Friday's Internet Edition, May 09, 2008.
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A night after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won Pennsylvania’s primary by 10 points, Bill Clinton exclaimed North Carolinians should follow suit. Sen. Barack Obama and Clinton now set their sites on North Carolina because it is the next prize on the way to the Democratic nomination. Obama currently holds a slight lead over Clinton in delegates.
“The people in North Carolina have seen what happened in Pennsylvania and they know they have a president to elect,” the former president said to those who waited nearly two hours for his arrival. “Let me say to all you, I know you must be happy that North Carolina’s vote is going to count in this nominating process. I hope you think every vote should be counted.”
Clinton, who served two terms as president, said his wife wanted the troops out of Iraq. He went on to say that she would in fact bring troops home and wants to rebuild the United States’ military.
“My case for her is very simple,” Clinton said. “Number one she is the best qualified person and has the best ideas to turn this economy around, rebuild the middle class, reclaim the future for the young people in this country, give poor people a chance to work their way into the middle class and reform the government so it works for you instead of a very few.”
Saying his wife is a “change maker,” Clinton said she will create more jobs. Often he touted his own record as president, claiming there weren’t as many job losses when he was in office.
“When I was president, we had a very different economic theory,” said Clinton, igniting applause from the crowd. “In all these debates our smart, compelling candidates have had, there wouldn’t have been one question about social security because the baby boomers wouldn’t be worried that their retirement is going to impose a burden on their kids. No we went back to trickle-down economics.”
Just like his wife’s recent message at Forsyth Technical Community College, he said she would bring back manufacturing jobs. He followed his wife’s comments in Winston-Salem, saying she would have a trade law enforcement officer when she is president.
“We can bring manufacturing jobs to America,” he said. “Don’t let anyone tell you different. We have to stop outsourcing jobs.”
Among other issues, Clinton put emphasis on education. He said he was the first president to ever give a commencement address at a community college.
Clinton thanked DCCC President Mary Rittling, Thomasville Mayor Joe Bennett and former Thomasville Mayor Hubert Leonard for hosting his speech.
Staff Writer Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 231, or ignasiak@tvilletimes.com.