The Triangle

Issue date: 3/14/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Dave Hernandez Presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton held a campaign rally on Temple University's campus March 11. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell were in attendance to support her campaign.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and 4,000 supporters attended a rally for Clinton at Temple University's McGonigle Hall March 11.

Clinton opened her speech stressing the importance that the Pennsylvania primary will have for the 2008 election.

"It is my belief that Pennsylvania should be the state that makes all the difference," Clinton said.

Clinton spoke little on her rival, Sen. Barack Obama, and focused more on taking shots at the Bush Administration.

"I think the world is going to let out a sigh of relief when George Bush leaves the White House," she said.

She rallied fans with her line, "It took a Clinton to clean up after the first Bush; it's going to take a Clinton to clean up after the second one."

Clinton denounced President Bush's policy with Saudi Arabia, and promised to implement a tougher policy since Saudi Arabia was the home country to most of the Sept. 11 hijackers.

"You will not see me as the President of the United States holding hands with the Saudis," Clinton said.

Clinton also addressed healthcare and promised citizens they would receive the same healthcare as federal workers in Washington. She told supporters a story about a woman in Ohio who was refused healthcare for a pregnancy problem because she didn't have $100. Later, Clinton said, the woman was rushed to a few hospitals as the doctors tried to save the baby. The doctors failed and the bills turned into tens of thousands of dollars, and both the baby and mother died.

"We can't discriminate against race and gender, but we can discriminate against the sick?" Clinton asked, shaking her head in disapproval.

First to enter the platform, Rendell addressed the rumor that Philadelphians are afraid that if Clinton is president, the city will go back to the way it was in the 1990s, under the first Clinton Administration. However, Rendell said, there should be no fear because the city prospered in the 1990s by focusing on improving housing and reconstructing the navy yards, thanks to the Clintons.

Clinton agreed, and later added, "I hear people say they don't want to go back to the 1990s, and I think, 'Which part? The peace, or the prosperity?'"

Nutter spoke in support of Clinton's experience as a Senator and First Lady in Washington.

"They're not running for high school class president; they're running for President of the United States," Nutter said of the presidential hopefuls. "If we can put a man on the moon, we can put a woman in the White House."

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