One of Hillary Clinton’s favorite ‘I helped the children’ stump stories is totally bogus

[lostinblue 1,989]

One of Hillary Clinton’s favorite ‘I helped the children’ stump stories is totally bogus

One of the tales Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton relies on to demonstrate her ability to work with Republicans for the sake of the children is almost entirely inaccurate. And that’s not according to some right-wing conspiracy theorist but, rather, an investigation by the liberal outlet Mother Jones.

The story turns on how Clinton as first lady reached across the aisle to work with Republican Tom DeLay — a famously partisan political opponent of her husband — on an adoption bill that became law in 1997. DeLay was House majority whip at the time and later joined in the effort to impeach Bill Clinton.

Hillary uses the story as evidence of her bipartisan chops, and it plays nicely into her campaign emphasis on her past work on behalf of children.

“I worked with Tom Delay, one of the most partisan Republicans in the congress, to reform the adoption and foster care system,” Clinton said in a February town hall cited by Mother Jones — one of many times she’s told the story. “We never became friends, but we did something good for a lot of young kids who had better lives because of it.”

The only problem with the story is that DeLay denies it — and independent checking reveals that the story is just another one of Clinton’s many tall tales.

But DeLay told Mother Jones he doesn’t remember working with Clinton on that bill, or having any meaningful interaction with her during his time in Congress. “I don’t remember ever working with her,” he said in reference to the adoption bill.

“I never talked to her, other than us being at that television interview that both of us thought was kind of weird,” he added, referencing an interview after they hosted a screening of a movie regarding the plight of foster kids when Clinton was in the Senate in 2003. “And I would remember. I have no knowledge of working with her other than that.”

Mother Jones found DeLay’s story holds up when checked against legislative records, White House records, video archives and people who worked on the bill. The Clinton campaign didn’t respond to requests for comment from Mother Jones.

http://libertyunyielding.com/2016/08/30/premise-behind-one-hillary-clintons-favorite-helped-children-stories-totally-bogus/

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

She lied again. Imagine that

[TBoneTX 46,443]

I heard a radio interview of DeLay yesterday, and he confirmed that Hillary never worked with him as was claimed.

[Teddy B 17,252]

Well that's it, she's lost my vote.

[Mike.Bravo.Delta 16]

But DeLay told Mother Jones he doesn’t remember working with Clinton on that bill, or having any meaningful interaction with her during his time in Congress. “I don’t remember ever working with her,” he said in reference to the adoption bill.

Weird. Tom DeLay penned an editorial with Hillary on this very issue for the USA Today back in 2003. In it, they say to be working together on the foster care and adoption issue. They speak of the very legislation passed in 1997 in this editorial saying that they both strongly supported it. That whole editorial sounds like cooperation across the aisle to me. Well, "The Hammer" must have forgotten all that...

Easing foster care's pain unites disparate politicians

By Hillary Rodham Clinton and Tom DeLay

Posted 2/25/2003 7:26 PM

Occasionally, a movie shines the spotlight of public recognition onto a problem that lingers deep in the nation's shadows. It forces the country either to confront the issue or look away. Today, the movie is Antwone Fisher, and the 542,000 children languishing in our broken foster care system are the issue.

Antwone Fisher tells the true story of a boy born in prison and abandoned by his mother to years of abuse, both emotional and sexual, in foster care. The compelling story of his life, written by Fisher, is about a child's hope and resilience despite an uncaring system. While we cheer Fisher's success against such abysmal odds, the movie also reminds us that too many still suffer needlessly in a foster care system that is inherently flawed.

When Fisher turned 18, the system dropped him onto the streets. Fisher turned to the Navy, where he discovered structure, discipline, the power of education and strong guidance from an adult mentor. This powerful catalyst turned Fisher's life around. But what about all of the others in our foster care system whose longing for meaning and direction goes unrequited?

Every year 16,000 young adults age out of this system. Many grew up without guidance and faced enormous hardships. The foster care system simply did not teach them the basic skills to live independently in the world. They never learned how to cook, balance a checkbook or apply for a job. Without this critical guidance, they emerge from a system unwanted and uncertain about navigating life's turns. In short, they enter adulthood the way they spent their childhood: alone.

Reset priorities

Fisher's story should spark broad reforms of the foster care system, which needs to be changed, one community at a time, so that no more children fall through the cracks. Despite our political differences, we are committed to working together so that children like Fisher do not languish in foster care until age 18, then get expelled with little guidance and support.

The federal government now gives states almost $7 billion annually to protect children from abuse and neglect, place children in foster care and provide adoption assistance. But the timing is off: Most of the money goes to states for use after a child is removed from a troubled home. Instead, it should be used to provide more preventive resources — to keep children out of foster care to begin with — and to assist children after they leave the system.

Senators and representatives from both parties acknowledge that we have to change the way we finance our foster care system. Greater emphasis needs to be put on reducing both the number of children in the system and the length of time they stay in foster care. America's children need safe, permanent homes — something Fisher never knew as a child.

Bush offers one plan

We can find a bipartisan solution to reform the way we finance our child welfare system, but both the House and Senate must make reforms a priority. President Bush has offered one proposal that deserves careful consideration. He wants to give states an option to change the way foster care is financed so they can do more to prevent children from entering foster care, shorten the time spent in such care and provide more assistance to children and their families after they leave the system.

Although reform is never easy, there are proven legislative successes in this area. During the past five years, Congress has passed two major bipartisan child-welfare bills, which we both strongly supported. One helped to nearly double the number of children being adopted from foster care [this is the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997], and the second has helped to provide better transition services for older children who, like Fisher, never are adopted and age out of the foster care system at 18.

We are no doubt surprising many of our friends by writing this piece together, but that just underscores our point. If a public-policy dilemma can bring the two of us together, it clearly deserves a hard look from everyone. Fisher's success should be the norm for all children who travel through the foster care system, not be one exceptional spark in the darkness of countless children's lives.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas will host a screening of Antwone Fisher for members of Congress Wednesday night.

[smilesammich 10,727]

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas will host a screening of Antwone Fisher for members of Congress Wednesday night.

oops?