Hillary Clinton
Hilary Diane Rodham was born in Chicago, Illinois. She spent her first three years in Chicago and then in suburban Park Ridge, Illinois. Her father was of Welsh and English descent and operated a small business in the textile industry. Her mother was a homemaker of varied descent. She has two younger brothers, Hugh and Tony. In her senior year, she was a National Merit Finalist and she graduated in 1965, having majored in political science. She was raised in a politically conservative household and since the age of thirteen when she helped canvass South Side Chicago she developed a keen interest in it. Her political enthusiasm was nurtured by her high school history teacher, her father, and by her Methodist youth minister.
She met Clinton in the library and while he continued to stare at her, she strode up to him and said,” If you ‘re going to keep staring at me, I might as well introduce myself.” The two were always together —cohorts in court, political campaigns and issues of the heart. She gave up a promising career in politics to follow Bill to Arkansas where he ultimately became governor. Bill Clinton then went onto become the President of the US. As the nation’s First Lady, Hillary struck a fine balance between public service and private life. She chaired the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. She was a leading advocate for expanding health insurance coverage; ensuring children were properly immunized, and raised the public awareness of health issues. As first Lady, her public involvement with many activities sometimes led to controversy. However, unbeaten by the criticism, Hillary still won many admirers for her staunch support for women around the world and her commitment to children’s issues.
In 1998, the Clintons’ relationship became the subject of much speculation when it was revealed that the President had an extramarital affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. This revelation eventually led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton, but suddenly the whole world had its eyes focused on Hillary. Hillary evoked mixed public reactions. While some women admired her strength and dignity in personal matters made public, some empathized with her as a victim of her husband’s insensitive behaviour, yet some others criticized her staying married to Bill thereby supporting his indiscretions. However the truth of the matter was that Hillary’s public approval ratings had never been better, they had shot to 71% the highest, they had ever been and many accused her of staying in a failed marriage as a way of maximizing her own political aspirations.
She was elected United States Senator from New York on November 7, 2000. She is the first lady elected to the United States Senate and the first woman elected statewide in New York. Since her path-breaking election to the United States Senate, Hillary has been a dedicated advocate for middle-class families, helping create jobs, expand children’s health care and protect Social Security from privatisation. Hillary has been a strong opponent of the administration’s unprofessional handling of Iraq and a stern campaigner for proper equipment. health benefits, and treatment for military families. Hillary has fought to strengthen America’s approach to homeland security and to improve its communications and intelligence operations. Hillary has announced her intentions to run for president in the upcoming elections in Nov. 2008. She has already started garnering public opinion for the same. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. With Bush facing a lot of brunt post Iraq. and public opinion at an all time low in his favour. Hillary seems definitely poised to become America’s first women president.
