Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at a "Holidays with Hillary" campaign stop at the Iowa Veterans Home Sunday, Dec. 23, 2007 in Marshalltown, Iowa. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
by James Oliphant
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa—In her final campaign appearance before the Christmas holiday, Sen. Hillary Clinton offered the sign of peace.
In short remarks at the Iowa Veterans Home here, the Democratic candidate neither addressed nor attacked her primary opponents, John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama, at all.
Instead, speaking to a crowd of 200 of mostly elderly citizens, many of them veterans and many in wheelchairs, Clinton stuck to core themes: the war in Iraq, health care, and fiscal responsibility. And she saved what vitriol she had for the Bush administration.
Much of her speech was tailored to the needs of America's veterans, who, Clinton said, have been denied basic health care, disability payments and jobs. "The commander-in-chief doesn't quit when the battle is over and the war is fought," she said. "It continues over many years."
She pointed to legislative achievements in Congress such as extending military health care benefits to reservists and members of the National Guard. And she warned that the country was facing a new wave of veterans who would need long-term medical care, "a whole new generation of young men and women who will be bearing the scars of their service."
But the Democrat from New York earned her biggest ovation from a group that included veterans of World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam wars, when she pledged to end the war in Iraq and begin bringing troops home (in measured fashion) after taking office. She also drew applause when she pledged to rebuild the United States' relationship with the world, saying "the era of cowboy diplomacy is over. We're going to start leading the world with our values."
While the event had been billed as "Holidays with Hillary," there was little in terms of seasonal merriment save the Christmas songs that played before and after her speech. Clinton referenced the upcoming holiday only once in her remarks.
Still, the room was filled, and that had to come as some relief to Clinton and her staff, since roads were treacherous given the harsh wind and freezing temperatures. The senator had hoped to have a full day of campaigning in Iowa to solidify her position before a two-day Christmas break. But the weather did not cooperate and Clinton received word during her speech that her succeeding event in Dubuque would have to be cancelled.
"It makes it hard to get around here," Clinton told the crowd. "But we're going to do the best job we can to cover the ground between now and Jan. 3."
It meant that Clinton had essentially flown here from New Hampshire to attend church with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, this morning in Waterloo, and then make this one stop in Marshalltown before heading back to New York for the holiday.
But such is the life of a presidential candidate who has suddenly found herself locked in what is now a three-way tossup in Iowa.
Comments
I would truly pray for a Merry Christmas for everyone this year, but I am in extreme angst over the possibility of Targay', Home Despot, Wal Fart, and all the other needy corporate entities doing poorly this year.
We need to remember these corporate Goliath's in our prayers and best wishes.
God bless, Macy's, Exxon, Big Drug, tobacco, and all the rest as they celebrate the great birth.
Noel....
Posted by: TrueXtian | December 23, 2007 8:04 PM
TrueXtian,
I hear ya buddy. I just don't enjoy the 'freezen season with a cold breezen and a reason' unless NAPA auto parts does well.
It's all about the share holders, and if they do poorly, well, it just ain't Xmas.
Posted by: C.Morris | December 23, 2007 8:15 PM
Here's a very interesting article about the history of Christmas, contained in a subsidiary of Fox News...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119820996084944523-email.html
Posted by: rncbs | December 23, 2007 8:17 PM
'Clinton stuck to core themes, including [fiscal responsibility???]
Hmmmmm? The last budget was sneaked through at the last hour by the dems and it included 9,800 earmarks!
The best one was a TWO MILLION DOLLAR monument to Rep. Charlie Rangel (D) in New York!
Ahhhh, those dems! All talk and no action...remember the dem mantra....PAY-GO???
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | December 23, 2007 10:05 PM
madam hillary clinton ur the ebst- the ebstc andiate ive ever known- you go girl go.
Posted by: laura | December 23, 2007 10:43 PM
This is written simply. Simple things happen in the world.
To crime dog:: The good people of Seattle need to have there ears and eyes focused on good technology.
Mostovoy, WD knows full well how to look at good technical specifications.
Mostovoy, WD needs to “show himself” as in real art on video war changed the look of a place so far off Seattle needs to just see the 3 minute 50 seconds as a modest review.
The enemies of the enemy happen to be also the enemies of Washington D.C. You are kept cold for a reason Mostovoy, W.D. knows not. He fears for you some time in that if you don’t know someone nefarious might attack you for what you feel is no reason.
I wanted some of my friends to say gosh and golly I’ll look out for suspicious types and not some of the old programmers that were asked to give up fake video for the real thing.
Technical stuff is and was so clean that a life’s aim of clean living was at hand. The “messy” video is caused by messing around in a “joke” that many “sort of real people” feel isn’t funny.
No one wants to hurt your good feeling or way of life. The Army insists, the Navy insists you do everything well.
It is that real dollars and real guns seem to float around for the deflection war. We deflect to provide you with fine lives (and ourselves great tech).
If someone finds themselves in the rest of the 48 it gets real tough.
It is not just concept to Mostovoy, WD it is real. Through school everyone said what if this and what if that and should people drive star wars cruisers if they become available. The stuff is here and many people went with wreck it and the people too.
It is like so many people hear things like “get out or you are through” it seems so pistol after seeing what I’ve seen. It is not just a lost computer and a checking account that suddenly does not balance.
What happened was judged not cold and then cold. In Seattle cool older programmers live a life they thought would be great. They attempted to run away from single mothers with interested kids. The “Spyware” software written took keystrokes and screens into the living room where Mothers and Sons could “Shadow” the supposedly lonely programmer.
What the mother can never tell the son is that it isn’t loneliness it’s a pleasure to spend time with the minds creation and gifts that persons placed well on the internet. Even the exotic dancer postings say something about the computer guy. The mother should and will judge the ultimate effect of what the child deems important in relation to the fathers internet use.
The phrase all over Seattle single “Spyware clubs” is “Don’t use that” If it takes 4 steps and step one means research on www.BestBuy.com the assumption that an expensive piece in the home will be required punishes an obvious look see at what new things have been created and what will be created in the future.
Many fine Mothers and Sons do good stuff. The cool old guys need some sort of break as I have suggested turning on one may mess up the entire dollar trading thing.
It started so simply with the invention of live Web cameras installed in nursery schools. Ten years later everyone wants to know why the eye in the sky catches the juice stealer and not the terrorist heading up the street to take on the computer lab.
Posted by: William Mostovoy | December 24, 2007 12:08 AM
I praise anyone who stops by old folks homes, especially around the Holidays, to bring some entertainment and cheer. In Hawaii, I don't think we have homes specifically for veterans, but of course many of the retirement homes are filled with war veterans. Good for you, Hillary.
Posted by: Ronald P. Loui | December 24, 2007 2:38 AM
Thought I should share this with you:
Obama awarded
"Person of the Year" award
Posted by: Bill | December 24, 2007 11:11 AM
Posted by: Paulo | December 23, 2007 10:05 PM
Ah. Paulo. The mere mention of Hilary's name causes his Tom Diddly to shrink.
Posted by: chimpymcflightsuit'snavigator | December 24, 2007 12:32 PM
"the room was filled and that came as some releif to Clinton and her staff"
Of course it was filled! It was at the Veterans Home where the residents had no where else to go!. The Clinton staff probably told the staff to promise the residents extra chow if they filled the hall.
After 4 January, Shrillary will never again visit Iowa unless its to bail her husband out of jail for hitting on a young "gee she looked 18" Iowan.
Posted by: Remus | December 24, 2007 4:20 PM
Posted by: Paulo | December 23, 2007 10:05 PM
I heard on the radio this morning that in 2006 the Republic Party dominated Congress gave the President a budget containing over 14,000 earmarks - yet Paulo never said one word in protest about it.
And the two biggest porkers for earmarks are Republic Party hacks - Stevens of Alaska and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.
Posted by: BC | December 24, 2007 6:14 PM
Jimàs article
Posted by: Jim | December 26, 2007 1:11 PM
Jims article
Posted by: Jim | December 26, 2007 1:14 PM
WD Mostovoy responds
Thank you for the response to us cool old programmer types.
I feel contained in that once the stuff is here I do feel isolated and cold.
I lived life as a General on video. A president to the shadow government and an executive to the business community with the fortune 500.
It never felt just like speculation. You get me posters. When blown up buildings on TV look wrong to you you get me.
When dead bodies and fires look like something is wrong to you you get me.
I send forces as a General and the video and tools are what I have.
WD Mostovoy
Posted by: William Mostovoy | January 30, 2009 11:24 AM