Hillary: "Every Little Girl...Can Be Anything She Wants Be"

Dear Supporter,

I am so inspired by all you have done for my campaign. You've made calls, you've volunteered, you've voted, you've given -- and I'm so grateful for all you've done.

And there's one thing in particular that you've done by participating in my campaign that fills me with pride. You've let every little girl in America know that she can be anything she wants to be. I couldn't be more proud.

My campaign has put together an album of some recent photos from the campaign trail in Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. I hope you'll take a look and enjoy!



Thank you for everything,


Hillary Rodham Clinton

Terry McAuliffe

Want to see what a great start we've gotten off to in Pennsylvania? Folks, the reception Hillary has gotten in the Keystone State has been just incredible. Thousands of people are showing up everywhere she goes, cheering her on and signing up to help Hillary win big on April 22.

But you don't have to take my word for it -- take a look at a recent rally at Temple University in Philadelphia.

People in Pennsylvania want a president who is ready on day one to be Commander-in-Chief and to put our economy back to work for the middle class, and they know Hillary is the woman for the job!

Thanks,

Terry McAuliffe
Chairman, Hillary Clinton for President

An Open Letter from William Jefferson Clinton

Dear Friend,

It happened after Iowa. It happened again in February. People counted Hillary out. They tried to say the race was over.

But you knew better. You sustained her with your support. You kept the campaign going with your contributions. You made more than a million phone calls. You believed in Hillary when she needed you the most. And in Texas and Ohio, she proved you right.

Thanks to you, this race is neck-and-neck despite the Obama campaign outraising us by $20 million in February. Now we have six weeks to make our case in Pennsylvania.

We know it's a fight. We know our opponent will outspend us. But we cannot let him have a head start in Pennsylvania, the critical next state. Hillary needs your support now -- today -- to make sure we're fighting on a level playing field.

Contribute today to help Hillary win.

You and I know Hillary can win. We have a strategy in place and a clear path to the nomination. All she needs is for you to keep standing up for her every single day.

The road ahead is long, but your dedication will see us through. Back in February, you accomplished something truly amazing for Hillary, with 300,000 of you raising $35 million to fund her campaign.

You kept us competitive even as the Obama campaign outraised us by $20 million -- an advantage they will use as they best can in Pennsylvania.

Now we all face a few weeks before Pennsylvania and all the states that follow. Hillary has to build on her victories in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island. Can you help us sustain that energy over the next six weeks?

Hillary needs your help more than ever. As she proved in Ohio and Texas, where she was outspent by millions but won anyway, you can put her over the top.

So please make a contribution today to help us win in Pennsylvania.

There's no way Hillary would be in the position she is in today without your enthusiastic and dedicated support. I know it, she knows it, and we both tell everyone we know about everything you are doing to help her win.

Sincerely,

Bill Clinton

Hillary Way Ahead in Pennsylvania

The new SurveyUSA poll of Pennsylvania gives Hillary Clinton a very healthy lead of 55%-36% for the April 22 primary.

From the internals: Hillary leads in practically all demographics and regions, including even the younger voters, with Obama winning only the black vote. In her weakest region, the Southeastern portion of the state that includes Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs, she's ahead 48%-46%.

Then again, the election is six weeks away, and things will probably get very interesting between now and then. But Barack Obama definitely has a lot of ground to make up if he wants to pull off an upset.

2 Clinton Backers Offer a Way to Stage New Primaries

Two of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s biggest supporters, who are also two of the Democratic Party’s most successful fund-raisers, have offered to help raise millions of dollars to stage new primaries in Florida and Michigan.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey and Gov. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania said Sunday that they would be willing to raise half the $30 million it would take to run new contests in those two states. Mr. Corzine and Mr. Rendell submitted their proposal to The Washington Post.

The two governors argue that the Democratic National Committee, and not taxpayers in Florida and Michigan, should pay for a re-election in those states.

Democrats have been struggling to find a way to seat the delegates from Michigan and Florida, who were excluded when those states held primaries in January, violating national party rules.

Mrs. Clinton won in both states, though Senator Barack Obama’s name did not appear on the Michigan ballot and neither candidate campaigned actively in Florida. Her supporters at first pressed for the disputed delegates to be seated, but both campaigns and Democratic Party leaders have been searching for an alternative solution.

Talk of the problem dominated the Sunday morning political television programs.

“I think it’s very unlikely that Florida and Michigan, given how close this race is, are going to be seated as is,” said Howard Dean, the Democratic national chairman, on “Face the Nation” on CBS. “But everybody’s going to work very hard to find a compromise within the rules that’s fair to both campaigns that will allow Florida and Michigan in the end to be seated.”

Mr. Rendell raised the fund-raising proposal on “Meet the Press” on NBC as he pressed for re-votes in the two states. Former Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota, speaking for the Obama campaign, also appeared on the program and said he would go along.

“We don’t have any problem with that,” Mr. Daschle said.

Open arms for Clinton

BILL O ’ BOYLE boboyle@timesleader.com

SCRANTON – The Electric City is charged for today’s visit by U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodman Clinton supporter Judie Polkowski, right, of Dickson City, draws up welcome signs along with Mary Ann Sadauskas, of Dunmore, on Sunday at Clinton campaign headquarters in Scranton.

PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER

Times Leader Photo Store

Even the Easter Bunny has given a thumbs-up endorsement of the Democratic presidential candidate.

Clinton will speak at Scranton High School at 6 p.m. today, making the city her first Pennsylvania campaign stop. The senator’s family – the Rodhams – settled in Scranton more than 100 years ago and the former first lady was baptized in Scranton.

A source close to the Clinton campaign said the senator will visit her family’s old neighborhood near Weston Field either prior to, or after her speech. The source said Clinton will go door-to-door in the neighborhood along Diamond Avenue. The Secret Service has issued an order to have Scranton City police clear the area for the senator’s visit, the source said.

Many volunteers were busy making signs and phone calls at Clinton campaign headquarters on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton on Sunday.

Signs read:

“We Love Hillary”

“Electric City Loves Hillary”

“PA is Clinton Country”

“Welcome Back Hillary”

“Ain’t No Party Like a Scranton Party”

“Healthcare For All”

“Bricklayers For Hillary”

“Scranton Teachers Need Hillary”

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. at the high school, located at 63 Mike Munchak Way. Sean Pendrak, field coordinator for the Clinton campaign, said the school holds 2,500 to 3,000 people.

“We will have lots of spillover room,” Pendrak said. “But I advise people to get there early to get a seat.”

Pendrak said Clinton will fly into the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, but he did not know what time.

Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty will serve as master of ceremonies at today’s program. The mayor said he is proud to have his city selected as Clinton’s first Pennsylvania campaign stop.

“Of course we’re very proud to have her here and have our city be the focus of the nation,” Doherty said. “But beyond that, this is a rare opportunity for any city or region to have a presidential candidate that knows your area intimately. She knows the city and its streets. She knows the Hill section and Nay Aug Park. This is not a fake relationship; it’s the real deal.”

Scranton connection

Doherty said Clinton was baptized in the Court Street Methodist Church, the same church her father was buried from and her niece was recently baptized there. The mayor said Hillary and her brothers – Hugh and Tony – still own the family home at Lake Winola.

“She’s one of our own,” Doherty said.

At the Steamtown Mall, shoppers were eager to talk about Clinton’s visit and her candidacy.

“I like her; she’s a smart woman,” said Eliza Burke, of Nanticoke, who was shopping with her husband, Joe. “I like (Barack) Obama too, but Hillary has more experience.”

The Burkes said they go to a lot of political events, like debates, and feel more people – especially younger voters – should get involved with the process.

“I think it’s time for a change,” said Joe Burke. “We always vote for who we think is the best person for the job and we think it’s Hillary.”

The Burkes’ granddaughter was visiting with the Easter Bunny, who gave Clinton a thumbs-up endorsement.

“I’m glad she’s coming here,” said John Marko, of Nanticoke. “I really think she will make an excellent president. She’s the most qualified candidate.”

Homecoming for Hillary

She never officially lived here, but she sure is loved here.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton blamed the nation’s faltering economy on President Bush taking the country on “a big detour in our destiny” in a 28-minute speech Monday at Scranton High School.

About 3,000 wildly enthusiastic supporters frequently interrupted her, including when she said Mr. Bush squandered a budget surplus left behind by her husband, President Bill Clinton, on the Iraq war and “tax cuts for the wealthiest of this country.”

Comments raise questions about Obama, his advisers - Boston Globe

But if there was a warning for the Obama campaign, it was not about the dangers of negative campaigning. It was about the importance of having a consistent message and an effective chain of command.

Power was the third Obama adviser to stir up a cloud of dust in recent weeks by apparently substituting his or her own views for Obama's: In addition to the "monster" comment, made to a Scottish newspaper, Power told the BBC that Obama's plan to withdraw all troops from Iraq within 16 months was subject to change once he took office.

Susan Rice, another foreign policy aide, committed the misstep of opining that neither Obama nor Clinton was ready to handle a 3 a.m. phone call announcing a foreign policy crisis. Rice probably meant that no one can be fully prepared for the burdens of the presidency, but John McCain was only too happy to jump on her words and announce that he, at least, feels up to the job.

Perhaps most damaging of all, Austan Goolsbee, a University of Chicago economist advising Obama, apparently sought to reassure Canadian officials in the days leading up to the Ohio primary that the senator wasn't really as critical of the North American Free Trade Agreement as he sounded on the stump. A memo produced by the Canadian consulate in Chicago suggested that Goolsbee felt the heated antitrade rhetoric was "political maneuvering."

The actions of Obama's advisers raise as many questions about Obama as about the advisers.

The first is the obvious one: whether he truly intends to follow through on what he's been saying. For most of the campaign, Obama has gotten good mileage out of the idea that he says what he believes while Clinton's plans are hedged to allow for extra maneuverability. But in Obama's effort to stay to Clinton's left on Iraq and NAFTA, he may have gone further than he wanted, or could deliver.

When Clinton, during the Ohio debate, promised to opt out of the trade deal if Canada and Mexico didn't agree to changes, Obama quickly agreed. He later referred to using "the hammer of potential opt-out" to enhance environmental and labor requirements in NAFTA.

Governor William F. Winter Endorses Hillary Clinton

Joins Chelsea Clinton in Jackson

Jackson, MS - Mississippi for Hillary today announced the endorsement of former Governor of Mississippi William F. Winter. Governor Winter announced his endorsement to a crowd of over 150 supporters who had gathered for a meeting with Chelsea Clinton on Sunday in Jackson, Mississippi.

"Hillary doesn't need an introduction to Mississippi," said Governor Winter. "I couldn't think of anyone that I am prouder to be supporting than Hillary. I believe Hillary is our best opportunity to provide real leadership in Washington that is going to solve the mistakes made over the past eight years."

"I couldn't be prouder to have the support of my friend, Governor William F. Winter," said Senator Hillary Clinton. "Governor Winter is a dedicated public servant and leader in Mississippi. He is a champion of the best values of the Democratic party."

Governor William F. Winter served as governor of Mississippi from 1980-1984. Prior to that, he served as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and Tax Collector of the State of Mississippi as well as State Treasurer and Lieutenant Governor.

Sen. Obama Offers 5th Explanation of NAFTA-Gate

After days of misleading denials, Sen. Obama has finally acknowledged that a meeting took place between his senior economic advisor and Canadian officials regarding NAFTA. But Sen. Obama now claims that the detailed memo obtained by the AP describing the meeting - and Goolsbee's downplaying of Obama's anti-NAFTA rhetoric - is inaccurate. This is at least the fifth different explanation offered by Sen. Obama and his campaign.

1. 2/27/08 - 'No conversations have taken place' with the Canadian government on NAFTA. "Earlier Thursday, the Obama campaign insisted that no conversations have taken place with any of its senior ranks and representatives of the Canadian government on the NAFTA issue." [CTV, 2/29/08]

2. 2/27/08 - Obama advisor just said 'hello.' "Goolsbee: Canada's consul general in Chicago contacted him ‘at one point to say ‘hello’ because their office is around the corner." [ABC, 2/29/08]

3. 2/28/08 - Rice: 'There had been no contact.' "The Canadian ambassador issued a statement that was absolutely false. There had been no contact. There had been no discussions on NAFTA. So we take the Canadians at their word...period." [MSNBC, Susan Rice, 2/28/08]

4. 2/29/08: Sen. Obama: 'It did not happen.' Anchor: "So, completely inaccurate, did not happen, end of discussion." Sen. Obama: "It did not happen." [WKYC TV, 2/29/08]

5. 3/10/08 - Sen. Obama: The meeting did happen, they did discuss NAFTA, but advisor just said Obama wanted to make NAFTA 'stronger for U.S. workers.' "So here’s what happens. You’ve got one of my economic advisors goes and visits a Canadian embassy and they’re asking him questions and he says, 'Well, Senator Obama isn’t planning to repeal NAFTA, but he wants to amend it to make it stronger for U.S. workers.' The Canadian embassy writes it up as, 'Well, maybe Obama is not as tough on NAFTA as you might think.' And the Clintons start waving this and saying, 'See? Actually, he’s the one.'" [Mississippi Rally, 3/10/08]

Hillary Clinton Statement on All-Time High Oil Prices

Today's record setting oil prices underscore the stakes in this election. The soaring cost of oil is dragging down our economy and driving up prices on everything from gas at the pump to food on families' tables. Gas is approaching $4 a gallon in some parts of the country and the average American family is spending $2,000 more a year on their energy costs than they were in 2000. Americans need a president who is ready to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and fight global warming from day one, not someone who voted to provide new special interest tax breaks and giveaways to big oil companies. My opponent voted for Dick Cheney's 2005 energy bill; I knew it would take us in the wrong direction.

For seven years, the Bush Administration has stood by as the price of oil has skyrocketed, now breaking $107 a barrel. As a result, companies like Exxon are reaping the highest profits in the history of the world-$40.6 billion in 2007 alone-and we are more dependent on foreign oil now than we were before 9/11.

As President, I will create a Strategic Energy Fund that will require big oil companies to reinvest some of their huge windfall profits in clean, renewable technologies. I will reduce the amount of oil we import by two-thirds from projected levels by 2030, or more than 10 million barrels per day. These steps are part of my overall plan to transition to a clean, green economy and create at least 5 million new green collar jobs in America.

Hillary Clinton Statement on February Job Loss

Today's dismal jobs news should put to rest any doubts that our economy is in deep trouble. We have now seen two straight months of job loss, and the 63,000 decline in February is the worst since March of 2003. This troubling news comes at the end of a week where oil toped $104 a barrel and we learned that home foreclosures hit an all time high in the fourth quarter of 2007.

These are painful reminders that we need a President who is ready to be a steward of our economy, starting on day one. Because behind these statistics, every job lost means there is another family missing a paycheck, another parent worried about providing for their kids, and another family in danger of losing their home.

The time for action is now. While the stimulus measures in the pipeline are important, it's going to take more than tax rebates to avoid a deep economic downturn. We need to immediately extend unemployment insurance and invest at least $5 billion right now in green-collar jobs to help avert a recession. And we need a comprehensive solution to the housing crisis, not more half-measures and hand-wringing. That is why I've called for a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures, a 5-year freeze on interest rates for subprime mortgages and a $30 billion emergency fund to help states handle the crisis in their communities.

Economy

PARTNER

MEMO: Obama's Iraq Plan: Just Words

To: Interested Parties
From: The Clinton Campaign
Date: March 8, 2008
RE: Obama's Iraq Plan: Just Words

Once again, it looks like Senator Obama is telling voters one thing while his campaign says those words should not to be mistaken for serious action.

After months of speeches from Senator Obama promising a hard end date to the Iraq war, his top foreign policy adviser that counseled his campaign during that period is on the record saying that Senator Obama will "not rely on some plan that he's crafted as a presidential candidate or a U.S. Senator."

Voters already have serious questions about whether Senator Obama is ready to be Commander-in-Chief. Now there are questions about whether he's serious about the Iraq plan he's discussed for the last year on the campaign trail.

Senator Obama has made hard end dates about Iraq a centerpiece of his campaign and has repeatedly attacked Senator Clinton for not being clear about her intentions with regard to troop withdrawal.

It turns out those attacks and speeches were just words. And if you can't trust Senator Obama's words, what's left?

This latest incident is part of a larger pattern where Senator Obama doesn't deliver on the promises he makes on the campaign trail -- whether it's his 2004 Senate race or his 2008 White House campaign.

In 2003, Senator Obama said he was for a single payer health system, but now opposes plans that cover every American. He promised to repeal the Patriot Act, but then voted to extend it. He promised to normalize relations with Cuba, but flip-flopped when he started running for president.

In 2008, Senator Obama rails against NAFTA in Ohio while his top economic advisor assures the Canadians his rhetoric is just "political positioning." He promises to opt in to public financing if the GOP nominee does, but then breaks that pledge in real time. He promises to withdraw from Iraq within 16 months, and now his top foreign policy adviser says that he's not relying on the plan.

With a short record to run on, Senator Obama's entire campaign is based on the speeches he makes on the campaign trail. So when he and his advisers dismiss the plans he touts on the stump, it undermines his entire candidacy.

Americans have heard plenty of speeches. It's time they got serious solutions and that's what Hillary is going to deliver when she is President.

Hillary Clinton to visit the old 'hood

Posted by BRETT LIEBERMAN, Of The Patriot-News March 10, 2008 07:17AM

Categories: Election 2008, Elections, President, U.S. Senate, White House

The six-week slog to Pennsylvania's April 22 primary begins in earnest today when U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton lands in Scranton for the start of a two-day sweep that includes rallies in Harrisburg and Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Even the Easter Bunny is endorsing Clinton, according to the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, which notes what we've heard that the Democratic presidential hopeful may visit the old Diamond Avenue neighborhood, where her family lived prior their move to Illinois.

Clinton never lived there herself, but did vacation at the family's cottage on Lake Winola, where brothers Hugh and Tony Rodham still visit each summer.

Demographically, issue-wise and because she's got much of the political establishment on her side, Pennsylvania's widely seen as leaning Clinton's way as John Baer notes as he weighs in on women and Latinos in today's Philadelphia Daily News

Pretty soon the whole gang will be here.

Hillary Open Big Lead in Pennsylvania

The New York senator has lengthened her lead in Pennsylvania to 52 percent, over Obama's 37 percent, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted last week - a near four-fold increase on the 4-percentage-point lead she had in February.

The campaign is not resting on those numbers ahead of the April 22 primary, however.

"We're going to try to really blanket the state with visits" by Clinton, the former president and their daughter, Chelsea, said Pennsylvania campaign spokesman Mark Nevins. "We anticipate we'll be very aggressive all over the state."