Praise for Hillary Clinton

PRAISE FROM:

REPUBLICANS
DEMOCRATS
FOREIGN LEADERS
FAMOUS PEOPLE
PRESS
EXPERTS
BUSINESS LEADERS

REPUBLICANS

EXECUTIVE

Kissinger, Henry (Secretary of State under Pres. Nixon and Pres. Ford, National Security Advisor under Pres. Nixon and Pres. Ford)

Sec. Kissinger, on Sec. Clinton: “I’ve known her for many years now, and I respect her intellect.” According to USA Today, “Nearly 40 years since he left appointed office, Kissinger still can provoke controversy. Hillary Rodham Clinton, another former secretary of State, wrote a favorable review of his new book in Sunday’s Washington Post. ‘The World According to Henry Kissinger,’ it was titled, and an enormous photo of Kissinger’s face filled most of the page. ‘I’ve known her for many years now, and I respect her intellect,’ he says of Clinton. ‘And she ran the State Department in the most effective way that I’ve ever seen.’ More effectively than he did? ‘Yes,’ he says with a smile. ‘I was more chaotic.’” [USA Today, 9/9/14]

Sec. Kissinger, on Sec. Clinton: “She ran the State Department in the most effective way that I’ve ever seen.” According to USA Today, “Nearly 40 years since he left appointed office, Kissinger still can provoke controversy. Hillary Rodham Clinton, another former secretary of State, wrote a favorable review of his new book in Sunday’s Washington Post. ‘The World According to Henry Kissinger,’ it was titled, and an enormous photo of Kissinger’s face filled most of the page. ‘I’ve known her for many years now, and I respect her intellect,’ he says of Clinton. ‘And she ran the State Department in the most effective way that I’ve ever seen.’ More effectively than he did? ‘Yes,’ he says with a smile. ‘I was more chaotic.’” [USA Today, 9/9/14]

Sec. Kissinger: “I know Hillary as a person. And as a personal friend, I would say yes, she’d be a good president.” According to Sec. Kissinger’s interview with NPR’s Scott Simon, regarding whether Sec. Kissinger thought Sec. Clinton would be a good president, “I know Hillary as a person. And as a personal friend, I would say yes, she’d be a good president. But she’d put me under a great conflict of interest if she were a candidate, because I tend to support the Republicans… Yes, I’d be comfortable with her as the president.” [NPR, 9/8/14]

Sec. Kissinger: “She’d [Sec. Clinton would] put me under a great conflict of interest if she were a candidate, because I tend to support the Republicans… Yes, I’d be comfortable with her as the president.” According to Sec. Kissinger’s interview with NPR’s Scott Simon, regarding whether Sec. Kissinger thought Sec. Clinton would be a good president, “I know Hillary as a person. And as a personal friend, I would say yes, she’d be a good president. But she’d put me under a great conflict of interest if she were a candidate, because I tend to support the Republicans… Yes, I’d be comfortable with her as the president.” [NPR, 9/8/14]

“Republicans praised the prospect of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Sunday. Former Nixon and Ford Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said Sunday that Clinton would be an ‘outstanding’ selection. ‘She is a lady of great intelligence, demonstrated enormous determination and would be an outstanding appointment,’ Kissinger told the World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit in New Delhi, according to Bloomberg News.” [CNN.com, 11/16/08]

“I think of Hillary with admiration and affection. . . When I call Mrs. Clinton ‘Hillary,’ I do that not so much to indicate familiarity but to use a name that the whole world uses. It shows to what extent she has succeeded in her people-to-people work.” – Henry Kissinger, Former National Security Adviser and Secretary of State for President Nixon and President Ford [Washington Post, 5/3/13]

Rice, Condoleezza (Secretary of State under Pres. Bush, earlier National Security Advisor for Pres. Bush)

“No, look, it’s a unique situation. I think we all see that it’s unique. But my successor, Hillary Clinton, is an extremely talented woman. She is a woman of integrity. She believes in this country deeply. We’ve already had a couple of conversations. I know her from the time she brought her freshman daughter to Stanford for the first time when I was Provost. And she’s going to do this very well.” [Meet the Press, 12/21/08]

“Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said her successor, Hillary Clinton, has done a ‘fine’ job. It’s the overall strategy of the Obama administration, Rice said, that has led the U.S. astray. ‘I think she’s done a fine job. The problem isn’t Hilary Clinton, who’s great,’ Rice told members of Ohio’s delegation to the Republican National Convention. ‘The problem is that we’ve chosen to speak with a muted voice about America’s role in the world. We’ve chosen to try to lead from behind. That’s an oxymoron in my mind.’” [NBCnews.com, 8/12/13]

Ridge, Tom (Homeland Security Secretary)

The Hill: Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said he always had “productive’” meetings with Sec. Clinton when he was in the Cabinet. “Ridge also offered some praise for Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, saying he always had ‘productive’ meetings with her when he was in the Cabinet and she was a senator. He said a Bush versus Clinton match-up would be ‘almost a clash of titans,’ leading to a campaign that is ‘tough, rigorous, and hopefully, for the first time in a long time, civil.’” [Ballot Box, The Hill, 2/3/15]

GOVERNORS

Bush, Jeb (Florida Governor)

“Hillary Rodham Clinton, who many believe can win the 2016 Democratic nomination for president, if she wants it, is the winner of the 2013 Liberty Medal. The award is to be presented Sept. 10 to Clinton by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, chairman of the National Constitution Center and a possible contender for the 2016 Republican nomination. Politics aside, Bush praised Clinton in a statement released Thursday announcing her selection. ‘Former Secretary Clinton has dedicated her life to serving and engaging people across the world in democracy,’ Bush said. ‘These efforts as a citizen, an activist, and a leader have earned Secretary Clinton this year’s Liberty Medal.’” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/28/13; Constitution Center press release, 6/27/13]

Daniels, Mitch (former Governor of Indiana and current President of Purdue University)

Gov. Mitch Daniels: “She is comprehensively experienced and has advantages that some of the other contenders would have to scramble to match in terms of her exposure to the world and… foreign policy.” FORMER GOV. MITCH DANIELS, Republican Indiana: Well both [Governors Scott Walker and Chris Christie] very courageous. Everybody you’ve asked me about so far, the common denominator is these are doers. They didn’t mark time. They’ve attempted, at least as best as I understand it, to tackle the very different problems of their very different states. And that is not a complete portfolio for someone who would be president, but it certainly is a useful attribute and one, of course, that has often been rewarded by the American people. >> MARK HALPERIN: how would Hillary Clinton do by the standards you’ve laid out for what we need in the next president? >> GOV. DANIELS: She is comprehensively experienced and has advantages that some of the other contenders would have to scramble to match in terms of her exposure to the world and many of the tough issues we are facing in foreign policy. >> JOHN HEILEMANN: Do you think she’d be a uniter as well as, in the same way as, you mentioned Jeb Bush governing as a uniter. Do you think Hillary Clinton would be a united? GOV. DAVIELS: One could hope so. I mean it’s a matter of choice really… [Bloomberg’s With All Due Respect, 2/5/15]

Huckabee, Mike (former Governor of Arkansas and attempted presidential candidate in 2008)

Gov. Mike Huckabee: “I would have great respect for the formidable nature of Hillary Clinton’s candidacy.” S.E. CUPP: Well, I think the fact that there are so many potential contenders speak volumes about the idea of running against someone like Hillary Clinton. It doesn’t seem like anyone is all that intimidated by her. Do you find her intimidating as a potential opponent if you run? >> MIKE HUCKABEE: I think everyone would be an intimidating opponent. The only way to really run is either unopposed or scared. Those are the two options that you have as a candidate and so I don’t expect that any of us as Republicans will run unopposed. We better run scared and if I were to be fortunate enough to get the nomination, I would have great respect for the formidable nature of Hillary Clinton’s candidacy. Now, I don’t think she has the connected quality that her husband has. She’s more the policy wonk, the ideologue, less that incredible connector with people that Bill Clinton is. And I’ve known them both for a long time. I don’t think there’s anybody on the Republican side who might run for president who would have a better understanding of the Clintons than I would and maybe understand the background and so on but even having said that, Hillary Clinton is a rock star within the Democratic Party. But it’s interesting that while all the Democrats expected to run and most of them say they will support her, I am not convinced, first of all that she will pull the trigger when she has to and run, probably will, but maybe not. And if she does, I don’t think it is a foregone conclusion that she is the nominee or certainly not that she is elected president. I don’t think she will be elected president and let me say why when people say that well it’s inevitable. It was inevitable for Hillary Clinton to be the nominee in 2008 and this relatively unknown upstart junior senator who had sponsored zero legislation in his senate career, brief as it was, his name Barack Obama, came up and beat her, so let’s let recent history be a guide to what the future may hold. >> [CSPAN2’s BookTV Programming. 1/25/15]

Gov. Mike Huckabee described Sec. Clinton as “smart” and “tough.” According to Real Clear Politics, “Huckabee says the environment for him now is very different than it was in 2008 (when he ran) and 2012 (when he thought doing so). He said he has stronger name identification and donors. He recently launched a political action committee. He insisted that he would do a good job showing what the party is for, not what it is against — a criticism of and a challenge for the GOP. Among the other credentials he listed for himself is his familiarity with Hillary Clinton. When asked about the Democrat’s potential run for the White House, Huckabee said no Republican knows her better than he does, given their Arkansas connections. He described her as ‘smart’ and ‘tough,’ and cautioned that she should never be underestimated. ‘She’s a policy genius,’ he said. ‘But I don’t know if she has that same affable charm that her husband does. But then, who does?’” [Real Clear Politics, 9/15/14]

Gov. Mike Huckabee, on Sec. Clinton: “She’s a policy genius.” According to Real Clear Politics, “Huckabee says the environment for him now is very different than it was in 2008 (when he ran) and 2012 (when he thought doing so). He said he has stronger name identification and donors. He recently launched a political action committee. He insisted that he would do a good job showing what the party is for, not what it is against — a criticism of and a challenge for the GOP. Among the other credentials he listed for himself is his familiarity with Hillary Clinton. When asked about the Democrat’s potential run for the White House, Huckabee said no Republican knows her better than he does, given their Arkansas connections. He described her as ‘smart’ and ‘tough,’ and cautioned that she should never be underestimated. ‘She’s a policy genius,’ he said. ‘But I don’t know if she has that same affable charm that her husband does. But then, who does?’” [Real Clear Politics, 9/15/14]

Huntsman, Jon (Utah Governor, later U.S. Ambassador to China)

“It’s way too soon to tell. I’ve worked around Hillary Clinton while serving as ambassador to China, and all I can tell you as a Republican is she’s pretty good. She’s smart. She’s hardworking. She – she relates to all kinds of people, and I was very, very impressed working with her as a Republican. The Republican Party, as we always see in history, and these political tides, as Theodore White used to talk about, are inexorable and we’ll see them come in and come out and people will rise based upon the occasion and the circumstances that we face. And I have every belief that in a free market, which politics is for the most part, we’ll see the right kind of people step up before 2016.” [Bloomberg TV, 9/27/13]

Kasich, John (Governor of Ohio)

John Kasich on Hillary Clinton: “I know her. I like her. I’ve worked with her.” BRET BAIER: How do you think Republicans fight a Hillary Clinton nomination? >> GOV. JOHN KASICH: I don’t think you have to run against her. I think you run for what you’re for. I think you create a vision for people that everybody is included. Everyone can rise. And we’ll be personally responsible here. So with Hillary, you know I know her. I like her. I’ve worked with her. They have cameras out following me around places where I go. They think I’m going to make a mistake. And you know, maybe I will. I’m as capable of that as anybody is. >> BAIER: So they have cameras following events? >> GOV. KASICH: Oh yeah. They go out and they got these trackers. BAIER: The Clinton people? GOV. KASICH: It’s called American Bridge. I don’t know who they all are. I like Hillary but look, the bottom line is you need tell people what you’re for. You can say where they have fallen down. But you need to be very clear in the things that you want to do and paint a vision. >> [fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier, 1/22/15]

John Kasich: “I like Hillary.” BRET BAIER: How do you think Republicans fight a Hillary Clinton nomination? >> GOV. JOHN KASICH: I don’t think you have to run against her. I think you run for what you’re for. I think you create a vision for people that everybody is included. Everyone can rise. And we’ll be personally responsible here. So with Hillary, you know I know her. I like her. I’ve worked with her. They have cameras out following me around places where I go. They think I’m going to make a mistake. And you know, maybe I will. I’m as capable of that as anybody is. >> BAIER: So they have cameras following events? >> GOV. KASICH: Oh yeah. They go out and they got these trackers. BAIER: The Clinton people? GOV. KASICH: It’s called American Bridge. I don’t know who they all are. I like Hillary but look, the bottom line is you need tell people what you’re for. You can say where they have fallen down. But you need to be very clear in the things that you want to do and paint a vision. >> [fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier, 1/22/15]

Perry, Rick

Gov. Perry, on Sec. Clinton’s stance on Syria: “I think on that issue she was closer to being right than she has been on some other ones.” According to the U.S. News & World Report, “Rick Perry agrees with Hillary Clinton. Or at least, pretty close to it. Asked Tuesday at the Iowa State Fair whether he agreed with the former secretary of state’s assessment that a lack of prior U.S. intervention in Syria emboldened jihadists to penetrate Iraq, the GOP governor of Texas found some daylight with the potential future presidential rival. ‘I think on that issue she was closer to being right than she has been on some other ones,’ he replied.” [U.S. News & World Report, 8/12/14]

According to The Frontrunner, “The Daily Caller (8/30, Levinson, May) reported that in 1993, then-Texas Agriculture Commissioner Rick Perry ‘praised the efforts of then-first lady Hillary Clinton to reform health care, a precursor to’ the ‘health care reform efforts’ of President Obama. The Daily Caller added, ‘In a letter to Clinton…Perry wrote: ‘I think your efforts in trying to reform the nation’s health care system are most commendable.’ ‘I would like to request that the task force give particular consideration to the needs of the nation’s farmers, ranchers, and agriculture workers, and other members of rural communities,’ Perry continued. … ‘Again, your efforts are worthy,’ Perry concluded, ‘and I hope you will remember this constituency as the task force progresses.’” [The Frontrunner, 8/31/11]

Schwarzenegger, Arnold (California Governor)

“Also on Sunday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger praised the potential choice as a great move. ‘I think she is a very very bright woman and very experienced. I think this could be a great move,’ Schwarzenegger told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.” [CNN.com, 11/16/08]

HOUSE

Blackburn, Marsha (Tennessee Representative)

“On CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn said Clinton would be a good fit for the position. ‘I think that Hillary Clinton will probably accept that, from what I am hearing. I think it would be a nice gesture. I think that she is well qualified,” said the Republican congresswoman.’” [CNN.com, 11/16/08]

Duncan, Jeff (South Carolina Representative)

Rep. Jeff Duncan: The Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreement “opened up a million and a half acres in the Gulf of Mexico.” REP. JEFF DUNCAN, (R) South Carolina, 3^rd District: That shell in deep water, I was to be part of implementing one thing I think the Obama Administration got right. You don’t hear that come out of a conservative’s mouth very often. The one thing the Obama Administration got right was a Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreement signed with Mexico by Hillary Clinton in a summit in Cabo. It’s a mouth-full. I realize that. The Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreement. It opened up a million and a half acres in the Gulf of Mexico. If you can think about a boundary between the United States and Mexico you think about that border in Texas and New Mexico, think about a maritime border or a maritime boundary, that border extending out into the Gulf of Mexico where we have territorial waters on the Mexican side and territorial waters on the U.S. side. Well under that maritime boundary are recoverable resources and for a long time that million and a half acres in that what they call the Western Gap part of the Gulf of Mexico was off limits. Nobody was producing. Mexico wasn’t producing, U.S. wasn’t producing. So they signed this Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreement said we’re going to allow that area to be produced. We’re going to allow those shared resources to be produced we’re going to share resources, technology, we’re going to share some of the regulations. Well, once they signed that agreement, we asked Ken Salazar, the Secretary of the Interior at the time, how about sending us the implementing language so we could implement that agreement. We would like to open up a million and a half acres of deep water in the Western Gulf to energy production because we believe there’s recoverable resources there that could go into that national security energy mix on American energy independence. He wouldn’t send us the implementing language. So after about a year of that Doc Hastings and I and a number of others on the committee working to get that I decided to write it myself… [CSPAN3, 1/20/15]

Grimm, Michael

Rep. Michael Grimm: “I think it’s going to be very difficult for the Republicans to beat Hillary Clinton.” According to the Staten Island Advance, “The election is still two years away, and a lot can change in that time, but GOP Rep. Michael Grimm said he already knows who the most formidable Democratic candidate will be: Hillary Clinton. ‘I think it’s going to be very difficult for the Republicans to beat Hillary Clinton,’ Grimm (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) told the Advance Editorial Board, where he appeared with Democratic challenger Domenic M. Recchia Jr. ‘So I think that a lot of work has got to go into it.’” [Staten Island Advance, 10/23/14]

King, Peter (New York Representative)

BANFIELD: I wonder if you think that the former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton’s comments about the secretary, and in my words, faking an illness, in his words, having a diplomatic illness to beat the band, are deserving of an apology.

KING: I certainly wouldn’t have said it, especially knowing Hillary Clinton and what a tough warrior she is. To me, there’s never a basis for that. Even if I didn’t agree with someone, you should always give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to a health issue. The only thing I’d say in Bolton’s defense, and I’m being sarcastic when I say this — it is hard for me to imagine Hillary Clinton ever being sick. She’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever met in my life. But obviously, she was ill. It could have been serious. It wasn’t, thank god. And I would not have said what the Ambassador Bolton did. How he wants to handle it with her, that’s up to him. But I’m just delighted —

BANFIELD: Do you think he should apologize, Congressman? That was pretty serious —

KING: Oh, I would.

BANFIELD: — I mean, pretty serious, very, very strident comments.

KING: Again, all I would say is I would — if I was the one who said it, I would.

[CNN, 1/3/13]

Ryan, Paul (Wisconsin Representative, 2012 Republican Vice Presidential Nominee)

Rep. Paul Ryan: “She’s [Sec. Clinton’s] very formidable. She’ll raise a lot money, she has a lot of name ID.” According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Republicans need not be cowed by the prospect of taking on Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2016, said U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, one of the leading Republican contenders to do just that. ‘She’s very formidable. She’ll raise a lot money, she has a lot of name ID,’ the Wisconsin native and former Republican vice presidential nominee said during a stop in Tampa Bay to promote his new book. ‘But I think Hillary Clinton is very beatable because a Hillary Clinton presidency is basically the same thing as an Obama third term. I don’t think she’ll be able to shake that.’” [Tampa Bay Times, 8/24/14]

MISCELLANEOUS

Bush Hager, Jenna (daughter of President George W. Bush)

Jenna Bush Hager: “But we admire Hillary Clinton very much. I mean, she — as a woman, I admire her. She’s done a lot for our country and she’s a great public servant.” JENNA BUSH HAGER: President Clinton has become a dear friend. We call him — I call him a brother — my dad calls him a brother from another mother. You know, he didn’t have a close relationship with his father. He didn’t have a relationship with his father. And so in some ways my grandfather has become like a surrogate father for him. RONAN FARROW: Does the same warmth extend to Hillary Clinton and a potential Hillary Clinton run? BUSH HAGER: Well, I guess it depends who she’s running against, right? But we admire Hillary Clinton very much. I mean, she — as a woman, I admire her. She’s done a lot for our country and she’s a great public servant. I see her around New York and I’m always talking about Chelsea’s baby and I think they have a personal friendship that my dad even said that you know, obviously if there’s a Bush-Clinton part deux, you know that wouldn’t ruin any friendships. [MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, 11/11/14]

Jenna Bush Hager: “I think they have a personal friendship that my dad even said that you know, obviously if there’s a Bush-Clinton part deux, you know that wouldn’t ruin any friendships.” JENNA BUSH HAGER: President Clinton has become a dear friend. We call him — I call him a brother — my dad calls him a brother from another mother. You know, he didn’t have a close relationship with his father. He didn’t have a relationship with his father. And so in some ways my grandfather has become like a surrogate father for him. RONAN FARROW: Does the same warmth extend to Hillary Clinton and a potential Hillary Clinton run? BUSH HAGER: Well, I guess it depends who she’s running against, right? But we admire Hillary Clinton very much. I mean, she — as a woman, I admire her. She’s done a lot for our country and she’s a great public servant. I see her around New York and I’m always talking about Chelsea’s baby and I think they have a personal friendship that my dad even said that you know, obviously if there’s a Bush-Clinton part deux, you know that wouldn’t ruin any friendships. [MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, 11/11/14]

Glover, Juleanna (Republican Strategist)

“She’s the second-most-powerful Democrat in the country, with near universal adulation that appears unequalled and unprecedented,’ argues Republican strategist Juleanna Glover.” [Fox News, 8/15/13]

Petraeus, David

Gen. Petraeus, on Sec. Clinton: “She’d make a tremendous President.” According to a book review in The Wall Street Journal, “Gen. Petraeus also emerges as a Clinton character witness here, declaring that Mrs. Clinton was ‘extraordinarily resolute, determined and controlled’ in the wake of the attack. The Petraeus charm offensive that began over wine in Mrs. Clinton’s Georgetown home may keep paying dividends. The retired general tells Mr. Allen and Ms. Parnes: ‘She’d make a tremendous President.’” [Book review, The Wall Street Journal, 2/9/14]

Grenell, Richard (Romney foreign policy advisor)

Former Romney foreign policy advisor Richard Grenell: “Regardless of whether or not they are bored with Hillary Clinton, they should grow up and do their job by treating her like a serious candidate.” According to the Washington Examiner, “Richard Grenell, a media critic and former foreign policy adviser to 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, told the Examiner that the Clinton ‘fatigue’ is a product of the culture among the Washington, D.C., press corps. ‘The D.C. political media is insular, parochial and functioning like a high school clique these days,’ Grenell said. ‘Regardless of whether or not they are bored with Hillary Clinton, they should grow up and do their job by treating her like a serious candidate. Hillary Clinton deserves their respect and serious attention, as does anyone who runs for office.’” [Washington Examiner, 12/3/14]

Pickering, Thomas (U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under Pres. George H. W. Bush, headed the State Department’s internal investigation on its response to the Benghazi attacks)

Pickering, on Sec. Clinton’s role in the Benghazi response: “We thought that she conducted her meetings and activities responsibly and well.” According to Reuters, “But Clinton aides and a retired senior U.S. diplomat who led a review of the Benghazi events say the new efforts are little more than political theater. Thomas Pickering, who chaired the State Department’s official inquiry, said his panel concluded Clinton’s performance was appropriate: ‘We did look at her role. We thought that she conducted her meetings and activities responsibly and well.’” [Reuters, 2/11/14]

SENATE

Brownback, Sam (Kansas Senator, later Governor)

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Madam Secretary. I appreciate your being here, appreciate the way you represent us around the world and your high energy levels.” [Testimony Before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Program,” 2/24/10]

DeMint, Jim (South Carolina Senator, later head of the Heritage Foundation)

“I am optimistic and hopeful about your role as secretary of State. And despite the news accounts that say that I’m the one that’s going to ask you the hard questions about potential conflicts of interest, I have no questions about your integrity.” [Demint remarks, Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, 1/13/09]

“You’ve, I think, taken an international leadership role in, I think, raising the pressure levels in Iran.” “In Iran, obviously, that’s a big issue. My concern is timing. You’ve, I think, taken an international leadership role in, I think, raising the pressure levels in Iran. But in my conversations with people in Israel and their concern that – well, my concern is that we may be only a few months away from some type of action that could destabilize the region. And I don’t sense in the Congress the urgency of timing here of what we need to do and how quickly. And again, I appreciate you taking the sanction idea a step further, but I would like to hear a comment there and just ask your comment on a couple, a few other areas.” [“Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,” 2/24/10]

Graham, Lindsey (South Carolina Senator)

“Even some Republicans in Congress acknowledge the skills she has brought to the job, though they remain critical of many administration policies. ‘I think she’s represented our nation well,’ Senator Lindsey Graham, the Republican from South Carolina, who as a member of the House served as one of 13 managers in the 1998 impeachment trial of Clinton’s husband, told me in an interview in his Senate office. ‘She is extremely well respected throughout the world, handles herself in a very classy way and has a work ethic second to none.’” [New York Times, 7/1/12]

“It was a good briefing. I never got to ask a question, it was over. You know, Secretary Clinton and Bob Gates are really national treasures in my view. You know, very good people. I like President Obama.” [CNN, 3/30/11]

Lindsey Graham on Hillary Clinton: “She’s smart, prepared, serious.” The following exchange occurred on Fox News: KASICH: “Bay — Bay, you’ve got — you got John McCain who says, and I quote, ‘I have no doubt that Senator Clinton would make a good president.’ Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican, says, ‘She’s smart, prepared, serious.’ John Warner, sort of the dean of the United States Senate, Republican, conservative, says she has a remarkable core of inner strength. These are people who have worked with her for seven years.” [Fox News, 5/28/07]

Lindsey Graham: “Secretary Clinton is a great choice to be our secretary of state.” In a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in 2011, Senator Lindsey Graham stated: “Leon Panetta was an outstanding choice. Let me be bipartisan here for a moment. This is an outstanding national security team put together by President Obama. I hope he will listen to them. Secretary Clinton is a great choice to be our secretary of state; Leon Panetta, great follow on from Secretary Gates; General Petraeus, CIA director. Good national security team.” [Sen. Graham speech at Council on Foreign Relations, 9/15/11]

Lindsey Graham on Hillary Clinton: “We have become, actually, good friends.” “Graham quipped that his relationship with Clinton is a good example of that. ‘We have become, actually, good friends. And that was a surprise to both of us,’ he said.” [Voice of America, 2/3/07]

Lindsey Graham said if he and Hillary can’t work together, America’s best days are over. “Graham quipped that his relationship with Clinton is a good example of that. ‘We have become, actually, good friends. And that was a surprise to both of us,’ he said. But joking aside, he said failing to cooperate would have dire consequences. He told the audience that if the Hillary Clintons and Lindsey Grahams of the world can’t work together, America’s best days are over.” [Voice of America, 2/3/07]

Lindsey Graham on Hillary Clinton: “[I] share the stage with her – I consider that a compliment.” “Over the last few years, Sens. Lindsey Graham and Hillary Clinton have become a Capitol Hill odd couple, working across party lines on issues ranging from their mutual support for invading Iraq to their shared concern over vanishing manufacturing jobs and inadequate health care for military reservists… Graham said the two of them often come at problems from different directions, but share an interest in important policy issues. ‘Certainly, she’s a national figure, and to share the stage with her – I consider that a compliment,’ he said. ‘We’ll probably have totally different agendas that we think are best for the country, but the point is to speak boldly about problems that require bipartisanship and solutions that are essential to us surviving as a country in the 21st century.’” [The State, 1/28/07]

Lindsey Graham: “Senator Clinton and I have been fortunate to have very good allies in this effort and Congress has stepped up to the plate to meet the health care needs of our Guard and Reserves.” [Senator Graham press release, 9/29/06]

Lindsey Graham: “The Graham-Clinton TRICARE efforts have gained support from many groups including the National Guard Association of the United States, the Reserve Officers Association, and the National Governors Association.” [Senator Graham press release, 9/29/06]

Gregg, Judd (New Hampshire Senator)

“U.S. Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) today issued the following statement upon U.S. Senate confirmation of Senator Hillary Clinton to be the Secretary of State. Senator Gregg, the Ranking Member of the State and Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee, stated, ‘Today’s overwhelming confirmation of Senator Hillary Clinton to be our next Secretary of State is a testament to the well regarded talents and qualifications she will bring to the job of overseeing our nation’s foreign policy. Like Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Senator Clinton will be a positive voice to carry America’s message around the world. As the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee tasked with funding State Department activities, I look forward to continuing my work with Senator Clinton to advance our nation’s interests through U.S. diplomatic programs and activities.’” [Gregg press release, 1/21/09]

Inhofe, Jim (Oklahoma Senator)

“Today in voting to confirm Senator Clinton as Secretary of State, I voted for someone who is well qualified and someone I know I can work with on a range of issues. To be certain, there are many areas where Senator Clinton and I disagree. However, I appreciate her recognition of the need to combat al Qaeda’s efforts to seek safe havens in failed states in the Horn of Africa, which is something I have worked to accomplish through my many trips to Africa and my legislation to establish global partnerships. I strongly agree with her support of Israel’s right to defend itself. Finally, I appreciate her challenge to Iran to end its nuclear weapons program, and her pledge to work to end Iran’s and Syria’s dangerous behavior so that they instead become constructive actors in the Middle East. Diplomacy has a crucial role, but I also trust and will ensure that where stronger efforts need to be made, U.S. foreign policy will include the strong arm of military where diplomacy fails. Furthermore, Senator Clinton has demonstrated a willingness to work across the aisle, as we have worked together on legislation through our positions the Senate Armed Services Committee and Environment and Public Works Committee. The bottom line, though, is that Senator Clinton’s experience and expertise in foreign relations will serve this country well, and I look forward to working with her in her new role.” [Inhofe press release, 1/21/09]

Kyl, Jon (Arizona Senator)

“Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona also said Clinton would be a good choice for the post. ‘It seems to me she’s got the experience, she’s got the temperament for it,’ he said on Fox News Sunday. ‘She would be well-received around the world.’” [CNN.com, 11/16/08]

Lugar, Richard (Indiana Senator)

“I’ve frequently said the foremost criteria for selecting a National Security Cabinet official should be whether the nominee is a “big leaguer” who has achieved extraordinary accomplishments, is well- known to the world, understands both process and policy, and can command global respect. In Senator Clinton, President-Elect Obama has boldly chosen the epitome of a ‘big leaguer.’ Her qualifications for the post are remarkable. Her presence at the helm of the State Department could open unique opportunities for United States diplomacy, and could bolster efforts to improve foreign attitudes toward the United States. She has a longstanding relationship with many world leaders that could be put to great use in the service of our country. Her time in the Senate has given her a deep understanding of how United States foreign policy can be enriched by establishing a closer relationship between the Executive and Legislative branches. She is fully prepared to engage the world on a myriad of issues that urgently require our attention.” [Lugar remarks, Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, 1/13/09]

“I especially appreciate the strong and visible commitment that you, Secretary Clinton, have made in addressing global hunger.” “SENATOR LUGAR: While some threats share solutions, others require us to prioritize policies commensurate with relative immediacy of the threats. I especially appreciate the strong and visible commitment that you, Secretary Clinton, have made in addressing global hunger. Unless nations work together to reverse negative trends in agricultural productivity, we may experience frequent food riots, and perhaps even warfare over food resources. We almost certainly will have to contend with mass migration and intensifying global health issues stemming from malnutrition…. Over the course of the last year, the Administration under your leadership has undertaken its own intensive study of food security.” [“Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,” 2/24/10]

“I want to thank you for your leadership in Honduras… that was a situation that appeared to be moving out of control, and I think you and your Department have got it on a good track.” “SENATOR DEMINT: A couple of points. First, I want to thank you for your leadership in Honduras. As you know, that was a situation that appeared to be moving out of control, and I think you and your Department have got it on a good track, trying to restore relationships within and around Honduras. I get very good reports there from what the State Department’s doing.” [“Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,” 2/24/10]

McCain, John (Arizona Senator)

McCain: “It is well known that Hillary Clinton and I have a good relationship.” MATTHEWS: I think you’re running again. How about this? If you have to choose, because I’ve seen your office will you are like Barry Goldwater’s permanent replacement in the United States Senate. Let me ask you about Hillary Clinton. This is obviously our headline question tonight. By the way, the book is “Thirteen Soldiers.” It’s really a good read about our history and I think it really does talk about the foot soldier, the regular guy out there and all your resentments, about the experience, I think, in Vietnam are really healthy for people to read. Let me ask but this race. Do you think it’s going to be, do you think Hillary has got the competence to be president? >> MCCAIN: Well, I’m sure that whoever the American people select, I would support that. Do I think that she is good on foreign policy issues? I think this is a legitimate question. Look, it is well known that Hillary Clinton and I have a good relationship. We have — >> MATTHEWS: Well, don’t you agree on a lot? >> MCCAIN: We do agree on a lot. But I think it is a legitimate question if you said, Secretary Clinton, tell me a concrete accomplishment while you’re, during your tour as secretary of state. I think she may have trouble answering that. >> MATTHEWS: You mean a lot of input but not output? >> MCCAIN: Well, she traveled to a lot of countries. She is a great representative of America, kind of a rock star status, visited more countries than any other secretary of state. But what concrete policy or decision or whatever it is that she, was she responsible for? And I think she would have trouble answering that. >> [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 11/19/14]

McCain: “She is a great representative of America, kind of a rock star status, visited more countries than any other secretary of state.” MATTHEWS: I think you’re running again. How about this? If you have to choose, because I’ve seen your office will you are like Barry Goldwater’s permanent replacement in the United States Senate. Let me ask you about Hillary Clinton. This is obviously our headline question tonight. By the way, the book is “Thirteen Soldiers.” It’s really a good read about our history and I think it really does talk about the foot soldier, the regular guy out there and all your resentments, about the experience, I think, in Vietnam are really healthy for people to read. Let me ask but this race. Do you think it’s going to be, do you think Hillary has got the competence to be president? >> MCCAIN: Well, I’m sure that whoever the American people select, I would support that. Do I think that she is good on foreign policy issues? I think this is a legitimate question. Look, it is well known that Hillary Clinton and I have a good relationship. We have — >> MATTHEWS: Well, don’t you agree on a lot? >> MCCAIN: We do agree on a lot. But I think it is a legitimate question if you said, Secretary Clinton, tell me a concrete accomplishment while you’re, during your tour as secretary of state. I think she may have trouble answering that. >> MATTHEWS: You mean a lot of input but not output? >> MCCAIN: Well, she traveled to a lot of countries. She is a great representative of America, kind of a rock star status, visited more countries than any other secretary of state. But what concrete policy or decision or whatever it is that she, was she responsible for? And I think she would have trouble answering that. >> [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 11/19/14]

McCain: “I admire the fact that she is admired throughout the world and a very effective secretary of state.” “First of all, Secretary Clinton is admired and respected around the world. She and I have been friends for many years. We used to travel together…. So, I have — I admire the fact that she is admired throughout the world and a very effective secretary of state. I also think that John Kerry will do a credible job as secretary of state. He has a world of experience. And John Kerry and I don’t agree on a lot of issues, but we have a relationship which was forged years ago. And so I have confidence that he will carry out the president’s agenda and serve the president. Now, I wouldn’t nominate, very frankly, as friendly as we are, wouldn’t nominate him to be secretary of state. I would have my own selection. But I respect the president’s selection in this case. I do have significant and serious questions for Senator Hagel.” [Fox News, 1/23/13 (video 5:12)]

McCain: “We are proud of you. All over the world where I travel, you are viewed with admiration and respect.” McCain: “Thank you, Madam Secretary. It’s wonderful to see you in good health and as combative as ever. It’s — we thank you. We thank you for your outstanding and dedicated service to this nation, and we are proud of you. All over the world where I travel, you are viewed with admiration and respect.” [Foreign Relations committee hearing, 1/23/14]

“Sen. John McCain said Monday that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be a ‘very formidable’ presidential candidate in 2016. Speaking in Chicago at an event with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Arizona Republican praised Clinton’s work as secretary, according to Bloomberg News. ‘I don’t think there’s any doubt that Secretary Clinton would be a very strong candidate,’ McCain said. ‘I don’t think there’s any doubt she has widespread support. Her work as secretary of state, with the exception of this issue of Benghazi — which isn’t going away — I think has been outstanding. I think she would be viewed by anyone, Republican or Democrat, as a very formidable candidate for 2016.’” [Politico, 10/28/13]

According to The Christian Science Monitor, “At a Monitor-sponsored breakfast for reporters on Wednesday, Senator McCain, the 2008 Republican candidate for president, was asked to rate President Obama’s national security team. ‘I think the international star is Secretary Clinton,’ McCain said. ‘She has done a really tremendous job.’” [The Christian Science Monitor, 4/6/11]

Senator McCain: “I have no doubt that Senator Clinton would make a good president.” According to The New York Times, “It was during their joint trip to Iraq in late February 2005 that Mr. McCain and Mrs. Clinton appeared via satellite on ‘Meet the Press,’ an appearance that put their civility on display. When Mr. Russert asked Mr. McCain at the end of the interview whether he thought Mrs. Clinton would make a good president, Mrs. Clinton came to his rescue, saying: ‘Oh, we can’t hear you, Tim!’ ‘Yeah, you’re breaking up,’ Mr. McCain added, laughing. But then he said: ‘I happen to be a Republican and would support, obviously, a Republican nominee, but I have no doubt that Senator Clinton would make a good president.’” [The New York Times, 7/29/06]

Sen. McCain: “I have no doubt that Senator Clinton would make a good president.” According to The Washington Times, “‘I am sure that Senator Clinton would make a good president,’ Mr. McCain said. ‘I happen to be a Republican and would support, obviously, a Republican nominee, but I have no doubt that Senator Clinton would make a good president.’” [The Washington Times, 2/21/05]

McConnell, Mitch (Kentucky Senator, Current Senate Minority Leader)

Mitch McConnell: “We’re good friends.” According to Kasie Hunt’s interview with Mitch McConnell on Hillary Clinton’s upcoming trip to Kentucky to campaign for Alison Lundergan Grimes, Mitch McConnell stated, “Hillary Clinton’s been here [to Kentucky] before. She was here the day before the election the last time I ran. We’re good friends. She’s doing what candidates for president do. One thing I think is noteworthy though, Alison Grimes doesn’t have any trouble announcing she voted for Clinton even though apparently she doesn’t want to say she voted for Barack Obama. [MSNBC’s Way Too Early, 10/15/14]

“Because of all of these positive developments, I applaud Secretary Clinton’s recent decision to exchange ambassadors with Burma for the first time in 20 years. Of course, the Government of Burma still has a substantial way to go to achieve real and lasting reform.” [McConnell remarks, 1/26/12]

Murkowski, Lisa (Alaska Senator)

“Thank you Mr. Chairman. And welcome to you, Senator Clinton. Thank you for your leadership, for your willingness to step forward and assume this very, very important position for our country, for the nation. I truly appreciate all that you are poised to do and what you have done in the past.”

Risch, James (Idaho Senator)

“Secretary Clinton runs a tight ship….” “SENATOR RISCH: Your team, both the team that you assigned here in Washington, D.C., and the team that was on the ground in Haiti, particularly Ted Coley from your operation and Katherine Farrell, who was on the ground there in Haiti, were very, very helpful to the people in Idaho and were very responsive. When we – some of us – congressional delegation jumped in and attempted to assist those people. As you know, many Americans are unaware of the difficulties they face when they get ensnared in the criminal system in other countries, and it can be very befuddling. They don’t understand why they don’t have the same constitutional rights. They don’t understand that the facilities in which they’re being held aren’t up to the same type of facilities here in the United States. But your organization was very, very responsive. I want to thank you for that. When the media asked, me, I told them Secretary Clinton runs a tight ship, particularly in these kinds of instances. So I wanted to pass that on to you. We have also received communication from some of the families thanking us and thanking your organization, so I wanted to pass that on to you. Thank you so much for what you did, without any reference to what the facts of the situation were there or what actually happened as far as the actual situation, just as far as what the State Department was able to do, you did, and we’re appreciative of that. Thank you.” [“Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,” 2/24/10]

Simpson, Alan

Sen. Alan Simpson: “Hillary never turns her head when she’s talking to someone. She is absolutely riveted.” According to Bloomberg’s coverage of oral histories assembled by the Miller Center at the University of Virginia, “Alan Simpson, the former Republican senator from Wyoming, in 2005, recalling his and his wife Ann’s early interactions after talking to Hillary Clinton at the 1993 inauguration. ‘About two weeks, three weeks later, we were invited to the White House. I don’t remember what it was; it wasn’t a large group, maybe 50, 40. I watched Hillary as she began to visit with Ann. Hillary never turns her head when she’s talking to someone. She is absolutely riveted. She doesn’t look around like, ‘Oh, hi there Tilly; how are you?’—or divert her attention from the person she’s talking to. That’s a gift. You have to have that in politics. There were people around—it was adulation: ‘We want to talk to Hillary.’ She must have spent about 15 or 20 minutes with Ann on mental health issues. . . Anyway, I thought that was fascinating.’” [Bloomberg, 11/15/14]

Snowe, Olympia

Boston Globe: Sen. Olympia Snowe said Sec. Clinton and former Gov. Jeb Bush are likeliest to govern in a bipartisan fashion. “Among the field of presumptive presidential candidates, Snowe said former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and former Florida governor Jeb Bush are likeliest to govern in a bipartisan fashion.” [Boston Globe, 1/23/15]

Voinovich, George (Ohio Senator)

“I know you’re focused on Iraq and Iran and Afghanistan, but probably more than maybe some other Secretary of State, I know that you’re interested in that region [the Balkans].” “SENATOR VOINOVICH: Last week, I was in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia with Senator Shaheen. And I know you’re focused on Iraq and Iran and Afghanistan, but probably more than maybe some other Secretary of State, I know that you’re interested in that region. We have spent a lot of time, a lot of money, and I’m concerned that if we don’t pay attention to it, all of the progress that we have made may be for naught.” [Ohio Sen. George Voinovich remarks, Senate testimony, 2/24/10]

Warner, John (Virginia Senator)

“Despite her lack of seniority on the Armed Services Committee, she won the admiration of its senior members. Sen. John W. Warner of Virginia, then chairman, described Clinton as ‘very industrious. She does her homework very carefully.’” [CQ Member Profile]

DEMOCRATS

EXECUTIVE

Altman, Roger (Deputy Treasury Secretary under Pres. Clinton and Evercore Partners Chairman)

Roger Altman on Hillary Clinton: “I hope she will” run in 2016. ROSS SORKIN: I want to know before you go, with Jeb Bush in town this past week, if it’s a Jeb/Hillary game, where do you think Wall Street really comes down? >> ROGER ALTMAN: well I think Wall Street would be very happy with Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush. And historic — it’s still a more of a Republican community than a Democratic community, even though that’s been changing steadily over the years. Used to be entirely Republican. Now it’s 60/40, something like that. But I think Mrs. Clinton would have big support in the financial community if she decides to run. And we’ll find out about that. I hope she will. So they’ll both have lots of support and I think Wall Street does view both of them quite favorably. >> [CNBC’s Squawk Box, 1/13/15]

Dep. Treasury Sec. Roger Altman: “She [Sec. Clinton] wears her heart on her sleeve much more than he [Pres. Clinton] does. Less and less now that she’s her own public figure, but that’s her nature.” According to CNN’s coverage of interviews about the Clinton administration released by the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, regarding Roger Altman, former deputy Treasury secretary, “The Clintons are known for keeping a stable of former aides, friends and confidants within arms length. But according to Altman, Hillary Clinton was better than Bill Clinton at inspiring loyalty. ‘It’s quite a difference and I ascribe it to the fact that she does not look at the world as, or at least in my experience, as solely and only politically,’ he said. ‘She wears her heart on her sleeve much more than he does. Less and less now that she’s her own public figure, but that’s her nature.’ It is safe to say that many former Clinton aides who still consider themselves close to Bill Clinton would disagree with Altman.” [CNN, 11/15/14]

Carter, Jimmy (39^th President of the United States of America)

Jimmy Carter on Hillary Clinton in 2016: “I think she would make a very good candidate.” According to an interview with CNN International (US)’s CNN Today, Amara Walker asked former President Jimmy Carter, “Speaking of women in power Mr. President, I have to ask you about Hillary Clinton while I have you here. You know there’s been a lot of talk of her running, although she hasn’t declared formally, it’s quite obvious that she likely will. Do you think she is, Hillary Clinton is the best possible presidential candidate that the Democrats have and will have?” Former President Carter responded, “Well, I won’t say that because I don’t know who will be there. But I think she would make a very good candidate, obviously. And but I’m not going to say she’s the best they will ever have because I don’t know what else they might have to offer. But I don’t think any of my granddaughters or daughters are going to run for president, so I would probably not have a choice to make above her.” [CNN International (US)’s CNN Today, 11/9/14]

Jimmy Carter: “I don’t think any of my granddaughters or daughters are going to run for president, so I would probably not have a choice to make above her [Hillary Clinton].” According to an interview with CNN International (US)’s CNN Today, Amara Walker asked former President Jimmy Carter, “Speaking of women in power Mr. President, I have to ask you about Hillary Clinton while I have you here. You know there’s been a lot of talk of her running, although she hasn’t declared formally, it’s quite obvious that she likely will. Do you think she is, Hillary Clinton is the best possible presidential candidate that the Democrats have and will have?” Former President Carter responded, “Well, I won’t say that because I don’t know who will be there. But I think she would make a very good candidate, obviously. And but I’m not going to say she’s the best they will ever have because I don’t know what else they might have to offer. But I don’t think any of my granddaughters or daughters are going to run for president, so I would probably not have a choice to make above her.” [CNN International (US)’s CNN Today, 11/9/14]

Castro, Julian (Secretary of Housing & Urban Development)

Julian Castro: “Secretary of State Clinton is obviously an extremely talented person who has made fantastic contributions to our national progress over the last couple of decades.” MODERATOR: As you say, with two years to go until the next presidential inauguration, do you endorse Hillary Clinton for president in 2016? >> SEC. CASTRO: I have no doubt that I will get asked that question again before November of 2016. Secretary of state Clinton is obviously an extremely talented person who has made fantastic contributions to our national progress over the last couple of decades and I am staying out of those politics in this role. But I know that she did a great job as secretary of state, and I am confident, that if she is elected president, she will do enormous good for the country as well. >> [CSPAN, 1/14/15]

Julian Castro: “I know that she did a great job as Secretary of State, and I am confident, that if she is elected president, she will do enormous good for the country as well.” MODERATOR: As you say, with two years to go until the next presidential inauguration, do you endorse Hillary Clinton for president in 2016? >> SEC. CASTRO: I have no doubt that I will get asked that question again before November of 2016. Secretary of state Clinton is obviously an extremely talented person who has made fantastic contributions to our national progress over the last couple of decades and I am staying out of those politics in this role. But I know that she did a great job as secretary of state, and I am confident, that if she is elected president, she will do enormous good for the country as well. >> [CSPAN, 1/14/15]

Julian Castro: “Secretary of State Clinton is obviously an extremely talented person who has made fantastic contributions to our national progress over the last couple of decades.” According to The Hill’s coverage of Julian Castro, “He stopped short of endorsing Clinton for president. She has yet to declare an official candidacy but is widely expected to run and has a formidable lead in early polling. ‘Secretary of State Clinton is obviously an extremely talented person who has made fantastic contributions to our national progress over the last couple of decades,’ he said. ‘I’m staying out of those politics in this role but I know that she did a great job as secretary of State and I’m confident that if she is elected president she would do enormous good for the country as well.’” [Ballot Box, The Hill, 1/13/15]

Clinton, Bill (42nd President of the United States of America)

Pres. Clinton, on Sec. Clinton: “She is the ablest public servant I have ever worked with, even if she is my wife.” According to CNN’s coverage of a CNN interview with Pres. Clinton, “Bill Clinton told CNN that he is ‘fine’ with whatever decision Hillary Clinton eventually comes to on 2016. The former President did say, however, that his wife would be a ‘really good’ commander in chief. ‘She is the ablest public servant I have ever worked with, even if she is my wife,’ Bill Clinton said. ‘She’s smart, but she’s also uncannily able to move from A to B to C. She gets things done and she is strong, she’s just good, she is just really good. She would be really good. But it’s a decision that only she can make, and I’m not going to try to jump the gun and if she decides not to do it, I’ll be happy too.’” [CNN, 7/21/14]

Pres. Clinton, on Sec. Clinton: “She’s smart, but she’s also uncannily able to move from A to B to C. She gets things done and she is strong, she’s just good, she is just really good. She would be really good.” According to CNN’s coverage of a CNN interview with Pres. Clinton, “Bill Clinton told CNN that he is ‘fine’ with whatever decision Hillary Clinton eventually comes to on 2016. The former President did say, however, that his wife would be a ‘really good’ commander in chief. ‘She is the ablest public servant I have ever worked with, even if she is my wife,’ Bill Clinton said. ‘She’s smart, but she’s also uncannily able to move from A to B to C. She gets things done and she is strong, she’s just good, she is just really good. She would be really good. But it’s a decision that only she can make, and I’m not going to try to jump the gun and if she decides not to do it, I’ll be happy too.’” [CNN, 7/21/14]

Pres. Clinton, on Sec. Clinton’s potential POTUS run in 2016: “It’s a decision that only she can make, and I’m not going to try to jump the gun and if she decides not to do it, I’ll be happy too.” According to CNN’s coverage of a CNN interview with Pres. Clinton, “Bill Clinton told CNN that he is ‘fine’ with whatever decision Hillary Clinton eventually comes to on 2016. The former President did say, however, that his wife would be a ‘really good’ commander in chief. ‘She is the ablest public servant I have ever worked with, even if she is my wife,’ Bill Clinton said. ‘She’s smart, but she’s also uncannily able to move from A to B to C. She gets things done and she is strong, she’s just good, she is just really good. She would be really good. But it’s a decision that only she can make, and I’m not going to try to jump the gun and if she decides not to do it, I’ll be happy too.’” [CNN, 7/21/14]

Pres. Clinton, on Sec. Clinton’s 2016 decision: “She also has a deep appreciation for the economic and social challenges facing America at home, and how important it is to, you know, really have a program to take care of people.” According to the Denver Post’s interview with Pres. Bill Clinton, Pres. Clinton said regarding Sec. Clinton, “She also has a deep appreciation for the economic and social challenges facing America at home, and how important it is to, you know, really have a program to take care of people. … I think she just wants to think about that.” [Denver Post, 6/23/14]

Kerry, John (Secretary of State under President Obama, formerly Massachusetts Senator)

Sec. Kerry: “I telephone Hillary here and there and ask her for her thoughts about things.” According to Vogue’s profile of Sec. John Kerry, “‘The way he views it is that Secretary Clinton was secretary at a time when we had to repair our relationship with the world,’ says State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki. ‘He’s building on a lot of the work she has done.’ (‘I telephone Hillary here and there and ask her for her thoughts about things,’ Kerry says. ‘I have a lot of admiration and friendship for her.’)” [Vogue, 10/2/14]

Sec. Kerry: “I have a lot of admiration and friendship for her [Sec. Clinton].” According to Vogue’s profile of Sec. John Kerry, “‘The way he views it is that Secretary Clinton was secretary at a time when we had to repair our relationship with the world,’ says State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki. ‘He’s building on a lot of the work she has done.’ (‘I telephone Hillary here and there and ask her for her thoughts about things,’ Kerry says. ‘I have a lot of admiration and friendship for her.’)” [Vogue, 10/2/14]

Sen. Kerry: “I don’t think any of us could think of a time in our history when we’ve had a greater need for energetic diplomacy to make the case for America globally, and we appreciate your incredibly hard work and your many travels in the effort to do just that.” [“Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,” 2/24/10]

Sen. Kerry: “There are more issues on the table perhaps than at any time in recent memory, all of them consequential, from Iran to North Korea to the Middle East, and you’re engaged in all of them.” “Madam Secretary, I’m eager to hear your thoughts about how you think we can keep our word on the range of issues, not just obviously from the Copenhagen Accord but the adaption assistance and the other issues. Needless to say, there are more issues on the table perhaps than at any time in recent memory, all of them consequential, from Iran to North Korea to the Middle East, and you’re engaged in all of them and we look forward to having a good discussion with you about them today. Let me just thank you again on behalf of the country. I think all of us are appreciative of your extraordinary expenditure of energy. And we are particularly grateful to your Department and others for the emergency response to Haiti. It has been a tremendous effort. I want to thank many of the people that we’ve worked with directly who have helped families through a very difficult period, some in Massachusetts, elsewhere, and we’re grateful to you and to our country, really, for the response. It’s been a remarkable response and I think appropriate.” [“Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,” 2/24/10]

John Kerry: “Hillary Clinton came to the State Department to rebuild alliances and restore our place in the world…. breathe new life into old partnerships and gave meaning in every corner of the globe to the notion of personal diplomacy.” According to the groundbreaking ceremony for the U.S. Diplomacy Center with John Kerry and former Secretaries of State, John Kerry stated that, “But Hillary Clinton came to the State Department to rebuild alliances and restore our place in the world at a time where people were questioning it and to help to make an opening in Burma and across so many miles, breathe new life into old partnerships and gave meaning in every corner of the globe to the notion of personal diplomacy.” [CSPAN3, 9/3/14]

McDonough, Denis (White House chief of staff)

McDonough: “She [Clinton] would be a very good president.” “White House chief of staff Denis McDonough says he’s not losing sleep thinking about how the dynamic between President Barack Obama and likely presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will shake out as the 2016 campaign heats up. ‘I don’t worry about it,’ he said Thursday at a POLITICO Playbook Lunch. Clinton showed little distance in a speech Wednesday from the positions the president took during his State of the Union address but left room to eventually highlight differences, from his right or his left. After working closely with Clinton during her four years as secretary of state and having a clear understanding of how the presidency works, McDonough said he’s optimistic about her ability to do the job. ‘She would be a very good president.’” [Politico, 1/22/15]

Obama, Barack (44^th President of the United States of America)

Pres. Obama: “Hillary Clinton I know much better than I know Jeb Bush, and I think she’d be an outstanding president.” “Hillary Clinton I know much better than I know Jeb Bush, and I think she’d be an outstanding president. My understanding is that everybody else is younger than me, which— I guess matches up with my gray hair.” [Pres. Obama, BuzzFeed, 2/11/15]

Pres. Obama: “Number one, she [Sec. Clinton] was an outstanding secretary of State. Number two, she’s a friend.” During an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC News’ This Week, Pres. Obama said, regarding Sec. Clinton, “She hasn’t announced so I don’t wanna jump the gun. I can tell you a couple things. Number one, she was an outstanding secretary of State. Number two, she’s a friend.” [This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Transcript, 11/23/14]

Pres. Obama: “If she [Sec. Clinton] decides to run, I think she will be a formidable candidate and I think she’d be a great president.” During an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC News’ This Week, Pres. Obama said, regarding Sec. Clinton, “If she decides to run, I think she will be a formidable candidate and I think she’d be a great president. And she’s not gonna agree with me on– on everything. And, you know, one of the benefits of– running for president is you can stake out your own positions. You’re– and– and have– a clean slate. A fresh start. You know, when you’ve been president for six years you– you know, you’ve got some dings.” [This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Transcript, 11/23/14]

Pres. Obama: “She’s [Sec. Clinton’s] not gonna agree with me on– on everything. And, you know, one of the benefits of– running for president is you can stake out your own positions.” During an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC News’ This Week, Pres. Obama said, regarding Sec. Clinton, “If she decides to run, I think she will be a formidable candidate and I think she’d be a great president. And she’s not gonna agree with me on– on everything. And, you know, one of the benefits of– running for president is you can stake out your own positions. You’re– and– and have– a clean slate. A fresh start. You know, when you’ve been president for six years you– you know, you’ve got some dings.” [This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Transcript, 11/23/14]

Pres. Obama on Sec. Clinton: “I think she’d be a great president.” GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Secretary Clinton tweeted out for support for your executive action last night and it just made me think of it. How– how’s this gonna work over the next couple years, your relationship with the secretary, as it certainly appears she’s planning on running for president. Will you coordinate? Does she have your blessing to kind of separate when she needs to? PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, she hasn’t announced so I don’t wanna jump the gun. I can tell you a couple things. Number one, she was an outstanding Secretary of State. Number two, she’s a friend. STEPHANOPOULOS: You still talk pretty regularly? OBAMA: We do. Number three– I think she and and a number of other possible Democratic candidates, would be terrific presidents. STEPHANOPOULOS: A number of other? OBAMA: And I am very interested in making sure that I’ve got a Democratic successor. So I’m gonna do everything I can, obviously, to make sure that whoever the nominee is, is successful. If she decides to run, I think she will be a formidable candidate and I think she’d be a great president. And she’s not gonna agree with me on on everything. And, you know, one of the benefits of running for president is you can stake out your own positions and have a clean slate. A fresh start. You know, when you’ve been president for six years you’ve got some dings — STEPHANOPOULOS: And you don’t mind absorbing a few more if that’s what it takes. OBAMA: Nah. You know, I think– I think the American people, you know, they’re gonna want you know, that new car smell. You know, their own they they want to drive something off the lot that that doesn’t have as much mileage as me. [WJLA-DC (ABC)’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, 11/23/14]

Pres. Obama: “She was an outstanding secretary of State” and “she’s a friend.” GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Secretary Clinton tweeted out for support for your executive action last night and it just made me think of it. How– how’s this gonna work over the next couple years, your relationship with the secretary, as it certainly appears she’s planning on running for president. Will you coordinate? Does she have your blessing to kind of separate when she needs to? PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, she hasn’t announced so I don’t wanna jump the gun. I can tell you a couple things. Number one, she was an outstanding Secretary of State. Number two, she’s a friend. STEPHANOPOULOS: You still talk pretty regularly? OBAMA: We do. Number three– I think she and and a number of other possible Democratic candidates, would be terrific presidents. STEPHANOPOULOS: A number of other? OBAMA: And I am very interested in making sure that I’ve got a Democratic successor. So I’m gonna do everything I can, obviously, to make sure that whoever the nominee is, is successful. If she decides to run, I think she will be a formidable candidate and I think she’d be a great president. And she’s not gonna agree with me on on everything. And, you know, one of the benefits of running for president is you can stake out your own positions and have a clean slate. A fresh start. You know, when you’ve been president for six years you’ve got some dings — STEPHANOPOULOS: And you don’t mind absorbing a few more if that’s what it takes. OBAMA: Nah. You know, I think– I think the American people, you know, they’re gonna want you know, that new car smell. You know, their own they they want to drive something off the lot that that doesn’t have as much mileage as me. [WJLA-DC (ABC)’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, 11/23/14]

Pres. Obama, on Sec. Clinton: “She is in public service because she cares about the same folks that I talked to here today.” According to CNN, “President Obama defended Hillary Clinton in the face of criticism recently that she is out of touch with average Americans, based on her comments about the Clintons’ financial security. ‘She is in public service because she cares about the same folks that I talked to here today,’ Obama said from Minneapolis, where he held a town hall meeting. The interview, taped Thursday during the president’s trip, aired on ABC’s ‘This Week’ Sunday morning.” [CNN, 6/29/14]

Pres. Obama, on Sec. Clinton: “I don’t know what she’s going to decide to do, but I know that if she were to run for president, I think she’d be very effective at that.” According to the Washington Post’s Post Politics blog, “President Obama said in a television interview broadcast Friday morning that former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton would be ‘very effective’ if she decides to run for president in 2016. ‘I don’t know what she’s going to decide to do, but I know that if she were to run for president, I think she’d be very effective at that,’ Obama said in an interview with ABC’s ‘Live with Kelly and Michael.’ Obama described a close relationship with his former 2008 rival. ‘Hillary and I — we’re buddies. I think because we ran in the longest primary in history and our staffs I think were doing battle politically, the perception was that this was always kind of a marriage of convenience when she came in as secretary of state. I always admired her,’ Obama said.” [Post Politics, Washington Post, 5/30/14]

President Obama: According to The Associated Press, Obama “praised Hillary Clinton as ‘one of the most formidable presidential candidates we’ve ever seen’ and as ‘one of the best secretaries of state that this country has ever known.’” [The Associated Press, November 10, 2011]

President Obama: “I think one of the best decisions I ever made as president was to ask Hillary Clinton to serve as our nation’s secretary of state.” According to a speech on CSPAN2 at the Clinton Global Initiative’s 10^th Anniversary, President Obama stated that, “I think one of the best decisions I ever made as president was to ask Hillary Clinton to serve as our nation’s secretary of state. So, she just welcomed me backstage. I will always be grateful for her extraordinary leadership representing our nation around the world. And I still have a lot of debt to pay though because the two of them were separated far too often. Hillary put in a lot of miles during her tenure as secretary of state. She looks, she has the post-Administration glow right now. She looks much more rested.” [CSPAN2, 9/23/14]

Panetta, Leon (Secretary of Defense under Pres. Obama)

Politico: “Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday he would ‘absolutely’ support Hillary Clinton if she ran for president.” According to Politico, “Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday he would ‘absolutely’ support Hillary Clinton if she ran for president, adding, ‘What the hell else do you want?’ when listing his former cabinet colleague’s attributes for the White House. ‘She is somebody that I’ve seen who’s dedicated to this country. She’s smart, she’s experienced, and she’s tough. What the hell else do you want?’ Panetta said, when asked why Clinton should be president.” [Politico, 10/14/14]

Sec. Panetta: “She [Sec. Clinton] is somebody that I’ve seen who’s dedicated to this country. She’s smart, she’s experienced, and she’s tough. What the hell else do you want?” According to Politico, “Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday he would ‘absolutely’ support Hillary Clinton if she ran for president, adding, ‘What the hell else do you want?’ when listing his former cabinet colleague’s attributes for the White House. ‘She is somebody that I’ve seen who’s dedicated to this country. She’s smart, she’s experienced, and she’s tough. What the hell else do you want?’ Panetta said, when asked why Clinton should be president.” [Politico, 10/14/14]

Sec. Panetta: “I think that there should be somebody who runs for the presidency who’s got great experience and great dedication to this country, and if it happens to be named Clinton, that’s OK with me.” According to Politico, “When asked whether he would support a 2016 bid by Clinton, Panetta — who also served as former President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff — said, ‘Sure. Absolutely.’ ‘I think that there should be somebody who runs for the presidency who’s got great experience and great dedication to this country, and if it happens to be named Clinton, that’s OK with me,’ he said.” [Politico, 10/14/14]

Sec. Panetta: “I’m sure the Clintons do it better than anybody in terms of being able to raise money, and that’s OK.” According to Politico, “‘There’s so damn much money in politics now that it scares the hell out of you,’ Panetta said. ‘I understand the game, you gotta raise money in order to compete against money, and I’m sure the Clintons do it better than anybody in terms of being able to raise money, and that’s OK.’” [Politico, 10/14/14]

Sec. Panetta: “If I know Hillary Clinton, if she knew there was a security problem in Benghazi, she would have done something about it.” According to Mediaite, “A significant chunk of Bill O’Reilly‘s interview with Leon Panetta tonight was about Benghazi, as well as the Obama administration’s reaction to that infamous attack. At one point, Panetta defended Hillary Clinton and said she would have definitely acted on any security issues if she had been aware of them. O’Reilly brought up the frequent criticism that Clinton received multiple cables about security problems at the Benghazi consulate, but didn’t act. He asked if that’s fair or not. Panetta said, ‘I think it’s unfair, because if I know Hillary Clinton, if she knew there was a security problem in Benghazi, she would have done something about it.’” [Mediaite, 10/7/14]

Sec. Leon Panetta: “Hillary Clinton I know can do the job because she’s somebody who has got experience, she’s got the toughness of mind, and commitment to this country that I think is important.” According to MSNBC’s Now With Alex Wagner, Andrea Mitchell asked Sec. Panetta, “You’ve worked with both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden over the years. Whose better qualified to be the Democratic nominee for president?” Sec. Panetta responded, “Well, I have worked with both of them and they’re both good people.” Andrea Mitchell asked, “Who would be a better commander-in-chief?” Sec. Panetta stated, “Well, you know, it’s tough for me to kind of say, you know that Joe Biden couldn’t do that job because frankly Joe Biden has a lot of experience, particularly as vice president. Hillary Clinton I know can do the job because she’s somebody who has got experience, she’s got the toughness of mind, and commitment to this country that I think is important. So, you know, they both could do the job as president. I think Hillary Clinton, cause she’s out there, is somebody that I think could be a very strong president.” [MSNBC’s NOW With Alex Wagner, 10/7/14]

Sec. Panetta: “I think Hillary Clinton, because she is out there, is somebody that I think could be a very strong president.” According to MSNBC, regarding former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, “In an interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Tuesday, Panetta was asked who was more qualified to be president – Clinton or Biden, who is also considering a bid. ‘They both could do the job as president. But, I think Hillary Clinton, because she is out there, is somebody that I think could be a very strong president,’ he replied.” [MSNBC, 10/7/14]

Vilsack, Tom (Secretary of Agriculture under Pres. Obama)

Sec. Tom Vilsack: “I am convinced if Hillary Clinton decides to run for president and the people of this country give her that opportunity, she will make a great president.” During Open Mike with Mike Allen and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Sec. Vilsack said, “I am convinced if Hillary Clinton decides to run for president and the people of this country give her that opportunity, she will make a great president.” [Politico, 6/9/14]

GOVERNORS

Brown, Jerry (California Governor)

Gov. Jerry Brown: “I really believe that Hillary Clinton has the presence, the experience and the support of the vast majority of Democrats in a way that I have not seen in my lifetime.” According to a Washington Post interview with Gov. Jerry Brown, “In a sign that he has patched things up with the first family of Democratic politics, Brown is ready to support Hillary Rodham Clinton if she seeks the presidency in 2016. ‘I really believe that Hillary Clinton has the presence, the experience and the support of the vast majority of Democrats in a way that I have not seen in my lifetime,’ Brown said in a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post. ‘She has this if she wants.’” [Washington Post, 5/28/14]

Gov. Jerry Brown: “Bill was formidable” but “Hillary is even more formidable in terms of what she brings.” According to a Washington Post interview with Gov. Jerry Brown, “In the interview with The Post, Brown said ‘Bill was formidable’ but ‘Hillary is even more formidable in terms of what she brings.’ He said he last spoke with her when they met in San Francisco several months ago.” [Washington Post, 5/28/14]

Dean, Howard (former Governor of Vermont)

Gov. Howard Dean: “And I think people [in 2016] are going to want somebody who is steady and predictable and who they know and that is only Hillary Clinton.” DONNY DEUTSCH: No, I actually think there’s a tremendous distinction. I think there is a big difference. Hillary and I have said this often and I like Hillary, I just think there’s such a fatigue there. I think the problem she also has is whenever she comes out of the gate, it’s post carnation and the media is ready to pounce. No, it’s been too easy for you. Jeb, when you come on, you lean in. We haven’t seen the face. I’m talking viscerally. I want to hear what he has to say. Even though the names are familiar I think she much, much, much, much, much more in a position of being the one who seems tired and — >> GOV. HOWARD DEAN: I take the totally opposite side. >> DEUTSCH: Of course you do. >> HOWARD DEAN: Well I take it, not just for political reasons, but also because my analysis is this and this is why I supported really early. I think the country is really worried. Nothing has been done in Washington that is really essentially a capital. I mean it’s a failed entity. And I think people are going to want somebody who is steady and predictable and who they know and that is only Hillary Clinton. And I also think — I’ll make my first prediction, electoral prediction of this season. I do not think that Jeb Bush wins Iowa. Now, I think if he runs he will get the nomination but he’s going to get beat up a lot in the Republican Party. >> [MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 1/30/15]

Gov. Howard Dean: “There’s nobody with more experience in the country than Hillary Clinton, nobody, in doing all of the things that presidents do.” CHRIS MATTHEWS: Today another candidate tossed his hat into the 2016 ring and I think he has a shot, Wisconsin’s Republican Governor Scott Walker. Walker took his first formal step towards a presidential run by filing paperwork to set up a committee, which will officially help Walker explore a bid for the White House. Walker is the fourth big name governor signaling intentions to run for the GOP nomination next year. He follows the steps taken by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, he’s all over the place, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who definitely back in, and former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush, who we’ll all run. Back now with a former governor who’s also run for president, Howard Dean and Christina and Jon. Governor, I want to ask you about this whole thing. I think beating Obama will require winning on the executive issue. HOWARD DEAN: You mean Hillary. MATTHEWS: Well, beating the record of Obama, which is what you are really running against. I think they’ll be running against Obama. >> HOWARD DEAN: I think if the election were held today, he’s got a 50%, he’s over 50 for the first time in eight months. MATTHEWS: It takes him a while to adjust. >> DEAN: Yeah. He’ll be alright. I do think, obviously I am biased. I think governors have executive experience, so that’s an advantage. The only problem they have is there’s nobody with more experience in the country than Hillary Clinton, nobody, in doing all of the things that presidents do. So I do agree though, I think that these four governors, and one of them will probably get the nomination. >> [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 1/27/15]

Gov. Howard Dean: “I am convinced if you put the facts in front of Hillary Clinton, she would see the facts, she would understand the issue, and she would do the right thing.” According to the Boston Globe, “Democracy for America helps showcase the divide among activists. While the liberal group is pushing for Warren, founder Howard Dean favors Clinton. ‘I am convinced if you put the facts in front of Hillary Clinton, she would see the facts, she would understand the issue, and she would do the right thing,’ said Dean, a former Vermont governor and past chairman of the Democratic National Committee.” [Boston Globe, 12/21/14]

Gov. Howard Dean: “I’ve made my choice because I’ve known Hillary for 25 years, she’s incredibly experienced, we need strong leadership at the top.” According to MSNBC, “Despite Kornacki’s nudge to engage in battle, Dean, who pioneered online progressive organizing when he ran for president in 2004, went out of his way to praise Warren – and Wikler – even while reiterating his support for Clinton. ‘What Elizabeth Warren just did is great for the country,’ Dean said of Warren’s high-profile fight this week against a government funding bill that included a provision to roll back the Dodd-Fank Wall Street reform law. ‘I wouldn’t agree with her rhetoric, but I absolutely agree with her position.’ ‘I’m just delighted to have Elizabeth Warren take this role,’ he continued. ‘This is not a choice between the lesser of two evils – I’ve made my choice because I’ve known Hillary for 25 years, she’s incredibly experienced, we need strong leadership at the top … I think Elizabeth Warren in the race or not in the race is good for the country, but I am steadfast in supporting Hillary because I think she would make a great president.’” [MSNBC’s, 12/14/14]

Gov. Howard Dean: “I have known Hillary for 25 years, she’s incredibly experienced, we need strong leadership at the top, god knows we need a little thoughtfulness and maturity in Washington… So I’m supporting Hillary.” GOV. HOWARD DEAN: What Elizabeth Warren just did was great for the country, I wouldn’t agree with her rhetoric, but I absolutely agree with her position. I think what happened yesterday was really bad for the country and the people that voted for that bill put America’s financial security at risk, I think. So I’m just delighted to have Elizabeth Warren taking this role and this is not a choice between the lesser of two evils. I made my choice because I have known Hillary for 25 years, she’s incredibly experienced, we need strong leadership at the top, god knows we need a little thoughtfulness and maturity in Washington, which we have very little of. So I’m supporting Hillary. >> STEVE KORNACKI: Do you think though this provision, this is part of the Hillary Clinton strategy, she’s not taking many positions on many things. Do you think she would have been okay taking that out because she did a lot of stuff for the banks as a New York Senator? Do you think she would have been okay taking that provision out that the banks wanted out? >> GOV. DEAN: Well one of the nice things about Hillary’s situation right now, is she’s not a candidate so she doesn’t have to cater to the press and give a position on every issue which I would advise her to. The truth of the matter is, what we learned after 2008, which is after she was a senator is that a lot of the stuff that Wall Street did was really bad for the country and what was passed last night is really bad for the country. What they did essentially is allow Wall Street to gamble in the agricultural sector backed by taxpayers’ money. That’s what got us in this position in the first place, so I think having Elizabeth in the race or not in the race, is good for the country, but I am steadfastly supporting Hillary Clinton because I think she would make a terrific president. >> [MSNBC’s Up w/ Steve Kornacki, 12/14/14]

Gov. Howard Dean: “ I am steadfastly supporting Hillary because I think she would make a terrific president.” GOV. HOWARD DEAN: What Elizabeth Warren just did was great for the country, I wouldn’t agree with her rhetoric, but I absolutely agree with her position. I think what happened yesterday was really bad for the country and the people that voted for that bill put America’s financial security at risk, I think. So I’m just delighted to have Elizabeth Warren taking this role and this is not a choice between the lesser of two evils. I made my choice because I have known Hillary for 25 years, she’s incredibly experienced, we need strong leadership at the top, god knows we need a little thoughtfulness and maturity in Washington, which we have very little of. So I’m supporting Hillary. >> STEVE KORNACKI: Do you think though this provision, this is part of the Hillary Clinton strategy, she’s not taking many positions on many things. Do you think she would have been okay taking that out because she did a lot of stuff for the banks as a New York Senator? Do you think she would have been okay taking that provision out that the banks wanted out? >> GOV. DEAN: Well one of the nice things about Hillary’s situation right now, is she’s not a candidate so she doesn’t have to cater to the press and give a position on every issue which I would advise her to. The truth of the matter is, what we learned after 2008, which is after she was a senator is that a lot of the stuff that Wall Street did was really bad for the country and what was passed last night is really bad for the country. What they did essentially is allow Wall Street to gamble in the agricultural sector backed by taxpayers’ money. That’s what got us in this position in the first place, so I think having Elizabeth in the race or not in the race, is good for the country, but I am steadfastly supporting Hillary Clinton because I think she would make a terrific president. >> [MSNBC’s Up w/ Steve Kornacki, 12/14/14]

Gov. Howard Dean: “Hillary is still in high esteem among liberal democrats.” MIKE ALLEN: It’s a great point. The question is will that [Elizabeth Warren’s message] become the Democratic Party for Hillary Clinton who is from a very different part of the party. We already see her adapt to that message. She’s not adapting fast enough for so many of these activists who say they want action and given the results of the election, they have more standing to argue for that. >> GEIST: Governor, I can tell by the smile on your face, you have something to say. >> GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN: I do. I disagree with Mike on the fact that this is a war against Hillary or something of that sort. Actually the numbers are very interesting. Unlike the Tea Party numbers with the more moderate republicans, Hillary is still in high esteem among liberal democrats, not as high as Elizabeth Warren. So I have I think a piece in Politico today or tomorrow that will endorse Hillary on my behalf while my organization that I founded now run by my brother, is very much involved with MoveOn thing to draft Elizabeth Warren. And I think, at the the end of the day, we both end up coming together. First of all, we don’t know for sure Hillary is going to run. But if she does I think she will get plenty of support. This is not the kind of death battle that you saw between the Tea Party and the Republicans. >> GEIST: Brothers fighting brothers. Don’t you think it would be good for Elizabeth Warren to enter the primary process at least, good for Hillary? >> GOV. DEAN: You’re going to have have somebody running, if it’s not Elizabeth Warren. She says she’s not going to run against Hillary Clinton. I think that’s true. You may have Bernie Sanders. Yeah, we need to debate these issues. I think the Democratic Party would do better if we talked a lot more about middle class opportunities and redistribution of our assets. Not so much wealth distribution but giving people in the lower 80% a chance again which we’ve lost. >> [MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 12/09/14]

Gov. Howard Dean: “I am going to support Hillary.” According to Gov. Howard Dean in an interview with USA Today, Gov. Dean said, “I am going to support Hillary. I’ve known her for 25 years. Other than the people who have served in the office, I think she’s the most qualified person to be president of the United States.” [USA Today, 11/27/14]

Gov. Dean: “I’m not convinced she’s [Sec. Clinton’s] going to run, but if she does it will be for the right reasons and I’ll support her.” According to Gov. Howard Dean in an interview with USA Today, Gov. Dean said, regarding Sec. Clinton, “I’m not convinced she’s going to run, but if she does it will be for the right reasons and I’ll support her.” [USA Today, 11/27/14]

Gov. Dean: “If she [Sec. Clinton] runs, she’s the inevitable Democratic nominee.” According to Gov. Howard Dean in an interview with USA Today, Gov. Dean said, regarding Sec. Clinton, “If she runs, she’s the inevitable Democratic nominee.” [USA Today, 11/27/14]

Howard Dean: “I’m supporting Hillary” for 2016. According to MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski asked Howard Dean, “Howard Dean, you are ready for Hillary?” Dean responded, “Well no, I’m not actually.” Brzezinski asked, “No?” Dean stated, “I’m supporting Hillary but I’m not connected with Ready for Hillary.” Brzezinski asked, “Oh, no, no, no. But you are for Hillary Clinton for president?” Dean responded, “I am. I am.” [MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 11/12/14]

Howard Dean: “I’m supporting Hillary Clinton” for the 2016 presidential election. According to an interview with MSNBC’s Meet the Press, Chuck Todd asked Howard Dean, “Let me ask you about the Democratic Party. There’s a concern now among some that because there’s going to be a coronation of Hillary Clinton, that actually, the Democratic party could use some refreshing, bring out new faces, still it could end up being Hillary Clinton as the nominee, and she’s probably the strongest nominee. But are you concerned that suddenly there aren’t going to be any other Democratic party leaders given a chance to sort of rise up here?” Howard Dean responded, “There are definitely going to be some other Democratic Party leaders, and some of them are going to come from the progressive end of the party, and I think that’s a good thing.” Chuck Todd then asked, “Does she need a primary?” Dean responded, “From the point of view of a candidate, no candidate ever needs one.” Todd asked, “No candidate wants one. Needs it. But does the Democratic Party need one?” Dean responded, “I don’t think we need one. But we’re going to get one. Look, this is the most important office on the face of the earth. You’re not going to have an uncontested march to an open seat. But the truth is, there’s a lot of things we ought to debate. We ought to be debating income inequality. We ought to be debating the fact that corporations are now controlling not only the Republican Party, but the government of the United States. We ought to be debating the fact that the Supreme Court has deviated from the constitution on numerous occasions. I still have yet to find where the constitution says a corporation is a person. So there’s a tremendous amount of debate here to be had. And those are the things our party needs to stand for.” Todd asked, “Are you going to be part of that debate? Or are you done with presidential politics?” Dean responded, “Am I running for president?” Todd stated, “Yeah.” Dean stated, “No. I’m supporting Hillary Clinton.” [MSNBC’s Meet the Press, 11/9/14]

Howard Dean: “Hillary is without question the most qualified person in the United States to be President of the United States who hasn’t already served in the office.” According to MSNBC’s MSNBC Live, Alex Wagner asked Howard Dean, “Governor Dean, there has been a lot of analysis on what kind of candidate Hillary would be and Molly Ball in The Atlantic writes in her previous campaign, everywhere Hillary Clinton goes, a thousand cameras follow. I guess you could also say this about Hillary Clinton. Then she opens her mouth and nothing happens. There is a real desire for Clinton to be more of an aggressive candidate, someone who puts forth specific measures and doesn’t talk in vagaries. Do you think that that criticism is fair and do you think it’s possible for her to change if so?” Governor Dean responded, “First of all, I think it’s silly. Hillary Clinton is the frontrunner and the press always takes it upon themselves to knock the frontrunner around as much as possible, I can tell you from experience. They loved me on the way up when I was the underdog and when I got to be the frontrunner, I got clobbered. So you’re going to see a lot of catty reporting from the establishment press and a lot of winey people like Rand Paul complaining about this, that, and the other thing. Rand Paul better watch out though because people who talk like that don’t get their own nomination. He better watch out about his own nomination, not worry about Hillary Clinton’s. He’s got to have something to say, and so far, he hasn’t. Look, Hillary is without question the most qualified person in the United States to be President of the United States who hasn’t already served in the office. So you know, this is hers to lose. Could she lose it? Sure she could. But I think she’s going to run the campaign the way she thinks she should run the campaign and much as I like Molly Ball I don’t think Molly Ball’s going to run a campaign.” [MSNBC’s MSNBC Live, 11/7/14]

Hillary Clinton: “She’s steady, a known-quantity, people can already see her as president.” According to MSNBC’s MSNBC Live, Alex Wagner asked Howard Dean, “Governor Dean, when we talk about the landscape for 2016, the conventional wisdom is it’s going to be a much better map for Democrats, but in terms of getting another Democrat into the White House, history would suggest that things are not as cut and dry as perhaps some on the left would like to think. I mean to succeed a two term president from your own party is kind of a difficult thing. It was difficult in 2008. It was difficult in 2000. It was difficult in 1988… Do you think 2016 could be more of an uphill climb than Democrats have imagined?” Howard Dean responded, “I think definitely it is going to be an uphill climb. Look, the Republicans just clobbered us in an election, partly. You know actually, I take that back. We clobbered ourselves because everybody seemed to think it was a good idea to run with no message whatsoever except for, “Oh gee, I don’t like President Obama either. Don’t blame me.” They weren’t all like that. Kay Hagan ran a great campaign and deserved to win…But of course you have got to take this seriously. Hillary Clinton I think is going to not have a big problem getting the Democratic nomination. But this is going to be a tough election in 2016 and nobody should think that anybody is going to walk into the White House. We have to seen who they nominate. They have the you know, wing-nut wing of their party. If they nominate one of them, Hillary is the perfect candidate. She’s steady, a known-quantity, people can already see her as president. They nominate a more-centrist person, then we got quite a race on her hands and we’re going to have to be all hands on deck. I do disagree with Peter Beinart, who was also like Molly a very good reporter, but I think he’s wrong about excitement among young people. I teach at three different universities, and young women are incredibly excited about the possibility of a Hillary Clinton presidency. So I actually think she can put together a something like the coalition that elected President Obama in 2008 and 2012.” [MSNBC’s MSNBC Live, 11/7/14]

Howard Dean: “Young women are incredibly excited about the possibility of a Hillary Clinton presidency.” According to MSNBC’s MSNBC Live, Alex Wagner asked Howard Dean, “Governor Dean, when we talk about the landscape for 2016, the conventional wisdom is it’s going to be a much better map for Democrats, but in terms of getting another Democrat into the White House, history would suggest that things are not as cut and dry as perhaps some on the left would like to think. I mean to succeed a two term president from your own party is kind of a difficult thing. It was difficult in 2008. It was difficult in 2000. It was difficult in 1988… Do you think 2016 could be more of an uphill climb than Democrats have imagined?” Howard Dean responded, “I think definitely it is going to be an uphill climb. Look, the Republicans just clobbered us in an election, partly. You know actually, I take that back. We clobbered ourselves because everybody seemed to think it was a good idea to run with no message whatsoever except for, “Oh gee, I don’t like President Obama either. Don’t blame me.” They weren’t all like that. Kay Hagan ran a great campaign and deserved to win…But of course you have got to take this seriously. Hillary Clinton I think is going to not have a big problem getting the Democratic nomination. But this is going to be a tough election in 2016 and nobody should think that anybody is going to walk into the White House. We have to seen who they nominate. They have the you know, wing-nut wing of their party. If they nominate one of them, Hillary is the perfect candidate. She’s steady, a known-quantity, people can already see her as president. They nominate a more-centrist person, then we got quite a race on her hands and we’re going to have to be all hands on deck. I do disagree with Peter Beinart, who was also like Molly a very good reporter, but I think he’s wrong about excitement among young people. I teach at three different universities, and young women are incredibly excited about the possibility of a Hillary Clinton presidency. So I actually think she can put together a something like the coalition that elected President Obama in 2008 and 2012.” [MSNBC’s MSNBC Live, 11/7/14]

Howard Dean: “If he [Senator Bernie Sanders] should get into this race, I am supporting Hillary.” According to a panel on MSNBC’s Up with Steve Kornacki, Howard Dean stated that, “If he [Sen. Bernie Sanders] should get into this race, I am supporting Hillary, not because I dislike Bernie Sanders. He’s my home state guy. But I have been with Hillary for over a year. If he gets in, it won’t be a bad primary. He does not do dirty politics. He sticks to the issues. And the issues are important that he’s racing for the country, not just for the Democratic Party…” [MSNBC’s Up with Steve Kornacki, 9/20/14]

Howard Dean: “I am a huge Hillary Clinton fan. I just am.” According to CNN’s coverage of Howard Dean’s comments about Sec. Clinton during an interview with CNN, “Today, Dean still thinks Clinton will have a challenger in the Democratic field — maybe several. But he won’t be one of them. And if Clinton does run, Dean sounds like he’s ready to join the team. ‘I am a huge Hillary Clinton fan,’ Dean told CNN in an interview. ‘I just am. Not because I hope to get a job. I know her; I’ve known her for a long time. I think she has an enormous mental capacity to do analysis and let the chips fall where they may.’” [CNN, 8/19/14]

Howard Dean: “I think she [Sec. Clinton] has an enormous mental capacity to do analysis and let the chips fall where they may.” According to CNN’s coverage of Howard Dean’s comments about Sec. Clinton during an interview with CNN, “Today, Dean still thinks Clinton will have a challenger in the Democratic field — maybe several. But he won’t be one of them. And if Clinton does run, Dean sounds like he’s ready to join the team. ‘I am a huge Hillary Clinton fan,’ Dean told CNN in an interview. ‘I just am. Not because I hope to get a job. I know her; I’ve known her for a long time. I think she has an enormous mental capacity to do analysis and let the chips fall where they may.’” [CNN, 8/19/14]

Howard Dean: “If she [Sec. Clinton] is president, which I hope she is, I think she is going to be a terrific president.” According to CNN’s coverage of Howard Dean’s comments about Sec. Clinton during an interview with CNN, “‘If she is president, which I hope she is, I think she is going to be a terrific president,’ added Dean, who stopped into Clinton’s book signing event in the Hamptons last weekend and posed for a picture with the former secretary of state.” [CNN, 8/19/14]

Howard Dean: “How can she [Sec. Clinton] not triangulate? She is running for President of the United States.” According to CNN’s coverage of Howard Dean’s comments about Sec. Clinton during an interview with CNN, “Her differences with Obama resurfaced last week in an interview with The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg. Clinton drew a line between her own views and the President’s cautious foreign policy realism, expressing concern over the administration’s handling of the civil war in Syria. She said, ‘Great nations need organizing principles — and ‘don’t do stupid stuff’ is not an organizing principle.’ The remark ricocheted around the Internet, and Clinton called the President to make amends. Dean, though, aggressively took Clinton’s side. ‘How can she not triangulate? She is running for President of the United States,’ the former Vermont governor said. ‘You think if she comes out as a clone of anybody she has any chance at winning? People don’t want clones as president. So of course she is going to say stuff that’s different. So what? This is news?’” [CNN, 8/19/14]

Howard Dean: “You think if she [Sec. Clinton] comes out as a clone of anybody she has any chance at winning? People don’t want clones as president.” According to CNN’s coverage of Howard Dean’s comments about Sec. Clinton during an interview with CNN, “Her differences with Obama resurfaced last week in an interview with The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg. Clinton drew a line between her own views and the President’s cautious foreign policy realism, expressing concern over the administration’s handling of the civil war in Syria. She said, ‘Great nations need organizing principles — and ‘don’t do stupid stuff’ is not an organizing principle.’ The remark ricocheted around the Internet, and Clinton called the President to make amends. Dean, though, aggressively took Clinton’s side. ‘How can she not triangulate? She is running for President of the United States,’ the former Vermont governor said. ‘You think if she comes out as a clone of anybody she has any chance at winning? People don’t want clones as president. So of course she is going to say stuff that’s different. So what? This is news?’” [CNN, 8/19/14]

Dukakis, Michael (former Massachusetts Governor, Presidential Nominee 1988)

Dukakis: “Hillary is going to be the nominee and I’d like to see as many of us as possible get behind that effort now.” “Michael Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, says Hillary Clinton is going to be the party’s 2016 standard-bearer — and he’s okay with that. ‘Look, I consider myself part of that liberal base. I’m very comfortable with her as a candidate, as a nominee and as the president of the United States,’ Dukakis said Monday on Fox Business Network’s ‘Cavuto.’ ‘Hillary is going to be the nominee and I’d like to see as many of us as possible get behind that effort now.’” [The Hill, 2/10/15]

Dukakis: “She’s a very progressive Democrat and one who’s not soft on the kinds of financial fooling around that virtually sucked the country dry.” “But Dukakis pushed back against that idea, suggesting that Clinton’s views are more skeptical of Wall Street than progressive critics would suggest. That being so, he asserted that she will likely not have to change those opinions to rebuff a primary challenge from the left. ‘I don’t think she will be forced to vary her view dramatically. … She’s a very progressive Democrat and one who’s not soft on the kinds of financial fooling around that virtually sucked the country dry,’ Dukakis, a former governor of Massachusetts, told Fox Business Network.” [The Hill, 2/10/15]

Dukakis: “I think she’s [Sec. Clinton’s] going to run. I think she wants to be president of the United States. And she should be.” During an interview with U.S. News & World Report, Michael Dukakis said, regarding Sec. Clinton, “I think she’s going to run. I think she wants to be president of the United States. And she should be. I think she’d be an excellent candidate. It’s not going to be easy, don’t get me wrong. When you’ve got a guy like [Karl] Rove questioning her health and stuff. Geez, that guy. Don’t get me started on him. The knives are going to be out. We know this.” [U.S. News & World Report, 11/17/14]

Dukakis: “There’s nothing about the midterms that suggest some profound philosophical change in the American electorate. Nothing. Nothing at all.” During an interview with U.S. News & World Report, Michael Dukakis was asked, regarding Sec. Clinton, “Do the 2014 midterm results give her any pause?” He responded, “No. I wouldn’t think so. There’s nothing about the midterms that suggest some profound philosophical change in the American electorate. Nothing. Nothing at all. Democratic candidates for the Senate should’ve been talking about health care. Not bobbing and weaving and dancing around. You cannot slice and dice an electorate and come up with 51 percent. You’ve got to have a message, which is broad and which is deep. Too many of our candidates tried to patch something together.” [U.S. News & World Report, 11/17/14]

Dukakis: “I think she [Sec. Clinton] can run on what the Democrats have done.” During an interview with U.S. News & World Report, Michael Dukakis was asked, “So you think Hillary can run on the Obama record?” He responded, “I think she can run on what the Democrats have done. Congress as well. I mean, who voted for the stimulus package in the first place? And she can certainly tear into the other side.” [U.S. News & World Report, 11/17/14]

“Michael Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, will appear in West Boca tonight at a fundraiser for the Florida Fishing Academy, a nonprofit that teaches kids about fishing and the environment to steer them from drugs and violence. Ahead of his appearance, PostOnPolitics asked Dukakis about Hillary Clinton and the 2016 landscape. ‘I like her and I think she’d be a darn good candidate. At least at this point it looks as if she’s the likely nominee and I’m fine with that,’ Dukakis said of Clinton. ‘But if there’s one thing Barack Obama has proved, and I’m sorry to say I did not do this well in ‘88 as a guy who was always elected with terrific grass-roots organizations in Massachusetts, it’s clear that precinct-based organizing, up to and including the presidency, wins elections.’ If Clinton is the Democratic nominee, Dukakis said, Democrats must do the kind of precinct organizing they did for Obama ‘and I think she understands that now, especially after her defeat by him.’ Said Dukakis: ‘We’ve got 200,000 precincts, every one of them’s got to have a precinct captain and six block captains making personal contact with every single voting household. That’s the way you win elections.’” [Palm Beach Post, 5/15/14]

Granholm, Jennifer

Jennifer Granholm: “Since long before the time Hillary Clinton wrote that ‘it takes a village,’ she has been advocating a belief that we, as a country, are all in this together.” According to Jennifer Granholm in CNBC, “Since long before the time Hillary Clinton wrote that ‘it takes a village,’ she has been advocating a belief that we, as a country, are all in this together. That, just like in your own family, our American family takes care of each other. In your family you take care of your aging parents. Period. In our American family, we take care of all of our parents, through strong policies like Social Security and Medicaid.” [Jennifer Granholm, CNBC, 12/23/14]

Jennifer Granholm: “Hillary Clinton has worked to increase health coverage for millions of children in low-income and working families through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.” According to Jennifer Granholm in CNBC, “Hillary Clinton has worked to increase health coverage for millions of children in low-income and working families through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, a program she helped created as First Lady.” [Jennifer Granholm, CNBC, 12/23/14]

Jennifer Granholm: “We are fiercely proud of belonging to a country — a big American family — where no one gets left behind. That is why I am ready for Hillary.” According to Jennifer Granholm in CNBC, “Opportunity and success shouldn’t be limited to those lucky enough to be born into wealthy families, or to the grandchildren of governors or senators. Instead, we should remind ourselves that we belong to one another, to one team, to one family. And we are fiercely proud of belonging to a country — a big American family — where no one gets left behind. That is why I am ready for Hillary.” [Jennifer Granholm, CNBC, 12/23/14]

Hickenlooper, John (Governor of Colorado)

Gov. John Hickenlooper on Hillary Clinton: “She connects with people in a very authentic and genuine way.” According to MSNBC’s NOW With Alex Wagner, Andrea Mitchell asked Governor John Hickenlooper, “And what about the fact that Republican leaders including Reince Priebus have said Hillary Clinton is the big loser because she campaigned in Kentucky and she and Bill Clinton campaigned in other states for candidates who lost?” Governor John Hickenlooper responded, “Well I think there were so many factors. I don’t think that in anyway reflects on Hillary Clinton or on President Clinton. The President [Clinton] was out here several times and my goodness he attracted large crowds and he still, you know Bill Clinton can take a complex issue and distill it down the essence and then communicate that to so that all different kinds of people can understand it, as well as anyone out there and when Hillary Clinton was out here, she also huge crowds of people, I mean she connects with people in a very authentic and genuine way.” [MSNBC’s NOW With Alex Wagner, 11/6/14]

McAuliffe, Terry (Governor of Virginia)

Terry McAuliffe: “I hope Hillary Clinton runs.” BETTY LIU: Okay, on that front then Governor, let me ask you this question. Let’s turn to 2016. Many of you know and remember that you were a key operative in both Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns. Among republicans who have put their name out there, who do you think has the strongest — is the strongest threat to a Hillary Clinton run in 2016? >> GOV. MCAULIFFE: Well, in fairness I do not think we know that yet because now we are starting the campaign season. They are going to have to lay their programs out. We have some very good governors running. You know, I saw Scott Walker and had a nice discussion with him the other night at the Alfalfa Dinner here in Washington. But you know, it is different running a state than running a country. And now have to go through the campaign season and see where they stand on these different issues, how they will grow the economy. I think the biggest issue Betty is going to be, how do you create new jobs? How do you take care of the middle class as they see their take-home pay drop? I think the biggest issue is where our economy is coming back, to make sure everybody benefits from an uplift in the economy. And that is going to be the challenge. That is why I hope Hillary Clinton runs. She’s making this decision on her own timetable, which I’m proud of her. [Bloomberg’s In The Loop With Betty Liu, 2/5/15]

Terry McAuliffe: Hillary Clinton will have “a spectacular run with our economy” just like President Bill Clinton. BETTY LIU: By the way, when are we going to hear about that, Governor? When? >> GOV. MCAULIFFE: Well listen, there is no rush for her to get in. She obviously, as you can see, they are talking to different folks. They are putting frameworks together as we speak. She is under no rush to get in. When she is ready to go and she feels ready to announce, she is going to do it. But she rightfully is going to do that on her timetable. This is a big decision for her. But I am excited. I have known the President and Hillary for over 30 years. The president, President Clinton, had a spectacular run with our economy. You will see that as well with Hillary Clinton, to grow this economy. You know we can do nationally what we are doing in Virginia. Working in a bipartisan way to grow and diversify the economy. People want, Betty, they want jobs with good wages and benefits. [Bloomberg’s In The Loop With Betty Liu, 2/5/15]

Patrick, Deval (Governor of Massachusetts)

Gov. Deval Patrick: Hillary Clinton “has been an extraordinary public servant and would be a terrific candidate for president.” CHUCK TODD: Hillary Clinton, you have praised her, talked about admiring her from afar. you don’t know her well. you say you are concerned about this air of inevitability, that it’s bad for the party. >> DEVAL PATRICK: Well I think first of all Hillary Clinton, secretary Clinton excuse me has been an extraordinary public servant and would be a terrific candidate for president. But I think that the narrative that it’s inevitable is off putting to regular voters. And I don’t mean that — >> TODD: so she should be challenged in a democratic primary? >>PATRICK: i don’t mean that as a criticism of her. i just think that people read inevitability as entitlement. The American people want and ought to want their candidates to sweat for the job. to actually make a case for why they are the right person at the right time. >> [MSNBC’s Meet the Press, 11/30/14]

Gov. Deval Patrick: “I think she’s [Sec. Clinton’s] fantastic and incredibly strong.” According to Palm Beach Post’s interview with Gov. Deval Patrick, “Patrick told CNN in May that he’s concerned about the perception of ‘inevitability’ surrounding Hillary Clinton if she runs in 2016. PostOnPolitics asked him to elaborate Monday. ‘First of all, I think she’s fantastic and incredibly strong,’ Patrick said of Clinton. ‘But the problem with inevitability is it’s sometimes interpreted as entitlement and I think that voters want competition and they want their candidates to have to work for it. We don’t have to really get too deep into that because she hasn’t declared yet, but it’s just a concern that I hope her campaign keeps in mind.’” [Post on Politics, Palm Beach Post, 9/9/14]

Gov. Deval Patrick: “I think she’s [Sec. Clinton’s] incredibly strong, has an extraordinary record of leadership.” According to Palm Beach Post’s interview with Gov. Deval Patrick, “Since he described Clinton as ‘fantastic,’ Patrick was asked if he’d support her if she runs. ‘I’m going to wait on all that until it’s time to make those kinds of decisions. But as I say I think she’s incredibly strong, has an extraordinary record of leadership,’ Patrick said.” [Post on Politics, Palm Beach Post, 9/9/14]

Rendell, Ed (former Governor of Pennsylvania)

Ed Rendell: In 2008, Hillary Clinton “attracted working class Democrats, attracted progressive Democrats, attracted blue dogs, attracted progressives. You name it.” REV. SHARPTON: She [Elizabeth Warren] definitely is a smart woman. But — and let me say that their fears are not misplaced because the polls show why Republicans are so worried. Hillary Clinton has a double-digit lead over the biggest GOP names. She’s up 13 points on Jeb Bush and 15 points on Mitt Romney. I mean, are Republicans desperate to bring her down a notch before the general election, Governor? >> ED RENDELL: Oh, sure. They will try everything. No matter how many times the facts come out of Benghazi, the facts come out on Benghazi, they just ignore the facts and say, ‘Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi’ as if they hope it is going to stick. It won’t stick because the American people are too smart. They are going to be focusing on the future. They are going to be focusing on what the candidates are offering. And Hillary Clinton is a great leader. She showed when she was in the senate the ability to bring both parties together. She worked very well with Republicans. She’s going to be a terrific candidate this time around. She was a great candidate — you may remember, Rev, because you were supporting Senator Obama. I was supporting Senator Clinton. But in the last half of that campaign, Hillary Clinton found her voice and was a dynamite candidate. She was one who attracted working class Democrats, attracted progressive Democrats, attracted blue dogs, attracted progressives. You name it. >> [MSNBC’s PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton, 1/28/15]

Ed Rendell: “In the last half of that campaign, Hillary Clinton found her voice and was a dynamite candidate.” REV. SHARPTON: She [Elizabeth Warren] definitely is a smart woman. But — and let me say that their fears are not misplaced because the polls show why Republicans are so worried. Hillary Clinton has a double-digit lead over the biggest GOP names. She’s up 13 points on Jeb Bush and 15 points on Mitt Romney. I mean, are Republicans desperate to bring her down a notch before the general election, Governor? >> ED RENDELL: Oh, sure. They will try everything. No matter how many times the facts come out of Benghazi, the facts come out on Benghazi, they just ignore the facts and say, ‘Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi’ as if they hope it is going to stick. It won’t stick because the American people are too smart. They are going to be focusing on the future. They are going to be focusing on what the candidates are offering. And Hillary Clinton is a great leader. She showed when she was in the senate the ability to bring both parties together. She worked very well with Republicans. She’s going to be a terrific candidate this time around. She was a great candidate — you may remember, Rev, because you were supporting Senator Obama. I was supporting Senator Clinton. But in the last half of that campaign, Hillary Clinton found her voice and was a dynamite candidate. She was one who attracted working class Democrats, attracted progressive Democrats, attracted blue dogs, attracted progressives. You name it. >> [MSNBC’s PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton, 1/28/15]

Ed Rendell on campaigning with Hillary Clinton in 2008: “Hillary was very specific and she gave a message that stirred populist feelings in people all over Pennsylvania.” According to an interview with MSNBC’s MSNBC Live, Alex Wagner asked Ed Rendell, “Governor Rendell, there is a question though of her coalition and Peter Beinart, another analysis in The Atlantic, writes young people do not have the same passion that they had for Obama, neither do African-Americans, neither do many liberals. If she is going to rouse into the polls in the same remarkable numbers that President Obama did, she is going to have to take the risk of actually saying something, which is similar to the criticism of Molly Ball, but it does call into question whether she can assemble the, whether she can inherit the Obama coalition and/or assemble enough of the coalition that is as broad as the one he created.” Ed Rendell responded, “Well before I answer that, I just want to say I spent seven solid weeks before the Pennsylvania primary campaigning with Hillary Clinton and she said a great deal of things, including for example, being the person to come out for the individual mandate. Barack Obama, Senator Obama, was against the individual mandate, ironically. Hillary was very specific and she gave a message that stirred populist feelings in people all over Pennsylvania. And as far as African-Americans, I’ve been in churches with Bill Clinton campaigning in black churches and the last year or two, and when he mentions Hillary’s name, the place goes wild. So, that’s all just a bunch of hogwash and I think Howard’s right. It’s sort of journalistic nitpicking. What was the question about the coalition?” [MSNBC’s MSNBC Live, 11/7/14]

Rendell, on Sec. Clinton and the presidency: “I think for all of the things that Hillary Clinton has done in her career, she has basically earned it.” During an interview with Ed Rendell, MSNBC’s Craig Melvin asked the former governor in regards to Sec. Clinton, “Should there be a coronation?” to which Rendell responded, “Well, it’s not necessarily a coronation; a coronation is when somebody hasn’t earned it. I think for all of the things that Hillary Clinton has done in her career, she has basically earned it. When George W. Bush ran, he had some competition, but he hadn’t done the things that Hillary Clinton had done. I’m just saying whether it’s a good or bad thing, as a practical matter, the vice president who has done a great job as vice president, but his people are Hillary’s people. His fundraisers are Hillary’s fundraisers and when you look at the poll that was just released, with Hillary having a 61% point advantage, I’ve never seen anything like that in presidential politics. And she has a 12-point advantage in the general election. There’s an old saying and you know it very well, Craig, there isn’t an election that can’t be lost.” [MSNBC’s Craig Melvin, Real Clear Politics Video, 1/31/14]

Richardson, Bill (New Mexico)

Bill Richardson: “If she’s the nominee, I will support her. I think she’s very qualified.” BECKY QUICK: Governor before you go, you kicked up a huge storm about six years ago when after being Energy Secretary and U.N. Ambassador to Bill Clinton, you supported Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton. >> BILL RICHARDSON: Yeah. He still won’t speak to me. >> QUICK: If Hillary Clinton runs for 2016, would you endorse her? >> RICHARDSON: Well, if she — I’d want there to be a primary. I’m not one of those that are, oh you know, let’s get behind Hillary, now ready for Hillary. But if she’s the nominee, I will support her. I think she’s very qualified. But you know I’m not one of these people right now; I’m in the private sector now. I’m not as rich as this guy, but I don’t have to go cater anybody– >> JOE KERNEN: You don’t have buyer’s remorse at this point governor? Huh? Well you’re the last one. >> RICHARSON: But I think she’ll be the nominee. But I tell you, I worry as a Democrat if Jeb Bush is the candidate because of his appeal to Hispanic voters. I think he’s going to be very strong. I wouldn’t say the election’s set with the Democrats. We’re a cyclical country. Eight years one party, eight years another. You know, I — I don’t know. >> [CNBC’s Squawk Box, 12/12/14]

Strickland, Ted (Ohio Governor)

Gov. Strickland: “I’m a Hillary Clinton supporter” for 2016.” BRENDAN GREELEY: Former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and current Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock. Now is the part of the show where we ask you about 2016 that you can’t possibly answer. Governor, Jim Webb, once a Virginia Senator, once Secretary of the Navy, has announced his candidacy, the only Democrat that’s running so far. GOV. TED STRICKLAND: That’s right. BRENDAN GREELEY: Then have you thrown your hat in the ring for Jim Webb? STRICKLAND: No, I’m a Hillary Clinton supporter. As –GREELEY: But she’s not running. STRICKLAND: Well, I think she’s running. GREELEY: What gives you that idea? STRICKLAND: Jim Webb’s a good guy. He has got a distinguished history. He will bring some meaningful discussion to the debate. But I have been, am, and will continue to be a strong Hillary Clinton supporter. GREELEY: Does she need candidate, somebody to run against her to pull her in one direction? STRICKLAND: You know, listen, I think Secretary Clinton is a fighter for the people. Now a lot of people may disagree with me but I think in her heart of hearts, she’s a populist. She understands what’s happening in this country and I think she’ll take a strong message. TOM KEENE: What did Secretary Clinton learn four years ago that she can apply now with a best practices standpoint? What can she do with best practices to get to November of 2016? STRICKLAND: I think what she learned was that the experience and all of that really isn’t what matters to the American people. They want to hear a message. They want to hear an economic message. [Bloomberg’s Bloomberg Surveillance, 11/21/14]

Gov. Strickland: “I think Secretary Clinton is a fighter for the people… I think in her heart of hearts, she’s a populist. She understands what’s happening in this country.” BRENDAN GREELEY: Former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and current Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock. Now is the part of the show where we ask you about 2016 that you can’t possibly answer. Governor, Jim Webb, once a Virginia Senator, once Secretary of the Navy, has announced his candidacy, the only Democrat that’s running so far. GOV. TED STRICKLAND: That’s right. BRENDAN GREELEY: Then have you thrown your hat in the ring for Jim Webb? STRICKLAND: No, I’m a Hillary Clinton supporter. As –GREELEY: But she’s not running. STRICKLAND: Well, I think she’s running. GREELEY: What gives you that idea? STRICKLAND: Jim Webb’s a good guy. He has got a distinguished history. He will bring some meaningful discussion to the debate. But I have been, am, and will continue to be a strong Hillary Clinton supporter. GREELEY: Does she need candidate, somebody to run against her to pull her in one direction? STRICKLAND: You know, listen, I think Secretary Clinton is a fighter for the people. Now a lot of people may disagree with me but I think in her heart of hearts, she’s a populist. She understands what’s happening in this country and I think she’ll take a strong message. TOM KEENE: What did Secretary Clinton learn four years ago that she can apply now with a best practices standpoint? What can she do with best practices to get to November of 2016? STRICKLAND: I think what she learned was that the experience and all of that really isn’t what matters to the American people. They want to hear a message. They want to hear an economic message. [Bloomberg’s Bloomberg Surveillance, 11/21/14]

Gov. Strickland, on Sec. Clinton: “If and when she announces, and I think she will, I’ve indicated to her that whatever I can do to be helpful I will.” According to a Columbus (O.H.) CBS affiliate, “Strickland says he is supporting Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 if she decides to run. He also backed her in 2008 during her bitter primary fight with Barack Obama. Clinton won Ohio’s presidential primary in 2008, although Obama went on to win the Democratic nomination. ‘If and when she announces, and I think she will, I’ve indicated to her that whatever I can do to be helpful I will,’ said Strickland. ‘I think she’ll be a great President. I told her one of the things I want to do before I leave the political scene is to help you have one more chance to become president.’” [Columbus (O.H.) CBS affiliate, 3/28/14]

Gov. Strickland, on Sec. Clinton: “I think she’ll be a great President. I told her one of the things I want to do before I leave the political scene is to help you have one more chance to become president.” According to a Columbus (O.H.) CBS affiliate, “Strickland says he is supporting Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 if she decides to run. He also backed her in 2008 during her bitter primary fight with Barack Obama. Clinton won Ohio’s presidential primary in 2008, although Obama went on to win the Democratic nomination. ‘If and when she announces, and I think she will, I’ve indicated to her that whatever I can do to be helpful I will,’ said Strickland. ‘I think she’ll be a great President. I told her one of the things I want to do before I leave the political scene is to help you have one more chance to become president.’” [Columbus (O.H.) CBS affiliate, 3/28/14]

Gov. Strickland on how he feels about Hillary Clinton: “I think like is a strong enough word, you could chose a stronger word if you’d like.” According to an interview on CSPAN2, Christina Bellantoni asked Governor Strickland, “Now, I am guessing you like Hillary Clinton?” Governor Strickland responded, “Well, I think like is a strong enough word, you could chose a stronger word if you’d like. But I like a lot of candidates. Secretary Clinton has done very well in Ohio in the past, as did her husband Bill Clinton. There seems to be sort of a, I don’t know, some kind of special appeal that the Clintons have in Ohio and Ohio has voted for the winner of most presidential elections. I think since Abraham Lincoln, no Republican has won the presidency without winning Ohio and only one Democrat has won the presidency without winning Ohio and that was John Kennedy. So Ohio is a swing state. Virginia, as you said, has become one…” [CSPAN2, 11/6/14]

Gov. Strickland: “There seems to be…some kind of special appeal that the Clintons have in Ohio.” According to an interview on CSPAN2, Christina Bellantoni asked Governor Strickland, “Now, I am guessing you like Hillary Clinton?” Governor Strickland responded, “Well, I think like is a strong enough word, you could chose a stronger word if you’d like. But I like a lot of candidates. Secretary Clinton has done very well in Ohio in the past, as did her husband Bill Clinton. There seems to be sort of a, I don’t know, some kind of special appeal that the Clintons have in Ohio and Ohio has voted for the winner of most presidential elections. I think since Abraham Lincoln, no Republican has won the presidency without winning Ohio and only one Democrat has won the presidency without winning Ohio and that was John Kennedy. So Ohio is a swing state. Virginia, as you said, has become one…” [CSPAN2, 11/6/14]

Gov. Ted Strickland: “I am and have been and will continue to be a strong advocate for Secretary Clinton.” According to MSNBC’s Weekends with Alex Witt, Alex Witt asked former Governor Ted Strickland, “Governor, if you look ahead to 2016 though, if Hillary Clinton does not run, does that leave Democrats with few options?” Former Governor Ted Strickland responded, “Well I think we’ve got, no we’ve got Joe Biden. We’ve got Governor O’Malley. We’ve got several candidates that could potentially become president. Of course as an individual, I am and have been and will continue to be a strong advocate for Secretary Clinton. But I don’t think our bench is all that thin and I do believe that unlike the Republican Party, we do not have the extremes within our potential political leadership like they have and I think that eventually could be a real problem for the Republicans going forward.” [MSNBC’s Weekends with Alex Witt, 11/9/14]

Vilsack, Tom (Secretary of Agriculture under Pres. Obama, Governor of Iowa)

Tom Vilsack, on Sec. Clinton: “I’m reasonably confident that she’ll receive a very good reception in Iowa.” According to a USA Today article referencing Tom Vilsack, “On politics, he predicts Hillary Rodham Clinton would fare better in the Hawkeye State in 2016 than she did in 2008, when Barack Obama defeated her in the opening presidential caucuses. ‘Let me just say that, from my perspective, Secretary Clinton didn’t lose the Iowa caucus; the president won the Iowa caucus,’ says Vilsack, who supported Clinton. ‘His team did an enormous job of attracting new people to the system.’ If Clinton decides to run again, ‘I’m reasonably confident that she’ll receive a very good reception in Iowa,’ he says. He is less certain that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would be welcome in the state’s Republican caucuses, won in 2012 by Rick Santorum.” [USA Today, 11/25/13]

Wilder, Doug (Virginia Governor)

“Clinton has been nothing but a team player who has earned good marks since being asked to serve as secretary of state. She has skillfully navigated the globe and been tough and commanding when the moment called for it (with Iran) and graceful and diplomatic when situations required (navigating complex relations with Russia, Pakistan and China).” – L. Douglas Wilder [Wilder op-ed, Politico, 8/2/10]

HOUSE

Baer, Daniel (U.S. Ambassador to OSCE under Pres. Obama)

Gay U.S. Ambassador to OSCE tweeted thanks to Sec. Clinton for her “commitment to equality.” According to Towleroad, “Gay U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Daniel Baer married his partner Brian Walsh today. Tweeted Baer: ‘So, I got married this morning. Thank you @BarackObama, @HillaryClinton, & @JohnKerry for your commitment to equality’.” [Towleroad, 8/2/14]

Beatty, Joyce

Rep. Joyce Beatty announced she supported Sec. Clinton for president in 2016. According to the Columbus Dispatch, “Rep. Joyce Beatty says she’s ready for Hillary. Beatty, a Jefferson Township Democrat just elected to her second term in Congress, announced in an email to supporters that she supports former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a Democratic contender in 2016. Beatty has signed onto the ‘Ready for Hillary’ campaign – a super PAC aimed at generating support for a Clinton presidential bid.” [Columbus Dispatch, 11/17/14]

Rep. Joyce Beatty: “It’s up to us to build the foundation Hillary will need when and if she decides to run for president.” According to the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty said, “‘What many people don’t realize is that Hillary had to give up all of her political organizing activities when she became Secretary of State,’ she writes. ‘That means it’s up to us to build the foundation Hillary will need when and if she decides to run for president.’” [Columbus Dispatch, 11/17/14]

Castro, Joaquin

Rep. Joaquin Castro: “She [Sec. Clinton] strikes a chord within the Latino community.” According to the New York Times’ coverage of immigration advocates protesting at Sec. Clinton’s speaking events, “‘She strikes a chord within the Latino community,’ said Representative Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from Texas who has already endorsed the ‘super PAC’ Ready for Hillary. ‘There is a sense that she cares deeply about the issues confronting the community, and she has spent time nurturing relationships within the Latino community,’ Mr. Castro added.” [New York Times, 10/26/14]

Rep. Joaquin Castro: “There is a sense that she [Sec. Clinton] cares deeply about the issues confronting the community, and she has spent time nurturing relationships within the Latino community.” According to the New York Times’ coverage of immigration advocates protesting at Sec. Clinton’s speaking events, “‘She strikes a chord within the Latino community,’ said Representative Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from Texas who has already endorsed the ‘super PAC’ Ready for Hillary. ‘There is a sense that she cares deeply about the issues confronting the community, and she has spent time nurturing relationships within the Latino community,’ Mr. Castro added.” [New York Times, 10/26/14]

Rep. Joaquin Castro: “There’s no doubt about it: Hillary is the best person to be our 45th president.” According to Politico’s coverage of Rep. Joaquin Castro, “Castro made the endorsement in an email that Ready for Hillary sent out Monday, which was obtained by POLITICO. ‘There’s no doubt about it: Hillary is the best person to be our 45th president,’ Castro writes in the email. ‘Hillary has always been a tireless advocate for working families — she’s never ceased to make sure everybody has a fair shot at achieving the American Dream,’ he writes. ‘Hillary’s the leader I want to see moving into the White House in two years,’ he says.” [Politico, 9/29/14]

Rep. Joaquin Castro: “Hillary has always been a tireless advocate for working families — she’s never ceased to make sure everybody has a fair shot at achieving the American Dream.” According to Politico’s coverage of Rep. Joaquin Castro, “Castro made the endorsement in an email that Ready for Hillary sent out Monday, which was obtained by POLITICO. ‘There’s no doubt about it: Hillary is the best person to be our 45th president,’ Castro writes in the email. ‘Hillary has always been a tireless advocate for working families — she’s never ceased to make sure everybody has a fair shot at achieving the American Dream,’ he writes. ‘Hillary’s the leader I want to see moving into the White House in two years,’ he says.” [Politico, 9/29/14]

Rep. Joaquin Castro: “Hillary’s the leader I want to see moving into the White House in two years.” According to Politico’s coverage of Rep. Joaquin Castro, “Castro made the endorsement in an email that Ready for Hillary sent out Monday, which was obtained by POLITICO. ‘There’s no doubt about it: Hillary is the best person to be our 45th president,’ Castro writes in the email. ‘Hillary has always been a tireless advocate for working families — she’s never ceased to make sure everybody has a fair shot at achieving the American Dream,’ he writes. ‘Hillary’s the leader I want to see moving into the White House in two years,’ he says.” [Politico, 9/29/14]

Rep. Joaquin Castro: “You and I both know Hillary would do amazing things as U.S. President — but it’s up to us to make these early moments count.” According to Politico’s coverage of Rep. Joaquin Castro’s endorsement of Ready for Hillary, Castro said regarding Sec. Clinton, “She hasn’t announced yet that she’s running in 2016, but Hillary needs to know that if she does, millions of grassroots supporters like you will be standing proudly by her side. You and I both know Hillary would do amazing things as U.S. President — but it’s up to us to make these early moments count.” [Politico, 9/29/14]

Chandler, Ben (Kentucky Representative)

Rep. Chandler: “I’m going to get in line behind my colleagues and thank you for taking on what I believe is maybe the most difficult job that our country has to offer and for handling it with great aplomb.” “Thank you, Madam Chairman. And Secretary Clinton, I’m going to get in line behind my colleagues and thank you for taking on what I believe is maybe the most difficult job that our country has to offer and for handling it with great aplomb.” [“House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,” 2/25/10]

Cleaver, Emanuel (Missouri Representative)

Crowley, Joe

Rep. Crowley, on Sec. Clinton: “While she achieved a great deal as our nation’s top diplomat, one accomplishment stands out: She restored America’s standing in the world.” According to Rep. Joe Crowley in a column for CNN, “There has been a lot of chatter in the media lately about Hillary Clinton’s record as secretary of state. And aside from what Karl Rove says, the right wing’s talking point du jour has been that she didn’t have one ‘signature’ accomplishment. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. While she achieved a great deal as our nation’s top diplomat, one accomplishment stands out: She restored America’s standing in the world. Believe me, this was no small feat.” [Rep. Joe Crowley, CNN, 5/13/14]

Rep. Crowley, on Sec. Clinton’s tenure as Sec. State: “On Day One, Clinton began the long, arduous task of shedding the black cloud that had hovered over U.S. foreign policy for nearly a decade.” According to Rep. Joe Crowley in a column for CNN, “On Day One, Clinton began the long, arduous task of shedding the black cloud that had hovered over U.S. foreign policy for nearly a decade. She embarked on a world tour with the goal of repairing diplomatic ties with leaders, restoring America’s stature on the global stage, and reinvigorating longstanding friendships.” [Rep. Joe Crowley, CNN, 5/13/14]

Rep. Crowley, on Sec. Clinton: “As secretary of state, Clinton made great strides in countering the proliferation of nuclear weapons around the world.” According to Rep. Joe Crowley in a column for CNN, “As secretary of state, Clinton made great strides in countering the proliferation of nuclear weapons around the world. She played a pivotal role in the passage and enactment of the New START Treaty, which will reduce key nuclear arsenals to their lowest levels in 50 years. Concerned with Iran’s expanding nuclear program, Secretary Clinton focused her efforts on building a multinational coalition to impose unprecedented sanctions designed to press Iran to comply with its international obligations.” [Rep. Joe Crowley, CNN, 5/13/14]

Rep. Crowley: “The fact is: Clinton’s record as secretary of state speaks for itself. And it speaks loud and clear that she was exactly the kind of skilled leader our country needed.” According to Rep. Joe Crowley in a column for CNN, “From establishing the first-ever ambassador for Global Women’s Issues to breaking new ground on human rights matters like protecting girls from violence, Secretary Clinton consistently worked to promote the work of women in the United States and globally. The fact is: Clinton’s record as secretary of state speaks for itself. And it speaks loud and clear that she was exactly the kind of skilled leader our country needed.” [Rep. Joe Crowley, CNN, 5/13/14]

DCCC

DCCC spox: “There are few people in either party who can deliver a persuasive and motivating message to both base and swing voters. Hillary Clinton is one of those people.” According to Politico, “Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Josh Schwerin agreed. ‘There are few people in either party who can deliver a persuasive and motivating message to both base and swing voters,’ he said. ‘Hillary Clinton is one of those people.’” [Politico, 11/2/14]

Frank, Barney

Rep. Barney Frank: “If Hillary Clinton decides to run for president, she’ll be the nominee.” “According to The Hill’s Briefing Room blog, “Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said the group urging Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to run for president is ‘a good thing.’ ‘I think it’s a good thing,’ Frank said of Ready for Warren, the group urging her to run, in an interview with The Huffington Post. ‘It’ll help keep liberal activity going and keep some pressure on people. But I think what’s also very clear — if Hillary Clinton decides to run for president, she’ll be the nominee.’ Frank is certainly not endorsing Warren at this point, and Warren insists she is not even running. In April, Frank appeared at an event encouraging Clinton to run.” [Briefing Room, The Hill, 8/1/14]

Frankel, Lois

Frankel, on Sec. Clinton: “I think she brings all that to the table, and I’d love to see the first woman president.” According to The Florida Sun Sentinel, “U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, who also represents Broward and Palm Beach counties, was mayor of West Palm Beach when Clinton ran the last time. Frankel was with her then and is again. ‘I endorsed her he last time too. I feel even stronger about it now,’ Frankel said in an interview. ‘It’s about her experience and about her integrity and her own personal ability. I think she brings all that to the table, and I’d love to see the first woman president,’ Frankel said. She said Clinton would have ‘huge support’ in South Florida if she runs. She said there would be a surprising amount of support for Clinton from Republican women.” [The Florida Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale), 2/7/14]

Gutierrez, Luis (Illinois Representative)

Rep. Luis Gutierrez: “If she’s ready, I’m ready for Hillary.” According to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Early & Often blog, “The polls show an overwhelming amount of support for Hillary Clinton and now Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., is ready to give her a boost as well. Gutierrez, who appeared on PoliticKING with Larry King, says Clinton has what it takes. ‘I will be happy to back Hillary Clinton, I think she has an astonishing background and a readiness,’ Gutierrez said. ‘If she’s ready, I’m ready for Hillary.’” [Early & Often, Chicago Sun-Times, 8/7/14]

Hastings, Alcee

Hastings: “I supported Hillary Clinton in the last election, and I felt very good about the fact that she and Barack Obama joined forces.” According to The Florida Sun Sentinel, “U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, another Broward and Palm Beach county member of Congress, agreed that her support in South Florida would be ‘immensely strong.’ Hastings was a major Clinton supporter in 2008 even though some other African-American politicians were supporting Obama. ‘I supported Hillary Clinton in the last election, and I felt very good about the fact that she and Barack Obama joined forces,’ when he appointed her secretary of state. He said it’s time for the country to have a female president. ‘We finally break the final barrier … for women in this country. And there’s no better-prepared person in this country than Hillary Clinton to do that,’ he said.” [The Florida Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale), 2/7/14]

Israel, Steve (DCCC head and New York Representative)

DCCC Chair Israel: “Some people excel at raising money. Some people excel at turning out voters. The Clintons excel at both.” According to the Associated Press, regarding the Clintons’ campaign efforts in the 2014 elections, “The couple is a powerful fundraising force that fuels voter turnout and give activists a taste of what could come next. ‘Some people excel at raising money. Some people excel at turning out voters. The Clintons excel at both,’ said Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., who leads the House Democrats’ campaign arm. ‘There is not one single competitive district in the country where both don’t do well.’” [Associated Press, 10/22/14]

DCCC Chair Israel: “There is not one single competitive district in the country where both [Clintons] don’t do well.” According to the Associated Press, regarding the Clintons’ campaign efforts in the 2014 elections, “The couple is a powerful fundraising force that fuels voter turnout and give activists a taste of what could come next. ‘Some people excel at raising money. Some people excel at turning out voters. The Clintons excel at both,’ said Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., who leads the House Democrats’ campaign arm. ‘There is not one single competitive district in the country where both don’t do well.’” [Associated Press, 10/22/14]

DCCC Chair Israel: “The only downside to Hillary Clinton appearing at a DCCC fundraiser is that you need a room large enough.” According to the Washington Post, regarding DCCC Chairman Steve Israel’s opinion on Sec. Clinton’s campaign efforts for candidates in the 2014 elections, “He dismissed the notion that her prominence as a drawing card puts a finger on the scale for her if she decides to run for president in a few months. ‘The only downside to Hillary Clinton appearing at a DCCC fundraiser is that you need a room large enough,’ Israel said in an interview. ‘It’s indisputable that many people want her to run, but even in the absence of her candidacy she’s still Hillary Clinton. She’s a historical figure, and one of the biggest draws in American politics.’” [Washington Post, 10/21/14]

DCCC Chair Israel: “It’s indisputable that many people want her to run, but even in the absence of her candidacy she’s still Hillary Clinton.” According to the Washington Post, regarding DCCC Chairman Steve Israel’s opinion on Sec. Clinton’s campaign efforts for candidates in the 2014 elections, “He dismissed the notion that her prominence as a drawing card puts a finger on the scale for her if she decides to run for president in a few months. ‘The only downside to Hillary Clinton appearing at a DCCC fundraiser is that you need a room large enough,’ Israel said in an interview. ‘It’s indisputable that many people want her to run, but even in the absence of her candidacy she’s still Hillary Clinton. She’s a historical figure, and one of the biggest draws in American politics.’” [Washington Post, 10/21/14]

DCCC Chair Rep. Israel: “It’s safe to say that there’s a lot of enthusiasm among Democrats around the country for the prospect of a Hillary Clinton candidacy, and that unquestionably factors into many donors’ decision making.” According to Politico’s coverage of the DCCC and House Majority PAC raising money for 2014 based on Sec. Clinton’s prospective 2016 run, “‘It’s safe to say that there’s a lot of enthusiasm among Democrats around the country for the prospect of a Hillary Clinton candidacy, and that unquestionably factors into many donors’ decision making,’ said DCCC Chairman Rep. Steve Israel of New York.” [Politico, 10/9/14]

DCCC Chairman Israel: “We’re thrilled and grateful that she [Sec. Clinton] is lending her support to our shared goal of electing a Democratic House of Representatives.” According to CNN, “In addition, a DCCC source tells CNN that Clinton will fundraiser for the congressional campaign committee, including a women’s event in San Francisco with Leader Nancy Pelosi. ‘We’re thrilled and grateful that she is lending her support to our shared goal of electing a Democratic House of Representatives that will put a stop to the endless cycle of dysfunction and shutdowns from this Republican Congress,’ Chairman Steve Israel said in a statement.” [CNN, 8/18/14]

Rep. Israel: “Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Secretary, we really miss you in New York…We really, really miss you in New York.” [“House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,” 2/25/10]

Lee, Barbara (California Representative)

Rep. Lee: “First let me thank you, your team…for the response, the coordinated response as it related to the tragedy in Haiti. They were, quite frankly, phenomenal and we were able to do quite a bit.” “Great. With regard – thank you very much for that. With regard to Haiti, first let me thank you, your team, the leadership of your Chief of Staff, Cheryl Mills, for the response, the coordinated response as it related to the tragedy in Haiti. They were, quite frankly, phenomenal and we were able to do quite a bit, as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, to work with your team to help expedite the badly needed resources.” [“House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,” 2/25/10]

At a Congressional press briefing on July 31, 1997, Senator Kennedy said: “we pay tribute to Mrs. Clinton. Mrs. Clinton has made the issue of children’s health and well-being her really first priority in this country, and she was of invaluable help, both in the fashioning and the shaping of the program, and also as a clear advocate, in terms of having an effective outcome, during the discussion and the debate on the children’s health issue.” [Federal News Service, 7/30/97; Vote #209, 7/31/97]

Lee, Sheila Jackson (Texas Representative)

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee: “While Hillary Clinton has been engaged in this issue since the 1990s, she played a key role at the State Department in bringing modern-day slavery to the forefront of [U.S.]’ foreign and domestic policy.” According to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in a column for The Bay Area Citizen, “While Hillary Clinton has been engaged in this issue since the 1990s, she played a key role at the State Department in bringing modern-day slavery to the forefront of United States’ foreign and domestic policy. As Sec. Clinton herself wrote in 2009, ‘The United States funds 140 anti-trafficking programs in nearly 70 countries, as well as 42 domestic task forces that bring state and local authorities together with nongovernmental organizations to combat trafficking. But there is so much more to do.’” [Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, The Bay Area Citizen, 7/24/14]

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, on human trafficking: “Let’s all take Secretary Clinton’s lead.” According to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in a column for The Bay Area Citizen, “Let’s all take Secretary Clinton’s lead, for, as she said, ‘this is a moment for people to ask themselves not just what government can do to end modern slavery, but what can I do, what can we do together.’ We can save lives. We can change history.” [Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, The Bay Area Citizen, 7/24/14]

Lowey, Nina (New York Representative)

Rep. Nita Lowey: “A Clinton Presidency would be great for America.” “Local luminaries in a suburb of New York City are calling on Hillary Clinton to place her campaign headquarters in White Plains—a small city close to Clinton’s home in Westchester County—despite the draw of the nearby metropolis. At least one Congresswoman and a major real-estate developer are lobbying Clinton to place her headquarters in Westchester if she runs for president, aiming for the prestige and economic benefits of a large operation. ‘A Clinton campaign would be good for Westchester, and a Clinton Presidency would be great for America,’ said Congresswoman Nita Lowey, the Democratic representative for much of the county. Lowey has encouraged Clinton directly to place her headquarters in the county if she runs.” [Time, 2/3/15]

Chappaqua Daily Voice: “U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey said she is behind a Hillary Clinton presidency.” According to the Chappaqua Daily Voice, “U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey said she is behind a Hillary Clinton presidency. Lowey, a Democrat who represents the 17th District, is being opposed by Republican Chris Day. In an interview with Daily Voice, Lowey said she would support Clinton, a Chappaqua resident, over Vice President Joe Biden, who is also considering a run for the White House. ‘Vice President Biden is a good man,’ Lowey said. ‘We’ve been friends for a long time. He would make an outstanding leader. However, I do believe Hillary Clinton will be running for president.’” [Chappaqua Daily Voice, 10/16/14]

Rep. Lowey: “Your hard work as our nation’s chief diplomat is respected and appreciated and has had an enormous impact.” “The Subcommittee on State Foreign Operations and Related Programs are delighted to welcome to our subcommittee Secretary Clinton. As always, it’s an honor to have you with us. Your dedicated service and tireless efforts have taken you to over 47 — it’s hard to believe — 47 countries in just one year. Your hard work as our nation’s chief diplomat is respected and appreciated and has had an enormous impact.” [“House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,” 2/25/10]

Rep. Nita Lowey: “I want to thank the State Department for really your extraordinary efforts to coordinate the response in Haiti.” Rep. Lowey: “Finally, I want to thank the State Department for really your extraordinary efforts to coordinate the response in Haiti. All of us are following the humanitarian response closely and are moved by the spirit and resilience of the Haitian people. And frankly, I was extraordinarily moved and I continue to be extraordinarily moved and proud to be an American to see our presence there.” [“Statement Before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,” 2/25/10]

Rep. Lowey: “You have extraordinary endurance and you can see the admiration for you on both sides of the aisle…. we are…very fortunate to have you representing our country.” “Well, we have you for about 10 more minutes, Madam Secretary. And you have extraordinary endurance and you can see the admiration for you on both sides of the aisle. And for those of us who’ve traveled with you, we see the guts in speaking out against corruption. And on the other hand, the average person looks at you as a rock star. (Laughter.) So we are, again, I want to say, very fortunate to have you representing our country.” [“House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,” 2/25/10]

Maloney, Sean Patrick

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney: “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I’m a Clinton Democrat.” According to BuzzFeed’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s campaign stop for Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, “By the time Maloney introduced his headliner, Hillary Clinton, he’d made the point clear enough: ‘I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I’m a Clinton Democrat.’ Maloney, a former Clinton campaign staffer and senior White House aide, rallied the crowd in Somers with repeated references to the former first family and the distinct political brand they brought to the Democratic Party in the early ’90s.” [BuzzFeed, 10/27/14]

Maloney, Carolyn

Rep. Carolyn Maloney: “I did several Ready for Hillary events, but now I am ready for her to make a decision.” According to the New York Daily News, regarding Sec. Clinton’s appearance at a DCCC fundraiser, “Maloney said she told Clinton she ‘was no longer ready for Hillary. It’s time for her to make a decision! I did several Ready for Hillary events, but now I am ready for her to make a decision.’ Clinton’s reaction? ‘She laughed,’ Maloney said.” [New York Daily News, 9/29/14]

McCollum, Betty (Minnesota Representative)

Rep McCollum: “I would like to begin now on a lighter note, by applauding the work that you have done to reestablish the United States as a global leader in human rights.” “Madam Secretary, I would like to begin now on a lighter note, by applauding the work that you have done to reestablish the United States as a global leader in human rights. I am so excited that you’re speaking out against child marriage in Yemen, that you’re pressing Internet freedom in China, and you’re taking an aggressive stance against the atrocious, just terrible legislation in Uganda to punish its gay and lesbian citizens. You are making the light shine brighter on the Statue of Liberty. Thank you so much.” [“House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,” 2/25/10]

Rep. Betty McCollum: “I also want to applaud your work with Special Envoy Mitchell. Your engagement in the Middle East and President Obama’s leadership on this is good.” “And I also want to applaud your work with Special Envoy Mitchell. Your engagement in the Middle East and President Obama’s leadership on this is good. And I’m very pleased to see that we now have an ambassador back in Syria and that we engage in Syria as a partner to bring Syria into the peace process.” [“House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,” 2/25/10]

Pelosi, Nancy (House Minority Leader)

Leader Pelosi: “If she’s our nominee, she clearly — I mean, the campaign, the joint effort — would be one that could not only take her into office but would [pull Democrats to victory].” “Rep. Nancy Pelosi says Democrats can recapture control of the House in 2016 by riding Hillary Clinton’s coattails. ‘Yes, we can win the House,’ the California Democrat said during a sit-down interview in her Capitol office. ‘If she runs, she will win the nomination. And if she’s our nominee, she clearly — I mean, the campaign, the joint effort — would be one that could not only take her into office but would [pull Democrats to victory],’ Pelosi said.” [The Hill, 1/27/15]

San Francisco Chronicle: Pelosi “answered ‘yes, yes’ to whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee and win the presidency.” “Heading into Tuesday’s sixth State of the Union address by President Obama with his poll numbers rising, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi her strategy for confronting total GOP control of Congress was to keep taking the economic equality message to the public. In an interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, the San Francisco Democrat also said she has urged Democrats to find common ground with Republicans and the White House on the coming trade debate to try to influence the end result, and she answered ‘yes, yes’ to whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee and win the presidency. As for which Republican Pelosi think would be the toughest for Clinton to beat, Pelosi said, if she knew she wouldn’t say, but ‘I don’t know who that is anyway.’” [San Francisco Chronicle, 1/20/15]

Leader Pelosi: “If the Secretary runs, I believe that she will win and she will be one of the best prepared people to enter the White House in a long time in terms of her experience and her knowledge.” ANDREA MITCHELL: A lot of what he’s proposing tonight in terms of the taxes and middle class — benefits for the middle class, going after the wealthy, it does seem poll tested and seems to set up 2016. NANCY PELOSI: 2016. MITCHELL: And we’re waiting to hear from Hillary Clinton. Is she the presumed — not only front-runner but do you assume she will be the nominee? Can she win an election? >> NANCY PELOSI: Yes. Yes. >> MITCHELL: Yes. Yes. What about the high interest in Elizabeth Warren in the quote, progressive wing of the party who believe that Hillary Clinton’s policies or economic policies are not — are too close to Wall Street and not progressive enough, not liberal enough? >> PELOSI: Your question was do I believe she’s the presumed nominee and will she win if she runs. If she — she has so much titles, senator, secretary, first lady, if the Secretary runs, I believe that she will win and she will be one of the best prepared people to enter the White House in a long time in terms of her experience and her knowledge. That doesn’t mean that the party is devoid of other voices and again, getting ready for what comes beyond and to help President Clinton should that be the case be a great president. The debate as to where the party comes down on certain issues is certainly a lively one. I’ve had my own disagreements even with the White House on some of the proposals that have come forth. But that’s why we’re the Democratic Party. We love each other. Let other versions exist. >> [MSNBC’s NOW With Alex Wagner, 1/20/15]

Leader Pelosi: “Yes,” Hillary can win an election and be the Democratic nominee in 2016. ANDREA MITCHELL: A lot of what he’s proposing tonight in terms of the taxes and middle class — benefits for the middle class, going after the wealthy, it does seem poll tested and seems to set up 2016. NANCY PELOSI: 2016. MITCHELL: And we’re waiting to hear from Hillary Clinton. Is she the presumed — not only front-runner but do you assume she will be the nominee? Can she win an election? >> NANCY PELOSI: Yes. Yes. >> MITCHELL: Yes. Yes. What about the high interest in Elizabeth Warren in the quote, progressive wing of the party who believe that Hillary Clinton’s policies or economic policies are not — are too close to Wall Street and not progressive enough, not liberal enough? >> PELOSI: Your question was do I believe she’s the presumed nominee and will she win if she runs. If she — she has so much titles, senator, secretary, first lady, if the Secretary runs, I believe that she will win and she will be one of the best prepared people to enter the White House in a long time in terms of her experience and her knowledge. That doesn’t mean that the party is devoid of other voices and again, getting ready for what comes beyond and to help President Clinton should that be the case be a great president. The debate as to where the party comes down on certain issues is certainly a lively one. I’ve had my own disagreements even with the White House on some of the proposals that have come forth. But that’s why we’re the Democratic Party. We love each other. Let other versions exist. >> [MSNBC’s NOW With Alex Wagner, 1/20/15]

Leader Pelosi: “When she [Sec. Clinton] runs, she’ll win, and when she wins, she’ll be one of the best-prepared.” According to The Hill’s Ballot Box blog, “Pelosi also lauded former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as almost a lock in her bid to become the first female president. ‘When she runs, she’ll win, and when she wins, she’ll be one of the best-prepared,’ she said. ‘I would like to be relieved of the title of the highest ranking women in politics in America, I want to have a women president of the United States.’” [Ballot Box, The Hill, 12/9/14]

Leader Pelosi: “Let me say this about Hillary [Rodham] Clinton: When she runs, she will win. And when she wins, she’ll go to the White House as one of the most prepared people in modern history to go there.” According to Leader Nancy Pelosi’s interview with Roll Call, “And 2016? Well, that’s a whole new ballgame. By then, the country could see its first female president, said the nation’s first female speaker. ‘Let me say this about Hillary [Rodham] Clinton: When she runs, she will win. And when she wins, she’ll go to the White House as one of the most prepared people in modern history to go there,’ Pelosi said, stopping just short of an endorsement that would be significant for Clinton, the former first lady and ex-secretary of State.” [218, Roll Call, 12/7/14]

Leader Nancy Pelosi: “She [Sec. Clinton] has lifted our efforts to a whole new level – and added new luster to our campaign for the House.” According to Bloomberg, “The Democratic Party’s two most powerful women shared a stage in San Francisco Monday, and for Republicans, it was a glimpse of how tough 2016 could be. Hillary Clinton and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi haven’t always been the closest of political friends, but this was the second time in a month they’d teamed up to raise money for Democrats. Clinton and Pelosi also have an eye on the upcoming presidential campaign, when a bigger turnout among women could boost the party’s prospects of winning the White House and gaining ground in the House. The joint appearance was a show of the party’s consolidation behind Clinton’s expected White House bid. ‘She has lifted our efforts to a whole new level – and added new luster to our campaign for the House,’ Pelosi said of Clinton in an emailed statement.” [Bloomberg, 10/20/14]

Leader Nancy Pelosi: “If Hillary Clinton, mother and grandmother, decides to run for president she will win, and like I have said before she will be one of the best-prepared leaders to preside in the Oval Office.” According to the Associated Press, “‘If Hillary Clinton, mother and grandmother, decides to run for president she will win, and like I have said before she will be one of the best-prepared leaders to preside in the Oval Office,’ Pelosi said in her introduction to Clinton’s speech. ‘That she happens to be a woman is a bonus and a wonderful, wonderful thing.’” [Associated Press via CBS DC, 10/21/14]

Leader Pelosi: “Hillary Clinton’s message and presence at our events and on our behalf have lifted our efforts to a whole new level — adding new luster to our campaign.” According to Politico’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s event schedule ahead of the 2014 midterms, “Clinton has done events to help a number of candidates, such as Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.), who is in a tight race, and a string of other House members in New York and New Jersey. She will hold a major women-focused fundraiser with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in California this month, on the same day as the Katzenberg event. ‘Hillary Clinton’s message and presence at our events and on our behalf have lifted our efforts to a whole new level — adding new luster to our campaign,’ said Pelosi in a statement. ‘And the fact that she has joined us as a new grandmother makes it joyful, indeed.’” [Politico, 10/3/14]

Rangel, Charlie

Rep. Charles “Charlie” Rangel: “I’m ready for Hillary.” According to Capital New York, “Rep. Charles Rangel said he doesn’t see any realistic challenger to Hillary Clinton in 2016. ‘I’m ready for Hillary,’ said Rangel in an interview on HuffPost Live. ‘But, you know, I don’t like coronations. I don’t see where anyone is gonna challenge her, on the Republican side or the Democratic side.’ ‘Is she unbeatable?’ asked host Marc Lamont Hill. ‘Put it another way, Marc. Unbeatable against whom?’ replied Rangel, shrugging. ‘I mean, I can’t say that, it’s just that there is nobody, Republican or Democrat, that has reached a level of confidence or ability that could challenge her.’” [Capital New York, 11/10/14]

Rothman, Steve (New Jersey Representative)

Rep. Rothman: “Of what we’ve seen so far, it is my opinion that you – that there has never been a more effective or smarter Secretary of State in the history of the United States than you.” “Thank you, Madam Chairman. And Madam Secretary, it’s always a great pleasure to see you. And let me say from – of what we’ve seen so far, it is my opinion that you – that there has never been a more effective or smarter Secretary of State in the history of the United States than you, Madam Secretary… We are enormously proud of you and grateful for your service. You’re indefatigable and you are extraordinarily effective for our country. Thank you.” [“House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,” 2/25/10]

Ryan, Tim

Rep. Tim Ryan: “Secretary Clinton understands our working class values.” “Secretary Clinton understands our working class values, and that Ohio is a state that is deeply proud of its work ethic and history of innovation. We vote for candidates who understand our principles and believe in our future. In the next few years, we must continue to focus on creating good-paying jobs and building economic opportunity for every citizen. To help make this goal a reality, I’m joining millions of Democrats across Ohio in my excitement for a potential Hillary Clinton candidacy and the values she represents. She knows that when you support middle class workers and families, you help strengthen the economy and give our citizens the chance to succeed.” [Rep. Tim Ryan, Cleveland.com, 2/6/15]

Rep. Tim Ryan: “Hillary understands the importance of investing in the fundamental building blocks that make America great.” “Secretary Clinton has the experience and leadership on the issues that matter most to Ohioans. In Arkansas, she expanded childhood education throughout the state. As First Lady, Hillary worked to increase access to health care for every American. As a senator, she repeatedly fought to increase the minimum wage and extend unemployment benefits and job-retraining programs. As secretary of state, Hillary worked to strengthen our country’s global standing and gained valuable experience that will help her eliminate unfair trade practices that could create thousands of jobs in Ohio alone. Most recently, through the Clinton Foundation, Hillary has developed initiatives to help children and low-income families. Simply put, Hillary understands the importance of investing in the fundamental building blocks that make America great.” [Rep. Tim Ryan, Cleveland.com, 2/6/15]

Rep. Tim Ryan: “Hillary Clinton has consistently been on the frontline of the battles to put more money in the pockets of middle-class workers, ensuring that all Americans have the means to support their families.” Hillary Clinton has consistently been on the frontline of the battles to put more money in the pockets of middle-class workers, ensuring that all Americans have the means to support their families. I believe that Hillary would be the best person to continue the fight and to strongly and boldly lead Ohio and our country forward.” [Rep. Tim Ryan, Cleveland.com, 2/6/15]

Rep. Tim Ryan: “The progressive values and policies that Hillary Rodham Clinton represents have Democrats and Americans across the country more excited than ever.” According to Rep. Tim Ryan in Roll Call, “The progressive values and policies that Hillary Rodham Clinton represents have Democrats and Americans across the country more excited than ever. But lately, pundits and some in the media have attempted to drive a narrative that the progressive wing of the Democratic Party is not unified behind Hillary. As a progressive myself, and one who proudly hails from the ultimate battleground state of Ohio, this could not be further from the truth. Clinton’s record speaks for itself.” [Rep. Tim Ryan, Roll Call, 1/8/15]

Sanchez, Linda

Rep. Linda Sanchez: “Latinos have made it clear that they would strongly support Hillary Clinton should she run for president.” “Latinos have made it clear that they would strongly support Hillary Clinton should she run for president. Her vision creates opportunity and financial security at a time when too many families worry about their future. This is the kind of leader we need.” [Linda Sanchez, San Jose Mercury News, 1/28/15]

Sires, Albio

Rep. Sires: “She’s [Sec. Clinton’s] the most experienced candidate we have, when you consider her work as secretary of state. She did a good job.” According to PolitickerNJ’s interview with U.S. Rep. Albio Sires, “For his part, Sires wants former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to run for president. ‘I’ll probably be with her,’ he said. ‘She’s the most experienced candidate we have, when you consider her work as secretary of state. She did a good job. Quite frankly, having a woman would be a nice change. I think she’s the deepest candidate.’” [PolitickerNJ, 8/20/14]

MISCELLANEOUS

Begala, Paul

Paul Begala, on Sec. Clinton: “Sure, she now lives in Chappaqua, but that kind of focus tells me her heart is still in places like Chillicothe.” According to Politico, “Paul Begala, the former Texas political hand who signed onto Clinton’s 1991 campaign, sees a contiguous frame that Hillary Clinton would use a quarter of a century later, when women’s issues are no longer in a separate ledger from economic ones. ‘Bill Clinton spoke about his mother and his grandparents and how their lower-middle class values shaped him. He used the phrase ‘middle-class’ 12 times in his announcement speech,’ Begala said. ‘[Hillary Clinton] is consistent with that focus, talking about her mother’s difficult childhood, and calling for ‘family-centered economics’ and ‘inclusive prosperity’’ at a recent speech at the Center for American Progress. ‘Sure, she now lives in Chappaqua,’ he added, before turning to the Midwest. ‘But that kind of focus tells me her heart is still in places like Chillicothe.’” [Politico, 10/2/14]

Black, Allida (Co-Founder Ready for Hillary)

Allida Black: “We can do better. That’s what human rights mean. Eleanor Roosevelt believed it and Hillary knows it.” According to Allida Black in the Blue Nation Review, “We can do better. That’s what human rights mean. Eleanor Roosevelt believed it and Hillary knows it. It is hard, tiring work. It takes the courage to dream, the political skills necessary to implement the dream, and a heart fierce enough to continue the struggle. On this day, let us recommit. Let us hear Hillary’s call. We must ‘never rest on [our] laurels. Never quit. Never stop working to make the world a better place. That’s our unfinished business.’” [Allida Black, Blue Nation Review, 12/10/14]

Allida Black: “Hillary has always stood with me, Judy, and the entire LGBT community. And she always will.” According to Allida Black in the Advocate, “Twenty years after Hillary welcomed us as a couple into the White House, Judy and I got married just a few minutes away at the National Mall. When we got home from our reception, we had a letter from Hillary congratulating us on our marriage. I’ll never forget the first few words written on her letter: ‘at long last.’ Hillary has always stood with me, Judy, and the entire LGBT community. And she always will.” [Allida Black, Advocate, 8/14/14]

Blinder, Alan (Economic adviser to Pres. Clinton and Princeton University Professor)

Professor Alan Blinder: “I would love to” see Hillary Clinton as the next U.S. President. HOST: I want to mention one other influential woman before we go. You met with Hillary Clinton. She met with something like 200 economists. PROFESSOR ALAN BLINDER: Well not all at once. HOST: Not all at once. That would be really boring actually. Who is she listening to right now? People like you or Wall Street? >> BLINDER: You know, I don’t know. No. I do know. The answer is, at this stage, everybody. You remember when she ran for Senate she did a listening tour. HOST: Yes. BLINDER: I think she’s in listening mode. Now she’s hearing a lot of views. They’re not all saying the same thing. And she is sort of making notes both literally and mental. She is a smart woman. She is going to have to weigh a lot of considerations and decide which of these 200 voices, by the way those are not all economists. Those are business people and –>> HOST: Would you like to see her as the next U.S. President? >> BLINDER: I would love to. >> HOST: There you go. BLINDER: I would love to. HOST: Alright Profess Blinder, thank you so much. [Bloomberg’s Market Makers, 2/12/15]

Professor Alan Blinder on Hillary Clinton: “She is a smart woman.” HOST: I want to mention one other influential woman before we go. You met with Hillary Clinton. She met with something like 200 economists. PROFESSOR ALAN BLINDER: Well not all at once. HOST: Not all at once. That would be really boring actually. Who is she listening to right now? People like you or Wall Street? >> BLINDER: You know, I don’t know. No. I do know. The answer is, at this stage, everybody. You remember when she ran for Senate she did a listening tour. HOST: Yes. BLINDER: I think she’s in listening mode. Now she’s hearing a lot of views. They’re not all saying the same thing. And she is sort of making notes both literally and mental. She is a smart woman. She is going to have to weigh a lot of considerations and decide which of these 200 voices, by the way those are not all economists. Those are business people and –>> HOST: Would you like to see her as the next U.S. President? >> BLINDER: I would love to. >> HOST: There you go. BLINDER: I would love to. HOST: Alright Profess Blinder, thank you so much. [Bloomberg’s Market Makers, 2/12/15]

Economic adviser Alan Blinder: “I think she’s [Sec. Clinton’s] much more politically astute now than she was in early 1993.” According to CNN’s coverage of interviews about the Clinton administration released by the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, regarding the interview with Alan Blinder, a Clinton administration economic adviser, “When Hillary Clinton was first lady, she famously led the failed push for health care reform in 1993. According to Blinder, Clinton was not totally ‘politically astute’ at the time and ‘learned’ to play politics over time. ‘I think she’s much more politically astute now than she was in early 1993,’ Blinder said while Clinton served as the junior senator from New York. ‘I think she learned. She’s really smart. She learns, and she knows she made mistakes. She’s said it herself. I know she was not as politically astute then as she is now.’ Clinton is now considering a run at the White House in 2016.” [CNN, 11/15/14]

Brewer, Gale (Manhattan Borough President)

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer: “I’m a Hillary supporter, that’s all I know.” According to Capital New York, “Over the past week, Capital reached out to more than two dozen New York Democrats, including all 19 members of the City Council’s ‘progressive caucus’ and asked them to talk about the presidential election. Several Democrats were more than ready to declare. ‘Were you at the funeral?’ asked Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, when reached by cell phone the day of Mario Cuomo’s funeral. Clinton was there and ‘she looked fabulous,’ ‘stunningly beautiful,’ ‘fantastic,’ ‘radiant’ and ‘presidential,’ said Brewer, adding, ‘I’m a Hillary supporter, that’s all I know.’” [Capital New York, 1/9/15]

Brooks, Raven (Netroots Nation Executive Director)

Netroots Nation Executive Director, on Sec. Clinton: “I would hope once she’s officially announced as a candidate … we’d be happy to welcome her. By [the] time we’re doing our convention next summer, we’d love to have her.” According to the U.S. News & World Report’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s decision to not speak at the 2014 Netroots Nation convention, “Hillary may not be ready for Netroots in 2014, but organizers are banking on seeing her in person next year, assuming she decides what everyone thinks she will by early 2015. ‘I would hope once she’s officially announced as a candidate … we’d be happy to welcome her,’ Brooks says. ‘By [the] time we’re doing our convention next summer, we’d love to have her.’” [The Run 2016, U.S. News & World Report, 4/29/14]

Buckley, Raymond (New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair, Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and President of the Association of State Democratic Chairs)

Raymond Buckley: “Nobody knows New Hampshire better than Bill and Hillary Clinton.” CHRIS MATTHEWS: If you have credible people, a presidential rank or candidate rank, should there be as a matter of principle, debates, including secretary Hillary Clinton? >> RAYMOND BUCKLEY: Oh I’m sure that the secretary would participate in debates if there were legitimate candidates running. You know, nobody knows New Hampshire better than Bill and Hillary Clinton. So they understand what it takes to win the New Hampshire primary and they understand how to communicate and work with that, and they certainly respect the people of New Hampshire, and I would anticipation having a full campaign going on, whether she’s opposed here or not. >> [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 2/3/15]

Raymond Buckley on Bill and Hillary Clinton: “They understand what it takes to win the New Hampshire primary… and they certainly respect the people of New Hampshire.” CHRIS MATTHEWS: If you have credible people, a presidential rank or candidate rank, should there be as a matter of principle, debates, including secretary Hillary Clinton? >> RAYMOND BUCKLEY: Oh I’m sure that the secretary would participate in debates if there were legitimate candidates running. You know, nobody knows New Hampshire better than Bill and Hillary Clinton. So they understand what it takes to win the New Hampshire primary and they understand how to communicate and work with that, and they certainly respect the people of New Hampshire, and I would anticipation having a full campaign going on, whether she’s opposed here or not. >> [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 2/3/15]

Campbell, Bonnie (Iowa Attorney General)

Bonnie Campbell: “People kept coming up to me and said Hillary has to run.” According to Politico Magazine’s coverage of Bonnie Campbell and Iowa’s Ready for Hillary recruitment campaign, “Flash forward to late 2013. That’s when Campbell started having serious conversations with friends. ‘People kept coming up to me and said Hillary has to run,’ Campbell says. Campbell will often say ‘Hillary’ or ‘Bill.’ And she isn’t name-dropping. She is on a first-name basis with both Clintons. They have known each other for more than 20 years. President Clinton hired her during his first term to head the Justice’s Department’s Violence Against Women Office. They stayed in touch after he left office. The Clintons called years later to check in on her as Campbell’s husband, Ed, was dying of cancer.” [Politico Magazine, 9/28/14]

Bonnie Campbell, on the 2008 Iowa Caucus: “Hillary’s campaign got out more supporters than anyone ever had. But Barack got more.” According to Politico Magazine’s coverage of Bonnie Campbell and Iowa’s Ready for Hillary recruitment campaign, “Campbell realizes many wouldn’t use the word ‘impressive’ to describe Clinton’s 2008 campaign. But she thinks Clinton gets unfairly criticized for the 2008 Iowa Caucus efforts. ‘I think it’s important to understand what happened,’ She said, ‘Hillary’s campaign got out more supporters than anyone ever had. But Barack got more.’” [Politico Magazine, 9/28/14]

Bonnie Campbell, on Ready for Hillary: “When she announces, they can turn over a pretty significant organization. I’ve never seen anything like this!” According to Politico Magazine’s coverage of Bonnie Campbell and Iowa’s Ready for Hillary recruitment campaign, “She feels the state has even changed since Clinton ran in 2008. Iowans celebrated making history with Obama back then. And they will once again embrace the chance to make history again—and Ready for Hillary will be there to make it happen, Campbell says. ‘When she announces, they can turn over a pretty significant organization. I’ve never seen anything like this!’ Campbell exclaims. ‘It’s as if there is a campaign for Hillary without Hillary having announced.’ That, of course, has been the idea all along.” [Politico Magazine, 9/28/14]

Fmr. Iowa Attorney General Bonnie Campbell: “When I hear people say Hillary seems cool and distant — that’s just not right. She’s one of the warmest, most genuine people I know.’” According to the Des Moines Register’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s speech at Sen. Harkin’s 37^th Iowa Steak Fry, “When former Iowa Attorney General Bonnie Campbell’s husband died in 2010, the first condolence phone call she received was from Bill Clinton. The second came from Hillary Clinton. The Clintons checked in on Ed Campbell every few weeks as he battled a long illness, Bonnie Campbell recalled in an interview last week, serving if only over the phone as a shoulder to lean on. ‘They have many more friends than just me, and closer friends,’ Campbell said of the former president and perhaps future president. ‘But when I hear people say Hillary seems cool and distant — that’s just not right. She’s one of the warmest, most genuine people I know.’” [Des Moines Register, 9/14/14]

Cardona, Maria (Principal at Dewey Square Group and founder of Latinovations)

Maria Cardona on Hillary Clinton: “Her whole life, she actually has fought for the policies that help middle-class workers.” LISA BOOTHE: Well Victor, I think a large part of that is because people know Mitt Romney, right. He’s a high name recognition and people are well-aware of him. If you look at recent polling I think 18% are undecided. So there’s still a long time between now and the election and I’m not saying that Mitt Romney is not the guy, I’m just saying he has got some real problems. But I think it’s ironic because a lot of things that Maria just highlighted that are problems that Mitt Romney is going to face are the exact problems that Hillary Clinton face. She’s repeatedly stepped in it as I said before with comments like the “we’re dead broke” or we’re not like the truly well off, even though everyone knows that Bill and Hillary Clinton are millionaires and making, you know, $300,000 plus for each speaking engagement that Hillary Clinton is going to. MARIA CARDONA: But, you know, the big difference? The big difference — >> BOOTHE: How is she supposed to make — >> CARDONA: I’ll tell you — >> BOOTHE: Make the argument. >> CARDONA: I will tell you how. >> BOOTHE: Middle class when she is not like everyday Americans. >>CARDONA: I will tell you, I will tell you how, because her whole life, she actually has fought for the policies that help middle-class workers as opposed to Republicans and Mitt Romney who has only fought for the 1%, who they represent each and every single day. >> BOOTHE: that’s entirely untrue. Look at what the minimum wage is going to cost 500,000 to a million jobs and if you look at things like [talking over each other]– >> [CNN’s CNN Newsroom, 1/17/15]

Carville, James

James Carville: “When Secretary Clinton runs, she’s going to run on her own agenda and think there’s going to be a lot.” According to Real Clear Politics, “On Sunday’s edition of This Week, Democratic strategist James Carville said there’s not much appetite for someone other than Hillary Clinton in the Democratic party and Democrats across the nation. ‘When Secretary Clinton runs,’ Carville definitively said, ‘she’s going to run on her own agenda and think there’s going to be a lot.’ ‘There’s not much appetite in the Democratic party and around the country for somebody other than Hillary Clinton. This is something that they make up,’ Carville said to host George Stephanopoulos.” [Real Clear Politics, 11/23/14]

James Carville: “There’s not much appetite in the Democratic party and around the country for somebody other than Hillary Clinton. This is something that they make up.” According to Real Clear Politics, “On Sunday’s edition of This Week, Democratic strategist James Carville said there’s not much appetite for someone other than Hillary Clinton in the Democratic party and Democrats across the nation. ‘When Secretary Clinton runs,’ Carville definitively said, ‘she’s going to run on her own agenda and think there’s going to be a lot.’ ‘There’s not much appetite in the Democratic party and around the country for somebody other than Hillary Clinton. This is something that they make up,’ Carville said to host George Stephanopoulos.” [Real Clear Politics, 11/23/14]

Cecil, Guy

DSCC’s Guy Cecil: “Secretary Clinton will be a great motivator to get Democrats out to the polls which is always critical in a midterm election.” According to Politico’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s event schedule ahead of the 2014 midterms, “‘Secretary Clinton will be a great motivator to get Democrats out to the polls which is always critical in a midterm election,’ Cecil said. ‘She is also the perfect person to speak directly to women and independent voters across the country about what is at stake, from women’s health to giving everyone a fair shot at success.’” [Politico, 10/3/14]

DSCC’s Guy Cecil: “She [Sec. Clinton] is also the perfect person to speak directly to women and independent voters across the country about what is at stake…” According to Politico’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s event schedule ahead of the 2014 midterms, “‘Secretary Clinton will be a great motivator to get Democrats out to the polls which is always critical in a midterm election,’ Cecil said. ‘She is also the perfect person to speak directly to women and independent voters across the country about what is at stake, from women’s health to giving everyone a fair shot at success.’” [Politico, 10/3/14]

Cilento, Mario (New York AFL-CIO president)

NY chapter of the AFL-CIO president: “In Mrs. Clinton, we have someone who will stand with us and will fight with us.” According to The Daily Beast, regarding Sec. Clinton’s speech for a fundraiser at the United Federation of Teachers headquarters in Manhattan on behalf of the 9/11 Health Watch, “And labor, or New York labor at least, signaled that it would be ready for Clinton, too, should she decide to mount another presidential campaign. ‘In Mrs. Clinton, we have someone who will stand with us and will fight with us,’ said Mario Cilento, president of the New York chapter of the AFL-CIO.” [The Daily Beast, 9/16/14]

Clark, Wesley (Retired General of the United States Army and Former Democratic Party Presidential Contender in 2004)

Gen. Clark: “I think there’s never been anybody quite so experienced and capable who would stand for the Office of President of the United States. I hope she’ll run.” According to The Diane Rehm Show, Diane Rehm asked Gen. Wesley Clarke, “You have no intention whatsoever [of running for president]?” Gen. Clark answered, “No intention whatsoever.” Diane Rehm then asked, “Would you, if Hillary Clinton decides to run, will you support her?” Gen. Clark answered, “Yes.” Diane Rehm asked, “She is your candidate?” Gen. Clark stated, “She is my candidate. Yeah.” Diane Rehm asked, “Nobody else out there on the Democratic side that you would support?” Gen. Clark answered, “Well, and let me explain. First of all, I’ve known Hillary for over thirty years. I’ve watched her growth. I’ve admired her from a distance. She was a remarkable lawyer in private practice in Little Rock. I live there now and I talk to people who worked with her. They’ll tell you. She was smart. She was absolutely determined on her cases. She saw deeply in. She’s extremely effective in dealing with small groups. She’s a leader. She’s fearless in speaking out. And I watched her as First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State. I think there’s never been anybody quite so experienced and capable who would stand for the Office of President of the United States. I hope she’ll run.” [The Diane Rehm Show, 10/9/14]

Gen. Clark: “She is my candidate.” According to The Diane Rehm Show, Diane Rehm asked Gen. Wesley Clarke, “You have no intention whatsoever [of running for president]?” Gen. Clark answered, “No intention whatsoever.” Diane Rehm then asked, “Would you, if Hillary Clinton decides to run, will you support her?” Gen. Clark answered, “Yes.” Diane Rehm asked, “She is your candidate?” Gen. Clark stated, “She is my candidate. Yeah.” [The Diane Rehm Show, 10/9/14]

Gen. Clark: “She’s a leader. She’s fearless in speaking out.” According to The Diane Rehm Show, Diane Rehm asked, “Nobody else out there on the Democratic side that you would support?” Gen. Clark answered, “Well, and let me explain. First of all, I’ve known Hillary for over thirty years. I’ve watched her growth. I’ve admired her from a distance. She was a remarkable lawyer in private practice in Little Rock. I live there now and I talk to people who worked with her. They’ll tell you. She was smart. She was absolutely determined on her cases. She saw deeply in. She’s extremely effective in dealing with small groups. She’s a leader. She’s fearless in speaking out. And I watched her as First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State. I think there’s never been anybody quite so experienced and capable who would stand for the Office of President of the United States. I hope she’ll run.” [The Diane Rehm Show, 10/9/14]

Gen. Clark: “I think it would be a great thing for America if we elect Hillary Clinton to be our next president.” According to The Diane Rehm Show, Diane Rehm asked, “Do you think her husband would be a great asset or would he perhaps impede Mrs. Clinton in the presidency?” Gen. Clark responded, “Well I think he’d be a tremendous asset. Tremendous. I know there are people who would probably say that otherwise and then try to use you know his presidency against her, which is unfortunate because I think he is a remarkable man, remarkable leader. He’s brilliant. He’s incredibly capable at bringing people together. He’s visionary, got an amazing mind. I think it would be a great thing for America if we elect Hillary Clinton to be our next president.” [The Diane Rehm Show, 10/9/14]

Gen. Clark: “Well, I do think that Hillary is a very strong leader.” According to The Diane Rehm Show, Gen. Wesley Clark stated, “Well, I do think that Hillary is a very strong leader. I think she has a very robust view of what American capabilities and responsibilities are, but I think to characterize her that way [as an interventionist] would be unfair to the record. She did a lot of things as secretary of state to raise the stature of economic diplomacy. We got talking serious about energy developments. We’ve been trying to encourage the Europeans to be less dependent on Russian energy. Ever since she became secretary of state we have an assistant secretary of state who works energy policies and things like that. She’s worked diligently with the Agency for International Development to promote development abroad. So she’s taken a much broader view than simply intervention. But on the other hand, there are times, unfortunately in this world, where the United States may have to use military power. Hopefully, we just deploy forces, not troops, but I think Hillary as president would be strong enough to make those decisions if required to do so.” [The Diane Rehm Show, 10/9/14]

Gen. Clark: “She’s worked diligently with the Agency for International Development to promote development abroad.” According to The Diane Rehm Show, Gen. Wesley Clark stated, “…She did a lot of things as secretary of state to raise the stature of economic diplomacy. We got talking serious about energy developments. We’ve been trying to encourage the Europeans to be less dependent on Russian energy. Ever since she became secretary of state we have an assistant secretary of state who works energy policies and things like that. She’s worked diligently with the Agency for International Development to promote development abroad. So she’s taken a much broader view than simply intervention.” [The Diane Rehm Show, 10/9/14]

Gen. Clark on if the US has to use military power: “I think Hillary as president would be strong enough to make those decisions if required to do so.” According to The Diane Rehm Show, Gen. Wesley Clark stated, “Well, I do think that Hillary is a very strong leader. I think she has a very robust view of what American capabilities and responsibilities are, but I think to characterize her that way [as an interventionist] would be unfair to the record. She did a lot of things as secretary of state to raise the stature of economic diplomacy. We got talking serious about energy developments. We’ve been trying to encourage the Europeans to be less dependent on Russian energy. Ever since she became secretary of state we have an assistant secretary of state who works energy policies and things like that. She’s worked diligently with the Agency for International Development to promote development abroad. So she’s taken a much broader view than simply intervention. But on the other hand, there are times, unfortunately in this world, where the United States may have to use military power. Hopefully, we just deploy forces, not troops, but I think Hillary as president would be strong enough to make those decisions if required to do so.” [The Diane Rehm Show, 10/9/14]

Davis, Lanny (Special Counsel to President Clinton from 1996-1998 and Fox News Contributor)

Lanny Davis: “Hard work, issues, facts, respect for her opponents, respect for those who disagree, respect for those on both sides of the aisle — this is Hillary Clinton.” “Hard work, issues, facts, respect for her opponents, respect for those who disagree, respect for those on both sides of the aisle — this is Hillary Clinton. This is who she always has been. And, no doubt: this is the kind of campaign she will run … if she runs. Of that I am certain.” [Lanny Davis, The Hill, 2/4/15]

Lanny Davis: “The fact is, Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren and most Democrats are more united on the basic issues than I can recall in a long time.” According to Lanny Davis in The Hill, “The fact is, Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren and most Democrats are more united on the basic issues than I can recall in a long time. They have all focused on the plight of the squeezed middle class and working families stuck in wage stagnation, their children burdened by substantial student loan debts while the income disparity between the super wealthy and the rest of America grows every year with no end in sight.” [Lanny Davis, The Hill, 12/15/14]

Lanny Davis stated “I am” a big supporter of Hillary Clinton. According to Fox Business Network’s Varney & Company, Stuart Varney asked, “Are you a big supporter of Hillary Clinton? I think you are.” Lanny Davis responded, “I am and I find it very ironic that the left of the party says she’s not progressive. I always say tell me an issue that she’s not progressive but she does believe in free enterprise, she does believe in the marketplace, and she does believe in balanced budgets, like her husband. So on economics, I think there is a new progressive-ism that believes that leaving debt to our children is not liberal.” Stuart Varney then asked, “Do you think you got to pull the party back to where you are? Because I’m reading between the lines and I’m listening very carefully to what you’re saying, and I think you would agree that the party’s been moved a bit too far to the left for your liking and for Ms. Clinton’s liking. And your job in the next two years is to pull them back into the dead-center. That’s what you got to do.” Lanny Davis responded, “Well honestly, I consider myself a liberal Democrat… But the style and partisanship problems of the Administration and the Republican and Democratic polarization in Congress is where I’m different, where I believe Hillary Clinton is different. One of her best friends in the U.S. Senate, John McCain, has said to me that Hillary Clinton was a workhorse, not a show horse and she knew how to make deals and what the country is crying for are Democrats and Republicans who stand on principles, but look for common ground. That’s where the center is. That’s where I think I am and Mrs. Clinton is going to have to take the Democrats.” [Fox Business Network’s Varney & Company, 10/31/14]

Lanny Davis: “One of her best friends in the U.S. Senate, John McCain, has said to me that Hillary Clinton was a workhorse, not a show horse and she knew how to make deals.” According to Fox Business Network’s Varney & Company, Stuart Varney asked, “Do you think you got to pull the party back to where you are? Because I’m reading between the lines and I’m listening very carefully to what you’re saying, and I think you would agree that the party’s been moved a bit too far to the left for your liking and for Ms. Clinton’s liking. And your job in the next two years is to pull them back into the dead-center. That’s what you got to do.” Lanny Davis responded, “Well honestly, I consider myself a liberal Democrat… But the style and partisanship problems of the Administration and the Republican and Democratic polarization in Congress is where I’m different, where I believe Hillary Clinton is different. One of her best friends in the U.S. Senate, John McCain, has said to me that Hillary Clinton was a workhorse, not a show horse and she knew how to make deals and what the country is crying for are Democrats and Republicans who stand on principles, but look for common ground. That’s where the center is. That’s where I think I am and Mrs. Clinton is going to have to take the Democrats.” [Fox Business Network’s Varney & Company, 10/31/14]

Davis, Wendy (Democratic nominee for Governor of Texas in 2014)

Wendy Davis: “I certainly hope that our former secretary of state will consider moving forward in that direction [towards the presidency].” According to the Huffington Post, “Wendy Davis is in the middle of her campaign to become the governor of Texas, and she’s hoping she won’t be the only woman assuming executive office in the near future. ‘I am expecting a woman in the White House in 2016,’ Davis told HuffPost Live’s Alyona Minkovski on Wednesday. ‘And I’m also expecting that Texas is going to play a role in electing that woman.’ Specifically, she’s hoping Hillary Clinton will be the one to do it. ‘I certainly hope that our former secretary of state will consider moving forward in that direction,’ Davis said.” [Huffington Post, 9/10/14]

De Blasio, Bill (New York City Mayor)

Mayor De Blasio: “I think there is a lot of room for a Democrat to speak to these issues [income inequality]. I think it could well be Secretary Clinton.” According to Capital New York, “Mayor Bill de Blasio this morning advised the eventual 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, whoever she is, to shift leftward by embracing a platform of resolving income inequality. ‘I think there is a lot of room for a Democrat to speak to these issues,’ said de Blasio, who worked for Hillary Clinton in 2000 when she ran for Senate. ‘I think it could well be Secretary Clinton. But one way or another, the Democrats have to speak to these issues.’” [Capital New York, 11/19/14]

Mayor De Blasio, on whether Sec. Clinton was a ‘true progressive’: ‘Absolutely.’ According to Politico Magazine, Politico’s Glenn Thrush asked New York Mayor Bill De Blasio, ‘Do you think Hillary Clinton is a true progressive?’ Mayor De Blasio responded, ‘Oh, absolutely. … Clearly, throughout the 2016 election cycle there will be a call for what we often call populism. But what I really think is [there will be] sort of a sharp truth-telling about the reality of the economy and the need for more profound answers, and I think she’ll be able to speak to that.’ [September/October 2014, Politico Magazine]

Mayor De Blasio, on 2016: ‘I really think is [there will be] sort of a sharp truth-telling about the reality of the economy and the need for more profound answers, and I think she’ll [Sec. Clinton will] be able to speak to that.’ According to Politico Magazine, Politico’s Glenn Thrush asked New York Mayor Bill De Blasio, ‘Do you think Hillary Clinton is a true progressive?’ Mayor De Blasio responded, ‘Oh, absolutely. … Clearly, throughout the 2016 election cycle there will be a call for what we often call populism. But what I really think is [there will be] sort of a sharp truth-telling about the reality of the economy and the need for more profound answers, and I think she’ll be able to speak to that.’ [September/October 2014, Politico Magazine]

Demers, Jim

Former NH State Rep. Jim Demers: “I’ve made an early decision this time to support Hillary Clinton because this is her time.” “Jim Demers, a former Democratic state representative in New Hampshire, said he has attended several parties at Mr. Biden’s residence in Washington. ‘If he believes he wants to make a run he has every right to do that. And if he were to run the quality of the debate would be very high,’ Mr. Demers said. ‘He has a lot of friends in New Hampshire,’ he continued. ‘He certainly would have a very positive message to tell if the economy continues to turn around, as we’re seeing today. He’s very capable.’ And yet … Mr. Demers is backing Mrs. Clinton. ‘I’ve made an early decision this time to support Hillary Clinton because this is her time. Timing is really important when you’re running for office and she has a lot to contribute and would be a very, very strong nominee.’” [Washington Wire, Wall Street Journal, 1/22/15]

Dinkins, David (Fmr. Mayor of New York City)

Fmr. New York Mayor David Dinkins referred to Sec. Clinton as “my candidate.” According to the New York Times’ coverage of Sec. Clinton’s speech at awards dinner for the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, “The former Mayor David N. Dinkins, who wore a green and navy plaid blazer and bow tie, said he didn’t even try to approach ‘my candidate’ Mrs. Clinton. ‘It was too crowded down there, but she knows I love her,’ he said. As for the turnout on Tuesday, he called the R.F.K. dinner ‘top of the list.’ [New York Times, 12/17/14]

Gibbs, Robert (White House Press Secretary from 2009-2011)

Robert Gibbs: “I would be more than happy to have Hillary Clinton — to call her Madame President.” CHRIS MATTHEWS: By the way, does the President want Hillary Clinton to be the next president? >> ROBERT GIBBS: I think he’s met with her a number of times and I’d be surprised if she didn’t know that this was coming down. >>MATTHEWS: He’s going to help her? >> GIBBS: I — there’s no doubt he wants a Democrat and I think — >> MATTHEWS: A Democrat? >> GIBBS: Well, any and all, but — >> MATTHEWS: Who else he thinking about? GIBBS: I’ve got to assume that Hillary’s going to be the nominee. >> MATTHEWS: Does that make you happy personally? >> GIBBS: I think that means that a lot of the things that he’s done, whether it’s Cuba or health care, will stay in place for a long time. >> MATTHEWS: Do you think she’s happy your lawyering this question? You can’t just answer it? >> GIBBS: I would be more than happy to have Hillary Clinton — to call her Madame President. >> MATTHEWS: I just love the way you two guys get along, always looking for peace here. Actually, I’m not. Anyway thank you, Rob Gibbs, a brilliant man. >> [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 12/18/14]

Elleithee, Mo (DNC Communications Director)

DNC communications director: ‘When she [Sec. Clinton] speaks about issues of economic opportunity, particularly when she speaks about economic opportunity for women and for families, she does it in a way that really connects.’ According to the New York Times’ coverage of Sec. Clinton’s rally for Alison Lundergan Grimes in Louisville, Kentucky, ‘‘When she speaks about issues of economic opportunity, particularly when she speaks about economic opportunity for women and for families, she does it in a way that really connects,’ said Mo Elleithee, the national communications director at the Democratic National Committee who worked on Mrs. Clinton’s 2008 campaign.’ [New York Times, 10/15/14]

Elmendorf, Steve (Democratic Strategist and former Senior Advisor to House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt)

Steve Elmendorf: “I’m for Hillary Clinton. I believe she should run for president. I think if she does run for president she’ll get elected.” According to Bloomberg’s Market Makers, during an interview with Stephanie Ruhle, Steve Elmendorf stated, “Well, I think we’re going to have a very competitive presidential election in 2016 and I think anybody who didn’t believe that doesn’t know what they’re talking about. You’re going to end up with both sides having high quality candidates and it’s going to be a big moment for the country I guess and I think we have a competitive two-party system. We have wave elections both ways in the last decade and I think ’16 is going to be a very competitive election. I’m for Hillary Clinton. I believe she’s going to run. I think she’ll be formidable, but you know, the Republicans have some good candidates who will make it a real race.” Stephanie Ruhle then asked, “Does that mean we’ve had low-quality people until now? I guess its disappointment to say well, “Now they’re going to put high-quality people in.” What have they been doing until now?” Elmendorf responded, “No. I didn’t say that. That’s not what I said. I think some people think that the next election, like some people think some of the Republican candidates are not great candidates. I think they’re going to come up with a pretty good candidate. And I think when you’ve been in power for eight years, you’re going to have a tough election. But we’re ready for that. And I think we have a great candidate and I think we have a lot of things on our side in terms of the demographics of the electorate. We do better in presidential years than we do in off years when people vote.” Ruhle asked, “What is his or her name, this great candidate?” Elmendorf responded, “I’m for Hillary Clinton. I believe she should run for president. I think if she does run for president she’ll get elected. You know, that’s my view.” [Bloomberg’s Market Makers, 11/5/14]

Steve Elmendorf: “I think we have a great candidate” in Hillary Clinton. According to Bloomberg’s Market Makers, during an interview with Stephanie Ruhle, Steve Elmendorf stated, “Well, I think we’re going to have a very competitive presidential election in 2016 and I think anybody who didn’t believe that doesn’t know what they’re talking about. You’re going to end up with both sides having high quality candidates and it’s going to be a big moment for the country I guess and I think we have a competitive two-party system. We have wave elections both ways in the last decade and I think ’16 is going to be a very competitive election. I’m for Hillary Clinton. I believe she’s going to run. I think she’ll be formidable, but you know, the Republicans have some good candidates who will make it a real race.” Stephanie Ruhle then asked, “Does that mean we’ve had low-quality people until now? I guess its disappointment to say well, “Now they’re going to put high-quality people in.” What have they been doing until now?” Elmendorf responded, “No. I didn’t say that. That’s not what I said. I think some people think that the next election, like some people think some of the Republican candidates are not great candidates. I think they’re going to come up with a pretty good candidate. And I think when you’ve been in power for eight years, you’re going to have a tough election. But we’re ready for that. And I think we have a great candidate and I think we have a lot of things on our side in terms of the demographics of the electorate. We do better in presidential years than we do in off years when people vote.” Ruhle asked, “What is his or her name, this great candidate?” Elmendorf responded, “I’m for Hillary Clinton. I believe she should run for president. I think if she does run for president she’ll get elected. You know, that’s my view.” [Bloomberg’s Market Makers, 11/5/14]

Ernst, Don (Instructor of Education Policy at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service)

Don Ernst: ‘Governor Clinton and Hillary took time to listen to the citizens of Arkansas, to engage them in the details and struggles of education inequality.’ According to Don Ernst, instructor of education policy at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, ‘Governor Clinton and Hillary took time to listen to the citizens of Arkansas, to engage them in the details and struggles of education inequality. Hearings were held in all 75 Arkansas counties. In many ways, it was the citizens of Arkansas who rose to the challenge of improving the educational lives of Arkansas children.’ [Don Ernst, Log Cabin Democrat, 8/7/14]

Don Ernst: ‘I certainly recognized very early that Hillary was brilliant and was devoted to improving the lives of children.’ According to Don Ernst, instructor of education policy at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, ‘I certainly recognized very early that Hillary was brilliant and was devoted to improving the lives of children. It was no surprise to me that she would be one of the most able First Lady’s in United States’ history and later a Senator and Secretary of State — all accomplishments that easily fill a lifetime of great achievement.’ [Don Ernst, Log Cabin Democrat, 8/7/14]

Don Ernst: ‘Hillary’s pathway to success, through hard work and a deep devotion to the power of education to transform the world, started in Arkansas.’ According to Don Ernst, instructor of education policy at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, ‘Hillary’s pathway to success, through hard work and a deep devotion to the power of education to transform the world, started in Arkansas.’ [Don Ernst, Log Cabin Democrat, 8/7/14]

From, Al (Founder and Former CEO of the Democratic Leadership Council)

Al From: ‘Hillary Clinton believes in the same basic framework that Bill Clinton did, with an emphasis on opportunity with an emphasis on personal responsibility, an emphasis on bringing everybody together.’ According to Bloomberg’s With All Due Respect, Al From stated, ‘Look, we have a real opportunity now to lay out an agenda for the future and that’s going to be in the presidential campaign, hopefully it’s going to be, from my perspective Hillary Clinton will lay out an agenda that is in it for the future, that convinces people that if they’re Democrats they’re going to get ahead, which is not what they are convinced of now…’ John Heilemann then asked, ‘Al, talking about Hillary Clinton you’ve created a good segway to my next question. There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind that Bill Clinton, who you worked very closely with in the late 80s and early 90s and beyond, was a new Democrat through and through. Do you think Hillary Clinton is a new Democrat in the way her husband was?’ Al From responded, ‘I think that Hillary Clinton believes in the same basic framework that Bill Clinton did, with an emphasis on opportunity with an emphasis on personal responsibility, an emphasis on bringing everybody together. She’s strong on national security issues. You know, but as she looks ahead, the framework and the thematics are going to be very similar but the specific ideas, this was a different world than it was twenty-five years ago so you need different ideas to talk to the kind of working women for example that Stan was talking about. So I hope she’ll be a new idea candidate but I think she’ll also push the values and larger purposes that President Clinton did.’ [Bloomberg’s With All Due Respect, 11/10/14]

Al From: ‘She’s strong on national security issues.’ According to Bloomberg’s With All Due Respect, Al From stated, ‘Look, we have a real opportunity now to lay out an agenda for the future and that’s going to be in the presidential campaign, hopefully it’s going to be, from my perspective Hillary Clinton will lay out an agenda that is in it for the future, that convinces people that if they’re Democrats they’re going to get ahead, which is not what they are convinced of now…’ John Heilemann then asked, ‘Al, talking about Hillary Clinton you’ve created a good segue to my next question. There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind that Bill Clinton, who you worked very closely with in the late 80s and early 90s and beyond, was a new Democrat through and through. Do you think Hillary Clinton is a new Democrat in the way her husband was?’ Al From responded, ‘I think that Hillary Clinton believes in the same basic framework that Bill Clinton did, with an emphasis on opportunity with an emphasis on personal responsibility, an emphasis on bringing everybody together. She’s strong on national security issues. You know, but as she looks ahead, the framework and the thematics are going to be very similar but the specific ideas, this was a different world than it was twenty-five years ago so you need different ideas to talk to the kind of working women for example that Stan was talking about. So I hope she’ll be a new idea candidate but I think she’ll also push the values and larger purposes that President Clinton did.’ [Bloomberg’s With All Due Respect, 11/10/14]

Ginsberg, Marc (U.S. Ambassador to Morocco under Pres. Clinton, Deputy Senior Adviser for Middle East Policy under Pres. Carter)

Helms, Ned (co-chair of Pres. Obama’s New Hampshire campaigns)

NH’s Ned Helms: ‘I believe there is one Democrat who has the forward-looking progressive ideas that the country and the world need during the challenging times we will face in the coming years. That is why I am for Hillary Clinton.’ According to Ned Helms, who co-chaired President Obama’s New Hampshire campaigns, in the Concord Monitor, ‘With our first-in-the-nation presidential primary about 16 months away, it seems there are plenty of potential candidates already coming to New Hampshire to test the waters, most on the Republican side. As a Democrat who cares deeply about the need for continued progressive leadership in Washington, I have for the first time made the decision to back a candidate even before that person has decided to run. I have done that because I believe there is one Democrat who has the forward-looking progressive ideas that the country and the world need during the challenging times we will face in the coming years. That is why I am for Hillary Clinton.’ [Ned Helms, Concord Monitor, 10/8/14]

NH’s Ned Helms: ‘Today I feel the time is right for what Clinton has to offer, and can do for our country.’ According to Ned Helms, who co-chaired President Obama’s New Hampshire campaigns, in the Concord Monitor, ‘In 2008, I was an early supporter of President Obama, not because I was opposed to Clinton, but because I thought the time was right for what Obama had to offer. And today I feel the time is right for what Clinton has to offer, and can do for our country.’ [Ned Helms, Concord Monitor, 10/8/14]

NH’s Ned Helms: ‘As first lady, a U.S. senator and secretary of state, Clinton has spoken out in the most forceful of terms for women’s rights as human rights.’ According to Ned Helms, who co-chaired President Obama’s New Hampshire campaigns, in the Concord Monitor, ‘As first lady, a U.S. senator and secretary of state, Clinton has spoken out in the most forceful of terms for women’s rights as human rights. Her courageous speech in Beijing as first lady enunciating that powerful ideal has been backed again and again by her actions. When you have been a champion for women to speak freely, attain an education, own property, have equal chances for a full and rewarding life no matter where you are born in the world, you are speaking for the future of a powerful and progressive planet.’ [Ned Helms, Concord Monitor, 10/8/14]

Hubbell, Webster ‘Webb’ (Arkansas Lawyer)

Webb Hubbell, on Sec. Clinton: ‘Do I think she’s running? Yes. Do I hope she’s running? Yes. She would make a very good president.’ According to the Washington Post’s coverage of Webb Hubbell, ‘Hubbell says he is at work on another novel. But he doesn’t worry that his small-scale re-emergence will become an uncomfortable reminder of past scandals as Hillary Clinton gets closer to a decision on whether to run for president. People move on, he says with a hopeful tone. He has. But when asked, he doesn’t shy from questions about the political future of his old friend. ‘Do I think she’s running? Yes. Do I hope she’s running? Yes,’ he says. ‘She would make a very good president.’’ [Washington Post, 5/21/14]

Jackson, Jesse (attempted Democratic presidential candidate 1984 and 1988)

Jackson, on Sec. Clinton: ‘If she runs, she will win.’ According to HuffPost Live, ‘The Rev. Jesse Jackson shared his views Monday on a potential presidential run by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and whether Vice President Joe Biden would be a challenging opponent for the 2016 Democratic nomination. ‘If she runs, she will win,’ Jackson told HuffPost Live. ‘The qualifications that she has … she is not just a name. She is a voice with authority.’’ [HuffPost Live, The Huffington Post, 2/10/14]

James, Letitia (NYC Public Advocate)

Capital New York: “[NYC Public Advocate Letitia] James endorsed the former U.S. senator from New York and will endorse her if she runs this time around, too.” According to Capital New York, “Letitia James, New York City’s public advocate and a staunch progressive, still remembers the time Hillary Clinton asked for her endorsement during the 2008 presidential race. ‘I was in the ladies room when she called me and she said, ‘Hi, this is Hillary.’ And I said ‘Hillary who?’’ James endorsed the former U.S. senator from New York and will endorse her if she runs this time around, too.” [Capital New York, 1/9/15]

Kander, Jason (Missouri Secretary of State)

MO Sec. State Kander: ‘When I learned that a Senator like Hillary Clinton cared enough about us to know more than just the talking points, some of my faith in our civilian leadership was restored.’ According to Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander in Blue Nation Review, ‘Given that the debate at home was so fully centered on Iraq, word of her deep knowledge base about Afghanistan spread quickly around our camp and made quite an impression on us. When I learned that a Senator like Hillary Clinton cared enough about us to know more than just the talking points, some of my faith in our civilian leadership was restored. I began to suspect she might be the kind of leader who did her homework before making decisions or forming positions. From what I had seen of her up to that point, I believed she was someone who put doing what’s right above doing what’s easy.’ [Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, Blue Nation Review, 8/20/14]

MO Sec. State Kander: ‘She [Sec. Clinton] was never afraid to make an argument for even her most complex positions.’ According to Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander in Blue Nation Review, regarding Sec. Clinton, ‘What I saw from her when I came home only reinforced those feelings. She worked hard to improve the quality of life for veterans and their families, but she also joined in the calls for investigations into body armor and other equipment needed overseas. She was never afraid to make an argument for even her most complex positions.’ [Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, Blue Nation Review, 8/20/14]

MO Sec. State Kander: ‘If I were still in the Army and Hillary Clinton were President, I would trust her to make decisions about where to go and what missions to pursue.’ According to Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander in Blue Nation Review, ‘If I were still in the Army and Hillary Clinton were President, I would trust her to make decisions about where to go and what missions to pursue. So it’s no surprise that I’ve become one of millions of millennials who are earnestly hoping she’ll choose to run.’ [Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, Blue Nation Review, 8/20/14]

Rory Kennedy, on who she’d support in 2016: ‘Hillary! I am so ready for Hillary, 100 percent.’ According to the Huffington Post’s HuffPost Live, ‘Rory Kennedy knows exactly who she wants to see in the White House next. When asked by HuffPost Live’s Marc Lamont Hill about who she’s eyeing for 2016, Kennedy was direct: ‘Hillary! I am so ready for Hillary, 100 percent.’’ [HuffPost Live, Huffington Post, 9/4/14]

Lewis, Ann

Ann Lewis: “Hillary Clinton has worked throughout her adult life – in and out of public office – to improve the lives of children.” “From working at the Children’s Defense Fund right after law school to her efforts to expand early learning for children today, Hillary Clinton has worked throughout her adult life – in and out of public office – to improve the lives of children. Her work on behalf of orphans and foster care children is not an exception, but an important example.” [Ann Lewis, Patriot-News, 1/28/15]

Love, Reggie (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to President Obama)

Reggie Love on Hillary Clinton: “I think she is a very, very capable person, and I think that she would be very formidable Democratic candidate for president.” DON LEMON: Do you think that she should be a nominee in the 2016? >> REGGIE LOVE: I think she is a very, very capable person, and I think that she would be very formidable Democratic candidate for president, and I, if she decides to run, I think you know, you couldn’t, and I don’t think that you could go wrong with her. >> [CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, 2/4/15]

Reggie Love on Hillary Clinton: “If she decides to run… I don’t think that you could go wrong with her.” DON LEMON: Do you think that she should be a nominee in the 2016? >> REGGIE LOVE: I think she is a very, very capable person, and I think that she would be very formidable Democratic candidate for president, and I, if she decides to run, I think you know, you couldn’t, and I don’t think that you could go wrong with her. >> [CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, 2/4/15]

Locke, Gary (U.S. Ambassador to China under Pres. Obama)

Amb. Gary Locke: ‘The clearest way for Secretary Clinton to demonstrate our country’s renewed commitment to Asia was by simply being there.’ According to Ambassador Gary Locke’s op-ed in USA Today about Sec. Clinton’s pivot to Asia, ‘The clearest way for Secretary Clinton to demonstrate our country’s renewed commitment to Asia was by simply being there. Including that first trip as secretary, Hillary Clinton visited East Asia and the Pacific region 36 times in her first three years on the job. In fact, she took seven trips to China alone. Showing up was only the first step. Clinton stressed that the pivot to Asia should be about more than repairing relationships — it should be an opportunity to enhance our shared economic well-being. Clinton’s subsequent foreign policy promoted a stable, fair, and open-market atmosphere across Asia.’ [Gary Locke, USA Today, 6/13/14]

Amb. Gary Locke: ‘In all, Secretary Clinton’s diplomatic efforts to rebuild our country’s credibility in the Asian region and reassert U.S. leadership across the Asian continent will last far into the future.’ According to Ambassador Gary Locke’s op-ed in USA Today about Sec. Clinton’s pivot to Asia, ‘In all, Secretary Clinton’s diplomatic efforts to rebuild our country’s credibility in the Asian region and reassert U.S. leadership across the Asian continent will last far into the future. I consider it to be one of Secretary Clinton’s greatest achievements as secretary of State and I look forward to reading in her book about this strategic engagement.’ [Gary Locke, USA Today, 6/13/14]

Jim Messina (White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2011 and campaign manager for Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign)

Messina: “I think she would be the right leader for this country moving forward. And we’re going to do whatever it takes to make sure she’s the president of the United States.” “Former Obama campaign manager and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina said Priorities USA, the Super PAC he is co-chairman of, will support Hillary Clinton for president of the United States. Messina is also chairman of the 501(c)(4) Organizing for Action (formerly Obama for America). In an interview with MSNBC’s Ronan Farrow that took place on Sunday but aired Monday afternoon Messina complained about Citizens United, calling it ‘the worst decision of the Supreme Court in our lifetime.’ However, Messina then defended his use of Super PACS, saying he’s going to ‘push back and I’m going to fight for the ideals I believe in.’ ‘Look, I run a Super PAC and I think they should be outlawed tomorrow,’ Messina told MSNBC’s Farrow. ‘But if they’re going to have that kind of money, I’m going to push back and I’m going to fight for the ideals I believe in.’ ‘You’re pouring your money towards Hillary, correct?’ Farrow asked Messina. ‘Yep,’ Messina said. ‘We want Hillary Clinton to be the next president of the United States.’ ‘It’s her turn and her time,’ Messina also said. ‘I think she would be the right leader for this country moving forward. And we’re going to do whatever it takes to make sure she’s the president of the United States.’” [Real Clear Politics, 2/2/15]

Jim Messina on Hillary Clinton: “I think she would be the right leader for the country moving forward.” RONAN FARROW: I was going to ask about that, he is part of the problem, your Super PAC. You have Priorities USA, of course.. >> MESSINA: Yep. >> FARROW: You’re pouring your money towards Hillary, correct? MESSINA: Yep, we want Hillary Clinton to be the next President of the United States. [Cheers] Thank you. >> FARROW: Some Hillary fans here. >> MESSINA: That’s right. It’s her turn and I think it’s her time. I think she would be the right leader for the country moving forward. We’re going to do whatever it takes to make sure she’s the President of the United States. >> [MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, 2/2/15]

Mixner, David (Donor)

Democratic donor David Mixner: Sec. Clinton ‘might not be as quick as others but once she’s there, she’s committed.’ According to the New York Times’ coverage of Sec. Clinton’s relationship with LGBT people, regarding Sec. Clinton’s 2011 Geneva speech, ‘The speech also sent a message to activists in the United States. Mrs. Clinton ‘might not be as quick as others but once she’s there, she’s committed,’ said David B. Mixner, an author and Democratic donor. ‘I think she’s grown into a forceful advocate for L.G.B.T. rights, especially internationally.’’ [New York Times, 8/29/14]

Democratic donor David Mixner: ‘I think she’s [Sec. Clinton has] grown into a forceful advocate for L.G.B.T. rights, especially internationally.’ According to the New York Times’ coverage of Sec. Clinton’s relationship with LGBT people, regarding Sec. Clinton’s 2011 Geneva speech, ‘The speech also sent a message to activists in the United States. Mrs. Clinton ‘might not be as quick as others but once she’s there, she’s committed,’ said David B. Mixner, an author and Democratic donor. ‘I think she’s grown into a forceful advocate for L.G.B.T. rights, especially internationally.’’ [New York Times, 8/29/14]

Muscatine, Lissa (Sec. Clinton’s former speechwriter)

Lissa Muscatine: ‘She’s [Sec. Clinton’s] been a champion of women’s issues since the beginning of her career more than four decades ago and every day since.’ According to Bloomberg’s article about how Sec. Clinton’s female-empowerment message could help Sec. Clinton gain support from men, ‘‘She’s been a champion of women’s issues since the beginning of her career more than four decades ago and every day since. And there will never be a time when she won’t be working on behalf of women,’ said Lissa Muscatine, who wrote speeches for Clinton in the White House, on the campaign trail and at the State Department. ‘Does the issue have political benefit? Yes, of course. But she’d be doing it regardless. It’s so core to her and so central to her and who she is and what she cares about.’’ [Bloomberg, 9/23/14]

Lissa Muscatine: ‘There will never be a time when she [Sec. Clinton] won’t be working on behalf of women.’ According to Bloomberg’s article about how Sec. Clinton’s female-empowerment message could help Sec. Clinton gain support from men, ‘‘She’s been a champion of women’s issues since the beginning of her career more than four decades ago and every day since. And there will never be a time when she won’t be working on behalf of women,’ said Lissa Muscatine, who wrote speeches for Clinton in the White House, on the campaign trail and at the State Department. ‘Does the issue have political benefit? Yes, of course. But she’d be doing it regardless. It’s so core to her and so central to her and who she is and what she cares about.’’ [Bloomberg, 9/23/14]

Lissa Muscatine: ‘It’s [women’s issues are] so core to her [Sec. Clinton] and so central to her and who she is and what she cares about.’ According to Bloomberg’s article about how Sec. Clinton’s female-empowerment message could help Sec. Clinton gain support from men, ‘‘She’s been a champion of women’s issues since the beginning of her career more than four decades ago and every day since. And there will never be a time when she won’t be working on behalf of women,’ said Lissa Muscatine, who wrote speeches for Clinton in the White House, on the campaign trail and at the State Department. ‘Does the issue have political benefit? Yes, of course. But she’d be doing it regardless. It’s so core to her and so central to her and who she is and what she cares about.’’ [Bloomberg, 9/23/14]

Podesta, John (Former White House Chief of Staff)

John Podesta, on Sec. Clinton: ‘Disciplined, tough, and determined.’ According to The Hill’s Ballot Box blog, ‘Asked specifically by reporters at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast to come up with three words to describe the former first lady, Podesta called her ‘disciplined, tough and determined.’ Podesta also predicted that a President Hillary Clinton would ‘Get up every day … and go to the Oval Office and think ‘What can I do to help the middle class and help working people?’’’ [Ballot Box, The Hill, 6/6/14]

Psaki, Jen

State Department spox: ‘The way he [Sec. John Kerry] views it is that Secretary Clinton was secretary at a time when we had to repair our relationship with the world.’ According to Vogue’s profile of Sec. John Kerry, ‘‘The way he views it is that Secretary Clinton was secretary at a time when we had to repair our relationship with the world,’ says State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki. ‘He’s building on a lot of the work she has done.’ (‘I telephone Hillary here and there and ask her for her thoughts about things,’ Kerry says. ‘I have a lot of admiration and friendship for her.’)’ [Vogue, 10/2/14]

Rosenstein, Peter (political consultant)

Peter Rosenstein: ‘Hillary Rodham Clinton holds in her hands the hopes and desires of many but none more than the women and girls here in the United States and those who look to the United States around the world.’ According to Peter D. Rosenstein in the Huffington Post, ‘Hillary Rodham Clinton holds in her hands the hopes and desires of many but none more than the women and girls here in the United States and those who look to the United States around the world. She represents the fulfillment of what I am sure many of our fore-mothers erroneously believed about the Declaration of Independence and that was that they were meant to be included in these most famous lines, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’’ [Peter D. Rosenstein, Huffington Post, 10/7/14]

Peter Rosenstein: ‘Hillary Clinton’s election in 2016 would declare to the world that the United States is now ready to include all people in order to form a ‘more perfect union.’’ According to Peter D. Rosenstein in the Huffington Post, ‘Hillary Clinton’s election in 2016 would declare to the world that the United States is now ready to include all people in order to form a ‘more perfect union’.’ [Peter D. Rosenstein, Huffington Post, 10/7/14]

Peter Rosenstein: ‘Hillary Rodham Clinton is recognized as a world leader with more background and experience in policy and diplomacy than any person ever to run for President.’ According to Peter D. Rosenstein in the Huffington Post, ‘Hillary Rodham Clinton is recognized as a world leader with more background and experience in policy and diplomacy than any person ever to run for President.’ [Peter D. Rosenstein, Huffington Post, 10/7/14]

Peter Rosenstein: ‘There is an overwhelming feeling one gets from people in all walks of life and all political stripes that her [Sec. Clinton’s] time has arrived.’ According to political consultant Peter Rosenstein in the Huffington Post, ‘There is an overwhelming feeling one gets from people in all walks of life and all political stripes that her time has arrived. She will finally overcome the haters and doubters because enough people recognize she is the real thing. Her in-depth understanding of both the United States and the world will leave no one questioning that she is the right person, as a TV ad once claimed, ‘to answer that 3am phone call’.’ [Peter Rosenstein, Huffington Post, 9/10/14]

Rye, Angela (Political Strategist)

Angela Rye: “It’s clear that folks are ready for Hillary, and she’s certainly ready to run.” REV. AL SHARPTON: All right. But let me ask you, Angela, if Elizabeth Warren has input and does not run, that clears the field of any potential superstar or big name, but you still have others out there. Could any of them gain traction? ANGELA RYE: I think others folks could gain traction Rev, but I think we need to just level with the progressive community at this point. Elizabeth Warren is not running. And sure there are things she could share with Hillary Clinton, but Hillary Clinton is no rookie. We’re talking about a woman who was first lady for two terms of her president’s tenure. We’re talking about a senator from New York. We’re talking about someone who has already run a presidential race. So she can learn from them, but she can also teach them. So whether or not anyone else jumps in, it’s clear that folks are ready for Hillary, and she’s certainly ready to run. >> [MSNBC’s PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton, 2/17/15]

Angela Rye: “Hillary Clinton is no rookie. We’re talking about a woman who was first lady…senator from New York…someone who has already run a presidential race.” REV. AL SHARPTON: All right. But let me ask you, Angela, if Elizabeth Warren has input and does not run, that clears the field of any potential superstar or big name, but you still have others out there. Could any of them gain traction? ANGELA RYE: I think others folks could gain traction Rev, but I think we need to just level with the progressive community at this point. Elizabeth Warren is not running. And sure there are things she could share with Hillary Clinton, but Hillary Clinton is no rookie. We’re talking about a woman who was first lady for two terms of her president’s tenure. We’re talking about a senator from New York. We’re talking about someone who has already run a presidential race. So she can learn from them, but she can also teach them. So whether or not anyone else jumps in, it’s clear that folks are ready for Hillary, and she’s certainly ready to run. >> [MSNBC’s PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton, 2/17/15]

Sagrans, Erica (Ready for Warren campaign manager)

Ready for Warren’s Erica Sagrans: ‘Clinton is embracing her [Sen. Warren’s] language around corporations and Wall Street.’ According to the Washington Post’s interview with Erica Sagrans, the campaign manager for the ‘Ready for Warren’ draft movement, ‘Clinton is embracing her language around corporations and Wall Street. She has pushed the language that Clinton is using. It’s a start. But we want to see more than that. We want to see Clinton and future candidates really embrace Warren’s words and views and passion when it comes to working people taking on Wall Street and helping students with debt, for instance. There are places where they agree, but places where Warren goes further in how she wants to do things. Part of it is also the people we want to see in charge and who they are accountable to.’ [Nia-Malika Henderson, The Fix, Washington Post, 11/18/14]

Sainz, Fred (Human Rights Campaign spokesman)

Human Rights Campaign spox: ‘We [young gay men] get her [Sec. Clinton] like we get our moms. We’ve seen the travails she’s been through and the fact that she’s not just a survivor but a conqueror.’ According to the New York Times’ coverage of Sec. Clinton’s relationship with LGBT people, ‘To a generation of younger gay men in particular, Mrs. Clinton’s appeal extends to a more primal connection. Her ability to come back after a bruising defeat by Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic primaries appealed to gay men, many of whom had also weathered setbacks. ‘We get her like we get our moms,’ said Fred Sainz, a spokesman for Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group. ‘We’ve seen the travails she’s been through and the fact that she’s not just a survivor but a conqueror.’’ [New York Times, 8/29/14]

Sheyman, Ilya (MoveOn.org head)

MoveOn.org head, on Sec. Clinton: ‘There’s a respect for her as an accomplished senior player who stood up to right-wing attacks.’ According to Noam Scheiber’s commentary on Sec. Clinton in the New Republic, ‘Above all, as the Republican Party became more crazed and abusive, even previously skeptical Democrats saw Clinton differently, a pattern that has recurred throughout her career. ‘There’s a respect for her as an accomplished senior player who stood up to right-wing attacks,’ says Ilya Sheyman, head of the liberal group MoveOn.org Political Action.’ [Noam Scheiber, New Republic, 6/29/14]

Siddique, M. Osman (U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Tonga, Nauru, and Tuvalu under Pres. Clinton)

Amb. Siddique: Sec. Clinton recognized that diplomatic relationships ‘endure when both parties involved are seeking greater respect, greater value, and greater confidence in what can they can accomplish together.’ According to Amb. M. Osman Siddique, U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Tonga, Nauru, and Tuvalu from 1999 until 2001, in a column for The Diplomat, ‘As secretary of state, Hillary Clinton knew this, too. She recognized that strong and long-lasting relationships between countries are not formed through isolated agreements. Rather, they endure when both parties involved are seeking greater respect, greater value, and greater confidence in what can they can accomplish together.’ [Amb. M. Osman Siddique, The Diplomat, 8/7/14]

Amb. Siddique: ‘Often quietly and behind the scenes, she worked to create new economic opportunities for Americans by expanding the reach of American businesses into new markets.’ According to Amb. M. Osman Siddique, U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Tonga, Nauru, and Tuvalu from 1999 until 2001, in a column for The Diplomat, ‘Turning this understanding into action, Secretary Clinton worked diligently during her tenure at the State Department to strengthen the U.S. economy and create American jobs. Often quietly and behind the scenes, she worked to create new economic opportunities for Americans by expanding the reach of American businesses into new markets. In 2013, Businessweek noted: ‘Clinton has argued that commercial diplomacy and the promotion of trade, long the neglected stepchildren of the foreign policy establishment, are central to U.S. strategic interests…. her work as a spokeswoman for American business is a less visible part of her legacy. Yet it may be the most durable.’’ [Amb. M. Osman Siddique, The Diplomat, 8/7/14]

Amb. Siddique: ‘Secretary Clinton encouraged Lion Air to purchase 240 new jets from Boeing, for a total of $21.7 billion.’ According to Amb. M. Osman Siddique, U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Tonga, Nauru, and Tuvalu from 1999 until 2001, in a column for The Diplomat, ‘One of the many examples of this work is a deal she helped secure between Boeing and Indonesia’s Lion Air. Secretary Clinton encouraged Lion Air to purchase 240 new jets from Boeing, for a total of $21.7 billion. After this deal was secured, President Obama estimated that it would create over 100,000 new jobs in the United States. These are not short-term contracts, but rather jobs that will sustain hardworking American families for years.’ [Amb. M. Osman Siddique, The Diplomat, 8/7/14]

Amb. Siddique: ‘She [Sec. Clinton] was mindful that most American jobs are created by small businesses, and therefore worked relentlessly to open up global business opportunities for our small businesses…’ According to Amb. M. Osman Siddique, U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Tonga, Nauru, and Tuvalu from 1999 until 2001, in a column for The Diplomat, ‘Her economic diplomacy went well beyond supporting large American corporations. She was mindful that most American jobs are created by small businesses, and therefore worked relentlessly to open up global business opportunities for our small businesses and entrepreneurs. One of her signature initiatives was to mobilize Americans who were members of the diaspora community to reach out to their countries of origins and to work to advance and secure American economic interests as well as moral imperatives. Her seamless bridging of the economic, political and security dimensions of U.S. foreign policy has provided a more robust direction to our participation in the global economy.’ [Amb. M. Osman Siddique, The Diplomat, 8/7/14]

Amb. Siddique: ‘Our world is a better place when public servants like Secretary Clinton strengthen both our foreign policy and economic ties with countries around the world.’ According to Amb. M. Osman Siddique, U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Tonga, Nauru, and Tuvalu from 1999 until 2001, in a column for The Diplomat, ‘Over the years, America has wound its way through periods of high global engagement and eras when we’ve taken a more isolationist stance. But our world is a better place when public servants like Secretary Clinton strengthen both our foreign policy and economic ties with countries around the world. It is a clear win-win.’ [Amb. M. Osman Siddique, The Diplomat, 8/7/14]

Simon, Sheila (Illinois Lt. Gov.)

Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon: Sec. Clinton was ‘amazingly qualified.’ According to the Wall Street Journal, ‘Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, daughter of the late Democratic Sen. Paul Simon, who is now running for Illinois comptroller, is loath to criticize the putative Democratic 2016 front-runner. She describes Mrs. Clinton as ‘amazingly qualified,’ but she also grimaces at the memory of Mrs. Clinton’s bellying up to a bar in Indiana during her ‘08 campaign, downing a shot of whiskey before tucking into a pizza and beer. Ms. Simon’s advice to Mrs. Clinton, should she run, is to be ‘genuine.’ ‘That is certainly valued by Illinois voters, and this time around, I think that’s where her Midwest background actually matters,’ she said.’ [Wall Street Journal, 8/20/14]

Sink, Alex (Democratic candidate for Florida Governor, candidate for Congress in Florida’s 13^th District, and Chief Financial Officer of Florida from 2007-2011)

Alex Sink: “As I go around Florida and see, talk to people, everyday people, they’re all ready for Hillary and that’s why I believe that she’s going to run a very strong campaign, we’re enthusiastic.” ARI MELBER: What do you make of this trickle of endorsements, even from some prominent progressives now for Hillary Clinton? >> ALEX SINK, (D-FL): Well, I think what I make of it is that people are ready for Hillary and it’s not only the prominent people. As I go around Florida and see, talk to people, everyday people, they’re all ready for Hillary and that’s why I believe that she’s going to run a very strong campaign, we’re enthusiastic. She can really get Florida voters motivated to go to the polls, something we don’t have a history doing very well in the off-year elections. But watch out. We’re ready for Hillary. >> ARI MELBER: What do you say to folks who understand that enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton as a candidate but say, hold on, this is just crazy that people, senators, you know, we’re reporting on what they’re doing. They’re lining up. They’re putting the word out. What do you make of that, and could it actually be counterproductive? >>SINK: No, not at all. I don’t think it’s counterproductive. I think it says that we believe that she’s the best qualified candidate. She’s well prepared. We’re ready for her. MELBER: Alright, and we’re been ready for both of you. That is it for tonight. “The Rachel Maddow show” starts right now. >> [MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes, 12/16/14]

Alex Sink: “She can really get Florida voters motivated to go to the polls, something we don’t have a history doing very well in off-year elections. But watch out. We’re ready for Hillary.” ARI MELBER: What do you make of this trickle of endorsements, even from some prominent progressives now for Hillary Clinton? >> ALEX SINK, (D-FL): Well, I think what I make of it is that people are ready for Hillary and it’s not only the prominent people. As I go around Florida and see, talk to people, everyday people, they’re all ready for Hillary and that’s why I believe that she’s going to run a very strong campaign, we’re enthusiastic. She can really get Florida voters motivated to go to the polls, something we don’t have a history doing very well in the off-year elections. But watch out. We’re ready for Hillary. >> ARI MELBER: What do you say to folks who understand that enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton as a candidate but say, hold on, this is just crazy that people, senators, you know, we’re reporting on what they’re doing. They’re lining up. They’re putting the word out. What do you make of that, and could it actually be counterproductive? >>SINK: No, not at all. I don’t think it’s counterproductive. I think it says that we believe that she’s the best qualified candidate. She’s well prepared. We’re ready for her. MELBER: Alright, and we’re been ready for both of you. That is it for tonight. “The Rachel Maddow show” starts right now. >> [MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes, 12/16/14]

Alex Sink: “We [Floridians] believe that she’s the best qualified candidate. She’s well prepared. We’re ready for her.” ARI MELBER: What do you make of this trickle of endorsements, even from some prominent progressives now for Hillary Clinton? >> ALEX SINK, (D-FL): Well, I think what I make of it is that people are ready for Hillary and it’s not only the prominent people. As I go around Florida and see, talk to people, everyday people, they’re all ready for Hillary and that’s why I believe that she’s going to run a very strong campaign, we’re enthusiastic. She can really get Florida voters motivated to go to the polls, something we don’t have a history doing very well in the off-year elections. But watch out. We’re ready for Hillary. >> ARI MELBER: What do you say to folks who understand that enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton as a candidate but say, hold on, this is just crazy that people, senators, you know, we’re reporting on what they’re doing. They’re lining up. They’re putting the word out. What do you make of that, and could it actually be counterproductive? >>SINK: No, not at all. I don’t think it’s counterproductive. I think it says that we believe that she’s the best qualified candidate. She’s well prepared. We’re ready for her. MELBER: Alright, and we’re been ready for both of you. That is it for tonight. “The Rachel Maddow show” starts right now. >> [MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes, 12/16/14]

Slaughter, Anne-Marie (Sec. Clinton’s policy-planning chief at the State Department)

‘Her [Anne-Marie Slaughter, Clinton’s first policy-planning chief at the State Department] case for Clinton, in fact, is explicitly about politics—and Clinton’s willingness to integrate them into the traditionally stodgy, big man-to-big man diplomacy long favored at the State Department (and arguably now being resurrected by Kerry). ‘Foreign policy has always been the furthest thing from retail politics; she brought them much closer together and institutionalized as much of her approach as possible in the very bones of the State Department. … Hillary took diplomacy directly to the people in ways that cannot produce a treaty or negotiated agreement, but that are essential to advancing America’s interests over the longer term,’ Slaughter argues.’ [Politico Magazine, 12/8/13]

According to Anne-Marie Slaughter, Clinton’s first policy-planning chief at the State Department, ‘What she should be remembered for in a 2016 campaign is proving that she could represent the American people day in and day out in the long, hard slog of regular politics, in between the rare shining moments of success. She was and is beloved around the world, as an inspiration, as an example of an America in which a woman could run for president, nearly win her party’s primary, lose with grace and then prove that adversaries can work together for the sake of their country.’ [Politico Magazine, 12/8/13]

Socarides, Richard (Democratic political strategist)

Richard Socarides: ‘People see her [Sec. Clinton] as a survivor and someone who despite her many, many gifts and blessings, survived some personal and political setbacks and persevered in the face of them.’ According to the New York Times’ coverage of Sec. Clinton’s relationship with LGBT people, ‘Richard Socarides, a Democratic strategist, gay rights advocate and White House adviser to Mr. Clinton, said, ‘People see her as a survivor and someone who despite her many, many gifts and blessings, survived some personal and political setbacks and persevered in the face of them.’ That, he added, ‘is very appealing to gay Americans because it’s a shared experience.’’ [New York Times, 8/29/14]

Richard Socarides, on Sec. Clinton’s 2011 Geneva speech: ‘In one fell swoop, she changed the entire global playing field for gay rights.’ According to the New York Times’ coverage of Sec. Clinton’s relationship with LGBT people, ‘Regardless of what Mrs. Clinton believed in the 1990s, most activists interviewed said she had emerged as a forceful advocate at the State Department, devising policies to help gays and lesbians abroad and in the Foreign Service. And her speech in Geneva marked a major turning point in a movement that is increasingly focused on discrimination in countries where same-sex relationships are illegal. ‘In one fell swoop, she changed the entire global playing field for gay rights,’ said Mr. Socarides, the Democratic strategist.’ [New York Times, 8/29/14]

Solis Doyle, Patti

Patti Solis Doyle: “I think Hillary Clinton did yeoman’s work in campaigning out there for Democrats.” According to Fox News, “‘I think Hillary Clinton did yeoman’s work in campaigning out there for Democrats,’ said Patti Solis Doyle, a former Clinton campaign manager in 2008, in an interview with Fox News. ‘She did what she could to help her friends, and very strong Democrats out there. She raised money for them; she campaigned for them.’” [Fox News, 11/8/14]

Yarmuth, John (Kentucky Representative)

Rep. Yarmuth: “Hillary Clinton is very, very popular here” in Kentucky. REP. JOHN YARMUTH (D) Kentucky: Well, you know, Kentucky loves to get attention and, unfortunately, the last president, few presidential elections, we haven’t gotten much attention. Both candidates have basically assumed that the state was going to be Republican. But President Clinton carried Kentucky both times. Hillary Clinton is very, very popular here as well. So their presence has generated a great deal of excitement. They’re both coming back this week is my understanding and when they show up, it’s several thousand people who come to see them and come to cheer on Alison. When Hillary was here a week and a half ago, it was 4,500 people came to the rally to see her and to see Alison. And this again, it accentuates the momentum and I think that’s a very, very important part of campaigns as you well know Patrick. that the public gets a sense of which candidate has the momentum and sometimes that moves votes. >> [MSNBC’s Patrick Murphy: Taking the Hill, 10/26/14]

Steyer, Tom

Tom Steyer: “I always respect what Secretary Clinton has to say. She is always smart and she is always wise.” According to The Daily Beast’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s speech before the League of Conservation Voters, ‘Karpinski wasn’t the only one willing to cut a not-yet-candidate Clinton some leeway. Exiting the hotel ballroom, philanthropist Tom Steyer also seemed to give Clinton a pass for not mentioning the pipeline project. ‘I always respect what Secretary Clinton has to say. She is always smart and she is always wise. And I thought she did a great job.’ Asked whether she should have mentioned the pipeline project, he merely said, ‘I thought her speech was great.’’ [The Daily Beast, 12/1/14]

Tanden, Neera (President of the Center for American Progress)

Neera Tanden: “I am really excited for these next two years. With any Clinton adventure, it is a roller coaster. It is going to be very exciting.” “Neera Tanden, one of Hillary Clinton’s longtime confidants and former policy adviser, dropped whatever coyness was left regarding the former secretary of state’s all-but-certain presidential run at an event on Tuesday night. Addressing an audience of about 150 people at an Asian-American and Pacific Islander Ready for Hillary event, Tanden — president of the Center for American Progress — said she was looking forward to seeing everyone in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. ‘I am really excited for these next two years. With any Clinton adventure, it is a roller coaster. It is going to be very exciting,’ Tanden said. ‘She is really going to need all of us to step up, step in, be involved, fight for her, be a voice for her.’” [CNN, 1/28/15]

Neera Tanden: ‘I had advised Hillary on policy when she was first lady, Senate candidate, and senator, so it seemed natural [to everyone but me] that I’d be part of her presidential run.’ According to Neera Tanden’s op-ed in the National Journal, regarding her work with Sec. Clinton, ‘In late 2006, my old boss Hillary Clinton started talking to me about the ideas that would fuel her presidential campaign. I had advised Hillary on policy when she was first lady, Senate candidate, and senator, so it seemed natural that I’d be part of her presidential run. Natural to everyone but me, that is. At the time I had two young children, ages 1 and 4; advising a presidential campaign while caring for them seemed a gargantuan task.’ [Neera Tanden, National Journal, 7/26/14]

Neera Tanden, on Sec. Clinton, in 2008: ‘One memorable day, Hillary even flipped her schedule to ensure that I could attend my daughter’s pre-K graduation and still run her debate prep.’ According to Neera Tanden’s op-ed in the National Journal, regarding her work with Sec. Clinton, ‘I ached over the decision but ultimately said yes. Unlike most women, I was fortunate in two crucial ways: I had a husband who was truly a co-parent, and I had a boss who would give me the flexibility to do my work while still upholding my responsibilities as a mom. One memorable day, Hillary even flipped her schedule to ensure that I could attend my daughter’s pre-K graduation and still run her debate prep. She never gave me less work or responsibility—believe me!—just the ability to do it on a schedule that let me get home for dinner (but not cook it) most nights and allowed me to work through the wee hours of the morning at home. I didn’t get much sleep, but it worked.’ [Neera Tanden, National Journal, 7/26/14]

Neera Tanden, on Sec. Clinton: ‘She had a perspective that if we don’t grow the economy for everyone, it’s not going to be good for anybody.’ According to the Washington Post’s coverage of how Pres. Clinton’s economic plan would affect Sec. Clinton’s potential 2016 campaign, ‘Sprinkling her remarks with statistical references and the research of prominent economists, Clinton echoed points that President Obama has made often over the past several years. But she also connected the nation’s big economic questions to her personal narrative — the line of women in her family or her own work on child opportunity when she was a law student. ‘On economic issues, she has a long history on these topics that are in her voice,’ said Neera Tanden, the president of the Center for American Progress and a longtime policy adviser to Clinton. ‘She has a long record of talking about these very issues, and she had a perspective that if we don’t grow the economy for everyone, it’s not going to be good for anybody.’’ [Washington Post, 5/29/14]

Neera Tanden on Hillary Clinton: ‘She has a long history from fighting for FMLA …to the minimum wage…to talking about universal childcare, universal pre-K, etc.’ According to an interview with The Daily Rundown ahead of Hillary Clinton being a part of the CAP panel on ‘Why Women’s Economic Security Matters for All,’ Neera Tanden stated, ‘We have Hillary there [at the CAP panel] because she has a long history from fighting for FMLA a few decades ago to the minimum wage in the past couple of decades to talking about universal childcare, universal pre-K, etc.…’ Reporter: ‘Even Senator Tom Harkin though, Neera, acknowledged last weekend that he and other progressives have, in his language, real questions about where Clinton stands on these issues, income gaps. Progressives eye Clinton ties to Wall Street wearily. So how can Clinton change the minds of this specific group of Democrats?’ Neera Tanden responded, ‘You know, I worked for Hillary for a long time. And in her past stubs and when she was running for president, she was one of the stronger candidates on holding Wall Street accountable, and has talked about income inequality in her book tour. She talked about regulating derivatives. She talked about Wall Street’s power in 2007, 2008. So I actually think you know the more she talks about these issues the more progressive and all Americans are going to recognize that to grow the economy for everyone, I mean Hillary has a long record on those issues and I’m sure they’ll be assured…Well on Syria right now, I mean on these issues, she’s I’m sure very aligned with the President… She had a different position a few years ago and which she wrote about clearly in her book. I mean she didn’t hide it… But going forward, I think they are very aligned… But I think that the truth is, if you look at polls today, and I’m not like a spokesperson for Hillary, but if you looked at polls today, liberal Democrats, moderate Democrats, centrist Democrats, they have strong support for Hillary Clinton because she has a long record on these issues.’ [MSNBC’s The Daily Rundown, 9/18/14]

Neera Tanden: ‘Liberal Democrats, moderate Democrats, centrist Democrats, they have strong support for Hillary Clinton because she has a long record on these issues.’ According to an interview with The Daily Rundown ahead of Hillary Clinton being a part of the CAP panel on ‘Why Women’s Economic Security Matters for All,’ Neera Tanden stated, ‘But I think that the truth is, if you look at polls today, and I’m not like a spokesperson for Hillary, but if you looked at polls today, liberal Democrats, moderate Democrats, centrist Democrats, they have strong support for Hillary Clinton because she has a long record on these issues.’ [MSNBC’s The Daily Rundown, 9/18/14]

Trumka, Richard (AFL-CIO)

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka: “I think she’s [Sec. Clinton’s] very astute.” According to Politico’s interview with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, “Trumka said he has spoken with Clinton and does not expect she will take labor for granted. ‘I think she’s very astute, and I don’t think she would do that,’ he said. ‘It’s not about us; it’s about the agenda. They can take me for granted all they want.’” [Politico, 12/9/14]

Turner, Nina (former Minority Whip for the Ohio Senate and state Senator for the 25^th District)

Nina Turner: “Whether it was first lady of Arkansas, first lady of this nation, senator, and secretary of state, she has never left the people.” ED SCHULTZ: Nina, interesting politics in Ohio. John Kasich expanded Medicaid in your state under Obamacare. And it’s very interesting. Now he wants to have enrollees above the poverty line pay between 15 and 20 dollars a month towards their coverage. Is this purely a political move on his part, something that he’s doing it because it’s populist? >> NINATURNER: I mean, definitely have to give Governor Kasich the credit for expanding that. As you know in the General Assembly at that time, the Republicans did not want to do it and he had to do the expansion in a different way, but we are going to have a come to Jesus moment in the state of Ohio when it comes to that expansion because the Republican legislature has made it harder to do. You know, it is the right thing to do whether you are Republican or Democrat when it comes to making sure that health care is expanded for all people, because if folks are not healthy they can’t go about their day. But I do agree with Bob that what secretary of state Hillary Clinton is going to bring to the table is the work that she has done throughout her life. Whether it was first lady of Arkansas, first lady of this nation, senator, and secretary of state, she has never left the people. Her heart and her work has always been with the people. And so we should not be surprised that folks who are being polled — that poll is a snapshot, but it is a very strong snapshot in time, that folks in this nation are craving for the leadership that Hillary Clinton brings to the table. >> [MSNBC’s The Ed Show, 2/3/15]

Nina Turner: “Her heart and her work has always been with the people.” ED SCHULTZ: Nina, interesting politics in Ohio. John Kasich expanded Medicaid in your state under Obamacare. And it’s very interesting. Now he wants to have enrollees above the poverty line pay between 15 and 20 dollars a month towards their coverage. Is this purely a political move on his part, something that he’s doing it because it’s populist? >> NINATURNER: I mean, definitely have to give Governor Kasich the credit for expanding that. As you know in the General Assembly at that time, the Republicans did not want to do it and he had to do the expansion in a different way, but we are going to have a come to Jesus moment in the state of Ohio when it comes to that expansion because the Republican legislature has made it harder to do. You know, it is the right thing to do whether you are Republican or Democrat when it comes to making sure that health care is expanded for all people, because if folks are not healthy they can’t go about their day. But I do agree with Bob that what secretary of state Hillary Clinton is going to bring to the table is the work that she has done throughout her life. Whether it was first lady of Arkansas, first lady of this nation, senator, and secretary of state, she has never left the people. Her heart and her work has always been with the people. And so we should not be surprised that folks who are being polled — that poll is a snapshot, but it is a very strong snapshot in time, that folks in this nation are craving for the leadership that Hillary Clinton brings to the table. >> [MSNBC’s The Ed Show, 2/3/15]

Nina Turner: “Folks in this nation are craving for the leadership that Hillary Clinton brings to the table.” ED SCHULTZ: Nina, interesting politics in Ohio. John Kasich expanded Medicaid in your state under Obamacare. And it’s very interesting. Now he wants to have enrollees above the poverty line pay between 15 and 20 dollars a month towards their coverage. Is this purely a political move on his part, something that he’s doing it because it’s populist? >> NINATURNER: I mean, definitely have to give Governor Kasich the credit for expanding that. As you know in the General Assembly at that time, the Republicans did not want to do it and he had to do the expansion in a different way, but we are going to have a come to Jesus moment in the state of Ohio when it comes to that expansion because the Republican legislature has made it harder to do. You know, it is the right thing to do whether you are Republican or Democrat when it comes to making sure that health care is expanded for all people, because if folks are not healthy they can’t go about their day. But I do agree with Bob that what secretary of state Hillary Clinton is going to bring to the table is the work that she has done throughout her life. Whether it was first lady of Arkansas, first lady of this nation, senator, and secretary of state, she has never left the people. Her heart and her work has always been with the people. And so we should not be surprised that folks who are being polled — that poll is a snapshot, but it is a very strong snapshot in time, that folks in this nation are craving for the leadership that Hillary Clinton brings to the table. >> [MSNBC’s The Ed Show, 2/3/15]

Nina Turner: “It shows that those in the heartland are certainly ready for Hillary.” ED SCHULTZ: Welcome back to “The Ed Show.” Finally tonight we’re just under a year away from the Iowa caucuses taking place. Even with Hillary Clinton on the sidelines, it’s looking more like a draft than a primary for the Democrats. Clinton holds a 40-point lead over the next closest Democratic challenger in the latest polls out of Iowa, but the general election, well, it’s not going to be a shoo-in. According to a new Quinnipiac poll, she’s losing ground against potential Republican opponents in key states. For instance, in Florida, Clinton holds a one-point lead over former governor Jeb Bush. Over in Ohio, John Kasich trails Hillary Clinton by just a percentage point. In a close race where every vote could count, these states have made it harder for everyone’s vote to count in Ohio and Florida. Ohio Secretary of State John Husted has spent his first four years in office working to cut early voting hours and same-day voter registration. Florida Governor Rick Scott called for a voter purge in 2012. An appeals court later ruled it was illegal. With Republicans in control of both state legislatures, voting rights could face more attacks. If Democrats want too win in 2016, they may have to find a path to the White House that doesn’t travel through Florida or Ohio. I’m joined tonight by Bob Shrum, Democratic strategist and Warsaw Professor of Politics at USC. Also with us tonight, Nina Turner, former Ohio state senator. Great to have both of you with us. Senator, you first tonight. What do you make of this polling? Hillary Clinton so strong everywhere, but Kasich so close in Ohio. What do you make of that? >> NINA TURNER: Well Ed, and a woman shall lead them. I think we should see it as the glass half full. I mean, it’s fabulous that former secretary of state Hillary Clinton is in a statistical dead heat in both Ohio and Florida against two governors who have concentrated their service in those states. That is a wonderful and beautiful thing. It shows that those in the heartland are certainly ready for Hillary. >> [MSNBC’s The Ed Show, 2/3/15]

Tucker, Cynthia (Syndicated columnist)

Cynthia Tucker: ‘Hillary Clinton is the presumed Democratic nominee for president in 2016. She has earned that status through two decades of hard work on the national stage.’ According to Cynthia Tucker, ‘Even without a formal declaration of her intent to run, Hillary Clinton is the presumed Democratic nominee for president in 2016. She has earned that status through two decades of hard work on the national stage — as First Lady, as a senator from New York, and, especially, as a loyal and energetic secretary of state in the administration of her former rival, Barack Obama.’ [Cynthia Tucker, National Memo, 8/23/14]

Van Bramer, Jimmy (New York Councilman)

Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer: “If Hillary Clinton decides to run, which I would wholeheartedly encourage her to do, I think it would be a great thing for New York and a great thing for the country.” According to Capital New York, “Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, a progressive whose district is in northwest Queens, and who, when he was a Democratic state committeeman in 2008, went to pro-Hillary rallies with his mother, was similarly effusive. ‘If Hillary Clinton decides to run, which I would wholeheartedly encourage her to do, I think it would be a great thing for New York and a great thing for the country,’ he said.” [Capital New York, 1/9/15]

Verveer, Melanne (first United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues)

Melanne Verveer: ‘She [Sec. Clinton] has been a global leader on issues affecting women and girls, but not affecting just women and girls, because they are also critical for economic and social progress for all of society.’ According to Bloomberg’s article about how Sec. Clinton’s female-empowerment message could help Sec. Clinton gain support from men, ‘Clinton allies say she has approached the topic from the perspective of how empowering women can boost a country’s economy or ameliorate social ills. ‘She has been a global leader on issues affecting women and girls, but not affecting just women and girls, because they are also critical for economic and social progress for all of society,’ said Melanne Verveer, who was Clinton’s chief of staff in the White House and served as the first U.S. ambassador at large for global women’s issues when Clinton was at State.’ [Bloomberg, 9/23/14]

Vietor, Tommy (National Security Spokesman under Pres. Obama)

Vietor, on Sec. Clinton: ‘She’s going to call it how she sees it, and people are responding to that in a positive way.’ According to the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s NPR ‘Hard Choices’ book tour interview, ‘Clinton advisers describe the exchange with Ms. Gross not so much as a lapse as a reflection of a mature woman who is unafraid to speak her mind. Tommy Vietor, a former Barack Obama campaign and White House aide who is helping the 66-year-old Mrs. Clinton, promote the book, ‘Hard Choices,’ said in an interview: ‘Sometimes that is going to make news, but she doesn’t really care anymore. She’s going to call it how she sees it, and people are responding to that in a positive way.’’ [Wall Street Journal, 6/15/14]

Weingarten, Randi (current president of the American Federation of Teachers)

Randi Weingarten: The American Federation of Teachers and I “have always been very, very big Hillary Clinton fans.” HOST: In terms of education, who is formidable on the Democratic side against him? RANDI WEINGARTEN: Well you know, it is still really early, and you know there is no secret that my union and I, you know, we have always been very, very big Hillary Clinton fans. We worked very hard for her in 2008. She was my senator in New York State. But you have to wait and see how the, who is ultimately going to run. Let me say this, public education is a public the good. It should not be a province of Democrats and not a province of Republicans. All throughout the country, like I was just a Newtown a couple of weeks ago. The board in Newtown is five Republicans, two or three Democrats. They understand that it is something you have to help, that they understand that it is all hits have to be helped, it shouldn’t be one of the other. But it requires an investment and it requires us meeting the needs of all kids, not thinking that a market theology is going to work. In fact, one of the big charter experts just admitted this week that market theology does not work in the education industry. HOST: You put out a statement very critical of this 1.1 trillion dollars spending bill that was passed by Congress and critical of it because they provision that would ease up on the Dodd Frank regulation over Wall Street. You wrote that at the same time we found out who stands on the sides of working families and who stands on the side of Wall Street. Working people know that we can count on House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the House Progressive Caucus, and Senator Elizabeth Warren and others, all those who stood up and said we will not vote for this legislation. WEINGARTEN: Right. HOST: Is Hillary Clinton too close to Wall Street? WEINGARTEN: No. Hillary Clinton knows how to get things done. I watched that when she was secretary of state, I watched that when she was a senator from New York State, or U.S. Senator from New York State, and I watched that when she was the first lady, so ultimately, you know, she has not announced yet, so it is premature to talk about all of this, and frankly let me also say my union has, it does not actually matter what my personal position is. My union has a whole endorsement process. But when you look at the senate spending bill, the spending bill that was passed, there’s two provisions in there. How do you derail Dodd Frank when that was the checks and balances? … [CSPAN, 12/17/14]

Randi Weingarten: “Hillary Clinton knows how to get things done. I watched that when she was secretary of state, I watched that when she was a senator from New York State…and I watch that when she was the first lady.” HOST: In terms of education, who is formidable on the Democratic side against him? RANDI WEINGARTEN: Well you know, it is still really early, and you know there is no secret that my union and I, you know, we have always been very, very big Hillary Clinton fans. We worked very hard for her in 2008. She was my senator in New York State. But you have to wait and see how the, who is ultimately going to run. Let me say this, public education is a public the good. It should not be a province of Democrats and not a province of Republicans. All throughout the country, like I was just a Newtown a couple of weeks ago. The board in Newtown is five Republicans, two or three Democrats. They understand that it is something you have to help, that they understand that it is all hits have to be helped, it shouldn’t be one of the other. But it requires an investment and it requires us meeting the needs of all kids, not thinking that a market theology is going to work. In fact, one of the big charter experts just admitted this week that market theology does not work in the education industry. HOST: You put out a statement very critical of this 1.1 trillion dollars spending bill that was passed by Congress and critical of it because they provision that would ease up on the Dodd Frank regulation over Wall Street. You wrote that at the same time we found out who stands on the sides of working families and who stands on the side of Wall Street. Working people know that we can count on House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the House Progressive Caucus, and Senator Elizabeth Warren and others, all those who stood up and said we will not vote for this legislation. WEINGARTEN: Right. HOST: Is Hillary Clinton too close to Wall Street? WEINGARTEN: No. Hillary Clinton knows how to get things done. I watched that when she was secretary of state, I watched that when she was a senator from New York State, or U.S. Senator from New York State, and I watched that when she was the first lady, so ultimately, you know, she has not announced yet, so it is premature to talk about all of this, and frankly let me also say my union has, it does not actually matter what my personal position is. My union has a whole endorsement process. But when you look at the senate spending bill, the spending bill that was passed, there’s two provisions in there. How do you derail Dodd Frank when that was the checks and balances? … [CSPAN, 12/17/14]

Wikler, Ben (Washington Director for MoveOn.org)

Ben Wikler: “MoveOn members have enormous respect for Secretary Clinton.” STEVE KORNACKI: Do you think though the message that Elizabeth Warren is carrying, she’s obviously very good at promoting that message in public, about communicating that message in public, when you look at Hillary Clinton, and you say hey, on this issue, this issue, and this issue, there are clear differences here we not only want Elizabeth Warren to run but we need her as the nominee because Hillary Clinton has the wrong position on these issues. Are there issues like that for you? >> BEN WIKLER: You know, MoveOn members have enormous respect for Secretary Clinton, the thing about Elizabeth Warren, is that she embodies the fighting spirit that not only resonates with the Democratic base but resonates with the entire country. People are tired of a system where Wall Street calls the shots. When you hear Elizabeth Warren on the stump, she’s calling for things like expanding Social Security after decades where the debate is whether we should privatize Social Security or cut it. If you poll expanding Social Security, it polls above 70% everywhere from deep red Texas to bring blue Vermont. That’s a message we need in the primary debates and that’s a message that can win the general. >> KORNACKI: Do you think Hillary Clinton would let the banks call the shots? >> WIKLER: I welcome Senator Clinton laying out an agenda to tackle Wall Street, to tackle the corrupting influence of money and politics, and to join Elizabeth Warren in taking the fight to the Republicans showing the American people what the Democratic Party stands for. >> [MSNBC’s Up w/ Steve Kornacki, 12/14/14]

Zimmerman, Robert (Democratic Donor)

Robert Zimmerman, Democratic donor, on Sec. Clinton: ‘She’s Gladys Knight and all the rest of them are the Pips.’ According to the Wall Street Journal, ‘When advisers to a fundraising group backing a prospective 2016 Clinton bid came calling in late January, hedge-fund manager and political heavyweight Orin Kramer said he met them in his New York office and agreed to write a check. When another potential candidate, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, tried to reach him, Mr. Kramer said he didn’t take the call. ‘She’s Gladys Knight and all the rest of them are the Pips,’ said Robert Zimmerman, a longtime Democratic donor, comparing Mrs. Clinton with potential opponents from both parties.’ [Wall Street Journal, 4/6/14]

SENATE

Bayh, Evan (Indiana Senator)

Evan Bayh on Hillary Clinton in 2016: “She is going to focus squarely on helping the middle class economically to get real wages and incomes moving during a difficult time for the middle-class.” JON SCOTT: Senator is she the strongest Democratic candidate out there? >> BAYH: Well there is no question about that. And you can just look at the polls right now. It is very early admittedly. But she is ahead of the Republican candidates, in some cases by a significant amount. She is going to focus squarely on helping the middle class economically to get real wages and incomes moving during a difficult time for the middle-class. And I think it is good that she is taking time and letting the Republicans engage in their internal warfare as they’ve got maybe 10, 15, 20 candidates running. Why should she get in the middle of that? When she steps out, I think she will be focused and I think she’ll have a message that will build upon the already strong standing that she has. [Fox News’ Happening Now, 2/10/15]

Evan Bayh on Hillary Clinton in 2016: “When she steps out, I think she will be focused and I think she’ll have a message that will build upon the already strong standing she has.” JON SCOTT: Senator is she the strongest Democratic candidate out there? >> BAYH: Well there is no question about that. And you can just look at the polls right now. It is very early admittedly. But she is ahead of the Republican candidates, in some cases by a significant amount. She is going to focus squarely on helping the middle class economically to get real wages and incomes moving during a difficult time for the middle-class. And I think it is good that she is taking time and letting the Republicans engage in their internal warfare as they’ve got maybe 10, 15, 20 candidates running. Why should she get in the middle of that? When she steps out, I think she will be focused and I think she’ll have a message that will build upon the already strong standing that she has. [Fox News’ Happening Now, 2/10/15]

Boxer, Barbara (California Senator)

Barbara Boxer: “The minute he [President Obama] chose Hillary to be his secretary of state, you knew, this was the team of rivals, and you knew that she was going to do a great job, which she did.” CHRIS MATTHEWS: He’s talking now about how he wants to lead the future. How’s the work between Podesta now, the guy who will be working with Senator Clinton. How do they work this thing as a team? I sense there’s a team being developed here between Obama and Hillary Clinton. >> SEN. BARBARA BOXER: Well let me just say this. The minute he chose Hillary to be his secretary of state, you knew, this was the team of rivals, and you knew that she was going to do a great job, which she did and even the Republicans had to finally give up their investigations on you know what, what was that word, Benghazi, so the bottom line is they made that team and I can tell you right now, there’s cross-pollination all over the country. I’ve been doing some things for the Hillary PAC, I’ve appeared about 4 times. And who do I see at these events but people who supported Barack, people who supported Hillary. There is a coming together. I want to make one point about what Chuck [Schumer] said, I think he is absolutely right. They are very unsure now of what they want to do. But right now, what do they have on the floor the of senate? A Keystone Pipeline bill that is going to create 35 permanent jobs. They ought to listen to this President tonight talk about rebuilding our infrastructure, our roads, our bridges, our highways, et cetera, and take that bill off the floor. Let’s get going on more of these jobs because the truth of the matter is we can even do better. We are doing great, but as Chuck said, it’s about the middle class, making sure they get the benefits, and get off this Keystone deal, because he’s going to veto if. 61% of the American people say let the process play out and let’s go to a job creation bill. >> [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 1/20/15]

Barbara Boxer said it was ‘looking good’ that Sec. Clinton would run in 2016. According to Variety’s coverage of an appearance Sen. Barbara Boxer made at a Los Angeles Ready for Hillary fundraiser, ‘According to sources who were there, Boxer said that she didn’t have any inside knowledge of whether Clinton would run but said it was ‘looking good.’’ [Variety, 9/22/14]

Sen. Boxer: ‘I think you’re just being so effective, and I was really glad to hear that expressed in a bipartisan way today.’ ‘And I think you’re just b141216_MM_52195_A.mp4eing so effective, and I was really glad to hear that expressed in a bipartisan way today. I want to talk to you about women in Afghanistan. And just yesterday, Senator Casey, Senator Wicker and I held a hearing, which our Chairman sanctioned, to examine the status of females in Afghanistan. And what we discussed with your wonderful Ambassador Verveer and with Dr. Sima Samar, who I know you’re aware of, it was not good. It was alarming.’ [‘Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,’ 2/24/10]

Sen. Boxer: ‘We know you are a tireless champion for women around the world.’ ‘SENATOR BOXER: Now, we know you are a tireless champion for women around the world. And we also know you have worked hard to raise this issue of women being at the table in this reconciliation process. But I thought I’d use today as an opportunity to get you to commit to us and to the Afghan women that you’ll work to ensure that these women are given a clear, transparent, and meaningful role at every level of the reconciliation process to protect their right to education, to healthcare, because you know that they’re not allowed to see a male doctor. And that’s why so many of them die in childbirth, because it’s considered – they’re shunned if they see a male doctor. And there are no female doctors anymore.’ [‘Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,’ 2/24/10]

Casey, Bob (Pennsylvania Senator)

Sen. Casey: ‘It’s difficult enough to deal with the issues that you’re confronted with, but you also have to run a big agency, and we’re grateful for the way you’ve managed that.’ ‘Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam Secretary, thank you for your testimony today and your work. I was thinking, as we were preparing for this hearing, that one area of our discussion here that often doesn’t get enough of attention is the budget itself, and that the management of a huge enterprise that the State Department is – and I have always believed whatever level of government that we’re talking about, that the strength of any government, especially the United States Government, can only be maintained by the strength or integrity of its agencies and the management of those agencies. And I know it’s a difficult – it’s difficult enough to deal with the issues that you’re confronted with, but you also have to run a big agency, and we’re grateful for the way you’ve managed that and the team you’ve put in place to help you do that.’ [‘Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,’ 2/24/10]

Durbin, Dick (Senate Majority Whip, Illinois Senator)

Sen. Durbin, on Sec. Clinton: ‘I’m anxious to support her. I don’t know if there’s an alternative scenario I’ve even thought of.’ According to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Politics Early & Often blog’s coverage of a Chicago Ready for Hillary fundraiser, ‘‘I’m anxious to support her,’ U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who supported then-candidate Barack Obama when he ran against Clinton, told reporters before the event. ‘I don’t know if there’s an alternative scenario I’ve even thought of.’ Whipping up the crowd, Durbin later stood at a podium and said, ‘We are going to elect one of our own, from Arlington Heights, Hillary Clinton.’’ [Politics Early & Often, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/5/14]

Feinstein, Dianne (California Senator)

Sen. Feinstein, on Sec. Clinton: ‘She’s in the prime of her political life’ and ‘has all of the elements of a good leader.’ According to The Hill, ‘Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Sunday defended former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton against questions about her ability to run for president in 2016 after a head injury four years ago. Questions about Clinton’s health are ‘not legitimate,’ Feinstein said on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’ ‘She’s in the prime of her political life,’ Feinstein said, adding that remarks from Republican strategist Karl Rove about Clinton’s health were ‘stupid.’ Feinstein said Clinton ‘has all of the elements of a good leader.’ If Clinton were to run and win, ‘we would have someone in the White House who would have a real background in foreign policy,’ said Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Her committee issued a report in January about the 2012 attack in Benghazi that left four Americans dead and is often tied to Clinton’s tenure as secretary of State. That report ‘was bipartisan’ and answered questions about the preventability of the attack ‘to the satisfaction of the intelligence community,’ Feinstein said.’ [The Hill, 5/18/14]

Franken, Al (Minnesota Senator)

Sen. Al Franken: “I think that I’m ready for Hillary.” According to Bloomberg, “The Hillary Clinton train just picked up another passenger. Senator Al Franken said Tuesday that he is ‘ready for Hillary.’ In an interview on MSNBC’s ‘The Cycle,’ Franken explained why he was publicly backing Clinton over progressive favorite Elizabeth Warren. ‘I think that I’m ready for Hillary,’ Franken said. ‘I mean, I think that we’ve not had someone this experienced, this tough, and she’s very, very impressive. People have asked me about Elizabeth Warren. She is great, but she’s not running. She says she’s not running. So I don’t—I think Hillary would be great.’” [Bloomberg, 12/16/14]

Sen. Al Franken: “I think that we’ve not had someone this experienced, this tough, and she’s [Sec. Clinton is] very, very impressive.” According to Bloomberg, “The Hillary Clinton train just picked up another passenger. Senator Al Franken said Tuesday that he is ‘ready for Hillary.’ In an interview on MSNBC’s ‘The Cycle,’ Franken explained why he was publicly backing Clinton over progressive favorite Elizabeth Warren. ‘I think that I’m ready for Hillary,’ Franken said. ‘I mean, I think that we’ve not had someone this experienced, this tough, and she’s very, very impressive. People have asked me about Elizabeth Warren. She is great, but she’s not running. She says she’s not running. So I don’t—I think Hillary would be great.’” [Bloomberg, 12/16/14]

Sen. Al Franken: “I think, I certainly feel I haven’t announced that I’m supporting her [Sec. Clinton], but does this count? I guess, maybe this counts.” According to Bloomberg, “Of course, the thing about prospective endorsements of candidates yet to actually hop into the race is that they are subject to revision. ‘I think, I certainly feel I haven’t announced that I’m supporting her, but does this count? I guess, maybe this counts,’ Franken said of his support for Clinton.” [Bloomberg, 12/16/14]

Gillibrand, Kirsten (New York Senator)

Kirsten Gillibrand on Hillary Clinton for President in 2016: ‘I think she will be an amazing president.’ When asked by Fusion’s Mariana Atencio if she had any presidential aspirations, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand answered, ‘No. But I do support Secretary Hillary Clinton. I think she will be an extraordinary candidate. I think she will be an amazing president. And so I’m going to do everything I can to make sure she gets elected.’ [Fusion, 8/28/14]

‘I think she’s the most qualified, dynamic candidate you could possibly support from our party…I’m going to work very hard to make sure she gets elected. I think she would be an extraordinary president.’ [The Hill, 9/8/14]

Harkin, Tom (Iowa Senator)

Sen. Tom Harkin: ‘There’s a myth that somehow Iowans didn’t like Hillary. That’s just not true. Iowans love her.’ According to Politico’s coverage of Sen. Harkin’s interview on MSNBC, ‘Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who hosted the Clintons at his 37th and final steak fry over the weekend, said on Monday that it’s a ‘myth’ that Democrats in his state don’t like Hillary Clinton. ‘There’s a myth that somehow Iowans didn’t like Hillary,’ the outgoing Democratic senator said during an interview on MSNBC. ‘That’s just not true. Iowans love her.’’ [Politico, 9/15/14]

Sen. Harkin: ‘I don’t think it [2008 Iowa Democratic primaries] meant any lack of support or affection for Hillary Clinton.’ According to Politico’s coverage of Sen. Harkin’s interview on MSNBC, ‘On Monday, Harkin, who is retiring at the end of his term, said that the 2008 results were not an indictment of Clinton but a testament to Obama. ‘What happened back in 2008 is that we had a phenomenon by the name of Barack Obama, who came out here early, got the organization, got all these young people out, and that was sort of the end of it,’ he said. ‘But I don’t think it meant any lack of support or affection for Hillary Clinton.’ The senator said he thought Clinton did a great job in energizing the crowd for Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections. ‘I just thought that the crowd loved Hillary, loved Bill,’ Harkin said. ‘I think she set the right tone exactly for the day, and her basic reason for being here was to help fire up Democrats for the 2014 election, and she sure did that.’’ [Politico, 9/15/14]

Sen. Harkin, on the 37^th Iowa steak fry: ‘I just thought that the crowd loved Hillary, loved Bill. I think she set the right tone exactly for the day…’ According to Politico’s coverage of Sen. Harkin’s interview on MSNBC, ‘On Monday, Harkin, who is retiring at the end of his term, said that the 2008 results were not an indictment of Clinton but a testament to Obama. ‘What happened back in 2008 is that we had a phenomenon by the name of Barack Obama, who came out here early, got the organization, got all these young people out, and that was sort of the end of it,’ he said. ‘But I don’t think it meant any lack of support or affection for Hillary Clinton.’ The senator said he thought Clinton did a great job in energizing the crowd for Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections. ‘I just thought that the crowd loved Hillary, loved Bill,’ Harkin said. ‘I think she set the right tone exactly for the day, and her basic reason for being here was to help fire up Democrats for the 2014 election, and she sure did that.’’ [Politico, 9/15/14]

Sen. Harkin: ‘One of the things she [Sec. Clinton] always worked on was advancing this concept, this idea that health care should be a right and not a privilege in this country.’ According to BuzzFeed’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s appearance at Sen. Harkin’s 37^th Iowa Steak Fry, ‘Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin said Sunday Hillary Clinton’s ‘fingerprints are all over’ Obamacare. The Iowa senator was introducing Clinton to speak at his 37th annual Steak Fry. ‘One of the things she always worked on was advancing this concept, this idea that health care should be a right and not a privilege in this country,’ Harkin said. ‘So, Hillary was not there when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, she was of course secretary of state, but I want you all to know that her fingerprints are all over that legislation. It would not have happened without her strenuous advocacy in that committee all those years.’’ [BuzzFeed, 9/14/14]

Sen. Harkin: ‘Hillary was not there when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, she was of course secretary of state, but I want you all to know that her fingerprints are all over that legislation.’ According to BuzzFeed’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s appearance at Sen. Harkin’s 37^th Iowa Steak Fry, ‘Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin said Sunday Hillary Clinton’s ‘fingerprints are all over’ Obamacare. The Iowa senator was introducing Clinton to speak at his 37th annual Steak Fry. ‘One of the things she always worked on was advancing this concept, this idea that health care should be a right and not a privilege in this country,’ Harkin said. ‘So, Hillary was not there when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, she was of course secretary of state, but I want you all to know that her fingerprints are all over that legislation. It would not have happened without her strenuous advocacy in that committee all those years.’’ [BuzzFeed, 9/14/14]

Sen. Harkin: ‘It [the Affordable Care Act] would not have happened without her [Sec. Clinton’s] strenuous advocacy in that committee all those years.’ According to BuzzFeed’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s appearance at Sen. Harkin’s 37^th Iowa Steak Fry, ‘Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin said Sunday Hillary Clinton’s ‘fingerprints are all over’ Obamacare. The Iowa senator was introducing Clinton to speak at his 37th annual Steak Fry. ‘One of the things she always worked on was advancing this concept, this idea that health care should be a right and not a privilege in this country,’ Harkin said. ‘So, Hillary was not there when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, she was of course secretary of state, but I want you all to know that her fingerprints are all over that legislation. It would not have happened without her strenuous advocacy in that committee all those years.’’ [BuzzFeed, 9/14/14]

Sen. Harkin: ‘If Hillary decides to run, I think it’s going to be very tough for any Democrat to try to get ahead of her.’ According to The Hill’s Ballot Box blog’s coverage of Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin’s interview on CNN’s ‘State of the Union,’ ‘He cautioned, however: ‘If Hillary decides to run, I think it’s going to be very tough for any Democrat to try to get ahead of her. I’m not saying it can’t be done. It’ll be very tough though.’ But his belief that Clinton, should she run, may face a challenge is not one caused by lack of esteem for the former secretary of State. He said she and her husband have been providing ‘inspiring leadership to our country for a long time,’ and called her performance as secretary of State ‘amazing.’’ [Ballot Box, The Hill, 9/14/14]

Sen. Harkin: ‘Over these years, both Bill and Hillary have become a part of our Iowa Democratic family. They’ve been in our homes, they’ve broken bread with us, they’ve become our friends and our inspiration.’ According to the Washington Post’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s speech at Sen. Harkin’s 37^th Iowa Steak Fry, ‘In his introduction, Harkin said: ‘Over these years, both Bill and Hillary have become a part of our Iowa Democratic family. They’ve been in our homes, they’ve broken bread with us, they’ve become our friends and our inspiration.’’ [Washington Post, 9/14/14]

Sen. Harkin: ‘I think her performance as secretary of state was amazing. She has energized women and girls all around the globe. She’s given them hope and new aspirations. She is a global figure.’ According to an interview with CNN’s State of the Union with Candy Crowley, Candy Crowley asked Senator Tom Harkin, ‘Will you be a Hillary Clinton supporter? Are you a Hillary Clinton supporter?’ Senator Tom Harkin responded, ‘We’re very close friends. Both Bill and Hillary have provided I think inspiring leadership to our country for a long time. I served on the committee with Hillary when she was in the Senate. I think her performance as secretary of state was amazing. She has energized women and girls all around the globe. She’s given them hope and new aspirations. She is a global figure.’ [CNN’s State of the Union with Candy Crowley, 9/14/14]

Sen. Harkin: ‘We’re very close friends. Both Bill and Hillary have provided I think inspiring leadership to our country for a long time.’ According to an interview with CNN’s State of the Union with Candy Crowley, Senator Tom Harkin stated, ‘We’re very close friends. Both Bill and Hillary have provided I think inspiring leadership to our country for a long time.’ [CNN’s State of the Union with Candy Crowley, 9/14/14]

Sen. Harkin: ‘She’s very smart, very intelligent and, I tell you, she is much more progressive in her thoughts and her inclination than most people may think.’ According to The Washington Post, when asked about where Hillary Clinton fits into the spectrum of the Democratic Party, Senator Tom Harkin stated, ‘Well, I think that’s probably yet to be determined. I think that from what I know of Hillary — I’m not terribly close, but we’ve known each other for a long time — she’s very smart, very intelligent and, I tell you, she is much more progressive in her thoughts and her inclination than most people may think.’ [The Washington Post, 9/13/14]

Sen. Harkin on Hillary Clinton campaigning in Iowa: ‘She’s wonderful. I mean Hillary’s a wonderful person and she’s got a great persona about it.’ According to an interview shown on MSNBC’s The Daily Rundown, when Chuck Todd asked Senator Harkin, ‘What’s your advice to her [Hillary Clinton] this time, if she asks for it?’ Senator Harkin responded: ‘Retail politics. She’s wonderful. I mean Hillary’s a wonderful person and she’s got a great persona about it. But she just, I think once she gets out and just starts being herself, I think she’ll be fine.’ [MSNBC’s The Daily Rundown, 9/12/14]

Sen. Harkin: ‘I think she just did an outstanding job as our Secretary of State.’ According to an interview with CPSAN, Senator Tom Harkin stated that, ‘They [Bill and Hillary Clinton] have been just good friends of ours for all these years. Bill and Hillary have provided I think great leadership for our country in the past, in their respective ways. I served on the committee in the Senate under Ted Kennedy with Hillary Clinton all the time she was in the Senate. So we had great working relationships in the Senate. I think she just did an outstanding job as our Secretary of State. In fact, as I’ve traveled around the world in the last few years, it is just amazing how the stature that Hillary Clinton has globally among women and girls all over this globe. She has kind of lit a spark, lit a fire, among women and girls in different countries around the world and their just hold her in very, very high esteem.’ [CSPAN, 9/12/14]

Sen. Harkin: ‘She has kind of lit a spark, lit a fire, among women and girls.’ According to an interview with CPSAN, Senator Tom Harkin stated that, ‘She [Hillary Clinton] has kind of lit a spark, lit a fire, among women and girls in different countries around the world and their just hold her in very, very high esteem.’ [CSPAN, 9/12/14]

Sen. Harkin, on his 2014 steak fry: ‘I really wanted both Bill and Hillary to come out. And they were both intrigued by it and supportive.’ According to the Los Angeles Times coverage of Sen. Tom Harkin’s 2014 steak fry, ‘Sometimes, Harkin said in an interview Monday, he approaches prominent Democrats to speak at his annual fundraiser. More often than not, there is no shortage of ambitious Democrats expressing an interest. ‘But this is my last one. I really wanted both Bill and Hillary to come out,’ he said. ‘And they were both intrigued by it and supportive.’’ [Los Angeles Times, 8/18/14]

Kaine, Tim (Virginia Senator)

Sen. Kaine: “I am going to stick with Hillary.” According to Bloomberg, “Senator Tim Kaine is staying with his embrace of Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, even though his fellow Virginia Democrat Jim Webb looks like he will run too. ‘I am going to stick with Hillary,’ Kaine, also a former governor of Virginia, said in an interview for Friday’s ‘Charlie Rose’ PBS program. He said he believes the former secretary of state is ‘the best qualified person to be a great president.’” [Bloomberg, 12/12/14]

Sen. Kaine called Sec. Clinton “the best qualified person to be a great president.” According to Bloomberg, “Senator Tim Kaine is staying with his embrace of Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, even though his fellow Virginia Democrat Jim Webb looks like he will run too. ‘I am going to stick with Hillary,’ Kaine, also a former governor of Virginia, said in an interview for Friday’s ‘Charlie Rose’ PBS program. He said he believes the former secretary of state is ‘the best qualified person to be a great president.’” [Bloomberg, 12/12/14]

Sen. Kaine: “I don’t have any inside intelligence, but my intuition says yes [Sec. Clinton will run].” According to Bloomberg, “Kaine was optimistic that Ms. Clinton would run: ‘I don’t have any inside intelligence, but my intuition says yes.’” [Bloomberg, 12/12/14]

Sen. Tim Kaine: ‘I’m with Hillary.’ According to the Washington Post, ‘In a presentation at the Center for American Progress — a liberal think tank that Clinton helped found — Kaine said that Congress’s reluctance to influence the course of the military engagement is ‘just the height of public immorality.’ Kaine received loud applause in conclusion, but afterward, he brushed off questions about Clinton. ‘I’m with Hillary,’ he said. A few hours later, he co-hosted an event downtown for a super PAC that is supporting her as a potential 2016 candidate.’ [Washington Post, 9/25/14]

Kaufman, Ted (Delaware Senator)

Sen. Kaufman: ‘I watch sometimes the amount of travel and then trying to run the State Department at the same time. It is an incredible challenge….’ ‘Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Madam Secretary. I frankly don’t know how you do this. Really – (laughter) – I watch sometimes the amount of travel and then trying to run the State Department at the same time. It is an incredible challenge and I really appreciate your service in doing this.’ [‘Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,’ 2/24/10]

King, Angus (Maine Senator, Independent who caucuses with the Democrats)

Angus King: Hillary Clinton ‘has tremendous experience and background.’ According to an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Jeremy Peters asked Angus King, ‘I wanted to ask you about the generational leadership issue that I think the Democratic Party has right now. You guys are going to come back to Washington on Thursday. You’re going to by most accounts elect the same Democratic leadership that is in place now. Do you look forward to 2016? The Democratic Party seems on track to nominate Hillary Clinton. You know if you’re a vote looking at the Democratic Party right now, is it really logical to think that people are going to want to support it if people think it looks like the same old party?’ Senator Angus King responded, ‘Well, I think you’re onto something and I think there’s this, and I can say this an Independent, I think one of the sub-text issues of this election was that the Democratic Party has become the party of government itself. And if people don’t like the government, the party that represents the government is going to have a hard time. And I think that it is going to be a difficulty for someone like Hillary Clinton who has tremendous experience and background, but she’s going to have a hard time saying, ‘Oh, I’m a new person.’’ Mika Brzezinski added, ‘There’s some challenges there.’ Sen. King stated, ‘Yeah. No question.’ [MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 11/10/14]

Kerrey, Bob (Nebraska Senator)

Fmr. Sen. Bob Kerrey: ‘The odds of Hillary Clinton being the nominee of the Party are almost 100% … I think people just trust that she can do the job.’ According to The Hill’s coverage of former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey, ‘When asked about a favorite presidential candidate for 2016, Kerrey placed his bet on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who he considers a friend. ‘The odds of Hillary Clinton being the nominee of the Party are almost 100% … I think people just trust that she can do the job.’’ [The Hill, 10/4/14]

Sen. Bob Kerrey: ‘She [Sec. Clinton] is a political figure with such remarkable strength ahead of the campaign, unlike anything I’ve seen in my lifetime.’ According to the Washington Post, ‘Still, as the national debate turns increasingly toward questions of U.S. military involvement abroad, Webb — a decorated Vietnam veteran who is antiwar — may be uniquely positioned to be a disruptive force on an issue where many Democrats consider Clinton compromised. ‘It would be an uphill fight, almost like climbing a wall,’ former senator Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) said in an interview. ‘He would be running against someone who simultaneously has two television shows based on her. She is a political figure with such remarkable strength ahead of the campaign, unlike anything I’ve seen in my lifetime. The question is whether all the minds of those who would vote at the convention are closed.’’ [Washington Post, 9/29/14]

Landrieu, Mary (Louisiana Senator)

Sen. Landrieu: ‘Thank you for always putting women in the forefront of this debate… and I think often they are left out, but with your leadership they have not been.’ ‘I also want to acknowledge, as Senator Mikulski said, thank you for always putting women in the forefront of this debate because, as you know, women can be the drivers of economic growth and social stability around the world. They are often left out at our peril because no plans really work without them being at the table. And I think often they are left out, but with your leadership they have not been.’ [Testimony Before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, 2/24/10]

Levin, Carl (Michigan Senator)

Sen. Carl Levin: “If she decides to run, I will be there for her.” PETER COOK: Let me just ask you finally in the time that remaining, you are leaving the congress and there’s some questions about the health of the Democratic Party right now and going forward looking to 2016. Is Hillary Clinton the right person to carry the mantle forward for Democrats? >> SEN. CARL LEVIN (D-MI): Well if she decides to run, I will be there for her, but until that, that is not what I am going to be doing. I hope that she does run, but if she doesn’t, then we will look for a different candidate. She would be a very, very strong candidate. I think she has the courage to call them as she sees them and not be bound by who it is that is contributing to campaigns or her campaign. We’ve simply have got to get away from the power of money in politics. I think she’s is able to do it and to fight for things that she truly believes will help average people and help the economy. >> COOK: Alright, Senator Levin, after 36 years in the senate, appreciate it. Thank you for your service and appreciate you joining us here on Bloomberg and I know you will look forward to time with your grandkids as I understand. >> [Bloomberg’s In The Loop With Betty Liu, 12/16/14]

Sen. Carl Levin: “She would be a very, very strong candidate. I think she has the courage to call them as she sees them and not be bound by who it is that is contributing to campaigns or her campaign.” PETER COOK: Let me just ask you finally in the time that remaining, you are leaving the congress and there’s some questions about the health of the Democratic Party right now and going forward looking to 2016. Is Hillary Clinton the right person to carry the mantle forward for Democrats? >> SEN. CARL LEVIN (D-MI): Well if she decides to run, I will be there for her, but until that, that is not what I am going to be doing. I hope that she does run, but if she doesn’t, then we will look for a different candidate. She would be a very, very strong candidate. I think she has the courage to call them as she sees them and not be bound by who it is that is contributing to campaigns or her campaign. We’ve simply have got to get away from the power of money in politics. I think she’s is able to do it and to fight for things that she truly believes will help average people and help the economy. >> COOK: Alright, Senator Levin, after 36 years in the senate, appreciate it. Thank you for your service and appreciate you joining us here on Bloomberg and I know you will look forward to time with your grandkids as I understand. >> [Bloomberg’s In The Loop With Betty Liu, 12/16/14]

Sen. Carl Levin: “I think she’s is able to do it and to fight for things that she truly believes will help average people and help the economy.” PETER COOK: Let me just ask you finally in the time that remaining, you are leaving the congress and there’s some questions about the health of the Democratic Party right now and going forward looking to 2016. Is Hillary Clinton the right person to carry the mantle forward for Democrats? >> SEN. CARL LEVIN (D-MI): Well if she decides to run, I will be there for her, but until that, that is not what I am going to be doing. I hope that she does run, but if she doesn’t, then we will look for a different candidate. She would be a very, very strong candidate. I think she has the courage to call them as she sees them and not be bound by who it is that is contributing to campaigns or her campaign. We’ve simply have got to get away from the power of money in politics. I think she’s is able to do it and to fight for things that she truly believes will help average people and help the economy. >> COOK: Alright, Senator Levin, after 36 years in the senate, appreciate it. Thank you for your service and appreciate you joining us here on Bloomberg and I know you will look forward to time with your grandkids as I understand. >> [Bloomberg’s In The Loop With Betty Liu, 12/16/14]

Bloomberg: “Levin also listed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying that she feels ‘in her gut’ the impact of the country’s widening income gap and the importance of addressing it.” According to Bloomberg, “Senator Elizabeth Warren is one of several potential standard-bearers for the Democratic Party, which would benefit from a competitive presidential primary, retiring Senator Carl Levin said Tuesday. ‘Sure she would make a good president,’ the Michigan Democrat said at a Bloomberg News breakfast. ‘She’s got a lot of fire in the area of consumer protection.’ Levin also listed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying that she feels ‘in her gut’ the impact of the country’s widening income gap and the importance of addressing it.” [Bloomberg, 12/16/14]

Lieberman, Joe (Connecticut Senator)

Sen. Lieberman: ‘I have a lot of respect for Hillary Clinton.’ According to Sen. Joe Lieberman in an interview with Time, ‘I’ve known Secretary Clinton for a long time. We met briefly, though I got to know President Clinton much better, when they were both at Yale Law School. And I’ve known them well. So I have a lot of respect for Hillary Clinton and some of the things that I’ve worried about in both the Obama administration and the drift of the Democratic party which is away from American international leadership, I hope and believe would not be true with Hillary Clinton as the candidate, and if she’s elected, as the president.’ [Time, 7/30/14]

McCaskill, Claire (Missouri Senator)

Sen. McCaskill on Hillary Clinton: “She has spent a career working to help families, to work for the middle class, to become an expert on foreign policy…” According to an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Sen. McCaskill is ready for Hillary. ‘ Mika Brzezinski: ‘I want to ask about Hillary Clinton. Because you’re ready for Hillary, right?’ Senator Claire McCaskill: ‘I am. Yeah.’ Mika Brzezinski: ‘Elizabeth Warren talked about being worried about her ties to Wall Street and big money. She was worried about that. Are you worried about that being a bad message as she’s trying to really connect with America, at a time when wages are really going to be a big issue, and disparity, I think, is worse than ever, and corporate profits are still strong, is this going to be a problem for her and how would you characterize how you feel about that?’ Sen. McCaskill: ‘Well first of all, I don’t think that Hillary Clinton’s image is one that is you know, tied to Wall Street. I think she has spent a career working to help families, to work for the middle class, to become an expert on foreign policy, if you look at her history and the policies she has worked for in her long, public service career, I think the American people should be nothing but reassured about where her priorities are. They are firmly with the middle class in this country and making sure that we have a level playing field for everyone so people have the same opportunities that she and her husband had coming from you know, just average families.’ [MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 9/5/14]

Sen McCaskill: ‘I’m all in for the first woman president Hillary Rodham Clinton.’ According to an interview with Rachel Maddow, Claire McCaskill stated that, ‘…I’m all in for the first woman president Hillary Rodham Clinton. And so I want to be supporting her every way I know how. I think she’ll be a terrific president and I can’t wait to say Madame President to Hillary Rodham Clinton.’ [MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, 9/4/14]

Sen. McCaskill, on Sec. Clinton: ‘Her policies are about enabling families to have opportunities to make a lot of money and live their dreams.’ According to The Hill’s Ballot Box blog’s coverage of Sen. McCaskill’s discussion on Morning Joe about Sec. Clinton’s wealth, ‘Instead, McCaskill advises Clinton to focus on the policies she should would bring to the White House if she runs. ‘I think she needs to begin to emphasize obviously what everyone knows and that is her policies are all about the middle class. Her policies are about enabling families to have opportunities to make a lot of money and live their dreams.’’ [Ballot Box, The Hill, 6/24/14]

Sen. McCaskill, on Sec. Clinton: ‘Her signature accomplishment was reestablishing in the world that the way we have peace is through allies, building relationships in dozens and dozens of countries where those relationships had atrophied.’ According to Mediaite, ‘Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace challenged Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to defend former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy accomplishments, which she characterized as an emphasis on the diplomatic accretion of allies and he characterized as a series of failed initiatives. ‘Her signature accomplishment was reestablishing in the world that the way we have peace is through allies, building relationships in dozens and dozens of countries where those relationships had atrophied,’ McCaskill said. ‘Her travel schedule, her stamina was amazing as Secretary of State.’’ [Mediaite, 6/1/14]

Mikulski, Barbara (Maryland Senator)

Sen. Mikulski: ‘We need Hillary.’ According to the Baltimore Sun, ‘Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski told a group of Hillary Clinton supporters gathered in Baltimore County on Monday that Maryland would provide a ‘groundswell of grassroots’ support for the former Secretary of State should she decide to run for president in 2016. ‘We need Hillary,’ the Maryland Democrat and Senate Appropriations Committee chairwoman told about 100 people gathered at Goucher College for a fundraiser organized by the Ready for Hillary PAC, the group laying the groundwork for her possible candidacy. ‘We’ve got to organize,’ she said. ‘We’ve got to mobilize.’’ [Baltimore Sun, 12/1/14]

Sen. Mikulski: ‘I note the – your desire to reinvigorate and reestablish the professionalism that once was the hallmark of AID.’ ‘Reading the budget, I see where the President, with your advice and to us, meets compelling human need around the world. It’s in our strategic interest. It reestablishes relationships with treasured allies and then I know I speak in a heartfelt way that – the focus on women and girls in development. Also, I note the – your desire to reinvigorate and reestablish the professionalism that once was the hallmark of AID. So we appreciate that.’ [‘House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,’ 2/25/10]

Nelson, Bill (Florida)

Sen. Bill Nelson: “I’m all for Hillary.” According to the Tampa Bay Times, “A couple weeks ago, Sen. Bill Nelson was at home in Florida and decided to call up Hillary Clinton. She returned the call and Nelson, who was watching 60 Minutes with his wife, had a simple message: Get in the race for president. ‘It’s time for a woman,’ Nelson said from the Capitol this week, recounting the conversation. ‘I’m all for Hillary.’” [Tampa Bay Times, 12/18/14]

Reid, Harry (Senate Majority Leader, Nevada Senator)

Sen. Harry Reid: ‘Hillary knows firsthand the importance of keeping our majority in the Senate and I couldn’t be happier that she is helping us turn out the Democratic vote.’ According to Politico’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s event schedule ahead of the 2014 midterms, ‘‘Hillary knows firsthand the importance of keeping our majority in the Senate and I couldn’t be happier that she is helping us turn out the Democratic vote,’ Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in a statement.’ [Politico, 10/3/14]

Sen. Reid, on Sec. Clinton: ‘I have great affection for this woman. I watch her in action — she’s the best.’ According to MSNBC’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s speech at the 2014 Clean Energy Summit, ‘Clinton was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who hosts the conference and praised Clinton as someone who ‘understands climate change — she was first to identify the fact that there is something called climate change.’ Reid noted that in addition to her public work, he appreciated Clinton’s loyalty to his son, who volunteered on the then-senator’s 2008 presidential campaign. ‘I have great affection for this woman,’ he added. ‘I watch her in action — she’s the best.’’ [MSNBC, 9/4/14]

Sanders, Bernie (Vermont Senator)

Sanders: “This is a woman [Sec. Clinton] I respect, clearly a very intelligent person who I think is impressive on issues, by the way.” “Sanders sees running against Clinton as an opportunity not to tear her apart politically, but to distinguish himself and force the party to have a serious policy discussion on issues as diverse as income inequality and foreign policy. ‘This is a woman I respect, clearly a very intelligent person who I think is impressive on issues, by the way,’ Sanders said. ‘I think we have a debate about how you rebuild a crumbling middle class, a debate about how you reverse climate change, a debate about the foreign policy … a debate about Wall Street, and that would be, I think, good for the American people, to be honest with you.’” [National Journal, 2/9/15]

Sen. Sanders on Hillary Clinton: “This is a woman I respect, clearly a very intelligent person who I think is interested in issues.” E.J. DIONNE: If I run and lose, how can I have an affect on the agenda of the winning candidate, which at this point on the Democratic side we assume would be Hillary Clinton without hurting her chances against the Republicans. Can you sort of analyze the politics? And I think the politics really matter because you are trying to advance an agenda, not simply win an election. SEN. SANDERS: If I do this and you know people just have to appreciate how difficult a decision that is, but if I make that decision I would be running to win. But having said that let me also take something about myself. You are looking at a candidate who ran four times for Mayor, eight times for the House and twice for the Senate. E.J., do you know how many negative ads I run it during the whole period? Zero. Never ran a negative ad in my whole life because negative ads disgust me and in fact in my state they don’t work. So, if I run and if Secretary Clinton runs, what I would hope would happen is that we would have a real serious debate, this is a woman I respect, clearly a very intelligent person who I think is interested in issues by the way and I think we would have a debate about how you rebuild a crumbling middle-class, a debate about how you reverse climate change, a debate about the foreign policy in the wisdom of the war in Iraq and how we deal with what we deal with, a debate about trade policy, a debate about Wall Street, and that would be I think good for the American people, to be honest with you. But it is not my style to trash people. It is not my style to run ugly, negative ads. Never have. Never will. >> [CSPAN2, 2/9/15]

Sen. Sanders: “I happen to like and respect Hillary Clinton.” STEVE KORNACKI: You say the question is better directed at Hillary Clinton. I would tend to agree. But as you know, she was invited to speak today at the event where you are. She declined that invitation. She’s not been saying frankly much for the last few months in terms of accepting invitations to appear on television shows for interviews, interview requests from print reporters, speeches to groups like the one you’re at today. Is Hillary Clinton taking this for granted? >> SEN. SANDERS: Look again, you’ll have to speak to Hillary Clinton. I don’t know that she’s going to run. I’m assuming that she will run. I have not made a decision if I’m going to run. But if I do run and if Hillary Clinton does run, trust me, there will be a real clash of ideas. I happen to like and respect Hillary Clinton. But I suspect on issues like massive investments in infrastructure, on real tax reform, on the need to deal in a very bold way with the planetary crisis of climate change on the trans p,acific partnership, I suspect we will have some real differences. >> [MSNBC’s Up W/ Steve Kornacki, 2/7/15]

Bernie Sanders: ‘I like Hillary Clinton. I served with her in the Senate. I knew her when she was the First Lady.’ According to an interview on CSPAN with Lauren French from Politico and Bob Cusack from The Hill, Bob Cusack asked, ‘Senator, you know that politics is a rough business and when you get into a presidential campaign –’ Sen. Bernie Sanders stated, ‘I’ve heard that. Yes.’ Cusack then stated, ‘You have to assess your rivals. Hillary Clinton has the support of more than sixty Democrats in Congress for the primary alone. She had about one hundred when she actually announced. And as you know, she hasn’t announced. What Hillary Clinton’s biggest weakness.’ Sen. Sanders responded, ‘Well, I’m not here to attack Hillary Clinton. I like Hillary Clinton. I served with her in the Senate. I knew her when she was the First Lady. I think in all due respect, that’s not the right question. The right question is what are the problems facing the American people? Why is the American middle class collapsing while all new income is going to the top 1%? What is that? Now that is something that has been going on for the past thirty or forty years, and the real question to ask is what are the policies that we need to rebuild the American middle class, lower the outrageously high rates of poverty, end this massive wealth and income inequality. Now I suspect that Hillary Clinton has different points of view than I have in coming up with these solutions, and that’s what a good debate is about. You know what I get upset about is you know, so much of contemporary politics are ugly thirty second ads. Frankly, that is not what the American people deserve. They need to hear serious debate on serious issues without demonizing your opponent. Hillary Clinton is a very decent person. I respect her. I suspect that if she runs, I suspect that if I run, we’ll have differences of opinion and I would look forward to that debate.’ Cusack then asked, ‘But what would it take for you to endorse Hillary Clinton at some point? What are the issues? Because you know she’s a frontrunner. You know you’re a long shot. What do you want her to say? Or what do you want the Democratic nominee to say?’ Sen. Sanders responded, ‘Well I’ve told you what my views are and the views that I have is that we need to rally the working class of this country, low-income workers, the middle class, to stand up the billionaire class. That is what I think the $64 issue is and I will be supportive to a varying degree of candidates who are willing to do that. To say that it is unacceptable that 20% of our young people are unemployed, to come up with a jobs program…Now you mention I’m a long shot. Well absolutely you’re right. But I want to tell you something. In my own small state of Vermont, I started in politics, and you know what I got in my election, I got 2% of the vote. In the next election, I got 1% of the vote. In my last election, I got 71% of the vote. So long shots can change when people hear your ideas and the vision for the future.’ [CSPAN, 11/9/14]

Bernie Sanders: ‘Hillary Clinton is a very decent person. I respect her.’ According to an interview on CSPAN with Lauren French from Politico and Bob Cusack from The Hill, Bob Cusack asked, ‘Senator, you know that politics is a rough business and when you get into a presidential campaign –’ Sen. Bernie Sanders stated, ‘I’ve heard that. Yes.’ Cusack then stated, ‘You have to assess your rivals. Hillary Clinton has the support of more than sixty Democrats in Congress for the primary alone. She had about one hundred when she actually announced. And as you know, she hasn’t announced. What Hillary Clinton’s biggest weakness.’ Sen. Sanders responded, ‘Well, I’m not here to attack Hillary Clinton. I like Hillary Clinton. I served with her in the Senate. I knew her when she was the First Lady. I think in all due respect, that’s not the right question. The right question is what are the problems facing the American people? Why is the American middle class collapsing while all new income is going to the top 1%? What is that? Now that is something that has been going on for the past thirty or forty years, and the real question to ask is what are the policies that we need to rebuild the American middle class, lower the outrageously high rates of poverty, end this massive wealth and income inequality. Now I suspect that Hillary Clinton has different points of view than I have in coming up with these solutions, and that’s what a good debate is about. You know what I get upset about is you know, so much of contemporary politics are ugly thirty second ads. Frankly, that is not what the American people deserve. They need to hear serious debate on serious issues without demonizing your opponent. Hillary Clinton is a very decent person. I respect her. I suspect that if she runs, I suspect that if I run, we’ll have differences of opinion and I would look forward to that debate.’ Cusack then asked, ‘But what would it take for you to endorse Hillary Clinton at some point? What are the issues? Because you know she’s a frontrunner. You know you’re a long shot. What do you want her to say? Or what do you want the Democratic nominee to say?’ Sen. Sanders responded, ‘Well I’ve told you what my views are and the views that I have is that we need to rally the working class of this country, low-income workers, the middle class, to stand up the billionaire class. That is what I think the $64 issue is and I will be supportive to a varying degree of candidates who are willing to do that. To say that it is unacceptable that 20% of our young people are unemployed, to come up with a jobs program…Now you mention I’m a long shot. Well absolutely you’re right. But I want to tell you something. In my own small state of Vermont, I started in politics, and you know what I got in my election, I got 2% of the vote. In the next election, I got 1% of the vote. In my last election, I got 71% of the vote. So long shots can change when people hear your ideas and the vision for the future.’ [CSPAN, 11/9/14]

Bernie Sanders: ‘Hillary is somebody I have known for a long time, have a lot of respect for her.’ According to an interview with CNN’s Wolf, Senator Bernie Sanders stated, ‘I am giving thought to running for president. But it is a very, very difficult decision. Not an easy decision. And I have to assess whether there is the kind of support necessary all over this country in terms of unprecedented grassroots movement prepared to take on the billionaire class that has so much power. And that’s what I’m trying to ascertain right now.’ Wolf Blitzer then asked Bernie Sanders, ‘What’s wrong with Hillary Clinton?’ Bernie Sanders responded, ‘Absolutely nothing. Hillary is somebody I have known for a long time, have a lot of respect for her. But this is not about Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, or anybody else. This is about the middle class and working class of this country.’ [CNN’s Wolf, 10/2/14]

Bernie Sanders: ‘Absolutely nothing’ is wrong with Hillary Clinton. According to an interview with CNN’s Wolf, Senator Bernie Sanders stated, ‘I am giving thought to running for president. But it is a very, very difficult decision. Not an easy decision. And I have to assess whether there is the kind of support necessary all over this country in terms of unprecedented grassroots movement prepared to take on the billionaire class that has so much power. And that’s what I’m trying to ascertain right now.’ Wolf Blitzer then asked Bernie Sanders, ‘What’s wrong with Hillary Clinton?’ Bernie Sanders responded, ‘Absolutely nothing.’ [CNN’s Wolf, 10/2/14]

Bernie Sanders: ‘I have a lot of respect for Hillary Clinton. She is a friend of mine.’ According to an interview with CNN’s New Day, when Chris Cuomo asked, ‘Bernie Sanders, if you care so much about the American people and you want change, why don’t you run for president? You afraid to take on Hillary Clinton?’ Bernie Sanders responded, ‘Well as, I don’t think it’s a question of fear. As you know, I have said that I am giving thought to doing that. But if I do something, I like to do it well. I’m going around the country getting an assessment from the American people as to whether or not there would be support for a campaign that in fact takes on the Koch Brothers, takes on the billionaire class. I haven’t made that decision yet Chris.’ Chris Cuomo followed up with, ‘Do you think Hillary can be beaten?’ Bernie Sanders responded, ‘Well first of all, I think that America is not into anointing anybody. I have a lot of respect for Hillary Clinton. She is a friend of mine. But I think in this country we need a vigorous debate about why the people on top are doing so very well while everybody else has seen a decline in their standard of living. We need a debate about why we are the only major country on Earth without a national healthcare program, guaranteeing healthcare to all people. So there is a lot to discuss and I think the American people look forward to that type of debate.’ [CNN’s New Day, 9/30/14]

Sen. Sanders: ‘I’ve known Hillary Clinton for many years. I have a lot of respect for Hillary Clinton.’ According to the Washington Post’s Post Politics blog, ‘In an interview on NBC’s ‘Meet The Press’ this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) said something very interesting about his presidential ambitions: ‘The issue is not Hillary. I’ve known Hillary Clinton for many years. I have a lot of respect for Hillary Clinton. The question is: At a time when so many people have seen a decline in their standard of living, when the wealthiest people and largest corporations are doing phenomenally well, the American people want change. They want Congress, they want candidates, to stand up to the big money interests. So, let Hillary speak for herself. I know where I’m coming from.’’ [Post Politics, Washington Post, 9/16/14]

Bernie Sanders: ‘I have a lot of respect for Hillary Clinton.’ According to an interview with MSNBC’s Meet the Press, Chuck Todd asked Bernie Sanders, ‘I want to read something that was paraphrased to you. It says, ‘It is essential, [Sanders] said, to have someone in the 2016 presidential campaign who is willing to take on Wall Street, address the ‘collapse’ of the middle class, tackle the spread of poverty and fiercely oppose cuts to Social Security and Medicare.’ Is it safe to say if you thought Hillary Clinton were doing that you wouldn’t be considering this?’ Bernie Sanders responded, ‘Well A, I don’t know that Hillary Clinton is running. B, I don’t know what she’s running on. But this is what I do know. I know that the middle class of this country is collapsing. I know that the gap between the very, very rich and everybody else is growing wider. I know there is profound anger at the greed on Wall Street and corporate America, anger at the political establishment, anger, by the way, at the media establishment. The American people want real change and I’ve been taking on the big money interests and the special interests all of my political life.’ Chuck Todd then asked, ‘But you say you’re separating out, are you separating out Hillary Clinton from this? If she were speaking more robustly on these issues would you be thinking –.’ Bernie Sanders responded, ‘Chuck, the issue is not Hillary. I’ve known Hillary Clinton for many years. I have a lot of respect for Hillary Clinton. The question is at a time when so many people have seen a decline in their standard of living. When the wealthiest people and largest corporations are doing phenomenally well, the American people want change. They want Congress, the want candidates to stand up to the big money interests. So let Hillary speak for herself. I know where I’m coming from.’ Chuck Todd stated, ‘I hear you. It’s, rail against this and I think, boy you must be unhappy with President Obama.’ [MSNBC’s Meet the Press, 9/14/14]

Sen. Sanders: ‘I know Hillary, I respect Hillary Clinton. I knew her when she was first lady, I certainly knew her as a colleague in the Senate.’ According to CNN’s coverage of an interview with Sen. Bernie Sanders, ‘‘I know Hillary, I respect Hillary Clinton,’ Sanders said. ‘I knew her when she was first lady, I certainly knew her as a colleague in the Senate. I don’t know if Secretary Clinton is running for president and I have no idea what she is going to be campaigning on. But I do know what I believe and what I will be speaking about.’’ [CNN, 9/10/14]

Schatz, Brian (Hawaii Senator)

Sen. Schatz: “Given our shared passion for addressing challenges like climate change and promoting policies to strengthen America’s future generations, I am encouraging Hillary Clinton to run for president.” “U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz will back former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a possible 2016 presidential campaign, he announced Monday. ‘Given our shared passion for addressing challenges like climate change and promoting policies to strengthen America’s future generations, I am encouraging Hillary Clinton to run for president, and I’m ready to support her the moment she announces her decision,’ Schatz said in a statement.” [Hawaii News Now, 2/2/15]

Schumer, Charles (New York Senator)

Sen. Schumer: “Hillary hasn’t told me, and I haven’t dared ask her. But I’ll bet she’s running, I’ll bet she’ll be a great candidate, I’ll bet she’ll win by a large majority.” According to The Hill, “Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants to make you a bet: Hillary Clinton will run for president. ‘Hillary hasn’t told me, and I haven’t dared ask her,’ Schumer said Sunday on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’ ‘But I’ll bet she’s running, I’ll bet she’ll be a great candidate, I’ll bet she’ll win by a large majority. And then Democrats can help the middle class whose incomes have been declining for 15 years in a very united way.’ Schumer, who served alongside Clinton when she was a New York senator, said the economic program Clinton will put together as a presidential candidate ‘will have the support of every wing in the Democratic party.’” [The Hill, 12/14/14]

Sen. Schumer: The economic program Clinton will put together as a presidential candidate “will have the support of every wing in the Democratic party.” According to The Hill, “Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants to make you a bet: Hillary Clinton will run for president. ‘Hillary hasn’t told me, and I haven’t dared ask her,’ Schumer said Sunday on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’ ‘But I’ll bet she’s running, I’ll bet she’ll be a great candidate, I’ll bet she’ll win by a large majority. And then Democrats can help the middle class whose incomes have been declining for 15 years in a very united way.’ Schumer, who served alongside Clinton when she was a New York senator, said the economic program Clinton will put together as a presidential candidate ‘will have the support of every wing in the Democratic party.’” [The Hill, 12/14/14]

Sen. Charles Schumer on Hillary Clinton: ‘I think she’d be a great candidate. I hope she runs. I think if she runs, she will win a huge majority. She is just right for the times.’ At the National Press Club, DAN MERICA asked, ‘Dan Merica with CNN, question about your speech, your speech is titled 2016. How much of what you do in the Senate 2014, 2015, is going to be aimed at 2016, and is there, I know you endorsed secretary Clinton, but is she the right person for this passage?’ SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER: ‘On the first… and second question on Hillary Clinton, look I think she’d be a great candidate. I hope she runs. I think if she runs, she will win a huge majority. She is just right for the times.’ [CSPAN, 11/26/14]

Shaheen, Jeanne (New Hampshire Senator)

Jeanne Shaheen: “I think Hillary Clinton would be a terrific president.” CHRIS MATTHEWS: As 2016 approaches and she gears up for a second run for the White House, no credible challengers has emerged, well challenges but no one to take her down yet. Will Hillary Clinton sail through the New Hampshire primary this time around or will she have to work for a victory like she did in 2008? One person who knows New Hampshire and Hillary Clinton better than anyone from the granite state, Senior Senator Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, as it turns out every candidate that she’s endorsed since Jimmy Carter in 1976 has gone on to win the New Hampshire primary. She was one of the few Democrats to win reelection by the way in 2014, defeating Republican Scott Brown by three points. She joins me now. Senator. Thank you so much. Also joining me now is political expert and “Boston Globe” reporter James Pindell, Pindell. Let me go to Senator Shaheen, I was so taken as I’ve told you with your ground campaign and your effort up there last November, coming up and seeing you. It was so gung ho. So I am going to ask you a couple — you have endorsed Secretary Clinton, is that right, for president? >> SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN: Well I think Hillary Clinton would be a terrific president. I was one of the Democratic senators in the senate to, the women Democratic senators, who sent a letter to her, urging her to consider running, and I hope she does. She hasn’t gotten into the race yet, but I think she’d be terrific. >> MATTHEWS: You want her to run and you support her, right? >> SEN. SHAHEEN: I do. If she runs, as I said, I think she should run. I think she’ll be a great candidate as she was in to 2008, and I think it’s a tribute to New Hampshire and to the New Hampshire primary that candidates come into the state, they go into living rooms, they talk to voters, they engage with voters, they answer questions, New Hampshire voters are very smart on the issues, they pay attention, they talk to all the candidates and then they make up their minds. [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 2/3/15]

Jeanne Shaheen: “I was one of …the women Democratic senators, who sent a letter to her, urging her to consider running, and I hope she does.” CHRIS MATTHEWS: As 2016 approaches and she gears up for a second run for the White House, no credible challengers has emerged, well challenges but no one to take her down yet. Will Hillary Clinton sail through the New Hampshire primary this time around or will she have to work for a victory like she did in 2008? One person who knows New Hampshire and Hillary Clinton better than anyone from the granite state, Senior Senator Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, as it turns out every candidate that she’s endorsed since Jimmy Carter in 1976 has gone on to win the New Hampshire primary. She was one of the few Democrats to win reelection by the way in 2014, defeating Republican Scott Brown by three points. She joins me now. Senator. Thank you so much. Also joining me now is political expert and “Boston Globe” reporter James Pindell, Pindell. Let me go to Senator Shaheen, I was so taken as I’ve told you with your ground campaign and your effort up there last November, coming up and seeing you. It was so gung ho. So I am going to ask you a couple — you have endorsed Secretary Clinton, is that right, for president? >> SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN: Well I think Hillary Clinton would be a terrific president. I was one of the Democratic senators in the senate to, the women Democratic senators, who sent a letter to her, urging her to consider running, and I hope she does. She hasn’t gotten into the race yet, but I think she’d be terrific. >> MATTHEWS: You want her to run and you support her, right? >> SEN. SHAHEEN: I do. If she runs, as I said, I think she should run. I think she’ll be a great candidate as she was in to 2008, and I think it’s a tribute to New Hampshire and to the New Hampshire primary that candidates come into the state, they go into living rooms, they talk to voters, they engage with voters, they answer questions, New Hampshire voters are very smart on the issues, they pay attention, they talk to all the candidates and then they make up their minds. [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 2/3/15]

Jeanne Shaheen: “She hasn’t gotten into the race yet, but I think she’d be terrific.” CHRIS MATTHEWS: As 2016 approaches and she gears up for a second run for the White House, no credible challengers has emerged, well challenges but no one to take her down yet. Will Hillary Clinton sail through the New Hampshire primary this time around or will she have to work for a victory like she did in 2008? One person who knows New Hampshire and Hillary Clinton better than anyone from the granite state, Senior Senator Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, as it turns out every candidate that she’s endorsed since Jimmy Carter in 1976 has gone on to win the New Hampshire primary. She was one of the few Democrats to win reelection by the way in 2014, defeating Republican Scott Brown by three points. She joins me now. Senator. Thank you so much. Also joining me now is political expert and “Boston Globe” reporter James Pindell, Pindell. Let me go to Senator Shaheen, I was so taken as I’ve told you with your ground campaign and your effort up there last November, coming up and seeing you. It was so gung ho. So I am going to ask you a couple — you have endorsed Secretary Clinton, is that right, for president? >> SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN: Well I think Hillary Clinton would be a terrific president. I was one of the Democratic senators in the senate to, the women Democratic senators, who sent a letter to her, urging her to consider running, and I hope she does. She hasn’t gotten into the race yet, but I think she’d be terrific. >> MATTHEWS: You want her to run and you support her, right? >> SEN. SHAHEEN: I do. If she runs, as I said, I think she should run. I think she’ll be a great candidate as she was in to 2008, and I think it’s a tribute to New Hampshire and to the New Hampshire primary that candidates come into the state, they go into living rooms, they talk to voters, they engage with voters, they answer questions, New Hampshire voters are very smart on the issues, they pay attention, they talk to all the candidates and then they make up their minds. [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 2/3/15]

Jeanne Shaheen: “If she runs, as I said, I think she should run, I think she’ll be a great candidate as she was in to 2008.” CHRIS MATTHEWS: As 2016 approaches and she gears up for a second run for the White House, no credible challengers has emerged, well challenges but no one to take her down yet. Will Hillary Clinton sail through the New Hampshire primary this time around or will she have to work for a victory like she did in 2008? One person who knows New Hampshire and Hillary Clinton better than anyone from the granite state, Senior Senator Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, as it turns out every candidate that she’s endorsed since Jimmy Carter in 1976 has gone on to win the New Hampshire primary. She was one of the few Democrats to win reelection by the way in 2014, defeating Republican Scott Brown by three points. She joins me now. Senator. Thank you so much. Also joining me now is political expert and “Boston Globe” reporter James Pindell, Pindell. Let me go to Senator Shaheen, I was so taken as I’ve told you with your ground campaign and your effort up there last November, coming up and seeing you. It was so gung ho. So I am going to ask you a couple — you have endorsed Secretary Clinton, is that right, for president? >> SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN: Well I think Hillary Clinton would be a terrific president. I was one of the Democratic senators in the senate to, the women Democratic senators, who sent a letter to her, urging her to consider running, and I hope she does. She hasn’t gotten into the race yet, but I think she’d be terrific. >> MATTHEWS: You want her to run and you support her, right? >> SEN. SHAHEEN: I do. If she runs, as I said, I think she should run. I think she’ll be a great candidate as she was in to 2008, and I think it’s a tribute to New Hampshire and to the New Hampshire primary that candidates come into the state, they go into living rooms, they talk to voters, they engage with voters, they answer questions, New Hampshire voters are very smart on the issues, they pay attention, they talk to all the candidates and then they make up their minds. [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 2/3/15]

Specter, Arlen (Pennsylvania Senator)

‘Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam Secretary, thank you for taking on the job and the hard work and successful work you’re doing. We miss you in the Senate, but we like to see you where you are.’ [Testimony Before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Program,’ 2/24/10]

Stabenow, Debbie (Michigan Senator)

Sen. Stabenow: ‘There is nobody more qualified, smarter, who knows more world leaders, who can walk in and do the right thing to grow the economy and create jobs and make sure that our country works for everybody, than Hillary Clinton.’ According to an interview with Bloomberg’s Mark Crumpton, Senator Debbie Stabenow is ‘all in’ for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Mark Crumpton, Bloomberg News: ‘Should Hillary Clinton seek the Democratic nomination?’ Senator Debbie Stabenow: ‘Absolutely. I’m all in.’ Mark Crumpton: ‘Is she going to win the Democratic nomination?’ Sen. Stabenow: ‘Absolutely.’ Mark Crumpton: ‘Will she win the general election?’ Sen. Stabenow: ‘Absolutely.’ Mark Crumpton: ‘No doubt in your mind?’ Sen. Stabenow: ‘Well, it’s going to be a lot of hard work. It’ll be mean and aggressive and you know all these things. I mean she’ll have everything thrown at her and that’s the unfortunate part of politics today, particularly national politics. There is nobody more qualified, smarter, who knows more world leaders, who can walk in and do the right thing to grow the economy and create jobs and make sure that our country works for everybody, than Hillary Clinton.’ [Bloomberg’s Money Moves with Deirdre Bolton, 9/23/14]

Sen. Stabenow: ‘I’m all in.’ According to an interview with Bloomberg’s Mark Crumpton asked Sen. Stabenow, ‘Should Hillary Clinton seek the Democratic nomination?’ Sen. Stabenow responded, ‘Absolutely. I’m all in.’ [Bloomberg’s Money Moves with Deirdre Bolton, 9/23/14]

Sen. Debbie Stabenow: ‘I see her [Sec. Clinton] through the lens of issues and causes… The icing on the cake is that she is a woman.’ According to Bloomberg’s article about how Sec. Clinton’s female-empowerment message could help Sec. Clinton gain support from men, ‘Senator Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat, said it shouldn’t be a stretch for voters to see Clinton in the role of champion for a cause. Stabenow first met Clinton in the 1980s when both were working to combat child abuse, and she was later present at Clinton’s Beijing women’s speech. ‘I see her through the lens of issues and causes,’ Stabenow said in an interview with Bloomberg reporters and editors this week. Stabenow said Clinton’s the best person for the job of president. ‘The icing on the cake,’ Stabenow said, ‘is that she is a woman.’’ [Bloomberg, 9/23/14]

Sen. Stabenow: ‘We need President Hillary Clinton.’ According to Sen. Debbie Stabenow, ‘Our next president needs to be someone who knows without debate that equal pay for equal work and the full participation of women in our country is not only the right thing for them and their families, it’s critical for the economic future of America. We need President Hillary Clinton.’ [Sen. Debbie Stabenow, CNN, 5/22/14]

Sen. Stabenow: ‘I’m ready for Clinton because she is the best person to take on the challenges that face our country.’ According to Sen. Debbie Stabenow, ‘That’s why I am honored to formally announce my renewed and unreserved support for Clinton as she considers a 2016 presidential bid. I’m ready for Clinton because she is the best person to take on the challenges that face our country, and she has more than enough qualifications, achievements and experience to do the job.’ [Sen. Debbie Stabenow, CNN, 5/22/14]

Sen. Stabenow: ‘I was in the room when then-first lady Clinton courageously… reminded the world that ‘women’s rights are human rights.’ I will never forget the power of that speech.’ According to Sen. Debbie Stabenow, ‘I was in the room when then-first lady Clinton courageously spoke in China at the Fourth World Conference on Women and reminded the world that ‘women’s rights are human rights.’ I will never forget the power of that speech. Shortly thereafter, I was motivated to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.’ [Sen. Debbie Stabenow, CNN, 5/22/14]

Sen. Stabenow, on Sec. Clinton: ‘She has been a champion for middle-class families and for those working hard to get into the middle class.’ According to Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s column in which she endorses Sec. Clinton, ‘The issues that will dominate the 2016 election are issues that Clinton has been a leader on for years. She has been a champion for middle-class families and for those working hard to get into the middle class. She voted time and again to raise the minimum wage so people working full time would not find themselves still in poverty. She wrote the Student Borrower Bill of Rights and fought for lowering student loan rates by ending giveaways to the big banks. And of course she has fought tirelessly to give all Americans, especially children, the security of quality, affordable health care.’ [Sen. Debbie Stabenow, CNN, 5/22/14]

Sen. Stabenow: ‘As president, Hillary Clinton will fight for our values day in and day out.’ According to Sen. Debbie Stabenow, ‘As president, Hillary Clinton will fight for our values day in and day out. I also know Clinton is practical and pragmatic. She understands how to get things done. I saw it in her that day in Detroit so many years ago, watched her help accomplish great things like the Children’s Health Insurance Program as first lady, worked with her here in the Senate to increase the minimum wage, and continued to be inspired by the grit, determination and old-fashioned hard work she put in across six continents and 956,733 miles as secretary of state.’ [Sen. Debbie Stabenow, CNN, 5/22/14]

Sen. Stabenow: ‘As president, she will stand up for all Americans and stand strong against those who want to rig our political system for their own gain.’ According to Sen. Debbie Stabenow, ‘As secretary of state, Clinton stood up for America and stood strong against our enemies. As president, she will stand up for all Americans and stand strong against those who want to rig our political system for their own gain. When America chooses its next president, we need someone who understands that people across this country are working hard and just want a fair shot to get ahead in life. I know that Clinton understands this because that’s the America she has been fighting for all her life. That is why I am ready for Hillary Clinton — and why America is, too.’ [Sen. Debbie Stabenow, CNN, 5/22/14]

Warren, Elizabeth (Massachusetts Senator)

Sen. Warren said Sec. Clinton was ‘terrific.’ According to Fox 25 of Boston, Massachusetts, ‘When asked if she thinks Hillary Clinton is the best choice for the Democratic party in 2016, Warren said Clinton is ‘terrific.’ One of her supporters asked her to go into an event and she did not comment further.’ [Fox 25 (Boston), 8/19/14]

Sen. Warren: ‘All of the women – Democratic women I should say of the Senate – urged Hillary Clinton to run.’ According to Politico’s Politico Now blog, ‘Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Sunday she hopes Hillary Clinton will embark on a presidential run in 2016 – even as chatter about a White House bid heats up around the first-term Democratic senator from Massachusetts. ‘All of the women – Democratic women I should say of the Senate – urged Hillary Clinton to run,’ Warren said in an interview on ABC’s ‘This Week.’ ‘And I hope she does …. Hillary is terrific.’’ [Politico Now, Politico, 4/27/14]

Sen. Warren: ‘I hope she does [run in 2016] …. Hillary is terrific.’ According to Politico’s Politico Now blog, ‘Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Sunday she hopes Hillary Clinton will embark on a presidential run in 2016 – even as chatter about a White House bid heats up around the first-term Democratic senator from Massachusetts. ‘All of the women – Democratic women I should say of the Senate – urged Hillary Clinton to run,’ Warren said in an interview on ABC’s ‘This Week.’ ‘And I hope she does …. Hillary is terrific.’’ [Politico Now, Politico, 4/27/14]

Sen. Warren: ‘I think Hillary Clinton is terrific.’ According to The Hill’s Briefing Room blog’s coverage of an ABC News segment, ‘Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Monday said Hillary Clinton is ‘terrific’ when asked if the former secretary of State would make a good president. ABC News released a short clip from an interview with the freshman senator, noting that she stopped short of answering the direct question. ‘I think Hillary Clinton is terrific,’ she said. ‘We’ve got to stay focused on these issues right now.’’ [ABC News, Briefing Room, The Hill, 4/21/14]

Webb, Jim (Virginia Senator)

Sen. Jim Webb: ‘I enjoyed working with her when I was in the Senate.’ According to an interview on MSNBC’s Meet the Press, Chuck Todd asked former Virginia Senator Jim Webb, ‘You’re inevitably going to be compared to Hillary Clinton here. What’s the contrast that you think is fairest between you and Hillary Clinton?’ Jim Webb responded, ‘I really don’t – I’ll let other people, leave that to other people to answer –.’ Chuck Todd asked, ‘If people describe you as running to her left, what do you say?’ Jim Webb stated, ‘I believe in certain principals that I put out in, whether they are to the left or to the right, doesn’t matter to me. I don’t change what I believe. This is what I did when I ran for the Senate. And I’m very concerned about issues of economic fairness, social justice. We worked on criminal justice reform eight years ago. We put two and half years of hearings in it in the Senate. I don’t know whether that’s to the left or to the right. It’s a leadership issue. It’s not a political issue.’ Chuck Todd asked, ‘Is she the most, is she a qualified candidate? Do you think she’s a good, qualified candidate to be president?’ Jim Webb stated, ‘We led on this pivot to Asia, which people talked about for the Obama Administration. We began that two years before President Obama was elected. I’ve been very strong on different ways to deal with foreign policy.’ Chuck Todd asked, ‘You’re smiling here. You don’t want to talk about Hillary Clinton? Is that fair to say? You’re not ready to talk about her?’ Jim Webb responded, ‘I don’t think that it’s for me to talk about Hillary Clinton. I enjoyed working with her when I was in the Senate. This is for me, it’s not, I don’t know what she’s going to do. If she runs, what she would run on? I’m just very concerned about these issues for the country.’ [MSNBC’s Meet The Press, 10/05/14]

Sen. Jim Webb: ‘I think there were good points when Secretary Clinton was secretary of state, particularly what they call the pivot to Asia.’ According to CNN, ‘Democrat Jim Webb needs more than one show if you want him to critique Hillary Clinton’s record as secretary of state. During an appearance on Iowa Public Television’s ‘Iowa Press’ show, Webb – a former senator from Virginia who is considered a dark horse to run for president in 2016 – was asked to critique Clinton’s record at the State Department. Webb said, ‘I think there’s time to have that discussion later.’ ‘Why not now?’ a reporter asked. ‘It would probably take up the whole show,’ Webb retorted. ‘I think there were good points when Secretary Clinton was secretary of state, particularly what they call the pivot to Asia.’ But, he added, ‘I think the actions in the Arab Spring were probably detrimental.’ Webb expressed concerned about the ‘unilateral decision of (the Obama) administration to use force in Libya.’’ [CNN, 8/22/14]

FOREIGN LEADERS

ASEAN

Pitsuwan, Surin (Secretary-General of ASEAN)

ASEAN Secretary General Surin: Sec. Clinton delivered on all of her promises to engage with ASEAN. According to ASEAN Secretary General Surin’s remarks at a meeting with Sec. Clinton, ‘At that time you promised many things. You promised full engagement with ASEAN, with Southeast Asia. You promised to accede to our Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. You have promised the highest presidential engagement. You have promised to come to attend our post-ministerial (inaudible) conference, ARF. And I am glad to say that you have delivered it all. Thank you very, very much.’ [Meeting with ASEAN Secretary General Surin, 9/4/12]

ASEAN Secretary General Surin: Sec. Clinton, ‘you have turned your counterparts here in Southeast Asia, in ASEAN, into your friends,’ which ‘is extremely important for the region and the region’s diplomacy.’ According to ASEAN Secretary General Surin’s remarks at a meeting with Sec. Clinton, ‘Now, let me just say that most of the diplomats we work with, they are counterparts. And you have turned your counterparts here in Southeast Asia, in ASEAN, into your friends. And friendship is extremely important for the region and for the region’s diplomacy. We count you not as counterpart, but as a true friend. That is why today is very special. And we hope that we will accomplish many more things together into the future with the United States and ASEAN.’ [Meeting with ASEAN Secretary General Surin, 9/4/12]

Bahrain

Bahraini Ambassador Houda Nonoo: ‘The State Department correctly appreciates Bahrain, a nation where the rights of women are secure and economic development is allowed to flourish.’ According to a Washington Post letter to the editor by Bahraini Ambassador to the United States Houda Nonoo, ‘Finally, Mr. Diehl chided Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for recent positive comments about Bahrain and its electoral process. But the State Department correctly appreciates Bahrain, a nation where the rights of women are secure and economic development is allowed to flourish, for its commitment to peace and democracy in the Arabian Gulf.’ [Houda Nonoo, Washington Post, 1/17/11]

Brazil

Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota: ‘The quality of the dialogue between Brazil and the United States is improving continuously.’ According to Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, ‘At the same time, I think it’s very important to note that the contacts have been frequent, at high-level, the quality of the dialogue between Brazil and the United States is improving continuously, the agenda’s broadening, as Secretary Clinton was saying.’ [Remarks with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, state.gov, 10/24/12]

Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim: It was fair to say ‘that Hillary Clinton is, in her own right, a largely admired person’ who elicited attention and respect from many. According to Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim, ‘I’d like to once again convey my words of welcome, my earnest words of welcome, to the U.S. State – or Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which she has by now been able to successfully test her approval rating in Brazil, given the vast crowd of photographers and media professionals everywhere she’s been, including this ministry so far. But it is indeed a great pleasure to have you here as Secretary. Obviously, the U.S. Secretary of State is always a high-profile figure. But I think it is also fair to say that Hillary Clinton is, in her own right, a largely admired person, one who has elicited a lot of attention and respect from many people, including, of course, those of us in Brazil.’ [Remarks with Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim, state.gov, 3/3/10]

Burma

Burmese President Thein Sein thanked Sec. Clinton for opening ‘a new chapter in our bilateral relations.’ Burmese President Thein Sein: ‘I believe that our subsequent meetings have contributed a lot to the strengthening health of our bilateral relations between Myanmar and the United States. And on behalf of the people of Myanmar, we would like to extend our gratitude to Madam Secretary, who has opened a new chapter in our bilateral relations.’ [Remarks with Burmese President Thein Sein, state.gov, 9/26/12]

Czech Republic

Czech Republic Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said that he was ‘impressed by her great energy’ and that ‘to see her as Secretary of State of the United States is a special pleasure.’ According to Czech Republic Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, ‘It was a special pleasure for me – the meeting today with Secretary Clinton, whom I had the honor and pleasure to meet before already in Prague when she visit my former chief, President Havel. And I already was impressed by her great energy. Now to see her as Secretary of State of the United States is a special pleasure.’ [Remarks with Czech Republic Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, state.gov, 2/10/09]

EU

European Union High Representative Lady Catherine Ashton: Sec. Clinton was ‘a special friend to the European Union.’ European Union High Representative Lady Catherine Ashton: ‘I can safely say that you, Hillary, have been a special friend to the European Union in your four years as Secretary of State. Not only do you represent the best of diplomacy, but for me it’s been a great honor and privilege to get to know you and have the chance to cooperate closely with you.’ [Remarks with European Union High Representative Lady Catherine Ashton, state.gov, 12/5/12]

England

Johnson, Boris (Mayor of London)

Boris Johnson on meeting Hillary Clinton: “I was very impressed. I thought she was absolutely brilliant, brilliant mastery of foreign policy…She was extremely compelling on a large number of subjects.” MIKE ALLEN: What was Hillary like? >> BORIS JOHNSON: I thought she was — I was very impressed. I thought she was absolutely brilliant, brilliant mastery of foreign policy, which is mainly what we talked about. She was extremely compelling on a large number of subjects. But one thing in particular she really wanted to get across, and that was that she thought that the Europeans were being too wimpy in dealing with Putin. >> [CSPAN, 2/13/15]

Haiti

Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe to Sec. Clinton: ‘I want to thank you for your leadership, the leadership that you’ve shown into promoting Haiti.’ According to Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, ‘I want to thank you for your leadership, the leadership that you’ve shown into promoting Haiti, and not only for the leadership, but for the love also that you’ve shown toward the Haitian people, the compassion that the United States is showing toward Haiti, and the support that the U.S. is giving to Haiti is greatly appreciated.’ [Remarks with Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, state.gov, 7/24/12]

Ireland

Martin, Michael (Irish Foreign Minister)

Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin: ‘I wish to pay tribute to Secretary Clinton’s intensive engagement with the international community over the past few weeks. We look forward to the United States assuming a strong and progressive global leadership role in the years ahead. And already within the European Union community, there is strong anticipation, excited anticipation about the relationship that will develop across the Atlantic between the European Union and indeed the United States.’ [3/16/09]

Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin thanked Sec. Clinton for her ‘constant personal engagement’ with the situation in Northern Ireland. According to Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin, ‘12 months ago, I think we met here and the key issue on that occasion was prospects for the completion of devolution of policing and justice in Northern Ireland. And we spent some time discussing the North at that meeting. I want to thank you for the constant personal engagement of yourself and your Administration to that issue. I think you have injected leadership and momentum to the process, and particularly during critical times.’ [Remarks with Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin, state.gov, 3/16/10]

McGuinness, Martin (Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister)

Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness: Well, if I could say that it’s an incredible good fortune for all of us on the island of Ireland and the north that Hillary Clinton has been appointed the new Secretary of State. She has for many, many years, alongside her husband, been a true friend of all of us, a true friend of the peace process, contributing tremendously to the transformation that has taken place over the course of the last number of years.’ [state.gov, 3/17/09]

Israel

Netanyahu, Benjamin (Prime Minister of Israel)

Prime Minister Netanyahu: It’s my pleasure to welcome Secretary of State of the United States Hillary Clinton to Jerusalem. Welcome, Hillary. You are a great friend and a great champion of peace. I think that we owe a vote of thanks to you, to George Mitchell, to your staffs, and of course, to President Obama and the entire Obama Administration for the tireless efforts to re-launch the peace process – the peace process between us and the Palestinians, and between us and the Arab world – following the President’s vision of a regional peace.’ [10/31/09]

Oren, Michael (Israel’s ambassador to United States)

‘Nonetheless, having gone through that cease-fire negotiation, Clinton can present herself as someone with the fortitude to take on the challenge posed by the seemingly endless conflict, said Michael Oren, who was serving as Israel’s ambassador to the United States in 2012. Oren, now the ambassador-in-residence at the Atlantic Council, praised Clinton as ‘very formidable and indefatigable’ during the last crisis. ‘We can judge — we have to judge — her accomplishments by what was achievable then,’ he said. The ‘fact that [the cease-fire] hasn’t held up is no reflection on her, because there’s always going to be a breakdown, eventually, with anything in this area.’’ [Politico, 7/15/14]

Peres, Shimon (President of Israel)

Israeli President Shimon Peres: ‘All the previous Secretaries of States …were dealing with international relations… Hillary is dealing with global responsibility.’ ‘I want to also to say a word or two about Hillary, not because my – only my personal admiration, which is really tremendous, but by the uniqueness of her role. Never before did anybody in history, men or women, traveled thousand of thousands of miles, from place to place, day and night, not because traveling is such a great pleasure but because she has an unprecedented responsibility. All the previous Secretaries of States – not because of them – were dealing with international relations, which is one thing. Hillary is dealing with global responsibility, which is a totally different thing. When you have had international relations, it’s enough that you go to a capital and that’s it. No more. She has to face people all around the world with unbelievable differences. Occasionally, the people are leading the government or the government is leading the people. And we live in a world where governments became weak because two of their main instruments were taken away from them: the control of economy and the control of security. Since economy became global, it affects every country, and look, no country can really affect it. So you have a global economy without the global government. The same with terror. Because security, there is terror. It’s global. It’s wild. It doesn’t have a law. It doesn’t have an address. And again, there is no government that controls it. So Hillary is trying, really, to fill the gap by creating alliances, by trying to have common basis, by being passionate. And the Administration wasn’t built to handle it. So you have to penetrate an entirely new experience. Saying it, I believe in the Middle East we have to think about two tracks, not one: the present, which is transitional; and the future, which is permanent. I don’t have the slightest doubt that finally the Arabs will (inaudible) the new age. They don’t have a choice, as none of us has a choice.’ [Shimon Peres remarks, Brookings forum, 6/12/12]

Ivory Coast

Ouattara, Alassane (Ivory Coast President)

‘Madam Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, first of all, on behalf of the Government and the people of Cote d’Ivoire, and also on my own behalf and on behalf of Mrs. Ouattara, which – who admires the Secretary of State, who would like and to wish you a warm welcome, like we say in Cote d’Ivoire, ‘Akwaaba.’’ [Alassane Ouattara, U.S. Department of State, 1/17/12]

‘I would like to conclude by saying that today Cote d’Ivoire is in peace. We still have major challenges to face, but we count on the reinforcement of the cooperation between our two countries. Thank you for honoring us with your visit. And Madam Secretary of State, once again I would like to show my admiration. Thank you Mrs. Secretary of State. Thank you.’ [Alassane Ouattara, U.S. Department of State, 1/17/12]

Jordan

Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh: ‘Secretary Clinton is a longtime friend of Jordan, a distinguished and remarkable international figure, a champion of peace.’ According to Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, ‘Secretary Clinton is a longtime friend of Jordan, a distinguished and remarkable international figure, a champion of peace and a multitude of (inaudible) causes, and indeed, as Secretary of State of the United States of America, an ally, a close friend, and supporter of Jordan. So I personally am grateful, Madam Secretary, for the excellent (inaudible) relationship which I have.’ [Remarks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, state.gov, 9/16/10]

Liberia

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: Sec. Clinton was ‘a true friend of Liberia.’ Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: ‘Secretary of State Clinton, members of the Administration, ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to be here today for several reasons. First, I feel privileged to have been invited to the State Department this week, one of the last weeks that you, Madame Secretary, will be in office, to say thank you for all that you have done for Liberia and the Liberian people, to say thank you for always being there for Liberia… Madam Secretary — Hillary — you’ve been a true friend of Liberia and to me personally. We are pleased that in the history of our bilateral relationship, which spans more than a century and a half, you made two trips to Liberia while in office as Secretary of State. You have supported our country’s progress, championed our political process, and pushed to settle Liberia’s external debt. As we bid you farewell, I remain convinced that in this era of economic challenge, history will show that your support and the investment of the U.S. Government and the American people in Liberia will return significant dividends.’ [Remarks with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, state.gov, 1/15/13]

Mexico

Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade remarked on ‘all the good things that Secretary Clinton has constructed for Mexico.’ Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade: ‘Basically we’re wanting in this meeting to convey all the gratitude that we have for all the good things that Secretary Clinton has constructed for Mexico for the relationship. It’s a good time to take stock, it’s a good time to look where we are and what we can construct with her successor. But we basically wanted to thank her for what she has done for Mexico. She is very important and well loved.’ [Remarks with Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade, state.gov, 1/30/13]

Netherlands

Verhagen, Maxime (Dutch Foreign Minister)

Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen: ‘Afghanistan, as the Secretary has said, the Netherlands, and the United States are brothers in arms in the most troubled provinces. And we welcome the renewed emphasis on diplomacy and development alongside defense because according to our view, this is the best way further reduce the threat of extremists who once found a free haven in Afghanistan and who planned attacks on peaceful citizens all over the world.’ [4/20/09]

New Zealand

McCully, Murray (New Zealand Foreign Minister)

New Zealand Foreign Minister McCully: ‘So I’ve had a very important first meeting with Secretary of State Clinton today. The two new administrations have the opportunity to bring new energy and new eyes to a relationship which has already seen significant improvement. And we will be working closely in the months ahead to get that relationship moving in that direction.’ [state.gov, 4/7/09]

Pakistan

Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar thanked Sec. Clinton for bringing U.S.-Pakistani relations ‘back together.’ Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar: ‘So today, as we meet – which is, as you said, a continuation of series of important meetings which have already taken place – if I were to take a judgment call today, I think in the last few months we have done rather well, in some ways almost better than we could have expected to do in building the trust. And therefore, today we stand at a time of opportunity, at a time of opportunity to be able to seize the trust deficit mantra and start building on the trust by walking the talk that takes or achieves the interests which are clearly common. So as we move forward, let me, first of all, appreciate the role that you personally played in building this relation, in bringing it back together.’ [Remarks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, state.gov, 9/21/12]

Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar: ‘I think Madam Secretary’s repeat visits to Pakistan is a testimony to her effort to engage with Pakistan at a policy level, at a high policy level.’ According to Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbini Khar, ‘Let me thank you, Madam Secretary, on a personal note for you to take this initiative to engage with Pakistan at the highest policy level. I think Madam Secretary’s repeat visits to Pakistan is a testimony to her effort to engage with Pakistan at a policy level, at a high policy level, so the strategic convergence that we already enjoy is translated into an operational convergence or an operational work plan. And this relationship, like any other relationship between two sovereign countries, is not based on a to-do list, and I think we all agree on that.’ [Remarks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, state.gov, 10/21/11]

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that each time he engaged with Sec. Clinton, ‘our relationship, our understanding has improved, and you see a qualitative improvement in our relation.’ According to Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, ‘This is my third engagement with Secretary Clinton. And each and every sitting and conversation we’ve had has built on the previous one. And today, I think our relationship, our understanding has improved, and you see a qualitative improvement in our relation.’ [Remarks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, state.gov, 10/6/09]

South Africa

South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane: ‘It is clear that the Strategic Dialogue has elevated our mutual relations.’ According to South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, ‘From what I’ve said here, it is clear that the Strategic Dialogue has elevated our mutual relations, and we look forward to broadening and deepening our ties in the years to come. I would want to once again personally thank Secretary Clinton for the passion, for the sincerity, for the hard work she’s put in making this dialogue, this Strategic Dialogue, to be businesslike, friendly, focused, and that I would want to say with her partner-ship we’ve managed to achieve a lot.’ [Remarks with South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, state.gov, 8/7/12]

Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao: Sec. Clinton was relentless in her ‘advocacy for peace, freedom, and democracy’ and was ‘committed to the peaceful development and the prosperity of the nations in’ the Asia Pacific. According to Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, ‘Madam Secretary, you are the first United States Secretary of State to visit Timor-Leste. You are recognized globally for your relentless advocacy for peace, freedom, and democracy. (Inaudible) the Asia Pacific and are committed to the peaceful development and the prosperity of the nations in our region. Madam, you are an inspiration to us in Timor-Leste, and your visit will be remembered by our people for many years to come. Your visit also symbolizes the contribution that you are making makes to our region and to the world. As an international leader, the United States has provided a strong framework for global prosperity and progress.’ [Remarks with Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, state.gov, 9/6/12]

Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao: Sec. Clinton’s visit ‘made a great contribution to strengthen the strong bond of friendship between our nations.’ According to Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, ‘Madam Secretary, thank you for visiting us in Timor-Leste. We are honored by your presence which has made a great contribution to strengthen the strong bond of friendship between our nations.’ [Remarks with Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, state.gov, 9/6/12]

United Kingdom

Hague, on Sec. Clinton: ‘We have in common both the belief that foreign policy is not just about responding to crises. The goal must be to improve the condition of humanity.’ According to Politico, ‘Turning more serious, Hague outlined commonalities between himself and Clinton on foreign policy. While he’s a British conservative, Clinton was perceived as being on the more hawkish end of the spectrum in the Obama administration. ‘We have in common both the belief that foreign policy is not just about responding to crises,’ he said. ‘The goal must be to improve the condition of humanity.’’ [Politico, 2/25/14]

British Foreign Secretary William Hague: ‘You enhanced the standing of US diplomacy in the world.’ In his remarks during the Chatham House award ceremony, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said, ‘Secretary Clinton, President Clinton, members of the Diplomatic Corps, my Lords, Ladies and Gentleman; It is a great pleasure to be here to honour the achievements of my outstanding colleague and friend Hillary Clinton. I thank Robin Niblett and Chatham House for their superb choice for this year’s Chatham House Prize; for their immense contribution to foreign policy here in the United Kingdom; and for laying on this spectacular occasion. Hillary, this prize recognises your remarkable contribution as an international stateswoman. Every Foreign Minister surely wishes for their country to be stronger in the world when they leave office than it was when they assumed it. Few can say this – but you certainly can. You enhanced the standing of US diplomacy in the world.’ [gov.uk, 10/11/13]

Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness: Sec. Clinton ‘for many, many years’ was ‘a true friend of all of us.’ According to Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, ‘Well, if I could say that it’s an incredible good fortune for all of us on the island of Ireland and the north that Hillary Clinton has been appointed the new Secretary of State. She has for many, many years, alongside her husband, been a true friend of all of us, a true friend of the peace process, contributing tremendously to the transformation that has taken place over the course of the last number of years.’ [Remarks with Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, state.gov, 3/17/09]

Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness: ‘Secretary Clinton has been a true and wonderful friend to all of the people of Ireland, North and South.’ According to Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, ‘Well, I, too, am absolutely delighted to join with Peter in welcoming Secretary Clinton to Belfast. Secretary Clinton has been a true and wonderful friend to all of the people of Ireland, North and South, over many, many years. And this is an opportunity for us to express our deepest thanks and admiration for the work that she has done in supporting us through what has been described variously as one of the most successful peace processes in the world today.’ [Remarks with Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, state.gov, 12/7/12]

Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson to Sec. Clinton: ‘You are one person who has consistently been there to help us.’ According to Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson, ‘Martin and I – very often we sit down, somebody will mention some person who has claimed to have been instrumental in the peace process in Northern Ireland, and Martin and I will look at each other and ask, ‘Do you know that person?’ And we shake our heads. But you are one person who has consistently been there to help us, and not just in terms of helping us until we got an agreement.’ [Remarks with Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, state.gov, 12/7/12]

FAMOUS PEOPLE

Affleck, Ben

Ben Affleck: ‘I am excited about Hillary Clinton, among other reasons, because having two little girls.’ According to Cosmopolitan, ‘Last year, Garner said she brought their oldest daughter, Violet, to the event because she wanted Violet to hear a powerful woman such as then guest Hillary Clinton speak. To which Affleck had this to say: ‘I am excited about Hillary Clinton, among other reasons, because having two little girls, I recognize — and I wouldn’t have known this before, I really probably would have been more cavalier about it — having two little girls, I recognize how powerful it would be for them to see a woman be the president of the United States.’’ [Cosmopolitan, 11/20/14]

Armani, Giorgio

Giorgio Armani, on Sec. Clinton: ‘I like her decisive and feisty manner. I like her self-assured and determined way.’ According to New York Magazine, ‘Armani has joined Oscar de la Renta and Anna Wintour in the Hillary for 2016 club: ‘I like her decisive and feisty manner. I like her self-assured and determined way,’ he told the magazine.’ [New York Magazine,1/15/14]

Armani, on Sec. Clinton: ‘She’d look great in a soft and sophisticated Armani pantsuit for that inauguration ceremony.’ According to New York Magazine, ‘When asked how he feels about her signature pantsuits — and what he thinks she would wear to her inauguration should she win the presidency in 2016 — he responded with equal passion: ‘I love a strong woman in a suit, although a powerful woman today doesn’t need to wear trousers to succeed. An authoritative appearance helps though, and let’s just says Mrs. Clinton looks good in pants. So yeah, she’d look great in a soft and sophisticated Armani pantsuit for that inauguration ceremony.’’ [New York Magazine, 1/15/14]

Beckham, Victoria

Victoria Beckham said Sec. Clinton was one of her personal heroines: ‘I love her.’ According to The Guardian’s interview with Victoria Beckham, ‘Her personal heroines are ‘Hillary Clinton for a start. I love her, don’t you? And Sheryl Sandberg. And Michelle Obama. Strong women, that’s who I really respect.’’ [The Guardian, 9/5/14]

Behar, Joy (Co-Host on The View, Host on The Joy Behar Show, and Joy Behar: Say Anything!)

Joy Behar on Hillary Clinton: “I think she’s terrific.” MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Well about him [Mitt Romney] against Hillary Clinton though? Because that dynamic could be interesting. They are both not very good on the campaign trail. >> JOY BEHAR: No, but she’s better than he is and she’s had a lot of time to practice now and lighten up. You know her, right? I know her. She’s as light as a feather in person. I don’t know. She gets a little bit heavy when she gets TV. But she is — I think she’s terrific. She’s not perfect. No one is perfect. >> [MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 1/20/15]

Carroll, Bonnie (President and Founder of Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors)

President and founder of TAPS Bonnie Carroll: ‘We count you [Sec. Clinton] as family, and we love you a great deal.’ According to BuzzFeed’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s appearance at a Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors event, ‘Bonnie Carroll, the president and founder of TAPS, said the group had worked with Clinton to expand its work with survivors to include families who have lost people serving in the State Department, certain government contractors, and other government agencies, including the CIA and National Security Agency. ‘We count you as family,’ Carroll told Clinton, ‘and we love you a great deal.’’ [BuzzFeed, 10/1/14]

Carter, Lynda (actress)

Actress Lynda Carter: “Hillary has my endorsement for all of her life and mine.” “Lynda Carter isn’t just offering Hillary Clinton an early endorsement; the ‘Wonder Woman’ actress says the former secretary of State can even claim the Lasso of Truth as her own. Carter, who famously donned a patriotic leotard and golden belt as the superheroine on the 1970s TV show, told ITK recently she’s rooting for Clinton in 2016. ‘Hillary has my endorsement for all of her life and mine,’ Carter said of Clinton, who has not formally thrown her Amazonian tiara into the ring.” [In The Know, The Hill, 1/28/15]

Elisberg, Robert (Screenwriter)

Screenwriter Robert J. Elisberg: ‘Hillary Clinton will be strong on social issues and on immigration, concerns that are so critical to Democrats.’ According to screenwriter Robert J. Elisberg in the Huffington Post, ‘After all, you know that Hillary Clinton will be strong on social issues and on immigration, concerns that are so critical to Democrats, and a candidate like Rand Paul is achingly weak there, him being on the record, for instance, as not saying that he is not a strong supporter of the Voting Rights Act. So, the one issue that Republicans can ever have the upper hand on Democrats is by painting them (as they so often do) as lily-livered appeasers on national defense.’ [Robert J. Elisberg, Huffington Post, 8/26/14]

Screenwriter Robert J. Elisberg: ‘The biggest issue that Republicans (wrongly) think they have on Ms. Clinton is relentlessly attacking her eternally over her supposed-involvement in the failure in Benghazi.’ According to screenwriter Robert J. Elisberg in the Huffington Post, ‘In fact, going further, the biggest issue that Republicans (wrongly) think they have on Ms. Clinton is relentlessly attacking her eternally over her supposed-involvement in the failure in Benghazi. That’s a near-impossible case to make now when with the other other hand you’re painting her as this defender of American in war. So, Mr. Paul is pulling the rug from under the one card Republicans believe they have. And the only other remote issue that Republicans could have on Hillary Clinton is her being a woman — which for some means that she’s too soft and tender and touch-feely and weepy emotional. And here is Rand Paul telling voters to be wary of Hillary Clinton because…she’s too tough and militaristic.’ [Robert J. Elisberg, Huffington Post, 8/26/14]

Screenwriter Robert J. Elisberg: ‘She [Sec. Clinton] doesn’t know what Rand Paul has ever stood for. Other than weakening our national defense.’ According to screenwriter Robert J. Elisberg in the Huffington Post, regarding Sen. Rand Paul, ‘And in the end, what he has mainly done is allow Hillary Clinton to explain that the last thing she needs is Rand Paul whining about how much she’ll come to the defense of America. Because one thing you know she’ll always do is go to the defense of America. Which is what she did when she was in the White House as First Lady. And when she was in the United States Senate. And when she was secretary of state, while Rand Paul is fine leaving America defenseless, she will always be on the front line defending our nation, as she always has been. And yes, she has supported war when our nation was attacked, and she has spent her career working diplomatically for peace. And Rand Paul — honestly, she doesn’t know what Rand Paul has ever stood for. Other than weakening our national defense.’ [Robert J. Elisberg, Huffington Post, 8/26/14]

Screenwriter Robert J. Elisberg: ‘Is Hillary Clinton more conservative when it comes to supporting military involvement than some Democrats prefer? Yes, absolutely. And that is the biggest nightmare for Republicans is she is nominated.’ According to screenwriter Robert J. Elisberg in the Huffington Post, ‘Is Hillary Clinton more conservative when it comes to supporting military involvement than some Democrats prefer? Yes, absolutely. And that is the biggest nightmare for Republicans is she is nominated. What scares Democrats the most is that Rand Paul will stop saying junk like this.’ [Robert J. Elisberg, Huffington Post, 8/26/14]

Holland, Agnieszka (Oscar-nominated Polish filmmaker)

Oscar-nominated Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland said she hoped Sec. Clinton would one day be president. According to the Washington Post’s Reliable Source blog, ‘On Friday night, Oscar-nominated Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland made a pit stop in Washington, taking a tiny break from directing two episodes of Netflix’s ‘House of Cards’ in Baltimore. […] When asked if she thought calculating first lady Claire Underwood, the series’ close approximation of Lady Macbeth, might make a run for president in seasons to come, Holland said that television ‘often predicts real life,’ adding that she hoped former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would one day be president.’ [Reliable Source, Washington Post, 10/13/14]

Jackson, Randy (American Idol host)

Randy Jackson: ‘The impact of the Clintons’ work around the world is just astounding. I’ve met Bill and Hillary over the years. What they’ve done is just amazing to me.’ According to The Hollywood Reporter’s coverage of the Clinton Global Initiative’s 10^th anniversary gala, ‘Jackson, who is in his second year as the event’s music producer, said it’s important that the performances at the awards ceremony reflect the ‘collaborative effort so that speaks to the core of what the Clinton Global Initiative is all about.’ ‘There will be all types of music from all walks of life,’ he said. ‘The impact of the Clintons’ work around the world is just astounding. I’ve met Bill and Hillary over the years. What they’ve done is just amazing to me. It’s about trying to change the world and I wanted to be a part of that.’’ [The Hollywood Reporter, 9/10/14]

Johnson, Magic (basketball player)

‘You think about her experience of bringing us out of debt, health care, education, she’s the one person who can bring all those things back to us as a country and I think make us powerful again and make us a better country because of her leadership ability and because of her experience.’ –Magic Johnson [CNN, 12/18/07]

Karan, Donna

Designer Donna Karen: ‘Hillary, my love! She’s brilliant!’ According to Bloomberg, regarding the Clinton Global Initiative, ’’Hillary, my love! She’s brilliant!’ gushed one such backer, fashion designer Donna Karan, hair pulled back and dressed in black. ‘She already has showcased her strengths. This is just a continuation of everything she does.’ Among this year’s scheduled attendees at CGI are actor Matt Damon, who cooled to President Barack Obama after backing him earlier and has praised the prospect of Hillary Clinton as president; Mary Barra, chief executive officer of General Motors; John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems Inc.; and Jack Ma, executive chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’ [Bloomberg, 9/22/14]

Donna Karan, on Sec. Clinton: ‘Well, given the world situation right now, who else in the world could potentially fix our problems?’ According to Women’s Wear Daily, ‘Donna Karan, a devoted supporter of various cancer research organizations, was there because she had designed, along with Perry, Stewart, Tory Burch, Kim Kardashian and others, a paddleboard to be auctioned off. She was also unreserved about her enthusiasm for Clinton. ‘Well, given the world situation right now, who else in the world could potentially fix our problems?’ Karan said. ‘There’s no question in my mind, never has been, we as a world need a woman, need a caregiver, need someone who really has the compassion and understanding, and has the experience, to deal with the world as it is today, which is in total chaos.’’ [Women’s Wear Daily, 8/19/14]

Donna Karan, on Sec. Clinton: ‘There’s no question in my mind, never has been, we as a world need a woman, need a caregiver [for president]…’ According to Women’s Wear Daily, ‘Donna Karan, a devoted supporter of various cancer research organizations, was there because she had designed, along with Perry, Stewart, Tory Burch, Kim Kardashian and others, a paddleboard to be auctioned off. She was also unreserved about her enthusiasm for Clinton. ‘Well, given the world situation right now, who else in the world could potentially fix our problems?’ Karan said. ‘There’s no question in my mind, never has been, we as a world need a woman, need a caregiver, need someone who really has the compassion and understanding, and has the experience, to deal with the world as it is today, which is in total chaos.’’ [Women’s Wear Daily, 8/19/14]

Donna Karan, on Sec. Clinton: We ‘need someone who really has the compassion and understanding, and has the experience, to deal with the world as it is today, which is in total chaos.’ According to Women’s Wear Daily, ‘Donna Karan, a devoted supporter of various cancer research organizations, was there because she had designed, along with Perry, Stewart, Tory Burch, Kim Kardashian and others, a paddleboard to be auctioned off. She was also unreserved about her enthusiasm for Clinton. ‘Well, given the world situation right now, who else in the world could potentially fix our problems?’ Karan said. ‘There’s no question in my mind, never has been, we as a world need a woman, need a caregiver, need someone who really has the compassion and understanding, and has the experience, to deal with the world as it is today, which is in total chaos.’’ [Women’s Wear Daily, 8/19/14]

Donna Karan, on the Clintons: ‘We need them now.’ According to Women’s Wear Daily, regarding Donna Karan, ‘For her, the 2016 election cannot come soon enough. ‘We need them now,’ the designer continued, referring to the Clintons. ‘They truly understand it. They’ve been everywhere. Where else can you have somebody who’s that knowledgeable and aware of how to deal with the issues we’re dealing with?’’ [Women’s Wear Daily, 8/19/14]

Kennedy, Rory (Bobby Kennedy’s youngest daughter)

Rory Kennedy: ‘I am so ready for Hillary. 100%.’ According to an interview with HuffPost Live, Rory Kennedy is ‘ready for Hillary. 100%.’ Marc Lamont Hill: ‘When you look towards 2016, is there anybody who excites you? Any candidates that sort of excite you the way President Obama did in ‘08?’ Rory Kennedy: ‘Hillary.’ Lamont Hill: ‘Hillary?’ Kennedy: ‘Hillary.’ Lamont Hill: ‘You are so ready for Hillary.’ Rory Kennedy: ‘I am so ready for Hillary. 100%.’ [HuffPost Live, 9/4/14]

La Grange, Zelda (Nelson Mandela’s aide)

Nelson Mandela’s aide, on the Clintons: ‘It’s quite noticeable how broad their view was of the world, how informed they all are — all three of them — about all details of the very small countries around the world.’ According to Politico, ‘Nelson Mandela’s relationship with the Clinton family reflected a genuine friendship, stemming from their personalities and the Clintons’ intellect, according to a new insider account. ‘It’s quite noticeable how broad their view was of the world, how informed they all are — all three of them — about all details of the very small countries around the world,’ Zelda la Grange, the woman who served as Mandela’s private secretary from 1997 until his death, said in an interview about her new memoir, ‘Good Morning, Mr. Mandela.’’ [Politico, 7/23/14]

Nelson Mandela’s aide, on Sec. Clinton: ‘She was always very respectful and very warm – it was a very humble relationship.’ According to Politico’s coverage of what Nelson Mandela’s aide Zelda la Grange thought of the Clintons, ‘La Grange met Bill and Hillary Clinton multiple times, both when traveling to the United States with Mandela and when the Clintons came to South Africa. She described Hillary Clinton’s connection to Mandela as ‘humble’. ‘She was always very respectful and very warm – it was a very humble relationship,’ la Grange said. ‘Mr. Mandela would also inquire about Chelsea and what Chelsea was studying, what she’s doing with her studies. It was a very homey kind of relationship.’’ [Politico, 7/23/14]

Moretz, Chloe Grace (Actress)

Chloe Grace Moretz: ‘I cried when I met her [Sec. Clinton] … I’ve never gotten starstruck by anyone in my entire life.’ According to USA Today’s coverage of an interview with actress Chloe Grace Moretz, ‘But what really gets this effusive talker going is…Hillary Clinton? In June, Moretz was in Toronto for the Much Music Video Awards when her driver noticed that Clinton was doing a book signing for her memoir Hard Choices. Calls were made and the young star got a few minutes with the woman she so admires. ‘I cried when I met her,’ says Moretz, who calls Clinton an ‘icon.’ ‘I’ve never gotten starstruck by anyone in my entire life, ever, and I couldn’t breathe. She was just sitting there in her little jacket. I thought she was just going to sign my book and tell me to go but she said, ‘I know the book (If I Stay), I saw it on this reader’s list, and I can’t wait for your movie.’ ‘ ‘Hillary Clinton talked about If I Stay?,’ an incredulous Forman asks. ‘Yes! Yes, yes, she knew the book, I was freaking out!’ says Moretz. The actress and author high-five. Did Clinton, ahem, say anything else? ‘Well, I said, ‘I turn 18 on Feb. 10 and I will be 18 when you run for president.’ And she was like, mmmmm.’ Oh well.’ [USA Today, 8/20/14]

Orman, Suze (Author, Financial Advisor, Motivational Speaker, and Television Host)

Suze Orman said she would vote for Sec. Clinton. According to Time, regarding Suze Orman and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, ‘Toward the end of the discussion, the moderators, Politico’s Mike Allen and Maggie Haberman, changed the topic to the upcoming 2014 and 2016 elections. Orman said that while she would vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016, she would much prefer to vote for Warren, who she described as her ‘political voice.’ Warren smiled but didn’t respond.’ [Time, 9/17/14]

Perry, Lisa (Designer)

Designer Lisa Perry, on Sec. Clinton: ‘I’m the biggest fan. It’s incredible, the support, so who knows…’ According to Women’s Wear Daily, regarding clothing designer Lisa Perry, ‘If Clinton were to run for president tomorrow, she seems to have the East End of Long Island locked up. ‘I’m the biggest fan,’ Lisa Perry said. ‘It’s incredible, the support, so who knows…,’ she said optimistically.’ [Women’s Wear Daily, 8/19/14]

Saban, Haim (Media proprietor, investor, and philanthropist)

Haim Saban: “Democrats who are Jewish will turn out in droves in support of her [Sec. Clinton].” According to the New York Times, “Asked about her tough talk, liberal Zionists tend to blame the requirements of American presidential-campaign politics. A vast majority of Jews care far more about social issues and the economy than they do about the issue of Israel and will always vote for the Democratic candidate. ‘Democrats who are Jewish will turn out in droves in support of her,’ Haim Saban, a media mogul and major Clinton-campaign financier told me. And the Jewish donors? ‘Without a doubt.’” [New York Times Magazine, 12/17/14]

Haim Saban said he would spend ‘as much as needed’ to get Sec. Clinton elected president in 2016. According to CNN, ‘Haim Saban, a multibillionaire media mogul, said Monday he is prepared to spend ‘as much as needed’ to get Hillary Clinton into the White House in 2016. While it is no secret that Saban, the head of Univision and a prodigious Democratic money man, is excited about the prospect of Hillary Clinton running for president in 2016, these recent comments to Bloomberg up the ante of his support.’ [CNN, 7/28/14]

Haim Saban: ‘I think she [Hillary Clinton] would be great for the country and great for the world. So, on issues that I care about, she is pristine plus and I think she is ready plus plus and I hope that she makes the right decision. Obviously she has a life to lead and she is going to be grandmother soon so all of that will obviously be taken by her into consideration.’ [Bloomberg TV, 7/28/14]

Saban, on Sec. Clinton: ‘She would be a wonderful president. If it happens, we will of course pitch in with full might. Seeing her in the White House is a big dream of mine.’ According to the Daily Caller, ‘Four days after Univision first announced November 25 that it would be partnering in some way with the Clinton Foundation’s ‘Too Small To Fail’ initiative, Saban expressed his willingness to help Clinton become president. ‘She would be a wonderful president. If it happens, we will of course pitch in with full might. Seeing her in the White House is a big dream of mine,’ Saban told Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on November 29 without mentioning Univision. ‘The general feeling is that Hillary is Obama’s natural successor,’ Saban said.’ [Patrick Howley, ‘Days after Univision announces Clinton partnership, network owner says Hillary presidency his ‘dream,’’ The Daily Caller, 2/17/14]

Stewart, Martha

Martha Stewart, on Sec. Clinton: ‘I had to give her a kiss because I love her so much.’ According to Women’s Wear Daily, ‘On Saturday afternoon, she held a book signing at Bookhampton in East Hampton. The store, owned by another supporter, Charline Spektor, had been advertising it was ‘honored’ to welcome the author. On the day of, security began setting up around noon for the 5 p.m. appearance. The line went around the block. A phalanx of supporters, famous — Martha Stewart, Howard Dean — and not came to pay their respects. ‘I had to give her a kiss because I love her so much,’ Stewart recalled later.’ [Women’s Wear Daily, 8/19/14]

Takai, George (Star Trek)

George Takai: ‘We’re Hillary supporters from way back.’ According to The Hill’s In The Know blog, ‘If Hillary Clinton decides to make a second run for president, she can count on Captain Sulu among her supporters: ‘Star Trek’ star George Takei says he’s firmly on Team Hillary. ‘We’re Hillary supporters from way back,’ the social media whiz — who boasts nearly 8 million Facebook fans — exclaimed, appearing to include husband Brad Takei as a fan of the former secretary of State.’ [In The Know, The Hill, 11/7/14]

Trudeau, Gary (American cartoonist and creator of Alpha House)

Gary Trudeau: ‘I’m actually a great admirer of hers.’ According to an interview on MSNBC’s Up w/ Steve Kornacki, Steve Kornacki asked, ‘She [Elizabeth Warren] says and everybody around her says she’s not running in 2016. Does it look to you like on the Democratic side it really is a Hillary Clinton coronation for the nomination?’ Gary Trudeau stated, ‘It does. It does.’ Kornacki then stated, ‘It sounds like resignation there a little bit.’ Trudeau responded, ‘No. It’s not resignation. I’m actually a great admirer of hers and for a number of reasons that don’t get discussed enough but one of them is what she, the impact she made as our secretary of state, going to the hundred some-odd countries she went to, and every place she went, she made a point of talking about empowering women and I don’t think that you can overestimate the impact it made on all those, some of those countries, where women are so disempowered. She always made a group of linking up with some group that was working for women and you know, we feel like the feminist conversation is over. It’s not over. We’re still changing in response to it. It’s the greatest social revolution of our lifetimes and I felt that years ago when I was first coming out of college. And I started talking to my feminist friends and I thought, this is going to change the world and so I tracked it very early in the strip…’ [MSNBC’s Up w/ Steve Kornacki, 10/19/14]

Gary Trudeau: ‘I don’t think that you can overestimate the impact’ of making ‘a point of talking about empowering women’ in countries where women were ‘disempowered.’ According to an interview on MSNBC’s Up w/ Steve Kornacki, Gary Trudeau stated, ‘I’m actually a great admirer of hers and for a number of reasons that don’t get discussed enough but one of them is what she, the impact she made as our secretary of state, going to the hundred some-odd countries she went to, and every place she went, she made a point of talking about empowering women and I don’t think that you can overestimate the impact it made on all those, some of those countries, where women are so disempowered. She always made a group of linking up with some group that was working for women and you know, we feel like the feminist conversation is over. It’s not over. We’re still changing in response to it. It’s the greatest social revolution of our lifetimes and I felt that years ago when I was first coming out of college. And I started talking to my feminist friends and I thought, this is going to change the world and so I tracked it very early in the strip…’ [MSNBC’s Up w/ Steve Kornacki, 10/19/14]

Washington, Kerry (actress)

‘I’ve met Hillary. I think she’s amazing. I think she’s phenomenal and inspiring!’ — Kerry Washington [E! Online, 6/4/13]

PRESS

Abramson, Jill (New York Times editor in chief)

Jill Abramson, on Pres. Clinton and Sec. Clinton: ‘I think he was a successful president, and I think she would be too.’ During an interview with Cosmopolitan, former New York Times Editor-in-chief Jill Abramson said, ‘Both [Bill and Hillary] have first-class minds, and that is a great building block for a successful presidency. I think he was a successful president, and I think she would be too.’ [Cosmopolitan, 7/15/14]

Associated Press

AP: ‘The [Clinton] couple is a powerful fundraising force that fuels voter turnout and give activists a taste of what could come next.’ According to the Associated Press, regarding the Clintons’ campaign efforts in the 2014 elections, ‘The couple is a powerful fundraising force that fuels voter turnout and give activists a taste of what could come next. ‘Some people excel at raising money. Some people excel at turning out voters. The Clintons excel at both,’ said Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., who leads the House Democrats’ campaign arm. ‘There is not one single competitive district in the country where both don’t do well.’’ [Associated Press, 10/22/14]

AP: ‘Democrats want Hillary Rodham Clinton to carry their flag.’ According to the Associated Press, regarding to 2016, ‘Democrats want Hillary Rodham Clinton to carry their flag; the Republican field remains crowded, and wide open. The presidential jousting will be most apparent in states like New Hampshire, home to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary and the site of closely-watched races for governor, Senate and the House.’ [Associated Press, 9/1/14]

Atlantic Magazine

The Atlantic: ‘Hillary has finally found a way off showing her softer side: Twitter.’ According to The Atlantic, ‘Since she entered the national spotlight more than 20 years ago, Hillary Clinton has struggled to connect with voters the way great politicians often do—look no further than her husband for a prime example of the dynamic, American pol. Well, Hillary has finally found a way off showing her softer side: Twitter.’ [The Atlantic, 10/28/14]

The Atlantic: ‘She’s [Sec. Clinton’s] fueling Internet jokes based on her own brand of badass cool.’ According to The Atlantic, ‘When she was running for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton was parodied as drab and calculated, especially compared with young and vigorous Barack Obama and winking and fresh-faced Sarah Palin. Now, she’s fueling Internet jokes based on her own brand of badass cool.’ [The Atlantic, 10/28/14]

The Atlantic: ‘Creating, or cultivating as Clinton has done, a brand of ‘badass cool’ is not a small achievement…’ According to The Atlantic, ‘Creating, or cultivating as Clinton has done, a brand of ‘badass cool’ is not a small achievement for someone who has struggled to connect in more traditional forms of political communication over the past 20 plus years.’ [The Atlantic, 10/28/14]

The Atlantic: ‘Clinton, who has struggled to connect with average Americans over decades in public life, is winning the social media popularity contest.’ According to The Atlantic, ‘Eight months later, Clinton’s Twitter flame shows no sign of flickering. Earlier this year, @HillaryClinton was one of only four political accounts to garner a coveted spot on Time’s annual list of the best Twitter feeds of the year. What’s most significant isn’t Hillary’s selection but the reason for her selection, which Time cited as a mastery of the ‘power selfie’ and a knack for making ‘tweeted zingers’ go viral. Put another way, Clinton, who has struggled to connect with average Americans over decades in public life, is winning the social media popularity contest.’ [The Atlantic, 10/28/14]

Bouie, Jamelle

Slate’s Jamelle Bouie: ‘Clinton’s statement [on Ferguson] is neither candid, personal, or especially conciliatory. Instead, it’s a little blunt, and in a good way.’ According to Slate’s Jamelle Bouie’s commentary on Sec. Clinton’s speech at a conference sponsored by Nexenta Systems Inc., regarding Ferguson, Missouri, ‘Clinton’s statement is neither candid, personal, or especially conciliatory. Instead, it’s a little blunt, and in a good way. She asks for understanding and doesn’t give her listeners a rhetorical escape. ‘Imagine that,’ she says, pushing her audience to conjure a world where white men were targets for law enforcement, and where their lives were routinely derailed for trivial offenses. There’s also the optics of the audience. When most white politicians talk on race or racial subjects, they go to a black audience. Hence Ken Mehlman’s 2005 apology to the NAACP for the GOP’s ‘Southern Strategy,’ or more recently Reince Preibus’ comments on Republican outreach at this year’s convention of the National Association of Black Journalists.’ [Jamelle Bouie, Slate, 8/29/14]

Slate’s Jamelle Bouie, on Sec. Clinton’s Ferguson comments: ‘She was asking them, as white people, to show empathy and concern for the conditions of their black fellow citizens. I wouldn’t say this is unprecedented, but it is rare.’ According to Slate’s Jamelle Bouie’s commentary on Sec. Clinton’s speech at a conference sponsored by Nexenta Systems Inc., regarding Ferguson, Missouri, ‘I’m sure there were black people in the audience in San Francisco, but this was Silicon Valley. Clinton was talking to white people. And she was asking them, as white people, to show empathy and concern for the conditions of their black fellow citizens. I wouldn’t say this is unprecedented, but it is rare. Especially since there’s no attempt to deflect or blame black Americans for their own problems.’ [Jamelle Bouie, Slate, 8/29/14]

Slate’s Jamelle Bouie, on Sec. Clinton’s Ferguson comments: ‘For Americans who wanted Obama’s voice on race, this is disappointing. At the same time, there’s a decent chance we’ll get Hillary Clinton’s voice on race.’ According to Slate’s Jamelle Bouie’s commentary on Sec. Clinton’s speech at a conference sponsored by Nexenta Systems Inc., regarding Ferguson, Missouri, ‘In 2012, political scientist Daniel Gillion found that in his first two years in office President Obama spoke less on race than any Democratic president since 1961. And judging from his relative silence since then, I expect that when Obama leaves office, he will have said less on racial questions than most recent presidents, period. For Americans who wanted Obama’s voice on race, this is disappointing. At the same time, there’s a decent chance we’ll get Hillary Clinton’s voice on race, and while the modern presidency brings political limits on what any president can say, that might be the better alternative.’ [Jamelle Bouie, Slate, 8/29/14]

Brooks, David (New York Times columnist)

NYT’s David Brooks: ‘Clinton speaks as a Truman-Kennedy Democrat.’ According to David Brooks in the New York Times, ‘Clinton speaks as a Truman-Kennedy Democrat. She’s obviously much, much more multilateral than Republicans, but there’s a certain muscular tone, a certain assumption that there will be hostile ideologies that threaten America. There is also a grand strategic cast to her mind. The U.S. has to come up with an ‘overarching’ strategy, she told Goldberg, to contain, deter and defeat anti-democratic foes.’ [David Brooks, New York Times, 8/11/14]

NYT’s David Brooks: ‘If you don’t take steady, aggressive preventive action, of the sort that Clinton leans toward, then you end up compelled to take the sort of large risky action that Obama abhors.’ According to David Brooks in the New York Times, ‘If you don’t take steady, aggressive preventive action, of the sort that Clinton leans toward, then you end up compelled to take the sort of large risky action that Obama abhors.’ [David Brooks, New York Times, 8/11/14]

Brzezinski, Mika

Mika Brzezinski: ‘I mean I really saw something in her that I hadn’t seen in a long time.’ According to a segment on Hillary Clinton campaigning for Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Kasie Hunt stated, ‘They brought out a great crowd. There were about 4500 people here to see Hillary Clinton and also to see Alison Grimes and you know, the atmosphere was almost convention-like. Hillary Clinton recalled her own time here in Kentucky. She won here in 2008. So you know, we’re sort of beginning to see the outlines of what might look like another presidential campaign for Clinton. But also have to remember this comes in the context of the DSCC pulling does their ads here. Clinton has largely played it safe in her decisions for who she is going to campaign for. She has been to Pennsylvania. She’s been to Michigan. Those are places where Democrats are farther ahead than here so in some ways it’s a little bit ironic.’ Mika Brzezinski then stated, ‘Yeah. You know, Hillary Clinton, she kind of looked like a candidate last night for the first time.’ Nicole Wallace stated, ‘She’s getting better on the stump.’ Steve Rattner, an American financier who served as lead adviser to the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry in 2009 for the Obama administration, stated, ‘Yeah. That was good. That was really good.’ Mika Brzezinski stated, ‘She looked like a candidate, a candidate who’s enjoying being a candidate.’ Steve Rattner said, ‘Yeah, which isn’t always the case to see her do that.’ Nicole Wallace, who previously served as communications chief during the presidency of George W. Bush and in his 2004 re-election campaign, stated that, ‘The only problem is this is a candidate who is probably going to lose and this issue, it’s interesting to me, in Colorado has back-fired for the Democrat. So I think it would be even more interesting for Hillary Clinton to go to a state like Colorado, where the Democrat has actually been hurt and the Republican was endorsed in Colorado… My point is the issues aren’t the same. So I think that Hillary Clinton, to the extent that watching Hillary in the midterms is watching Hillary how she’ll be as a president, I think it’s important to evaluate her broader appeal.’ Mika Brzezinski later stated, ‘Clearly this message worked for Hillary Clinton. I mean I really saw something in her that I hadn’t seen in a long time.’ [MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 10/16/14]

Mika Brzezinski: ‘She looked like a candidate, a candidate who’s enjoying being a candidate.’ According to a segment on Hillary Clinton campaigning for Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski stated, ‘Yeah. You know, Hillary Clinton, she kind of looked like a candidate last night for the first time.’ Nicole Wallace stated, ‘She’s getting better on the stump.’ Steve Rattner, an American financier who served as lead adviser to the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry in 2009 for the Obama administration, stated, ‘Yeah. That was good. That was really good.’ Mika Brzezinski stated, ‘She looked like a candidate, a candidate who’s enjoying being a candidate.’ Steve Rattner said, ‘Yeah, which isn’t always the case to see her do that.’ Nicole Wallace, who previously served as communications chief during the presidency of George W. Bush and in his 2004 re-election campaign, stated that, ‘The only problem is this is a candidate who is probably going to lose and this issue, it’s interesting to me, in Colorado has back-fired for the Democrat. So I think it would be even more interesting for Hillary Clinton to go to a state like Colorado, where the Democrat has actually been hurt and the Republican was endorsed in Colorado… My point is the issues aren’t the same. So I think that Hillary Clinton, to the extent that watching Hillary in the midterms is watching Hillary how she’ll be as a president, I think it’s important to evaluate her broader appeal.’ Mika Brzezinski later stated, ‘Clearly this message worked for Hillary Clinton. I mean I really saw something in her that I hadn’t seen in a long time.’ [MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 10/16/14]

Budowsky, Brent (The Hill)

The Hill’s Brent Budowsky: ‘I support Hillary Clinton for president and hope she is nominated in 2016 without a major primary challenge.’ According to The Hill’s Brent Budowsky, ‘As a populist, progressive, liberal, Kennedy and FDR Democrat, who is a long-term champion of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and a devout believer in the teachings of Pope Francis, I support Hillary Clinton for president and hope she is nominated in 2016 without a major primary challenge.’ [Brent Budowsky, The Hill, 11/19/14]

Chozick, Amy

NYT’s Chozick: ‘It’s an incredible blessing as a journalist to be on a beat that involves covering one of the most relevant and enduring figures in American politics.’ According to Amy Chozick’s first-person account of what it was like to cover Sec. Clinton as a news beat, ‘All that said, it’s an incredible blessing as a journalist to be on a beat that involves covering one of the most relevant and enduring figures in American politics. Readers are so interested in Clinton, and have such strong feelings about her one way or another, that they are, by extension, also curious about the reporters assigned to cover her (even though we are immensely boring by comparison).’ [Amy Chozick, New York Times, 8/17/14]

Cillizza, Chris

WaPo’s Chris Cillizza: “The logic of Clinton’s 2016 candidacy seems to be there.” “Campaigns without an obvious logic to them — Ted Kennedy’s primary challenge to President Jimmy Carter in 1980 being the shining example — tend not to work out so well. And, the logic of Clinton’s 2016 candidacy seems to be there. For Romney, not so much.” [Chris Cillizza, The Fix, Washington Post, 1/14/15]

Estrich, Susan

Susan Estrich, Professor of Law at University of Southern California and Political Commentator on Fox News: ‘And as you all know, I am a very strong fan, supporter, great admirer of Mrs. Clinton.’ [Susan Estrich, Fox News’ America’s News HQ, 8/23/14]

Fournier, Ron (National Journal)

Ron Fournier on Hillary Clinton: “A lot of people who know her see in her, a really authentic, a really decent, a real passionate person.” RON FOURNIER: Of course she’s running and her problem is not the Republicans. The question isn’t whether she can deck the Republicans. The question, there’s two, to me. Can she use the new technology in this era that we are living in to connect intimately with voters, in a way even greater than Obama did, that shows all Americans what a lot of people who know her see in her, a really authentic, a really decent, a real passionate person. Can she be inspirational? Can she talk to people and make them realize that this campaign is about them, not about her, not about Clintons, not about Washington. And lastly, can she convince them that she would run a government in a way that would be totally transformational. Run a government like a start-up, it would be nimble. It would be transparent. It would be a whole new way of doing things. She’s got to run a campaign in a way that’s never been done before and inspire people and convince people that she can run government in a way that’s not done before. Let the Republicans fight for the next year. She has to be the Bill Clinton of this century. >> [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 1/29/15]

Ghattas, Kim (BBC Correspondent)

Ghattas, on Sec. Clinton’s interview with The Atlantic, that Sec. Clinton’s view on arming Syrian rebels is in line with Europeans. According to an interview with MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough asked Kim Ghattas: ‘What is the feeling throughout the international community, throughout the European community, about what would’ve happened? Are they on the side of the President or Hillary Clinton as far as intervening in Syria before this madness took over this entire country.’ Kim Ghattas reponded, ‘Well my reading from talking to European officials and from being in the Arab world is that there was very much a sense that the US left a vacuum in the region which was filled by jihadis, by Hezbollah, by Iran, by Russia, and you know, that is very much Hillary Clinton’s view as well. It is debatable of course, but looking at the situation on the ground at the moment that is very much the feelings that Europeans have.’ [Joe Scarborough and Kim Ghattas, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 8/21/14]

Imus, Don (Host of Imus in the Morning)

Don Imus: ‘… I’m going to vote for Hillary Clinton.’ On Imus in the Morning, Don Imus stated that, ‘I love Bill Clinton. And I’m going to vote for Hillary Clinton.’ [Don Imus, Fox Business Network’s Imus in the Morning, 8/21/14]

Kristof, Nicholas

NYT’s Kristof, on Sec. Clinton’s tenure at the state department: ‘Clinton achieved a great deal and left a hefty legacy — just not the traditional kind.’ According to the New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof’s opinion of Sec. Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state, ‘When politicians have trouble spinning their own glories, that’s a problem. So it was bizarre that Hillary Rodham Clinton, asked at a forum in April about her legacy at the State Department, had trouble articulating it. That feeds into a narrative — awaiting her memoir on Tuesday — that she may have been glamorous as secretary of state but didn’t actually accomplish much. In fact, that’s dead wrong, for Clinton achieved a great deal and left a hefty legacy — just not the traditional kind. She didn’t craft a coalition of allies, like James Baker, one of the most admired secretaries of state. She didn’t seal a landmark peace agreement, nor is there a recognizable ‘Hillary Clinton doctrine.’’ [Nicholas Kristof, New York Times, 6/7/14]

NYT’s Kristof, on Sec. Clinton’s tenure at the state department: ‘Clinton recognized that our future will be more about Asia than Europe.’ According to the New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof’s opinion of Sec. Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state, ‘For starters, Clinton recognized that our future will be more about Asia than Europe, and she pushed hard to rebalance our relations. She didn’t fully deliver on this ‘pivot’ — generally she was more successful at shaping agendas than delivering on them — but the basic instinct to turn our ship of state to face our Pacific future was sound and overdue.’

NYT’s Kristof, on Sec. Clinton’s tenure at the state department: ‘Clinton vastly expanded the diplomatic agenda.’ According to the New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof’s opinion of Sec. Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state, ‘More fundamentally, Clinton vastly expanded the diplomatic agenda. Diplomats historically focused on ‘hard’ issues, like trade or blowing up stuff, and so it may seem weird and ‘soft’ to fret about women’s rights or economic development. Yet Clinton understood that impact and leverage in 21st-century diplomacy often come by addressing poverty, the environment, education and family planning.’ [Nicholas Kristof, New York Times, 6/7/14]

NYT’s Kristof: ‘Clinton was relentless about using the spotlight that accompanied her to highlight those who needed it more.’ According to the New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof’s opinion of Sec. Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state, ‘Clinton was relentless about using the spotlight that accompanied her to highlight those who needed it more. At one global forum, she went out of her way to praise Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning entrepreneur of microfinance, who was being persecuted by the Bangladesh prime minister. On trips, she found time to visit shelters for victims of human trafficking or aid groups doing groundbreaking work.’ [Nicholas Kristof, New York Times, 6/7/14]

Maher, Bill

Bill Maher on Hillary Clinton’s comments at the National Clean Energy Summit that global warming is the biggest issue we should be afraid of: ‘Hillary Clinton was right about that. She won me back.’ According to an interview with MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, Bill Maher stated, ‘Well the other day, Hillary Clinton said something which I think was very smart, which was that global warming, we got some more bad news, as we do every week, but this was really shocking about carbon in the atmosphere. She said you know this should be the biggest issue that we should be afraid of, and I agree. I am much more afraid of ice melting than I am about ISIS. And Rand Paul basically said exactly what Dick Cheney said about a month ago, which is that why is the President talking about climate change when we have this terrorist group. And that’s just a terrible reordering of priorities. Hillary Clinton was right about that. She won me back.’ [MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, 9/10/14]

Malika-Henderson, Nia

WaPo’s Nia-Malika Henderson: “She [Clinton] has plotted a course to the White House, clearing a path not because of her gender, but because of her strength and her power.” “I have never thought of Clinton scaring away all the good men because of her gender. In fact, she is ‘scaring away’ women candidates too: Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.). Clinton, like her or not, has done what many countless men have done before her. She has plotted a course to the White House, clearing a path not because of her gender, but because of her strength and her power. To suggest otherwise is to deny her proper credit and gives too much to those who haven’t ‘manned up.’” [Nia-Malika Henderson, The Fix, Washington Post, 2/5/15]

WaPo’s Nia-Malika Henderson: ‘Her [Sec. Clinton’s] comments [on Ferguson, Mo.] were among the most substantive compared to what other political leaders have said.’ According to the Washington Post’s Nia-Malika Henderson’s commentary on Sec. Clinton’s speech at a conference sponsored by Nexenta Systems Inc., ‘Well, she finally addressed Ferguson on Thursday, during a prepared speech, and it turns out that her comments were among the most substantive compared to what other political leaders have said.’ [Nia-Malika Henderson, She The People, Washington Post, 8/29/14]

WaPo’s Nia-Malika Henderson, on Ferguson, Mo.: ‘Clinton actually went there on an issue that most avoided: racism and the criminal justice system.’ According to the Washington Post’s Nia-Malika Henderson’s commentary on Sec. Clinton’s speech at a conference sponsored by Nexenta Systems Inc., ‘Whereas most Democrats and Republicans, and eventually President Obama, addressed the militarization of the police, Clinton actually went there on an issue that most avoided: racism and the criminal justice system.’ [Nia-Malika Henderson, She The People, Washington Post, 8/29/14]

WaPo’s Nia-Malika Henderson, on Ferguson, Mo.: ‘She [Sec. Clinton] acknowledged the well-known statistics that show that blacks get treated differently than whites when it comes to everything from traffic stops to sentencing.’ According to the Washington Post’s Nia-Malika Henderson’s commentary on Sec. Clinton’s speech at a conference, ‘At her speech at the Nexenta OpenSDx Summit in San Francisco, she said ‘we cannot ignore the inequities that persist in our justice system.’ And then she did what few of her prominent fellow white Democrats have done in the context of Ferguson–she acknowledged the well-known statistics that show that blacks get treated differently than whites when it comes to everything from traffic stops to sentencing. But rather than just listing the statistics, she got personal by asking whites to put themselves in the shoes of black Americans.’ [Nia-Malika Henderson, She The People, Washington Post, 8/29/14]

WaPo’s Nia-Malika Henderson, on Ferguson, Mo.: ‘Rather than just listing the statistics, she got personal by asking whites to put themselves in the shoes of black Americans.’ According to the Washington Post’s Nia-Malika Henderson’s commentary on Sec. Clinton’s speech at a conference, ‘At her speech at the Nexenta OpenSDx Summit in San Francisco, she said ‘we cannot ignore the inequities that persist in our justice system.’ And then she did what few of her prominent fellow white Democrats have done in the context of Ferguson–she acknowledged the well-known statistics that show that blacks get treated differently than whites when it comes to everything from traffic stops to sentencing. But rather than just listing the statistics, she got personal by asking whites to put themselves in the shoes of black Americans.’ [Nia-Malika Henderson, She The People, Washington Post, 8/29/14]

WaPo’s Nia-Malika Henderson: ‘In asking whites to change their thinking about race and to essentially imagine themselves as black, both Paul and Clinton are doing something that has rarely been done in national politics in the last decade.’ According to the Washington Post’s Nia-Malika Henderson’s commentary on Sec. Clinton’s speech at a conference sponsored by Nexenta Systems Inc., ‘Paul and Clinton’s boldness on racism and the criminal justice system is a risky and bold move, given the wide divide in how blacks and whites think about and experience race. Yes, it’s easier for whites to talk about racism than it is for blacks (witness Obama), but in asking whites to change their thinking about race and to essentially imagine themselves as black, both Paul and Clinton are doing something that has rarely been done in national politics in the last decade.’ [Nia-Malika Henderson, She The People, Washington Post, 8/29/14]

Marcus, Ruth (Washington Post columnist)

WaPo’s Ruth Marcus: ‘Clinton, like her party, is prepared to put issues of gender equality front and center.’ According to the Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus, ‘Clinton, like her party, is prepared to put issues of gender equality front and center; the preponderance of female voters and the Democrats’ edge with them make that focus a no-brainer for candidates of both genders. ‘We talk about a glass ceiling,’ Clinton said at a forum on women’s economic security at the Center for American Progress last month. ‘These women don’t even have a secure floor under them.’’ [Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, 10/10/14]

WaPo’s Ruth Marcus: ‘The 2016 campaign could be the one that lets Hillary enjoy being a girl.’ According to the Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus, ‘We saw some glimmerings of this Clinton in 2008, but her comfort level with gender, her willingness to engage in a bit of post-feminist flirtatiousness, seems greater now. The 2016 campaign could be the one that lets Hillary enjoy being a girl.’ [Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, 10/10/14]

Matthews, Chris (Host of Hardball with Chris Matthews)

Chris Matthews: “She could really rule this country.” “Chris Matthews praised a potential Hillary Clinton presidency where ‘she could really rule this country’ as a result of a decisive electoral victory. ‘This country needs somebody to get control of it,’ Matthews said about a Clinton presidency on the Monday broadcast of his MSNBC show. ‘I think she should go for a 55% victory, 54% victory because then she could bring the House in, she could bring the Senate in and she could really rule this country. This country needs somebody to get control of it,’ Matthews told his Hardball audience.” [Real Clear Politics, 2/2/15]

Chris Matthews on Hillary Clinton as secretary of state: ‘Well, I would say in terms of input and effort, it’s an ‘A.’ Nobody’s going to say anybody every worked harder at the job.’ According to an appearance on Morning Joe, Chris Matthews described Hillary Clinton’s time as Secretary of State as, ‘Well, I would say in terms of input and effort, it’s an ‘A.’ Nobody’s going to say anybody every worked harder at the job. And while she was on the post, nothing really [inaudible] blow apart under her watch, didn’t seem. Obviously, the world’s a messy place… I still think Hillary has the strength of the middle, a tad or two, maybe a notch too more hawkish than most of her rivals, I mean certainly more than the president. I think that if she grabs that sweet spot around the middle there, the Republicans are going to have to compete… She’s sort of a centrist Democrat on foreign policy.’ [MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 9/19/14]

Nashua Telegraph

Nashua Telegraph editorial board: “Considering the alternatives, she [Sec. Clinton] offers the party its best chance of retaining control of the White House until at least 2020.” According to the Nashua Telegraph editorial board, “Now that it’s 2015, it’s time to get serious about 2016, and for most Democrats that means saying a prayer that Hillary Clinton announces her presidential candidacy sooner rather than later. Why? Because, considering the alternatives, she offers the party its best chance of retaining control of the White House until at least 2020. A quick scan of the alternatives proves that point.” [Nashua Telegraph editorial board, Nashua Telegraph, 1/6/15]

National Journal

National Journal: ‘[Sec. Clinton] could place Democrats in an unfamiliar position in the next presidential race, giving them the edge in foreign policy and national security.’ According to the National Journal, ‘Clinton, the former secretary of State, could place Democrats in an unfamiliar position in the next presidential race, giving them the edge in foreign policy and national security. You would have to go back to Al Gore’s race against George W. Bush in 2000 to find the last time that happened—and Gore was never the nation’s leading diplomat.’ [National Journal, 7/31/14]

New York Times

NYT: ‘Mrs. Clinton approaches her decision to run on firmer ground than any nonincumbent in years.’ According to the New York Times, ‘Mrs. Clinton approaches her decision to run on firmer ground than any nonincumbent in years. As senator from New York and then secretary of state, she has built a substantial independent standing and appeal. But Mr. Clinton has profoundly shaped her ability, as well as that of any modern Democratic nominee, to compete.’ [New York Times, 9/28/14]

NYT: ‘In the year and a half since she [Sec. Clinton] left her post [secretary of state], she has made gay rights a focus.’ According to the New York Times’ coverage of Sec. Clinton’s relationship with LGBT people, ‘In her four years at the State Department, she prioritized international gay rights, including a 2011 speech in Geneva in which she urged countries to accept gays and lesbians. In the year and a half since she left her post, she has made gay rights a focus. Last fall she accepted an award at the Elton John AIDS Foundation gala in New York; the singer praised Mrs. Clinton’s efforts for human rights. In June, at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Mrs. Clinton denounced Russia’s treatment of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people. In March 2013, she released a video endorsing same-sex marriage both ‘personally and as a matter of policy and law.’ The efforts have endeared Mrs. Clinton to many gays and lesbians who are raising money toward her potential run. But others look back on the policies of the Clinton Administration and question why it took Mrs. Clinton so long to get on board.’ [New York Times, 8/29/14]

NYT: ‘The efforts [since she left the State Department] have endeared Mrs. Clinton to many gays and lesbians who are raising money toward her potential run.’ According to the New York Times’ coverage of Sec. Clinton’s relationship with LGBT people, ‘In her four years at the State Department, she prioritized international gay rights, including a 2011 speech in Geneva in which she urged countries to accept gays and lesbians. In the year and a half since she left her post, she has made gay rights a focus. Last fall she accepted an award at the Elton John AIDS Foundation gala in New York; the singer praised Mrs. Clinton’s efforts for human rights. In June, at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Mrs. Clinton denounced Russia’s treatment of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people. In March 2013, she released a video endorsing same-sex marriage both ‘personally and as a matter of policy and law.’ The efforts have endeared Mrs. Clinton to many gays and lesbians who are raising money toward her potential run.’ [New York Times, 8/29/14]

O’Reilly, Bill (Fox New’s The O’Reilly Factor)

Bill O’Reilly: ‘I believe Mrs. Clinton works hard.’ BILL O’REILLY: Now you don’t resent her money, though. You and I have done very well working hard. I believe Mrs. Clinton works hard, despite the gypsy comment, and so does her husband. They run around. They do a lot of stuff and they are rewarded for it. But then she can’t run on income inequality. >> [Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor, 11/28/14]

Parnes, Amie (The Hill reporter)

Parnes, on Sec. Clinton as president: ‘She’d be someone who is incredibly decisive, and who is really loyal to the people around her.’ According to New York Magazine, when Amie Parnes and Jonathan Allen were asked, ‘What do you think her years at State say about what kind of president Hillary would be?,’ they responded, ‘[Parnes:] She’d be someone who is incredibly decisive, and who is really loyal to the people around her. [Allen:] And she’s someone who takes on challenges that aren’t necessarily the sexy, political winners. Instead, in a glutton-for-punishment way, she looks to move the needle a little bit on issues she thinks are important. One of the challenges for her going into 2016 will be articulating a vision for the future. One of the things she was better at in the State Department was the day-to-day operations — the stable, competent management of a government bureaucracy.’ [New York Magazine, 2/19/14]

Rivera, Geraldo (Host of Geraldo at Large)

Gerald Rivera on Hillary Clinton: “She is very formidable.” MELISSA FRANCIS: Hillary Clinton getting a B+. I mean of everybody in there she got the highest grade, again that is among Democrats but it’s also, you know, of how they think she would govern. >> GERALDO RIVERA: She is very formidable, Hillary Clinton. This should be a wake-up call to Republicans. This lady is going be a tough candidate to beat. I believe that Jeb Bush for all his $100,000 chicken dinners is the only candidate can stand up against her. [Fox Business Network’s MONEY With Melissa Francis, 2/13/15]

Robinson, Eugene (Washington Post)

WaPo’s Eugene Robinson: “Clinton has handled this whole pre-campaign period quite well. Her silence, so far, has been golden.” “You have to admit, Clinton has handled this whole pre-campaign period quite well. Her silence, so far, has been golden.” [Eugene Robinson, Washington Post, 1/26/15]

Ruddy, Chris (Newsmax founder)

Newsmax founder, on Sec. Clinton: ‘I do think she would make a good President.’ According to his New Yorker piece about the relationship between the Clintons and the media, Ken Auletta said regarding Newsmax founder Chris Ruddy, ‘Ruddy told me that his first choice for President in 2016 would be Jeb Bush. ‘Jeb was a fantastic governor,’ he said of Bush’s two terms in Florida. ‘He’s not the party of no.’ Still Ruddy isn’t averse to the possibility of a Hillary Clinton candidacy. ‘I don’t perceive her as an ideological person,’ he said. ‘I do think she would make a good President.’’ [The New Yorker, 6/2/14]

Sharpton, Reverand Al (Host of PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton)

Rev. Al Sharpton: “I saw her as senator of New York, we worked together. She was very good.” Oh, sure. They will try everything. No matter how many times the facts come out of Benghazi, the facts come out on Benghazi, they just ignore the facts and say, ‘Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi’ as if they hope it is going to stick. It won’t stick because the American people are too smart. They are going to be focusing on the future. They are going to be focusing on what the candidates are offering. And Hillary Clinton is a great leader. She showed when she was in the senate the ability to bring both parties together. She worked very well with Republicans. She’s going to be a terrific candidate this time around. She was a great candidate — you may remember, Rev, because you were supporting Senator Obama. I was supporting Senator Clinton. But in the last half of that campaign, Hillary Clinton found her voice and was a dynamite candidate. She was one who attracted working class Democrats, attracted progressive Democrats, attracted blue dogs, attracted progressives. You name it. >> SHARPTON: No, she was — in the last part of her campaign, she absolutely caught her rhythm and I saw her as senator of New York, we worked together. She was very good. But I want to go back to the Republicans for a minute. Republicans want Democrats to have this tough primary. And I want to pin you down on that because we also must remember, theirs is likely to be very crowded and very nasty with more than a dozen names being thrown around. Is this just a bad plan to create some drama so they can really hide what’s going on in their own backyard? >> [MSNBC’s PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton, 1/28/15]

Schoen, Doug (Fox News Contributor and columnist for Newsmax)

Doug Schoen on Hillary Clinton: “I think frankly she is among the best-liked politicians in America.” SEAN HANNITY: You don’t think a history of exaggerating the truth is going to matter? That this might come into people’s consciousness, maybe people that weren’t aware of everything that she had said in the past? >> SCHOEN: I think frankly she is among the best-liked politicians in America, which may not be saying much given the state of our politics, Sean. >> HANNITY: Well, she was inevitable in 2008 then look what happened. >> SCHOEN: Well, the Democrats do have a built-in Electoral College advantage and with the Republicans divided now, 12, 13, 20 odd candidates, there’s no congressional agenda. As you, I think, would acknowledge. It helps Hillary Clinton. >> [Fox News’ Hannity, 2/9/15]

Scheiber, Noam (New Republic)

New Republic’s Noam Scheiber: ‘To her credit, Hillary Clinton has seized on inequality as a theme of her proto-presidential campaign.’ According to the New Republic’s Noam Scheiber, ‘To her credit, Hillary Clinton has seized on inequality as a theme of her proto-presidential campaign. She has despaired about the increasing ‘share of income and wealth going to those at the very top—not just the top 1 percent, but the top .1 percent or the .01 percent.’ She has warned that inequality is an issue that ‘affects our democracy.’ But when she has hinted at solutions to the problem, Clintons’ rhetoric has been much less rousing.’ [Noam Scheiber, New Republic, 9/28/14]

New Republic’s Noam Scheiber: ‘Democrats are more enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton than ever.’ According to Noam Scheiber’s commentary on Sec. Clinton in the New Republic, ‘Amid Clinton’s miscues while promoting her new book, widely seen as a test-launch for 2016, the media has been quick to revive memories of 2008. A Politico article noted that her defensiveness in response to questions about her wealth, gay marriage, and Benghazi ‘reminded liberal Democrats who’ve viewed her warily of what troubles them about her.’ MSNBC followed with a segment wondering if Clinton was the Democrats’ Mitt Romney—someone ‘kind of tone deaf and unrelatable,’ who ‘exuded competence but no core belief.’ There is maybe some truth to those claims, but when you look at the polls, Democrats are more enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton than ever. Her favorability rating within the party stood at 90 percent in the latest Gallup poll, versus 81 percent this time eight years ago.’ [Noam Scheiber, New Republic, 6/29/14]

New Republic’s Noam Scheiber: ‘Her [Sec. Clinton’s] hold on the Democratic nomination looks unshakable.’ According to Noam Scheiber’s commentary on Sec. Clinton in the New Republic, ‘The upshot of all these developments is a preposterous level of support. Since she joined the administration, Clinton’s favorability rating among Democrats has never dropped below 88 percent, according to Gallup. (By comparison, Joe Biden’s favorability numbers have generally hovered in the low-to-mid 70s.) Her hold on the Democratic nomination looks unshakable.’ [Noam Scheiber, New Republic, 6/29/14]

Spaeth, Ryu

The Week’s Ryu Spaeth: ‘Could a Republican beat her [Sec. Clinton]? Probably not.’ According to The Week’s Deputy Editor Ryu Spaeth, ‘Let’s assume, for the sake of hypothesis, that Hillary Clinton is in possession of Al Gore-levels of political awkwardness. Could a Republican beat her? Probably not.’ [The Week’s Deputy Editor Ryu Spaeth, 8/19/14]

Todd, Chuck

‘When it comes to the economy, the Clinton brand is the gold standard as far as many swing voters are concerned. You know, we’re looking at these trend charts, our right-track/wrong-track. The wrong-track number has hit 70 percent in our poll. It’s averaging 65 this year during the sixth year of the Obama administration. It never crossed 55 at any point in time during the Clinton years. It had hit 60 during Bush 41. It hit 60 in Bush 43. There is this sense, that the good old days, as far as some, particularly with voters over the age of 40, is the Clinton years, as far as the economy is concerned.’ [Chuck Todd, Andrea Mitchell Reports, 8/6/14]

U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report: Sec. Clinton ‘is doing everything possible to pave the way for a presidential run in 2016 short of actually announcing her candidacy, and fellow Democrats mostly like what they see.’ According to the U.S. News & World Report, ‘Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is doing everything possible to pave the way for a presidential run in 2016 short of actually announcing her candidacy, and fellow Democrats mostly like what they see.’ [U.S. News & World Report, 10/23/14]

U.S. News & World Report: ‘Democrats of all stripes seem eager for her [Sec. Clinton] to enter the race.’ According to the U.S. News & World Report’s coverage of Sec. Clinton, ‘Democrats of all stripes seem eager for her to enter the race. Liberals remain suspicious of her views on national security and they consider her too hawkish about using American power abroad. But many liberals have been reluctant to criticize Clinton because they believe she has a good chance to maintain the Democratic party’s control of the White House and they don’t want to undermine her. Also, many liberals don’t see realistic alternatives to Hillary Clinton at this time. Centrist Democrats like her because they think she would not be a left-wing zealot and would push a Democratic agenda in Congress more effectively and pragmatically than President Obama.’ [U.S. News & World Report, 10/23/14]

U.S. News & World Report: ‘For now, Hillary Clinton is soaring, and she appears to be enjoying the ride.’ According to the U.S. News & World Report’s coverage of Sec. Clinton, ‘Clinton, the former first lady and senator from New York ran for president in 2008 and lost the nomination to Obama. Early in that campaign cycle, she was the prohibitive favorite among Democrats, as she is now, but her campaign fizzled. So there is always the chance for an upset. But for now, Hillary Clinton is soaring, and she appears to be enjoying the ride.’ [U.S. News & World Report, 10/23/14]

Wall Street Journal

WSJ: ‘Hillary Clinton has traveled much of the world as the former secretary of state, first lady and senator from New York serving on the Committee on Armed Services.’ According to the Wall Street Journal, ‘Possible 2016 contenders on the Democratic side are well-known for their foreign-policy experience. Hillary Clinton has traveled much of the world as the former secretary of state, first lady and senator from New York serving on the Committee on Armed Services.’ [Wall Street Journal, 9/2/14]

Washington Post

WaPo’s WorldViews blog, on Sec. Clinton’s Mexico trip: ‘Clinton projected the image of a seasoned stateswoman imparting her wisdom about the world.’ According to the Washington Post’s WorldViews blog’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s speech at Carlos Slim’s Telmex Foundation in Mexico City, ‘Clinton didn’t spend much time on the relationship between Mexico and the United States except to say that it was ‘critical’ and that ‘we have to cooperate where we can.’ Christie’s visit, with mostly a business-focused itinerary, has been styled as a humble rookie-diplomat listening tour, while Clinton projected the image of a seasoned stateswoman imparting her wisdom about the world.’ [WorldViews, Washington Post, 9/5/14]

Williams, Jimmy (Executive Editor at Blue Nation Review and MSNBC Contributor)

Jimmy Williams: “Most people out in America want someone with a steady hand that knows how to run things. That’s Hillary Clinton.” ALEX WITT: Jimmy, you heard what he [Scott Walker] said about how he would contrast himself with Hillary Clinton should she run. Could that be a good sell? >>JIMMY WILLIAMS: I’m going to say something that the Democrats aren’t going to like at all. And that is that after six years of President Obama, who I voted for twice, supported, and like very, very much, I think that many people out in it the real world, i.e. not the beltway, are looking for someone with a heck of a lot of experience. And if you look at someone like Hillary Clinton, then you have that experience, a two-term senator, secretary of state, former first lady of the United States, former first lady of Arkansas, et cetera, et cetera. It’s not like she’s a lightweight on policy or politics for that matter. So I think most people would like — and going into a strengthening economy, I think what you’re going to find is that most people out in America want someone with a steady hand that knows how to run things. That’s Hillary Clinton. That is not Scott Walker. He’s run one state. That’s certainly true. And by the way, his numbers are not that great sitting in Wisconsin right now. But if he’s going to go after her on age, that is going to turn off women all across the country. And that is a very precarious thing for Republicans. They cannot under any circumstances talk about how she’s a throwback to the past because that brings in age. When you bring up a woman’s age, then you lose women voters. >> [MSNBC’s Weekends with Alex Witt, 2/1/15]

Jimmy Williams on who he wants to be president in 2016: I ‘hope it’s Hillary Clinton.’ JIMMY WILLIAMS: I want to think forward. The question becomes whomever the next president is, I don’t know who that is going to be, hope it’s Hillary Clinton, then I hope that Barack Obama does something remarkably interesting like George Bush, fade off into the distance and become very statesman-like. [MSNBC’s PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton, 11/14/14]

Jimmy Williams: ‘But I think her name is great. I think her star power is great.’ According to MSNBC’s Jansing and Co., Jimmy Williams stated that, ‘Listen, Florida is a very important state. Hillary Clinton going to Iowa. Hillary Clinton going to Florida. Hillary Clinton going to New Hampshire, I just named three states that actually matter in a presidential race. Her going to I don’t know let’s say North Dakota probably would not be a good use of her time. Don’t expect her to do so. But I think her name is great. I think her star power is great. And I think that every single poll, I’ve never seen a single poll to date that a single Republican beats her. So I welcome her going anywhere and everywhere that she wants to be, including Bill Clinton, by the way.’ [MSNBC’s Jansing and Co., 10/02/14]

EXPERTS

Galston, William (Brookings Institution senior fellow)

Brookings’ William Galston: ‘If Secretary Clinton presents herself as a candidate for her party’s nomination, she will be able to run as the heir of a foreign policy that has moved sharply in her direction…’ According to the Brookings Institution’s senior fellow William Galston, ‘As for the Democrats, there was restive grumbling among liberals as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton became more open about her disagreements with Mr. Obama’s foreign policy, notably on Syria. But now, as the president toughens his stance in the Middle East, the breach is narrowing. If Secretary Clinton presents herself as a candidate for her party’s nomination, she will be able to run as the heir of a foreign policy that has moved sharply in her direction, and as the leader of a party whose major factions are in alignment.’ [William A. Galston, Brookings, 9/10/14]

Ho, Iris (Humane Society International’s Wildlife Program Manager)

Humane Society official: ‘Global leaders, including… former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton… have mounted a vigorous, concerted effort to rally the international community to stem the poaching crisis.’ According to Iris Ho, Humane Society International Wildlife Program Manager in the Los Angeles Times, ‘Elephant poaching networks are, in many cases, well-organized terrorist bands pillaging Africa’s remaining elephants for ivory to finance their attacks on civilians and even national governments. Global leaders, including President Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the British royal family, have mounted a vigorous, concerted effort to rally the international community to stem the poaching crisis.’ [Iris Ho, Los Angeles Times, 9/5/14]

Lawless, Jennifer (American University professor)

American University’s Jennifer Lawless: ‘Hillary Clinton is the front-runner not because she’s a woman, but because she has the background and experience that she has.’ According to Talking Points Memo, regarding Chuck Todd’s comment that Sec. Clinton would not be the frontrunner if she was not a woman, ‘Jennifer Lawless, a political scientist at American University, isn’t buying it. Research has shown, she said, that female candidates fare no worse — and no better! — than male candidates in lower-office elections, after accounting for other factors like incumbency. ‘Hillary Clinton is the front-runner not because she’s a woman, but because she has the background and experience that she has,’ Lawless told TPM. She has a political network and fundraising connections built after decades in politics — not to mention historic levels of name recognition, the most important factor in the early stages of a not-yet-existent campaign. ‘We have to look back no further than 2008 to see that the glass-ceiling factor alone isn’t sufficient,’ Lawless said.’ [Talking Points Memo, 9/9/14]

Marburg-Goodman, Jeffrey (Special Counsel to the USAID Administrator)

Marburg-Goodman, on ‘Hard Choices’: ‘While there is plenty here for policy wonks, there are also gripping tales that have the quality of a page-turner.’ According to former Special Counsel to the USAID Administrator Jeffrey Marburg-Goodman’s review of Sec. Clinton’s ‘Hard Choices,’ ‘First of all, this reviewer discovered that the book is a much more interesting read than expected. While there is plenty here for policy wonks, there are also gripping tales that have the quality of a page-turner.’ [Jeffrey Marburg-Goodman, Huffington Post, 8/5/14]

Marburg-Goodman, on ‘Hard Choices’: According to former Special Counsel to the USAID Administrator Jeffrey Marburg-Goodman’s review of Sec. Clinton’s ‘Hard Choices,’ ‘Perhaps most importantly for this book, there is heart, soul and emotion. Clinton saves some of the most expansive, lofty language for her worldwide, and life-spanning, efforts on behalf of women and girls, and this reviewer was especially heartened by all the space she devotes to perhaps the final frontier of international human rights: the plight of LGBT people in the developing world, starting with her description of the first time she uttered the words, at a State Department Pride event, ‘human rights are gay rights and gay rights are human rights, once and for all.’’ [Jeffrey Marburg-Goodman, Huffington Post, 8/5/14]

Moodie Mills, Aisha (Senior Fellow and Dreictor of the FIRE Initiative at the Center for American Progress)

Aisha Moodie-Mills: “I think…that Hillary Clinton excites Democrats.” JOSE DIAZ-BALART: Aisha, can Democrats be as fired up as they were last time around? >> AISHA MOODIE-MILLS: Oh absolutely. I mean I think the Democrats are already fired up. Elizabeth Warren has done a great job of rallying the party around this populist tone, this idea that 99% are who matter most in America and that our policies need to be sure they are addressing the issues and the interests of the 99%. I think too that Hillary Clinton excites Democrats. Like let’s remind ourselves that she has like 60 sitting members of congress right now who have already endorsed her, which is completely unprecedented, given she hasn’t even said she’s running. You have entire PAC that is dedicated to raising money for Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic establishment is certainly thrilled about her running. So I certainly want us to remember that people are excited about her. They are excited about a lot of others as well. But I think the Democrats have been eager to see what’s going to happen if we have a woman at the top of the ticket. >> [MSNBC’s The Rundown with Jose Diaz-Balart, 1/16/15]

Aisha Moodie-Mills on Secretary Clinton: “The Democratic establishment is certainly thrilled about her running.” JOSE DIAZ-BALART: Aisha, can Democrats be as fired up as they were last time around? >> AISHA MOODIE-MILLS: Oh absolutely. I mean I think the Democrats are already fired up. Elizabeth Warren has done a great job of rallying the party around this populist tone, this idea that 99% are who matter most in America and that our policies need to be sure they are addressing the issues and the interests of the 99%. I think too that Hillary Clinton excites Democrats. Like let’s remind ourselves that she has like 60 sitting members of congress right now who have already endorsed her, which is completely unprecedented, given she hasn’t even said she’s running. You have entire PAC that is dedicated to raising money for Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic establishment is certainly thrilled about her running. So I certainly want us to remember that people are excited about her. They are excited about a lot of others as well. But I think the Democrats have been eager to see what’s going to happen if we have a woman at the top of the ticket. >> [MSNBC’s The Rundown with Jose Diaz-Balart, 1/16/15]

O’Hanlon, Michael (Brookings Institution senior fellow)

Michael O’Hanlon: “If Hillary Clinton runs as expected, she is a strong advocate of a strong national defense.” MICHAEL O’HANLON: So that becomes the would-be second term of the next president and therefore, a president who presumably is going to be asked on the campaign trail to explain his or her vision for the country and presumably is going to want to explain the vision also in terms of American power, military safety and long term national growth is going to have a hard time avoiding this question. And just to give two names, if Hillary Clinton runs, as expected, she is a strong advocate of a strong national defense. She is also not going to want to leave any gray area about her bona fides on that subject, trying to become a woman president from the Democratic Party and Obama’s former secretary of state. So it’s going to be incumbent on her to explain how the U.S. military will do well under her watch and also, how the country will grow in terms of its education, its infrastructure, its science and so forth. I mean, these are things that amount to a presidential vision and they require some degree of budget discipline. Now, anybody campaigning is going to have a temptation not to want to talk about cutting entitlements, I agree. But having said that, there are ways to limit the growth, you know, the cost of living formulas, you can phase it in gradually, anybody who is near retirement doesn’t really have to meaningfully lose anything that they would have gotten otherwise. [CSPAN3, 1/16/15]

Alec Ross (Senior Advisor for Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the duration of her term as Secretary of State, innovator, and current senior fellow research scholar at Columbia University)

Alec Ross: “One of the great accomplishments of Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of state is she helped open up Myanmar.” BILL COHEN: You can see how dramatically the Internet can change a society, if in fact it does happen or if it stays the same. I mean you’re at Columbia, maybe you should propose such a study. >> ALEC ROSS: It is happening right now in Myanmar. So one of the great accomplishments of Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of state is she helped open up Myanmar. Myanmar had a basically 0% Internet penetration. It is now shooting up and we are seeing both good and bad come from its connectedness. We are seeing economic activity increased. We are seeing communications go way up. But we’re also seeing how the Internet can also foment religious and ethnic hatred. That’s one of the things that we are seeing in Myanmar as well. And now Cuba is relatively homogeneous country, so I don’t think we’ll see that, but you these are – you get the good and the bad that comes with connectedness. >> STEPHANIE RUHLE: The inter-web. >> [Bloomberg’s Market Makers, 12/23/14]

Nouriel Roubini (American economist and senior economist for the Council of Economic Advisors under President Clinton)

Nouriel Roubini: “I think she would make a great president.” HOST: Jeb Bush? NOURIEL ROUBINI: It could be that it is Hillary against Jeb. Clinton against Bush again, another repeat of that one. It is a likely possibility. Looks like we have our own political dynasties, even in the United States. HOST: Do you have a view on Hillary Clinton? >> ROUBINI: I think she would make a great president if she wins. I think she is definitely — I was in the White House under Clinton. I got to know her. She is very, very smart. She knows about domestic policy, about foreign policy She would be a strong leader if elected. >> [Bloomberg’s Market Makers, 12/22/14]

Nouriel Roubini: “She is very, very smart. She knows about domestic policy, about foreign policy She would be a strong leader if elected.” HOST: Jeb Bush? NOURIEL ROUBINI: It could be that it is Hillary against Jeb. Clinton against Bush again, another repeat of that one. It is a likely possibility. Looks like we have our own political dynasties, even in the United States. HOST: Do you have a view on Hillary Clinton? >> ROUBINI: I think she would make a great president if she wins. I think she is definitely — I was in the White House under Clinton. I got to know her. She is very, very smart. She knows about domestic policy, about foreign policy She would be a strong leader if elected. >> [Bloomberg’s Market Makers, 12/22/14]

BUSINESS LEADERS

Bloomberg, Michael

Michael Bloomberg: “If my mother and father knew that I was on a first-name basis with Hillary Clinton, it would be a very big deal.” According to The Hill’s Briefing Room blog’s coverage of Sec. Clinton’s speech about Data2X, “Bloomberg had warm words for Clinton in introducing her on Monday at the event, hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies in New York City, calling her ‘a great secretary of State, a great senator for New York.’ ‘If my mother and father knew that I was on a first-name basis with Hillary Clinton, it would be a very big deal,’ Bloomberg said.” [Briefing Room, The Hill, 12/15/14]

Chambers, John (CEO of Cisco Systems, Inc.)

John Chambers: ‘She would make a great world leader’ According to an interview with WSJ’s Live Dennis K. Berman, the Business Editor at The Wall Street Journal, John Chambers stated that, ‘Several of my strong Republican friends came up afterward and said we’ve got a problem. She’s really good… Being a Republican it kills me to say that. She would make a great world leader. She really would.’ Dennis K. Berman followed up with, ‘And you’re very good. So as someone who appreciates other people at the top of their game, what is the one or two things that she has that you think make her special in your eyes?’ John Chambers responded, ‘She’s got experience. She’s able to articulate her view remarkably well. She listens well. She understands if you are going to lead a country, you lead it with business as a partner to create jobs, not business the bad guys on it. When she says she is going to do something, she does it. And she comes with an experience that is very strong. You know, having watched from the side, watched her as the Frist Lady, then Senator, Head of State, Secretary of State, and then I followed her around to the government leaders. And the government leaders would be remarkably candid about our leaders after our leaders leave. And I don’t share that either. But she has progressed. She has got a really good base. And as a moderate Republican, I hope we get a candidate who can really give her a run for the money if she decides to run… I think we [Republicans] have a long way to go to have somebody in a position that will have that type of firepower.’ [WSJ Live, 9/24/14]

John Chambers: ‘She’s got experience. She’s able to articulate her view remarkably well. She listens well.’ According to an interview with WSJ’s Live Dennis K. Berman, the Business Editor at The Wall Street Journal, John Chambers stated that, ‘She’s got experience. She’s able to articulate her view remarkably well. She listens well. She understands if you are going to lead a country, you lead it with business as a partner to create jobs, not business the bad guys on it. [WSJ Live, 9/24/14]

John Chambers: ‘When she says she is going to do something, she does it. And she comes with an experience that is very strong.’ According to an interview with WSJ’s Live Dennis K. Berman, the Business Editor at The Wall Street Journal, John Chambers stated that, ‘When she says she is going to do something, she does it. And she comes with an experience that is very strong. You know, having watched from the side, watched her as the Frist Lady, then Senator, Head of State, Secretary of State, and then I followed her around to the government leaders. And the government leaders would be remarkably candid about our leaders after our leaders leave. And I don’t share that either. But she has progressed. She has got a really good base. And as a moderate Republican, I hope we get a candidate who can really give her a run for the money if she decides to run… I think we [Republicans] have a long way to go to have somebody in a position that will have that type of firepower.’ [WSJ Live, 9/24/14]

Hindery, Leo (Managing Partner of InterMedia Partners)

Leo Hindery: “Hillary Clinton brings a resume that is so well known to all of us since 1992. We have never had a candidate…who has been on the front pages of our newspapers for, in this case, 23 years and counting.” BETTY LIU: Let me just stop you there for a moment. You are sounding awfully more downbeat about Hillary Clinton than I would have expected. >> LEO HINDERY, Managing Partner of InterMedia Partners: You know, Hillary Clinton brings a resume that is so well known to all of us since 1992. We have never had a candidate of any sort who has been on the front pages of our newspapers for in this case 23 years and counting. I am worried about three things actually with Secretary Clinton. One is her sense of intervention, I think is higher than I would like to see. I am also deeply concerned about her ongoing ties to Wall Street. You know, I am more in the Elizabeth Warren, shake your fist at them, category. >> [Bloomberg’s In The Loop with Betty Liu, 2/13/15]

Korda, Michael (Author, Historian, and former Editor-in-Chief of Simon and Schuster)

Michael Korda on Hillary Clinton: She’s “a woman that I hugely admired.” INTERVIEWER: Simon & Schuster just this past year published Hillary Clinton’s second book. And all reports are that it is not selling very well either. If you had been editor-in-chief, would you have advocated for that book? MICAHEL KORDA: The hypothetical is always difficult to answer. Probably, but probably for the wrong reasons. I mean I was absolutely charmed by meeting Ronald Reagan and absolutely charmed when I published Jimmy Carter’s book, “A Government as Good as Its People,” and I’m sure that I would have been absolutely charmed by Hillary Clinton, who’s a woman that I hugely admired. So the answer is, yes, probably, but for the wrong reasons. That’s often the case with political books. [CSPAN, 11/27/14]

Krawcheck, Sallie (former president of the Global Wealth and Investment Management division of Bank of America)

Sallie Krawcheck: “The woman is enormously qualified, enormously hard working, battle tested. She is a very attractive candidate.” BETTY LIU: You are an Independent, right Sallie? SALLIE KRAWCHECK: I am independent. LIU: So who do you like so far for 2016? >> KRAWCHECK: Well look, this whole thing needs to shake out and we do have some important debates in this country, right? You know, immigration reform, tax simplification. How much time and energy, how many points of GDP growth, do we waste over this enormously complicated tax code? You know, the issue that we think about at the Elevate Network, which is a global professional women’s network, about the fact that we are so far behind on the majority of the countries in the world on things like paid maternity leave, which if you begin to dig into it, feels like a cost if we put it in place. There is a real benefit that can occur. If we had women as economically engaged as gentlemen are in this country, our GDP would be seven to nine points larger and so making some investments like those, these are big macro topics. >> LIU: Right. >> KRAWCHECK: That we really need in this country to dig into. >> LIU: In Japan, they are struggling you know, with that very same issue as well. But it doesn’t sound like you are sold on Hillary Clinton, are you sold on her yet? >> SALLIE KRAWCHECK: Look, the woman is enormously qualified, enormously hard working, battle tested. You know, she is a very attractive candidate. >> PERSON IN BACKGROUND: Don’t say battle tested. KRAWCHECK: [Laughs] Well you know, she has been through a lot >> LIU: She has been through a lot. >> KRAWCHECK: As some of us have been. But you know that kind of experience and expertise is very valuable. >> LIU: Alright Sallie, stay with me. [Bloomberg’s In The Loop with Betty Liu, 01/05/15]

Sallie Krawcheck: “She has been through a lot…as some of us have been. But you know that kind of experience and expertise is very valuable.” BETTY LIU: You are an Independent, right Sallie? SALLIE KRAWCHECK: I am independent. LIU: So who do you like so far for 2016? >> KRAWCHECK: Well look, this whole thing needs to shake out and we do have some important debates in this country, right? You know, immigration reform, tax simplification. How much time and energy, how many points of GDP growth, do we waste over this enormously complicated tax code? You know, the issue that we think about at the Elevate Network, which is a global professional women’s network, about the fact that we are so far behind on the majority of the countries in the world on things like paid maternity leave, which if you begin to dig into it, feels like a cost if we put it in place. There is a real benefit that can occur. If we had women as economically engaged as gentlemen are in this country, our GDP would be seven to nine points larger and so making some investments like those, these are big macro topics. >> LIU: Right. >> KRAWCHECK: That we really need in this country to dig into. >> LIU: In Japan, they are struggling you know, with that very same issue as well. But it doesn’t sound like you are sold on Hillary Clinton, are you sold on her yet? >> SALLIE KRAWCHECK: Look, the woman is enormously qualified, enormously hard working, battle tested. You know, she is a very attractive candidate. >> PERSON IN BACKGROUND: Don’t say battle tested. KRAWCHECK: [Laughs] Well you know, she has been through a lot >> LIU: She has been through a lot. >> KRAWCHECK: –as some of us have been. But you know that kind of experience and expertise is very valuable. >> LIU: Alright Sallie, stay with me. [Bloomberg’s In The Loop with Betty Liu, 01/05/15]

Langone, Kenneth (Co-Founder of Home Depot)

Kenneth Langone on Hillary Clinton: ‘Oh, she’s gifted. Oh she’s incredibly — You get her in front of a microphone.’ According to Fox Business Network’s Opening Bell with Maria Bartiromo, Maria Bartiromo asked, ‘What kind of campaigner do you think Hillary Clinton will be? Final word.’ Ken Langone responded, ‘Oh, she’s gifted. Oh she’s incredibly — You get her in front of a microphone.’ Bartiromo stated, ‘Not with that most recent comment about jobs.’ Langone said, ‘But you want to know something Maria, to her base that was music. To her base that was music.’ [Fox Business Network’s Opening Bell with Maria Bartiromo, 11/4/14]

Lasry, Marc (Avenue Capital Chairman and CEO and co-owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks)

Marc Lasry on Hillary Clinton: “My own personal opinion is I hope she runs” for president. JOE KERNEN: And then the other thing I’m thinking about is everybody knows that you and President Clinton were pretty close and you’re probably going to be a big backer of Hillary. And “The Post,” I hate to channel “The Post” but supposedly I mean you and Katzenberg were talking about, you were down in Anguilla it says and someone overheard you and Katzenberg. ROSS SORKIN: He has a tan for a reason. KERNEN: He always, has a pretty good tan mostly. He’s like Boehner, that way BECKY QUICK: Hardly. KERNEN: I saw the actual kiss of Pelosi. It was so quick but on the cover it looked like he was like grabbing her. >> BECKY QUICK: Did “The Post” get it right though? Were you talking about fundraising for Hillary there? >> MARC LASRY: Well, we had breakfast. We absolutely did and we had breakfast and you know we talked about a lot of different things. And we ended up talking about Hillary and whether she would run and if she ran would we get involved in it and the answer is yes. Right so but all of us are waiting to see what she does in the course of the next three of four months. >> KERNEN: You know them well. Do you think there’s a chance she doesn’t run? >> LASRY: My own personal opinion is I hope she runs. So and I think she will run but we’ll all find out. And I think she’ll make a decision probably sometime in the next three or four months. >> ROSS SORKIN: Would you always vote as a Democrat? I mean are there other candidates, if it’s not Hillary that you would take? Or would you be a Jeb Bush voter otherwise? >> LASRY: I think Jeb Bush actually is a really interesting candidate. But at the end of the day, I think Hillary is the far better candidate. To me, it’s not I’m going to vote Democratic or Republican. I’m going to vote on who I think is the best person. >> [CNBC’s Squawk Box, 1/8/15]

Marc Lasry: “I’m going to vote on who I think is the best person” and “at the end of the day, I think Hillary is the far better candidate.” JOE KERNEN: And then the other thing I’m thinking about is everybody knows that you and President Clinton were pretty close and you’re probably going to be a big backer of Hillary. And “The Post,” I hate to channel “The Post” but supposedly I mean you and Katzenberg were talking about, you were down in Anguilla it says and someone overheard you and Katzenberg. ROSS SORKIN: He has a tan for a reason. KERNEN: He always, has a pretty good tan mostly. He’s like Boehner, that way BECKY QUICK: Hardly. KERNEN: I saw the actual kiss of Pelosi. It was so quick but on the cover it looked like he was like grabbing her. >> BECKY QUICK: Did “The Post” get it right though? Were you talking about fundraising for Hillary there? >> MARC LASRY: Well, we had breakfast. We absolutely did and we had breakfast and you know we talked about a lot of different things. And we ended up talking about Hillary and whether she would run and if she ran would we get involved in it and the answer is yes. Right so but all of us are waiting to see what she does in the course of the next three of four months. >> KERNEN: You know them well. Do you think there’s a chance she doesn’t run? >> LASRY: My own personal opinion is I hope she runs. So and I think she will run but we’ll all find out. And I think she’ll make a decision probably sometime in the next three or four months. >> ROSS SORKIN: Would you always vote as a Democrat? I mean are there other candidates, if it’s not Hillary that you would take? Or would you be a Jeb Bush voter otherwise? >> LASRY: I think Jeb Bush actually is a really interesting candidate. But at the end of the day, I think Hillary is the far better candidate. To me, it’s not I’m going to vote Democratic or Republican. I’m going to vote on who I think is the best person. >> [CNBC’s Squawk Box, 1/8/15]

Neidich, Daniel (Founding Partner and Co-Chief Executive Officer at Dune Capital Management LP)

Daniel Neidich supports Hillary Clinton. BETTY LIU: Speaking about maybe something maybe outside of your core strategy, politics, you and I have talked before about your support of Hillary Clinton. DANIEL NEIDICH: Correct LIU: However, you’re getting more and more disgruntled with the Democratic Party? Am I getting that right? You are barely a Democrat these days. >>NEIDICH: I’ve said that before but that is different than supporting Hillary. LIU: Why? How? NEIDICH: Well because, I think she has a good sense of where the mainstream is. I think she bridges the elements of the Democratic Party and I think she’ll still be responsive to the business community. >> [Bloomberg’s In The Loop with Betty Liu, 2/9/15]

Daniel Neidich: “I think she bridges the elements of the Democratic Party and I think she’ll still be responsive to the business community.” BETTY LIU: Speaking about maybe something maybe outside of your core strategy, politics, you and I have talked before about your support of Hillary Clinton. DANIEL NEIDICH: Correct LIU: However, you’re getting more and more disgruntled with the Democratic Party? Am I getting that right? You are barely a Democrat these days. >>NEIDICH: I’ve said that before but that is different than supporting Hillary. LIU: Why? How? NEIDICH: Well because, I think she has a good sense of where the mainstream is. I think she bridges the elements of the Democratic Party and I think she’ll still be responsive to the business community. >> [Bloomberg’s In The Loop with Betty Liu, 2/9/15]

Daniel Neidich: “I think she has a good sense of where the mainstream is.” BETTY LIU: Speaking about maybe something maybe outside of your core strategy, politics, you and I have talked before about your support of Hillary Clinton. DANIEL NEIDICH: Correct LIU: However, you’re getting more and more disgruntled with the Democratic Party? Am I getting that right? You are barely a Democrat these days. >>NEIDICH: I’ve said that before but that is different than supporting Hillary. LIU: Why? How? NEIDICH: Well because, I think she has a good sense of where the mainstream is. I think she bridges the elements of the Democratic Party and I think she’ll still be responsive to the business community. >> [Bloomberg’s In The Loop with Betty Liu, 2/9/15]

Daniel Neidich: “I think a lot of them [property developers] like Hillary too.” BETTY LIU: I got to tell you. I speak to a lot of property developers. They all love Jeb Bush, by the way. NEIDICH: I think a lot of them like Hillary too. LIU: They do. NEIDICH: I think you’d be surprised. And I think she has been able to keep that relationship with the business community. >> LIU: Alright, Dan, great to see you. [Bloomberg’s In The Loop with Betty Liu, 2/9/15]

Daniel Neidich: “I think she has been able to keep that relationship with the business community.” BETTY LIU: I got to tell you. I speak to a lot of property developers. They all love Jeb Bush, by the way. NEIDICH: I think a lot of them like Hillary too. LIU: They do. NEIDICH: I think you’d be surprised. And I think she has been able to keep that relationship with the business community. >> LIU: Alright, Dan, great to see you. [Bloomberg’s In The Loop with Betty Liu, 2/9/15]

Orszag, Peter (former Obama OMB Director, American economist, Vice Chairman of Corporate and Investment Banking, Chairman of the Public Sector Group, and Chairman of the Financial Strategy and Solutions Group at Citigroup)

Peter Orszag on Hillary Clinton: “I think she would be a great president.” ROSS SORKIN: Let me ask you an election question. Let’s go 2016 for a second. >> PETER ORSZAG: Yes. >> SORKIN: Democratic Party. ORSZAG: Yeah. SORKIN: Do you think, Hillary’s obviously the presumptive nominee, but do you think that Elizabeth actually shows up? >> ORSZAG: No. I don’t. I do think there is going to be pressure from the left. Hillary Clinton is the probably the only person who can bridge the divide within the Democratic Party between the left and the centrist, but there’s going to be a war over — >> SORKIN: And does she get forced though to move — BECKY QUICK: A bit. KERNEN: Farther over and then what does that do to her likability, if you will, from those who are more in the center? >>ORSZAG: A bit. I mean I think this is the classic tension between a primary and a general election, which is you get pulled to the extreme during the primary and then you need to make sure you don’t get pulled too far to the extreme in order to win a general election and the same thing is going to happen on the Republican side. >> JOE KERNEN: Do you think that it’s her time or do you it’s too late? In your heart of hearts, in the general. >> ORSZAG: I think she would be a great president. >> KERNEN: You think she can get elected? >>ORSZAG Yes, I do think she can get elected. I mean, that having been said I do think this is going to be a tough race. >> KERNEN: Popularity has come down a lot. >> ORSZAG: This is not like a — >> KERNEN: No book sales. >> ORSZAG: The country is effectively split 50/50. KERNEN: Right. ORSZAG: And so every presidential election is going to be pretty close. — >> [CNBC’s Squawk Box, 01/06/15]

Peter Orszag: “Hillary Clinton is the probably the only person who can bridge the divide within the Democratic Party between the left and the centrist” wings of the Democratic Party. ROSS SORKIN: Let me ask you an election question. Let’s go 2016 for a second. >> PETER ORSZAG: Yes. >> SORKIN: Democratic Party. ORSZAG: Yeah. SORKIN: Do you think, Hillary’s obviously the presumptive nominee, but do you think that Elizabeth actually shows up? >> ORSZAG: No. I don’t. I do think there is going to be pressure from the left. Hillary Clinton is the probably the only person who can bridge the divide within the Democratic Party between the left and the centrist, but there’s going to be a war over — >> SORKIN: And does she get forced though to move — BECKY QUICK: A bit. KERNEN: Farther over and then what does that do to her likability, if you will, from those who are more in the center? >>ORSZAG: A bit. I mean I think this is the classic tension between a primary and a general election, which is you get pulled to the extreme during the primary and then you need to make sure you don’t get pulled too far to the extreme in order to win a general election and the same thing is going to happen on the Republican side. >> JOE KERNEN: Do you think that it’s her time or do you it’s too late? In your heart of hearts, in the general. >> ORSZAG: I think she would be a great president. >> KERNEN: You think she can get elected? >>ORSZAG Yes, I do think she can get elected. I mean, that having been said I do think this is going to be a tough race. >> KERNEN: Popularity has come down a lot. >> ORSZAG: This is not like a — >> KERNEN: No book sales. >> ORSZAG: The country is effectively split 50/50. KERNEN: Right. ORSZAG: And so every presidential election is going to be pretty close. — >> [CNBC’s Squawk Box, 01/06/15]

Patricof, Alan (Greycroft Partners founder)

Alan Patricof: “I think the enthusiasm is as strong as ever” for Secretary Clinton to run in 2016. TOM KEENE: Alan Patricof is with us with support for Secretary Clinton. Alan, let me get you going here this morning. Hillary Clinton would be a deathblow to the American people, Marco Rubio in “Huffington Post”. When is Secretary Clinton going to get into the game and what is the level of enthusiasm of her diehards to supporters? >> ALAN PATRICOF: I think the enthusiasm is as strong as ever. I think that I have been saying for months that I don’t have any idea when she is going to run and if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. [Bloomberg’s Bloomberg Surveillance, 1/16/15]

Peebles, R. Donahue (Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of the Peebles Corporation)

Don Peebles: “Hillary Clinton is a transformational candidate.” NEIL CAVUTO: Are you saying you would support a Republican, next time, over Hillary Clinton? >> DON PEEBLES: I would strongly consider it. I would strongly consider Jeb Bush. He was the governor of my state for eight years. He did an outstanding job. He is a business person. CAVUTO: You would support him over Hillary Clinton if she were the Democratic nominee? >> PEEBLES: I would give it strong consideration. Hillary Clinton is a transformational candidate. But Jeb Bush deserves a look, a close look by Democrats, especially minorities and women because look, these policies of being paternalistic towards minorities and women haven’t work. Look at where we are now. The highest poverty rate in 50 years. 13 million more people on food stamps since 2008. If my employees, if I had employees that performed for me as poorly as the Democratic Party has performed for African-Americans and women, I’d fire them, and I think that African-Americans and women ought to look very seriously at a candidacy of a Jeb Bush. [Fox Business Network’s Cavuto, 1/20/15]

Sandberg, Sheryl

Sheryl Sandberg on Sec. Clinton: ‘I think she is an outstanding leader, both as a woman and as a leader.’ According to the Huffington Post, ‘When Sheryl Sandberg stopped by HuffPost Live to discuss her latest book, ‘Lean In: For Graduates,’ the Facebook COO spoke out about equal pay for women and offered a ringing endorsement for a Hillary Clinton candidacy for president in 2016. ‘I’d love to see Hillary Clinton run for president. I’d love to see Hillary Clinton be president,’ she told host Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani. ‘I think she is an outstanding leader, both as a woman and as a leader.’’ [Huffington Post Live, Huffington Post, 4/9/14]

Schmidt, Eric E. (Executive Chairman of Google)

Google’s Executive Chairman Eric E. Schmidt: ‘‘I would argue that Mrs. Clinton is perhaps the most significant secretary of state since Dean Acheson, who helped unify the relationship between modern Europe and the United States,’ Eric E. Schmidt, the chairman of Google, gushed as he introduced her at a conference on Internet freedom in The Hague in December (at the end of a six-day trip in which she delivered remarks or speeches 26 times, on topics ranging from the future of Afghanistan to gay rights around the world).’ [New York Times, 7/1/12]

WuDunn Sheryl (co-author with Nicholas Kristof of A Path Appears, business executive, writer, lecturer, and Pulitzer Prize winner)

Sheryl WuDunn: ‘She is one of the most successful and capable women that we have in government services.’ According to an interview on Bloomberg’s Bloomberg Surveillance, Sheryl WuDunn stated that, ‘Well, I also think it’s important to say that she is very capable. She is one of the most successful and capable women that we have in government services.’ Tom Keene stated in response that, ‘I would suggest that a large portion of America disagrees with what you just said. And that’s the challenge.’ Sheryl WuDunn answered, ‘Well there are a lot of secretaries of state who have not accomplished nearly as much as her either and we don’t criticize them for the same reasons. But often you have women who step up to the plate. They get over-criticized, super criticized, just because they are a woman.’ [Bloomberg’s Bloomberg Surveillance, 9/24/14]

Buffett, Warren

Warren Buffett: ‘Hillary is going to run. Hillary is going to win.’ According to Fortune, ‘At Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, made a bold statement about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s chances in the 2016 Presidential election. ‘Hillary is going to run,’ he told retired Fortune writer Carol Loomis onstage. ‘Hillary is going to win.’ The audience erupted in applause at the statement.’ [Fortune, 10/7/14]

Warren Buffett: ‘Hillary is going to win. I will bet money on it. I don’t do that easily.’ According to Bloomberg, ‘Warren Buffett, the billionaire chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said he thinks Hillary Clinton will be the next U.S. president. ‘Hillary is going to win,’ Buffett said today at the Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit in Laguna Niguel, California. ‘I will bet money on it. I don’t do that easily.’’ [Bloomberg, 10/7/14]

Aug	FEB	Mar
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2015	2016	2017

Praise for Hillary Clinton

PRAISE FROM:

REPUBLICANS

Kissinger, Henry (Secretary of State under Pres. Nixon and Pres. Ford, National Security Advisor under Pres. Nixon and Pres. Ford)

Rice, Condoleezza (Secretary of State under Pres. Bush, earlier National Security Advisor for Pres. Bush)

Ridge, Tom (Homeland Security Secretary)

GOVERNORS

Bush, Jeb (Florida Governor)

Daniels, Mitch (former Governor of Indiana and current President of Purdue University)

Huckabee, Mike (former Governor of Arkansas and attempted presidential candidate in 2008)

Huntsman, Jon (Utah Governor, later U.S. Ambassador to China)

Kasich, John (Governor of Ohio)

Perry, Rick

Schwarzenegger, Arnold (California Governor)

HOUSE

Blackburn, Marsha (Tennessee Representative)

Duncan, Jeff (South Carolina Representative)

Grimm, Michael

King, Peter (New York Representative)

Ryan, Paul (Wisconsin Representative, 2012 Republican Vice Presidential Nominee)

MISCELLANEOUS

Bush Hager, Jenna (daughter of President George W. Bush)

Glover, Juleanna (Republican Strategist)

Petraeus, David

SENATE

Brownback, Sam (Kansas Senator, later Governor)

DeMint, Jim (South Carolina Senator, later head of the Heritage Foundation)

Graham, Lindsey (South Carolina Senator)

Gregg, Judd (New Hampshire Senator)

Inhofe, Jim (Oklahoma Senator)

Kyl, Jon (Arizona Senator)

Lugar, Richard (Indiana Senator)

McCain, John (Arizona Senator)

McConnell, Mitch (Kentucky Senator, Current Senate Minority Leader)

Murkowski, Lisa (Alaska Senator)

Risch, James (Idaho Senator)

Simpson, Alan

Snowe, Olympia

Voinovich, George (Ohio Senator)

Warner, John (Virginia Senator)

DEMOCRATS

EXECUTIVE

Altman, Roger (Deputy Treasury Secretary under Pres. Clinton and Evercore Partners Chairman)

Carter, Jimmy (39th President of the United States of America)

Castro, Julian (Secretary of Housing & Urban Development)

Clinton, Bill (42nd President of the United States of America)

Kerry, John (Secretary of State under President Obama, formerly Massachusetts Senator)

McDonough, Denis (White House chief of staff)

Obama, Barack (44th President of the United States of America)

Panetta, Leon (Secretary of Defense under Pres. Obama)

Vilsack, Tom (Secretary of Agriculture under Pres. Obama)

GOVERNORS

Brown, Jerry (California Governor)

Dean, Howard (former Governor of Vermont)

Dukakis, Michael (former Massachusetts Governor, Presidential Nominee 1988)

Granholm, Jennifer

Hickenlooper, John (Governor of Colorado)

McAuliffe, Terry (Governor of Virginia)

Patrick, Deval (Governor of Massachusetts)

Rendell, Ed (former Governor of Pennsylvania)

Richardson, Bill (New Mexico)

Strickland, Ted (Ohio Governor)

Vilsack, Tom (Secretary of Agriculture under Pres. Obama, Governor of Iowa)

Wilder, Doug (Virginia Governor)

HOUSE

Baer, Daniel (U.S. Ambassador to OSCE under Pres. Obama)

Beatty, Joyce

Castro, Joaquin

Chandler, Ben (Kentucky Representative)

Cleaver, Emanuel (Missouri Representative)

Crowley, Joe

DCCC

Frank, Barney

Frankel, Lois

Gutierrez, Luis (Illinois Representative)

Hastings, Alcee

Israel, Steve (DCCC head and New York Representative)

Lee, Barbara (California Representative)

Lee, Sheila Jackson (Texas Representative)

Lowey, Nina (New York Representative)

Carter, Jimmy (39^th President of the United States of America)

Obama, Barack (44^th President of the United States of America)

Sink, Alex (Democratic candidate for Florida Governor, candidate for Congress in Florida’s 13^th District, and Chief Financial Officer of Florida from 2007-2011)

Turner, Nina (former Minority Whip for the Ohio Senate and state Senator for the 25^th District)