Defending Hillary: I am with her

In recent opinions, the question was raised: “Are there any Democrats out there who are able to provide an intelligent explanation why Hillary Clinton would be the chosen one to represent them and their party for the office of President?”

Let me begin by refusing to accept your premise Ms. Clinton is “dishonest, corrupt and completely lacking in personal integrity.” It will indeed be difficult, if not impossible, for you to understand if all of your news is coming from Fox News and the Republican machine.

Ms. Clinton has been investigated by the Republican machine more than any politician in American history. The Whitewater investigation alone cost nearly $80 million and lasted almost 5 years. And what did Ken Starr find? That a White House intern and the President had an affair. As personally painful as this episode was, she and her husband resolved their issues and have remained married.

Ms. Clinton was investigated in the past few years by no fewer than nine Congressional committees. They spent millions of dollars and declined to do the jobs for which we sent them to Congress. What did they find? They found she used an email server she admitted was a mistake.

Ms. Clinton has been excoriated in the press over her ankles, her pantsuits, her hair and yet she has continued to serve the public year after year. As was written in The Daily Beast of June 30, “Hillary had made this grueling slog on behalf of every woman who has ever been knocked back, belittled, talked over, passed over, and paid less than a man.”

Ms. Clinton will work on issues, sometimes for years, until she finds answers, such as her work on insurance for underprivileged children.

She’s praised by her colleagues in the Senate — both Republicans and Democrats — for the eight years she served as the Senator from New York and her willingness to work tirelessly across the aisle to find consensus. When she left as Secretary of State, she had a 64 percent approval rating.

To me, it’s not difficult to understand why I and my friends support her; it’s rather difficult for me to understand why people believe the political lies about her, told year after year.

She has the temperament and the experience to be President and Commander in Chief. She’s fierce and she’s constant and she loves this country. I’m proud to support her for President.

I recognize what I have written is probably not the answer for which you were looking and it’s possible you’re going to disdain it with the same ugly, inflammatory, divisive language used in your original letter. However, I’m of an age with you, lost my first husband in Vietnam and lived through the same tumultuous events as you. We disagree, sir, but I can only hope we disagree respectfully.

Linda Deacy is a Carson City resident.