The Raves Pour In: Hillary 'Won,' 'In Command,' Played 'On A Higher Plane'

TIME MAGAZINE'S MARK HALPERIN NAMES HILLARY THE WINNER -- 'BOTTOM LINE: CAME IN THE FRONT-RUNNER AND LEAVES IN A STRONGER POSITION': "Able to look commanding and presidential even as she fielded niggling, hoary questions that bordered on the absurd. Never lost her temper, her focus or her cool, and even dispatched a crowd-pleasing Dick Cheney zinger. Occasionally lapsed into the weary defensiveness she displayed during the health care wars of '93 and various subsequent Clinton sagas. Bottom line: came in the front-runner and leaves in a stronger position." [Time, 6/04/07]

ABC NEWS' GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS -- 'SHE CAME IN THE FRONTRUNNER. SHE LEFT THE FRONTRUNNER': "Listen, Hillary Clinton went into the debate last night as a frontrunner. Look at our poll. She was ahead 42%, Barack Obama 27%, John Edwards 11%. She came in the frontrunner. She left the frontrunner... the strongest best moment of the night belonged to Hillary Clinton when she was asked do you agree with John Edwards when he says the war on terror is just a bumper sticker." [Good Morning America, 6/04/07]

AP ANALYSIS -- HILLARY 'PROJECTED AN AIR OF CONFIDENCE AND A MASTERY OF THE SUBJECT MATTER': "With a new Washington Post/ABC News poll showing Clinton far ahead of her rivals nationally, the former first lady projected an air of confidence and a mastery of the subject matter at Sunday's forum. She also insisted Democrats should focus their policy critiques on Republicans, especially President George W. Bush." [AP, 6/4/07]

THE ATLANTIC'S ANDREW SULLIVAN -- 'SHE WINS THIS ONE. IT KILLS ME TO ADMIT IT. BUT THERE YOU ARE': "In general, Senator Clinton bestrode the debate as an authoritative figure. In fact, I've never witnessed a U.S. political debate in which a woman clearly dominated as she did tonight... Still: she wins this one. It kills me to admit it. But there you are." [The Atlantic, 6/03/07]

WMUR FOCUS GROUP -- 'FOCUS GROUP RESPONDENTS... FELT EVEN MORE STRONGLY ABOUT HER AFTERWARD, INCREASING HER RATINGS BY TWENTY-ONE POINTS': "Focus group respondents viewed Clinton favorably prior to the debate and felt even more strongly about her afterward, increasing her ratings by twenty-one points. Interestingly, there was not a gender gap in the response. Both men and women evaluated Clinton similarly and both groups proportionately increased their favorable evaluations of her." [WMUR Focus Group, 6/04/07]

WBZ-TV'S JON KELLER -- 'HILLARY CLINTON IN COMMAND': "Hillary Clinton in command. She was crisp, well informed, and showed more anti-terrorist passion than the rest. That's all good news for Sen. Clinton." [WBZ-TV, 6/03/07]

CNN'S CANDY CROWLEY -- 'THIS IS HILLARY CLINTON'S VENUE': "I think that this is Hillary Clinton's venue. She has done very well in both debates. She has facts at her fingertips. She is sort of calm, answers the questions. She does very well. This clearly is her forum." [CNN, 6/04/07]

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES' JENNIFER HUNTER -- HILLARY 'FORCEFUL AND DETAILED:' "But Sunday's debate at St. Anselm College among the eight Democratic presidential contenders did not define a clear winner -- although Clinton's deep well of political experience was apparent and will likely keep her ahead in the polls. She was forceful and detailed in her answers." [Chicago Sun-Times, 6/4/07]

BOSTON GLOBE -- HILLARY 'SHOWED LEADERSHIP:' "On style points, all generally acquitted themselves well. Clinton showed leadership by resisting the moderator's clumsy attempt to force the candidates to give instant yea-or-nay answers on complex issues like ending the genocide in Darfur." [Boston Globe, 6/4/07]

ABC's THE NOTE -- 'IT WAS CLINTON'S NIGHT. NO CANDIDATE LOOKED MORE PRESIDENTIAL': "The consensus opinion: It was Clinton's night. No candidate looked more presidential -- despite (or because of) Edwards' attacks -- and the stage seemed to tip in her direction when she defended the field against Wolf Blitzer's (enemy of enemies!) toughest queries." [ABC News' The Note, 6/04/07]

CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY'S CRAIG CRAWFORD -- 'CLINTON DID MORE THAN HOLD HER OWN... SHE WON': "But Clinton did more than hold her own in the face-off aired by CNN. She won. Due in part to her commanding center placing on the stage among eight contenders, the New York Democrat came across as the boss." [Congressional Quarterly's Trail Mix, 6/04/07]

ABC NEWS -- CLINTON PLAYED 'ON A HIGHER PLANE': "Clinton, meanwhile, was practically playing on a different, higher plane befitting a front-runner while pitching herself as the toughest candidate when it comes to national security." [ABC News, 6/03/07]

Hillary Gains After New Hampshire Debate

The New Hamphire respondents studied in tonight’s dial test focus group provided insight into the candidates’ performance and their assessment of their ability to lead the nation. Hillary Clinton, Joseph Biden and Barrack Obama appear to have gained the most in tonight’s debate. Focus group respondents viewed Clinton favorably prior to the debate and felt even more strongly about her afterward, increasing her ratings by twenty-one points. Interestingly, there was not a gender gap in the response. Both men and women evaluated Clinton similarly and both groups proportionately increased their favorable evaluations of her.

Read More

Boston Mayor To Endorse Clinton

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino is endorsing Senator Hillary Clinton for president in 2008, saying he believes she will represent best the interests of "America's cities."

"She has the experience to lead the nation during these uncertain times," Dot Joyce, Menino's spokeswoman, said. "She's long been a supporter of America's cities and will bring the urban agenda back to the table."

Menino has long been a friend of the Clintons and visited the White House during Bill Clinton's presidency. Political observers say the endorsement could be a boon for the senator from New York, potentially delivering between 10 and 15 percent of Democratic primary voters in Massachusetts. But Menino, one of the most popular mayors in city history, also endorsed failed gubernatorial candidate Tom Reilly last year, so his blessing may not guarantee a Clinton victory in the Democratic primary.

Read More

Reviews Pour In From Last Nights Debate - Hillary Won

(from HillaryClinton.com)

The Reviews Are In: 'She Won,' 'It Was Hillary's Night,' 'Dominant'

DAVID GERGEN: ‘IT WAS HILLARY CLINTON'S NIGHT. I THOUGHT SHE WON THIS DEBATE':"I must say at the end of the day, I thought that while all thecandidates were pretty interesting, it was Hillary Clinton's night. Ithought she won this debate." [CNN, 6/03/07]

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON -- 'IT WAS HILLARY CLINTON'S NIGHT': "Itwas Hillary Clinton's night...She presented herself as a uniter withinthe party. She had a sense of humor. She was charming. She got a greatlaugh with her Goldwater line about shooting straight. I thought it washer best performance." [CNN, 6/03/07]

CNN'S JEFFERY TOOBIN -- 'IT WAS HILLARY'S BEST NIGHT AS A PUBLIC FIGURE..SHE WAS DOMINANT': "I thought it was Hillary's best night as a public figure. Issue after issue, she was dominant." [CNN, 6/3/07]

NEW YORK TIMES -- 'MRS CLINTON DOMINATED A GOOD PART OF THE EVENING': [New York Times, 6/3/07]

CNN'S J.C. WATTS -- 'SENATOR CLINTON WENT IN AS THE FRONTRUNNER, COMING OUT AS A FRONTRUNNER':"Senator Clinton went in as the frontrunner, coming out as thefrontrunner...I thought she might have even made some points tonight."[CNN, 6/03/07]

ABC NEWS' RICK KLEIN -- HILLARY LOOKS 'PRESIDENTIAL':"Interesting how Clinton is handling some of these exchanges -- likeshe did with healthcare, she's welcoming the rest of the field to whereshe has been for some time. Makes her look, dare we say,presidential...I think Clinton is doing what she sought out to do --riding slightly above the conversation on stage, and weighing inforcefully when necessary." [ABC News Political Radar, 6/03/07]

CBN NEWS' DAVID BRODY -- HILLARY 'NATURAL,' 'FORCEFUL':"Hillary Clinton went in as the front runner. Sunday in Manchester sheshowed why she deserves it. Senator Clinton came across natural,forceful, knowledgeable and kept her cool when put under themicroscope." [CBN News, 6/3/07]

Clinton Lands Coveted Endorsement in Iowa

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (N.Y.) Iowa campaign received a nice boost today when Jerry Crawford threw his considerable weight behind her candidacy.

"Hillary Clinton is ready to be president on Day One," said Crawford today. "She has the experience to get us out of Iraq in a responsible fashion." He added: "Our field of candidates for 2008 is the best field of my lifetime, but Hillary stands out as the one most ready to lead."

Crawford, a Des Moines lawyer, has been a major force in Iowa politics for decades. He served as Iowa campaign chairman for the last five Democratic presidential nominees and is a major financial and organizational force in the state.

Read More

Las Vegas Supports Hillary Clinton

Sen. Barack Obama has billed his presidential campaign as a grass-roots movement for change. In speeches, he often cites the sell-out crowds he has drawn across the country as a clear sign of an American electorate starved for a new kind of politics.

Twenty-thousand in Atlanta; 15,000 in Austin, Texas; and 3,500 in Las Vegas earlier this year.

So it was all the more noticeable Friday when two of his Las Vegas campaign stops featured a considerable number of empty seats, especially when compared with similar local events Wednesday for Sen. Hillary Clinton, his chief rival for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Both met with Culinary Union members, who are in contract talks with MGM Mirage and Harrah's Entertainment, and held separate public events in high school gymnasiums. (Clinton hosted a town hall, Obama a rally.)

In both instances, Clinton got the bigger crowds - and louder applause.

Read More

Hillary Clinton holds Strong Lead

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York holds a solid lead over her rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, while the contest for the Republican nomination appears even more unsettled than it did when it began five months ago, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Clinton's lead remains steady over her two principal challengers, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and former senator John Edwards of North Carolina, and the poll contains troubling news for both. Obama's support has softened noticeably, highlighting the challenge he faces in turning high interest in his candidacy into votes. Edwards, meanwhile, has lost ground nationally over the past few months.

Read More

Statement from Hillary Clinton On Gay & Lesbian Pride Month

"As we celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, I want to commend the LGBT community on a historic year that brought our country closer to equality and closer to ending discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Just a year ago, I worked with my Democratic colleagues in the Senate as well as with LGBT leaders to defeat the divisive and discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA). Since then, we not only defeated FMA, but we have been able to make real progress in achieving fairness for all Americans. In fact, since June 2006, New Jersey and New Hampshire became the third and fourth states to adopt civil unions and Washington and Iowa were added to the list of states that outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. A similar bill in Colorado is expected to be signed into law soon. And in Congress, we are finally on the verge of passing the Matthew Shepherd Act, which would expand hate crimes laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity. What a difference a year makes.

"The start of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month is a great time to celebrate these recent victories but also to reflect on all the work that still needs to be done. Unfortunately, while this is the first time in years that hate crimes legislation has a strong chance of passing both houses of Congress, President Bush has already signaled that he would veto this landmark bill. The truth is we will see little progress for the LGBT community at the national level until we have a new Democratic president. For six long years, the Bush Administration has only seen the families that matter to them. It's been a government of the few, by the few, and for the few. And no community has been more invisible to this administration than the LGBT community.

"I'm running for president to replace the divisive leadership of the past six years -- leadership that views no issue and no family above the reach of politics. America deserves a president who appeals to the best in each of us, not the worst; a president who values and respects all Americans, gay and straight; a president who treats all Americans equally no matter who they are or who they love.

"I'm proud of my record standing up for the LGBT community during my years as First Lady and as a U.S. Senator. But when I take office in January 2009, we'll finally be able to define success by more than the bigotry we stopped and the bad decisions we prevented. America will finally have a president who moves this country forward. When I am president, we will work together to make sure that all Americans in committed relationships have equal benefits and that nothing stands in the way of loving couples who want to adopt children in need. We're going to finally expand our federal hate crimes legislation and pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. It is just plain wrong that in the year 2007, people who work hard and do a good job every day can still be fired because of who they love. And finally, we will put an end to the failed policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice -- the traits that define our men and women in uniform -- have nothing to do with sexual orientation.

"I am honored to have the support of so many people in the LGBT community and look forward to working with the community closely throughout the campaign. Together, we can continue the journey America has been on from the very beginning -- to form a more perfect union and realize the goals and values we believe in. That's the promise of America -- and that's why I'm running for president."

Rhode Island Rep. Jim Langevin Endorses Clinton

Langevin will serve as a Chair of Rhode Island Campaign

The Clinton Campaign today announced the endorsement of Rhode Island Congressman Jim Langevin and named him a Chair of Clinton's Rhode Island campaign. Langevin will serve as a special adviser to the campaign on stem cell research and policy and outreach to people with disabilities.

"I firmly believe that Senator Clinton has the experience, strength and vision to lead our country from her very first day as President," Langevin said. "I have long admired Senator Clinton, from her initial days as our First Lady working to solve our nation's health care crisis to her tenure in the Senate, where she continues to champion the needs of the less fortunate. Now more than ever we need a leader with Senator Clinton's experience both nationally and internationally.

After eight long years of Republican partisanship and divisive politics, our country will benefit from her keen willingness to bring people together on every subject. Finding the common ground on a wide variety of issues is what our nation needs right now to put us back on track both here and abroad. She is the best person to achieve these goals and so much more - including ending our involvement in Iraq and mending our international relationships to achieving energy independence and making health care affordable for everyone."

Langevin was elected to Congress in 2000 and has become a leading advocate for expanding stem cell research, addressing the 2004 Democratic National Convention on the promise of life-saving treatments. Strongly committed to our nation's defense, Langevin serves on both the Committee on Homeland Security and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and has pushed for greater funding to develop new defense technologies. He is the first quadriplegic to serve in the House of Representatives.

Prior to his election to Congress, Langevin served two terms as Rhode Island Secretary of State, and before that was a member of the State House of Representatives.

"I deeply admire Jim's tireless efforts to support stem cell research and provide health care for all Americans," Clinton said. "I'm delighted that he will help lead our efforts in Rhode Island."