How Hillary Clinton Works

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Introduction to How Hillary Clinton Works

Although she'd been a United States senator for just eight of her 60 years, by the time Hillary Clinton made a bid to become the first female president in American history she was already an established political powerhouse. Today, Hillary Clinton is a stalwart of the Democratic Party -- but her political beginnings are steeped in Republican activism.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Clinton, shown in Chappaqua, N.Y., in February 2008, was supported by her daughter, Chelsea, and husband,
former president Bill Clinton, during her bid for the
presidency in 2008.

As a child, she followed her father's example, becoming interested in Republican politics at a young age. She served as a "Goldwater Girl," a youth supporter of 1964 Republican Party presidential candidate Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater. As an undergraduate at Wellesley College, she served as the president of the campus Republican group [source: HillaryClinton.com].

At Wellesley, Clinton's liberal views began to emerge, creating a dichotomy with her conservative views. "I'm a heart liberal, but a mind conservative," she wrote to a friend while in college [source: UC Berkeley].

Her position in the Democratic Party solidified quickly after she planted herself firmly in the left. In 1973, Clinton worked in the Southwestern United States for the Democratic National Committee, registering voters in the border states. It was a turning point for her political education: "We had a chance to go into people's homes," she told a crowd in El Paso 35 years later on the 2008 campaign trail. "We ate a lot of great food. We listened to some wonderful music. And we registered a few voters, too" [source: Washington Post].

Five years after her stint as a volunteer for the DNC, Clinton became the Democrat first lady of Arkansas.

It's impossible to tell the political story of Hillary Clinton without also describing her husband's political career; the two are inextricably linked. They are, as described by CNN, "the ultimate political power couple" [source: CNN].

Bill Clinton famously remarked during the 1992 presidential campaign that if the American people elected him, they would get "two for the price of one" [source: Washington Post]. As first lady, Clinton was a force to be reckoned with. A bumper sticker from the Clinton White House era told other motorists that the car's owner planned on "voting for Hillary's husband" [Los Angeles Times]. The term "Billary" was coined to describe their union [source: Urban Dictionary].

But in the 2008 presidential primary race, Clinton emerged as her own candidate. She cast herself as a veteran of Washington politics "ready to lead from day one" [source: Associated Press]. Her platform is big on strengthening the middle class, providing universal health care coverage for Americans, ending the Iraq War, reforming immigration and supporting women's rights [source: HillaryClinton.com].

The 2008 presidential primaries provided Clinton a field to display her political talents. Her campaign fundraising set records, raising more than $115 million in 2007 [source: Open Secrets]. And she boasted the support of both her husband and her daughter, both of whom campaigned for her. "She's in the solution business, and she always has been," Bill Clinton told a crowd before the Wisconsin primary in February 2008. "She's the best at it and always has been" [source: WISN].

Find out about Clinton's voting record, her life, how she's viewed by special interest groups and her presidential platform. On the next page, we'll take a closer look at Clinton's life.

Hillary Clinton Biography

Hillary Diane Rodham was born on Oct. 26, 1947, to Dorothy and Hugh Rodham of Park Ridge, Ill. As a girl, she was a Brownie and a Girl Scout in the Chicago suburb. Her political outlook was shaped by her father, a Republican [source: HillaryClinton.com]. Her career in politics began through the law. She attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts, serving as the president of the College Republicans there. Clinton graduated in 1969 with honors and a BA in political science [source: Hillary Rodham Clinton.org].

That same year, she entered Yale Law School and served on the board of editors for the Yale Law Review and Social Action, a quarterly student-run publication. At Yale Hillary Rodham met Bill Clinton. Following graduation, he returned home to Arkansas to pursue a career in politics; Hillary stayed in Massachusetts working as an attorney for the Children’s Defense Fund [source: CDF]. She also served as one of only two female attorneys to the Congressional committee that investigated the possibility of impeaching President Richard Nixon [source: HillaryClinton.com].

Cynthia Johnson/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images
Clinton as the first lady of Arkansas in 1991, as Bill Clinton announces his candidacy for president.

Eventually she "followed her heart" to Arkansas [source: White House]. In 1975, Rodham and Clinton were wed; in 1980 their first and only child, Chelsea, was born. Bill Clinton was elected Arkansas governor in 1978 and served until 1980, when he lost re-election. He won again two years later, and Hillary Clinton was the first lady of Arkansas again until 1992 [source: White House].

During her time in Arkansas, Clinton continued to work as a lawyer. She was a partner in the Rose law firm, was twice named one of America’s 100 most influential attorneys and was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the board of the U.S. Legal Services Corporation, which provides funding for indigent legal services [source: HillaryClinton.com].

In 1992 and 1996, Bill Clinton made successful bids for the presidency. In the White House, “Hillary Clinton quickly established herself as the most powerful and controversial first lady in history,” writes Linda Feldmann in the Christian Science Monitor [source: CSM].

She doggedly pursued a campaign to provide universal health coverage for all Americans, serving as ambassador for the proposal, visiting lawmakers in an attempt to get members of the House and Senate on board. Despite her best efforts, writes the Associated Press’ Beth Fouhy, the plan proved to be “an audacious effort that collapsed under its own complexity, Republican opposition and the Clintons’ unwillingness to seek compromise with lawmakers” [source: AP].

While in residence in the White House, the Clintons weathered a succession of scandals together, the most famous being the Monica Lewinsky affair. When reports came out that her husband had received oral sex from the White House intern, Mrs. Clinton called the allegations untrue, suggesting on NBC’s “Today Show” that they were an invention of a “vast right-wing conspiracy” that sought to remove Clinton as president [source: Washington Post].

President Clinton eventually admitted to the affair when he was questioned by a grand jury. Mrs. Clinton later wrote in her 2003 memoir, “I was dumbfounded, heartbroken and enraged that I’d believed him at all.” As years passed, however, she chose to forgive her husband. "Over time we both began to relax” [source: New York Times].

Clinton is the author of “Living History” (2003), “It Takes a Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us” (1996), "An Invitation to the White House: At Home With History” (2000) and “Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids’ Letters to the First Pets” (1998). She won a Grammy Award in 1997 for Best Spoken Word Recording for the audio version of “It Takes a Village” [source: MTV].

Fresh out of the White House, Hillary Clinton became a senator for New York. Read about her political career on the next page.

Political Career of Hillary Clinton

After spending eight years in Washington, Hillary and Bill Clinton moved to Chappaqua, N.Y., in early 2000. The move came toward the end of a seven month long "listening tour" Hillary conducted around New York state. Although it was largely seen as the beginning of a bid for public office, Clinton refused to confirm this. On Feb. 6, 2000, she announced she would run for the Senate seat left open by retiring Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. CNN said the announcement ended the "one of the worst-kept secrets in national politics" [source: CNN]. Clinton won her bid and on Nov. 7, 2000, became the first former first lady to be elected to office [source: Clinton.Senate.gov].

Jonathan Elderfield/Getty Images
Clinton announces her campaign to become senator for New York in February 2000.

Her quest for the Senate was met with some skepticism, but Clinton was able to win over voters. "After she became a senator, Republicans who might as well have greeted her with crucifixes and garlic and silver bullets learned they could work with her and, grudgingly, learned to respect her," writes pundit Tony Sachs [source: The Huffington Post].

Her constituency apparently did as well. In the 2000 election, New York City's firefighters supported Clinton's Republican rival for the Senate seat. Six years later, the firefighters publicly endorsed Clinton before any Republican threw his or her hat in the ring [source: New York Times].

Clinton won re-election in 2006, garnering more than 67 percent of the popular vote in her state [source: New York Times]. As of November 2007, she enjoyed a 60 percent job approval rating [source: Survey USA]. On Feb. 14, 2008, the Washington Post reported that Clinton was among the top 10 senators for securing federal funds for her home state, generating more than $342 million in earmarks for New York [source: Taxpayers for Common Sense].

In the Senate, Clinton became a staunch opponent of the Iraq War. She voted in 2002 in favor of the initial invasion; later she explained, "… knowing what I know now, I would never have voted for it," [source: Salon]. She later cast votes against the war, including against a troop surge and in favor of calls to withdraw troops.

She has championed a wide variety of causes in the Senate. She's worked to expand access to family planning and contraceptives and support unwanted pregnancy prevention through education [source: New York Times]. When news leaked that a popular video game contained sex scenes, Clinton co-sponsored the Family Entertainment Protection Act, which called for stricter rating guidelines and better enforcement of existing guidelines [source: U.S. Senate]. In March 2007, Clinton introduced the Count Every Vote Act in the Senate, which would require voter verified paper copies of electronic votes be used as the standard in a recount and tightens guidelines on electronic voting machine security [source: Clinton.Senate].

During her time in Congress, Clinton has served on several committees. She's been a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, the Senate Committee on Health, Labor, and Pensions and the Senate Special Committee on Aging [source: Clinton.Senate.gov].

She introduced 354 bills between Jan. 22, 2001, and Sept. 27, 2007. Of these, 307 died in committee, earning her a rating of "extremely poor" relative to her peers. Two of these bills were enacted into law ("average"), and she has also co-sponsored 1,723 bills ("average") [source: GovTrack].

In the Senate, Clinton has voted along Democrat Party lines 97.1 percent of the time. She missed 127 votes (27.1 percent) of the 463 votes cast in the 110th Congress from Jan. 4, 2007 to Feb. 14 2008 [source: Washington Post].

Find out about what some special interest groups think about her votes in Congress on the next page.

Voting Scorecards of Hillary Clinton

The American Civil Liberties Union gave Clinton a score of 67 percent for her votes in the 110th Congress. She voted against ACLU's opinion on two of seven key votes and missed another. For the 109th Congress, Clinton received an 83 percent grade on issues such as judicial review of torture, the confirmation of Justice Samuel Alito and renewal of the Patriot Act. In the 108th, she received a 78 percent. She received a 60 percent for her votes in the 107th Congress.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Clinton leaves the Senate floor following a vote
on the confirmation of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court
in January 2006.

The American Conservative Union gave Clinton a lifetime score of 9 percent in Congress. She received an 8 percent in 2006 for immigration reform, same sex marriage amendment and earmark disclosure. She received a 12 percent for her votes in 2005 and a score of 0 percent in the 108th Congress on issues such as required state seat belt use enforcement, liability for gun manufacturers and a ban on certain assault rifles.

The liberal Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) gave Clinton a score of 95 percent for her votes in the 109th Congress on flag desecration and withdrawal from Iraq. She received another 95 percent from the ADA in 2004 for votes on nuclear waste clean-up and hate crimes expansion. For votes on issues like voting rights for felons and permanent repeal of the estate tax, Clinton received another 95 percent in 2002.

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV), an environmental policy group, gave Clinton an 89 percent for her votes in the 109th Congress, for votes on offshore oil drilling and funding for environmental programs. In the 108th Congress, the LCV gave Clinton a score of 92 percent on 20 votes. For her voting in the 107th Congress on issues like allowing Arctic drilling, Clinton was given an 88 percent.

The fiscally conservative National Taxpayers Union (NTU) gives Clinton an "F" (9 percent), making her a "Big Spender" for her votes in 2005. The NTU includes every vote cast throughout the year that has any impact on government spending, debt, appropriations and other federal finances. In fact, she's received all "F"s from the group: In 2004 (11 percent) 2003 (21 percent) and in 2002 (17 percent).

The conservative family values groups the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family gave Clinton a grade of 0 percent for her votes in the 110th Congress. She missed two of the seven key votes and voted against the groups' opinions on the other five. Issues included adding sexual orientation to hate crimes and federal support for embryonic stem cell research.

The gay, lesbian and transgender rights group the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) gives Clinton a score of 89 percent for her votes in the 109th Congress on issues like sexual orientation in hate crimes and extending Medicaid coverage to include HIV treatment. In the 108th Congress, Clinton received a score of 88 percent, and in the 107th Congress, the HRC gave Clinton a 100 percent score for votes on confirmation of Attorney General John Ashcroft and forcing the Boy Scouts to reinstate gay leaders.

The pro-life group the National Right to Life Committee gave Clinton a score of 0 percent for her votes in the 110th Congress on issues like health care coverage for unborn children and embryonic stem cell research funding. She received another 0 percent grade for the 109th Congress. From the pro-choice group NARAL, Clinton received a 100 percent grade for her votes in the 109th Congress, on issues like continued legality of RU-486 emergency contraceptive and the Freedom of Choice Act.

Read about how Clinton voted on a wide variety of key issues on the following pages.

Voting Record of Hillary Clinton: National Security and the Economy

Beyond rhetoric, spin and messages, perhaps the truest means of establishing what a candidate values is his or her voting record. Here are some select important issues that came up for a vote during Sen. Clinton's tenure in Congress.

The Iraq War/Military/National Security:

She voted against H.R. 2206 in 2007, a $120 billion funding bill mostly for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that did not include a provision for troop withdrawal from Iraq [source: Washington Post].

Mike Theiler/AFP/Getty Images
Clinton, shown in December 2006 in Washington, D.C., has voted largely in opposition to the Iraq War.
Clinton did not vote on Senate Amendment (S. Amdt.) 3875 in 2007, which called for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton did not vote on a successful motion to kill a bill (S. Amdt. 3313) in 2007 to provide $75 million for local and state law enforcement agencies [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted in favor of S. Amdt. 3164 in 2007, which called for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted against the successful Protect America Act of 2007, which allowed electronic surveillance between people outside the U.S. without a court order [source: Washington Post].
Voted for a failed amendment (S. Amdt. 2087) in 2007 that called for the reduction and transition of troops in Iraq [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted against S. 3930, the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which, among other things, provided immunity for CIA officials who may have been involved in acts of torture since Sept. 11, 2001 [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted against an increase in funding of $360.8 million for purchase of armored tactical vehicles deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan (S. Amdt. 1933) in 2005 [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted in favor of S. Amdt. 1689 in 2003, which provided $87 billion in emergency funds for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq [source: U.S. Senate].
In 2002, Clinton voted in favor of the Homeland Security Act (H.R. 5005) [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted in favor of H.J. Res. 114 in 2002, which authorized the president to use force in Iraq [source: U.S. Senate].

Economy/Government Finance:

Voted against waiving an amendment (S. Amdt. 2353) in 2007 that would repeal the alternative minimum tax [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted against a move to repeal the death tax (S. Amdt. 578) in 2007 [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted in favor of S. 1 in 2007, which called for greater transparency in government [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted in favor of H.R. 2 in 2007, which increased the federal minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 [source: Washington Post].
Voted against H.R. 4297 in 2006, which extended the Bush tax cuts for wealthy Americans [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted in favor of the unsuccessful S. Amdt. 4641 in 2006, which called for rolling back tax breaks for Americans with incomes over $1 million [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted against the successful Central American Free Trade Agreement (H.R. 3045) of 2005 [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted against a provision of S. Amdt. 1932 in 2005, which cut $40 billion in federal expenditures in part by cutting funding for welfare, student loans and child support [source: Washington Post].

Read about Clinton's votes on immigration and health care on the next page.

Voting Record of Hillary Clinton: Immigration and Health Care

Immigration:

Clinton voted in favor of Senate Amendment (S. Amdt.) 2797 in 2007, which prohibits the creation of any program that allows trucks from Mexico being operated beyond commercial zones near the border in the U.S. [source: U.S. Senate].
In 2007, Clinton voted against a measure (S. Amdt. 1197) that would have required health care be provided for nonresidents in the United States who hold Z visas [source: U.S. Senate].

Mario Tama/Getty Images
Clinton delivers a speech on legislation designed to protect immigrants from high fees on international money transfers in May 2004.

Voted to kill a measure that would have given $300 million to states to carry out a national ID program [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted against English being adopted as the official language of the U.S. government (S. Amdt. 1151) in 2007 [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted against a failed amendment (S. Amdt. 1267) in 2007 that would have required Y-1 visa holders to leave the United States before being able to renew their visa [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted in favor of H.R. 6061, the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which approved $1.2 billion for a 700-mile-long fence along the U.S./Mexico border [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton did not vote on S. Amdt. 3313 (2007), which would have provided $75 million to state and local law enforcement for fighting illegal immigration [source: U.S. Senate].

Health care:

Clinton did not vote on a bill (S. Amdt. 3673) in 2007 to expand access to health care for rural areas by reducing liability for obstetricians and gynecologists [source: U.S. Senate].
She did not vote on the passage of H.R. 3963 in 2007, which increased funding for State Children’s Healthcare Insurance Program (SCHIP) [source: U.S. Senate].
She did vote in favor of H.R. 976 in 2007, which would have increased funding for SCHIP by $60 billion [source: Washington Post].
Clinton did not vote on S. Amdt. 3437 in 2007, a successful amendment to prohibit federal funds from being used to modify the HIV/AIDS funding formulas [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted against S. Amdt. 2620 in 2007, which called for increasing access to health care to low-income children based on need by adjusting for cost of living [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted against an unsuccessful amendment (S. Amdt. 1197) in 2007 that would have required health care coverage for holders of Z nonimmigrant visas [source: U.S. Senate].
In 2002, Clinton voted in favor of killing S. Amdt. 4326, which would have limited the amount patients could be awarded in malpractice suits [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted in favor of S. 812 in 2002, which amended the Food and Drug Act to provide greater access to affordable prescription drugs [source: U.S. Senate].

Some of Clinton’s key votes on issues of ethics and morality and veterans’ affairs are on the next page.

Voting Record of Hillary Clinton: Ethics, Morality and Veterans

Ethics and Morality Issues:

Clinton didn't vote on an unsuccessful call, Senate Amendment (S. Amdt.) 3330, in 2007 to prohibit federal funds from going to grantees that perform abortions [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted against an unsuccessful amendment (S. Amdt. 2535) in 2007 to redefine the federal definition of "child" to begin with conception rather than birth [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted against the successful S. 403 in 2006, which prohibits taking minors across state lines to circumvent laws that require parental notification in abortions [source: U.S. Senate].
In 2006, Clinton voted in favor of H.R. 810, which allows for funding of embryonic stem cell research [source: U.S. Senate].

Mario Tama/Getty Images
Clinton at a signing for her book "It Takes a Village" in December 2006
Voted against a motion to bring the Marriage Protection Amendment (S.J. Res. 1) in 2006 to an immediate vote; this act called for a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and woman only [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted against the unsuccessful S.J. Res. 12 in 2006, which called for a Constitutional amendment outlawing desecration of the flag [source: U.S. Senate].
In 2005, Clinton voted in favor of the successful S. Con. Res. 18, the Unintended Pregnancy Act, which provided greater access to family planning services and contraception [source: Project Vote Smart].

Veterans:

Clinton voted yes on S. Amdt. 2019 in 2007, which called for providing care and management of "wounded warriors" [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted against killing an unsuccessful 2006 amendment (S. Amdt. 4781) that called for $2 million in additional funding for Army imaging equipment for use in diagnosing brain injuries [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted against S. Amdt. 3704 in 2006, an unsuccessful attempt to provide an additional $20 million in funding to Veterans Affairs medical facilities [source: U.S. Senate].
In 2006, Clinton voted in favor of a failed amendment (S. Amdt. 3141) that called for assuring a steady stream of future funding for veterans' health care by repealing the Bush tax cuts [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted in favor of waiving S. Amdt. 3409 in 2004, which provided for increased funding for veterans' health care adjusted each fiscal year for inflation and increases in veteran population [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted against the successful S. Amdt. 1823 in 2003, which provided emergency funds, in part, for veterans' health care [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted in favor of a failed 2003 amendment (S. Amdt. 385) that would have provided an additional $1 billion in funding to the Veterans Affairs Administration in 2004 [source: U.S. Senate].

Read about Clinton's votes on environmental issues and matters of law and governance on the next page.

Voting Record of Hillary Clinton: Environment and Legal

Environment:

Clinton voted on House Resolution (H.R.) 6, the Energy Act of 2007, which called for tighter restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions, better fuel efficiency standards and investment in alternative energy [source: Project Vote Smart].
Voted in favor of failed Senate Amendment (S. Amdt.) 1614 in 2007, which called for a loan program for projects that produce gas from coal while reducing greenhouse gas emissions [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton did not vote on 2007's S. Amdt. 3553, which limited tax credits provided to wind energy producers and users [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted in favor of S. Amdt. 3039 in 2006, a failed amendment that called for increased funding and research biofuels [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted against H.R. 6 in 2005, which provides for greater independence from foreign oil by expanding renewable energy and alternative fuels [source: U.S. Senate].

Alex Wong/Getty Images
Clinton delivers an address at a conference on environmental protection in Washington, D.C., in January 2003.

Clinton voted against an amendment (S. Amdt. 902) in 2005, which called for regulations improving fuel efficiency in automobiles [source: U.S. Senate].
In 2005, Clinton voted in favor of the successful S. Amdt. 2362, which prohibits oil taken from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from being exported [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted in favor of S. Amdt. 2703 in 2004, a failed bill that called for more responsibility in cleanup of toxic waste by companies that produce it [source: U.S. Senate].

Legal/Judiciary/Governance:

Clinton did not vote on S. Amdt. 3640 in 2007, which would have prohibited governments from involuntarily acquiring farm or grazing land for public purposes [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted in favor of calling to an immediate vote a 2007 amendment (S. Amdt. 2022), which would have restored habeas corpus to foreign detainees [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted in favor of S.1, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, which closed many loopholes lobbyists used to influence lawmakers [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted against waiving S. Amdt. 2350 in 2007, which requires voters to present a photo ID before voting [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted against failed S. Amdt. 4897 in 2006, which called for an additional $700 million in funding for counterdrug operations in Afghanistan [source: U.S. Senate].
Voted against S. Amdt. 4615 in 2006, which prohibits firearms from being confiscated during emergencies or disasters [source: U.S. Senate].
Clinton voted against the confirmations of both John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court in 2005 and 2006 [source: Washington Post].

As the 2008 primary season evolved, Clinton's platform for her presidential bid solidified. Read about Hillary Clinton's presidential agenda on the following page.

Presidential Agenda of Hillary Clinton

When she appeared on "Late Night with David Letterman" on Aug. 30, 2007, Clinton facetiously delivered her Top 10 Campaign Promises. Under provisions laid out in No. 8, if Clinton is elected president, Americans will "have the option of rolling the dice against the IRS for double or nothing on your taxes" [source: CBS News].

Her actual economic platform is centered largely on strengthening the middle class. This plan includes interrelated parts like helping more American students pay for college, expanding broadband service to rural areas and rewarding tech investors. She's also stated she will extend middle class tax cuts and strengthen unions [source: HillaryClinton.com]. She has also mentioned that she would work toward increasing the minimum wage to $9.50 [source: Newspaper Tree].

Clinton has chosen the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007, a proposed bill that would reduce U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases to 80 percent less than 1990 levels by 2050. The bill "was the most forward leaning in terms of what needs to be done to deal with the threat of global warming," Clinton said in an interview with Amanda Griscom Little. Clinton also told Little she plans on stripping oil companies of their tax breaks [source: Salon].

Clinton supporter in New Hampshire in 2006.

Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images
Clinton has shaped her 2008 campaign message to include her experience, saying she would be "ready to lead from day one." This voter in New Hampshire in December 2006 appears to agree.

As First Lady, Clinton was focused on health care. This focus doesn't appear to have shifted. Her American Health Choices Plan, described on her official site, calls for guaranteeing health care coverage for all Americans [source: HillaryClinton.com]. Those who are already insured could opt to keep their current plan, take part in the same private coverage offered to Congress, or take advantage of public coverage similar to Medicare. Clinton plans to implement this policy by granting tax credits for families to purchase coverage, rewarding businesses who provide coverage, and rolling back the Bush tax breaks for wealthy Americans.

Clinton plans to establish a national pre-kindergarten program with federal funding going to states to help establish programs or support already established ones. She also plans to hire more teachers, raise salaries, increase Pell grants and create tax credits as high as $3,500 for parents of students in higher education. College would be made even more alluring with her plan to implement a monetary reward system for college graduates who give a year of public service following graduation. She has also said her administration would invest $1 billion in programs that will reduce the number of minority dropouts by half [source: Boston Herald].

On Iraq, Clinton has proposed a troop drawdown within 60 days of her inauguration as president [source: New York Times]. Clinton said that she does believe it necessary to leave some troops behind for counterterrorism, to thwart Iran from moving into Iraq, and protect ethnic Kurds. If the withdrawal of troops plunged the country into sectarian violence, however, she said as commander-in-chief, she would not allow U.S. forces to intervene.

Clinton is in favor of immigration reform, opting for both secure borders and humane treatment of illegal aliens already living in the United States. "Of course we're going to have secure borders," she said in El Paso, Texas, in February 2008, but also addressed her view that there's a need to "bring people out of the shadows" [source: ABC News]. The balance will be struck, Clinton envisions, by providing illegal immigrants with a path to citizenship along with new laws governing enforcement against future illegal immigrants, beefing up border patrol and the technology they use [source: Clinton.Senate.gov].

The 2008 campaign became the most expensive one in history. Throughout, Clinton was able to raise as much money as needed, breaking some records for campaign fundraising. Read about her fundraising capabilities on the next page.

Fundraising of Hillary Clinton

Toward the beginning of 2007, Clinton turned to some heavy-hitting fundraisers to help fill her campaign coffers. She held a dinner on February 6 for about 70 studio investors, lawyers, venture capitalists and other members of the high-finance world. Each guest agreed to raise $250,000 and some as much as $1 million. The guests also agreed to drum up $50,000 each by the end of February to help bulk up Clinton's campaign fund [source: Washington Post].

Her tactic worked. By the following April, her campaign broke the record for the most raised by a presidential campaign during that particular quarter. She was able to generate $26 million in just three months, which was almost three times as much as the previous record of $8.9 million, set by Vice President Al Gore in 1999 [source: Washington Post].

September 2007 was a rough month for Clinton's fundraising strategy. That month, the senator faced criticism for holding a fundraiser in Washington, where she was accused of using her position as a senator to bring other lawmakers to a luncheon hosted by a lobbying law firm. Tickets were $1,000 or $2,300 and gave lobbyists access to legislators [source: Associated Press].

Clinton at the Holidays with Hillary fundraiser.

Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images
Clinton at a fundraiser for her 2008 campaign called "Holidays with Hillary" in December 2007. The event raised more than $1 million in one night.

Also that month, Clinton returned at least $850,000 in campaign contributions to 260 donors. The money had been bundled by Clinton fundraiser Norman Hsu, who was arrested in September 2007 for evading authorities after being convicted on investment fraud charges. Hsu had defrauded investors of over $1 million, was found guilty in 1992 and a warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to show up for sentencing. Clinton's campaign told media that they had done a background check on Hsu (standard procedure) before accepting his money, but hadn't found any mention of the outstanding warrant [source: NPR].

Clinton's husband, former president Bill Clinton, pitched in to help his wife's fundraising efforts. He served as a high-profile surrogate at several events throughout 2007. At one dinner for 100 guests in New York in March 2007, Bill Clinton managed to generate $500,000. E-mails sent out by the campaign from President Clinton created $1 million in small donations [source: Associated Press]. At another fundraiser in March, both Clintons appeared for the two-hour event, and raised more than $1 million from tickets that went for at least $1,000 [ABC News].

Clinton spent most of 2007 garnering donations from donors who gave the maximum $2,300 allowed by law and who fundraised for the senator. She largely avoided efforts to obtain small donations from individuals [source: National Review]. Her large-money contribution strategy worked for her campaign; in 2007, Clinton raised $115.7 million (her goal for the year was $75 million) [source: Open Secrets].

Of the money she raised in 2007, where the gender of the donor could be determined, 55 percent of donors were men and 45 percent women [source: Open Secrets]. She found support from donors who work in the finance, insurance, real estate, law and lobbying industries (more than $28 million combined), and the least from donors in the defense industry ($199,926) [source: Open Secrets]. Twenty-four percent of her campaign contributions in 2007 came from the state of New York ($22.36 million); California provided the second most with $17.25 million (19 percent) [source: Open Secrets].

During 2008, Clinton's fundraising strategy of focusing on big donors stalled. "Most of our donors are maxed out," a Clinton fundraiser told Bloomberg News in February. The strategy shifted focus to a "broadening of the base" [source: Bloomberg]. Late in January, Clinton contributed a $5 million loan of her own money to her campaign [source: Wall Street Journal]. Her apparent willingness to show support for herself paid off, as in the five days following Super Tuesday 2008, Clinton generated $10 million in online donations from more than 100,000 donors. Her goal for the five days had been to raise $3 million [source: HillaryClinton.com].

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How Hillary Clinton Works