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Sunday, Mar. 30, 2008

State Democrats feel primary passion

Clinton says Kentucky essential to her bid

MADISONVILLE -- A slightly hoarse New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton declared Kentucky Clinton territory and a necessary electoral building block for her White House bid.

"As you know, this state has voted for a Clinton before -- twice, in fact," she told a nearly packed gym at the Madisonville North Hopkins County High School Saturday night.

Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, carried the state in his 1992 and '96 wins.

"I think together we are once again going to turn the Bluegrass state blue," she said.

Earlier in the day, she opened her Kentucky campaign with a 40-minute speech in Louisville, making clear that, for a change, the state's Democrats can play a real role in choosing the party's nominee for president.

Clinton trails U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in the crucial count of pledged party delegates. But she said the race is far from over.

"It's exciting because Kentucky's going to be helping to pick a president ...," Clinton told a noisy crowd of about 2,500 at duPont Manual High School. "I'm happy that Kentucky's going to be voting."

The back-to-back appearances in Kentucky nearly two months before the state's May 20 primary underscore the importance Clinton has placed on winning Kentucky, which demographically meshes with the electoral beachhead she has established in the region from Arkansas to Tennessee to Ohio.

Obama's campaign, meanwhile, opened up its Louisville office Saturday while the Illinois senator continued his six-day bus tour of Pennsylvania, which votes on April 22.

The increasing action in Kentucky comes at the end of two turbulent weeks for both candidates. Obama has had to weather the storm of reaction to controversial speeches by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, while Clinton has had to answer for falsely claiming that she had to duck bullets during a trip a decade ago to Bosnia as first lady.

Putting her spin on the message of hope often used by Obama, Clinton said that stumbles -- on the campaign trail or on Wall Street -- can be overcome.

"I've never stayed down, and America's not going to stay down," she told the nearly 3,500 Western Kentucky Democrats attending the Ruby Laffoon Dinner, a party fund-raiser that became a Clinton rally. "But I need your help."

Clinton didn't mention Obama by name at either stop, but repeated a familiar charge that she has more substance than the Illinois senator.

"This election is not about the speeches we give, but about the solutions we offer," she said in Louisville.

She also hit on key Kentucky issues, such as coal mining and the shrinking manufacturing base.

"When I tell the people of Kentucky that I'm going to renegotiate NAFTA, I mean it," she said -- a line that resonated with the blue-collar crowd in Madisonville.

The Louisville crowd cheered loudly when she said there should be no tax benefit for any business that exports jobs from Kentucky.

She also said the nation needs stronger mine safety regulations and promised, if elected, to encourage ways for coal to ease the need for oil.

"I want to keep coal as a major part of our energy creation, but it's got to be cleaned up," she said.

Clinton also touted the need for expanded federal aid to help with college tuition costs, which drew loud applause at both sites. Clinton said she would push lawmakers to forgive federal college loans for people who go into public service jobs such as teaching and nursing.

Her speeches' themes weren't new, but the fact that Kentucky is hosting a competitive presidential primary is.

Kentucky often makes little difference because its election comes late. But Clinton and Obama are locked in a tight race that might not be settled until the roughly 4,000 party delegates convene during August's Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Both Clinton and Obama have been courting the nearly 800 superdelegates, a select batch of elected Democratic officials and prominent activists who can throw their support behind any candidate regardless of the outcome of their state's primary vote.

Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, the keynote speaker at the Madisonville dinner, will be one of Kentucky's nine superdelegates, but he again Saturday night gave no indication whom he will back during his 12-minute speech.

"Perhaps some of you are where I am right now," said Beshear, a Hopkins County native. "I haven't quite made up my mind where I'm going yet."

He added that he thought both Obama and Clinton would be qualified and that the extended, spirited primary will help generate enthusiasm for the eventual nominee.

But Republicans have argued the ongoing fight will only benefit the GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, especially if the recent acerbic tenor of the Democratic contest continues.

While some Kentucky officials such as Beshear and both state lawmakers from Hopkins County -- Eddie Ballard and Jerry Rhoads -- remain neutral so far, some are enthusiastically backing Clinton.

"I've been supporting her and Bill over the last 12 to 14 years," said Rep. Brent Yonts, D-Greenville. "I consider them a little bit family, I guess -- political family."

In Louisville, Clinton was joined on stage by five Democratic female state lawmakers: Rep. Joni Jenkins of Shively, Rep. Leslie Combs of Pikeville, Rep. Dottie Sims of Horse Cave, Rep. Mary Lou Marzian of Louisville and Rep. Sannie Overly of Paris. Jenkins endorsed Clinton.