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Clinton pledges to stay in race
Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D- N.Y., campaigns at the West Virginia State Capitol on Thursday, May 8, 2008.
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CHARLESTON -- Sen. Hillary Clinton said at a campaign rally in the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston on Thursday that she will not concede the Democratic presidential nomination to Sen. Barack Obama before the Democratic National Convention in August.
The New York senator spoke to a crowd of about 200 supporters in the Capitol Rotunda about the role West Virginia voters play in Tuesday's primary. While top national Democrats have requested Clinton step down from the race, she promised voters at the event that she will not give up.
"There are some folks who have said, 'Well, we need to end this before we got to West Virginia.' Well, I don't think so," she said. "I think we want to keep this going so that the people of West Virginia's voices are heard and their votes are counted."
Clinton cited several decisive victories in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Texas as reasons to stay in the race and fight for delegates until the convention. A victory in West Virginia, she said, is crucial to her campaign against Obama in the primary and in the general election against likely Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain.
"It's fair to say West Virginia is a test. It's a test for me, and it's a test for Senator Obama," she said. "Because for too long we have let places like West Virginia slip out of the Democratic column."
"I think the hardworking voters of West Virginia represent the heart and soul of the Democratic Party and the backbone of our victory in November," she said. "I know, according to the polls, I'm doing well here. But I want to do really well. I want to do what I can to make it clear we're going to win West Virginia in the fall."
Clinton covered a variety of topics during her 30-minute speech, including health care reform, college tuition, gas prices and clean coal technologies. Clinton focused on the importance of taking a number of steps to help ordinary citizens live and work.
Clinton said she's also in favor of freezing home foreclosures and escalating interest rates to aid homeowners. Too many people, she said, are afraid of losing their homes.
"I think we need a president who really listens and understands what it's like to work all your life to buy a home and maybe have been a victim of unscrupulous lending practices and see that dream just being smashed away," she said. "So we're going to stand up for homeowners in America."
Clinton spoke about the importance of high-quality, affordable health care for every person.
"If you wake up in the morning and you go to work and you don't have health care -- I think that's a national disgrace. I believe we ought to be helping people who help themselves and their family."
Clinton also mentioned the need of further development of alternative energies from wind and solar power as well as additional research for West Virginia coal and bio-fuels. Higher gas mileage vehicles are also another way for citizens to limit the amount of pollution being created. To encourage more people to use hybrid vehicles, Clinton proposes giving a $10,000 tax credit for anyone who buys a hybrid. Under her energy plan, the tax credit will help create a market of new high gas mileage vehicles.
Clinton said she plans to set up 10 demonstration projects throughout the country, including one in West Virginia, to find a way to utilize America's coal and make it as clean as it can be. When coal is used to produce 52 percent of electricity in the United States, coal is not going anywhere, she said.
Carter Giltinan of Charleston said she has supported Clinton from the very beginning and believes she is the only candidate who has the experience to unite the country.
"She fully understands not only what our problems are, but how she will solve them when she becomes president," Giltinan said. "She deserves a victory here."
Clinton support Gale Rader of Beckley said Clinton is in touch with the issues important to West Virginia voters and believes there is enough statewide support for Clinton to carry her to victory. Rader, a physician's assistant, said she is impressed with Clinton's willingness to fight for the nomination and her refusal to give up.
The visit to Charleston coincides with a number of "Solutions for America" campaign stops by former President Bill Clinton throughout West Virginia. On Thursday, President Clinton visited several small towns, including Philippi, Sutton, Fairlea and Fayetteville.
While Hillary Clinton is scheduled for events in South Dakota and Oregon today, Bill Clinton is scheduled to stay in West Virginia and campaign for his wife. He will appear from 3 to 5 p.m. today at Wayne High School, 100 Pioneer Road.
