Hillary Clinton's records: Any 3 a.m. calls?

Let the hunt begin.

The Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House won't play out until Monday morning, but the scavenging through the voluminous daily schedules of former first lady and now Sen. Hillary Clinton, Democratic candidate for president, is under way.

See for yourself.

[UPDATE: As always, we welcome -- nay, encourage -- comments on what those of you who peruse the documents find newsworthy, striking or just off-the-wall].

The National Archives today released Clinton's daily schedules from her eight years as first lady. The Clinton campaign announced: "These documents -- over 11,000 pages total -- add to an already voluminous public record of events and activities during the Clinton administration. The release of these documents underscores President Clinton's efforts to encourage public access to the record of his presidency.''

In these records, reporters, campaign supporters and political opponents will be looking for evidence of the depth of experience that Clinton cites in her campaign for her party's presidential nomination. Rival Barack Obama, leading in the pledged delegate hunt, has called on Clinton to reveal her income tax records as well; her spokesmen has said she will, in about a month.

The Clinton campaign calls the daily schedules "outlines of the First Lady's activities'' that "illustrate the array of substantive issues she worked on -- including health care, child care, adoption, education, veterans, microenterprise and international development, women's rights, and democracy.

"Her daily schedules also list some of the meetings and travel she conducted to more than 80 countries in pursuit of the Administration's domestic and foreign policy goals. They are a guide, and of course cannot reflect all of Sen. Clinton's activities as First Lady. The schedules do help illustrate Hillary Clinton's extensive and exhaustive work as a public servant and her role as an influential advocate at home and around the world on behalf of our country.

"Sen. Obama and his campaign like to talk about transparency,'' the campaign adds. "We call on him to back up his words with action and release his schedules and other records from his time as an Illinois state senator.''

[UPDATE: Howard Wolfson, Clinton's hard-charging communications director, sought to intensify pressure on Obama on the records issue ...

this afernoon. In a statement during a conference call with reporters, Wolfson said:

"11,000 pages of the former First Lady's schedules are now part of the public record and I believe that is approximately 11,000 more documents than the Obama campaign has released up until this point relating to any part of his service especially as a State Senator.

"When these documents were released and we had a chance to look at them online, we put out a statement about them and in that statement we called on Senator Obama again to release relevant documents and information from his tenure in the State Senate relating to his schedule, to memos, to letters that he may have written to state agencies perhaps on behalf of Mr. Rezko or others.

"We've heard different answers from Senator Obama about this when asked about it.  At one point he said he had documents, another point he said he did not have documents. Apparently he left his office with nothing.

"But we have 11,000 documents in the public record as of today. Senator Clinton has, as many of you know, been the subject of some 60 books. She is in many respects an open book. Senator Obama on the other hand has not been forthcoming with critical information about his tenure. From what I understand Chicago newspapers have multiple FOIA requests into state agencies in Illinois for basic information about Senator Obama's correspondence with them. Senator Obama should do everything he can to release that information, to speed up that process in Illinois. If he has the letters that he wrote and the responses that he received, which he may well, he should just go ahead and release them, he doesn't have to wait until the FOIA request has run its course.

"There is much that Senator Obama can do on the subject of disclosure if he chooses to make this an issue as he has. I think in many respects he has gotten a free ride on this but there is a voluminous amount of information that presumably should be available relating to his tenure in the State Senate that he could release and make available at any time since he thinks that this is so important. I would again call on him to do so."

-- Mark Silva

Mark Silva writes for the Swamp of the Chicago Tribune's Washington Bureau.

Comments

[George]

“They would do anything to win, and that means anything”
Anything. The Obama campaign is expressing what has become a pervasive view among many Democrats:
Is it possible to win the Democratic nomination in such a way as to make winning not worth it?

The Barack Obama campaign thinks so. It thinks Hillary Clinton’s campaign is willing to take any road to the White House, including the low road.

“They would do anything to win, and that means anything,” David Axelrod, Obama’s chief strategist, said on Monday. “There is a frenetic energy around them to commandeer this election in any way they can.”

Axelrod went on: “She is the ultimate Washington inside player. She is always asking, ‘How do we wire the vote? How do we wire the system to get the results we want?’”

From his point of view, the Clinton campaign keeps trying to change the rules.

“When they started off, it was all about delegates,” Axelrod said. “Now that we have more delegates, it’s all about the popular vote. And if that does not work out, they will probably challenge us to a game of cribbage to choose the nominee.”

Another Obama senior aide said, he believed Clinton was willing to “destroy the party” just as long as she ends up with the nomination.
Team Clinton does have a desperation associated with it. Whether they are invoking GOP talking points against Obama, trying to change the rules they've already agreed to, refusing to release her tax records from 2001- 2006, whining when anyone challenges them or just making things up on their endless conference calls, they give the impression that she'll get this nomination even if it does destroy the party. It's not about the Democratic party or its principles. It's about the Clintons.

A White, Male, Obama supporter & Hungry For Some PRINCIPLES!!

[Justin F. Case]

It amazes me how easily distracted the typical voter can become. Senator Clinton has committed crimes. (See youtube for the video and audio evidence of her own admission and practice). In her collegiate years she and her hubby participated in Anti-America marches (this is also supported by fact, statement and photos). Recently, she has knowingly participated in campaign fund fraud. See for yourself. In her own words on tape and video. That is why charges have been filed. What???? You have not heard about that on the evening news?? Mr. Obama has his own "secrets" that are buried and John McCain just straight out lies and flip flops (evidenced by news and interview video footage).
Wake up people. The three media choices are ALL the same. The only difference is what crimes they have committed and what they lie about. Is that what we support as character foundations for president? If you do, you are also guilty of crimes against the US. Look up the laws. It is illegal to aid and abet an accused criminal. It is also illegal to not defend and protect the Constitution of the US.

Birds of a feather flock together... I guess.
JC
Melrose

I imagine this comment will be omitted, so I have sent it to a number of other blogs to insure the exercise of First Amendment rights. When researched facts are censored, or buried, because it frightens the powerful then it is time to all be on high alert. Why condemn freedom of expression? Why control the education of people? Why punish truth and reward deception? Come on... you know why.

[Lynne]

Did you notice that she attended meetings in support of NAFTA??

From the AP:
"She was also involved in helping her husband win congressional approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement, a deal she now criticizes and says she would try to change.

Her schedule for Nov. 10, 1993, shows her speaking at a NAFTA briefing closed to the media, with 120 people expected to attend."

I would not think that would win the hearts of PA or IN voters.

It looks more like the schedule for Miss America.

[BBaptiste]

I chuckle that the Clinton Campaign failed to mention in their press release that it took a lawsuit to get her to release those papers. Some transparency...right.

[Anthony]

Turns out the right was right. On three occasions Senator Clinton met with Satan himself, twice for lunch. Later she traveled to Iraq to lend her support for terrorism, not matter what the organization and pick up some shoes. Oh yeah, and she kicked a puppy once, too, while waiting for a flight

[Chris P]

HRC went on a round the world trip in March and April, 2005. She did it pretty fast. Here's how:

March 24, 2005 at 12:05 p.m arrive at The Pyramids, Egypt

12:15 p.m., depart The Pyramids.

Pyramids....check.

(1995, page 488)

[TC Bishop]

11,000 pages? I have reviewed about 150 pages so far, with 60% of them either blank, redacted, containing one or two lines or reporting on the day's weather. It's also nice to know how many people were anticipated for this reception or that reception, but where's the beef?

(Really? That many useless?)

[Jenna]

There is enough stuff to read in these files to make you go blind. One thing that jumps out is that it really looks like she was concerned about health care from almost the moment she got there.

(O.K. Thanks. We're digging too.)

[David Blackburn]

The weather reports are certainly interesting. I wish I had had my secretary put those on my itineraries. Imagine that I looked at the weather channel during that epoch! Actually, I do like her and would love to compare what Mr. Obama was doing on those same days.

[Eric Goldberg]

Justin

You need to spend less time convincing yourself that the hegemony is out to get you, and more time trying to understand reality. Your ability to post on this blog has nothing to do with the First Amendment. Go read it: it says that THE GOVERNMENT shall not .... The LA Times editors, and others as well, are free to restrict your silly views.

[hectorjay]

What her schedule shows, is that Hillary has always been visionary and worked tirelessly above and beyond the call in whatever public office she's held to improve the lot of children and americans as a whole. Her advocacies and vast rolodex of international connections with the shakers and movers of the world cannot be brushed away by Obama's "He was a community organizer" supporters, (Great credentials if your running for chicago city council.) And never forget, Ronald Reagen could give good speeches too. Just one sober look at any given year of the first lady's tenure has to convince any reasonable human being that she has acheived more on behalf of the american people then Obama has in a lifetime, and to Repuplicans shagrin, was more prolifically active than any first lady before her. This is for Lynne. Did you notice that Obama attended meetings held by a racist preacher. (FOR 20 years!!!)

[Jet]

Can we also have schedules on Obama's meeting with the Canadians(on NAFTA), his pastor( 20 YEARS??? and considered an "uncle") and his financer( Rezko ).

Oh I forgot, this is LA Times...and they support Obama...

[dave]

made remarks. sometimes breezy. mostly cloudy.
flotus flatulence.

[hectorjay]

What her schedule shows, is that Hillary has always been visionary and worked tirelessly above and beyond the call in whatever public office she's held to improve the lot of children and americans as a whole. Her advocacies and vast rolodex of international connections with the shakers and movers of the world cannot be brushed away by Obama's "He was a community organizer" supporters, (Great credentials if your running for chicago city council.) And never forget, Ronald Reagen could give good speeches too. Just one sober look at any given year of the first lady's tenure has to convince any reasonable human being that she has acheived more on behalf of the american people then Obama has in a lifetime, and to Repuplicans shagrin, was more prolifically active than any first lady before her. This is for Lynne. Did you notice that Obama attended meetings held by a racist preacher. (FOR 20 years!!!)

[Philip]

I am so sick and tired of Republicans and shady no good Democrats looking for reasons to bring down Hillary. Sen Clinton is an American hero and its to bad that haters cannot see beyond their hatred to figure that out. It has been said that many Obama supporters would never vote for Clinton. Well let me tell you, there are many Hillary supporters who will not vote for Barack and I am one of them. If Hillary is not the democratic nominee then I will close my nose and vote for McCain. The Dem will not when the white house because to many people are for one or the other candidate. To bad. Barack had a nice speech yesterday. Im still not voting for him. GO HILLARY!

[bhagwan deol]

sen. obama is not honest when he says hillary voted for war. if one redsa her speech at the time of vote it clearly says the president bush must exhaust all diplomatic means and deal through united nations before he thinks of the attack on iraq.
once you read that speech it makes it clear that hillary voted with reservations and conditions and said she trusted the president on the information the adminstration has provided.
IF SHE WAS GIVEN WRONG INFORMATION TO PERSUADE HER TO VOTE IN FAVOUR OF WAR THEN BLAME GOES TO BUSH FO LYING TO CONGRESS.
SEN. OBAMA MUST KEEP HIS INGEGRITY AND TELL THE TRUTH. ONCE YOU READ THE SPEECH THEN IT IS CLEAR THAT SEN. OBAMA IS TELLING WHITE LIES WHICH SOUND LIKE TRUTH.
SHAME ON SEN OBAMA TO MISGUIDE VOTERS ON FALSE PRETENCES
bhagwan deol

[justChillin']

Hey Philip,
Well, Obama supporters won't support Hillary becoz some of them are Democrats and mostly Republicans posing as independents. LOL

This thing with Obama's pastor will definitely bring him down. These pastoral comments are the same comments from people outside this country who resents America...And who are they??? Communists or Terrorist. Homegrown terrorism starts with comments like this from Rev. Wright and I don't care what Obama say's whether it was nice to hear or not. He is still associated with this man.

We don't need words. We need actions. I hope this issue with Rev. Wright continues on. Even Bin Laden's siblings disowned him. Why can't Obama?

[Bill P.]

Typical Clinton posturing: They make big todo about releasing records of schedules, but where are the Clinton Income tax records??? The public deserves to know where they have been making their income in recent years.

Also, according to MSNBC:
"In all, 11,046 pages have been made available. Nearly 4,800 pages have parts blacked out. Archivists said that's to protect the privacy of third parties. Schedules for more than 30 days of activities were not included in this release."

So, Hillary Clinton released her schedule records. Since she was paid by the tax payers, that is reasonable expected disclosure.

[San Ying]

Did Hillary Clinton's thirty-five (35) years of 'experience' lead her to endorse the war on Iraq? What is the use of even half a century or more 'experience' if the poor woman does not learn from it? And does not have the judgement and insight which led Obama to oppose the Iraq war from the very beginning?

[ohjeez]

I am in no way shape or form the remotest bit a Clinton supporter. Will not vote for her. But seriously - the first things the vultures in the press looked for was "OMG! She was IN the White House when Bill Bonked Monica!!!!' , or as ABC so idotically stated, "Blue Dress Day".

How does this even constitute as 'news'? I had to dig on other sites to see that she held a meeting to support NAFTA, that she apparently had nothing blocked off for the health care bill that eventually passed. Both of these items are relevant to her so called "35 years of experience", and would affect voter opinion.

The fact that her husband was a roaming pig does not. I'm sure very few Hillary Clinton supporters actually *like* Bill Clinton either.

This is the kinds of nonsense in the press that drives me to the BBC and Jon Stewart.

[Po WIn]

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is well-known among world leaders and she has been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, an organization for scholars dedicated to producing and disseminating ideas so that policymakers in the United States and other countries can better understand world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other governments. As an avid reader of this prestigious panoply of policy making, one can attest that Foreign Affairs covers nearly every aspect of present geopolitical problem-solving. She is no ingénue when it comes to world affairs.