Clinton lands in PA

Event is called “Hillary’s coming home”

By TOM KANE

SCRANTON, PA - Hillary Rodham Clinton selected Scranton for her first presidential campaign in Pennsylvania for a reason. Addressing a crowd of wildly enthusiastic supporters in the Scranton High School gymnasium on March 10, she recalled her family’s ties to the area.

Her father, the late Hugh Rodham, is buried near the city, her paternal grandparents lived at 1042 Diamond Street and the family had a cottage on Lake Winona near Tunkhannock, where she spent some summer vacations as a child. With each reference to specific sites in the area, the crowd exploded with enthusiasm.

She was introduced by PA Governor Ed Rendell, who is campaigning for her in the state.

What was remarkably absent from her 45-minute speech was any reference to her opponent, Senator Barack Obama. The only reference to the opinion that she would be the next President of the United States was made by Lieutenant Governor Catherine Baker Knoll. Clinton never portrayed herself as the more experienced Democrat in the presidential race, as she has often done previously.

Instead, she talked about the poor situation in the country, which she said is caused by the misguided policies of President George Bush.

Her main focuses were the poor state of health care, the present economy, the loss of jobs in the state and the threat to companies that ship jobs overseas, suggesting that they not receive tax breaks.

“The things that are the needs of the people in this community are exactly what I care most about,” she said. She listed items?like the need for young people to have jobs that will keep them in the area, the need to end the Iraq War, and the creation of affordable health care?that have appeared as concerns in local polls.

She spoke of putting displaced workers on jobs to rebuild the nation’s faltering infrastructure, such as the rebuilding of bridges and roadways that are deteriorating. She championed green construction and the need for alternate energy sources like geothermal, wind and solar energy.

She said that one of her first policies would be to begin bringing U.S. troops home within 60 days. This statement got the wildest and longest ovation.

When someone yelled, “The Irish love you,” she said, “I love the Irish. I don’t think it’s giving away anything to tell you that the governor and I will be back here on Saturday for the parade.”

The primary election is April 22.