Hillary Clinton Pens Op-ed about her Plans to Help Appalachia

Following a series of conversations in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio, Hillary Clinton wrote a piece for Medium outlining her plan to assist Appalachian cities affected by the decline in demand for steel and coal. Her plan, which was outlined last November, calls for the securing of the health care and pension benefits of miners, invest in bringing more good-paying jobs to the region, invest in education and training programs, and protect families that have been affected by conditions, such as black lung, and denied proper health care coverage. Clinton faces an up-hill battle in Appalachia, and she is hoping that focusing on the area early in campaign will help bring voters out for her in November. Read the full op-ed HERE.

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News Source: Medium

Hillary Clinton Campaigns in WV,OH, Sits Down with MSNBC

On Tuesday, while voters in Indiana headed to the polls in their primary, Hillary Clinton attended events in West Virginia and Ohio. She began in Charleston, West Virginia where she took part in a discussion that addressed addiction and the drug epidemic plaguing West Virginia. Clinton listened as several people told their stories, and she spoke about her plans to combat the drug epidemic that is an issue across the country. Clinton spoke about her plan to combat addiction and provide assistance to those recovering from it.

Clinton then went to Athens, Ohio where she offered a optimistic view of the future and covered a number of her platform points that will ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to rise. She spoke about plans to help local job creation, investments in education and training programs, and her plan to offer community college for free. She said, “I will fight for you and your families every day, whether you vote for me or not. I will be your partner and I will not for one moment give up,” Clinton recognizes that she faces an uphill battle attracting voters in Appalachia, but she will fight for everyone including those who “may find it hard to vote for any Democrat or for me in particular.” Videos from today’s events will be added when/if available.

Today, Clinton was also interviewed by Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC. During the interview, Clinton said that she is focused on the general election and campaigning against Republican front runner Donald Trump. She said, “I think that’s where we have to be, because we’re going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who will literally say or do anything. And we’re going to take him on at every turn on what’s really important to the people of our country.” Mitchell asked Clinton questions about a number of other topics including her Democratic opponent Bernie Sanders, the protesters she encountered in West Virginia, the continued FBI investigation into her email, and her speeches to Goldman Sachs. A full video from the interview is below.

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News Source: MSNBC, WSAZ, West Virginia Metro News, The Columbus Dispatch

Hillary Clinton Kicks off “Breaking Down Barriers” Tour in Appalachia

Today, Hillary Clinton began a series of events that she is calling the “Breaking Down Barriers” tour. The goal of the tour is to speak with small groups of voters and get a better understanding of their concerns. During her first event in Ashland, Kentucky, Clinton met with workers at Alma’s Italian Cafe where she outlined her plan to help coal communities. She compared her plan to the “Marshall Plan,” the plan that rebuilt Western Europe following World War II, saying that the three main parts would protect health and pension benefits of miners, research how coal can be a clean part of America’s energy future, and invest in alternative energy. She also spoke about her plans to entice more businesses to keep their manufacturing operations in the United States.

Clinton then traveled to Williamson, West Virginia where she was met by a number of protestors who took issue with recent comments Clinton made about the coal industry. During the event, Clinton apologized for the comments saying that her comments were taken out of context. She said, “What I was saying is that, the way things are going now, we will continue to lose jobs. That’s what I meant to say. I do feel a little bit sad and sorry that I gave folks the reason or the excuse to be so upset with me because that is not what I intended at all.” Clinton visited with miners who have lost their jobs and community leaders who are struggling with unemployed citizens. She vowed to support West Virginia and towns that rely heavily on coal mining for survival even if the state does not support her in the primary or November. Videos from today’s events will be added when/if available.

Meanwhile, fundraisers were being held for Hillary for America across the country. Chelsea Clinton was in Washington, DC where she attended a fundraiser. Also in Washington, DC, Campaign Chair John Podesta attended a fundraiser along with policy advisors Ann O’Leary and Jennifer Klein. In Brookline, Massachusetts, a fundraising event was held at the home of John Reinstein and retired Judge Nancy Gertner. Attending the event was former Attorney General Eric Holder. In Portland, Oregon, Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan and actress Kathleen Turner were on hand to kickoff a phone bank effort.

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News Source: ABC News, The Washington Post, Mother Jones, Lexington Herald-Leader, West Virginia Metro News

Bill Clinton Campaigns for Hillary in West Virginia

On Sunday, Bill Clinton campaigned on behalf of Hillary Clinton in West Virginia. Some of Hillary’s comments about coal, a chief employment sector in the state, have been met with resistance. When Bill arrived in Logan for his first event, he was met by protestors in addition to supporters. He responded to the boos and protesters by explaining the detail of Hillary’s plan to help boost coal dependent communities, and he said, “I wanted to come here and tell you that I care about what you’re going through. I get it and I think that we can do something about it, that’s the most important thing.” Bill went on to say that Hillary cares about the Appalachian communities and it is her experience that will serve them well.

Bill’s second stop in the state was in the capital city of Charleston. He was met by an enthusiastic crowd and he focused on a wider variety of Hillary’s campaign platform points including health care, student loan debt, and the current drug epidemic. He said that Hillary has experience working with both sides of the aisle in Congress on a number of issues, and that the drug epidemic should be taken seriously by both parties. He said, “This could give us the chance to start working together as one America again because this [drug] problem is an equal opportunity killer. It’s killing Republicans and Democrats alike. We are close to having a real consensus in the Congress to do something about this together.” Videos from today’s events will be posted when/if available.

A Hillary for America fundraiser was held today in Artesia, California. Those attending the event held at the East West Ice Palace had an opportunity to ice skate with Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan.

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News Source: CBS New York, MetroNews, West Virginia Public Broadcasting