Posted March 21, 2008

By Jonathan Moore
WVJB Political Writer

      Terre Haute got a glimpse of the 2008 presidential race March 20 when New York Senator Hillary Clinton visited the Saratoga during a campaign stop. 
     She was accompanied by Indiana Senator and Vigo County native son Evan Bayh who is considered to be a possible running mate for Clinton.
     Clinton joined a roundtable discussion with local residents at the Saratoga Restaurant and answered a number of questions about healthcare, education and the war in Iraq.
     "This is the first time in 40 years that Indiana has had a meaningful presidential primary and I say it is about time," Bayh said.  "I thought she should begin her campaign for president here in Indiana.  There is only one place and that is the Wabash Valley of Terre Haute at the Saratoga.  This is my hometown I love everybody here."
     Clinton said she believes that this visit to Terre Haute has offered her an opportunity to discuss the important issues of the day with everyday people.
     "We are blessed by living in this great country and proud of the progress we've made, but know we have challenges and it up to us to determine how we're going to do this now," Clinton said. "I am ready to be president. I have every confidence and optimistic that together we can make the changes that need to be made.  It wouldn't be easy."
     Clinton's heath care plan is estimated to cost about $110 billion per year and would require all Americans to get health insurance.  She said that Americans who are happy with their current plan could keep them but the congressional plan would also be made available to everyone.
     "When we think about healthcare obviously for it is a moral issue," Clinton said. "I just can't believe in our great that is so rich and has so much to give to everything that we have 47 million people without health insurance and so many millions more paying more than they should."
     Education is another important issue for local voters.
"Now it so much more difficult for people to stay in the middle class because of all the economic stress and education is so key whether people or not going is able to.  But we got to do more to make sure our young people are getting prepared for the jobs are there and we got to keep those and attract jobs.  So it really is two sides of the same equitation," Clinton said.
     Clinton finished her roundtable discussion on a question of the war in Iraq.  She took the opportunity to take a jab at Republican John McCain's position of U.S. troops need to stay in Iraq for 100 years as "unacceptable."
     Clinton also attended a large rally of supporters in the parking lot behind the Saratoga.  She told the crowd cheering that "when you think about this election we been having a long job interview.  Now it is up to the people of Indiana to decide who would you hire.  Who do you think is ready on day one to do the toughest job in the world."
     The Indiana primary will take place on May 6 and the first day a voter may vote an absentee in person is April 7 at the county courthouse or the satellite locations available in Vigo County.


    Jonathan Moore can be reached at jonathanm@thjournal.com