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(06-28) 19:03 PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --
The leftiest big city on the Left Coast was Clinton country on Monday, with former President Clinton continuing his blockbuster book tour and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton headlining a Democratic fund-raiser where she vowed to defeat the Republicans' "extraordinarily ruthless machine."
Headlining an appearance with other Democratic women senators on behalf of Sen. Barbara Boxer, who is up for re-election this year, Hillary Clinton told several hundred supporters -- some of whom had ponied up as much as $10,000 to attend -- to expect to lose some of the tax cuts passed by President Bush if Democrats win the White House and control of Congress.
"Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you," Sen. Clinton said. "We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."
Just blocks away at San Francisco's historic Ferry Building, President Clinton kicked off the latest leg of his West Coast tour promoting his best-selling book, "My Life." Wearing a navy blue suit and a rust-colored tie, Clinton signed books for at least 3,000 people, many of whom had waited hours under brilliant sunshine to catch a glimpse of him.
At one point, Clinton stopped the fast-moving line of fans to pose for a photo with 14-year old Thomas Nelson and his 12-year old brother Joseph, who had traveled 50 miles with their father from Petaluma.
"I've never shaken the hand of a president," said Thomas, who added that he had one grandma who couldn't stand Clinton and one who thought he was the best president ever.
"Even better than George Washington," said Thomas.
While Sen. Clinton's duties in Washington and the former president's far-flung speaking engagements can keep them apart for weeks at a time, friends said the Clintons' joint visit to the Bay Area was a homecoming of sorts for both of them.
As president, Clinton visited California some 70 times and focused much of his political and fund-raising energies on the heavily Democratic San Francisco Bay area. The visits by both Clintons increased while their daughter, Chelsea, was a student at Stanford University in Palo Alto.
"He was here so dad gum much when he was president that outside of Arkansas, his highest level of support is probably the Bay Area," said Martha Whetstone, executive director of the Bar Association of San Francisco and a longtime friend of both Clintons. "And San Francisco has always been Hillary country. They get her here -- there's a real appreciation for independent, intelligent women."
The Clintons were following largely separate schedules throughout the day, with Sen. Clinton heading two hours south to Monterey County to appear at a public policy forum hosted by former White House chief of staff Leon Panetta, and President Clinton headlining a fund raiser Monday evening for the American Himalayan Foundation, a charity run by Sen. Dianne Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum.
Sen. Clinton called the transfer of sovereignty from the U.S.-led coalition to an interim Iraqi government two days early a "positive step" but said it was too early to predict if the new government would be successful.
"Whether they take over today or take over Wednesday, the problems are still the same," she said.
Before leaving the forum, Sen. Clinton was asked what she thought of her husband's book. "I loved it," she replied. "You've got to read all of it."
On Tuesday, President Clinton will continue his book tour at several stops around the Bay Area and will be the star attraction at a fund-raiser for House Democrats.
With Boxer leading her Republican opponent, Bill Jones, by a wide margin in recent public polls and California considered safely in Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's hands, the Clintons' visit served more as a vehicle to promote progressive political activism than to move a lot of votes, according to Bruce Cain, a political analyst at University of California, Berkeley.
"There's a lot of stirring up of the Democratic base -- the juice is flowing among Democratic activists in an unprecedented way right now," Cain said. "It comes at a time when groups need to get mobilized to make contributions and get themselves organized to go out and do grass roots activity in battleground states."
California Republican Chairman Duf Sundheim said that while the Clintons were welcome to come to the state and express their views, "history shows their influence is minimal."
He pointed to both Clintons' support last fall for Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, who went on to be recalled in a landslide and replaced by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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Associated Press writer Matthew Fordahl in Seaside, Calif., contributed to this report
Originally posted by Kathianne
LOL I posted the highlighted part in a post of How the Dems have changed.
Great minds think alike!:
"And San Francisco has always been Hillary country. They get her here -- there's a real appreciation for independent, intelligent women ."
Originally posted by rtwngAvngr
Here's the funny part, with the funniest part in bold.
Is she any of those?
Originally posted by rtwngAvngr
Here's the funny part, with the funniest part in bold.
Is she any of those?
