Hillary Hearts Hoosiers - Democratic Underground

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Sat Mar-29-08 08:51 AM
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Hillary Hearts Hoosiers

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Hillary Clinton arrived at 6:30 p.m. at Sara's Family Restaurant in the Village at Coventry in Fort Wayne, Indiana Friday night and joined about 100 people in a round-table discussion, (after addressing an overflow crowd of about 600 in the parking lot).

Clinton addressed issues like the economy, jobs, health care, big oil and the mortgage crisis in a question and answer forum with the Sara's guests.

Clinton said that it is important for the American economy to bring manufacturing back. To keep jobs, the presidental candidate wants to end tax benefits for businesses exporting jobs, revise trade agreements to level the playing field between the United States and foreign companies. She wants to make it harder for them to get into the American market and lastly, she wants to use government to provide incentives for production. Clinton says, "tax giveaways are not necessary for big oil...and the pharmaceutical industry like the Bush administration has given."

Clinton also told the crowd that hybrid vehicles are another opportunity to bring jobs back to the United States She wants to allow incentives to companies to build green vehicles if they make the commitment to keep the jobs here. Clinton said, "If you don't manufacture you will have a weakened economy. We have an opportunity to help auto companies with green vehicle bonds," an incentive to make flex fuel and hybrid cars.

The presidential hopeful also said she has ideas to help the foreclosure crisis. They include freezing interest rates, having the government help out communities most hit and putting a moratorium on foreclosures, giving the homeowner a chance to work out their problem. Clinton warned, "if we don't act now, it's going to get worse and we'll find ourselves in a worse situation."

Clinton said that, "when I am president," her top three changes will be:
1. Repair foreign policy and relations, starting with a plan for withdrawal from Iraq and making them accountable
2. Initiate her proposals like renewable energy plans, universal health care and address global warming.
3. Reverse anti-labor policies by appointing good and competent people in the federal government.

"I still believe (the next president) is going to be me," Clinton said to cheers from about 75 people at Sara's Family Restaurant.

In the Fort Wayne restaurant, owned by Nabi Faghihi, an Iranian immigrant who is now a U.S. citizen and has pictures of U.S. presidents from George Washington to George Bush on the walls, Clinton emphasized her determination.

"You know I don't quit," she said. "I don't give up."

She was referring to what she'd do for the economy, but she also could have been referring to her campaign.

The New York Senator closed by thanking everyone that attended and participated, Sara's Family Restaurant for hosting and said she will return. She is convinced that, "we can take our country back. This country needs a president that is a fighter and a champion and I will work my heart out for you!"

Hillary Clinton brought a standing-room-only crowd to its feet — and kept it there — during her Friday evening appearance in Muncie.

With numerous references to the community and a special emphasis on recovering lost jobs, the Democratic presidential candidate held the attention of the crowd in Central High School’s gymnasium.

“Who would you hire for the most important job in the world?” Clinton asked. Her promises to make an impact on health care and college costs, the trade imbalance and other issues were lost to the roar of the crowd.

Clinton made no direct references to Barack Obama, leading her in the delegate count for the Democratic Party nomination, or John McCain, the presumptive Republican Party nominee. She made several references to President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

“I wonder, ‘Which part of the ’90s did you not like — the peace or the prosperity?’” she asked.

About 4,000 people turned out later in the day at Mishawaka High School for Clinton's appearance, her second swing through Indiana in just over a week in a state that finds itself a political battleground for the first time since 1968.

Clinton promised to fight for jobs if she makes it to the Oval Office.

"This is about jobs, jobs and jobs," she said. "This is about the middle class and what kind of chances we're going to provide so that people can make the most of your God-given potential and your ability and willingness to work hard."

She talked about Indiana's steel industry, saying it is vital to the nation, especially in Mishawaka, where Humvees are built.

"We cannot be dependent on other countries for the steel we need to produce those Humvees, to produce those other kinds of important nation defense materials," she said. "So I'm committed to ensuring we have the cleanest, safest, most economically productive steel industry in the world."

Before presenting her economic plan at a rally there, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton opened with a piece of political commentary: “There are some people who are saying, you know, we really ought to end this primary, we just ought to shut it down.” (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/28/in-indiana-clinton-keeps-on-running/)

“No!” boomed the crowd, which filled every seat in a cavernous high school gymnasium.

Mrs. Clinton, standing against a backdrop of a red-white-and-blue sign “Hoosiers for Hillary,” beamed at the enthusiastic response.

“There was a poll the other day that said 22 percent of Democrats wanted me to drop out and 22 percent wanted Senator Obama to drop out,” Mrs. Clinton said. “And 62 percent said let people vote until we finally know what the outcome is!”

With that, the audience cheered loudly. And Mrs. Clinton moved onto Day 2 of her Solutions for the American Economy tour, which suddenly has another urgent task: showing people she has no intention of going anywhere and her candidacy is on the move.

“You know, last week when I was here, I went from Terre Haute to Anderson to Evansville,” she said. “Today I’m here. I’ll be going to Hammond and Fort Wayne and Muncie and ending up in Indianapolis because I want the people of Indiana to know, I want every Hoosier to know, I’m going to fight for you, for your future, for your jobs.”

Festively swathed in red, white and blue, Hammond's Civic Center resonated Friday with history and possibly history in the making.

Thousands of supporters welcomed U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton to where another New York senator and presidential hopeful, Robert F. Kennedy, stood 40 years ago.

"I like the sound of Hillary, Hammond and history," Clinton said. "This is a historic moment to reverse course."

Black, white, Hispanic, young, old, blue-collar and white-collar, they came from throughout Lake and Porter counties, joining the who's who of Lake County politics, saying they liked Clinton's talk of affordable health care and support of education.

Clinton later spoke of a young woman who, for lack of $100 at a hospital emergency room, first lost her baby and then her own life.

"Is that the America we love?" she asked the crowd.

None of the 5,000 fans who came to hear White House hopeful Hillary Clinton in Hammond, Ind., shouted out to her, “Hey, why don’t you end your candidacy already?”

Instead, they shouted, “We love you, Hillary” and urged her to stay in.

It was after the rally Friday when Clinton descended to the basement of the Hammond Civic Center to face reporters that the New York senator fielded one question after another about why she stays in the race even though the math makes it virtually impossible for her to overtake rival Democrat Barack Obama in delegates.

She had all her answers ready:

“There are millions of reasons to continue this race: people in Pennsylvania and Indiana and North Carolina and all of the contests yet to come,” Clinton said. “This is a very close race. I believe strongly that everyone should have their voices heard and their votes counted. And, that includes Michigan and Florida.”

“You know who’s winning the fight between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama? John McCain,” Jay Leno joked Wednesday night.

“I don’t feel that at all,” Clinton told the reporters, “I just see this very differently than all of you apparently do ... I believe that a spirited contest is good for the party and will strengthen our nominee.”

Obama said Friday that this election was like a good movie that had gone on about a half-hour too long but Clinton quipped back, “I like long movies.”

Upstairs, speaking to her Indiana fans who won’t vote until May 6 -- and whose votes late in the primary season usually don’t carry much clout -- Clinton said, “There are some people who want to stop this election and I gotta tell you, I think it’s pretty exciting that Indiana’s going to get to pick the next president of the United States.”