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The Bidens & Clintons Come Home to Scranton

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October 12, 2008 8:17 PM

ABC News' Matt Jaffe reports: Call it a Scranton homecoming, with two former Democratic presidential hopefuls -- one now the current vice presidential nominee -- bringing their spouses back to this northeastern Keystone State town to stump for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., hails from Scranton, as did the father of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., so this afternoon, before a crowd of 6,000 at the Riverfront Sports Complex, the two lawmakers joined their significant others, Dr. Jill Biden and former president Bill Clinton, in calling for voters in this battleground state to come together behind Obama.

"I've been criss-crossing the country campaigning for Barack and Joe," said Sen. Clinton, who soundly defeated Obama in the April primary here. "Why? Because this election is too important to sit on the sidelines of history."

As Obama and Biden regularly do on the campaign trail, the New York senator repeatedly hit out at Republicans for the fragile state of the nation's economy, as chants of "Hillary! Hillary!" echoed around the gym.

"To John McCain and George Bush, the middle class isn't fundamental, it's ornamental," she said. "They don't understand that we are at the core of whether this country goes up or down. That's why, my friends, sending the Republicans to solve this economic crisis is like sending the bull to clean up the china closet. They broke it and we're not buying it anymore."

"Barack Obama and Joe Biden will be leaders who will lead us out of this economic crisis," she added. "They will once again clean up this economic mess. It took a Democratic president to clean up after the last president Bush, it's going to take a Democratic president to clean up after the next one."

"Make no mistake about it, we've done it before and we'll do it again," Clinton continued. "America will once again rise from the ashes of the Bushes."

In urging voters to back Obama, Clinton called this period in our nation's history "an all-hands-on-deck moment" and told voters that if they turn out for Obama in Scranton, then the Democrats will win Pennsylvania and in turn the White House.

"We are in a financial crisis in America," she cautioned. "And it is a crisis born and bred by failed Republican policies, championed by George Bush, John McCain, and the Washington Republicans. To President Bush and John McCain, middle class families sinking into debt are invisible. We can help Americans losing their houses. But we can only do it by if we make sure the Republicans lose the White House come November.

"When this crisis finally hit Wall Street and big financial firms came calling, well, suddenly, oh my goodness, President Bush and John McCain and Republicans, they snapped to attention," Clinton continued. "A big bank is going to fail? Well, bail it out. A big financial firm is going to fail? Bail it out. A big insurance company is going to fail? Then bail it out. Well, what about the millions of people losing their homes and their jobs every single day? Where is their bailout?"

Despite the presence of the Clintons, the headliner in Scranton was the hometown boy Biden, who spoke at the tail end of the event.

"The one thing I find about this city is what we learned in our faith and our family. There is the one most serious abuse a man or a woman or a government can engage in, is to abuse power," said Biden, who last month noted that Sen. Clinton might have been a better vice presidential pick than him. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, the reason I love this woman, you think about it now. You think about it. Everything -- she probably doesn't even think of it in these terms -- everything she's devoted her life to has been on the side of people who have been on the other side of power."

For the most part, the Delaware lawmaker delivered his standard stump speech, calling the GOP ticket "unpatriotic" for allowing off-shore tax-shelters as his voice boomed throughout the gymnasium.

"I’m ready, you’re ready, Barack Obama is ready," an animated Biden said in closing, as he always does, but on this occasion virtually yelling into the microphone. "It's our time. It's America's time. So get up, Pennsylvania! Get up Scranton! Get up! Deliver this election to Barack Obama! Change this country!"

Pounding the podium and pumping his fists furiously as he concluded his speech, Biden then raised the arms of his wife Jill and Sen. Clinton as the audience erupted in applause. By that point, former President Clinton was long gone, having headed down to campaign in Virginia immediately following his brief remarks.

"I am profoundly grateful to all of you who helped me to serve and who supported her, more than you will ever know," said Clinton, who some critics say has not done enough to support Obama.
"Barack Obama could not have made a better choice, so we're proud of that," Clinton said of Biden.

The former president touted his wife's work on Obama's behalf, noting that she has done 50 events for the man who narrowly defeated her for their party’s nomination.

"She has not only done more to support him than any runner-up in a Democratic primary process in my lifetime, she has done more than all the other runners-up combined, and that says a lot about why she ran for president and what she believes in," Clinton said of his spouse. "And the reason, the reason that's important is that more than three-quarters of you supported her and you need to remember if you supported her, why you did it.

"If you ask yourself who has the best ideas, who's got the best instincts, who's got the best ability to understand these challenges, who's got the best supporting cast," Clinton continued, "the answer is Barack Obama and that's why Hillary's here, that's why I'm here, that's why you're here!"

October 12, 2008 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (281)

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Zero-bama is brilliant, indeed.

He has leveled the poor and rich by 50% in just one year, by tanking the stock market nearly 50%. Equality is half way under Zero-bama, before he is even elected.

0bama is directly responsible for the stock market crash because the leadership in the Congress, in supporting this Affirmative Action candidate's approach of giving voters cash, ignored the correct solution proposed by Hillary Clinton and McCain to target the financial sectors.

Had the leadership of the Congress and Mr. Zero-bama put the country first, and made the correct judgment to use the $300 billion to rescue the financial sectors ONE full year ago, perhaps, JUST PERHAPS, the stock market would have not tanked 50%.

What we know for sure is that Zero-bama has made yet another bad judgment, a completely boneheaded mistake, to give money to individuals, which did nothing to "stimulate" the economy except continued down-slide, and this approach has failed evidenced by tanking the stockmarket by 50%.

Karl Marx would have been proud of His Nothingness for leveling the field of rich and poor by 50%, with the exchange of your retirement accounts 50% less.

Perhaps, after Zero-bama took over the country, it will be a perfect world of "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need", such that you do not need your retirement accounts.

Posted by: d0 | Oct 12, 2008 8:21:31 PM

What does your rant have to do with the article. Shut up and crawl back in your hidyhole.

Posted by: dO? Duh! | Oct 12, 2008 8:35:35 PM

***
*** 0bama is directly responsible for the
*** stock market crash
***

and don't forget 9/11, the war in Iraq, WWII and the great depression in the 20's also!!

The really sad part is that some people actually believe this garbage.

Posted by: MiniMouse | Oct 12, 2008 8:37:10 PM

Yeah, I want to ask the Clintons where is the Spode, the china, the paintings, where is all the stuff darling Hillary stole from the White House. As a tax payer, I'm sick of us being taken advantage of. They have the nerve to go trawl for Obama in the hope of a job, let me tell Bill and Hill it ain't happening, he never honors his word to anyone. The poor black people are still waiting for this help he promised and we're still waiting for the tax breaks.

Posted by: Jeff in the windy city | Oct 12, 2008 8:40:29 PM

dO, you are an idiot!Both McIdiot And even bigger idiot Palin have been found to have poor judgment over and over! they have both been found guilty of ABUSE OF POWER!!!!! Among other things Mcidiot is still friends with Keating!Best buddies.
They are full of it!

A man who voted 3 times against making it a federal crime if an abortion clinic was Bombed!
What do you call that!

I call it unfit to lead.

If you can't or won't represent the diversity and differences of the people in our country you shouldn't try to represent us!

He is old, refuses technology won't even learn how to use a computer!
We need someone who will take us into the future.

Obama/Biden

Posted by: San | Oct 12, 2008 8:41:33 PM

"If you ask yourself who has the best ideas, who's got the best instincts, who's got the best ability to understand these challenges, who's got the best supporting cast," Clinton continued, "the answer is Barack Obama and that's why Hillary's here, that's why I'm here, that's why you're here!"

Yup, that about sums it up nicely!

Posted by: Concerned American | Oct 12, 2008 8:44:51 PM

It sounds like a great event (I'd love to see video!) and Bill is right. Barack has the best ideas, best strategy, best vision, best judgment, best temperament, best instincts, and without a doubt, the BEST supporting cast. I have to laugh at the post by d0. Um, how in the world would McCain do anything remotely positive for the economy, or our standing in the world, or the poor or middle class, or the environment, or alternative energy? He says he knows how to do this and that but he's been in office for 26 years, and much of that time Repubs have been in control of either the admin or the Senate and Congress, or both. So, why oh why hasn't he shared his know-how with anyone? If you haven't noticed (and it seems d) hasn't ), it's the Republicans who got us into the mess, and yet they want more and more of the same. Talk about people who love hitting their head against brick walls. Of course, then I suppose they'll be brain damaged enough that no one could ever accuse them of being smart-- cuz being smart is rather elitist, and elitists are lefties in that world view, no? Sheesh. To evoke Karl Marx is pretty silly, d-zero. Let's just deal with the facts and actual policy, not erratic and bizarre accusations from the fringes of right field. I still retain some shreds of respect for McCain due to his resilience and personal courage as a POW and his many years of service, BUT his ideology and his ideas are wrong and extremely outdated, and his temperament is erratic.

Posted by: Alyson | Oct 12, 2008 8:46:49 PM

Hillay left the Democratic voters down.

Posted by: seah | Oct 12, 2008 8:52:34 PM

Obamas fault the gas prices are high
Obamas fault the stock market crashing
Obamas fault Sara Palin is a lying fraud
Obamas fault the Gop are not happy with palin
Obamas fault the sky is blue
Obamas fault it may rain
You people need to get a life! seriously
for a person you claim to have no experience he sure is responsible for alot GET OVER IT HATERS THIS AMERICA IS STANDING UP!

Posted by: angie | Oct 12, 2008 8:54:03 PM

MiniMouse
You forgot Viet Nam. That's Obama's fault too.

Posted by: Miri | Oct 12, 2008 8:55:23 PM

Best ideas for ripping the American public off -- yeah he's the one alright! Morons voting for a man who has done nothing, will do nothing and the only change will be the amount he manages to steal from us, the people who work for a living!

Posted by: Jeff in the windy city | Oct 12, 2008 8:57:05 PM

Barack Obama's Involvement with ACORN Unearthed, Missing Article Recovered

While Barack Obama's connection with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has not gone entirely unreported, it has not been fully explained. Most media background pieces simply note Obama's involvement in a 1995 lawsuit on behalf of ACORN. Obama's own website, as well as most major media, fail to reveal the full depth and extent of his relationship with the organization.

Attempts to hide evidence of Obama's involvement with ACORN have included wiping the web clean of potentially damaging articles that had appeared, and were previously publicly accessible. Unfortunately, those behind the attempted cover-up failed to realize that in today's day and age, nothing disappears forever. There also exists another layer of the web, the hidden web, which is full of information included in proprietary scholarly databases where these very same "missing" articles can be easily uncovered.

...

Not only does Foulkes boast of Obama's ACORN leadership training, but also makes it clear that Obama's post-law school organizing of "Project VOTE" in 1992 was undertaken in direct partnership with ACORN. The tie between Project VOTE and ACORN is also something that Obama and others have attempted to disprove in recent weeks as ACORN has come under fire for allegations of voter registration fraud.

As recently as March 2008, the Los Angeles Times also made reference to Barack Obama's involvement with ACORN:

"At the time, Talbot worked at the social action group ACORN and initially considered Obama a competitor. But she became so impressed with his work that she invited him to help train her staff." (LA Times, March 2, 2008)

All this information was easily pulled up with minimal time investment. It took less than thirty minutes to find, despite attempts by some to bury the truth. If I could find this with little effort, imagine what could be dug up with a serious, in-depth investigation. Scary, isn't it?

Nevertheless, Barack Obama's campaign website continues to lie and deny the truth about his involvement and association with ACORN. No matter how many times you say it, it does not make it true. The facts do not lie, Senator Obama. It's time to come clean and tell the truth, and it's time for the American people to demand it.

http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/7203

Posted by: LightSeeker | Oct 12, 2008 8:58:26 PM

-- No matter how many times you say it, it does not make it true --

Yawn.. so true.. come back when you have something new to share.

Posted by: Concerned American | Oct 12, 2008 9:01:04 PM

"It took a Democratic president to clean up after the last president Bush, it's going to take a Democratic president to clean up after the next one."

Well said, Hillary!

Posted by: chris | Oct 12, 2008 9:01:36 PM

Palen shot all the dinasaurs.
Jeff, what exactly do you do in the windy city? Earn a living at what?

Posted by: dO? Duh! | Oct 12, 2008 9:06:02 PM

I am very proud of Hillary, barack better do the right thing.

Posted by: rachel | Oct 12, 2008 9:13:50 PM

Yeah and a republican had to clean up after NIXON!!!!!!!
Democrats say they talk about change but they go back to the past about bush. HAHAH!

Posted by: NIun | Oct 12, 2008 9:15:57 PM

JEFF IN THE WINDY CITY-YOU NOTHING BUT A LOT OF FOUL AIR. GO JUMP IN LAKE MICHIGAN AND COOL OUT OR BETTER YET,USE SOME SCOPE FOR THE FOUL WORDS COMING OUT YOUR MOUTH WITH YOUR BREATH!

Posted by: READY99 | Oct 12, 2008 9:16:09 PM

lightseaker, I read "allegations" of voter registration fraud and "invited" to help train staff. That's not proof or conviction. That's how rumor gets spread.

Posted by: dO? Duh! | Oct 12, 2008 9:16:59 PM

Wow, so now Obama has a confessed adulterer and the wife that has always turned a blind eye to his philandering. Hilary only used him to boost her own political aspirations. Like anyone even cares what the Clinton's think!

Posted by: Lorretta | Oct 12, 2008 9:17:30 PM

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