SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Hillary Rodham Clinton wooed Silicon Valley campaign donors and voters Thursday with a plan to create more high-paying jobs and maintain U.S. dominance in technology. The New York senator and Democratic presidential hopeful said she's trying to increase the number of so-called H1B visas aimed at highly educated workers. Silicon Valley companies use H1Bs to sponsor thousands of software engineers from Russia, India, China and other countries, but many must return home when their temporary work permits expire. "If you think you have a skills shortage now, project it out a decade and we're going to be in real trouble," Clinton said to applause from more than 200 executives attending a half-day CEO Summit by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. "We need to guide immigration reform to attract and retain foreign-born students who want to work in the United States." If elected, Clinton said, her administration would provide financial support to schools that encourage girls and minorities to study "STEM" subjects: science, technology, engineering and math. Clinton's plan would:

- Increase federal research and development budgets 50 percent over the next 10 years at the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy's Office of Science and the Defense Department. She would triple the number of NSF fellowships and create an award structure to encourage working engineers and scientists to teach classes and mentor students in public schools.

- Establish a $50 billion "Strategic Energy Fund" that would create a research agency focused on reducing the threat of global warming. The R&D windfall and energy agency would be funded in part from closing tax loopholes and ending subsidies to oil companies, she said.

- Provide tax incentives to increase the number of U.S. homes with broadband Internet connections.

Executives attending Clinton's speech said she hit the right tone with Silicon Valley power brokers. Executives in the nation's technology hub - where 53 percent of all engineers are foreign-born - worry many workers will return to India, China and other countries developing tech sectors. "We are clearly on common ground," Adobe Systems Inc. CEO Bruce Chizen said.

By RACHEL KONRAD, Associated Press Writer, May 31, 2007

LOS ANGELES - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's political courtship of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa landed her an early, influential endorsement this week that highlights the intense competition among presidential candidates for support within the growing Hispanic population. Candidates in both major parties are reaching out to Hispanic voters with an intensity that speaks to the importance of the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group in the 2008 campaign. Villaraigosa, a potential gubernatorial candidate in 2010, is one of the nation's most recognized Hispanic politicians. He's expected to serve as a strong advocate for Clinton among Hispanics, particularly in vote-rich Southern California. California's Hispanic population is nearing 36 percent - more than double the U.S. average. However, Hispanics historically vote in numbers well below their share of the population, in part because many are either too young to vote, unregistered or foreign citizens. But as the Hispanic population increases in the state, so has voting participation. In 1992, Hispanics accounted for about 8 percent of Californians going to the polls; in 2006, the figure hit 14 percent, according to figures compiled by the Public Policy Institute of California. Their impact is strongest on the Democratic side of the ticket - one of every five party voters in the state is Hispanic. In the national midterm election in 2006, Democrats recaptured a large part of the Hispanic vote - nearly seven in 10 Hispanic voters supported Democratic congressional candidates, exit polls found. But Republicans in several key states also did well, suggesting Latinos could be important swing voters in 2008. Hispanics could play important roles in potential battleground states like Nevada, Colorado and Arizona, which have large Latino populations. In California "the increasing proportion of Latino adults, greater rates of citizenship and increasing social mobility are all leading to higher proportions of Latinos turning out at the polls," said Public Policy Institute pollster Mark Baldassare. Not surprisingly, Villaraigosa's endorsement Wednesday was eagerly sought by all the leading Democratic candidates. Clinton landed the nod after a series of phone calls and meetings, which included a New York City dinner between the mayor and former President Bill Clinton. The senator earlier hired a Villaraigosa political adviser to run her California campaign and named state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, a close friend of the mayor and another prominent Hispanic politician, a national co-chair of her campaign. She also appointed Villaraigosa a national co-chair.

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press Writer< May 31, 2007

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Hillary Rodham Clinton maintains the upper hand in the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in the United States, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 35 per cent of respondents would vote for the New York senator in a 2008 primary. Illinois senator Barack Obama is second with 26 per cent, followed by former North Carolina senator John Edwards with 14 per cent, and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson with five per cent. Yesterday, Rodham Clinton discussed her economic policies, saying, "I prefer a 'we're all in it together' society. I believe our government can once again work for all Americans. It can promote the great American tradition of opportunity for all and special privileges for none."

Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research, May30, 2007

Saying Hillary Rodham Clinton was a leader who offered a new path, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today formally endorsed the New York senator and former first lady in her race to become president of the United States. Villaraigosa will also serve as one of the four national chairs of Clinton's campaign for the Democratic nomination for president, it was announced. At a televised news conference from the UCLA campus in Westwood, Villaraigosa praised Clinton's approach to domestic issues, particularly education, and her pledge to help end the war in Iraq. The 2008 election represents an important opportunity for the country to change direction from the years of President Bush, the mayor said. "We will choose whether to perpetuate the disastrous policies of the last six years that brought us war and division, debt and diminished expectations," he said. Or voters can choose "a new course and a brighter path." The mayor's announcement had been expected, but it could help Clinton in her race for the Democratic nomination. Polls show her running ahead of her chief challenger, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), nationally and in California. Running against the Iraq war, Democrats wrested control of Congress from the Republicans and are expected to continue that strategy in 2008. Villaraigosa praised Clinton's current stand against the war. As a senator, she had voted to authorize the invasion. "Hillary Clinton has a plan to end the war in Iraq," Villaraigosa said. "No candidate in the race for president" is better positioned "to accomplish this mission and restore American prestige around the world." Villaraigosa cited Hillary Clinton's eight years as a key advisor in the administration of her embattled husband, President Bill Clinton. "We should not lose sight of the fact that there's only one candidate for the presidency of the United States that has literally been there," the mayor said. Villaraigosa is the second high-ranking Latino leader to endorse Clinton in California. Six weeks ago, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angles) backed the New Yorker. The mayor's support is also expected to help with the union vote. Experts said one obvious plus for Clinton is Villaraigosa's role as the Mexican American leader of a major American city. Several states with large Latino populations were heavily contested in the 2004 presidential election. "He is someone who could bring in a Latino vote without having to campaign too heavily in Latino communities," said Jaime Regalado, director of the Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles. "He has the surname and the face of Latino America."

By Duke Helfand and Steve Hymon, Los Angeles Times, May 30, 2007

Presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton outlined a broad economic vision Tuesday, saying it's time to replace an "on your own" society with one based on shared responsibility and prosperity. The Democratic senator said what the Bush administration touts as an "ownership society" really is an "on your own" society that has widened the gap between rich and poor. "I prefer a 'we're all in it together' society," she said. "I believe our government can once again work for all Americans. It can promote the great American tradition of opportunity for all and special privileges for none." That means pairing growth with fairness, she said, to ensure that the middle-class succeeds in the global economy, not just corporate CEOs. "There is no greater force for economic growth than free markets. But markets work best with rules that promote our values, protect our workers and give all people a chance to succeed," she said. "Fairness doesn't just happen. It requires the right government policies." Clinton spoke at the Manchester School of Technology, which trains high school students for careers in the construction, automotive, graphic arts and other industries. The school highlighted one of the nine goals she outlined: increasing support for alternative schools and community colleges. "We have sent a message to our young people that if you don't go to college ... that you're thought less of in America. We have to stop this," she said. "Our country cannot run without the people who have the skills that are taught in this school." Beyond education, Clinton said she would reduce special breaks for corporations, eliminate tax incentives for companies that ship jobs overseas and open up CEO pay to greater public scrutiny. Clinton also said she would help people save more money by expanding and simplifying the earned income tax credit; create new jobs by pursuing energy independence; and ensure that every American has affordable health insurance.

By HOLLY RAMER Associated Press, May 29, 2007

Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, one of the most influential Democrats in California, will endorse Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York for president on Tuesday, according to two Democrats close to Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign. For Democratic presidential candidates, Mr. Villaraigosa's endorsement has been treated as a huge political prize: The California presidential primary has taken on new importance with its move from June to Feb. 5; Mr. Villaraigosa has a broad network of supporters as mayor and as a former speaker of the state Assembly; and he is the most powerful Hispanic official in the state and is widely seen as a rising star in the party. Moreover, the Democrats close to Mrs. Clinton say, her campaign plans to use the endorsement to draw attention to (and continue building) Hispanic support for her candidacy. Recent polls have shown Mrs. Clinton ahead of her Democratic competitors among Hispanic voters, with Senator Barack Obama of Illinois running in second place; Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama are also vying aggressively for support of black voters. California Democrats say that all of the major Democratic presidential candidates had either spoken with Mr. Villaraigosa personally or put out feelers about whether his endorsement was truly up for grabs. According to advisers to Mrs. Clinton, the mayor's endorsement was indeed up for grabs - Mr. Villaraigosa does not have a particularly deep or long-standing relationship with either Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Clinton, and he was never a fixture in their political apparatus. The endorsement appears to stand as a blow to another Democratic candidate, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who is the first Hispanic to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. Mr. Richardson kicked off his campaign in Los Angeles this month, speaking in both English and Spanish and overtly appealing to the ethnic pride of Hispanic voters. California, as the nation's most populous state, is rich with Democratic primary delegates and superdelegates who will determine the party's nominee at the 2008 party convention. The state's media markets are highly expensive, meanwhile, so endorsements can be a crucial factor in augmenting the money that the candidates can afford to spend on television and radio commercials. Mr. Villaraigosa was elected mayor in 2005, becoming the first Hispanic leader of the city since the 19th century. But his political bases extends throughout the state, built during his years as Assembly speaker, and he is viewed as a possible candidate for governor of California in 2010. To be sure, the endorsements of

California's Democratic senators, Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, would be big political "gets" for the presidential candidates, too. But Mr. Villaraigosa is the star of the moment in state Democratic circles and Mrs. Clinton's campaign is expected to use his endorsement to highlight Hispanic political support of herself and her husband.

By Patrick Healy, The New York Times, May 29, 2007

NEW YORK - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton has won the endorsement of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a rising star in national Democratic politics and one of the nation's top Hispanic elected officials. Villaraigosa was set to announce his endorsement Wednesday, joining Clinton at a campaign rally at the University of California, Los Angeles. "She's the right candidate at the right time," Villaraigosa said to reporters outside Los Angeles City Hall on Tuesday. Villaraigosa said he supports Clinton "because I think her experience, strength and leadership is what we need in our nation right now." A popular figure in the nation's second-largest city, analysts expect Villaraigosa to have a promising future in national politics or in statewide office in California. He is widely popular among Hispanic voters, who make up an increasingly large percentage of Democratic voters in California and many other states. In 2004, 21 percent of California voters were Hispanic, according to exit polls there. Villaraigosa's endorsement of Clinton is not unexpected; he lavished praise on the New York senator at a campaign event in Los Angeles in March, calling her campaign "fighting for a brighter and cleaner future for all our children." And last month, his top political consultant, Ace Smith, joined the Clinton campaign as its California director. Clinton's campaign also announced a string of endorsements in Nevada where among her supporters former Gov. Bob Miller, the last Democrat to sit in the Nevada governor's office, as well as a list of black community leaders. Clinton's Nevada African American Leadership Council consists of 34 black activists and business leaders.

By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer, May 29, 2007

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, pledged in a speech in Manchester, N.H., this morning to reduce corporate tax breaks and eliminate incentives for companies that move overseas in order to combat "rising inequality and rising pessimism in our workforce." Mrs. Clinton, in remarks to 300 people at the Manchester School of Technology, did not so much lay out an economic action plan as she did outline, in her words, a "new progressive vision" to combat income inequality. "While productivity and corporate profits are up, the fruits of that success just haven't reached many of our families," she said. "It's like trickle down economics without the trickle," she added. Mrs. Clinton opened her remarks with several minutes of statistics about income inequality and, as she put it, the mismanagement of globalization. Her audience listened silently to the percentages of declining household incomes and rising corporate profits, then broke into light applause when Mrs. Clinton took a jab at the Bush administration. "So many people I talk to just want to his the restart button on the 21st century and redo it the right way, and I agree with that," Mrs. Clinton said. That agenda, Mrs. Clinton said, included "leveling the playing field" by reducing tax breaks for major corporations; allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies; eliminate incentives that lead American companies to move jobs overseas; change the tax code so companies no longer escape taxes by moving business profits overseas; "recommit ourselves" to the goal of giving all students a chance to go to college; and provide universal health care and "save" Social Security. Mrs. Clinton also said she was "not giving up on manufacturing," but said that the "right" economic policies were needed to reinvigorate the manufacturing base.

By Patrick Healy, The New York Times, May 29, 2007

It was standing room only at the Pizza Ranch in Emmetsburg Saturday morning as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton made one stop in her "Four Corners Tour" of Iowa. The former first lady was joined on site not only by Senate President John "Jack" Kibbie of Emmetsburg and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who signed on to serve as one of Clinton's national co-chairs after dropping out of the race for the Democratic nomination, but also hundreds of democratic activists from Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Pocahontas, Palo Alto and Humboldt counties who attended. The New York Senator told those in attendance how everywhere she goes in the state, she sees the results of Vilsack's leadership. "In fact, I'm borrowing from Iowa for some of what I'm doing in my presidential campaign," Clinton said. "Iowa is leading the charge in this country for ethanol - and it's not only corn ethanol, it's also, as Jack said, it's going to be cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel from soybeans and other sources. We cannot thank Iowa enough for really breaking down some of those barriers." The former first lady of Arkansas, where her husband, former President Bill Clinton served as governor, also indicated she wants to pursue a goal of becoming an "energy-independent" country. "Now, not overnight; it's going to take a while," she assured. "But, there's no reason we can't be. Again, with Iowa leading the way, and with other states looking at what they can do to produce more energy, we need central leadership from the president to say, 'Here's what we're going to do. ... We're going to start moving toward energy security.' I know we can get the money to start doing that. Take away the taxpayer subsidies for the oil companies. They don't need them; they're not using it to create new forms of energy. We can put that toward more renewable energy, which will be good for the environment." The presidential candidate also told those in attendance that the United States needs to "deal with global warming." She cited the ethanol and wind jobs which have popped up in Iowa over the last decade and suggested positions working with solar, geothermal, hydrogen and "clean coal" sources could also be on the horizon. But, Clinton stressed that the United States needs "a plan" in this area from its leader. The former first lady also used the old farming adage of what's planted today will eventually be reaped, saying this philosophy rings true with our relations with other countries. "Unfortunately, in the last six and one-half years, we've planted dissension, divisiveness and alienation. And, we've got to reverse that," Clinton said. "I know we can. And, I'm running for president because I want to restore the greatness of our country around the world and renew the promise of our country to ourselves and our children here at home." "I want to be the president who sets goals again. Let's set a goal of quality, affordable health insurance for every single American. The Democratic candidate also suggested she intends to set some education goals, specifically for a prekindergarten program. Clinton quoted University of Chicago Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman, who has stated this is "one of the best investments America can make." "And I know it is," Clinton said, "because if we invest a dollar in helping prepare a young person for kindergarten, you won't be spending money on other problems." The candidate also touched on her belief of the need for educational reform in areas such as fixing No Child Left Behind and making college "affordable again" for all. As Clinton detailed how her parents had saved to pay for room, board and tuition for her, she stated, "Then I decided I wanted to go to law school after I graduated from college. My father said, 'Well, we didn't plan a budget for that. We don't have the money.' "But I could go borrow money from our government at about 2 percent. And I didn't have to worry about these student loan companies ripping my family off and having people running those programs who had conflicts of interest because they had stock in the company or they worked for colleges and they got all these gifts and benefits. Well we're going to clean all of that up. We're going to reform Washington ... of a culture of cronyism and incompetence and corruption." The Senator then guaranteed she'd "rebuild" alliances and partnerships in the world if elected president. Clinton also pledged herself to creating more cooperation among countries.

Br Kris Todd, The Daily Reporter, May 29, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Sitting in a living room like the one where Hillary Clinton made her video announcement of her presidential campaign, Bill Clinton faces the camera and says, with his trademark squint, "I'm really proud of the way Hillary's campaign is going." That's the start of a five-minute video sent to donors two weeks ago, the first ready-for-YouTube statement from the former president on his wife's campaign. It shows Bill Clinton doing exactly what spouses of presidential candidates have been doing in recent decades: attesting to the personal virtues of a would-be president. It's what Teresa Heinz Kerry seemingly forgot to do at her speech at the Boston convention in 2004, when she talked about her own immigrant journey and her determination to make women's voices heard. Kerry's misstep only hints at the number of potential pitfalls and blunders awaiting Bill Clinton as he, a man and a former president, steps into the first spouse role. But it turns out that, far from seeming awkward, a man praising his wife's career accomplishments is surprisingly powerful. And the conviction that Bill Clinton brings to the role is striking enough that it might prompt yet another reassessment of the Clinton team. "There may be some things you may not know that occurred in her life before she became a US senator," Bill declares, ticking off a list of good works -- the "extra year" she took to study children and the law, her decision to forgo a law firm job for the Children's Defense Fund, her paper analyzing the status of women in the legal profession, her work on the board of the Arkansas Children's Hospital. He covers her work as first lady -- "Hillary is heavily respected in the world" -- and even her stab at health care reform. "Everyone knows we didn't succeed, but Hillary, as always, didn't give up," Bill says. By now, almost everyone probably thinks it's obvious when Bill Clinton is lying. (There's something about the mouth, or is it the eyes?) With that in mind, his video comments surely were vetted for possible double entendres or false notes: Bill is one of the few men who can raise eyebrows by saying he loves his wife. He doesn't go there. But when he says that she has "the best combination of mind and heart" to be president, his admiration shines through. Suddenly, there's a hint of what seems to be the deepest bond between the Clintons: They admire each other's skills and believe in each other. The good news for the Clintons, as evidenced by the video, is that their new roles actually cast them in a more natural light. Hillary is convincingly tough and competent; Bill is convincingly warm and empathetic. Their commitment to each other seems stronger than ever. So does their chance of returning to the White House.

By Peter Canellos, The Boston Globe, May 29, 2007

NEW YORK - It's more than half a year - and a few snowstorms - until the first votes in Iowa, yet Democratic presidential hopefuls have already captured some of the delegates critical to winning the nomination. Not just any delegates - "superdelegates," the party's top echelon of elected officials who can back a candidate at any time no matter what the calendar, caucus-goer or primary voter says. Candidates have been pursuing endorsements from Democratic governors and members of Congress, knowing these individuals will have a direct say in choosing the party's nominee. The 235 Democratic House members and nonvoting representatives, 49 senators, the District of Columbia's two "shadow senators" and 28 governors total 314 - about 14 percent of the 2,182 delegates a candidate will need to secure the party's presidential nomination at next year's national convention in Denver. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, the Democratic front-runners, have established sophisticated "whip" operations to woo undecided colleagues. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards has engaged the talents of his campaign manager, a former House Democratic whip, to court the uncommitted. With eight months to go before voters begin choosing delegates through the primary process, many Democrats view the early accumulation of superdelegates as savvy planning for the future. Unfortunately for the presidential hopefuls, superdelegates can be fair-weather allies who aren't formally bound to any particular candidate and can shift their loyalties at will. Phil McNamara, director of delegate selection for the Democratic National Committee, put it this way: "These people are politicians. In the end, they'll support whomever is the nominee and they'll still get to go to the convention." Even so, the candidates are all pursuing the support of superdelegates, making personal appeals and enlisting the help of colleagues. Clinton has mounted the most aggressive program to court superdelegates, winning endorsements from 37 so far, including three Senate colleagues and the governors of Maryland, New Jersey and New York. She's even deputized several House members as "whips" to woo uncommitted colleagues. The group includes Ohio Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and New York Reps. Nita Lowey and Joseph Crowley. In an interview, Crowley said the effort has morphed a bit since it began in March, when the Clinton whips initially tried to target lawmakers from specific states. "We have an initial strategy of breaking it down into regions, but more often than not it's based on your own relationships with people, that level of comfort," Crowley said. Part of the sales pitch, Crowley said, is emphasizing that an early endorsement is usually remembered as more meaningful than signing on later in the campaign. You say it's always good to be in early. Clearly, when you have a lot of good candidates out there, regionality comes into play, but she has a broad wingspan beyond New York," he said.

By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer, May 28, 2007

Sen. Hillary Clinton visited northwest Iowa Saturday, completing the fourth corner of her "four-corners of Iowa tour." Clinton's staff office noted that the campaign will be spending the next three weekends in a row in Iowa, had been expanding offices around the state and is very much committed to Iowa. Clinton had meetings with Iowans in different parts of the state. She opened in Mason City saying, "It's so great to be back in Iowa, I am going to spend so much time in Iowa I'll be able to caucus for myself." Other references to the state were mentioned throughout, including ethanol and issues important to Iowans. She also mentioned her husband Bill Clinton, saying, "He is probably the most popular man in the world right now." The next stop was Charles City, Iowa, where Clinton repeated her pledge to Iowans over pie and coffee that she was here to stay. Clinton answered questions about education, health care and immigration. Hours later in Algona, Iowa, it was off to a pizza parlor. She mentioned her recent Iraq war vote for the third time that day saying, "I voted against the bill," but continually said she knew the bill would pass overwhelmingly and therefore she knew the troops would get the funding they needed. In Sioux Center, Iowa, Clinton mentioned that people were surprised that she was in the traditionally Republican area. She mentioned how in traditionally conservative upstate New York she was able to convince voters to support her. At her final stop, in Sioux Center, Iowa, she walked into a school auditorium packed with approximately 600 people and repeated her main themes of the weekend. She mentioned how as president she would reach out to the leaders of the world -- "most of them I know, and the ones I don't know, my husband knows."

By Eloise Harper, ABC News, May 27, 2007

WASHINGTON - U.S. voters are torn between competing cravings as they prepare to choose a new president in 2008: Change or experience? They are demanding something new, but there is comfort in the tried and true. The American public's low opinion of Washington and growing concern about the direction of the country point to 2008 being a "change" election, one like the campaigns of 1976 and 1992 - when Washington outsiders Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were elected - as people looked for a marked departure from the status quo. But the war in Iraq and the rise of global terrorism make for an anxious electorate and could turn this into a "war" election, one like the campaigns of 1944 and 2004 when voters found comfort in the most experienced candidates - incumbents Franklin D. Roosevelt and George W. Bush. Change versus experience? The White House will likely go to the man or woman who speaks best to both. "You can't separate them. I think (voters) want both," said John Edwards, the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2004 who is running for president in 2008. Edwards was quick to add that last part because he is more of a "change" candidate than one of experience. Despite this being his second national election, the former North Carolina trial lawyer has little in the way of a political resume outside a single six-year term in the Senate. Fellow Democrat Barack Obama also is more change than experience. A first-term U.S. senator who is just three years removed from the Illinois state legislature, Obama rocketed to the top tier of the Democratic presidential race by presenting himself as an outsider who could transform government crippled by corruption, polarization and "a smallness of our politics." Obama's inexperience showed at an issues forum in Nevada when he had no answer for the nation's health care crisis. He looked worse at a debate when the Democratic candidates were asked how they would respond to another terrorist attack in the United States. Obama should have been ready for that question. But all he could muster were a few halting sentences about effective disaster relief effort and "good intelligence." Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York pounced on his failure to consider a military action. "I believe we should quickly respond," Clinton said. The former first lady and second-term senator is long on experience and short on change. Polls show that most voters have made up their minds about her and they associate her with her husband's presidency - for better and worse. A USA Today-Gallup Poll this month showed Clinton leading Obama among Democrats nationwide. The No. 1 reason Clinton's backers gave for their support was her experience. The main reason Obama's supporters backed him was "fresh face/has news ideas." Still, both Democrats fight against type. Clinton, 59, tries to be what her husband, Bill Clinton, has called a "change agent." She denounces politics as usual, sponsors an edgy Internet contest and borrows phrases from Obama. "People are anxious to turn the page" and "change the direction of the country," she said this month. On the Republican side, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is a "change" candidate who casts himself as a Washington outsider. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is an "experience" candidate who built his presidential platform around the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Terrorism, he says, is something "that I understand better than anyone who is running for president of the United States." Republican Sen. John McCain was a self-styled reformer during his failed 2000 presidential campaign. His message this year is less about change than it is about courting conservatives - the Republican status quo. McCain, 70, considers his age and experience an attribute.

By Ron Fournier, Associated Press, May 27, 2007

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - In a three-person race, Democratic Party supporters in the United States prefer Hillary Rodham Clinton as their presidential candidate in 2008, according to a poll by the New York Times and CBS News. 46 per cent of respondents would like to see the New York senator nominated, up seven points in a month. Illinois senator Barack Obama is second with 24 per cent, followed by former North Carolina senator John Edwards with 14 per cent.

Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research, May 27, 2007

CHARLES CITY, Iowa - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton made one thing very clear to Iowa voters Friday: She's serious about campaigning in their state. "I'm going to be in Iowa so often I'm going to be able to caucus for myself," Clinton told attendees at town meetings here. was Clinton's first visit to Iowa since the leak of a detailed memo from her deputy campaign manager, who advised her to skip the state's caucuses in January and focus time and resources on states where she is faring better. "I believe we need a new approach to winning the Democratic nomination," Mike Henry wrote in the seven-page memo leaked earlier this week. Clinton and her senior advisers quickly disavowed Henry's recommendations, insisting she planned to compete vigorously in Iowa. Clinton's Memorial Day weekend visit was the latest effort to make good on her promise, with the New York senator tackling a full schedule of campaign events. She was accompanied by the state's popular former first lady, Christie Vilsack, whose husband, former Gov. Tom Vilsack, signed on as one of Clinton's national co-chairs after dropping out of the race for the Democratic nomination. Clinton touched on a range of issues at the gatherings, including health care, food safety and the war in Iraq. But she also managed to squeeze in several items of particular interest to Iowa voters, such as her support for the production of ethanol, a corn-based fuel additive largely produced in Iowa. "Oil companies won't even put ethanol pumps at their gas stations. They need to be required to do that," she said, responding to a question about the high price of gasoline. She drew applause from the crowd when she said she would introduced legislation requiring ethanol pumps at filling stations.

By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer, May 26, 2007

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who endured a major political setback as first lady when she tried to promote universal health care, revived that crusade yesterday but in a more measured way, offering a plan to reduce costs, through programs like disease prevention, to make universal coverage affordable. Mrs. Clinton, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, said she would cut health care spending by $120 billion a year through prevention programs, coordinated treatment of chronic diseases and computerized record keeping. In addition, she said she would reduce costs by allowing imports of cheaper drugs, more use of generic drugs and by having the government negotiate the prices of drugs covered under Medicare. In a speech at George Washington University in Washington, Mrs. Clinton said the health care system was broken and her mission as president would be to fix it. She attributed the rise in costs to increases in obesity and in diseases like diabetes, asthma and heart disease that she said could be combated by focusing on preventive efforts. She also blamed the insurance industry, saying that it spent billions of dollars a year trying to figure out how not to cover people who have expensive, pre-existing conditions. She would allow anyone to join a plan, lowering costs by spreading the risk among larger pools of patients. As president, I will end the practice of insurance company cherry-picking once and for all by allowing anyone who wants to join a plan to do so and prohibiting insurance companies from carving out benefits or charging higher rates to people with health problems, Mrs. Clinton said. Mrs. Clinton's plan has three parts: lowering costs, improving quality and insuring everyone. Her speech yesterday focused on lowering costs as a way to help pay for health insurance for the 45 million Americans who have none. Her plan includes a Best Practices Institute, created with both public and private money, to examine whether new technologies and new drugs are actually better for patients or just bring in more profits. So-called blockbuster drugs, for example, she said, are not necessarily more effective than old standbys, just because they are promoted with advertising that shows people running through fields of wildflowers.

By Katharine Q. Seelye, The New York Times, May 25, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) - Courting the anti-war constituency, Democratic presidential rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama both voted against legislation that pays for the Iraq war but lacks a timeline for troop withdrawal. "I fully support our troops" but the measure "fails to compel the president to give our troops a new strategy in Iraq," said Clinton, a New York senator. Both Clinton and Obama have faced intense pressure from the party's liberal wing and Democratic presidential challengers who urged opposition to the measure because it doesn't include a timeline to pull forces out of Iraq. Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, who also voted against the legislation, was among the Democratic candidates calling for rejection of it, along with former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Of the four Democratic hopefuls in the Senate, only Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware supported the bill. He said he did so reluctantly because he viewed the measure as flawed. But he added: "As long as we have troops on the front lines, it is our shared responsibility to give them the equipment and protection they need." With their "no" votes, Clinton, Obama and Dodd earned praise from the party's left flank, which has been pushing for a quick end to the war and is an important part of the Democratic base in the primaries. "This bold stand by three of the four presidential candidates in the Senate won't soon be forgotten," promised Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn.org's political action committee. Both Clinton and Obama had remained publicly uncommitted in the hours before the vote. Neither were on the Senate floor as voting began. Halfway through, Obama walked into the chamber and cast his "no" vote. Clinton did the same a few minutes later. Clinton put the blame on Bush, saying that he should have "followed the will of the people" and signed an earlier bill that would have both funded the war and started a troop withdrawal. "But the president vetoed Congress's new strategy and so Congress must reject the president's failed policies," she said, adding that Bush should begin a phased withdrawal and "abandon this escalation." Clinton voted to authorize the invasion in 2002. She has since become a constant critic of the Bush administration's handling of it but has refused to call her initial vote a mistake. She had adamantly opposed setting a hard deadline for troop withdrawals, but a week ago she voted to advance a bill that would cut off money to force a troop withdrawal by March 2008. The Associated Press, May 25, 2007

MASON CITY - U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday President Bush has ignored the advice of generals, bi-partisan committees "and the will of the American people" with his use of the U.S. military in Iraq. "Why are we still there? That's the debate I want," Clinton told an audience of about 550. "The best thing we can do for our troops is to get them out of this sectarian civil war," said Clinton. "We owe them more than what they're getting right now. We need a change of course," she said. She touched on reforming the health care system, education and farm issues but focused most of her attention on the war in Iraq. Clinton defended her vote Thursday against further funding for the war. "I knew it was going to pass overwhelmingly," she said. "I voted against it because I didn't think it had enough conditions to change the president's mind." Clinton said she is now seeking another vote on authorizing the war. "The authorization President Bush received in 2002 was passed on false pretenses. It is absolutely clear that the authority he was given then is now over," she said. Clinton said one of the reasons given for authorization in 2002 was the overthrow of Saddam Hussein - and he's gone. Another was to find weapons of mass destruction, and there are none, said Clinton. She said for two years she has called for a phased withdrawal of troops from Iraq. She said she learned from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates - "a welcome change from Secretary Rumsfeld" - that the Pentagon does not have any plans for withdrawal. "I think that's wrong," she said, adding that the Pentagon should have plans for any contingency. Clinton said a plan for withdrawal might spur the Iraqi government to be more active in solving its problems. "I'm tired of them taking us for granted," she said, noting that its legislative body plans a two-month vacation. Clinton also said she will introduce legislation for a 21st Century GI Bill of Rights, offering benefits similar to what was available to eligible veterans coming home from World War II but pouring more money into them.

By JOHN SKIPPER, Globe Gazette, May 25, 2007

HONOLULU (AP) - Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye endorsed Hillary Clinton today in her run for president, and he has been named to lead an effort to attract veterans to her cause. Clinton's campaign chose Inouye to lead Veterans and Military Retirees for Hillary. It's a national initiative that will emphasize the New York senator's support for service members. Inouye is a World War Two combat veteran who received the Medal of Honor. He will advise the campaign on policy and outreach to 25 million veterans and their families. Inouye chose Clinton rather than Illinois Senator Barack Obama, who was born in Hawaii and has received more contributions from Hawaii donors than any other Democratic candidate.

The Associated Press, May 25, 2007

Mason City, Ia. - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton argued during a northern Iowa campaign stop today for increased spending on the families of brain-injured Iraq soldiers, the victims of concussions caused by roadside bombs. "Many of them were coming back with a new problem, called traumatic brain injury," the New York senator told more than 300 Democratic activists and political observers at North Iowa Area Community College. "It could be up to 10 percent of all those who have been deployed." Clinton's state is home to Fort Drum, the headquarters for the Army's 10th Mountain Division. The division has had more troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan than any other division. Clinton, stressing veterans issues at the start of a two-day Memorial Day weekend Iowa trip, said the unique type of explosions in Iraq have affected the 10th Mountain Division disproportionately. "This was a brain injury that was often misdiagnosed," she said. "We know we have to deal with this." "But it's not only the individual," she added. "It is also the family. And for the first time, I want to provide opportunities for family members to be trained in helping and caring for their returning veteran."

By Thomas Beaumot,. Des Moines Register, May 25, 2007

Washington - Forget, for a moment, the battle among all those presidential candidates. The hot contest right now is over the order in which states hold their primaries and caucuses - and, as a result, which states wield the most influence in the selection of nominees. The latest bombshell is Florida's decision to move up its 2008 primaries from March to Jan. 29, signed into law on Monday by Gov. Charlie Crist (R). That maneuver - in defiance of both parties' rules for scheduling nomination contests - has set in motion a wave of speculation over whether other states will leapfrog to an early date and whether the penalties that could ensue would wind up costing a candidate the nomination. For the still-fluid primary calendar, the result could be primaries and caucuses held in 2007. That would be a first, primaries held in the calendar year before the general election. Iowa and New Hampshire have made clear they will do whatever it takes to protect their franchise as the "firsts" - first caucus and first primary. The national parties' calendars show the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 14 and the New Hampshire primaries on Jan. 22, but those decisions are made at the state level. New Hampshire was already unhappy that the Democrat National Committee had scheduled a caucus in Nevada for Jan. 19. State law requires that New Hampshire's primary be held one week before "any similar election," and analysts were already expecting New Hampshire to go earlier than Jan. 22, possibly even before the Iowa caucuses. If New Hampshire leapfrogs ahead of Iowa, then Iowa may well move its date. Iowa promises to hold its caucuses, which are smaller and more time-consuming than primaries, eight days before the New Hampshire primaries. Florida may be just the first of many states that flout the party calendars and reschedule primaries for before Feb. 5. Ultimately, all the front-loading of primaries "is likely to enhance the importance of the early primaries," says Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. And if one assumes that Iowa and New Hampshire will do whatever its takes to maintain their status as "firsts," those two states could be more important than ever in shaping the nomination races. Typically, only the top three candidates out of Iowa for each party are able to compete effectively in subsequent contests, and New Hampshire then typically winnows the field even further. Now, with the front-loading trend, the importance of money is bigger than ever. If other states move up their primaries to Jan. 29, only those candidates with the biggest war chests will be able to compete in all those states. The cost of Florida's expensive media market alone could force some candidates to skip that contest. If the parties stick to their guns and punish the candidates who campaign in states that have scheduled primaries outside the prescribed "window," that could have the result of skewing the nominations, especially for the Democrats. Under both parties' rules, any state (except Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, and South Carolina) that holds its primaries or caucuses earlier than Feb. 5, 2008, will lose delegates. Candidates would also be penalized for campaigning in a state too early. On the Democratic side, half of the regular delegates would be lost, as would half of the superdelegates - members of Congress and the governor, if he or she is a Democrat. On the Republican side, the sanction is to lose half of the regular delegates. In a delegate-rich state like Florida, the loss of so many delegates could cost a candidate the nomination. But some observers predict the problem will be solved by having the violating states schedule later caucuses that are the real nominating contests. The early primaries would, in effect, be "beauty contests." But history has shown that such early nonbinding contests are taken seriously by candidates and voters, and can still have a winnowing effect on a field of candidates. Another point is clear, political analysts say: The early states do have an outsize effect on who wins the nomination. Florida opted to move up its primary to give its large, diverse state greater say in the nomination process. In the current lineup, the first four states are small and quirky. Florida is also a swing state in the general election, and advocates for Florida's early primary argue that winning that contest will provide an indication of who can do well in November 2008.

By Linda Feldmann, The Christian Science Monitor, May 25, 2007

Hillary Clinton worked Wednesday to tamp down speculation that she was considering pulling her presidential campaign out of Iowa, a move suggested by a top national campaign official in an internal memo obtained by The Des Moines Register. The internal debate laid out in the proposal by the Democrat's deputy campaign manager is the latest in a series of disagreements within several campaigns about the role Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses ought to play in the fast-paced schedule of 2008 nominating contests. Mike Henry, the Clinton campaign official, in a document titled "An alternative nomination strategy," urged her to "pull completely out of Iowa and spend the time and money in other states." Henry's proposal challenges Iowa's importance in the tightly compressed nominating process. "I believe we need a new approach to winning the Democratic nomination," Henry wrote in the memo, dated Monday and authenticated by Clinton officials. "This approach involves shifting the focus away from Iowa and running a campaign that is more focused on other early primary states and winning this new national primary." In an interview Wednesday, Clinton declined to say whether Henry's opinion was widely held in her campaign staff. "I am someone who encourages people to raise ideas," she said. "At the end of the day, I make the decisions, and I've made the decision that we are competing in Iowa." Clinton noted her campaign's numerous field offices around the state, the recent doubling of her field staff in Iowa and her plans to make a seventh trip to the state since January. "But I would be concerned if I had a staff filled with smart, experienced, savvy, dedicated people and everybody just had the same mind-set," she added. "I