? You fret about your legacy, as any president would. For turning a blind eye to the butchery in Rwanda, you struggled through a mea culpa of sorts, and after Barack Obama seemed to lavish higher praise on Ronald Reagan than on you, you seethed.

“Well, DOMA, which says that the federal government recognizes only marriages of a man and a woman, is one of the uglier blemishes on your record, an act of indisputable discrimination that codified unequal treatment of gay men and lesbians and, in doing so, validated the views of Americans who see us as lesser people. If our most committed, heartfelt relationships don’t measure up, then neither do we. If how we love is suspect, then so is who we are. No two ways to interpret that. No other conclusion to be drawn.

[snip]

“I was sloppy at the start. What I and many others want most from you isn’t really an apology. It’s full membership — and, better yet, leadership — in a movement that’s headed inexorably in the right direction, with or without you.” – Frank Bruni, writing for the New York Times.

Read the full essay here.

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Bill Clinton explains Mitt Romney’s tax plan

I like things explained to me in simple terms. I don’t pretend to be an economic genius. I do understand a lot through reading as much as I can, but like most Americans, I admit I understand things best when broken down in commonsense terms.

Bill Clinton breaks down Mitt Romney’s $5 trillion tax cut plan in a new ad in easy to understand terms. You know 1+1 still equals 2 in the real world:

“The effect will be to give people with incomes over $3 million a $250,000 tax cut” and raise taxes on middle income people by an average of $2,000, adding, “We simply cannot afford to give another round of tax cuts to people who got the benefit of the tax cuts and the economic growth of the last decade. It hasn’t worked before, and it won’t work this time.”

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Bruce Springsteen to campaign for President Obama

Bruce Springsteen will join former President Bill Clinton at a rally in Parma, Ohio, on Tuesday, the day of the second presidential debate. Obama will not attend the rally.

“The Boss” campaigned for Obama in 2008, but this is his first political appearance of the 2012 cycle.

Clinton has become an increasingly prominent surrogate for Obama, campaigning for the president in several battleground states.

(source)

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President Clinton reacts to “the new Mitt Romney” at last week’s debate

Bill Clinton addressed “the new Mitt Romney who showed up at last week’s debate while campaigning for President Obama in Las Vegas.

Said Clinton:

I had a different reaction to that first debate than a lot of people did. I mean, I thought, “Wow! Here’s old Moderate Mitt. Where you been, boy, I missed you all these last two years!” But I was paying attention these past two years. And it was like one of these Bain Capital deals where, you know, he’s the closer. So he shows up, doesn’t really know much about the deal and says, “tell me what I’m supposed to say to close.”

Now the problem with this deal is, the deal was made by Severe Conservative Mitt. That was how he described himself for two whole years. Until three or four days before the debate they all got together and said, “hey Mitt, this ship is sinkin’ faster than the Titanic…but people are still frustrated about the economy, they want it fixed yesterday, so just show up with a sunny face and say I didn’t say all that stuff I said for the last two years. I don’t have that tax plan I’ve had for the last two years, you gonna believe me or your lyin’ eyes here? Come on. What are you doin’?” And if I’d been the President, I might have said, “well, I hate to get in the way of this, I missed you.”

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NC: President Clinton speaks out against Amendment 1

The full message, via Coalition to Protect NC Families:

“Hello, this is President Bill Clinton. I’m calling to urge you to vote against Amendment One on Tuesday May 8. If it passes, it won’t change North Carolina’s law on marriage. What it will change is North Carolina’s ability to keep good businesses, attract new jobs, and attract and keep talented entrepreneurs. If it passes, your ability to keep those businesses, get those jobs, and get those talented entrepreneurs will be weakened. And losing even one job to Amendment One is too big of a risk.”

“It’s passage will also take away health insurance from children and could even take away domestic violence protections from women.”

“So the real effect of the law is not to keep the traditional definition of marriage, you’ve already done that. The real effect of the law will be to hurt families and drive away jobs. North Carolina can do better. Again, this is Bill Clinton asking you to please vote against Amendment One. Thanks.”

Crossing my fingers this isn’t coming too late. The polls show an uphill climb for the good guys here. But I’m still thinking good thoughts.