Former President Bill Clinton campaigns for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., in Chesapeake, W.Va. Wednesday, March 26, 2008.(AP Photo/Bob Bird)
Bill Clinton was in West Virginia earlier this week. Here's a quick round-up of press coverage.
Bill Clinton defends wife's campaign in W.Va.
With West Virginia among eight remaining primary contests, former President Bill Clinton blasted critics who say his wife should quit the race for party unity.
Clinton told crowds in Parkersburg, Chesapeake and Beckley that complaints about the divisiveness of the Democrats' long-running primary contest are overblown.
"Let's saddle up and have an argument," he told an audience of hundreds in Parkersburg. "What's wrong with that?"
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Bill Clinton, the last Democrat to win West Virginia's electoral votes in a presidential contest, played on the crowds' blue collar sympathies by calling his wife's critics in the party "glitterati" and "elites."
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"When Hillary's gaining on him, they say, Oh, let's shut this down, let's not be divided," he said. "Don't you think your vote ought to count as much as the votes of people in Iowa?"
Obama holds a 1,603-to-1,497 lead in overall delegates for the nomination. The race is so close that the party's "superdelegates" -- hundreds of high-ranking Democrats assured a vote at the convention -- could swing the nomination to either candidate.
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But Clinton told crowds they shouldn't vote for his wife based on his administration, but should take into account her plans for the country.
"It's not just my record, it's Hillary's conviction," he said.
Clinton touted his wife's proposals on the economy, health care, education and the war in Iraq. With coal trucks driving by outside his Chesapeake stop, he made the same pitch for developing clean coal technology that he made in Parkersburg and Beckley.
Saying clean coal technology could be exported to major coal-burning countries like China and India, Clinton insisted he makes the same pitch in non-coal states like California.
"This is a way we can save the planet and bring good jobs back to West Virginia," he told a cheering Beckley audience.
Former President Passes Through Chesapeake -
It was standing room only inside the Chesapeake Community Center as hundreds gathered to get up close and personal with a former President.
"Folks I like West Virginia and I'm glad to be back. I want to begin by saying how grateful I am to the people of this state for giving me a chance to serve as President in 1992 and 1996. Thank you for voting for me," said Clinton just after he reached the podium.
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Most of his message centered on senior citizens - the fastest growing segment of the country's population.
"Hillary will support policies to help more and more of our seniors to live independently including having someone come in and help them a few hours a day," Clinton told the crowd.
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In a small town like Chesapeake, visits from former Presidents are certainly few and far between and for some, Bill Clinton's stop here created memories that will last a lifetime.
From Tom Searls,Clintons 'not big on quitting' Former president stumps for wife in West Virginia
Former President Bill Clinton found a supportive crowd at Chesapeake's senior center on Wednesday, telling a packed house his wife can defeat Republican John McCain and she can change the health-care system.
"She will be the next president of the United States if you nominate her," the former president said during one of his three stops in West Virginia on Wednesday, campaigning for his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in her presidential effort.
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"This thing is a long way from over," he said.
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"The political elite have danced on her grave already two or three times," Clinton said to the crowd of about 600 people inside the center.
While there were earlier calls for her to abandon race, the former president said no one should expect that.
"My family's not big on quitting, you probably noticed that," he said.
Clinton also said his wife will take on big drug companies and ensure health care for every person.
"This is the only rich country on the face of the earth that hasn't figured out how to do it," he noted.
Update: In a nearby region of Pa. Bill Clinton had this to say in a visit yesterday:
In a brief speech outside St. Joseph Catholic Church, Clinton told the throngs that his wife supports investments in clean-coal technology in hard-hit coal states like Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia.
Like many towns in the coal region, Girardville, population 1,800, has struggled to recover economically from the demise of widescale anthracite mining.
"If we led the world to the moon, we ought to be able to lead the world to clean coal," Clinton said. "I know a certain candidate who is absolutely committed to that."
I think it's safe to say that Hillary and Obama are going to be competing in Pa. and W.Va. over who is more pro-coal, not who is more firmly grounded in reality. |
