Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif., congratulates Bill Clinton
after he spoke at the City of Refuge Church in Gardena,
Calif., Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark Avery)
Posted on 02/03/2008 11:05:39 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Just more than a week after Barack Obama routed Hillary Rodham Clinton in the racially charged South Carolina primary, Bill Clinton appeared before black parishioners Sunday as the latest poll showed his wife's once commanding lead in California has eroded.
Clinton's back-to-back appearances at four churches in the Los Angeles area's historical black heartland appeared intended to smooth over perceptions that the former president injected race into last month's Democratic primary in South Carolina.
Obama scored a 2-to-1 victory over Hillary Rodham Clinton in that election, and the two are tied among likely Democratic primary voters in California, according to a Field Poll released Sunday.
The former president never mentioned Obama by name when he spoke for about 20 minutes early Sunday at the City of Refuge church in Gardena, but struck a conciliatory tone in describing this year's Democratic contest as "an embarrassment of riches."
He noted the historic nature of the campaign, with a woman and a black candidate as the party's potential nominees.
"I'm not against anybody," Clinton said.
He took the stage surrounded by a band and 75-member choir, and was greeted warmly by the roughly 3,000 people who filled the pews.
While remaining low-key, Clinton gave a forceful endorsement of his wife. He urged parishioners to support her candidacy because of her stands on issues important to them: health care, help for Iraq war veterans, education and job creation.
Hillary Clinton, he said, was "a world-class change-maker."
"You need somebody who can make these changes," Clinton said, a reference to the experience his wife has been touting on the campaign trail.
Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif., congratulates Bill Clinton
after he spoke at the City of Refuge Church in Gardena,
Calif., Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark Avery)
.
A True Bubba follower
This race won’t be settled until maybe the convention in Denver.
You can always tell an election year. The Clintons show up in churches.
Once again the dems blatantly misuse the church for their own personal gains and yet no one is yelling “separation of church and state”. It makes me sick!
So much for not talking politics in the churches.I guess only churches that talk against the left are affected by that.
I thought it was against the law for a church to promote a political candidate?
No such thing as separation of Church and State when Democrat is involved. I remember some Evangelical churches in 1994 had pamplets giving the voting records of those running for office in the foyer. Janet Reno wanted to withdraw their tax free status.
I wonder he he brought them some of that “walkin’ around money”
Separation of church and state? Where’s the ACLU?
“Once again the dems blatantly misuse the church for their own personal gains and yet no one is yelling “separation of church and state”. It makes me sick!”
One ‘might’ accept that Bill Clinton was just ‘attending’ a church service.
How many people go to Church in FOUR different churches all in one day?
With Bands, and armada’s of Press Photographers?
BUT... Let one minister in one RLDS church suggest to his flock that Mitt Romney is a trusted, moral man and would make a good choice for President and we know what happens then.
Churches aren’t the places for political stumping (for both Democrats and Republicans).
Looks as if many others had basically the same idea.
This is not a predominately black church, but is leaning like the Tower of Pisa (sp)
to the left every day.
There he goes, bitin’ his lip again. Wonder what lie he told. Then he sat back and laughed at how he fooled everyone.
There, fixed it.
Hillary’s boat has sprung a leak and unfortunately Bill is no resin.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.