Subject: 9.26.14 CTR Weekend TPs
From: Burns Strider <[email-masked]>
To: CTRFriendsFamily <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 14:44:09 -0400
List-Id: <CTRFriendsFamily.americanbridge.org>

​Hi all

Hope everyone has had a great week. See Correct The Record's weekend
talking points package, both below and attached.

*9.26.14 Weekend Package*

*1.*       *Hillary Clinton and Syria*

*2.       **Talking Points: Education for Girls’ Futures*

*3.       **America Rising: Anti-American Business and Anti-Generosity,
Round Two*

*4.       * *Major Announcements From CGI 2014*

*TALKING POINTS: HILLARY CLINTON AND SYRIA*

*BACKGROUND:** In a panel discussion with CNN’s Sanjay Gupta at the Clinton
Global Initiative this week, Hillary Clinton discussed the situation in
Syria and the current steps being taken to address the threat of terrorist
groups in the region. *

*KEY POINTS:*

   - As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton was an early advocate of arming
   the moderate Syrian opposition. She "believed, at the time, they would be
   overwhelmed by Assad’s military force and that they would open up the door
   to extremists coming in."

   - Clinton has said there is no way to predict if arming the rebels early
   on would have worked, but she believed it was the best of the options
   available at the time, a point she reiterated this week when she stated, “I
   can’t sit here today and tell you if we had done what I had recommended we
   would be in a very different position.”

   - This week Hillary Clinton emphasized the importance of the current
   steps being taken to address the threat of ISIL and other terrorist groups
   in the region, stating: “It’s something the president is right to bring the
   world’s attention to and say, whatever the debates might have been before,
   this is a threat to the region and beyond.”

Hillary Clinton’s RECENT STATEMENTS ON SYRIA

*Sec. Clinton, on arming the Syrian rebels: “I can’t sit here today and
tell you if we had done what I had recommended we would be in a very
different position.” *According to the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of
the Clintons’ support of Pres. Obama’s decision to bomb Syrian targets to
defeat ISIS, “Mr. Gupta gave her an opening to say, in effect, I told you
so: that Mr. Obama should have listened to her and armed the rebels earlier
in the fight. Mrs. Clinton didn’t bite. ‘I can’t sit here today and tell
you if we had done what I had recommended we would be in a very different
position,’ Mrs. Clinton said. ‘I just can’t. You can’t go and prove a
negative. ‘But what I do believe is the situation now is demanding a
response and we’re seeing a very robust response ….’” [Wall Street Journal,
9/24/14
<http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/09/24/clintons-side-with-obama-on-isis-strategy/>
]

*Sec. Clinton: “It’s [ISIS is] something the president is right to bring
the world’s attention to and say, whatever the debates might have been
before, this is a threat to the region and beyond.” *According to the Wall
Street Journal’s coverage of the Clintons’ support of Pres. Obama’s
decision to bomb Syrian targets to defeat ISIS, “Hillary Clinton, a likely
presidential candidate in 2016, has a personal stake in the mushrooming
conflict. As secretary of state in Mr. Obama’s first term, she pushed him
to arm moderate Syrian rebels at an earlier point. She lost that debate.
She told CNN’s Sanjay Gupta: ‘It’s something the president is right to
bring the world’s attention to and say, whatever the debates might have
been before, this is a threat to the region and beyond,’ she said.” [Wall
Street Journal, 9/24/14
<http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/09/24/clintons-side-with-obama-on-isis-strategy/>
]

*Sec. Clinton, in response to Sanjay Gupta’s question about the U.S.
airstrikes in Syria: *Well, Sanjay, I think the president gave a very clear
explanation and robust defense of the actions that he has ordered with
respect to the terrorists in Iraq and Syria. Certainly, the support that
has been offered by Arab nations, as well as others, the first air strikes
included, as you know, planes from Arab nations in the region, demonstrates
that this is a recognized international threat. And clearly, the president
has said, no American soldiers are going to be involved, but we do have
unique capabilities that we are using to give time to the Iraqi government,
to other governments, to put together the kind of force that is going to be
necessary to take on, to degrade, and to defeat these groups. [Hillary
Clinton Interview with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, 9/24/14]

*TALKING POINTS: EDUCATION FOR GIRLS’ FUTURES*

*"We know when girls have equal access to quality education in both primary
and secondary schools, cycles of poverty are broken, economies grow, glass
ceilings crack and potential is unleashed." – Hillary Clinton*

*BACKGROUND: *Today, Hillary Clinton announced a $600 million effort called
CHARGE
<http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-09-24/hillary-clinton-leads-600-million-effort-for-girls-in-education>,
which will help 14 million disadvantaged girls throughout the world attend
secondary school. CHARGE – the Collaborative for Harnessing Ambition and
Resources for Girls’ Education – will work to break down the barriers that
are preventing girls from completing secondary education, particularly in
areas like Sub-Saharan Africa, where 1.5 million fewer girls
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/24/hillary-clinton-education-girls_n_5875418.html?&ir=Politics&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000016>
than
boys attend secondary school.

*TALKING POINTS:*

   - CHARGE is one of many examples of Hillary Clinton’s work to improve
   education for girls throughout the world, so that they have a chance for a
   brighter future.

   - As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton raised the status of girls
   around the world by launching  a number of initiatives to promote girls’
   education, such as:

o   TechGirls <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/06/193767.htm> to
increase the number of girls entering the technology field;

o   A partnership with Room to Read
<http://www.state.gov/secretary/20092013clinton/rm/2011/05/164329.htm> to
prevent girls in South Asia from dropping out of school;

o   EAGLE <http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/rls/other/2012/198768.htm>,
Empowering Adolescent Girls to Lead through Education, to tackle the
barriers keeping girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo from continuing
their post-primary educations.

   -  Secretary Clinton created the Secretary’s International Fund for
   Women and Girls <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/04/140982.htm> to
   provide grants to organizations efficiently and innovatively working to
   improve girls’ health and education around the world.

   -  Secretary Clinton secured major investments in girls’ education from
   the private sector, including:

o    $1 million
<http://www.state.gov/secretary/20092013clinton/rm/2012/07/195001.htm> from
the Abbott Fund to educate girls in Cambodia;

o   $39 million <http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/rls/other/2012/198768.htm> from
the MasterCard Foundation to support secondary education for girls in Ghana
and Uganda;

o   $10 million <http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/rls/other/2012/198768.htm> from
the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to improve education for
girls in places like East Africa, Nigeria and India.

*AMERICA RISING: ANTI-AMERICAN BUSINESS AND ANTI-GENEROSITY, ROUND TWO*

*ATTACK:** The right-wing attack group, America Rising, is at it again
today, attacking Hillary Clinton and General Motors for their involvement
with the Clinton Global Initiative, which is holding its annual meeting
this week in New York.*

*KEY POINTS:*

·         America Rising came out swinging today against two core American
values – American-owned businesses and the virtue of generosity.

 ·         America Rising wants to defile the work of the Clintons so badly
that they are willing to make fun of the American value of generosity and
criticize General Motors, an American-owned company, for its support of the
Clintons’ charitable work.

 ·         The Clinton Global Initiative has helped improve the lives of
over 430 million people in more than 180 countries and has worked to secure
$103 billion to spur innovative solutions to make the world a better place.

 ·         The Clinton Global Initiative is nonpartisan and brings together
the best minds from the government, business, nonprofit and academic
sectors throughout the globe to find solutions to the world's most pressing
challenges.

 ·         America Rising is led by Mitt Romney’s former 2012 campaign
manager, who must have forgotten that Romney himself has praised the
Clinton Global Initiative for its “astounding impact” and for demonstrating
“the effectiveness of entrepreneurship and social enterprise.”

 ·         This is just like when America Rising attacked Bill Clinton for
buying watches from Shinola, a Detroit-area start-up that manufactures
their watches here at home, in America. Our response is the same as it was
then: Built in the USA is the way to go. So is kindness. It’s a sad day
when America Rising has to be reminded of that.

*BACKGROUND:*

*Romney: “I have watched the astounding impact of this Initiative from
afar.”* “Since serving as President here in America, President Clinton has
devoted himself to lifting the downtrodden around the world. One of the
best things that can happen to any cause, to any people, is to have Bill
Clinton as its advocate. That is how needy and neglected causes have become
global initiatives. It is that work that invites us here today. As I have
watched the astounding impact of this Initiative from afar, I have been
impressed by the extraordinary power you have derived by harnessing
together different people of different backgrounds, and different
institutions of different persuasions. You have fashioned partnerships
across traditional boundaries -- public and private, for-profit and
nonprofit, charitable and commercial.” [Romney remarks to CGI, Wall Street
Journal, 9/25/12
<http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/09/25/text-of-romneys-address-to-clinton-global-initiative/>
; Video
<http://www.c-span.org/video/?308392-1/mitt-romney-remarks-clinton-global-initiative>
]

*Romney: “The Clinton Global Initiative has also demonstrated the
effectiveness of entrepreneurship and social enterprise.” *“The Clinton
Global Initiative has also demonstrated the effectiveness of
entrepreneurship and social enterprise. You endeavor to not only comfort
the afflicted, but to also change lives [through] freedom, free enterprise,
and the incomparable dignity of work. Free enterprise has done more to
bless humanity than any other economic system not only because it is the
only system that creates a prosperous middle class, but also because it is
the only system where the individual enjoys the freedom to guide and build
his or her own life. Free enterprise cannot only make us better off
financially, it can make us better people.” [Romney remarks to CGI, Wall
Street Journal, 9/25/12
<http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/09/25/text-of-romneys-address-to-clinton-global-initiative/>
; Video
<http://www.c-span.org/video/?308392-1/mitt-romney-remarks-clinton-global-initiative>
]

*MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CGI 2014*

*BACKGROUND:** The Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting took place in
New York City this week. The Clinton Global Initiative has helped improve
the lives of over 430 million people in more than 180 countries and has
worked to secure $103 billion from its members to spur innovative solutions
to make the world a better place. At this year’s meeting, there were **188
new commitments*
<http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/the-agony-and-the-ecstasy-clintons-cgi>* from
CGI members, which will improve the lives of even more people all over the
world.*

*Here are just a few examples of the major commitments announced this
week:    *

·         *EDUCATING DISADVANTAGED GIRLS:*

o   Hillary Clinton announced a $600 million effort called CHARGE
<http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-09-24/hillary-clinton-leads-600-million-effort-for-girls-in-education>,
which will help 14 million disadvantaged girls throughout the world attend
secondary school.

o   CHARGE – the Collaborative for Harnessing Ambition and Resources for
Girls’ Education – will work to break down the barriers that are preventing
girls from completing secondary education, particularly in areas like
Sub-Saharan Africa, where 1.5 million fewer girls
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/24/hillary-clinton-education-girls_n_5875418.html?&ir=Politics&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000016>
than
boys attend secondary school.

·         *CUTTING CALORIES FROM SODA:*

o   Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group pledged
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/business/big-soda-companies-agree-on-effort-to-cut-americans-drink-calories.html?_r=0>
to
reduce the calories Americans consume from their beverages by 20% over the
next decade in order to help with the country’s high rates of obesity,
diabetes and heart disease.

o   The companies will more aggressively promote and distribute drinks in
smaller sizes and those with low or no calories, such as bottled water and
diet drinks.

·         *SAVING AFRICAN ELEPHANTS:*

o   Chelsea Clinton announced
<http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/09/chelsea-clinton-fears-her-baby-could-live-on-a-planet-without-elephants/>
a
new commitment to stop the killing of African elephants and the trafficking
of ivory.

·         *PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS:*

o   President Barack Obama announced
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/23/obama-cgi-human-rights_n_5870224.html>
that
the U.S. government will increase efforts to protect human rights activists
“who risk their lives to fulfill their missions.”

o   The President will expand the efforts beyond the State Department and
USAID into every federal department with the power to protect human rights
groups.