Your Opinion: Record defies attacks

Dear Editor:

"Where there is smoke, there is fire" my grandmother used to say. Republicans continue to share with us their hatred for Hillary Clinton. And there has been much smoke surrounding Hillary, three decades worth from the Right Wing Attack Machine. Hillary's detractors on the right, left and center reel off a laundry list of unsupported accusations with an air of absolute authority, as though it is simply a given that she is a terrible, horrible, no-good human being.

Hillary Rodham was raised in a middle-class Republican family. She went to Yale Law on her own merit. After graduation, she worked with the Children's Defense Fund, helping pass legislation to ensure education for kids who had been left out of society as a "lost cause".

Later, with the Rose Law Firm, much of her time was spent on pro-bono work for children's advocacy. She became the first woman partner.

In government, she worked as a lawyer for the congressional committee investigating President Nixon. Later, moving back to Arkansas as a law professor, she ran law clinics representing the disenfranchised.

She co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. As first lady of Arkansas, she championed the improvement of state educational standards and health care access.

As first lady, she was recognized as the "most influential" since Eleanor Roosevelt, (not a bad act to follow). She spoke against the mistreatment of women in controversial areas like Beijing, despite pressure not to.

She worked with both parties to establish better, cheaper health coverage for children, helping to create the Children's Health Insurance Program, which reduced the number of uninsured children in this country by half.

Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000, she fought the Bush Administration for (and won) greater health coverage for 9/11 first responders as well as funds to rebuild NYC. She fought to expand Tricare, improving health care for National Guard and Reserve members and their families.

As secretary of state, she helped repair our diplomatic standing in the world. A quote from Henry Kissinger; "she ran the State Department in the most effective way that I've ever seen."

Yes, where there is smoke, there is fire. The problem here is that the fire was lit by Republicans. Then they followed up with a flamethrower. It's remarkable she's not toast.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is the best qualified candidate to be president since Bush 1.