July 6, 2007
Posted: 09:54 AM ET

Many GOP candidates are beginning to take swipes at Hillary Clinton.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Forget Bill. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential leader, has become the Republican candidates' favorite punching bag.

Mitt Romney argues she would turn the United States into a "big government, big taxation, welfare state." John McCain calls the New York senator an irresponsible guardian of taxpayer dollars. Rudy Giuliani claims she'd put the country "on defense against terrorism." And all three lambaste her on Iraq.

At every turn, the leading GOP contenders are criticizing Clinton even as they are entangled in their own turbulent race for the Republican nomination.

Full story

Filed under: Hillary Clinton • Presidential Candidates


David, Palm Bay, FL   July 9th, 2007 8:48 am ET

The newa media need to ask Hillary as GOP candidated why does she support more H1-Bs which replace US citizens
another question Hillary will you support toughers laws about replacing US citizens for cheaper labor.

Thank You

Tricia M Charlottetown PEI   July 9th, 2007 12:28 am ET

I guess it's true you can't get blood from a stone!

Well if those so happy with Bush want to vote another Bush Clone into office go ahead! Just don't count on the Nato Allies this time. They've all learned their lesson this time around.

Shawnie - Grants Pass, OR   July 6th, 2007 11:47 pm ET

Look at the picture and tell me Hillary isn't walking in Bill's shadow? It is interesting, every favorable, warm fuzzy article in CNN about Hillary doesn't sway people. She is no longer the favorite.

It is fun to predict the primaries, but I'm guessing Obama and Romney and no idea what the final outcome will be.

Tricia Charlottetown PEI   July 6th, 2007 11:19 pm ET

Nice to see Hillary get so much flack…As that shows she is the front runner and the one all are scared will win…The only other Candidate I see as even having a chance is Obama…

The others mays well go home now and save big corporate bucks from being wasted.

A. Sheldon, Twin Cities, MN   July 6th, 2007 7:54 pm ET

What does Mitt Romney mean by saying Hillary Clinton would turn this country into a "big government, big taxation, welfare state?" This country already is a "big government, big taxation, welfare state."

Chris, UK   July 6th, 2007 6:40 pm ET

What does McCain think Democrat stands for…no welfare? According to the Census Bureau (US Department of Commerce) in 2005, 37 MILLION Americans were in POVERTY and 45.3 MILLION Americans had NO Health Insurance. As a British person it sounds to me like maybe America needs more welfare…so are McCain's comments even criticism?

John, St. Louis MO   July 6th, 2007 5:50 pm ET

I thought the Presidency had term limits?

Didn't Billary already serve 8 years??

Jon, Sacramento ~ Ca   July 6th, 2007 5:16 pm ET

A few words for Ken Watts ~ Missouri

You might want to read up on history as it was a Republican who pushed for an end to Slavery (Lincoln) as opposed to the southern Democrats who wanted slavery to be continued. It was a few 'white men' that upheld Roe V. Wade decades ago. And it was a Democrat (Clinton) that signed legislation to repeal much of welfare for the poor.

Get your facts straight, man. Give US a break!

Missy Manner, Bethesda MD   July 6th, 2007 4:19 pm ET

My prediction:
Obama wins democratic primary.
Thompson wins republican primary.

Very tight race with the winner:
Obama.

US forces do not leave Iraq during Obama's single term.

Perry, Dallas, Texas   July 6th, 2007 3:44 pm ET

I agree with Ann from Brunswick. She obviously supports the views of Saul Alinsky, a radical socialist organizer, since she wrote a glowing college thesis about him. A paper that she has went to great lengths to cover up and keep hidden away in the Wellesley College Archives. And she has already been shreiking about the nation "sharing the wealth", so I think its pretty obvious that she is pushing for a socialst society.

Ken Watts, Missouri   July 6th, 2007 3:34 pm ET

If the Republicans had their way we would have an america with "traditional" values. We would still have slavery, or at least segregation, women would not have the right to vote, either would african americans, a President would get impeached for lying about sex but lying about going to war would be ok, catholics would be banned and women would have thier reproductive rights determined by a few white men. They treat our country (gov't) like a corporate money pit for their friends. They are neither conservative nor Christian. They oppose almost everything the bible stands for. They oppose help for the elderly, poor and children but corporate welfare is ok. Recently a 17 boy was sentenced to 10 for having oral sex with a 15 year old girl but ol Scooter sentence is too excessive. Give me a break.

DM Texas   July 6th, 2007 3:16 pm ET

I think most Republicans would love to see Hillary in the general election. Easy pickins yum yum another 4 years….

josh, lincoln, ca   July 6th, 2007 2:52 pm ET

Bill and Hill have thrown everyone under the bus during their careers, but their oponents can't talk about how their policies differ?

Come on!

There is an unwritten policy with former presidents to not bad-mouth the current president. Clinton and Carter haven't exactly been in line with that.

As long as Hillary is running, they can talk about her policies becasue she speaks bad about them all the time.

Bill Dmuchowski, Bethpage, NY   July 6th, 2007 2:33 pm ET

Hillary is too disingenuous and lies with such ease. Her politics are dictated by polls.

Hopefully, she gets the democratic nomination, there's no way she'll win once all the dirt starts flying.

It's so ironic that Guliani will most likely run against her. After all, it was he that dropped out of the Senate race, leading to the republicans to put up the sacrificial lamb, Lazio to lose badly against her. She went on to be senator, while he's probably making pizzas somewhere.

sonny c.ville platte,la   July 6th, 2007 2:27 pm ET

Bubba: This crap about "Chistian are Forgiven" & can say or do anything THEY want W/impunity from God… Jesus said"Whoever rejects me & does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke as they came from the Father."John 12,44.

Homofthbrav   July 6th, 2007 2:02 pm ET

I see many things listed that Hillary has championed, led, committed to or proposed but nothing of real substance in the way of accomplishments. Clearly, as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, she should at least be held responsible for the horrid conditions our seriously wounded soldiers have had to undergo at Walter Reed. Where was her concern last year or the year before? These brave volunteers deserve better than sound bite politics after the fact.

Bubba, Swainsboro GA   July 6th, 2007 2:00 pm ET

Hey, being a christian doesn't mean you can't be petty, mean, deceitful, and swollen with hateful pride, and it doesn't mean you can't be a murderer or a traitor or a thief.
It means you are forgiven . . .

M. Marcotte - Rochester, Mich.   July 6th, 2007 1:57 pm ET

I'm withholding judgement until the presidential wannabes have the swimsuit competition.

Mike Cheel, Tampa, FL   July 6th, 2007 1:42 pm ET

I would think that anyone living in this country would know that this all bologna.

We are already a 'big government, big taxation, welfare state'. And the republicans have been just as bad as 'guardians'(?) of the taxpayer dollars. And Rudy is still trying to come off like he read the 911 report.

The real truth is that current U.S. politics is just Hollywood for ugly people and neither of these two parties is doing anything good for anybody (except their friends du jour).

If the rebuplicrats win, the demopublicans will just go back to their business as usually lives. If opposite happens the same will be true. Either way Americans are not being served by any of these people, only used.

Tricia M Charlottetown PEI   July 6th, 2007 1:31 pm ET

Just a few things that Hillary Clinton has done as First Lady and Senator. Of course I'm sure her experience and achievements won't matter as it's the Almighty Election Dollars that count!

Hillary has political experience of the highest order.

She has legislative experience, New Yorkers re-elected Hillary to the Senate with 67 percent of the vote.

Hillary knows international relations has built relationships with many international leaders and power brokers.

in 1992, Hillary's work as a champion for women was recognized and admired around the world.

In the White House, Hillary led efforts to make adoption easier, to expand early learning and child care, to increase funding for breast cancer research, and to help veterans suffering from Gulf War syndrome who had too often been ignored in the past. She helped launch a national campaign to prevent teen pregnancy and helped create the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which moved children from foster care to adoption more quickly.

As everyone knows, Hillary's fight for universal health coverage did not succeed. But her commitment to health care for every American has never wavered. She was instrumental in designing and championing the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which has provided millions of children with health insurance. She battled the big drug companies to force them to test their drugs for children and to make sure all kids get the immunizations they need through the Vaccines for Children Program. Immunization rates dramatically improved after the program launched.

As Senator, Hillary continues her advocacy for children & families is a national leader on homeland security. .

After Sept 11, 2001, Hillary worked to secure the funds to rebuild N.Y. Fought for compensation to families of the victims, grants for hard-hit small businesses, and health care for front line workers at Ground Zero.

The first New Yorker ever to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, She works to see that America's military has the necessary resources to protect our national security. She visited troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Fort Drum in New York, and other New York bases, amd Walter Reed Military Hospital learning first-hand the challenges facing American combat forces. She passed legislation to track the health status of our troops so conditions like Gulf War Syndrome would no longer be misdiagnosed. She is an original sponsor of legislation that expanded health benefits to members of the National Guard and Reserves and has been a strong critic of the Administration's handling of Iraq.

Hillary's proudest achievements: to ensure the safety of prescription drugs for children, to help schools address environmental hazards Proposing to expand access to child care, passed legislation to bring more qualified teachers into classrooms.

She worked to strengthen the Children's Health Insurance Program, increasing coverage for children in low income and working families. Authored legislation that has been enacted to improve quality & lower the cost of prescription drugs, to protect our food supply from bioterrorism. She sponsored legislation to increase America's commitment to fighting the global HIV/AIDS crisis, and is now leading the fight for expanded use of information technology in the health care system to decrease administrative costs, lower premiums, and reduce medical errors.

Let Bush and His Republicans try to beat this record!

Tom - Dedham, Mass   July 6th, 2007 12:58 pm ET

Guilty as charged, I am a christian who HATES Hill and Bill based on their actions and inactions, that doesn't make me a bad person, just smart.

Obama on the other hand, even as a Conservative, I like him, respect him and listen to what he says.

sonny c.ville platte,la   July 6th, 2007 11:07 am ET

The key word in their opposition is HATE. If any of them are really followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ that word would be foreign to their words & actions. Sam Brownback is the only exception to the rule. He recently disavowed hatred of the Clinton's as an apprpriate respnse to disagreeing with their positions on political issues. He also practiced the teachings found in Mt.25,36 when he recently spent a few days at the La. State Prison at Angola. If we could all PRACTICE our chosen individual faiths like Sen. Brownback.

Ann Brunswick ME   July 6th, 2007 11:02 am ET

Well, her socialistic record does proceed her… All Hillary needs is a tiny little mustache under her nose and…

Luis, Miami Florida   July 6th, 2007 10:23 am ET

They all know that she is more qualified with real solutions to some of our biggest problems…Bush has given the democrats so much ammunition with the mediocre job he has done in his administration. They are trying to focus in someone other than their own disaster in the Whitehouse. Scare tactics at their best…

John, Erie PA   July 6th, 2007 10:23 am ET

This article sounds like it was written by the Hillary Clinton spin machine.

She is not the "most formidable" opponent for the Republicans. 52% of poll respondents recently said that they would not vote for her under any circumstances.

The article is right that GOP candidates are attacking her to bolster themselves- they wouldn't attack Barack Obama because so many independents and a decent slice of Republicans respect him.

Shawnie - Grants Pass, OR   July 6th, 2007 10:16 am ET

This is an example of political bias reporting. I can't think of anyone more aggressive than Hillary (or Bill) on what they have to say about the Republicans. A predominant part of their platform is criticism.

What Romney says is probably factual, Democrats are all about increasing government programs and government size. That is their platform, and it is hardly a "punching bag". McCain's comments are the only real personal ones and Giuliani is probably right. Hillary wants to pull out of Iraq. That is her platform.

Glenn, Birmingham, Al   July 6th, 2007 10:08 am ET

Its true there records don't help them. I feel the more the American people study the facts that Obama will gain support. At this point the Republicans dont have a person with as clean a record as Obama. The Clintons have had there shot & did nothing they promised, same goes for most of the field in this election.

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