by Jason George
LOS ANGELES – Few political events start off with "La Cucaracha," but in East L.A. sometimes a mariachi band just makes sense..
And that's just how an event for Sen. Hillary Clinton began today at Cal State University Los Angeles, a largely Latino school in L.A.'s University Hills neighborhood. (CSULA confers more bachelor degrees to Latino students than all the other California state schools combined, according to the university.)
Latinos make up a third of California's population, and Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are battling fierce for those votes. Clinton has held a strong lead with the demographic, but Obama is fighting hard as of late. Yesterday Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts put in an appearance at nearby East Los Angeles College. Check out a story on Obama's efforts with Latino's in today's Los Angeles Times.
Appearing on stage with Los Angeles' mayor Antonio Villaraigosa – who grew up a few blocks away and first greeted the crowd in Spanish –Fabian Núñez, speaker of the California assembly, and several other elected officials, Clinton began her closing arguments for Super Tuesday, focusing on healthcare, the economy and education. She again stressed the difference between her and Obama's healthcare plans.
" This is a fight worth having my opponent will not commit to: universal health care," she said.
"I don't believe we should nominate any Democratic candidate who will not stand here today, tomorrow or any day and make this commitment."
She also swiped at Sen. John McCain, " who said he'd be happy to be [in Iraq] for 100 years," Clinton said to loud boos.
" I am ready to lead," she closed out this appearance to thunderous applause.
Clinton heads from here to stops today in Arizona, New Mexico and Missouri, but her California campaign push is not winding down. In a new ad, airing here called “Dignity,” Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Cesar L. Chavez, grandson of the late Cesar E. Chavez, advocate for Clinton. Her campaign is also asking Cali supporters to get together over the weekend and call their friends– a "BYOP party" Clinton calls it, with the "p" being a phone – hoping to reach a million California voters.
"We want to do something we've never done before," Clinton said last night in San Jose. "We want to make sure every single voter is touched."
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Comments
"La Cucaracha"?!
The lyrics basically say "the cockroach, the cockroach cannot walk anymore, because it lost the two hind legs".
LOL
I wonder who was the genius who came up with choice for starting off the event.
Posted by: C. | February 2, 2008 4:48 PM
Sally Field, Ted Danson, Magic Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, Bradley Whitford, Jane Kazmerek,
Amber Tamblyn and America Ferrara were there too.
And nobody played La Cucaracha. Where do you get this stuff? Thank goodness for C-Span!
Posted by: Karen | February 2, 2008 5:02 PM
What if we had decided you had a choice whether to be included in social security and some people decided to back out. Would our social security be what it is today? Health care should be like that also. The Clinton package us much better.
Posted by: Audrey Albert | February 2, 2008 5:03 PM
I'll be voting for Senator Hillary R. Clinton in Tuesday's Democratic primary in Connecticut. I'm voting for her because I'm a proud McCain Democrat and know that Hurricane McCain can beat her like a drum in November!
Posted by: MVD | February 2, 2008 5:43 PM
The general election will be decided by independents and moderates. Unlike Hillary's base, which will apparently forgive every misdeed, this block of thinking voters will not. They understand that it will be more of the same, divided, idiotic, and partisan politics as usual and they will not support her in the general election. McCain has a track record of attracting independent voters, Hillary has a different track record . . . attracting older white female voters. I am tired of the baby-boomers dictating our politics. You have to admit their record leaves a lot to be desired.
You give me Billary. I give you a vote for McCain.
Posted by: brooks of sheffield | February 2, 2008 6:21 PM
Woo hooo Hillary!!!
I'm happy to vote for someone who has imressed both RFK Jr AND AMERICA FERRERA.
That is America - a wide swath of people, diverse, equal and caring for each other and the country above all.
Hillary!!Hillary!!Hillary!!
Posted by: FJ Stratford | February 2, 2008 8:07 PM
This is for MVD and brooks of sheffield. I hope you both have sons and daughters that will be spending lots of time in Iraq should McCain be our next president. He has plans for your children, grandchildren and on and on for the next 100 years.
Posted by: RFB | February 2, 2008 8:16 PM
I hope the Republicans do not attack Hillary too much and bring her to tears.
Posted by: Bob | February 2, 2008 8:54 PM
The Clinton campaign cites Sen. Clinton's "experience." In fact, she's a one-term-plus-a-year senator whose lackluster legislative record rivals Sen. Obama's. Other than that, the "experience" in question must surely refer to her presence as a witness and enabler during her husband's presidential terms.
Suffice it to say there are dozens of issues that Americans happily dismissed as "water under the bridge" as the Clinton era came to a close, but which would quickly ensnare Sen. Clinton and her party in a presidential race that would soon look like a struggle to escape the La Brea tar pits.
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For starters, imagine Sen. Clinton and "co-president" Bill Clinton invited onto a "This is Your Life" talk show where they're joined by Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey, Paula Jones, Gennifer Flowers and Monica Lewinsky.
And that's before we even get around to a HillaryCare plan that could have sent you to jail for offering to pay your doctor in cash to "get to the head of the line."
Posted by: Shawn | February 2, 2008 9:07 PM
The editorial board of La Opinion, with a readership of 500,000 the largest Spanish-language daily in the country, endorsed Obama today, praising his "inclusive message of hope" and his "conciliatory style that can reverse the vicious cycle of rancor which has paralyzed (the country's) ability to come together on major decisions."
Clean slate!!!
Obama,
'08!!!
http://laopinion.com/editorial/index_en.html
Posted by: Martin Edwin "Mick" Andersen | February 2, 2008 9:26 PM
Clinton should just admit:
"I was wrong on my national healthcare plan 15 years ago; I was wrong on my war vote 5 years ago; and I was wrong to condemn Barack Obama about acting on 'actionable intelligence in Pakistan.' But with this kind of streak, I'm bound to be right sometime. Don't risk your vote on Obama. He's been right too many times. He's going to be wrong for America, trust me."
Posted by: Bud McFarlin | February 3, 2008 10:15 AM
Funny that Obama got endorsements from the freedom loving side of the Kennedys while Hillary got the support of dictator Hugo Chavez'z biggest fan...Robert Kennedy.
Posted by: Lillia | February 3, 2008 1:08 PM