Posted on 09/15/2007 7:17:30 PM PDT by Theodore R.
Clinton campaigns; Hillary wants to create a path to citizenship
By TRICIA CORTEZ, LAREDO MORNING TIMES 09/15/2007 Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendlyStumping for his wife, who is leading the pack in most polls, former President Bill Clinton spoke to several hundred Laredoans and Nuevo Laredoans on Friday evening and explained why Hillary is "best suited" for the White House."This next president is going to have to undo a lot of damage," Clinton said at the private fundraiser held at Palenque Grill.
He made references to an economy "on the brink of recession," growing inequality between the haves and the have-nots, climate change, Iraq, terrorism, and the loss of trust and respect for the United States globally.
Clinton - who visited Laredo with his wife in 1972 and 1992 - described his third stop in the Gateway City as "profound" and "emotional."
After being introduced by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and state Rep. Richard Raymond, Clinton was presented a key to the city by Mayor Raul Salinas, his wife, Yolanda, and County Judge Danny Valdez.
The issues he touched on the most in his nearly half-hour speech were the need to restore a middle-class lifestyle, and the need for fundamental health care and education reform.
"You can't grow the economy in a rich country unless every five to eight years you have a source of new jobs," said Clinton, noting this has not happened under the Bush Administration.
Clinton also made room for immigration.
"We have got to pull this country together," Clinton said, noting that despite the ethnic and racial divisions that either rage or simmer in the United States, America is still "a country about an idea."
Hillary's immigration priorities, he said, are to create a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented aliens, and to safeguard against terrorism by building an efficient entry and exit system.
"When you were president, you spoke of building bridges, this president (Bush) speaks of building walls," Raymond said to Clinton.
Cuellar agreed.
"We want bridges, not walls," Cuellar said, praising Clinton for the education, trade and health care policies enacted during his administration.
If Hillary becomes president, the nation would get "two-for-one," Cuellar said.
"We're on the border and understand the importance of international relations," Raymond said in his introduction.
"And I'm confident that if Hillary Clinton were president, she would … repair the damage done to our relations with Mexico and other countries by this president," he said.
"Hillary can win," Clinton said, because she understands national security and because she knows how to work with Republicans.
"You want someone who is president who knows what life is like in Laredo," Clinton said as some in the crowd cheered, before joking, "It's easy to forget as president when they play a song ("Hail to the Chief") every time you enter a room."
After his speech, Clinton calmly worked the crowd shaking hands, taking photos, signing books and mementos, and exchanging a few words before leaving to another event in San Antonio.
Prior to the fundraiser, between 50 and 75 Hillary supporters took photos and mingled with Clinton at the home of businessman Ross Khaledi.
"It was unbelievable, a beautiful experience," a jubilant Khaledi said, noting he made the commitment nearly eight months ago through his relationship with Tom Ebeling.
Ebeling's wife, Betsy, is a close childhood friend of Hillary Clinton.
Standing near the entrance and conversing with Laredoans such as restaurateur Liling Huang, Betsy said "it's time for a woman (president)."
She and her husband flew in from Chicago to attend the special event, Betsy said.
Antoinette "Toni" Vela, who attended the event with friends Juanita Garza and Gina Mejia, said she believes Hillary "will do well for our country."
Eduardo A. Garza, president of Uni-Trade Forwarding, a firm that handles customs brokerage, warehousing and freight forwarding, said Hillary "is the best option for Hispanics."
Juan Garza Jr., chairman of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas in Eagle Pass, said he also believes Hillary is the right person to become president.
"There are a lot of things in the country she will need to correct," Garza said,
When pressed further on the matter, Garza smiled, "I don't know where to start."
Standing alongside some of Laredo's well-to-do were the superintendents of Laredo ISD and United ISD, Veronica F. Guerra and Bobby Santos.
They were accompanied by several trustees, namely John Peter Montalvo, Jesus Guerra, Mina Montes and Jorge Luis Rodriguez of LISD and Pat Campos and Francisco "Pancho" Gonzalez Jr. of UISD.
Other elected officials included district judges Elma Salinas Ender and Raul Vasquez and county commissioners Jerry Garza and Rosaura "Wawi" Tijerina.
(Tricia Cortez may be reached at 728-2568 or by e-mail at tricia@lmtonline.com)
©Laredo Morning Times 2007
These grifters will go after EVERY source of votes and money, no matter how wrong, sleazy, unethical or flat-out illegal.
How is Mr. Hsu doing these days???
Bill Clinton is the “surrogate” for HRC in south Texas.
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Bill Clinton is running for President. Not HRC. She would just be his space-filler. Such a sickening thought.
This simply means that they are shamelessly pandering to the Illegals and their families in this country in return for votes.
I'm so damm tired of how every election year the democraps gets to steal and get away with bogus votes of all types: the dead, the illegals, and the remainder gets to vote multiple times. In many democrap zones they can average 120% of the population even when the previous year before the election the population is normally 60% of the last census count. But they still manage to get the dead and others to mysteriously vote and being ID' by the electoral workers too.
No offense, Theordore R., but where’s the MANDATORY “BARF ALERT!” for anything related to Bill Clinton? Let’s get with the program!
The economy was headed for recession when Clinton left office.
The economy was headed for recession when Clinton left office.
Simple-minded Communism repackaged for modern sensibilities. But I’m sure it’s a very progressive Communism.
“Hillary’s immigration priorities, he said, are to create a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented aliens”
My real enemy comes into focus more clearly every day.
“When you were president, you spoke of building bridges, this president (Bush) speaks of building walls,”
Easily demonstrable lies. Bush hasn’t done diddly squat in building an effective “wall”, and he doesn’t intend to. There will be no difference between a president Hildabeast and president Bush as far as immigration is concerned - Both are/will open the borders as wide as what they can get away with, which today is an uncontrolled flood.
“You want someone who is president who knows what life is like in Laredo,”
I do. Illegals flooding American schools, hospitals and roads, all paid for by MY tax dollars. If the political and media filth are so eager to play hero to the illegals, let them give their OWN money to them.
With every day that passes I see the elite patricians and the Liberal filth trying to outdo each other in giving away my children's birthright. I see my own countrymen - Those who I thought had at least SOME allegiance to me - acting as my enemies. Don’t be surprised when I regard them and treat them as my enemies.
I would like the Democrats to start displaying some citizenship, before I accept anyone else based on their say so.
Joe Lieberman excepted. One patriotic Democrat out of 50 in the Senate.
Yes, but people don’t remember that. They always associate the name “Clinton” with a “good economy”, and in our system the dumb voters are “always right.”
Of course, but the American people don't know this. Bill Clinton mastered the art of "how to fool them today," as Rush Limbaugh once termed it. People are easily deceived because their desire to believe a lie is so strong.
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