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At EKU, Chelsea touts mom's policies

By Ashlee Clark

ACLARK@HERALD-LEADER.COM

RICHMOND --

Chelsea Clinton worked early on her Mother's Day gift Thursday.

Instead of flowers or candy, the 28-year-old investment banker said she wants to help secure a primary win for her mother, presidential candidate and New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

So Chelsea Clinton visited Eastern Kentucky University Thursday afternoon to rally support from young voters before they hit the polls in the state's May 20 Democratic primary.

"I am a passionate and proud supporter of my mom," Chelsea Clinton said.

The Clinton campaign announced the visit Wednesday in the middle of EKU's finals week. But as many as 400 students, faculty and community members streamed into the Powell Student Center to hear the younger Clinton discuss her mother's policies at the nearly hourlong forum.

Some students who attended the forum said they were pleased to have a younger person like Clinton discuss political issues with them.

"I feel more comfortable with her being here," said Whitney Cornwell, a 22-year-old senior at EKU. "I feel like she knows what she's talking about."

Clinton began her discussion with an outline of her mother's plans to make higher education more affordable if she becomes president.

"It's something that's really personal to her because if she hadn't gotten federal help, she wouldn't have ever gone to law school and she wouldn't be where she is today," Clinton said.

Hillary Clinton wants to double the maximum Pell grant level to $10,800, expand the AmeriCorps program and put the federal government back into direct student lending, Chelsea Clinton said.

The former first daughter addressed other questions regarding her mother's support of universal health care and ending the war in Iraq.

Clinton also affirmed that her mother still has a chance of winning the Democratic nomination.

"There may be 17 million people who have yet to vote in the primary season," Clinton said. "I think anything can happen. I fundamentally believe that my mom is the stronger candidate and would be the better president."

Later, she made a more political stop to greet nearly 100 volunteers at the newly-opened Clinton campaign field office in Frankfort.

"I know my mom is the strongest, the most progressive and the most prepared candidate," she told the room full of Clinton faithful.

She then shook hands, stood for photos and signed autographs with the dozens of supporters.

"Just gotta keep working," she told several volunteers.