Politics

Clinton Linking Her Campaign with Fight for Middle Class

Published

9 years ago

June 12, 2015

In this May 27, 2015 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks in Columbia, S.C. Clinton plans to draw on her mother’s difficult upbringing to cast herself as a fighter for ordinary Americans in the first major speech of her 2016 campaign. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro, File)

LISA LERER, Associated Press
KEN THOMAS, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton is putting everyday Americans at the center of her first major campaign speech for the Democratic presidential nomination as she connects the Depression-era struggles of her mother to the challenges facing those who helped the nation recover from the Great Recession.

“It is your time,” Clinton will say while arguing that hard-working Americans deserve to be rewarded for their sacrifices, according to aides who described the speech she’ll deliver Saturday during a rally at New York City’s Roosevelt Island.

As Clinton reintroduces herself to voters, she can’t claim a hardscrabble background of her own — she grew up comfortably in postwar Chicago suburbs and attended elite universities — and can’t put herself in the same category as those hurt by the Great Recession. She and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have earned millions of dollars over the years, raising even more for their foundation, and live in a five-bedroom home in Westchester County, New York.

Instead, Clinton’s speech aims to present the decision facing voters as more than just an assessment of her career as a former first lady, U.S. senator from New York and secretary of state. Her campaign wants to cast the race as a choice about the economic future of the middle class. Among her campaign aides, Clinton refers to the election as a “job interview” and the question before voters as a “hiring decision.”

“We think the question is: Can I count on you to be that person who is going to fight for me?” said Jennifer Palmieri, the Clinton campaign’s communications director. The speech, Palmieri said, will showcase Clinton’s differences with a large, and what she will describe as a monolithic, Republican presidential field.

Her remarks also represent an effort by her campaign to cast off the shadow of scandal that has dogged her over the past several months. Clinton has seen her personal approval ratings drop amid questions about her wealth, use of a private email account and server as secretary of state, and the financial dealings of her family charity.

“Hillary Clinton’s latest campaign reset won’t change a thing,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus. “She still refuses to answer the serious questions surrounding her finances, her family foundation, and her secret email server.” The RNC is airing an ad in Washington and New York City starting Friday that criticizes Clinton’s campaign rollout.

The emphasis on her late mother, Dorothy Rodham, is a change in course from Clinton’s failed White House bid in 2008, when her campaign focused on her experience and toughness, presenting her as an American version of the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Rodham died in 2011 after a life that has been described as Dickensian. Abandoned at a young age by her parents, she was sent as an 8-year-old with her 3-year-old sister on a four-day journey to live with strict, unloving grandparents in California. At the age of 14, she left their house to work for $3 per week as a mother’s helper.

She eventually arrived in Chicago, where she married Hugh Rodham, a traveling salesman, and raised Clinton and her two brothers. In her nearly four decades of public life, Clinton has often cited her mother as an inspiration, recounting how she pushed her daughter to stand up for herself. One of her earliest memories, Clinton has said, is her mother telling her to challenge a neighborhood bully.

“I said, just go out there and show them you’re not afraid,” Rodham said in a rare 2004 interview with Oprah Winfrey. “And if she does hit you again, which she kept doing, hit her back.”

While Rodham largely stayed out of the public eye, Clinton has long credited her mother with giving her a love of learning and a sense of compassion. “She has empathy for other people’s unfortunate circumstances,” Rodham said of her daughter in a 2007 campaign ad. “I’ve always admired that because that isn’t always true of people.”

Clinton will be joined by her husband and their daughter, Chelsea, at Saturday’s rally, marking the first time the family has been seen together in public since Clinton announced in April her intention to again run for the White House.

After the speech, she’ll embark on a tour of early-voting states, with events focused on her relationship with her mother, work as a young lawyer on behalf of poor children, and her father’s background as a veteran and small businessman.

In the coming weeks, her campaign will begin rolling out specific policy initiatives on issues including college affordability, jobs and the economy. Those policies, campaign aides argue, will help build Democratic enthusiasm for her bid, despite the lack of a serious primary challenge.

“They’re a great organizing tool,” said Marlon Marshall, Clinton’s head of early state strategy.

___

Follow Lisa Lerer and Ken Thomas on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/llerer and http://twitter.com/kthomasDC

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Oakland Post: Week of November 27 – December 3, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 27 – December 3, 2024, 2024

Published

6 days ago

November 30, 2024

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To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Gov. Newsom Goes to Washington to Advocate for California Priorities

Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., for meetings with senior Biden-Harris Administration officials and members of California’s congressional delegation. During the week, he pushed for increased resources to improve public safety and quality of life in California.

Published

1 week ago

November 26, 2024

Oakland Post

Gov. Newsom visits the White House on Nov. 14. Photo courtesy of Gov.Ca. Gov

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., for meetings with senior Biden-Harris Administration officials and members of California’s congressional delegation.

During the week, he pushed for increased resources to improve public safety and quality of life in California.

“California is continuing our work to secure additional tools and resources to improve access to health care, clean air and water, and secure critical funding to support communities recovering from disasters,” said Newsom.

At the White House, Newsom met with President Joe Biden and key officials, advocating for disaster relief funding, healthcare expansion, and environmental protection. He also engaged in discussions with senior Biden-Harris officials, including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, to address water quality improvements and the San Luis Dam project, which will support water supplies for two million Californians.

“Building on our strong partnership with the Biden-Harris Administration, California is working closely with the White House over the next two months to deliver the critical protections and resources our communities need,” Newsom said.

On Capitol Hill, Newsom met with California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with other Congressional leaders, to emphasize the need to approve pending disaster funding, healthcare programs, and environmental protections. He also previewed California’s upcoming special session to proactively address potential federal challenges when President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office.

Newsom’s discussions also focused on securing Medicaid waivers from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to enhance behavioral health services and reduce homelessness. The state seeks approval for the BH-CONNECT waiver, which would address behavioral health and homelessness, and the MCO Tax Waiver, which would provide over $20 billion for Medi-Cal to improve healthcare access.

Additionally, California is pushing for Clean Air Act waivers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which are crucial for enforcing air quality regulations. These measures are projected to prevent 11,000 premature deaths and provide $116 billion in health benefits over the next three decades, according to the Governor’s office.

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Elections 2024: Sec. of State Weber Explains Results, Ballot Counting Process

Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber hosted a webinar on Nov. 14 to update Californians on the ballot counting process for the 2024 General Election. California is home to the largest voting base in the nation with 22.5 million registered voters. According to the Secretary of State Office (SOS), about 70% of the state’s voters participated in the November Election. So far, 15.2 million votes have been counted, processed and verified. There are still roughly 0.8 million votes to go through the process.

Published

1 week ago

November 25, 2024

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Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. File Photo.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber hosted a webinar on Nov. 14 to update Californians on the ballot counting process for the 2024 General Election.

California is home to the largest voting base in the nation with 22.5 million registered voters. According to the Secretary of State Office (SOS), about 70% of the state’s voters participated in the November Election. So far, 15.2 million votes have been counted, processed and verified. There are still roughly 0.8 million votes to go through the process.

Because California allows voters more time and opportunities to vote than most states, it typically takes longer to finalize the results.

Historically, it has taken the state the longest to finalize election results. Almost half of the uncalled house races this year come from California. As of Nov 14, the closest race is in the 45^thCongressional District House race between Michelle Steel and Derek Tran. The two candidates are only separated by 58 votes with 93% of all votes counted.

“California basically makes sure that every vote counts,” said Weber. “We will receive our first actual count from all of the 58 counties on Dec. 6. After that, we have at least one week, which is until Dec. 13, when we will actually certify the state results. Then that becomes the official results for the election.”

If a recount is triggered in the 45^th district, official results may take longer than the expected deadline.

The part of the ballot counting process that tends to prolong the official results involves verifying signatures and making sure individuals who obtained provisional ballots the day of the election are all eligible to vote, Weber said.

The SOS goes as far as finding individuals who neglected to sign their ballots so they can complete the process.

“The reason we do this is we respect every vote that comes in. California’s election process is designed with a core commitment to recognizing and basically accurately counting each and every eligible vote that comes into our office,” added Weber. “This approach involves a series of rigorous checks and safeguards, including Signature verification machine audits and manual accounts.”

While technology has helped expedite the counting process in some areas, as the voter base continues to grow in the state, additional manual support is needed. For example, vote my mail ballots have to be opened and counted by hand. By Oct. 18, 1.5 million vote-by-mail ballots were already submitted.

Voting over the internet is prohibited by California Law. This eliminates all possibilities of cyber tampering or electronic voter fraud.

The SOS office also does a hand count of one percent of all ballots before Dec. 13. This is done to verify the fact there is a correlation between the hand counts and what the machines are counting.

“Some people ask the question: ‘Why do we have to be so accurate?’

We do our best to make sure that every Californian who is registered legally registered to vote will have their vote counted,” Weber emphasized.