In Cincinnati Ohio, Hillary Clinton Goes Back to her Roots

bigtree

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Fri Feb-15-08 01:18 PM
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In Cincinnati Ohio, Hillary Clinton Goes Back to her Roots

Edited on Fri Feb-15-08 01:47 PM by bigtree

February 15, 2008, 12:19 PM

From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

CINCINNATI -- Sitting at a table with voters concerned about the state of the economy and with a painting of the city of Cincinnati as a backdrop, Clinton said �I am a candidate of, from and for the middle class of America,� adding �that is a great summation of my campaign.�

Clinton was hosting what the campaign calls an �economic roundtable� at the Skyline Chili restaurant here. Clinton listened to stories from voters who spoke about home foreclosures to problems with manufacturing jobs going overseas to a woman who lost her son when he was struck by an SUV. But as Clinton listened to their stories and shared some of her policies she still found moments to inject her jabs at Barack Obama. �This primary offers a very big choice,� said Clinton.

�You can choose speeches or solutions. You can choose talk or action,� she added using her new line of attack she recently unveiled.

Clinton has been using this line over the past few days in an attempt to emphasize the fact that voters are now choosing a president. The campaign hopes that voters will see her as the candidate with more experience.

But as Clinton throws elbows at Obama in her speeches she keeps the focus on the economy. Hoping to relate to middle class Americans, the former First Lady said what America needs is �a fighter, a doer and champion for the middle class again.� Clinton added �I am running to be your president�I don�t need to go back to live in the White House.�

Polls show Clinton leading in Ohio, but she isn�t taking any chances, scheduling several campaign stops today including a visit to Cleveland later today.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/02/15/politics/fromtheroad/entry3837496.shtml

another account from WaPo: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/02/15/chili_dogs_economic_policy_on.html

Chili Dogs, Economic Policy on Clinton Breakfast Menu

CINCINNATI -- Nothing like starting your morning out with a bowl of chili -- and credit card talk.

At 10:22 a.m., Sen. Hillary Clinton addressed a jam-packed, standing-room-only crowd at Skyline Chili, a popular spot in Cincinnati. (So popular, in fact, that it's got a Wikipedia entry.) Before even setting foot in the joint, Clinton's aides called and ordered the New York senator two Cheese Coney chili dogs. No onions, please.

It was billed as an economic roundtable, and Clinton unveiled a plan to tackle credit card abuses, promote fair lending and improve access to fair credit. Aides handed out a five-page proposal, highlighting that Ohio ranks sixth among states when it comes to high credit card debt; according to the Columbus Dispatch, Ohioans owed a combined total of $33.1 billion in card debt in 2005. The room of mostly 30- and 40-something women, some of whom took time off work this morning to attend, erupted in applause when Clinton said she'd impose an annual interest rate cap of 30 percent. "See, there's a difference between giving speeches and offering solutions," she said to continued applause.

Introduced by Mark Mallory, the city's mayor, and seated next to Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Cleveland, Clinton took questions on health care, home foreclosures, small-business growth and education. At one point, after a nearly minute-long answer on the failures of No Child Left Behind, Martha Hanon, a retired public school teacher, told Clinton: "I've never seen a candidate so wealthy in information."