Hillary News & Views 6.27: LGBT equality, Mayors, Abusive tweets, CHIP, Cincinnati with Warren

Guest post by swiffy

Today we begin with Clinton’s surprise appearance at a Pride Parade in New York City. The New York Times reports

It is difficult to surprise at New York City’s pride parade….
But around 1:45 p.m. Sunday, beneath a virtually cloudless sky, something was afoot on Christopher Street....
“Hillaryyyyyyyyy!” someone hollered from the sidewalk. And so began a very low-speed chase along the city’s foremost corridor of gay rights.
For four blocks or so — beginning steps from the Stonewall Inn, the nexus of the modern gay rights movement — Hillary Clinton led a mayor, a governor, a phalanx of aides, a crush of reporters and several beleaguered security personnel on a 15-minute stroll.

Parades were held yesterday across the US, as it was the one year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision affirming marriage as a right of all citizens, no matter whom they love. The campaign released further video to commemorate the occasion.

Every LGBT American deserves to live, work, and marry free from discrimination or violence.https://t.co/GQeL2HcI7l
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 26, 2016

And a policy statement from the campaign highlighted key parts of Hillary’s platform in support of LGBT brothers and sisters.

Yet, a year later, the fight for equality remains far from finished. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans are still subjected to discriminatory laws and attitudes in their daily lives.
The horrific shooting in Orlando this month was a devastating reminder of the bigotry and violence LGBT Americans continue to face.
As we celebrate Pride—the hard-fought progress that generations of activists and advocates have made possible—we have to keep moving forward. We can’t stop fighting until all Americans can live their lives free of prejudice and hate.

The statement addressed these core issues, with crisp illustrative graphics.

Fight for full federal equality
Support and protect LGBT minors
Protect the transgender community from violence
Increase access to HIV prevention drugs

Later Sunday after the Parade, Hillary appeared in Indianapolis at the US Conference of Mayors there. Her prepared address included many familiar themes, as well as the first extended remarks on the Brexit vote last week.

Before I begin addressing some of our common issues and challenges, I want to say a few words about what we have seen happening in Britain. A lot of Americans woke up on Friday to alarming headlines from across the Atlantic, and they are wondering what this decision in Britain means for us.
I’m sure everyone in this room with retirement savings asked the same question. In the day after the vote, Americans lost $100 billion from our 401(k)s. Now, we are resilient, and we will bounce back from this and from all of the other shocks that are in the system. But it is a reminder that what happens around the world has consequences that can hit home quickly and affect our lives and our livelihoods.
Our priority now must be to protect American families and businesses from the negative effects of this kind of tumult and uncertainty. And that’s why steady, experienced leadership is so important at times like these.
We need leaders like yourselves at the local and state and federal level, who understand how to work with other leaders to manage risks; who understand that bombastic comments in turbulent times can actually cause more turbulence; and who put the interests of the American people ahead of their personal business interests. And we need leaders who recognize that our alliances and partnerships are among our greatest national assets, now more than ever.
Working with our allies has been a cornerstone of American foreign policy under Democrats and Republicans alike, because it makes America safer and more prosperous. And it should continue to guide us now. And we’ve got to be clear about this. No one should be confused about America’s commitment to Europe – not an autocrat in the Kremlin, not a presidential candidate on a Scottish golf course.
We have to reaffirm that the United States and the United Kingdom are different countries in many important ways – economically, politically, demographically. But we still have a lot of common interests and values. Just as we have seen there are many frustrated people in Britain, we know there are frustrated people here at home too. I’ve seen it, I’ve heard it, I know it. That’s why I’ve worked hard to find solutions to the economic challenges we face. It’s why I’ve put forward real plans to create good-paying jobs, raise wages, reduce student debt, bring down costs for college and prescription drugs, and so much else. People across America know that they don’t want empty promises, they want solutions. And that is what, working with you, I hope to offer to them.

The Guardian had a remarkable piece about online social media abuse of prominent politicians and found that Hillary faces high levels of nasty rhetoric along with many other global women in office. Some of the interactive graphics are astonishing. Note that Tsai Ing-wen, recently inaugurated as President of Taiwan, is not included but fits the same pattern, as other pieces have noted.

David Nexon wrote an informative piece on Hillary’s role in establishing the Children’s Health Insurance Program. He was Health Care Director for Ted Kennedy and was there.

As Senator Ted Kennedy’s health care staff director, I had a front-row seat to the decades-long battle he fought to give every American access to quality, affordable health care. And thanks to his passion and his leadership, we were able to achieve some great things — even in the face of staunch Republican opposition — including health care reform and the creation of the Child Health Insurance Program. But Senator Kennedy didn’t wage this fight alone; he had a key ally inside the Clinton administration.
Hillary Clinton was there when it counted. As Senator Kennedy said, “The children’s health program wouldn’t be in existence today if we didn’t have Hillary pushing for it from the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.”
It’s well known that as first lady, Hillary worked hard in pursuit of something that progressives had been seeking for generations: universal health care.
But you might not remember that after Republicans and special interests defeated the Clinton administration’s effort to pass national health insurance in 1994, Hillary refused to give up — and she turned her attention to other ways to help expand health care for American families.

The piece also received coverage by Politicus USA that further put it into the context of today’s Presidential race.

Here’s the truth: Hillary Clinton has been a champion of children and families her entire career. What has Donald Trump been doing? He’s been ripping off students, declaring bankruptcy to rob contractors and workers, and talking about dating his daughter because she’s so hot, all while lining his own pocket.
When it comes to real family values like wanting care for all of our children and not just the elite, there is only one candidate in this race. Her name is Hillary Clinton.

This video from the campaign within that piece makes a very positive message based on this history.

The hit Broadway musical Hamilton has added a showing to serve as a fundraiser for Hillary’s campaign.

Broadway mega-hit Hamilton is putting on a special July 12 performance for Hillary Clinton.
The 11:30 a.m. matinee, dubbed "Hamilton: An American Musical with special guest Hillary Rodham Clinton," is a fundraiser for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Tickets start at $2,700 and climb steeply from there.

Some lucky, randomly chosen supporters will be selected to enjoy the production for free, and several times yesterday the annoucement email subject lines may have made you think you won.

There has been a lot of further discussion of the VP pick, but I thought one of the more interesting pieces was a discussion of the GOP positioning to attack as soon as the selection is announced.

The Republican National Committee is planning to cleave liberal voters away from Hillary Clinton as part of a campaign to counteract her forthcoming pick of a vice presidential running mate.
In a detailed memo outlining its strategy to combat Clinton’s VP choice, the committee says it will frame the selection as both a cynical play to certain constituencies and as an emotional letdown for voters who backed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the Democratic primary.
The goals, the memo says, are to “drive wedges between these top contenders and either Clinton and/or traditional Democrat constituencies, such as labor, environmentalists, and gun control advocates, and other traditional left-wing constituencies;” and “[w]here applicable, frame the choice as an insult to the large, deep base of Bernie Sanders supporters who are struggling with the notion of supporting Hillary Clinton as the presumptive Democrat nominee.”

Note that Hillary is scheduled to make a joint appearance with Elizabeth Warren in Cincinnati later today, in what is certain to be a very energizing appearance.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is coming back to campaign in Ohio on Monday – this time, with potential running mate Elizabeth Warren.
Clinton and Warren, a Democratic U.S. senator from Massachusetts, are scheduled to attend a 10:30 a.m. public event at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, according to a Clinton campaign release.
"Clinton and Warren will discuss their shared commitment to building an America that is stronger together and an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top," the release stated.

She then goes to Chicago later in the day to speak at a Luncheon there.

The theme of the luncheon is “Lifting As We Climb” and “that is exactly what Hillary has done her entire career,” said Mrs. Jacqueline Jackson, chair of the luncheon and wife of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., founder and president of Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
“From serving the poor in the Delta of Arkansas to the Children’s Defense Fund where she did free legal work, to fighting easy access to guns to the U.S. Senate to Secretary of State to now running for the highest office in the United States, Hillary continues to lift as she climbs,” Mrs. Jackson said. “She’s a history maker. We are honored to have her as our keynote speaker and look forward to her address.”

Bonus Tweets: