by Rick Pearson
WILLIAMSBURG, Iowa—Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says she'll welcome any advice her husband, former President Bill Clinton, would provide her if she wins the White House, but she'll be the one running things.
Speaking to reporters after a rally at a elementary school gym in east-central Iowa that featured her mother, Dorothy Rodham, and daughter Chelsea, the New York senator said that during her husband's presidency she was "always pleased to offer my opinon."
"I tried to give him my best advice, but he was the president. He made the decisions," Hillary Clinton said.
"When I'm president, that's exactly how it will work," she said. "I will seek out his advice because he has a broad range of experience, both life experience and governmental experience, which together will be especially helpful to me. But so will others. I have a broad range of advisers. At the end of the day, a president has to make whatever decisions she believes are best for the country and I intend to do that."
During the rally to about 250 people, Clinton made no direct reference to her chief rival for the nomination, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, or of the rally taking place about 100 miles west in Des Moines on Obama's behalf featuring Oprah Winfrey.
But she made repeated references to her plan for universal health care "that leaves nobody out"—a charge she has leveled at Obama's plan for health coverage.
While explaining she feels times have changed since she failed in her efforts as first lady to create a universal health care plan in the early 1990s, she also acknowledged a critical mistake in failing to explain her proposal to the public.
"A lot of the time back in '93-'94 it was very difficult for people to understand what we were trying to do and we didn't do as good a job as we could have in explaining it," she said. Now, she said, she's back with a much simpler proposal.
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Comments
Running total of DNC Swamp stories on presidential candidates, this screen:
Clinton 2, Edwards 2, Obama 2, Oprah for Obama 1--total, 7 on the Democrats
Huckabee 1, Romney 1--total, 2 on the Republicans
7-2, Democrat over Republican. All in all, a typical day for the DNC Swamp.
Posted by: Bruce | December 8, 2007 7:45 PM
Now I get it. When Mr. Clinton is President, she gets to claim the experience as co-President, However if when Mrs. Clinton gets elected President, it's all her show. Sure Hill.
Posted by: DavidL | December 8, 2007 8:36 PM
RNC Bruce,
Whine-100%.
Posted by: Doug Zook | December 8, 2007 8:37 PM
'He [B.J] has a broad range of experience, both life and governmental experience.'
Sexual misconduct.
Impeachment.
Failure to defend and protect America against terrorist attacks.
And, 9/11 was planned for 4 years under his nose.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | December 8, 2007 10:18 PM
Oh well Bruce,
Fox has a much larger and a(rather confused) audience than the Swamp.
Which even things more than just up
Besides we know that the RNC candidates are carbon copies of each other when it comes to religion, Slime, Slime, or abortion, Slime Slime, or Iraq, Slime Slime Slime.
Fact is Hillary can do a Bush "wa appened here"? vs Cheney: "I am in charge here" change-up, and with Bill Clinton, be much better at it. Because she works with better material than the repukes have or are presently introducing. I remember McCain sitting accross from Jerry Fallwell, Yes mr. Fallwell No mr. Fallwell! Slime, Slime, Slime!
Slime the agony of water!
Posted by: B Doggle | December 9, 2007 12:00 AM
SHE HAS A TRACK RECORDS- TRAVEL FOREIGN COUNTRIES- 82 COUNTRIES.IF THER EPORTER COVERED THE CANDIDATES PUBLIC RECORDS BETTER WOULD HILLARY WOULD EB FAR AHEAD OF HER RIVAL.
BUSH THEN LIKEABLE ADDICT LIKE OBAMA TAKE DRUGS-NO EXPREIENCE -NO TRACK RECORDS OABMA WATCH OUT CRUMBELD AMERICA. EXPREINCE IS GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY U KNOW IT I KNOW IT-OPHRA STAY HOME- U CANOT BUT THE WHITE HOUSE WITH YOUR MONEY UNDERSTAND?
Posted by: MCLAIN | December 9, 2007 1:07 AM
I do want Hillary for President. We need someone who is honest enough to change their mind and change when they feel it is needed. Take the drivers licenses for illegals. Also, I think it is important that she she and her staff show a willingness to stand up when evil-doers try to pry into private affairs(see the obstruction of law enforcement's investigation when the Clinton's lawyer, VINCE FOSTER, was found dead. Gotta organize the office before those pesky investigators look through everything.) I shall have to tale an up-to-date tally on the nuanced positions.
Posted by: DaveTex | December 9, 2007 9:59 AM
Hillary is a strong enough, qualified, experienced, and intelligent enough woman to make all the decisions as president by herself!!!! Of course, she will ask Bill for advice but she will be the one in the driver's seat!!!
PRESIDENT HILLARY CLINTON - 2008!!!!
Posted by: Carol | December 9, 2007 6:15 PM
Which woman knows her husband cheats on her but decides to stay married because she wants to become president ?
Answer: Hillary
Which woman has a public record of being around crooks,corruption, fraud, lies ?
Answer: Hillary
Which woman flop flops on TV because she fears of being out the political game by telling the truth?
Answer: Hillary
Which type of President Hillary can be if takes two weeks to find an answer to a simple question giving Driver licenses to illegal immigrants ? (in case of disaster, we need a President who can decides right the way)
Answer: Hillary.
NOW IF YOU ARE A WOMAN AND THINKS THAT HILLARY IMAGE FITS WITH YOUR IMAGE AS AN AMERICAN WOMAN, VOTE FOR HER BUT SHE DOES NOT LOOK LIKE ME. I'M HARD WORKING WOMAN, HONEST AND NOT READY TO STAY BY A CHEATER HUSBAND BECAUSE OF POLITICAL OR MONEY AMBITIONS
Posted by: karl | December 10, 2007 12:21 AM
HIllary Clinton for president of course big YES, go ahead for nomination and all the way to the finis line to the White house. And Karl just because you never cheat or flirt, honestly I daub that, doesn't mean that other people should not forgive their love ones like husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend...so what it's not nice doing that cheating but it's no big crime either, but if you are able to forgive that something bigger that really matter. Money or political ambitions, huh, did you ever heard of: till dead do us part. Thats love Karl, not ambitions. And for the last Karl, Hillary Clinton doesn't fears anything, proof: running for USA president.
Posted by: Toni | December 11, 2007 9:52 AM
HIllary Clinton for president of course big YES, go ahead for nomination and all the way to the finis line to the White house. And Karl just because you never cheat or flirt, honestly I daub that, doesn't mean that other people should not forgive their love ones like husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend...so what it's not nice doing that cheating but it's no big crime either, but if you are able to forgive that something bigger that really matter. Money or political ambitions, huh, did you ever heard of: till dead do us part. Thats love Karl, not ambitions. And for the last Karl, Hillary Clinton doesn't fears anything, proof: running for USA president.
Posted by: Toni | December 11, 2007 9:53 AM
To those whining about Fox News-
Your complaints are ridiculous. The democrats have NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, and PBS (supported by my tax dollars-it should be a crime how biased they are). Conservatives get one channel that tries to be balanced - it isn't even Right Wing, and the libs are whining about not having the monopoly they've had for over 40 years.
Posted by: Holly | December 11, 2007 9:06 PM