Clinton: ‘We are careening from crisis to crisis’
Washington (CNN) – Speaking to a friendly audience Thursday, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton continued to argue that progressive ideas and policies are under threat by political gridlock in Washington.
“We are careening from crisis to crisis - instead of having a plan, bringing people to that plan, focusing on common sense solutions and being relentless in driving toward them,” she said in her brief remarks at a 10th anniversary event for the Center for American Progress.
Clinton recalled the formation of the progressive think tank a decade ago.
“At the end of the Clinton administration, I knew if we didn't have an infrastructure in place to continue to build on what had been accomplished and to hold the line on any efforts at retrenchment, we would not be doing our job,” she said.
She praised the founders of the group for pushing the progressive agenda, which Clinton described as one “based on data and evidence, not ideology.”
“It’s a fight for policies that will actually achieve results and better peoples’ lives,” she continued.
However, she added, “it’s always a little surprising that we have to keep fighting so hard on behalf of them, to make the case over and over and over again.”
While the potential presidential contender focused mostly focused her remarks on celebrating the group’s anniversary, she also repeated lines about the government shutdown that she’s used the past few days on the speaking circuit.
She blasted Washington lawmakers - though without naming a political party - for making arguments in an “evidence-free zone” based on ideology rather than facts, and choosing “scorched earth over common ground.”
Clinton’s schedule in the past week has taken her to Falls Church, Virginia, where she re-emerged on the political stage to campaign for friend and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe. On Wednesday, she spoke at the University of Buffalo, and she ventures back to New York on Friday to speak at Colgate University.
Rounding out her nine-minute speech on Thursday, Clinton repeated multiple times she was “grateful” for the work CAP has done.
And as she was walking off stage to thunderous cheers and applause, she joked to Neera Tanden, president of the organization.
“When does the cake come out?” Clinton could be heard saying off-mic. “I was going to jump out of the cake.”
Benghazi being a "crisis" she shrugged off.
AT THIS POINT WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE ???
Americans are still dead in Benghazi
The cover up continues
Oh... Ya... we care about what Clinton has to say
Oh, when I read the headline I assumed she meant all of the foreign policy debacles that began under her watch, resulting in Severely damaged relationships with the most of our key allies in The Middle East and around the world.
Libya – fail (with Anerican dead)
Egypt – fail
Syria – fail – resulting in
Saudia Arabia, UAE, Kuwait – all fails
Plus the granddaddy of em all:
Israel – fail
Iran – continues to pursue nuclear bomb-fail
Turning to Europe and South America – chalk em all up as "fails" – funny, turns out our allies don't like being made fools of by our spy programs.
Canada – fail – even while the energy supply to help secure our medium term future lies just across the border State Department refuses to grant permit to build Keystone pipeline. Given the utter shambles we have created in The Middle East, this is especially puzzling.
I guess maybe Mexico still liked us. Since we are working extra hard to legalize their illegal immigrants within our borders.
I can't believe she is blaming republicans for the mess the country is in–next it will be Bush..she supported Obama wholeheartedly..living in the past when Bill was Pres..old ideas...take no blame..
She is going to be our next President and make history to boot.
We will get a chance to again, have a "crisis free" government in 2014.
Hillary Clinton will be the biggest crisis of all.
Notice how the right wingnuts are afraid of Hillary? They are out with their rich boy talking points that add up to, "We got nothin'"
Thomas – If Iowa takes back the Republican Party from the nut jobs, does that mean Cruz and Paul will have to run as third and fourth party candidates?
You know, I don't mind being surrounded by people who are unable to think for themselves and continue to vote for progressive Democrats...I do mind seeing the country destroyed by their stupidity and being dragged under along with this once great nation. I also wish that they would get their hands out of my pockets.......what has Obama done? Destroyed our standing even with our allies....increased our national debt by more than 60% (despite what the Pelosi graph says....they really need to improve their math skills) and demonstrated total ineptitude for any management task....all the while attempting to prove that Obama is just an innocent bystander.....he is simply a witness to history....
Who is she to proclaim she knows anything about crisis control? Her outright negligence and her own proclamation of "What difference does it make?!" disqualifies her.
R-oh. – Thanks for the laugh. In the real world, you got a tax cut under President Obama, the 8 million jobs lost in Bush's last year have been made up. The deficit under Obama is $100 billion less than in W,s last year. Until republicans realize we owe our veterans, our seniors deserve dignity, our students are our future, and we need to help our poor before we start another unnecessary war; your party will continue to go the way of the dinosaurs.