PolitiFact.com
The Truth-O-Meter Says:
Clinton

Says the difference between her and Barack Obama is "about 35 years of experience."

Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 in a campaign event in Robstown, Texas.

She has experience, but maybe not at math

Sen. Hillary Clinton often boasts that she has a long resume.

Asked during a Texas campaign event about the difference between her and Sen. Barack Obama, Clinton replied, "Well, about 35 years of experience."

But we find her math is off.

Although we find here that she is largely correct when she says she has 35 years of experience in politics, she has failed to include Obama's experience in her calculation.

By our count, Obama, who is 14 years younger than Clinton, has about one year running a voter-registration project, three years as a community organizer, four as a full-time attorney handling voting rights, employment and housing cases, and 12 years in the Illinois Senate and U.S. Senate. That's a total of 20 years in public policy matters. So the difference between Clinton and Obama is really 15 years.

We rate her claim False.

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About this statement:

Published: Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 12:00 a.m.

Sources:

Clinton Campaign Web Site, About Hillary

Clinton Senate Office, Clinton Biography

White House, Biography of Hillary Rodham Clinton

Project Vote Smart, Hillary Clinton bio

Transcript of CNN/You Tube Debate, Charleston, S.C., July 24, 2007

VoteSmart, Transcript of interview on Fox & Friends, Jan. 9, 2008

Dallas Morning News, Clinton campaign says Texas is one big reason the race isn't over Feb. 13, 2008

Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton

PolitiFact, What's in a resume?

National Park Service, Eisenhower National Historic Site

Stateline, Governor's Paychecks Vary Widely, Jan. 23, 2001

Interviews, Suzanne Goldenberg and Sally Bedell Smith

Children's Defense Fund, Board of Directors Emeritus

Written by: Bill Adair
Researched by: Lissa August, Angie Drobnic Holan
Edited by: Scott Montgomery

Articles about this statement:
Adding up Clinton's 35-year claim

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