Hillary Clinton Heads to Compton, Calif., to Promote Racial Unity, Opportunity
COMPTON, Calif. — Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton pledged Thursday to improve economic opportunities for blacks if elected president, praising the Rev. Martin Luther King and promising to assist with a rebirth of this troubled, largely-black city.
“‘Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by those who are doing it,”‘ Clinton said at a church in Compton, quoting noted black novelist James Baldwin.
She pledged to assist Mayor Eric Perrodin with his goal of “birthing” a new Compton, which has struggled with crime and poverty.
“I know something about birthing,” Clinton said. “You need a president who will be a partner. Who says, ‘What is it I can do to make sure this birth is easy and successful?”‘
Among other things, the New York senator said she would open opportunities for young black men in the so-called “green collar” jobs program she has said she’ll create to help develop alternative sources of energy. She also pledged to commit $200 million over five years to help ex-offenders transition from prison.
“A lot of our young people, disproportionately young people of color, are in our prison system and they don’t belong there. They are nonviolent offenders,” Clinton said to applause. “I believe strongly that when someone has served his or her time — her debt or his debt to society — then they ought to have the slate wiped clean.”
It was the first of several campaign stops for Clinton in California, which holds its primary on “Mega Tuesday,” Feb. 5. She was set to hold voter roundtables on the economy later in the day in Northridge and Santa Barbara.
The New York senator planned to return Friday for a final day of campaigning in Nevada, which holds presidential precinct caucuses Saturday.
Clinton’s visit to Compton was her latest effort to mend fences with the black community after she and top rival Barack Obama in a bitter war of words over the issue of race.
Earlier in the day, Bob Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television and a Clinton supporter, apologized for comments he made at a Clinton campaign rally in South Carolina Sunday that hinted at Obama’s use of drugs as a teenager. Obama is running to be the first black president.
Johnson initially denied he was talking about Obama’s drug use, saying he was referring to the Illinois senator’s days as a community organizer.
Johnson backed away from that explanation Thursday, two days after Hillary Clinton said she considered his comments “out of bounds” in a nationally televised debate.
“In my zeal to support Senator Clinton, I made some very inappropriate remarks for which I am truly sorry,” Johnson said in a written statement. “I hope that you will accept this apology. Good luck on the campaign trail.”
Johnson’s comments and remarks made both Clintons before the New Hampshire primary had alarmed several black leaders and drew a rebuke from Obama and his tope aides.
It began when Hillary Clinton gave an interview in which she seemed to discount King’s role in the civil rights movement. Later, President Clinton cast aspects of Obama’s candidacy as a “fairy tale.”
Obama and Clinton later called a truce in the controversy.
“I womens perspective” - From the weird stuff you wrote praising Mrs. Klinton it’s apparent that your kool-aid is very strong this morning. “our Country’s economy was the best its every been, when Bill Clinton was our President…”? The benefits of Reagan’s economic stimuli were the wave the Klintons rode and deceptively took credit for, just as the mess Carter left is what Reagan inherited. Also, it was a good ol’ boy southern democRat that gave us the huge Vietnam mess, lest we forget! He was merely building on the war planned on by his previous boss, the late great JFK who was killed by members of his own party! It was a Republican that got us out of Vietnam, a Republican that repaired our economy and standing in the world after Carter (anyone remember the American hostages held in Iran for 444 days???), and Republicans that got rid of the Soviet threat. If the liberals would only shut up and stay out of the way we could get a lot more accomplished in the world for the betterment of mankind.
Also, “no one has been so unjustly scrutinized, morally battered and yet so many accomplishment continue to happen.”? (When?) Do you have a “Leave Hillary Alone” video on Youtube? Come on - anyone with half a brain can tell that when a Klinton’s lips are moving, they’re lying. (Or in Mrs. Klinton’s case, when the tears are so strategically timed…)
Bottom line is this: Neither Obama Bin Laden nor the Klintons deserve to be anywhere near anyone’s tax dollars. There’s not a liberal alive that I would trust with even a dollar of my hard earned money.
The sad truth is that the people don’t actually elect the President anyway. The next President has already been appointed - the “campaign” and “election” are a mere dog-and-pony show.
Obama is looking good right now but he wil fail, Clinton will take the win. Obama does not have the experience. All he says is change, change this, change that, you need to change promo’s b/c you keep using this one…