Time Editor: Hillary Clinton a 'Moral Conservative'

November 8th, 2007 6:53 PM

Hillary Clinton is a "moral conservative." Don't believe it? Ask Amy Sullivan. The Time editor said so on this evening's "Tucker." Let's permit the dialogue between Tucker Carlson and Sullivan to speak for itself. But come back after the transcript to learn some interesting factoids about Ms. Sullivan's background.

View video here.

TUCKER CARLSON: What are her core beliefs?
AMY SULLIVAN: On foreign policy, she is a little more hawkish than the rest of the Democratic Party, and certainly more than the primary base is. It seems that on social issues, by which I mean kind of welfare and economic issues [economic issues are social issues?], she's fairly liberal. But she's a moral conservative. Which is to say that she also gets behind, you know, things like values issues. She's endorsed a plan to lower abortion rates that actually just passed through the House and Senate conference committee this week.

TUCKER CARLSON: She also has come out in support of partial-birth abortion, against the vast majority of Americans, at least as measured by poll numbers. So that suggests that's an issue she really believes in.

SULLIVAN: But she also stood up to the choice community a few years ago and declared that abortion was a tragedy.

CARLSON: Hmm. Well, that's not, I mean, her husband has said the same thing. That's not really standing up-

SULLIVAN: "Safe, legal and rare," but she was the one who started it, safe, legal and rare first.

CARLSON: Has she ever suggested placing any restriction of any kind on abortion, limiting for instance abortion for sex selection? Or any restriction, of any kind. Ever? I must have missed it. Has she?

SULLIVAN: I think she's focused more on preventing unwanted pregnancies and providing support for women who are pregnant and want to have their babies but aren't sure that they can afford it.

I was curious to find out more about Sullivan's background. A Googling reveals that she's been a member of "Faithful Democrats" and the "Progressive Faith Media" where her bio states that she formerly served as an "aid" [sic -- at least we hope so] to Senator Tom Daschle.