Why is Bill frustrated? Because he’s saying a lot. A whole lot. Can’t shut him up about the things Hillary will do to improve health care, the economy, the environment, and foreign policy. But all the press wants is a spicy quote about Barack Obama.
For two hours, Bill spoke to a small crowd of supporters, encouraging them to get neighbors and friends out for Hillary. Clinton spoke first to the news of the day: the economy. While a few Republican candidates are avoiding the “R” word, Clinton said we’ve been in a recession for a while now. The former president stressed the importance of a rebate for a broader swath of taxpayers (as opposed to the calls for income tax rebates), noting it will help those people who aren’t paying income taxes, but whom still pay social security and other taxes.
“They still pay taxes and they can’t pay their bills,” he said.
He pointed out the need for a universal health care plan that covers even those who don’t want health care. “Not covering everybody adds to the cost.”
While that was obviously a jab at Barack Obama’s near-universal plan, Clinton saved most of his ammo for the current administration. On the military, Clinton said, “They know she’ll be good to our military and she won’t get in messes we have no business getting in.” When asked about Israel and Palestine, Clinton said, “You should want a president to be on the side of peace.”
All of the Democratic candidates are ready to get out of Iraq and that’s going to be able to bring the political solutions the surge has yet to provide.
“If they think we’re going to be there forever,” he said, alluding to comments by John McCain that we could be their for 100 years, “why should they make any decisions if we’re going to be handing around.”
When he told the CNN reporter that the voters at the event didn’t ask about the infighting, that was mostly true. Near the end, one woman did ask about the infighting evident at Monday night’s debate. His response floated around the realities of a democratic process where every candidate believes they’re the best candidate for the job. He capped it off by suggesting Democrats should look beyond the arguments and take heart that a black man and a woman are leading the race.
“Our party has proved that anybody can play,” Clinton said.
But, all you got on the news was his fit. Stay cool. Support City Paper. City Paper has been bringing the best news, food, arts, music and event coverage to the Holy City since 1997. Support our continued efforts to highlight the best of Charleston with a one-time donation or become a member of the City Paper Club.