|
Hillary: I've learnt my lesson
15/04/2007 14:42 - (SA)
Holly Ramer
Hampton - Perception counts as much as reality when it comes to advocating openness in government, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said, saying her failed 1993 health care plan taught her that lesson.
The Democratic presidential front-runner continued campaigning in the early-voting state of New Hampshire on Saturday, a day after announcing a reform plan aimed at making government more competent, cost-effective and transparent.
Citing the Bush administration's "culture of cronyism," she vowed to improve accountability by cutting back on no-bid government contracts, banning former cabinet officials from lobbying their former colleagues and requiring all government agencies to post their budgets and related documents online.
As first lady, Clinton oversaw a massive project to overhaul the United States' health care system. Before the plan collapsed, she faced frequent criticism that the task force she led too often operated in secrecy.
"There were more than 1 000 people involved and there were many public meetings," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. "But the perception (of secrecy) was there. So we have to not only do the reality of openness and transparency, but we've got to make that very clear to people so they perceive it as well."
Part of her job, Clinton said, will be convincing citizens that government reform touches their everyday lives as much as more tangible issues such as health care and education.
"If you care about global climate change, it matters that we have a government that won't let our professional scientists speak about global climate change," Clinton said. "So these things can all be connected, and we've got to get back to where we have confidence in our government and its competence in order to be able to do any of the things people want from government."
Earlier on Saturday, Clinton called President George W Bush's refusal to change in course in Iraq a "tragedy of historic proportions," but said she's not ready to back the latest attempt to cut funding for the war.
Clinton was urged to co-sponsor a bill proposed by senators Harry Reid and Russ Feingold that would cut off funding for the Iraq war by March 31, 2008.
"I'm not ready to co-sponsor it now," Clinton said, repeating her argument that congress instead should focus on pressuring Bush to work with Democrats.
Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut is the only Democratic presidential hopeful to support the Reid-Feingold measure.
|
News
