I'm tired of these through-the-looking-glass argument from the Clintons. It's the second time on a national stage that I've been told the equivalent of "who are you going to believe, me or your lyin' eyes?" and I don't like it one bit. Rather than rant and throw shoes at the TV I'm just going to ask...
If caucuses don't matter why on earth did the Senator from New York spend 74 days in Iowa since the 2004 election and never once make this argument in front of Iowans?
All of Hillary Clinton's Iowa visits are chronicled by the excellent GWU Democracy in Action project. 74 days in Iowa and never does Hillary Clinton argue that caucuses shouldn't count and now she can't say it enough. What does that record say about Sen. Clinton's character? 74 days, not a peep.
[credit, the George Washington University / Democracy in Action project]
2007 plus Jan. 1-3, 2008 (35 visits, 74 days)1
Here is the first quarter of 2007 as an example
[edited from the entire year -- see entire list at Democracy in Action]
April (2 visits, 4 days)
>Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Iowa on April 21-22, 2007 including the second corner of her "Four Corners of Iowa" tour. On April 21 she participated in a town hall-style "Conversation with Iowans" at Miller Middle School in Marshalltown; visited Uncle Nancy’s Coffee House and Eatery in Newton; appeared at a Rally For America with Congressman Leonard Boswell at McAninch Maintenance Facility in Des Moines; and delivered the keynote speech at the Buchanan County Democrats Annual Sustaining Food Banquet in Oelwein. On April 22 she participated in a town hall-style "Conversation with Iowans" at Luther College (Regent’s Center, Main Gym) in Decorah;and hosted a press conference with Finley Hospital nurses at Dubuque Airport in Dubuque.
>Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton visited in Iowa on April 2-3, 2007. On April 2 she attended a barbeque at the home of state Senator Eugene Fraise in Fort Madison; and participated in a Conversation with Iowans at Burlington Memorial Auditorium in Burlington. On April 3 she attended an open house breakfast at the home of former Gov. Tom and Christie Vilsack in Mount Pleasant; toured Riksch BioFuels and discussed bringing new jobs to rural America in Crawfordsville; participated in a Conversation with Iowans at Quality Inn and Suites in Iowa City; and participated in a Conversation with Iowans at East High School in Waterloo.
March (2 visits, 3 days)
>In Des Moines, Iowa on March 26, 2007 Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton participated in a "Good Morning America" town hall focused on health care at Des Moines Science Center, broadcast live on ABC >; announced the endorsement of former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and First Lady Christie Vilsack at a press conference at Greenwood Elementary School; and then greeted students at the school.
>Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Iowa on March 4-5, 2007. On the evening of March 4 she held a rally at the University of Dubuque in Dubuque. On March 5 she met with members of the Iowa Senate at the Capitol in Des Moines; toured Pioneer Hi-Bred International research greenhouses, then spoke to Pioneer Hi-Bred International employees in the Carver Center, in Johnston; and met with members of the Iowa House at the Capitol in Des Moines.
February
none
January (1 visit, 3 days)
>Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Iowa on January 26-28, 2007.
On the evening of January 26 she did an interview with Des Moines Register columnist David Yepsen at the Drake Diner in Des Moines.
On January 27 she met privately with labor leaders at the Hotel Fort Des Moines in Des Moines; attended an Iowa Democratic Party Central Committee meeting at Iowa Democratic Party headquarters in Des Moines; conducted a town hall-style "Conversation with Iowans" in the Dale and Lois Bright Community Center at East High School Community Center in Des Moines; stopped by the I'll Make Me A World in Iowa" annual festival (celebrates the contributions of African Americans) at the Polk County Convention Complex in Des Moines; and conducted a house party-style "Conversation with Iowans" at the home of home of Dan and Marcia Rogers in Cedar Rapids.
On January 28 in Davenport she conducted a "Conversation with Iowans" at Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds' Keppy Hall (note this was originally planned to be a house party-style "Conversation with Iowans" at Hickory Garden Family Restaurant); and held a press availability in the library-media center at Central High School.
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NOW she says there is a problem with caucuses? Pathetic.