Subtly, Clinton gets digs in at Obama

Touting her experience, she says she’s a ‘doer’; he’s a ‘talker’

Sam Morris

Sen. Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally Saturday at the sheet metal workers hall, where she made appeals to Hispanics, who make up about 25 percent of Nevada’s population.

By J. Patrick Coolican, Michael Mishak

Sun, Jan 13, 2008 (2 a.m.)

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Presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton works the rope line after speaking at the Sheet Metal Workers Union Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008.

On Saturday, Jan. 12, Sen. Hillary Clinton attended a rally at the sheet metal workers hall, where she made appeals to Hispanic voters. Hispanics make up 25 percent of Nevada's population, and both Clinton and Sen. Barak Obama are battling heavily for their support.

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Sen. Hillary Clinton made a hastily arranged visit to Nevada on Saturday, continuing to tout what she believes is a superior resume to be president while also heavily courting Hispanic voters.

She and her chief opponent, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, are battling for Hispanics, who constitute about a quarter of the state’s population.

Obama, who comes to Nevada today, has made “Yes we can!” a signature line. In Spanish, the phrase “Si se puede” is an important touchstone of progressive activism popularized by United Farm Workers leader Cesar Chavez.

Clinton tried to take the phrase for herself at the sheet metal workers’ union hall in Las Vegas.

To drive the point home, Clinton was introduced by two legendary Hispanic activists, Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, and Raul Yzaguirre, former president of the National Council of La Raza.

Yzaguirre told the crowd he first met Clinton 35 years ago in Texas, where she and her husband were working on the presidential campaign of Sen. George McGovern.

“She was doing it because she cared,” he said. “That’s the person I want as president of the United States. I don’t want somebody I can have a beer with.”

The reference was to President Bush, whom the media hailed in 2000 as the most “likable” candidate, a guy people would like to have a beer with. It was a subtle dig at Obama and the media which, according to the Clinton camp, have become overly enamored of him.

Clinton has dispatched with much of her stump speech, which tended to be heavy on policy prescriptions, for a much more personal approach.

“When the cameras are off, when the lights go down, what are you going to do to make somebody’s life better?” she said.

Being president is about solving problems, she said. “I believe that’s what you elect a president to do.”

She continues to draw a contrast with Obama, saying she’s a “doer” while he’s a “talker.”

Clinton was surrounded by a who’s who of Nevada politics, including Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera and Rep. Shelley Berkley. The crowd was dotted with members of Congress.

The message was clear enough: Clinton is a player who can get things done.

The question for her campaign is whether voters want something entirely new, and whether being surrounded by old Washington and Carson City hands would reinforce a status quo message and image.

Clinton also visited Reno on Saturday for a roundtable discussion on the foreclosure crisis in Nevada, which has the highest foreclosure rate in the country.

Discussion: 8 comments so far…

By aw

1/13/08 at 5:53 a.m.

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The article aboves states:

"Clinton was surrounded by a who’s who of Nevada politics, including Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera and Rep. Shelley Berkley. The crowd was dotted with members of Congress"

The Lead headline in the paper states:

"Lead us out of this mess
Former governors: Gibbons needs all Nevadans to help fix the budget"

That is the question -- more of the same experience, more of the cronyism, more of the same or change - a new direction

Clinton is a "doer" - think Iraq,Iran - she will do or say pretty much anything to get elected -- INCLUDING stealing the campaign themes of both Edwards (populism) and Obama (change)

But there is a contradiction to touting 35 years of experience (1972? Ms Clinton in 1972 (she was a volunteer on the George McGovern campaign) - and saying you are the candidate of change

There is a contradiction to being the recipient of the largest amount of corporate money of any of the democrats by a very wide margin -- and saying you are for "the people"

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/summar...

The issue for the CLinton's is trying to be all things to all people - can leave you meaning nothing to anyone

Obama '08
By concernedcitizen

1/13/08 at 7:22 a.m.

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As a citizen of Las Vegas, why would anyone support a candidate who is SUPPRESSING the votes of this state? Clinton has once again, CLEVERLY kept the support of the teacher's union (who is filing the lawsuit against The Strip) a SECRET so her campaign does not look tarnished. WAKE UP Las Vegas. How can WE support a candidate who WILL NOT respect ALL OF US just for her gain? This is sad and shameful to think how Hillary Clinton will go this extreme to undermind US. Why does she continue to call us ignorant?
By seven

1/13/08 at 8:38 a.m.

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Hillary Clinton is the most qualified person to be the next president. I think the desperation of Obama supporters is very clear from the way they mob the comments section of this newspaper at every opportunity, throwing anything they can cook up in a pathetic attempt to insult and degrade Senator Clinton.

But this is the style of the Obama campaign: all words, no action. Bush has driven this country into a ditch for the past seven years. We can't afford to have the next president learn on the job, because if we do we will all suffer. The mortgage crisis, unemployment, health care. These are important issues and they require someone who has more experience than two years in the Senate and the ability to deliver a nice speech.

You can insult her all you want. You can swarm the comments section of every article written about her. But you will still lose next Saturday because Clinton is a better candidate.
By leebo

1/13/08 at 8:56 a.m.

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I think "seven" seems defensive. I would be too if my candidate were doing the things Clinton is doing.

In the age of the Internet, the Clintons can't get away with the stuff they used to. All it takes is a quick Google and anyone can see the twists and turns they constantly toss around.

Obama is consistent, sincere, experienced (yes), and has superior judgment and the ability to deal with people of all kinds. That's what we need in a leader in this day and age. Someone who we can be proud of as our representative.

Obama is the one.
By JackKennedy

1/13/08 at 2:12 p.m.

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Hillary Clinton gives Nevada voters the chance to make real history and break the great glass ceiling with the first intelligent 'doer' woman as our president.

So, enough with the slurs and attacks, already!

I, for one, stand with HILLARY CLINTON. She seeks to deliver an "Innovation Nation" strategy to solve our energy, econmic and foreign policy problems.

Listen for the policy differences among the candidates if you really care about the future of the nation. Then proudly and knowingly vote HILLARY!
By Voice

1/13/08 at 7:50 p.m.

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Clinton will lose the elections to the republicans. There is no way around it, she supported the war in iraq and for that the will call her a flip flopper. (just as they did to John Kerry).

As you will see in the video below, Obama opposed the war from the start:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EhpKmQCCwB8
By WILKNS

1/13/08 at 8:37 p.m.

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Sen. Clinton also started World War II, spread that around Obama Union people, it's as ridiculous as the other things you accuse her of.

I'd rather have that experience of someone as the world leader than someone who has none or not very much. Look what we've had the last seven years with an inexperienced incompetent in the White House.

If you really believe Obama's "Change" rhetoric then I have some property on Yucca Mountain I'd like to sell you after they vote to make that the Nuclear Waste deposit site. It's nothing but a slogan, he's no different than any of the other Washington politicians. You can easily tell that by the way his campaign spins all of the negative comments about Clinton that they're making up and spreading around. Seems like some of you really believe that nonsense.
By CynicalObserver

1/13/08 at 8:51 p.m.

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Here's a double standard for you:

It's politically incorrect to criticize or correct Barak Obama in any way, because he is black....and blacks have been oppressed in America.

It's politically dandy to call Hillary Clinton aggressive, manipulative and any other negative code word that can be imagined, because she is a woman....and all women, regardless of race, are irritating and should be seen but not heard.