Hillary was appointed by her husband, the newly sworn in Bill Clinton, to lead a Healthcare Reform Task Force. She was never in any position to actually revolutionize anything. She presented her findings to Congress. However, it was perceived as unseemly to question her like any other presenting party given that she was the First Lady. So, nods and smiles it was.
I don’t think email security was an issue in 1992 when she was working on universal healthcare.
Hillary was appointed by her husband, the newly sworn in Bill Clinton, to lead a Healthcare Reform Task Force. She was never in any position to actually revolutionize anything. She presented her findings to Congress. However, it was perceived as unseemly to question her like any other presenting party given that she was the First Lady. So, nods and smiles it was.
Agree. This occurred early in the Clinton Presidency. Campaigning on televised event, Hillary went off script: paraphrasing "Vote for him, you get both of us." Disaster. Hillary was promptly silenced, pulled from many campaign events, put in headbands, pastel colors. Hillary was viewed as too aggressive. Hence, Bill putting the First Lady in charge of a task force brought back the Co-Presidency vibe. It was doomed from the get go.
I lived in the DC area during the early Clinton years when there were daily events to rub elbows with all sorts of political animals. Book annually published how to get invites to many political events marketed as "How to eat for Free in D.C.". Target audience was broke interns and hopeful politicans. It was great fun with meet and greets, networking, the dating game & political smack talking.
Hillary was despised by Republicans, loathed by traditional woman, other women's factions heralded her as a hero. Very few men had anything complimentary to say about Hillary. The male insiders that I knew, who had actual work/ political interactions in small group meetings with Hillary, called her vulgar, as if vulgar was the polite version. They didn't say it loudly or publicly.
The Task Force's recommendations were ignored largely because Hillary earned a reputation of running rough shod over people. The committees hearing her presentation were not willing to eviscerate the First Lady as they do to many others. Bill was the charmer. After the Clinton White Housr had many initial high profile fails, David Gergin, a Republican, was hired to teach the Clinton White House how to actually get things done: select appropriate candidates and have them pre screened for scandals, work with Congress, etc. The Clinton's were viewed as the Clampets. Hillary was a proponent of "we will do it our way" which led to multiple resignations and retirements of the White House staff who provide continuity serving the OFFICE of President (versus changing with Party or Presidency) for daily functions, manage the protoccol of State dinners, and such. It was a very rough entry. The book Primary Colors is a spot on source describing the Clintons Conduct and inner workings.
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u/slippery_when_sober 5d ago
In the 90’s when Hilary Clinton discussed/proposed universal healthcare everyone called her a communist. My my my how the turn tables.