Spin Cycle

Clinton's claim to have been a player on Northern Ireland peace has been in the news. From the Guardian:

"While Catholic and Protestant figures hashed out last-minute details of a power-sharing agreement in Belfast, Clinton was at the National Press Club in Washington at a party honouring Bella Abzug, a congresswoman from New York City who had died recently. While President Clinton phoned major participants in the peace talks, she met with Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and joined a farewell party for Democratic operative Karen Finney. On the day the agreement was actually signed, she met with Philippine first lady Amelita Ramos."

And, she has portrayed herself as a key player on health policy, even after the failure of the universal insurance plan. AP:

"The first lady was part of the public face of presidential bill signings. In the stage directions for the signing of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, the calendar for Aug. 21, 1996, states: 'HRC will not have a role but will be seated in the front row.' "

Neither entry really proves anything, but that line kind of captures the debate over Hillary's WH experience -- no role, but a presence suggesting there was one.

A lot of her resume is based on citing her genuine contact with a variety of issues and events as a credential, and thereby implying -- through a word here and a word there -- that the contact was significant. But whether it was or not generally requires to take the word of Hillary, or loyal people who were with her. The schedules in a way reveal the glass-half-empty part of that.