Hillary Stresses Change

This story was written by George Sweeney, The Daily Iowan

Then she spoke softly.

"In the next 16 days, I hope to make my case to you," Rodham Clinton said.

The senator said there are "good people running" for the Democratic nomination, only criticizing her opponents with a line she repeated from a Dec. 13 debate, saying that some achieve change by "demanding it," others by "hoping for it," but that she would achieve change by "working hard for it every day."

"I have been a change maker my entire life," she said.

In a speech that shared many anecdotes with her husband's address in the IMU seven days before, Rodham Clinton discussed her work with the Children's Defense Fund and in helping to establish a clinic to provide legal aid to the poor in Arkansas.

She also emphasized her role in her husband's administration, especially in its failed attempt to establish universal health care.

"I tackled the problem, and the problem tackled me back," she said. "But I'm glad we tried."

Humility and peace were recurring themes in the presidential-nomination hopeful's address, which teetered toward anger when she discussed the Bush administration. "I'm sick of fatalistic talk coming out of the Bush White House about what we can and cannot do," she said.

Rodham Clinton pledged to eliminate the "No Child Left Behind" program, calling it an "unfunded mandate." She also said she would expand efforts to care for veterans by improving health care. She pointed to the plight of Vietnam veterans to the crowd of many middle-aged and older people.

At the end of her speech an aide handed her a note, which, she said, indicated there were many people waiting in the hotel across the street who could not get into the event.

"I have to go visit them," she said, so she could not take as many questions from the crowd as she wanted.

One of those who waited for her was Rosie Moe, a Seattle native in the area with her husband visiting her daughter. Her husband got into the event before it got too full, while Moe waited in the hotel bar and restaurant across the street.

Rodham Clinton joined the group a few minutes later in one of the hotel's conference rooms, speaking to the group while two men behind her hastily set up a microphone and a speaker.

But before taking questions, she again asked the crowd's help.

"I can't promise you results, but I can promise you my best efforts," she said.

E-mail DI reporter George Sweeney at:

george-sweeney@uiowa.edu

© 2007 The Daily Iowan via U-WIRE