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Clinton Unveils List of Flag Officers Endorsing Her for President

Hillary Clinton will set out her approach to American foreign policy in the 21st Century in a speech at George Washington University today. Joining her will be a group of senior retired military and defense officials who have endorsed her to be this nation’s next Commander-in-Chief. They are: General Wesley Clark, Lt. General Joe Ballard, Major General Antonio M. Taguba, Rear Admiral David Stone, Brigadier General John M. Watkins, Jr. and former Secretary of the Army Togo West. Generals Taguba and Watkins will formally announce their endorsement of Senator Clinton today.

Many of our nation’s most distinguished military officers stand proudly with Hillary Clinton because they believe that she has the strength, experience and leadership necessary to be President and Commander-in-Chief. They include three four-star generals, a former chairman and vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and many other Americans who have served their country with honor and distinction.

In addition to the endorsements of Generals Taguba and Watkins, Senator Clinton is proud to announce the endorsement today of Admiral William Owens (Ret.).

Admiral Owens served with distinction for more than 30 years in the Navy, rising to become Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s second highest ranking military officer.

Major General Taguba served his country with distinction for 34 years, retiring from the Army in 2007. The son of a Filipino-American who survived the 1942 Bataan Death March, General Taguba led the Army’s investigation into prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib in 2004.

Brigadier General John M. Watkins, Jr. served nearly 30 years in the Army and completed his military career as the Chief Operations Officer/Deputy Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency.

Admiral Owens, General Taguba, and General Watkins are among 27 flag-rank military officers who have endorsed Senator Clinton to be our nation’s next Commander-in-Chief. They join more than 2,000 veterans and military retirees who are members of Senator Clinton's national and state veterans’ steering committees.

Flag Officers Endorsing Hillary Clinton for President and Commander-in-Chief

1. General Wesley Clark
2. General John M. Shalikashvili
3. General Johnnie E. Wilson
4. Admiral William Owens
5. Lt. Gen. Joe Ballard
6. Lt. Gen. Robert Gard
7. Lt. Gen. Claudia J. Kennedy
8. Lt. Gen. Donald L. Kerrick
9. Lt. Gen. Frederick E. Vollrath
10. Vice Admiral Joseph A. Sestak
11. Major General Roger R. Blunt
12. Major General George A. Buskirk, Jr.
13. Major General Edward L. Correa, Jr.
14. Major General Paul D. Eaton
15. Major General Paul D. Monroe, Jr.
16. Major General Antonio M. Taguba
17. Rear Admiral Connie Mariano
18. Rear Admiral Alan M. Steinman
19. Rear Admiral David Stone
20. Brigadier General Michael Dunn
21. Brigadier General Belisario Flores
22. Brigadier General Evelyn "Pat" Foote
23. Brigadier General Keith H. Kerr
24. Brigadier General Virgil A. Richard
25. Brigadier General Preston Taylor
26. Brigadier General John M. Watkins, Jr.
27. Brigadier General Jack Yeager

At summit, Hillary Rodham Clinton details plans to aid economy

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday held an economic summit and discussed her plans to fix the home foreclosure crisis, reinvest in a sagging manufacturing sector and help students pay for college.

The roundtable, with 15 panelists and an audience of 300, kicked off the Democratic candidate's two-day tour of Appalachian Ohio.

Mrs. Clinton promised to close tax loopholes that benefit companies moving jobs overseas, reinvest in the manufacturing sector, put a moratorium on home foreclosures, and create 5 million "green collar" jobs in the clean energy industry.

"I think we've got some great opportunities here. We hear a lot about the problems and they are serious, but I believe for every problem there is at least one solution," Mrs. Clinton said.

"We just have to start acting like Americans again, and roll up our sleeves and actually solve our problems. No more whining, no more finger pointing. Let's get to work."

Mrs. Clinton assembled plenty of horse power for the Zanesville summit: two governors, two lieutenant governors, former U.S. Sen. John Glenn, labor leaders and business executives, as well as Robert Landry and Beth Dlabay of Dayton, who lost their home to foreclosure on Christmas Eve.

Neil Cavuto: It's Not Over for Hillary

Just today I think I've read no less than half a dozen stories depicting how Hillary Clinton has lost the Democratic nomination.

That if she can't win Texas and Ohio, she's finished.

Another commentator insists that won't be enough. She's got to win them big.

And I'm thinking to myself, "Self, she trails Barack Obama by what? Not even a hundred delegates?"

Both are essentially tied, both a little more than half way there.

Look, I'm not taking sides in this race.

I'm just looking at the numbers in this race.

Let's say, indeed, Hillary doesn't win both Texas and Ohio.

She loses Texas, but wins Ohio.

Let's also say Vermont and Rhode Island are similarly split that day.

By my math, they come out still roughly the same 100 delegates apart.

Perhaps Obama adds to that by picking up wins in the weeks that follow in Wyoming and Mississippi.

But let's say, Hillary Clinton still keeps her big-state advantage, and takes Pennsylvania on April 22 and picks up Oregon, where she's also been polling well, the next month.

Then we're back to where we are and neither candidate at the magic 2025 delegates needed for the nomination.

I don't think any of these are crazy scenarios, actually quite conservative ones.

I guess momentum could change things. But many a pundit's been burned on this momentum thing — it was supposed to help Obama in New Hampshire after Iowa and it didn't — and help Mitt Romney in Florida after Michigan and it didn't do that either.

All I'm saying is it isn't over.

A pundit didn't tell me that.

The numbers did.

The Champion for the Middle Class - Boston Globe

ZANESVILLE, Ohio -- In last night's debate, Hillary Clinton sought to emphasize her fitness to be commander-in-chief, but today in Ohio she is campaigning for a different job: champion-in-chief for the working class.

Knowing that blue-collar workers in this blue-collar state are key to her survival as a presidential candidate, Clinton is trying to demonstrate her mastery of the economy, economic development, and job creation as she stumps across Ohio ahead of Tuesday's primary here.

Hosting an economic summit in Eastern Ohio, she showed off her technocratic side -- talking about Denmark's windmills, Germany's successes with solar power, the $12,000 per year the average family pays for a health care policy, and the particulars of the mortgage crisis.

"It's time that we had a president who's going to be a fighter and a champion for our people again," Clinton said, adding that she will get up every day in the White House and ask, "What are we going to do today to improve the lives of hard-working Americans?"

Not coincidentally, there was also a whiff of protectionism in the air here at Ohio University Zanesville as Clinton, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, and a host of other political and business leaders held a pow-wow to promote Clinton's candidacy.

Clinton vowed to "close every tax loophole that gives one penny of your tax dollars to any company that exports jobs." At least two of the panelists said it was critical that people buy products made in the United States. "If we cannot buy American, fix America first, there's something wrong," said Gary Dwyer, secretary-treasurer for the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council. Clinton replied, "You're absolutely right we have to create a new ethic."

With Clinton and Barack Obama expressing deep concern about trade deals and the consequences of globalization, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez told officials and business leaders in Mexico today that enacting protectionist trade policies would be severely damaging at home and abroad. "Protectionist policies would be devastating for our economy and to economies around the world," he said, according to Reuters.

An Open Letter from William Jefferson Clinton

Dear Friend,

This is a hard-fought campaign. You and I both know it. And now the Obama campaign has upped the stakes again.

In just 24 hours, you closed the $1.3 million advertising gap with Obama this week. In response, their campaign has bought another $1.9 million worth of airtime.

For Hillary to win on March 4, we must close this gap -- and we have to do it quickly. We cannot let this race be decided by Obama's spending advantage on the air.

Help Hillary make up the $1.9 million spending gap in 24 hours with your contribution today.

The ads we put on the air matter. The number of phone calls we make matters. The rides we give to the polls matter. And most important of all, what you do right now matters.

We have the best candidate with the best ideas -- and she's a fighter. She's knows that you are standing with her every step of the way.

So let's show the Obama campaign that they can't win this race just by throwing more money at it.

Let's match that $1.9 million ad buy of his and make sure this is a race of ideas, because that's a race that we know Hillary will win.

Contribute now to help us raise $1.9 million in 24 hours.

You've shown Hillary that you are there for her when she needs you, and it means so much to the both of us. Thank you for all you do.

Sincerely,

Bill Clinton

Ohio for Hillary Announces Statewide Endorsements

Support Grows Among Community Leaders as Ohio Primary Approaches

Columbus, OH - Ohio for Hillary today welcomed the endorsements of three community leaders and elected officials from across Ohio. As the March 4 primary approaches, Hillary’s support continues to grow among community leaders, adding to her momentum in the Buckeye State.

"I am enormously grateful for the support of these three leaders," said Senator Clinton. "Their dedication to their communities and to Ohio is the kind of leadership we need to move this country in the right direction. I look forward to partnering with them so we can bring about the changes that Ohioans want."

Elected officials joining the growing list of distinguished Ohio leaders who have endorsed Hillary for President include:

• State Representative Peter S. Ujvagi
• State Representative Lorraine Fende
• Shelby City Councilman Adam Hill

Hillary's Reviews Are In: 'A Strong New Note,' 'Effective Tone,' 'A Solid Body Blow'

NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell –Hillary ‘came across very credibly, very strongly as a fighter.’ [MSNBC post-debate analysis, 2/26/08]

NBC News’ Domenico Montaro – ‘That was a solid body blow by Clinton on Obama not holding a single hearing on Afghanistan.’ “That was a solid body blow by Clinton on Obama not holding a single hearing on Afghanistan despite that he talks about it being the front line on terrorism and that he chairs the subcommittee on Europe, which oversees NATO. While Obama's explanation may be realistic -- that he became chair at the beginning of his campaign -- doesn't it reinforce Hillary and Bill Clinton's points that he is inexperienced, that he has only been in the Senate for a limited time and hasn't cut his teeth yet. Doesn't that play right into the inexperience narrative quite well?” [MSNBC First Read, 2/26/08]

ABC News’ Rick Klein – ‘It does seem like Clinton has settled on an effective tone this evening.’ “That silly distraction of an SNL reference aside -- it does seem like Clinton has settled on an effective tone this evening. She's mixing substance with style, attacking without seeming overtly negative, sounding like she's playing defense when she's really playing offense.” [ABC News Political Radar, 2/26/08]

The Swamp's Jason George – 'Clinton strikes a new strong note, saying she plans to get $55 billion back from special interest groups for the American middle class.' [Chicago Tribune’s The Swamp, 2/26/08]

NBC News’ David Gregory said Hillary’s ‘answer on having to be a fighter on health care is her strong suit.’ “Senator Clinton the fighter. This answer on having to be a fighter on health care is her strong suit. Her point in lampooning Obama's high-flying oratory is to say, I, too, had only the highest ideals about public service in Washington. But I know through experience, you need different tactics. This is her experience argument.” [MSNBC First Read, 2/26/08]

MyDD’s Todd Beeton – Hillary’s ‘I’m a fighter’ line was ‘one of her best selling points.’ "Hillary Clinton: "I'm a fighter." One of her best selling points, especially against Obama." [MyDD.com, 2/26/08]

Ohio Daily Blog – ‘Clinton did well with Russert's question about her 2000 pledge about creating jobs in Buffalo.’ [Ohio Daily Blog, 2/26/08]

WCPO Radio’s Dan Walthrip – ‘Hillary Clinton certainly claimed ownership of the word 'universal' in terms of healthcare.’ [WKYC post-debate analysis, 2/26/08]

Hillary Questions Unfair Debate Questioning

On national television Tuesday night, Hillary Clinton seemed to wonder if she's being picked on -- by debate questioners.

And, in an offbeat moment sure to be replayed, she went on to refer to a skit on "Saturday Night Live" that (no doubt to the show's supreme delight) her campaign aides have previously sought to spotlight.

Clinton squared off with Barack Obama in Ohio and the two Democratic presidential contenders quickly engaged in a lengthy debate on their healthcare plans (16 minutes, according to moderator Brian Williams). Neither gave an inch -- each insisting their respective plans were superior and that a panoply of experts agreed. Presumably, it now will be up to voters in Ohio and Texas to vet this dispute in their closely watched primaries next Tuesday.

Clinton was asked to comment first on the issue, given that she harshly accused Obama over the weekend of unfairly representing her healthcare plan.

Turning to their next major dispute of late -- the North American Free Trade Agreement -- Clinton again was asked to comment first, given that during the early 1990s she seemed to stand foursquare behind her husband, President Bill Clinton, as he pushed the controversial pact through Congress.

Before focusing on the topic, she said she found it "curious" ...

that, according to her, at the "last several debates" she seemed to be targeted for the first question.

We can't recall if she's right about that. But we're pretty sure the matter will have been thoroughly vetted by morning. It also will be interesting to see if Clinton will be seen as standing up for herself or acting a bit petulant.

It all might have been mainly a ruse to work in that reference to the SNL spoof that showed Obama being fawned over by media types. Here was the entire Clinton remark, when the NAFTA query was kicked her way:

"Well, could I just point out that, in the last several debates, I seem to get the first question all the time. And I don't mind. You know, I'll be happy to field them, but I do find it curious. And if anybody saw 'Saturday Night Live,' you know, maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow."

LA Times: Obama Fumbles on Farrakhan Question

Obama's Farrakhan answer gives Clinton an opening

When you've debated as often as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have, it's hard to find fresh material to spar over. But -- who knew? -- Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan provided such fodder Tuesday night. And the result may have been some crucial points scored by Clinton in their face-off in Ohio.

At the least, Obama appeared to dance around how far he should distance himself from the unsolicited backing he received over the weekend from Farrakhan until Clinton cornered him. At that point, he both denounced AND rejected that support.

Obama had been asked a straightforward question by moderator Tim Russert: Did he accept Farrakhan's support.

The following exchange occurred:

Obama: "You know, I have been very clear in my denunciation of Minister Farrakhan's anti-Semitic comments. I think they are unacceptable and reprehensible. I did not solicit this support. He expressed pride in an African American who seems to be bringing the country together. I obviously can't censor him, but it is not support that I sought. And we're not doing anything, I assure you, formally or informally with Minister Farrakhan.

Russert: "Do you reject his support?"

Obama: "Well, Tim, I can't say to somebody that he can't say that he thinks I'm a good guy."

True enough, but probably ...

not the answer most Jewish Americans wanted to hear. As a result, Obama risked creating the perception for some that he might be somewhat reluctant to completely throw overboard a controversial leader who is not without some stroke within the black community (witness the 1995 Million Man March).

Clinton clearly saw it that way, and sought to put Obama on the spot. She interjected that, during her initial Senate run in 2000, she was endorsed by a splinter party in New York that "was under the control of people who were anti-Semitic, anti-Israel. And I made it very clear that I did not want their support. I rejected it. ... And there's a difference between denouncing and rejecting."

Obama responded: "I have to say I don't see a difference between denouncing and rejecting."

He needs to check a dictionary on that.

Then he decided to yield the point: "But if the word 'reject' Sen. Clinton feels is stronger than the word 'denounce,' then I'm happy to concede the point, and I would reject and denounce."

He could have saved himself some potential grief if he had been less circular arriving at that point.

Clinton links Obama, Bush foreign experience

WASHINGTON - It may well be the biggest insult one Democratic presidential candidate can hurl at another -- that your opponent is no more competent than George W. Bush.

Senator Hillary Clinton argued yesterday that rival Barack Obama lacks the judgment to handle global threats facing America, likening his national security inexperience to the current President's limited foreign policy knowledge when he took office in early 2001.

Touting her own global relations credentials ahead of key primaries next week in Ohio and Texas, Ms. Clinton cast Mr. Obama as a political neophyte who would need a "foreign policy instruction manual" during world crises.

"We've seen the tragic result of having a president who had neither the experience nor the wisdom to manage our foreign policy and safeguard our national security," Ms. Clinton said during a speech at George Washington University. "We can't let that happen again. America has already taken that chance--one time too many."

Latest Polling Data - Rhode Island

Rhode Island

ARG:
Clinton 52
Obama 40

Rasmussen
Clinton 53
Obama 38

Latest Polling Data - Ohio

Ohio

ARG
Clinton 49
Obama 39

Public Policy Polling
Clinton 50
Obama 46

Quinnipiac
Clinton 51 (55)
Obama 40 (34)

U of Cincinnati Ohio Poll (PDF)
Clinton 47
Obama 39

CBS: Don't Be Quick to Count Out a Clinton

(AP) History shows the folly of counting out a Clinton.

If Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign is looking more and more like the Titanic, she may yet prove to be the unsinkable Molly Brown.

Ask Mike McCurry about the Clintons' resilience. McCurry worked for Bob Kerrey, one of Bill Clinton's chief rivals in the 1992 presidential campaign. He remembers the day details broke about Clinton's efforts to avoid the Vietnam draft, just weeks after allegations had surfaced of an affair with Gennifer Flowers.

"He's toast," McCurry told co-workers on the Kerrey campaign. "He's never going to survive this." McCurry went on to become Clinton's chief White House spokesman.

Hillary Clinton was a huge factor in her husband's 1992 victory _ and in any number of other recoveries during his agony-and-ecstasy political career. Now, she's the one attempting to rebound from 11 straight primary and caucus losses to Barack Obama.

HILLARY LEADS IN OHIO

Polls show Hillary leading Barack as primary nears

Two polls of likely Democratic voters in Ohio show Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama with eight days until the March 4 presidential primary.

Obama is gaining on Clinton in a Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll released today. Clinton is leading 51 percent to 40 percent among likely Ohio Democratic primary voters.

Clinton is leading Obama by 8 percentage points, 47 percent to 39 percent, in today’s Ohio Poll, conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati.

The Ohio Poll was conducted from Thursday to Sunday via telephone of 529 likely Democratic voters in the state. The margin of error is 4.3 percent. Quinnipiac polled 564 likely Ohio Democratic voters over the telephone between Feb. 6 and 12 with a margin of error of 4.1 percent.

Among the 1,748 Ohio voters — likely Democrats, likely Republicans and independents — who Quinnipiac polled, there is a statistical dead-heat in potential November general election races between McCain and Clinton and McCain and Obama.

Clinton hits rival on foreign affairs

By Rick Pearson and Mike Dorning |Tribune correspondents

February 26, 2008

WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton warned Americans on Monday not to take a chance on Barack Obama's lack of experience on military and foreign affairs, while he questioned her commitment to fixing trade policies that have devastated Ohio's industrial base.

On the Republican side, likely GOP nominee Sen. John McCain said if he can't convince Americans that the U.S. policy in Iraq is succeeding, "then I lose. I lose." Speaking to reporters in Ohio, the Arizona senator quickly sought to backtrack and said, "I'd like to retract 'I'll lose,' " though he acknowledged he is closely tied to the U.S. military "surge" and support for the American presence in Iraq.

The increasingly intense rhetoric between the Democratic contenders was a prelude to a debate Tuesday night in Cleveland, the last before primaries March 4 in Ohio and Texas that could determine the fate of Clinton's campaign. Clinton has said she plans to make her experience a focus of the remainder of the primary campaign.

Latest Ohio Polls Are In...Clinton and McCain Lead

Ohio voters prefer Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama by 8 points, and John McCain has a double-digit lead over Mike Huckabee, according to the results from the latest Ohio Poll.

The poll queried people likely to vote in the Democratic and Republican primaries on March 4. The results:

• 47 percent of likely Democratic voters would cast their ballots for Clinton, versus 39 percent for Obama. Another 9 percent favored John Edwards, who has suspended his campaign; 2 percent would vote for other candidates and 4 percent are undecided.
• 55 percent of likely Republican voters would vote for McCain, versus 20 percent for Huckabee. Another 9 percent would choose Mitt Romney, who has also suspended his campaign; 5 percent favor Ron Paul; 8 percent support other candidates and 3 percent are undecided.
• 41 percent of Democratic respondents named the economy/jobs as their biggest concern, followed by health care/health insurance (25 percent) and the war in Iraq/Iraq policy (16 percent).
• 30 percent of Republican respondents felt the economy/jobs was the top issue, followed by homeland security/national defense (16 percent); and the war in Iraq/Iraq policy (9 percent).

The Ohio Poll is conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. Telephone interviews were conducted with 529 likely Democratic voters and 312 likely Republican voters from Feb. 21 through Feb. 24.

Hillary Leads in Ohio

Polls show Hillary leading Barack as primary nears

Two polls of likely Democratic voters in Ohio show Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama with eight days until the March 4 presidential primary.

Obama is gaining on Clinton in a Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll released today. Clinton is leading 51 percent to 40 percent among likely Ohio Democratic primary voters.

Clinton is leading Obama by 8 percentage points, 47 percent to 39 percent, in today’s Ohio Poll, conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati.

The Ohio Poll was conducted from Thursday to Sunday via telephone of 529 likely Democratic voters in the state. The margin of error is 4.3 percent. Quinnipiac polled 564 likely Ohio Democratic voters over the telephone between Feb. 6 and 12 with a margin of error of 4.1 percent.

Among the 1,748 Ohio voters — likely Democrats, likely Republicans and independents — who Quinnipiac polled, there is a statistical dead-heat in potential November general election races between McCain and Clinton and McCain and Obama.

Don't Count Hillary Out Yet

Feb. 23

For months now we have watched an incredibly biased media weigh in on the race for the Democratic presidential nominee south of the border. While Hillary Clinton was ahead of Barack Obama by nearly 200 delegates, the words from the media were "dead heat" and "virtual tie." The second Obama overtook her by less than 50 delegates, the words turned to "winning" and "momentum."

When Clinton criticizes Obama, she is dismissed as negative. When Obama criticizes Clinton, he continues to be portrayed as the underdog and the saviour of the world.

So it was refreshing to read Tim Harper's article – the most honest description I have seen in print regarding what is really going on in this race. Harper describes the race for Clinton's supporters as "being decided by applause lines, as if the country were engaged in a giant game of Presidential American Idol." He describes Obama as a "foreign affairs neophyte ... with no substantive legislative record" who is "overselling his ability to change the ways of Washington."

While hope and inspiration are wonderful things, it is a relief to see that there are still some journalists left who have not mindlessly jumped on the Obama bandwagon, blinded by the "balloon of hope" and the "fires of inspiration."

Karen Jutzi, Toronto

Hillary Wins Over RI

PROVIDENCE - Senator Hillary Clinton told Rhode Islanders she is not overlooking their March 4 primary as she attempts to blunt Senator Barack Obama's momentum following his victories in 10 straight contests across the country.
"Rhode Island is right up there with Ohio and Texas," Clinton said to an estimated crowd of 5,000 in a gymnasium at Rhode Island College yesterday, aligning New England's smallest state with those some say are key to sustaining her campaign for president.

Clinton played up the differences between her universal healthcare plan and Obama's healthcare proposal in the rally and later at a roundtable discussion, which came a day after she blasted the Illinois senator's campaign for what she said were misleading mailers criticizing her plan.

"His plan cannot cover everybody because his plan does not require that everybody be covered," she said in the 35-minute speech.

"Senator Obama says I'm going to make people get healthcare whether they can afford it or not. That is false, it is misleading, and it has been discredited, and yet his campaign continues to say it."

Clinton, Obama toughen their attacks

By Claudia Parsons

PROVIDENCE, R.I., Feb 24 (Reuters) - Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama sharpened their attacks on each other on Sunday as they headed for showdowns in Texas and Ohio on March 4.

Clinton, who trails Illinois Sen. Obama in delegates to this summer's national convention that will pick the Democratic candidate for the November election, needs wins in both Texas and Ohio to keep her campaign afloat.

"I'm working as hard as I can," the New York senator told reporters in Rhode Island, which also votes on March 4. "I have good campaigns in Texas and Ohio and I feel really positive about what's going to happen on March 4."

The former first lady, who would be the first woman U.S. president, toughened her attacks on Obama and some leaflets he circulated in Ohio criticizing her health care plan and past support for the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"Nobody believes Senator Obama's plan is universal because it's not. Mine is," she said in Rhode Island, which also votes on March 4. "So raise legitimate questions but don't engage in, you know, this kind of false and misleading advertising."

"There's a big difference between what is said in that campaign and what is done in that campaign," she said.

Clinton to fire up White House campaign before key votes

WASHINGTON (AFP) — White House hopeful Hillary Clinton was to fire up her campaign Monday, just over a week before key primaries billed as a make-or-break date in her bid to be the country's first woman president.

Just a few days ago, pundits said Clinton was preparing a graceful exit from the Democrats' White House race in face of her seemingly unstoppable rival Barack Obama, who has won the 11 last nominating contests in a row.

Now heading into must-win battles on March 4 in Ohio and Texas, Clinton has come out fighting.

Several press reports on Sunday said Clinton's advisors, demoralized in the face of the Obama steamroller, were preparing for the campaign's last rites in Ohio and Texas.

But Clinton's communications chief Howard Wolfson denied the end was nigh for the New York senator.

"I believe that we are going to do well in Ohio and Texas. I'm not even thinking about other alternatives," he said.

Clinton herself was pulling the gloves off, accusing her rival from Illinois of purloining Republican smear tactics in his attacks on her healthcare and trade policies.

"Shame on you, Barack Obama," Clinton said at a rally in Ohio, which along with Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont holds its Democratic primary on March 4.

"Meet me in Ohio. Let's have a debate about your tactics and your behavior in this campaign," she challenged Obama, who is bidding to be the country's first black president.

Hillary to Obama: Shame on You!

(CNN) -- A visibly angry Sen. Hillary Clinton lashed out Saturday at Sen. Barack Obama over campaign literature that she said he knows is "blatantly false," while Obama called her outburst "tactical."

Sen. Hillary Clinton waves campaign literature she says is false. Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is behind her.

Clinton jabbed the air with her hands as she told a crowd in Cincinnati, Ohio, that two Obama mailings spread lies about her positions on universal health care and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"Shame on you, Barack Obama," she said.

Polls show Clinton and Obama are in statistical dead heats in delegate-rich Ohio and Texas, which both hold votes March 4.

With Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland nodding in agreement behind her, Clinton accused Obama of emulating the tactics of Karl Rove, President Bush's former political director who is reviled by Democrats.

Obama "is continuing to send false and discredited mailings with information that is not true to the voters of Ohio," Clinton said.

One mailing says her health care proposal would force everyone to buy health insurance, regardless of ability to pay, a charge Clinton vehemently denied.

"Sen. Obama knows it is not true that my plan forces people to buy insurance even if they can't afford it," she said.

The NAFTA mailer says Clinton was a "champion" for NAFTA while first lady, but now opposes it. NAFTA was negotiated by the first President Bush and signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

"I am fighting to change NAFTA," Hillary Clinton said Saturday.

Akron Beacon Journal Endorses Hillary

COLUMBUS, OH – Today, Senator Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of the Akron Beacon Journal in the upcoming Ohio presidential primary.

In their endorsement editorial, the Beacon Journal wrote, “the country is best-served by the president with the knowledge, savvy and temperament to push Washington forward… Hillary Clinton is the more proven leader.”

Excerpts of the endorsement follow below:

Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary

"This editorial page has in mind the question of which candidate would make the stronger president, which candidate is more prepared for all the Oval Office presents its occupant, and the many challenges before the country at home and abroad.

"We recommend a vote for Hillary Clinton in the March 4 presidential primary...

"The regrettable thing is, too little time in this campaign has been spent acknowledging the past eight years that Clinton has spent representing New York in the U.S. Senate. She has moved beyond those harshly partisan times. She has worked effectively with Democrats and Republicans, even those who once pushed for the impeachment of her husband. She has won praise from the Pentagon for her work on the Armed Services Committee.

"Many military officers recognize she would be a formidable commander in chief.

"Her resilience has deserved more attention, too. Many Clinton watchers point to her grit. There is something larger at work: Her temperament stands out as one of her finest qualities. Lose in a bid for sweeping reform of health care, and Clinton comes back with a program less ambitious but still substantial, achieving broader insurance coverage for children. The 1990s taught lessons, Clinton shedding much self-righteousness, acquiring the skills to navigate successfully in Washington.

"Most impressive is her keen intelligence. No candidate in this race, Republican or Democrat, can match her command of issues, foreign and domestic. Consider health care and education, two of the country's highest priorities. Clinton speaks to each with depth and clarity, articulating, say, the value of universal health coverage or ways to repair the troubled student loan program.

"This race hardly has left room for fiscal discipline, amid all the promises and plans. Yet Clinton has demonstrated the most restraint. She articulates an approach overseas that involves this country playing a leading role, yet finding ways to work with others, understanding that issues such as combating terrorism, curbing climate change and opening trade require global strategies...

"One frequently noted virtue of Hillary Clinton is that she is battle-tested, ready for whatever the Republicans throw at their opponent. Actually, she is tested in a more telling way. Neither John McCain, nor Barack Obama, nor Hillary Clinton has much direct management experience. Still, of the three, Clinton has been on the scene in the governor's office and in the White House, alert to the pace and the breadth of the job. That makes a difference. She understands well the unique demands of the presidency...

"If both candidates represent a certain change, one seeking to become the first black president, the other the first woman president, the country is best-served by the president with the knowledge, savvy and temperament to push Washington forward, building coalitions at the political center. Barack Obama carries much promise of doing so. Hillary Clinton is the more proven leader."

Hillary Clinton: Addressing the Needs of Families In Today’s Economy

Today, Hillary Clinton outlined her agenda to provide tangible benefits for Ohio families, too many of whom are struggling to stay afloat in an economy that is sliding towards recession. Hillary’s plans will help Ohio’s parents manage the responsibilities of caring for their children and caring for their aging parents, afford quality health care, and enable their children to attend college, which opens the door to more job opportunities.

Since 2000, Ohio’s median household income has decreased by 6.6%. Over the same period, health insurance premiums increased by 43% and the cost of college grew by almost 60%. The average gas price in Ohio is now $3, up from $1.50 in 2001. The average home heating costs have gone from $945 to $1,059 in the past year alone, an increase of 12%. Ohio’s families are facing rising costs while they face lower wages.

It’s time for a president who will put Ohio’s families first. As President, Hillary will: create jobs; lower health care costs; increase access to college; create new tax credits to offset the cost of caregiving and long-term care; enact paid leave for all workers; provide more affordable child care; provide guaranteed sick days; and establish American Retirement Accounts and tax benefits for retirement savings.

AP: Hillary Defends Bill Against Misguided Attacks

By BETH FOUHY – 14 hours ago

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton strongly defended her husband's record on civil rights Saturday at a forum in which she acknowledged "painful moments" in a presidential contest pitting the first woman candidate against a pioneering black contender.

At the annual State of the Black Union conference hosted by PBS's Tavis Smiley, Clinton pushed back hard on the notion that Bill Clinton had inflamed racial tensions while campaigning for her in the run-up to South Carolina's primary last month.

The former president — once so popular among black voters he was dubbed the first black president by novelist Toni Morrison — harshly criticized Barack Obama in South Carolina, producing a backlash among blacks that helped lead to his wife's crushing defeat there.

FactCheck.org: Obama Mailing "Misleading"

Clinton said "every Democrat should be outraged" at two "false" mailers that Obama sent to voters in Ohio.

We find that a mailer criticizing her position on trade is indeed misleading. One that attacks her health-care plan we have previously described as straining the facts, though not exactly "false."

* Trade: A mailer showing a locked plant gate quotes Clinton as saying she believed NAFTA was "a boon" to the economy. Those are not her words and Obama was wrong to put quote marks around them. In fact, she's been described by a biographer as privately opposing NAFTA in the White House.

* Health Care: A second mailer said Clinton's health care plan "forces everyone to buy insurance, even if you can't afford it." We have previously said that mailer "lacks context" and strains the facts. But both Obama and Clinton have been exaggerating their differences on this issue.

Boston Globe: In Ohio, Clinton counts on the 'economy' voters

By Susan Milligan
Globe Staff / February 23, 2008

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - For Tom Buffenbarger, the choice in the Democratic primary is simple: a man with a dream and a woman with a plan. And to him, Barack Obama's lofty vision doesn't answer the nuts-and-bolts questions working-class America has for its next president.

"What do you want? The editor of the Harvard Law Review or a fighter for working families?" Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of Machinists, bellowed at an Ohio rally for Clinton on Tuesday night, just after Obama was declared the winner of the Wisconsin primary.

At campaign events, Buffenbarger said, Obama "cocks his head and lifts his nose up" as he talks about changing the tone of American politics. "Hope? Change? 'Yes, we can?' Give me a break!" the union leader mocked, drawing boisterous hoots from the crowd.

They are Clinton's firewall: the working-class voters who say they don't want to hear fancy words about changing Washington; they want to know exactly how the next president is going to bring jobs to their struggling communities and make sure their children have healthcare.

Daily Kos: The Heart of a Champion

by Alegre
Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 06:18:59 PM PST

We had a rough day yesterday to be sure. I finally called it a day around 1am and as I was clearing out the dishes hubby left in the sink (sigh, again) I paused for a minute - leaned on the sink and thought... how in the HELL does Hillary keep on going in the face of the hate, the anger, the unfair media coverage, the sexism, and - tonight especially – this latest disappointment?

What drives this sister with the heart of a lioness?

Getting back into the White House?
Nooooo. She’s been there before.

Receiving more adulation and love from the MSM & the press (Tweety & Russert)?
Hardly!

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she is the very definition of a public servant. She sees how much work there is to be done and she knows she’s the one person who’ll actually get results. She’s got a long history of public service and sticking up for those without a voice.

Stuart O'Neill: We Need a Warrior

n a era threatened by the nuclear capability of Pakistan, India and China and the emerging Iran; in a era when Christian Nationalist’s are actively planning a generational strategy to take over the US Government; in an era when one party wants to starve the government of cash so it must cut back services; in an era when a war in Iraq continues to cost American lives; in a era of unprecedented $410 Billion budget deficit, at those times America needs a Warrior.

We need someone proven under fire. A person who has withstood the worse political invective and remains not only standing but doing better work than ever. We need a Warrior.

A political Warrior is: “… a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness, as in politics …”. David Gergen on CNN noticed her glancing nod towards this part of her background. It is his judgment that a new message, “I am the Warrior who can face the challenges and win the day.”, would be well accepted. He’s right.

Describing herself as an experienced Warrior, an experienced fighter, HRC will create an entirely different mind-image and generate a different emotional reaction with supporters and voters. While being ‘experienced’ is an amorphous term, word Warrior itself rings with authenticity given her history.

In her closing statement in last night’s debate HRC did, again, show herself to be a caring, internally motivated campaigner/fighter. She also started the path towards using the ‘Warrior’ meme. If she continues to do both in the next few weeks she can change the campaign. I hope she stops listening to consultants who didn’t seem to learn from the moment in NH and keep asking her to recycle campaign themes that continue to lose against Obama.

“America Needs A Warrior.” It is the truth. She’s not only qualified for the job but she’s a fighter, a Warrior. I hope someone is listening. The American people need a Warrior.

Huge Crowd Greets Hillary in Brownsville

Candidate promises to begin troop withdrawl within 60 days of inauguration
By Rachel Benavidez and Aaron Nelsen/The Brownsville Herald
2008-02-20 20:15:00

"Buenas noches, Brownsville!" Henry Cisneros said and took the stage for what he called a "classic South Texas political rally."

Cisneros, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, introduced state and congressional dignitaries who joined him to speak about their pick for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"This is an exciting date for us. We are going to greet in a very short time the next president of the United States of America," State Rep. Rene Oliveira said and announced that Clinton had just crossed the Brownsville city limit sign.

"What you’re going to have to do is yell a little louder, so that she can hear you," Oliveira said and again offered his support for Clinton and her husband, whom he called "the best president we’ve ever had."

"And she’s going to be the next best president we’ve ever had," he said.

Students, voters, children and media mixed in the crowd of an estimated 5,000 supporters.

With a U.S. flag painted on her forehead and stars on her cheeks, Jevalya Smith waited anxiously a top her father’s shoulders for presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton to arrive.

“(Jevalya) didn’t believe Hillary was going to be here,” said Vonia Smith, Jevalya’s mother.

“She thought it would just be somebody in a costume.” Smith and her husband Ricardo Juarez are both students at UTB-TSC and the parents of two daughters.

Smith and Juarez lack health care as do their daughters. Because they believe Clinton offers the best health care plan the couple said they would vote for her.

“We need help,” Vonia said. “We need health care. We need this country to be competitive again.”

The crowd erupted in cheers when Mike Trujillo, statewide field director for the Clinton campaign, asked, "Is this Clinton Country?"

"Yes!" was the hearty response.

"Are we gonna give a Texas-sized winning?" he asked and received the same big ol’ "Yes!"

Trujillo and a handful of Hillary Clinton staff workers moved the crowd from their Tejano music rhythm to chants for the candidate.

Sen. Clinton had not appeared on the stage but the energy was high in the standing-room only Student Union lawn.

Wash Post: Hillary Soldiers On

In recent weeks, Clinton has increasingly turned to recounting anecdotes about people she has met, shifting attention away from her and back to voters, a formula that Bill Clinton used to great effect.

She recalled some of those individuals -- a soldier in San Antonio, a working mother in McAllen -- at a street-corner event in Dallas. And later in the day at an economic roundtable in Columbus, Ohio, where she stood in front of a banner that read "Solutions for the American Economy," she solicited stories from visitors about their economic problems, including one woman's tale of losing her home to foreclosure. But the motorcade accident hung like a dark cloud at every moment, with Clinton pointing to the four children the officer left behind as an example of the need for a social safety net.

Her supporters gasped as she described the accident in Dallas earlier in the day. "It was just heartbreaking," she told the hushed auditorium.

Clinton will travel to New Orleans on Saturday before heading to Rhode Island, another March 4 state, on Sunday. She and Obama are scheduled to participate in a debate in Cleveland on Tuesday night -- possibly their last.

The Moment of the Debate...

Hillary Clinton rallies supporters in Dallas, Fort Worth

Mrs. Clinton’s debate performance prompted Dallas resident Anita Nabejar to deliver a special gift to her. “Last night, when I saw the last part of the debate, it brought me to tears. She’s so sincere,” Ms. Nabejar said.

The 51-year-old woman said she already has asked permission of Clinton campaign workers to give the candidate a rosary of pearls and gold. It was given to her a year ago from a friend who had traveled to Rome.

“It’s been blessed,” she said.

She said she wasn’t bothered that Mrs. Clinton is Methodist. “She’s got to believe in God,” Ms. Nabejar said.

Toby Sandifer, 43, of Lake Charles, La., was one of a group of 10 residents from the Homeward Bound drug and alcohol treatment center who were awaiting Mrs. Clinton’s arrival. Mr. Sandifer said he already had voted for her.

“I’m from south Louisiana and I like Bill Clinton. I want to hear what she has to say. I like her policy on health care. Health care is important to this group. We are also HIV patients,” he said.

FIVE FACTS ABOUT DEMOCRATIC DELEGATES

FACT: Pledged delegates and automatic delegates are the same - they each count for ONE vote.

The Democratic Party chooses its delegates in three ways: 1) through primaries where millions vote; 2) through caucuses where thousands vote; and 3) it gives a role to elected leaders and other party activists in the process. [more]

Automatic delegates (commonly referred to as "super delegates") comprise the third category. Automatic delegates come from all 56 states and territories and consist of Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors, distinguished party leaders (including former Democratic presidents, vice presidents, former House and Senate Democratic leaders and former DNC Chairs) and members of the Democratic National Committee. These DNC members are activists and grassroots supporters who are focused on helping Democrats win at all levels of elective office. There is no difference between pledged delegates and automatic delegates - they each count as one delegate in the final tally and no distinction is made between them at the convention.

FACT: Neither candidate can secure the nomination without automatic delegates.

The Obama campaign is trying to shut down the Democratic race before the rest of the country votes. There are still many states and territories that have not voted with over 1000 delegates at stake. [more]

These delegates represent nearly half of the 2,208 delegate votes needed for the nomination. It is mathematically impossible for Sen. Obama to secure the delegate votes needed for the nomination without automatic delegates. This is why, despite publicly attempting to discount the role of automatic delegates, the Obama campaign is aggressively courting - and pressuring - them behind the scenes.

FACT: Automatic delegates are expected to exercise their best judgment in the interests of the nation and the Democratic Party.

The Obama campaign is claiming that automatic delegates must follow the lead of pledged delegates and switch their vote to Sen. Obama. [more]

This is false and unfounded - and it is contradicted by Sen. Obama's top strategist, David Axelrod, who said, "These are elected officials from across the country and they're supposed to exercise their judgment as to what would be best for the party. And as they look at this, they need to decide who would be the strongest candidate for the party." This view is echoed by other prominent Democratic leaders, including House Majority Whip James Clyburn and DNC Chairman Howard Dean, who has said of automatic delegates, "Their role is to exercise their best judgment in the interests of the nation and of the Democratic Party."

FACT: Florida and Michigan should count, both in the interest of fundamental fairness and honoring the spirit of the Democrats' 50-state strategy.

An important part of the debate over delegates is the role of Florida and Michigan. Hillary Clinton believes that the voices of 600,000 Michigan primary voters and 1.75 million Florida primary voters should be heard at the Democratic convention. [more]

In the 2004 presidential race, the turnout in Michigan was only a quarter of what it was this year - and the 2004 turnout in Florida was less than half of what it was this year. With such dramatically increased turnout, Hillary won those two states and she did it with all candidates on an equal footing. In Florida, all presidential candidates were on the primary ballot and all followed the rules (except for Sen. Obama who broke the rules by running television ads in violation of his pledge to the early states and to the other presidential candidates). In Michigan, Sen. Obama voluntarily withdrew his name from the primary ballot to curry favor with Iowa. He was under no obligation to do so. However, his supporters organized a substantial vote for 'uncommitted' on the ballot, thus he is represented in the delegation. Hillary Clinton obeyed all the rules in Florida and Michigan and came out ahead. She had no intrinsic advantage over her opponents other than the will of the voters. The voters of Florida and Michigan should be heard and the delegates from Florida and Michigan should count.

FACT: There is a clear path to an overall delegate majority (pledged + automatic) for Hillary Clinton after all states have voted -- with or without Florida and Michigan.

Contrary to the Obama campaign's claims that the race is over, all voters should have their say before a candidate declares victory and tries to circumvent the democratic process. The race is currently a virtual tie, with the campaigns now separated by a small handful of delegates, barely 2% of all the delegates to the Democratic Convention. [more]

It was THE moment of the debate...

Boston Herald: When backing Barack feels like joining a cult

By Margery Eagan | Thursday, February 21, 2008

I’m an Obama girl and my man throttled Hillary Clinton, again, Tuesday night.

Suddenly, the impossible is real.

Suddenly, I’m nervous. Very nervous, actually.

I’m nervous because an otherwise normal grownup told me yesterday she’s watched the will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas) “Yes We Can” Obama video about 100 times and gets “weepy” every time.

I’m nervous because a longtime political type, normally quite cynical, now waxes rhapsodic about Obama’s “cool.”

“He’s elegant, controlled, the best-dressed candidate ever,” he says. Never a red tie, yellow or bright blue. No, Obama does a subdued lean charcoal gray suit with a gray or silvery tie. Everything muted, measured, fluid. “He floats onto the stage, a bit of the Fred Astaire thing going.”

Fred Astaire?

This same man, 100 percent anti-illegal aliens, fears Obama could pull a Reagan or a JFK on the Mexican border, head down there, chanting, “Tear down this wall!” or even do an “Ich bin ein Tijuana!!!”

He’s with Obama anyway.

I’m nervous because Harvard political genius Elaine Kamarck told me Hillary understands the various messes we’re in far better than Obama.

Suppose Kamarck’s right?

I’m nervous about the “O’Bambi” factor. Will the terrorists move in next door when Obama’s in the White House?

I’m nervous because Michelle Obama, about whom I just wrote a fawning puff piece, now says that until her husband’s stunning ascendancy, she’s never before been proud of America. Huh?

Barack now claims she didn’t mean it. Oh, yes she did. We all know the insufferable, holier-than-thou, Blame-America-First types who lecture the unwashed from the rarefied air of Cambridge and Brookline.

If I wanted lecturing, I’d be with Hillary.

I’m nervous because too many Obama-philes sound like Moonies, or Hare Krishnas, or the Hale-Bopp-Is-Coming-To-Get-Me nuts.

These true believers “Obama-ize” everything. They speak Obama-ese. Knit for Obama. Run for Obama. Gamble - Hold ’Em Barack! - for Obama. They make Obama cakes, underwear, jewelry. They send Valentine cards reading, “I want to Barack your world!”

At campaign rallies people scream, cry, even faint as Obama calmly calls for the EMTs. When supporters pant en masse, “I love you!” (like The Beatles, circa 1964), Barack says, “I love you back” with that deliciously charming, almost cocky smile.

Oh - I’m nervous because it’s all gone to his head and he hasn’t even won yet.

I’m nervous because it’s gone to a lot of other people’s heads as well. Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings introduced Obama last week in Baltimore and said, “This is not a campaign for president of the United States, this is a movement to change the world.”

“He walks into a room and you want to follow him somewhere, anywhere,” says George Clooney.

“I’ll do whatever he says to do,” says actress Halle Berry. “I’ll collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear.”

I’m nervous because nobody’s quite sure what Obama stands for, even his supporters. (“I can’t wait to see,” said actress/activist Susan Sarandon, declaring full support nonetheless).

I’m nervous because even his biggest fans can’t name Obama’s accomplishments, including Texas state Sen. Kirk Watson, an Obama-man who humiliated himself when MSNBC’s Chris Matthews asked him about five times to name something, anything, Obama’s done. Watson hemmed. Watson hawed. Watson gave up.

I’m nervous because John McCain says Obama’s is “an eloquent but empty call for change” and in the wee, wee hours, a nagging voice whispers, suppose McCain’s right, too? Then what?

HILLARY SPEAKS FOR ME!

Check out the new website built for and by Hillary's supporters at www.hillaryspeaksforme.com

HILLARY SPEAKS FOR ME!

Check out the new website built for and by Hillary's supporters at

Clinton rallies college crowd on the border

By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN Associated Press Writer
© 2008 The Associated Press

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Coming off another round of stinging primary defeats, Hillary Clinton returned to South Texas Wednesday to show that her opponent is not the only one who can draw big college crowds.

On the University of Texas at Brownsville campus less than a mile from the Mexican border, Clinton promised to improve education for Hispanics, make college affordable for every American and develop a better illegal immigration plan than the one that threatens to divide this campus with a border fence.

But first she will have to stop rival Democrat Barack Obama.

Clinton is counting on primary wins in delegate-rich Texas and Ohio March 4 to close the gap Obama has won all 10 contests since Super Tuesday Feb. 5. Obama won by wide margins in Wisconsin and Hawaii Tuesday. Clinton will need 57 percent of all remaining delegates to surmount Obama's lead.

As in her visit to the Rio Grande Valley last week, Clinton drew on her experience registering voters door-to-door along the Rio Grande in 1972 to connect with the crowd. An estimated crowd of 4,000 packed a lawn behind the student union on a humid Wednesday night.

"When I was a student I came to the Valley for my very first political job," Clinton said. "I'm going to crisscross Texas but my heart is always in the Valley."

"She knows the Valley, she knows our struggles," State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. shouted to the crowd. "South Texas will make the difference in winning the state of Texas."

Hillary Counting on Hispanics in Texas

By Indira Lakshmanan

Feb. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Next to her gold medallion of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Rosa Rosales of San Antonio wears a button for the woman she considers another patron of Mexican-Americans: Hillary Clinton.

The New York senator needs to prevail in the March 4 primary in Texas, the second most-populous and delegate-rich state in the nation, to salvage her dwindling chances of becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. Her victory hinges on winning a substantial majority of Hispanics, who are likely to account for about 35 percent of the Democratic primary electorate, Latino polling experts said.

The front-runner, Illinois Senator Barack Obama, is campaigning to cut into her base, with some success. To hold him off, Clinton probably needs to replicate her performance in the Feb. 5 primary in California, another state with a large Hispanic population, where she carried 71 percent of those voters, according to exit polls.

Clinton, 60, ``has to keep her base and expand her base or she loses,'' said Lydia Camarillo, vice president of Southwest Voters Registration Education Project, a San Antonio-based nonprofit group. ``Hispanics are finally in the driver's seat.''

Clinton, McCain Push Experience Button

By LAURA MECKLER and JACKIE CALMES

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Barack Obama is facing attacks on two fronts on one of the toughest issues facing his campaign: whether he has the experience necessary to be the nation's commander in chief.

Both Sen. Hillary Clinton, his rival in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, are arguing that Mr. Obama, who has no military background and few foreign-policy credentials, is ill-equipped to serve as commander in chief. Both say he would stack up poorly next to Mr. McCain, a Vietnam War hero who has been involved in many foreign-policy debates during his Senate career. Mrs. Clinton also has some foreign-policy experience from her time in the Senate and as first lady.

Should Mr. Obama win the Democratic nomination, Mr. McCain plans to press the issue throughout the year. "It will be one of our major themes, certainly," said Charlie Black, a senior McCain adviser. On Tuesday night, in a thinly veiled reference to Mr. Obama, Mr. McCain asked if the nation is prepared to risk "the confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate."

A Message from Hillary

Here's what you need to know this morning. We were outspent in Wisconsin by a 4 to 1 margin on ads -- and we can't let that happen on March 4.

If we want to win in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont, we've got to even the odds. We can't let the Obama campaign overwhelm us financially. Today, I am calling on you and other online supporters to act together, making sure we have the resources to create a fair, level playing field on March 4.

Contribute now to help us level the playing field.

Let this remarkable two-person contest for the Democratic nomination be determined by the strength of our ideas, the quality of our leadership, or the depth of our experience. But whatever you do, don't let the outcome of these crucial March 4 contests be decided by a lopsided spending advantage for the Obama campaign.

Only you -- our incredible online community -- can act quickly and decisively enough to create a level playing field. And with everything on the line, that's exactly what I'm asking you to do.

We're putting everything on the line. Contribute now.

There are just two weeks left before voters go to the polls in one of the most crucial days of voting yet. We must make sure we can hold our own against an avalanche of Obama TV ads, direct mail, phone calls, and online advertising.

I have total confidence that, as long as we have the resources to compete, March 4 will be a day of dramatic victories for our campaign. Let's make it happen.

Thanks,

Hillary
Hillary Rodham Clinton

P.S. I am counting on your leadership and financial support. Please do all you can -- and act as quickly as possible.

Hillary in Youngstown, Ohio:

In the end, this election comes down to one simple question. When the speeches are over and the cameras are gone, who can you count on to listen to you? You know you can count on me to stand up for you and to deliver solutions for you. If you know one thing about me it is this – when I say I’ll stand up for you I will and when I say I’ll fight for you, I will. That is what I’ve always done.

Obama's Plagiarism

Hillary Clinton's campaign advisers today sought to keep alive their contention that Barack Obama, her rival for the party's presidential nomination, acted improperly when he used another politician's words in a speech Saturday in Wisconsin, which is holding its primary today.

"He's running on his powerful oratory and his promises," Clinton's chief strategist, Howard Wolfson, said to reporters today on a noon conference call. "When that oratory comes from someone else, [he] should point that out."

And the campaign's focus on Obama's use of phrases that were part a gubernatorial campaign speech of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Obama's friend and supporter, seemed unlikely to fade. Before reporters hung up from the call with Wolfson, pollster Mark Penn, and Clinton advisers in Texas and Ohio, the campaign had E-mailed a press release that called into question Patrick's defense of his friend. The governor had told the New York Times that the two men spoke last summer, and he had suggested that some of his speech phraseology could be used by Obama to respond to critics. The Clinton campaign alleges that Obama's use of Patrick's words predated that.

Patrick, in a morning television appearance, called the accusations unfair and an attempt to "belittle [Obama's] ability to motivate people." Obama, who has said he should have credited Patrick, characterized the tempest as not a big deal and yesterday suggested that Clinton herself has used phrases from his campaign. But in a desperately fought battle, and with Obama threatening to extend his primary and caucus winning streak to 10 in Hawaii and Wisconsin tonight, the Clinton team appears determined to use the word-borrowing -- author-approved or not -- as part of an attempt to discredit the Illinois senator's strongest campaign assets.

"Senator Obama has put himself out there as a great orator," Wolfson said. "When he is found to be lifting passages of a speech from another elected official, it's significant."

Politico.com: Obama Plagiarizes Gov. Patrick's Words

Obama closely echoed a passage from a speech that Deval Patrick, now the Massachusetts governor, used at a campaign rally when he was running for that office in 2006.

The Clinton campaign circulated a pair of YouTube links of the two speeches on Sunday.

Here's Patrick at a rally for his gubernatorial campaign on Oct. 15, 2006, during the final stretch of his successful campaign against then-Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey (R):

“But her dismissive point, and I hear it a lot from her staff, is that all I have to offer is words — just words. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, [applause and cheers] that all men are created equal.’ [Sustained applause and cheers.] Just words – just words! ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Just words! ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.’ Just words! ‘I have a dream.’ Just words!”

Here’s Obama on Saturday night at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s Founders Day Gala in Milwaukee:

“Don’t tell me words don’t matter! ‘I have a dream.’ Just words. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’ Just words! [Applause.] ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Just words — just speeches!”

Hillary a "Rock Star" in Texas

(Washingtonpost.com) This story was written by Dan Balz.

Sen. Barack Obama left a phone message for J.D. Salinas, the county judge in South Texas's Hidalgo County, last weekend. Former senator Thomas A. Daschle called on the candidate's behalf last Wednesday. "He asked me to be part of the campaign," Salinas said. "I told him it was too late."

Salinas originally backed New Mexico's Bill Richardson for the Democratic nomination, believing that a governor from a state along the Mexican border with a lengthy foreign policy résumé had the credentials he was looking for. When Richardson quit the race, Salinas's decision to support Obama's rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, was easy. "She's the only candidate who's ever visited South Texas," he said.

Sixteen years ago, as a young volunteer, Salinas helped look after Clinton when she came to McAllen for a big South Texas rally the day before her husband was elected president. He hasn't forgotten that day. "There's no learning curve for Senator Clinton," he said. "She's been coming here for 30 years."

When the Texas primary campaign begins in earnest after Tuesday's vote in Wisconsin, Obama will find stories such as this all over the Lone Star State. From her incidental connections such as the one Salinas described from the 1992 campaign, to deep friendships formed working in Texas during the 1972 presidential campaign of George McGovern, to acquaintances gained from multiple visits over the past decades, Clinton is rooted in Texas as she is in few other states.

Texas is one of two populous states -- the other is Ohio -- with March 4 primaries, where the Clinton campaign sees the opportunity to arrest Obama's momentum. Both set up well for the senator from New York, at least in initial assessments. Ohio's economic woes make it potentially receptive to Clinton's focus on bread-and-butter issues. Texas, because of its large Hispanic community, provides a base of support that has been critical to Clinton in other states.

In Texas, Obama cannot replicate Clinton's affinity overnight. His advisers believe they can overcome many of her built-in advantages, enough at least to emerge with a close split in delegates under the state's convoluted primary-caucus system, by tapping into a new generation of Texans who have no connections to the Clintons and by arguing that the senator from Illinois would be the stronger general-election candidate. But as was the case in the run-up to Super Tuesday, his advisers say he will be in a race against the clock.

"My guess is, in Texas [Clinton's] base in the Democratic Party is broader than in any other state that I can think of," said Henry G. Cisneros, who accompanied Clinton on that trip to McAllen in 1992 and later served as housing secretary in her husband's administration. Referring to a former Texas governor, he said: "They have good ties to the Ann Richards liberals. They have good ties to labor in Houston. Good ties to some of the Democratic money in Dallas. Good ties traditionally to the African American community -- though it won't be as helpful -- and good ties to the Latino community."

The Young Turks who helped Clinton register voters and organize Texas for McGovern in a hopeless battle against Richard M. Nixon -- Garry Mauro and Roy Spence -- are at the center of her campaign in the state. Others, like Cisneros, who became friends later or joined the Clinton administration during the 1990s, are fanning out as surrogates in what has become a campaign to save her candidacy.

RFK Jr and Cesar L. Chavez Endorse Hillary

Hillary on the Larget Beef Recall in US History

The news today of the largest beef recall in our nation's history is yet another troubling reminder that we have done too little to protect our food supply. This incident also reveals a danger to our children, since the Hallmark company is the second largest supplier to the U.S. School Lunch program. I believe that American families should not have to worry about the safety of the food on their dinner tables or in their children's school lunches. That is why I have long been calling for common-sense - and long-overdue - food safety reforms, building on my work in the Senate. As President, I will fully fund our food safety system so that our inspectors have the resources and manpower they need to do their jobs. I will create a single food safety to replace the patchwork of regulation we have now. I will implement an effective recall system so that potentially tainted food immediately comes off of grocery store shelves and families receive instant notification. I will strictly enforce safety rules and impose stiff criminal and civil penalties on violators. And I will crack down on the slaughter of sick or injured cows, a practice which poses health risks to families and children. Now more than ever, America needs a President who will deliver concrete reforms that fill the gaps in our food safety system.

Hillary Pulling Out All the Stops

Her strategists have talked constantly about Texas and Ohio, which vote March 4, rarely mentioning Wisconsin and its primary Tuesday.

Even so, she has made a highly visible effort in the past week in Wisconsin, using a full range of political tools — toughly worded television commercials, top-level surrogates, satellite interviews and conference calls with reporters — to create an effective presence.

She hopes to blunt Obama's momentum, either by beating him or coming close. Whatever the outcome, she's positioned herself to say that it came without a full-fledged effort.

State polls show only a single-digit gap between the two Democratic candidates in the race for 74 pledged delegates, with Obama leading.

"I'm hoping that Wisconsin is not going to let the rest of the country dictate how we vote," said Dawn Foster, 50, a Clinton voter who lives in the town of Portage. "Obama says that Hillary feels she's owed the nomination. I don't see it that way. I think she's earned it through all she's done in her career."

And Clinton has been fighting for it. Her campaign is taking on a newly assertive tone, a likely preview of what's to come in Ohio and Texas, starting with a debate in Austin on Thursday.

Obama flip-flopped on financing

WASHINGTON — The campaign of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton hammered rival Sen. Barack Obama on Sunday for refusing to reaffirm his commitment to accept public financing in the general election, a development a top aide criticized as "a pretty big flip-flop" and an opening for Republican attack.

Clinton hasn't acknowledged that Obama is likely to be the Democratic nominee — she says she is — and she also hasn't promised to accept public financing herself. The issue, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson says, is that Obama made a campaign pledge but now won't promise to keep it.

The One To Take the Lead

by Susan Wood, PhD.

Senator Clinton made the difference. The FDA suddenly announced it would approve emergency contraception for use without a prescription for women 18 and older - one day before FDA officials were to face a determined Senator Clinton and her colleague Senator Murray at a Senate hearing in 2006. No one was more surprised than I was. I hope all of those who benefited fromthis decision know that it wouldn't have happened if it had not been for Hillary Clinton.

A Special Message from Democrats.com: IMPEACHMENT UPDATE

Something very important happened in Congress on Thursday, thanks to all of your emails and calls. After 7 years of cowering in fear of every dictatorial demand from Bush and Cheney, House Democrats finally rose up and said NO.

First, House Democrats refused to give immunity to the telecom giants for illegally wiretapping the calls and emails of every American - despite two Bush press conference hissyfits and endless Corporate Media lies.

Second, House Democrats declared Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten to be in contempt of Congress for rejecting subpoenas to testify about the U.S. Attorney scandal, despite a faux-angry walkout by Republicans. Watch Rep. Robert Wexler's excellent floor speech.

Could this be the start of holding George Bush and Dick Cheney accountable for their innumerable High Crimes, ultimately through impeachment?

The main problem we face is time. Since this is an election year, Congress will stop legislating and start campaigning full-time in May. Since impeachment hearings take time, those hearings must begin now.

Thanks to your emails and calls, 18 Democrats support Rep. Robert Wexler's call for Cheney impeachment hearings:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/cheney
But that's not enough - we need 100 Democrats to support Wexler in order to force Speaker Pelosi to hold these hearings.

This week, every Member of Congress will be home working at their District Offices and meeting with the voters who elect them. So let's send them a loud and clear message: Start Impeachment Hearings for Dick Cheney Now.

One great way to send that message is through "Honk to Impeach" actions at the District Offices of your Representative. These actions are fun and passing cars love it. It just takes 2-3 brave people to have a successful 1-hour event.

Here's a national map with ongoing honk-a-thons:
http://www.communitywalk.com/impeach
If you don't see one near you, call your bravest friends and pick the date(s), time, and contact info. Find District Offices by searching for your Representative here:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt?command=congdir
Then create a map login and click "add a marker."

To find other honkers, connect with activists in your Congressional District by logging in to Democrats.com and clicking "local":
http://democrats.com/local
Click [Post] next to your Congressional District and blog about your plans. All the details you need are here:
http://www.democrats.com/honktoimpeach

Since it's Washington's Birthday, we've created a special flyer you can print and hand out called WWWD: What Would Washington Do?
http://www.democrats.com/files/WWWD.doc

Time is running out so let's hit the streets this week!
http://www.democrats.com/crucial-week-for-impeachment

ABC News: Clinton Will Fight As Long As It Takes

ABC's David Chalian, Teddy Davis, Eloise Harper, Kate Snow and Sunlen Miller report: Sen. Hillary Clinton is ready to fight for the Democratic nomination all the way to the Democratic National Convention in August if that’s what it takes, but her top strategists say they’re not expecting a nasty brawl in Denver.

"My prediction is there will be no fight," said Clinton campaign advisor Harold Ickes on a conference call with reporters Saturday. "All of this is going to be settled out before we hit the floor."

"We don’t think our party or our candidate will be served by a bitter floor fight," he added later.

But Ickes also made it very clear that Clinton would not give up without a fight -- no matter what happens in the upcoming primary battles with Sen. Barack Obama.

Ickes conceded that Clinton is not doing as well in the fight for delegates as she might have been doing if her campaign had paid more attention to states that hold caucuses -- states where Obama has scored big victories recently.

"We didn’t make as much of an effort as we probably should have," he said.

But he predicted that Clinton will "hold her own" in Wisconsin on Tuesday night and said the campaign expects her to win in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island on March 4. Ickes said the demographics of Pennsylvania also favor Clinton and predicted she will win there on April 22.

While the Obama campaign has predicted he will stay ahead in the race for delegates, the Clinton camp says Obama is getting ahead of himself and declaring victory prematurely.

"He'd like to be nominated right now, but there are a lot of delegates who have yet to be selected," Ickes said.

They see a tied ballgame.

After the last Democratic primary contest in Puerto Rico in June, Ickes said Clinton and Obama will be "neck and neck."

"Shortly after that she will wrap it up," he predicted.

That presumes that Clinton will be able to convince Democratic superdelegates -- party leaders and elected officials -- to support Clinton even if the people they represent have voted for Obama.

Ickes said those superdelegates, which the Clinton campaign prefers to call "automatic delegates," will be key.

"The central fact is, notwithstanding all the controversy ginned up by the Obama campaign, both of these candidates are going to need them," Ickes said.

Both campaigns continue to aggressively court superdelegate support.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said today that they would continue to pursue superdelegates even though they believe they can win the nomination without them.

"We're not going to unilaterally disarm as the Clinton campaign does its best to use superdelegates to overturn the will of the Democratic voters," Burton said.

Clinton's camp, meanwhile, contends that superdelegates should not be swayed by the voters of their districts but should support the person they think is best fit to be president.

"Automatic delegates are supposed to exercise their best judgment," Ickes said.

The Clinton campaign is also continuing to push for delegates from Florida and Michigan to be counted at the convention.

Ironically, last summer Ickes -- as a sitting member of the Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws Commission -- voted to strip those states of their delegates when the states moved up their primaries to dates before February 5. Those moves were seen as a threat to the traditional first states Iowa and New Hampshire and were therefore punished by the party.

"With respect to the stripping, I voted as a member of the Democratic National Committee. Those were our rules and I felt that we had an obligation to enforce them," Ickes said.

But now Ickes, as a member of Clinton's team, wants to change the rules.

"Why should Florida not be heard at the convention?" Ickes asked today.

He said some 1.7 million Democrats voted in Florida and their voices should be heard. And he rejected the idea of a do-over, as some have suggested.

Although she did not actively campaign in Florida -- under an agreement made by all of the Democratic candidates -- Clinton easily won the majority of Florida's delegates back in January.

"The process has taken place. Everybody was on an equal footing. We see no reason for a re-do," Ickes said.

Madison (WI) Capital Times: Hillary Clinton clearly is best to lead nation

In the upcoming Democratic presidential primary, Wisconsin voters are blessed with two candidates who are smart, energetic and forward-looking. Nonetheless, the state's residents have to decide who will be the most qualified starting on the first day in the Oval Office. My choice is Hillary Clinton.

I have had the good fortune to observe Clinton's career while living in New York. Up close, she is an unusually tough and savvy as well as charming political figure. While not as visible as Mayor Rudy Giuliani on 9/11, she showed great mastery in the difficult days after the attacks in helping to bring about the physical and emotional recovery of New York City and gaining federal assistance for ground zero workers exposed to toxic air.

As important, in her eight years in the Senate, she has compiled a strong liberal voting record in the tradition of Wisconsin's great Sens. Bob La Follette and Gaylord Nelson. While she has known defeats (e.g., health care in 1994), she has turned her reversals into legislative prowess on Capitol Hill.

Her work on the Armed Services Committee and her fact-finding visits overseas belie the notion that she has limited foreign policy experience. Her vote for the congressional resolution on Iraq in 2002 was a vote for continued weapons inspection and diplomacy and in opposition to pre-emptive war, as she clearly stated in her Senate floor speech. Today she is trying to prevent the establishment of permanent U.S. bases in Iraq by requiring prior congressional approval for any such outposts.

Of extraordinary importance, she has taken the lead on the most important economic crisis to face our country in decades. She was among the first of the Democratic contenders to propose a bold economic recovery program designed to rescue the nation from recession. Over a month ago, Clinton advocated for $70 billion in emergency spending and a backup of a $40 billion tax rebate should economic conditions worsen. Hers is a direct attempt to help the most threatened people in America -- namely, lower-income families facing foreclosures of their mortgages, those in need of home heating aid, and people who require extended jobless benefits.

Her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, belatedly came out with his own plan, which seemingly lifts most of his ideas straight out of Clinton's proposal.

On a more specific level, Clinton's recommendations on helping Americans caught in the subprime mortgage mess are far-reaching. She has called for a moratorium on foreclosures, a freezing of interest rates, the use of federal subsidies to help homeowners keep up with payments and restructure loans, and augmented regulation of the financial industry.

Obama has come up with an alternative plan, which, by contrast, does none of these things but tinkers around the edges. He backs a bill against mortgage fraud, supports an average $500 tax credit for homeowners, and endorses additional funding for a limited class of homeowners. His is a tepid response to an enormous tragedy.

In many ways, Clinton is to the left of Obama. She has outlined a program of universal health insurance -- meaning that every person in America would be covered. By contrast, his plan is more restrictive and would leave millions of people uncovered.

Lastly, Clinton is a fighter for change. Obama, on the other hand, is a self-described conciliator. What Democrats want today, however, is a battler, not a mediator. They have suffered enough from the vicious blows of President Bush and the Republicans. What the party needs is a nominee who will take the contest directly to the opposition. Come the fall showdown, a candidacy of "friendly persuasion" is going to be Swift-boated into oblivion.

Stephen Schlesinger is a specialist on the foreign policy of the Clinton and Bush administrations and is a frequent contributor to magazines and newspapers.

The Latest in News from the Clinton Campaign

Making News: Automatic delegates' "role is to exercise their best judgment in the interests of the nation and of the Democratic Party," according to Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean.

By the Numbers: "Ohio's makeup favors Clinton" reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Read more.

Previewing Today: Hillary holds "Solutions for America" town halls in De Pere, Wausau and Madison, Wisconsin. President Bill Clinton attends church services in Columbus and holds "Solutions for America" rallies with Gov. Ted Strickland in Toledo, Canton, Steubenville, and Marietta, Ohio. Chelsea campaigns for her mom in Hawaii.