Hillary's stop in Hartford

Two stories by reporter Jackie Majerus follow:

HARTFORD – A campaign stop in Connecticut gave Sen. Hillary Clinton a chance to return to familiar territory, she told an enthusiastic crowd at The Learning Corridor Monday.
"It's a personal pleasure to be back in Connecticut," said Clinton.
As law students at Yale more than 30 years ago, Clinton said, she and Bill Clinton would make Sunday trips to Hartford.
"Bill had this old beat up car," said Clinton, who said it was an Opal. "It was the kind of car that was held together with duct tape."
She said they enjoyed exploring Connecticut.
"We went from one end of the state to the other," she said. "It is such a beautiful state."
Now, as a U.S. senator from New York, Clinton said she likes being neighbors with Connecticut.
Clinton came in with state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, an old friend from her days at Yale.
"He is generally believed to be the best attorney general in the entire United States of America," Clinton enthused, adding that they share an opposition to the proposed Broadwater liquid natural gas facility in Long Island Sound.
"It is an honor to be standing side by side with him," Clinton said.
Addressing an overflow crowd in the school, which is part of the Capitol Region Education Council, Clinton got the most applause when she noted that Monday night's State of the Union speech will be the last one given by President George W. Bush.
"If we all do our part, next year, it'll be a Democratic president," said Clinton.
When Bush finishes his speech Monday night, said Clinton, "it will be time for all of us to turn our attention to picking the next president."
"That's you, baby," a supporter shouted.
Clinton, who spoke for about a half hour before taking questions for another 20 minutes, said the country is at a "turning point," with much work to do on issues like health care, education, the war in Iraq and good jobs.
"America is ready for an election that sets a new agenda," said Clinton, "an election that brings back that confidence and optimism that should be our birthright."
The election, said Clinton, is about the next generation.
"Right now, we borrow money from the Chinese to buy oil from the Saudis," said Clinton. "I believe we can do better than that."
If she's the Democratic nominee, Clinton said, she will "get up every single day and wage a winning campaign" against the Republican candidate.
She said she's ready, having been on the "receiving end" of Republican fire for years.
"Much to their dismay, I'm still standing here," she said.
What matters is whether people "are better off than when we started," said Clinton, such as whether children have health insurance, whether a man whose job has been moved offshore can "have any hope left," whether a woman is earning equal pay for equal work and whether families are getting the support they need.
"If we are serious about family values, let's start valuing families," said Clinton. "Pay has not kept up. People are working hard and they're not getting ahead."
Clinton said she wants to bring back "American leadership and moral authority in the world," starting with an end to the war.
"We are strongest when we lead with our values," said Clinton. "Military force should be used only as a last resort, not as a first resort."
She said she would start troop withdrawal within six months of taking office. She said she believes the U.S. can bring out "one to two brigades a month" and begin to turn the job over to the Iraqis.
"The era of cowboy diplomacy is over," said Clinton. "We are going to be engaged with everyone again."

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HARTFORD – Support for Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign got a big boost in Connecticut Monday when she made a stop at The Learning Corridor magnet school in Hartford.
"We're going to make history by choosing Hillary Clinton," said state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.
Blumenthal said he's known Clinton to be a person with "enormous conviction, compassion and caring" since they met as students at Yale Law School about 35 years ago.
"Her heart is with real people with real problems, making a difference, making changes," said Blumenthal. "She has enormous compassion, but she is a fighter. She is a leader who will fight for change on day one. Hillary knows what it takes to get our economy moving again."
State Comptroller Nancy Wyman said Clinton will be able to "give our country the comeback it deserves."
Under Clinton, America will come together again, said Wyman, and the middle class will grow and prosper.
"For her, politics is not a game," said Wyman. "It is about people's lives."
Wyman, who said she values family above all else, said she feels completely comfortable putting her precious grandchildren and their future into Clinton's hands.
"The stakes have never been higher," said Wyman. "The time to take action is now."
"She's the right choice for us," said Dave Roche of Bristol. "She believes in labor."
More importantly, Clinton supports organized labor, said Roche, who is the business manager for Local 40 of the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association.
The union, which has about 600 members statewide, has endorsed Clinton and is taking an active role in her campaign, Roche said.
"She wants to fix this health care system and get the middle class up and going again," Roche said.
Connecticut House Speaker James Amann, who attended Clinton's appearance at the school, which is part of the Capitol Region Education Council, said he would officially endorse Clinton on Tuesday.
Amann said he was leaning towards supporting her primary rival, Barack Obama until a couple weeks ago, he said more research told him the Illinois senator hadn't done enough to warrant his support.
"Though I like him a lot, and I do," said Amann, with the situation in Iraq, Iran and North Korea today, "we need someone who has a little more experience."
A Clinton-Obama ticket, said Amann, "would be our Democratic dream."
State Rep. Jason Bartlett, a Bethel Democrat who is co-chair of Clinton's Connecticut campaign, revved up the crowd before Clinton's arrival, urging them to "tear down the barriers" and elect the first woman president.
"Hillary is one of us," said Bartlett, regaling the audience with stories about Clinton's work with children, support for the working class, education, health care and the environment.
"Like our Lady Huskies, Hillary knows how to play some ball," said Bartlett. "Hillary knows how to win."
Eric Bernstein, principal and director of the Greater Hartford Academy of Mathematics and Science, part of The Learning Corridor where Clinton spoke, waited with his students for Clinton to arrive. He said it was wonderful that Clinton was visiting the school.
"Regardless of your political views, it's a great opportunity," said Bernstein.
Atticus Kelly of New Britain, a 14-year-old student at The Learning Corridor, attended the speech with his class.
"She told us what we wanted to hear, which is good," said Kelly, who said Clinton discussed health care, No Child Left Behind and "lots of things that we worry about."
Kelly said he largely agreed with Clinton.
"She had solid answers," Kelly said.
Blumenthal said he's often asked whether he and his classmates at Yale figured Bill Clinton would one day become President.
"Most of us said Hillary's going to be President," Blumenthal said.

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