- August 11, 2016 -
THE ART OF THE CLINTON DEAL
The Iran Deal, The Russian Reset And The Trans-Pacific Partnership Are Just Three Examples Of Hillary Clinton Cutting Deals That Hurt America
EXAMPLE ONE: THE IRAN DEAL
Clinton Takes Credit For Helping Push Through The Iran Nuclear Deal:
Clinton Has Touted Her Work In Being “Part Of The Coalition That Brought Us To The Point Of This Agreement.”CLINTON: “Having been part of the coalition that brought us to the point of this agreement, I think we will have to immediately upon completion of this agreement and its rigorous enforcement, look to see how we build a coalition to try to prevent and undermine Iran’s bad behaviors in other arenas.”(Hillary Clinton,Remarks On U.S. Iran Nuclear Deal, Washington, D.C., 7/14/15)
Clinton: “I'm Very Proud Of The Iran Nuclear Agreement. I Was Very Pleased To Be Part Of What The President Put Into Action When He Took Office.”CLINTON: “Well, I'm very proud of the Iran Nuclear Agreement. I was very pleased to be part of what the president put into action when he took office. I was responsible for getting those sanctions imposed which put the pressure on Iran. It brought them to the negotiating table which resulted in this agreement.”(Hillary Clinton,Remarks At Democrat Primary Debate, Charleston, SC, 1/17/16)
Clinton: “I Was Responsible For Getting Those Sanctions Imposed Which Put The Pressure On Iran. It Brought Them To The Negotiating Table Which Resulted In This Agreement.”CLINTON: “Well, I'm very proud of the Iran Nuclear Agreement. I was very pleased to be part of what the president put into action when he took office. I was responsible for getting those sanctions imposed which put the pressure on Iran. It brought them to the negotiating table which resulted in this agreement.”(Hillary Clinton,Remarks At Democrat Primary Debate, Charleston, SC, 1/17/16)
Iran Is Recognized As “The Foremost State Sponsor Of Terrorism”:
National Director Of Intelligence James Clapper: “Iran—The Foremost State Sponsor Of Terrorism—Continues To Exert Its Influence In Regional Crises In The Middle East.”“Iran—the foremost state sponsor of terrorism—continues to exert its influence in regional crises in the Middle East through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—Qods Force (IRGC-QF), its terrorist partner Lebanese Hizballah, and proxy groups. It also provides military and economic aid to its allies in the region. Iran and Hizballah remain a continuing terrorist threat to US interests and partners worldwide. (James R. Clapper, Statement For The Record,U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, PP. 10, 2/9/16)
The State Department’s Annual Country Report On Terrorism Listed Iran As A State Sponsor Of Terrorism And Said That They Had Increased Their Activity In 2015.“Designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism in 1984, Iran continued its terrorist-related activity in 2015, including support for Hizballah, Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza, and various groups in Iraq and throughout the Middle East. In 2015, Iran increased its assistance to Iraqi Shia terrorist groups, including Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), which is a U.S. designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, as part of an effort to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq and bolster the Asad regime in Syria. Iran used the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to implement foreign policy goals, provide cover for intelligence operations, and create instability in the Middle East. The IRGC-QF is Iran’s primary mechanism for cultivating and supporting terrorists abroad.”(State Department’s Annual Country Report On Terrorism, U.S. State Department, Chapter 3-State Sponsored Terrorism, 6/2/16)
Iran Has Been Funding Terrorist Groups Working Against U.S Interests In Their Region:
Iran Has Been Assisting Hizballah Rearm Since 2006 And Has Given Their Organization In Lebanon “Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars.”“Since the end of the 2006 Israeli-Hizballah conflict in 2006, Iran has also assisted in rearming Hizballah, in direct violation of UNSCR 1701. Iran has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in support of Hizballah in Lebanon and has trained thousands of its fighters at camps in Iran. These trained fighters have used these skills in direct support of the Asad regime in Syria and, to a lesser extent, in support of operations against ISIL in Iraq. They have also carried out isolated attacks along the Lebanese border with Israel.”(State Department’s Annual Country Report On Terrorism, U.S. State Department, Chapter 3-State Sponsored Terrorism, 6/2/16)
Iran Has Funded And Armed Shia Terrorist Groups In Iraq That Have “Exacerbated Sectarian Tensions In Iraq And Have Committed Serious Human Rights Abuses Against Primarily Sunni Civilians.”“In Iraq, Iranian combat forces employed rockets, artillery, and drones against ISIL. Iran also increased its arming and funding of Iraqi Shia terrorist groups in an effort to reverse ISIL gains in Iraq. Many of these groups, such as KH, have exacerbated sectarian tensions in Iraq and have committed serious human rights abuses against primarily Sunni civilians. The IRGC-QF, in concert with Hizballah, provided training outside of Iraq, as well as advisors inside Iraq for Shia militants in the construction and use of advanced weaponry. Similar to Hizballah fighters, many of these trained Shia militants have used these skills to fight for the Asad regime in Syria or against ISIL in Iraq.”(State Department’s Annual Country Report On Terrorism, U.S. State Department, Chapter 3-State Sponsored Terrorism, 6/2/16)
Iran Has Been Funding Hamas And Other Terrorist Groups Carrying Out Attacks Against Israel.“Iran has historically provided weapons, training, and funding to Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups, including Palestine Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command. These Palestinian terrorist groups have been behind a number of deaths from attacks originating in Gaza and the West Bank. Although Hamas’s ties to Tehran have been strained due to the Syrian civil war, both sides took steps in 2015 to repair relations. Iran continued to declare its vocal support for Palestinian terrorist groups and its hostility to Israel in 2015. Supreme National Security Council Secretary Admiral Ali Shamkhani sought to frame a series of individual Palestinian attacks on Israeli security forces in the West Bank as a new “Intifada” in a speech on November 25.”(State Department’s Annual Country Report On Terrorism, U.S. State Department, Chapter 3-State Sponsored Terrorism, 6/2/16)
Iran Has Remained Unwilling To Bring Justice To Senior al-Qa’ida (AQ) Members.“Iran remained unwilling to bring to justice senior al-Qa’ida (AQ) members it continued to detain and refused to publicly identify the members in its custody. Iran previously allowed AQ facilitators to operate a core facilitation pipeline through Iran since at least 2009, enabling AQ to move funds and fighters to South Asia and Syria.”(State Department’s Annual Country Report On Terrorism, U.S. State Department, Chapter 3-State Sponsored Terrorism, 6/2/16)
EXAMPLE TWO: THE RUSSIA RESET
Clinton Led The Obama Administration’s Efforts To Reset Relations With Russia:
In March 2009, Clinton Presented Her Russian Counterpart With A “Reset” Button, Illustrating The Obama Administration’s Desire To Press “The Reset Button” With Russia.“When it comes to Russia, the Obama administration has been talking about ‘pressing the reset button.’ It’s meant to symbolize a possible new start in U.S./Russian relations, which ‘crashed’ after Russia invaded Georgia last August. So when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton greeted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva Friday before sitting down to their working dinner, she was all smiles when she presented him a small green box with a ribbon. Lavrov opened it and, inside, there was a red button with the Russian word ‘peregruzka’ printed on it.”(Jill Dougherty, “Clinton ‘Reset Button’ Gift To Russian FM Gets Lost In Translation,”CNN, 3/6/09)
Clinton, 2009: “We’re Going To Hit The Reset Button And Start Fresh Because Clearly The Obama Administration Believes That There Are A Number Of Important Areas To Discuss With The Russians.”KELEMEN: “Madam Secretary, you’ve exchanged letters, you met briefly in Egypt this week already with Sergey Lavrov, but this is going to be your first lengthy meeting with the Russian foreign minister tonight. How do you set the tone, because as you know your predecessor had quite a testy relationship with him?” CLINTON: “Well, we’re going to hit the reset button and start fresh because clearly the Obama administration believes that there are a number of important areas to discuss with the Russians. We’re just at the beginning of this discussion, but I’m looking forward to it.”(Michele Kelemen, “Clinton Says She’ll Hit ‘Reset Button’ With Russia,”NPR, 3/6/09)
Politico’s Mike Allen: Clinton “Was The Face Of The ‘Reset.’”ALLEN: “Willie, it was Senator Clinton, Secretary Clinton, who was the face of the ‘reset.’ You guys will remember we saw this on ‘Morning Joe’ back in 2009, in her second month in office. She was in Moscow at one of her first trips and she presented the Russian Foreign Minister with an actual gift wrapped red ‘reset’ button.”(MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 3/4/14)
Clinton “Spearheaded” The “Awkward” Russia-Reset Gimmick. “During her first months at State, Clinton spearheaded an awkward media event in which she and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hit a gimmicky reset button to signal a new start to the U.S.-Russia relationship.”(Leigh Ann Caldwell, “Is Foreign Policy A Liability For Hillary Clinton?”CNN, 7/29/14)
Clinton’s Russia “Reset” Was Seen As A “Test” Of “Her Diplomatic Skills.”“U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s first discussions with her Russian counterpart, coming Friday in Switzerland, will test her diplomatic skills and the Obama administration’s hopes for a new direction in U.S. foreign policy.”(Robert Burns, “Russia A Diplomatic Test For US Secretary Of State,”The Associated Press, 3/6/09)
The Clinton-Obama Reset Has “Failed”, Leading Russia To Expand Their Capabilities:
“Moscow-Washington Are Going To Be Stuck In Their Worst State In Decades, Putting At Risk The International Collaboration That’s Developed And That The Obama Administration Needs.”(Edward-Isaac Dovere, “Obama-Putin Relationship Hangs Over Ukrainian PM Visit,”Politico, 3/12/14)
It Looks Like Putin Is “Winning An Awful Lot Of Battles” And “The Obama Administration Seems Hard-Pressed To Stop Him.”“Russian President Vladimir Putin may end up losing the current war, but right now, it sure looks like he’s winning an awful lot of battles. And with very few good options, the Obama administration seems hard-pressed to stop him.”(Aaron David Miller, “A Poor Chapter In The History Books,”Foreign Policy, 5/22/14)
The Russia Reset Has “Failed.” “Today that statement seems prescient. Obama’s reset has failed, and in a throwback to the 19th century, Russia has invaded another one of its neighbors—Ukraine—this time even annexing a chunk of its territory.”(Simon Shuster, “A Failed Russia ‘Reset’ Haunts Obama In Europe,”Time, 6/3/14)
Political-Risk Expert Ian Bremmer, Of The Eurasia Group, Has Argued That “Russia Is The Single Most Substantive Issue That She [Clinton] Failed At From Conception To Implementation.”(Maggie Haberman, “Hillary Clinton’s Ukraine—And 2016— Problem,”Politico, 3/4/14)
Bremmer On The Russia Reset: There “Was A Real Misread” In The Obama Administration On Working With Russia.“‘The view of the United States [toward] Russia is that the Russians just don’t matter that much,’ Bremmer said. ‘There was a real belief in the White House that you could work with Medvedev, Putin was the problem, but Medvedev was in charge …. that was a real misread.’”(Maggie Haberman, “Hillary Clinton’s Ukraine—And 2016— Problem,”Politico, 3/4/14)
The “Standoff With Russia” Threatened Some Of The Obama Administration’s Foreign Policy Agenda.“The West’s standoff with Russia over its seizure of Crimea, analysts and former administration officials said, could complicate American efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear program, resolve Syria’s civil war and, even in the short run, broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians.”(Mark Landler and Anne Barnard, “As Obama And Netanyahu Meet, Ukraine Becomes A Focus Of Conversation,”The New York Times, 3/3/14)
“In Jeopardy Are All Sorts Of Areas Where The United States And Russia Cooperate.”“In jeopardy are all sorts of areas where the United States and Russia cooperate. The two collaborate closely on space exploration, and American access to the International Space Station depends entirely on Russian rocket launches.”(Peter Baker, “If Not A Cold War, A Return To A Chilly Rivalry,”The New York Times, 3/18/14)
Clinton’s Russia Reset Policy “Now Lies In Tatters.”“But most experts agree that the policy now lies in tatters, with Russian President Vladimir Putin openly fueling anti-American sentiment at home and pursuing confrontational policies abroad, such as the invasion of Ukraine and the annexation of its Crimea region.”(Olivier Knox, “Russia ‘Reset’ Architect To Next President: Don’t Try That Again,”Yahoo! News, 5/27/15)
EXAMPLE THREE: TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP
Clinton Took A Lead Role In Drafting TPP And Said It “Sets The Gold Standard In Trade Agreements”:
As Secretary Of State, Clinton Took “A Leading Part In Drafting The Trans-Pacific Partnership.” “She's pressed the case for U.S. business in Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and other countries in China's shadow. She's also taken a leading part in drafting the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free trade pact that would give U.S. companies a leg up on their Chinese competitors.”(Elizabeth Dwoskin and Indira Laksmanan, "How Hillary Clinton Created A U.S. Business-Promotion Machine," Bloomberg,1/10/13)
Clinton Had Said The Trans-Pacific Partnership “Sets The Gold Standard In Trade Agreements.”CLINTON: “[We] need to keep upping our game both bilaterally and with partners across the region through agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP. Australia is a critical partner. This TPP sets the gold standard in trade agreements to open free, transparent, fair trade, the kind of environment that has the rule of law and a level playing field. And when negotiated, this agreement will cover 40 percent of the world's total trade and build in strong protections for workers and the environment.”(Hillary Clinton,Remarks at Techport Australia, 11/15/12)
Last Week Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe Said Clinton Would Support TPP As President:
In An Interview On Tuesday, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, “Longtime Best Friend To The Clintons,” Said He “Believes Hillary Clinton Will Support The TPP Trade Deal If Elected President.”“Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, longtime best friend to the Clintons, said Tuesday that he believes Hillary Clinton will support the TPP trade deal if elected president, with some tweaks.”(Annie Karni, “Clinton Friend McAuliffe Says Clinton Will Flip On TPP, Then Walks It Back,”Politico, 7/26/16)
McAuliffe: “Once The Election’s Over, And We Sit Down On Trade” I Expect Clinton Will Support TPP.“‘I worry that if we don’t do TPP, at some point China’s going to break the rules -- but Hillary understands this,” he said in an interview after his speech on the main stage at the Democratic National Convention. ‘Once the election’s over, and we sit down on trade, people understand a couple things we want to fix on it but going forward we got to build a global economy.’ Pressed on whether Clinton would turn around and support the trade deal she opposed during the heat of the primary fight against Bernie Sanders, McAuliffe said: ‘Yes. Listen, she was in support of it. There were specific things in it she wants fixed.’”(Annie Karni, “Clinton Friend McAuliffe Says Clinton Will Flip On TPP, Then Walks It Back,”Politico, 7/26/16)
The Following Day, McAuliffe Doubled Down On His Comments That Hillary Clinton Plans To Support TPP Once Elected President.STEPHANIE RUHLE: “Hillary Clinton's decision to join Sanders in opposing the deal has been a key to winning over a lot of his supporters. But on Tuesday one of her oldest friends, Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe said she may flip her position and actually support the deal when and if she wins the White House. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, spoke exclusively with Governor McAuliffe less than one hour ago. She joins me now on the phone. Andrea what did you learn?” ANDREA MITCHELL: “Well, he is not backing down. He is saying, though, that Hillary Clinton would make changes to it before going along with it. but since that is the priority of the president, they're going to proceed and try to get TPP on a lame duck session. Right now I am in the Virginia delegation where the vice presidential running mate is about to be coming out. So let me play you a little bit of McAuliffe sound. And if I am distracted, you'll know it's because we are at a live event right here with Tim Kaine. This is what Terry McAuliffe had to say.” GOV. TERRY MCAULIFFE (CLIP): “Let me be very clear she will only go forward if the changes she wants are implemented, that everyone is in agreement, the labor folks are in agreement. She’s not going forward as it is today. So unless the changes are made she’s not for it. President Obama does want this, as you know.” RUHLE: “So for you, it doesn't seem like there's a lot of wiggle room. Terry almost sounds like he's doubling down.” MITCHELL: “It is definitely doubling down and indicating that is the policy.”(MSNBC, 7/27/16)
The Economic Policy Institute Estimates The U.S. Lost More Than 2 Million Jobs To TPP Nations In 2015 Alone:
The Economic Policy Institute Estimates That The U.S. Trade Deficit With The 11 TPP Nations Led To The Elimination Of More Than 2 Million U.S. Jobs In 2015.“The U.S. trade deficit with the 11 other TPP countries eliminated 2 million jobs, as shown in Table 2, which reports the number of direct, indirect, and respending jobs lost (aggregated over all industries). The trade deficit between the United States and the 11 other TPP member countries in 2015 directly eliminated 418,900 jobs. In addition to the direct jobs lost, the U.S. trade deficit with the TPP country group eliminated an additional 847,200 indirect jobs in supplier industries, including jobs in manufacturing, commodity, and service industries. Finally, wages lost because of direct and indirect job cuts from the trade deficits with the TPP member countries would have supported an additional 759,700 respending jobs. The direct, indirect, and respending jobs displaced by the U.S. trade deficit with TPP member countries totals 2,025,800 jobs lost.”(Robert E. Scott and Elizabeth Glass, “Trans-Pacific Partnership, Currency Manipulation, Trade, And Jobs,”Economic Policy Institute, 3/3/16)
The U.S. Already Has “A Large And Growing Trade Deficit” With The 11 Members Of The Proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Deal.“The United States already has a large and growing trade deficit with the 11 other countries in the proposed TPP, which reached $265.1 billion in 2014. In contrast, the United States had a small trade surplus with Mexico in 1993, before NAFTA took effect. In other words, outsourcing to the TPP countries is a potentially much greater threat than it was under NAFTA with Mexico.”(Robert E. Scott, “Fast Track To Lost Jobs And Lower Wages,”Economic Policy Institute
THE ART OF THE CLINTON DEAL
The Iran Deal, The Russian Reset And The Trans-Pacific Partnership Are Just Three Examples Of Hillary Clinton Cutting Deals That Hurt America
EXAMPLE ONE: THE IRAN DEAL
Clinton Takes Credit For Helping Push Through The Iran Nuclear Deal:
Clinton Has Touted Her Work In Being “Part Of The Coalition That Brought Us To The Point Of This Agreement.”CLINTON: “Having been part of the coalition that brought us to the point of this agreement, I think we will have to immediately upon completion of this agreement and its rigorous enforcement, look to see how we build a coalition to try to prevent and undermine Iran’s bad behaviors in other arenas.”(Hillary Clinton,Remarks On U.S. Iran Nuclear Deal, Washington, D.C., 7/14/15)
Clinton: “I'm Very Proud Of The Iran Nuclear Agreement. I Was Very Pleased To Be Part Of What The President Put Into Action When He Took Office.”CLINTON: “Well, I'm very proud of the Iran Nuclear Agreement. I was very pleased to be part of what the president put into action when he took office. I was responsible for getting those sanctions imposed which put the pressure on Iran. It brought them to the negotiating table which resulted in this agreement.”(Hillary Clinton,Remarks At Democrat Primary Debate, Charleston, SC, 1/17/16)
Clinton: “I Was Responsible For Getting Those Sanctions Imposed Which Put The Pressure On Iran. It Brought Them To The Negotiating Table Which Resulted In This Agreement.”CLINTON: “Well, I'm very proud of the Iran Nuclear Agreement. I was very pleased to be part of what the president put into action when he took office. I was responsible for getting those sanctions imposed which put the pressure on Iran. It brought them to the negotiating table which resulted in this agreement.”(Hillary Clinton,Remarks At Democrat Primary Debate, Charleston, SC, 1/17/16)
Iran Is Recognized As “The Foremost State Sponsor Of Terrorism”:
National Director Of Intelligence James Clapper: “Iran—The Foremost State Sponsor Of Terrorism—Continues To Exert Its Influence In Regional Crises In The Middle East.”“Iran—the foremost state sponsor of terrorism—continues to exert its influence in regional crises in the Middle East through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—Qods Force (IRGC-QF), its terrorist partner Lebanese Hizballah, and proxy groups. It also provides military and economic aid to its allies in the region. Iran and Hizballah remain a continuing terrorist threat to US interests and partners worldwide. (James R. Clapper, Statement For The Record,U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, PP. 10, 2/9/16)
The State Department’s Annual Country Report On Terrorism Listed Iran As A State Sponsor Of Terrorism And Said That They Had Increased Their Activity In 2015.“Designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism in 1984, Iran continued its terrorist-related activity in 2015, including support for Hizballah, Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza, and various groups in Iraq and throughout the Middle East. In 2015, Iran increased its assistance to Iraqi Shia terrorist groups, including Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), which is a U.S. designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, as part of an effort to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq and bolster the Asad regime in Syria. Iran used the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to implement foreign policy goals, provide cover for intelligence operations, and create instability in the Middle East. The IRGC-QF is Iran’s primary mechanism for cultivating and supporting terrorists abroad.”(State Department’s Annual Country Report On Terrorism, U.S. State Department, Chapter 3-State Sponsored Terrorism, 6/2/16)
Iran Has Been Funding Terrorist Groups Working Against U.S Interests In Their Region:
Iran Has Been Assisting Hizballah Rearm Since 2006 And Has Given Their Organization In Lebanon “Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars.”“Since the end of the 2006 Israeli-Hizballah conflict in 2006, Iran has also assisted in rearming Hizballah, in direct violation of UNSCR 1701. Iran has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in support of Hizballah in Lebanon and has trained thousands of its fighters at camps in Iran. These trained fighters have used these skills in direct support of the Asad regime in Syria and, to a lesser extent, in support of operations against ISIL in Iraq. They have also carried out isolated attacks along the Lebanese border with Israel.”(State Department’s Annual Country Report On Terrorism, U.S. State Department, Chapter 3-State Sponsored Terrorism, 6/2/16)
Iran Has Funded And Armed Shia Terrorist Groups In Iraq That Have “Exacerbated Sectarian Tensions In Iraq And Have Committed Serious Human Rights Abuses Against Primarily Sunni Civilians.”“In Iraq, Iranian combat forces employed rockets, artillery, and drones against ISIL. Iran also increased its arming and funding of Iraqi Shia terrorist groups in an effort to reverse ISIL gains in Iraq. Many of these groups, such as KH, have exacerbated sectarian tensions in Iraq and have committed serious human rights abuses against primarily Sunni civilians. The IRGC-QF, in concert with Hizballah, provided training outside of Iraq, as well as advisors inside Iraq for Shia militants in the construction and use of advanced weaponry. Similar to Hizballah fighters, many of these trained Shia militants have used these skills to fight for the Asad regime in Syria or against ISIL in Iraq.”(State Department’s Annual Country Report On Terrorism, U.S. State Department, Chapter 3-State Sponsored Terrorism, 6/2/16)
Iran Has Been Funding Hamas And Other Terrorist Groups Carrying Out Attacks Against Israel.“Iran has historically provided weapons, training, and funding to Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups, including Palestine Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command. These Palestinian terrorist groups have been behind a number of deaths from attacks originating in Gaza and the West Bank. Although Hamas’s ties to Tehran have been strained due to the Syrian civil war, both sides took steps in 2015 to repair relations. Iran continued to declare its vocal support for Palestinian terrorist groups and its hostility to Israel in 2015. Supreme National Security Council Secretary Admiral Ali Shamkhani sought to frame a series of individual Palestinian attacks on Israeli security forces in the West Bank as a new “Intifada” in a speech on November 25.”(State Department’s Annual Country Report On Terrorism, U.S. State Department, Chapter 3-State Sponsored Terrorism, 6/2/16)
Iran Has Remained Unwilling To Bring Justice To Senior al-Qa’ida (AQ) Members.“Iran remained unwilling to bring to justice senior al-Qa’ida (AQ) members it continued to detain and refused to publicly identify the members in its custody. Iran previously allowed AQ facilitators to operate a core facilitation pipeline through Iran since at least 2009, enabling AQ to move funds and fighters to South Asia and Syria.”(State Department’s Annual Country Report On Terrorism, U.S. State Department, Chapter 3-State Sponsored Terrorism, 6/2/16)
EXAMPLE TWO: THE RUSSIA RESET
Clinton Led The Obama Administration’s Efforts To Reset Relations With Russia:
In March 2009, Clinton Presented Her Russian Counterpart With A “Reset” Button, Illustrating The Obama Administration’s Desire To Press “The Reset Button” With Russia.“When it comes to Russia, the Obama administration has been talking about ‘pressing the reset button.’ It’s meant to symbolize a possible new start in U.S./Russian relations, which ‘crashed’ after Russia invaded Georgia last August. So when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton greeted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva Friday before sitting down to their working dinner, she was all smiles when she presented him a small green box with a ribbon. Lavrov opened it and, inside, there was a red button with the Russian word ‘peregruzka’ printed on it.”(Jill Dougherty, “Clinton ‘Reset Button’ Gift To Russian FM Gets Lost In Translation,”CNN, 3/6/09)
Clinton, 2009: “We’re Going To Hit The Reset Button And Start Fresh Because Clearly The Obama Administration Believes That There Are A Number Of Important Areas To Discuss With The Russians.”KELEMEN: “Madam Secretary, you’ve exchanged letters, you met briefly in Egypt this week already with Sergey Lavrov, but this is going to be your first lengthy meeting with the Russian foreign minister tonight. How do you set the tone, because as you know your predecessor had quite a testy relationship with him?” CLINTON: “Well, we’re going to hit the reset button and start fresh because clearly the Obama administration believes that there are a number of important areas to discuss with the Russians. We’re just at the beginning of this discussion, but I’m looking forward to it.”(Michele Kelemen, “Clinton Says She’ll Hit ‘Reset Button’ With Russia,”NPR, 3/6/09)
Politico’s Mike Allen: Clinton “Was The Face Of The ‘Reset.’”ALLEN: “Willie, it was Senator Clinton, Secretary Clinton, who was the face of the ‘reset.’ You guys will remember we saw this on ‘Morning Joe’ back in 2009, in her second month in office. She was in Moscow at one of her first trips and she presented the Russian Foreign Minister with an actual gift wrapped red ‘reset’ button.”(MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 3/4/14)
Clinton “Spearheaded” The “Awkward” Russia-Reset Gimmick. “During her first months at State, Clinton spearheaded an awkward media event in which she and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hit a gimmicky reset button to signal a new start to the U.S.-Russia relationship.”(Leigh Ann Caldwell, “Is Foreign Policy A Liability For Hillary Clinton?”CNN, 7/29/14)
Clinton’s Russia “Reset” Was Seen As A “Test” Of “Her Diplomatic Skills.”“U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s first discussions with her Russian counterpart, coming Friday in Switzerland, will test her diplomatic skills and the Obama administration’s hopes for a new direction in U.S. foreign policy.”(Robert Burns, “Russia A Diplomatic Test For US Secretary Of State,”The Associated Press, 3/6/09)
The Clinton-Obama Reset Has “Failed”, Leading Russia To Expand Their Capabilities:
“Moscow-Washington Are Going To Be Stuck In Their Worst State In Decades, Putting At Risk The International Collaboration That’s Developed And That The Obama Administration Needs.”(Edward-Isaac Dovere, “Obama-Putin Relationship Hangs Over Ukrainian PM Visit,”Politico, 3/12/14)
It Looks Like Putin Is “Winning An Awful Lot Of Battles” And “The Obama Administration Seems Hard-Pressed To Stop Him.”“Russian President Vladimir Putin may end up losing the current war, but right now, it sure looks like he’s winning an awful lot of battles. And with very few good options, the Obama administration seems hard-pressed to stop him.”(Aaron David Miller, “A Poor Chapter In The History Books,”Foreign Policy, 5/22/14)
The Russia Reset Has “Failed.” “Today that statement seems prescient. Obama’s reset has failed, and in a throwback to the 19th century, Russia has invaded another one of its neighbors—Ukraine—this time even annexing a chunk of its territory.”(Simon Shuster, “A Failed Russia ‘Reset’ Haunts Obama In Europe,”Time, 6/3/14)
Political-Risk Expert Ian Bremmer, Of The Eurasia Group, Has Argued That “Russia Is The Single Most Substantive Issue That She [Clinton] Failed At From Conception To Implementation.”(Maggie Haberman, “Hillary Clinton’s Ukraine—And 2016— Problem,”Politico, 3/4/14)
Bremmer On The Russia Reset: There “Was A Real Misread” In The Obama Administration On Working With Russia.“‘The view of the United States [toward] Russia is that the Russians just don’t matter that much,’ Bremmer said. ‘There was a real belief in the White House that you could work with Medvedev, Putin was the problem, but Medvedev was in charge …. that was a real misread.’”(Maggie Haberman, “Hillary Clinton’s Ukraine—And 2016— Problem,”Politico, 3/4/14)
The “Standoff With Russia” Threatened Some Of The Obama Administration’s Foreign Policy Agenda.“The West’s standoff with Russia over its seizure of Crimea, analysts and former administration officials said, could complicate American efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear program, resolve Syria’s civil war and, even in the short run, broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians.”(Mark Landler and Anne Barnard, “As Obama And Netanyahu Meet, Ukraine Becomes A Focus Of Conversation,”The New York Times, 3/3/14)
“In Jeopardy Are All Sorts Of Areas Where The United States And Russia Cooperate.”“In jeopardy are all sorts of areas where the United States and Russia cooperate. The two collaborate closely on space exploration, and American access to the International Space Station depends entirely on Russian rocket launches.”(Peter Baker, “If Not A Cold War, A Return To A Chilly Rivalry,”The New York Times, 3/18/14)
Clinton’s Russia Reset Policy “Now Lies In Tatters.”“But most experts agree that the policy now lies in tatters, with Russian President Vladimir Putin openly fueling anti-American sentiment at home and pursuing confrontational policies abroad, such as the invasion of Ukraine and the annexation of its Crimea region.”(Olivier Knox, “Russia ‘Reset’ Architect To Next President: Don’t Try That Again,”Yahoo! News, 5/27/15)
EXAMPLE THREE: TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP
Clinton Took A Lead Role In Drafting TPP And Said It “Sets The Gold Standard In Trade Agreements”:
As Secretary Of State, Clinton Took “A Leading Part In Drafting The Trans-Pacific Partnership.” “She's pressed the case for U.S. business in Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and other countries in China's shadow. She's also taken a leading part in drafting the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free trade pact that would give U.S. companies a leg up on their Chinese competitors.”(Elizabeth Dwoskin and Indira Laksmanan, "How Hillary Clinton Created A U.S. Business-Promotion Machine," Bloomberg,1/10/13)
Clinton Had Said The Trans-Pacific Partnership “Sets The Gold Standard In Trade Agreements.”CLINTON: “[We] need to keep upping our game both bilaterally and with partners across the region through agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP. Australia is a critical partner. This TPP sets the gold standard in trade agreements to open free, transparent, fair trade, the kind of environment that has the rule of law and a level playing field. And when negotiated, this agreement will cover 40 percent of the world's total trade and build in strong protections for workers and the environment.”(Hillary Clinton,Remarks at Techport Australia, 11/15/12)
Last Week Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe Said Clinton Would Support TPP As President:
In An Interview On Tuesday, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, “Longtime Best Friend To The Clintons,” Said He “Believes Hillary Clinton Will Support The TPP Trade Deal If Elected President.”“Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, longtime best friend to the Clintons, said Tuesday that he believes Hillary Clinton will support the TPP trade deal if elected president, with some tweaks.”(Annie Karni, “Clinton Friend McAuliffe Says Clinton Will Flip On TPP, Then Walks It Back,”Politico, 7/26/16)
McAuliffe: “Once The Election’s Over, And We Sit Down On Trade” I Expect Clinton Will Support TPP.“‘I worry that if we don’t do TPP, at some point China’s going to break the rules -- but Hillary understands this,” he said in an interview after his speech on the main stage at the Democratic National Convention. ‘Once the election’s over, and we sit down on trade, people understand a couple things we want to fix on it but going forward we got to build a global economy.’ Pressed on whether Clinton would turn around and support the trade deal she opposed during the heat of the primary fight against Bernie Sanders, McAuliffe said: ‘Yes. Listen, she was in support of it. There were specific things in it she wants fixed.’”(Annie Karni, “Clinton Friend McAuliffe Says Clinton Will Flip On TPP, Then Walks It Back,”Politico, 7/26/16)
The Following Day, McAuliffe Doubled Down On His Comments That Hillary Clinton Plans To Support TPP Once Elected President.STEPHANIE RUHLE: “Hillary Clinton's decision to join Sanders in opposing the deal has been a key to winning over a lot of his supporters. But on Tuesday one of her oldest friends, Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe said she may flip her position and actually support the deal when and if she wins the White House. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, spoke exclusively with Governor McAuliffe less than one hour ago. She joins me now on the phone. Andrea what did you learn?” ANDREA MITCHELL: “Well, he is not backing down. He is saying, though, that Hillary Clinton would make changes to it before going along with it. but since that is the priority of the president, they're going to proceed and try to get TPP on a lame duck session. Right now I am in the Virginia delegation where the vice presidential running mate is about to be coming out. So let me play you a little bit of McAuliffe sound. And if I am distracted, you'll know it's because we are at a live event right here with Tim Kaine. This is what Terry McAuliffe had to say.” GOV. TERRY MCAULIFFE (CLIP): “Let me be very clear she will only go forward if the changes she wants are implemented, that everyone is in agreement, the labor folks are in agreement. She’s not going forward as it is today. So unless the changes are made she’s not for it. President Obama does want this, as you know.” RUHLE: “So for you, it doesn't seem like there's a lot of wiggle room. Terry almost sounds like he's doubling down.” MITCHELL: “It is definitely doubling down and indicating that is the policy.”(MSNBC, 7/27/16)
The Economic Policy Institute Estimates The U.S. Lost More Than 2 Million Jobs To TPP Nations In 2015 Alone:
The Economic Policy Institute Estimates That The U.S. Trade Deficit With The 11 TPP Nations Led To The Elimination Of More Than 2 Million U.S. Jobs In 2015.“The U.S. trade deficit with the 11 other TPP countries eliminated 2 million jobs, as shown in Table 2, which reports the number of direct, indirect, and respending jobs lost (aggregated over all industries). The trade deficit between the United States and the 11 other TPP member countries in 2015 directly eliminated 418,900 jobs. In addition to the direct jobs lost, the U.S. trade deficit with the TPP country group eliminated an additional 847,200 indirect jobs in supplier industries, including jobs in manufacturing, commodity, and service industries. Finally, wages lost because of direct and indirect job cuts from the trade deficits with the TPP member countries would have supported an additional 759,700 respending jobs. The direct, indirect, and respending jobs displaced by the U.S. trade deficit with TPP member countries totals 2,025,800 jobs lost.”(Robert E. Scott and Elizabeth Glass, “Trans-Pacific Partnership, Currency Manipulation, Trade, And Jobs,”Economic Policy Institute, 3/3/16)
The U.S. Already Has “A Large And Growing Trade Deficit” With The 11 Members Of The Proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Deal.“The United States already has a large and growing trade deficit with the 11 other countries in the proposed TPP, which reached $265.1 billion in 2014. In contrast, the United States had a small trade surplus with Mexico in 1993, before NAFTA took effect. In other words, outsourcing to the TPP countries is a potentially much greater threat than it was under NAFTA with Mexico.”(Robert E. Scott, “Fast Track To Lost Jobs And Lower Wages,”Economic Policy Institute
