Clinton, Wes Clark stop at Iowa diner

Posted: Monday, November 19, 2007 11:57 AM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones

DES MOINES, Nov 19 -- Clinton brought out Gen. Wes Clark, onetime presidential hopeful himself, in Iowa. Clark appeared with the New York senator at an unscheduled stop at Drake Diner -- part of the campaign's efforts to shore up support among voters in a state where the race for the Democratic nomination is far closer than in the rest of the country.

Clinton introduced the general and chatted with a handful of voters who worked at a children's hospital and with a man who asked about housing issues.

"I'd love to have your support," the senator said at one point; one of the diners said she would have his. Clinton then settled in at the counter to chat, before the cameras, with Clark and former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack about the challenges of campaigning over the holidays.

Clinton wondered aloud how they would keep momentum and voter contact going over the holidays, saying that campaigning at that time of year has never really been on anyone's agenda.

"You can't call them on Christmas," Vilsack said.
"You can call them on the 26th," Clark responded with a chuckle.

They also spoke about China and ways to fight global warming. Clark called eggs his "comfort food" and both he and Clinton ordered fruit bowls.

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Comments

Pat Huntington NY (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:03 PM)

Other gimmicks that is not going to work. She can't fool us all the time. Even if she bring General XYZ that doesn't mean she is credible.

We don't trust anything that comes out of Clinton's mouth nor do we trust who she associate her self with.

Bee (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:04 PM)

Clark called Hillary the smartest person in the race. Yet she flunked the bar exam. I think he and Hillary should just go back to Arkansas.

Pablo Zed (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:05 PM)

I wonder if she remembered to leave a tip!

Mark, Des Moines (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:06 PM)

Did they leave a tip?

Al, KS (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:07 PM)

No more , NO more!! take the holidays off, no more campaigning. Take time off , I am. I will not read or listen to any of this over the holidays!

H P Boston (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:10 PM)

Did they leave tips?

mike (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:11 PM)

Typical planned out, fake meet and greet from Clinton in a state that values honesty and face-to-face meetings with candidates.

Of course, the two fruits ordered fruit bowls...

Ron, TX (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:17 PM)

Perhaps the holiday season will give the candidates a break from campaigning and the voters a welcomed respite from all the statements, claims and counterclaims, rumors and responses, and will bring a needed diversion from politics as usual, providing a time to reflect and reassess what we want from the leader of our country before the campaign heats up again in January.

Dot, Illinois (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:23 PM)

No more , NO more!! take the holidays off, no more campaigning. Take time off , I am. I will not read or listen to any of this over the holidays!
H P Boston
---------------------------------------------

You're not going to support Madame HRC ...lol.. i guess you are getting bored with her flip-flop

Bee (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:23 PM)

Pablo:

Obviously she subsequently passed the bar exam, considering she practiced for several years. Guess what? Plenty of very intelligent people flunk the bar exam for various reasons. Just from my own experience, there was someone who graduated with high honors who flunked the same one I took because she was sick - and by sick, I mean they had a trash can in the aisle for her to throw up in because she couldn't leave the room that frequently.

The fact that someone failed a bar exam does not mean he or she is stupid.

Carrie, Eastern Iowa (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:27 PM)

You heard it here first....

Pat Huntington NY

. . . .and last. You sound delusional. You should get that checked.

Wes Chandler, Queens NY (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:29 PM)

You heard it here first....

Pat Huntington NY

. . . .and last. You sound delusional. You should get that checked.

Wes Chandler, Queens NY (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:29 PM)

No Bee I am sick to death of you! I am sending Senator Clinton money! MONEY!

H P Boston (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:32 PM)

No Bee I am sick to death of you! I am sending Senator Clinton money! MONEY! Everyone wants money for the holidays, Hillary will get plenty from me!

H P Boston (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:35 PM)

I can't wait for Hillary to rule the country....

Bee (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:37 PM)

Hillary is riding on the soiled coat tails of her husband. She has no real experience being a world leader, has not accomplished anything on her own. Someone please show me just one major bill that Hillary has put forth and passed. I already know the answer - 0. Other than being one of the most unpleasant people I have ever met, yes I met her in 1993 in Seattle, she has nothing going for her.
Her first priority is to take over health care, please let me give you a quote from a very famous person. "If you want to take over a country you must first take over their Health Care."
Know who said it? Lennin, the Father of Russian Communisam. Hillary is following in his form, which is really her true form, Solcialism.

Greg, Seattle, Wash (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:38 PM)

"Of what use is a philosopher who doesn't hurt anybody's feelings?"

Diogenes (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:39 PM)

Were they real Iowa voters or, more Hillary staffers posing as such to fool the gullible press.
Like last month when she visited a diner and talked to 'real Iowa voters' about their concern. Only they were campaign staffers and the whole thing was staged for the press.
Fortunately, the British press was there as well and not bought or intimidated by the clintons and exposed the whole thing.
We need more British press over here to report on the campaigns. Maybe do duty as moderators when Russet is busy.

diane (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:42 PM)

Didn't Wes Clark skip over Iowa in his 2004 presidential race?

Marbw (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:43 PM)

Wonder if they'll be campaigning together in Waco?

Dave, Tn (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:49 PM)

Greg, Seattle, Wash (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:55 PM)

Unnamed sources claim that upon leaving the Drake Diner, President Clinton and General Clark's vehicle proceeded to 'Bob's Berzerko Burgers'. There they were observed eating the "Concentrated Trans Fat Barbeque Sauce Covered Stent Buster Burger with Aspirin,", two each. The tip was overheard to be, "...don't buy land in Florida."

Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:57 PM)

You say she can't fool them all the time, well she's fooling many! She's interested in nothing but power!
HRC's nothing but phony and scripted to the max. Does she say anything that is from her heart, or just from her writers? The machine that is driving her to office is similar to the machine that drove Bush to office. The only difference is party affiliation and Hillary has got to be a little smarter, maybe? Is this what you want for our country? More of the elitists I know what’s good for you little people approach. Remember, this is a country of the people, by the people and for the people... It doesn't say of them, by them and for them! Let's get our country back from the system that has us in the mess we're in, and Hillary is not an answer to the problem, just more of a problem!

J Colter, Milwaukee, WI (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:57 PM)

Wes Chandler from Queens....you're the deluded person! Go Hillary!

pat huntington ny (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 1:00 PM)

I can't wait for Hillary to rule the country....
Bee (Sent
-------------------------------------------------

Another post from Clinton's machine trying to impersonate me. I guess they are short of idea. For the record, I’ll never support Clinton even if she is the democratic nominee. I'll cast my vote for Obama come January and if he wins the nomination I’ll surely cast my vote for him in November.

Anybody but Clinton.

Obama’08

Bee (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 1:10 PM)

I wish Bee spent as much time researching her candidate as she did hating on other candidates and people who post here...

Not a Friend of BEE, Iowa (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 1:18 PM)

Is he telling Iowans that people who make $97,000 are in the middle class(comments made by the media-coronated-inevitable one). Will Iowans shower her with diamonds or pearls.

Marbw (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 1:20 PM)

Pat from NY...you have her there...do the rest of the country a favor and keep her in NY

Joe (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 1:22 PM)

Hillary has class, and all that one needs to be a great president. I can't wait to hear those words in January 2009...."Congratulations Madam President!" Then, when she's president, Gov. Spitzer will appoint Tom Suozzi, Nassau County Exec., to replace Hillary in the Senate...thereby setting him up for his presidential aspirations. You heard it here first....
Pat Huntington NY (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 12:03 PM)

------------------------------------------
Right you are Pat, great post and on the mark. I agree, not sure about your up and comming Tom!

HILLARY 08 (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 1:27 PM)

Joe...start practicing it now, and the shock won't kill you next year...."President Hillary Clinton" Now, say it three times in a row, three times a day. You too Bee! You'ld cut off your own nose to spite your face by not voting if Hillary is the Dem nominee? Sorry, but the chant should be anyone but a republican.

pat huntington ny (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 1:40 PM)

Barack Obama has unveiled a new line of criticism against Hillary: In speeches he's started to point to the allegation made in Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta's Hillary book that the Clintons secretly formulated a 20-year-plan to deliver the presidency first to Bill, and then to Hillary.

"I'm not in this race to fulfill some long-held plan or because it was owed to me," Obama said the other day.

Asked if that were a reference to the Gerth allegation, an Obama spokesperson left virtually no doubt that it was, telling Newsday: "Barack Obama has not been mapping out his run for president from Washington for the last 20 years like some of his opponents."

But the source that Gerth and Van Natta cited with supposed first-hand knowledge of this plan -- historian Taylor Branch -- has since vehemently denied that any such pact existed. "The story is preposterous," Branch told The Washington Post, adding: "I never heard either Clinton talk about a 'plan' for them both to become president."

It's hard to see how the use of Gerth's allegations could possibly play well among Dem activists. Many of them dislike Gerth for his role in "breaking" the Whitewater story and see Gerth's book as an anti-Hillary hatchet job.

Michael, Los Angeles CA (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 1:46 PM)

csh, IL (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 1:54 PM)

Senator Clinton realizes that she is despised. If she really cared about our country she wouldn't be running.

American Voter (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 1:54 PM)

It is truely amazing how personal and passionate (not in a good way) the letter have already become. I expect people to be passionate about issues and the candidate they support (with intelligent reasons). I expect that from those who oppose or critiize too. Unfortunately it seems that the voters do the mud slinging too while blaming politicians for doing that or attempting to do that. The level of hatred not only for some candidates, but for people who may lean towards that candidate, scares me. If I were running, I'd be scared of voters who have this much blind passion and loyalty without arguing the specifics, as well as those who oppose me without arguing the specifics. The candidates don't scare me: Hillary, Obama, Edwards, Biden, Richardson, Romney or Juliani. They are all smart, good and capable in their own unique way though Dems are more in my line on some major issues. Many times it is the voters like you - Democrat or not! Keep the argument simple, sensible and to the point please.

Jane Srini (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 1:55 PM)

Is Wes still roaming around lost in Iowa. Maybe Hillary can show him the way out.

Elrod Hubbart (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 2:11 PM)

Is Wes still roaming around lost in Iowa. Maybe Hillary can show him the way out.

Elrod Hubbart (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 2:11 PM)

Hillary has my vote come Nov of 08 she can,t screw it up any more then it is already. we gave it to Bush look what done for us.

George Marion Ohio (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 2:17 PM)

IowaForHillary, Iowa (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 2:18 PM)

Jane Sini

The tone of many of the blogs here is bothersome but I tend to ignore all that BS. Some people need to vent I guess, but I really am not that impressed by it. I gloss over their ranting and raving and read the blogs that have useful, relevent and, for me, informative material. There are lots of very good posters on this site; I continue to be impressed with the knowledge that some possess. All the bloggers, even those who get carried away sometimes, obviously care about our country--I think that is good.

Dot, Illinois (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 2:20 PM)

Bee - Looks like Obama lost his short lived mo jo at the last debate! Read all the reviews of the Las Vegas debate sweetie - Hillary ruled!! She swatted Obama and Edwards around like annoying little flys.

And she did it with class, wit and style...as always!

csh, IL (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 1:54 PM)

--------------------------------------------------
I guess if one considers Big Bird stylish, then I agree Hillary has style. By your "Hillary Ruled!" statement, I can only infer that you must be an ex-cheerleader. Looks like you were dropped on your head one too many times otherwise you probably wouldn't say Hillary "won" the debate in Vegas. Clearly, she needed help from Wolf Blitzer, James Carville, CNN and her partisan supporters. FYI, Hillary hasn't won sh*t since not even the first vote has been cast.

Real Democrat, CA (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 2:54 PM)

Bee (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 2:56 PM)

Hillary . . . start tipping . . . stop bad-mouthing
Obama with inuendoes (are you a closet Nixon-ite)?!

I want to see Hillary with a flak jacket on...
aboard a battleship with a big sign behind her:
"Victory in Iraq" as she welcomes home the troops.

Her bush might just out-Bush . . . George W.

She is one chuckling man-handler.

I don't know about Bill back in the White House.
Better not assign the First Man any interns . . .

And no more Chinese sleeping over. They own the USA!

Ron Yogman St. Petersburg, FL (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 3:52 PM)

Carrie, Eastern Iowa

I agree, but the DC bar is not known for it's difficulty, and neither is the Ark. bar. Hillary isn't stupid, but I'm sure her IQ is no where near Bill's. But neither is mine. Also Carrie, as a lawyer, you do know that passing the bar, or practicing law isn't proof of extremely high intellect. I had some pretty dumb classmates in law school. We still joke about the things stupid things Jim Nussle used to say in class. We called them Nussle-isms. I was shocked during the swearing in ceremony that Jim actually passed. Can you imagine if he had won the race for Governor?

Terry, WDM IA (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 4:04 PM)

Obama is shameless. He is digging into Republican hatchet jobs for lies about Hillary. Obama feels if he throws around lies about Hillary from Republican books, may be he can sway some gullible voters.

Real Democrats know Republican scums like Gerth and Obama is picking up their lies?

That's shameful!!

IowaForHillary, Iowa

What's shameless is the dirty Clinton campaign tactics. Lying about Biden's age he's less than 5 years older than Hillary, but to discourage people leaning towards him her campaign staff (not paid push polling) claims he is in his 70's (the youngest lie anyone was told by paid Clinton employee's is 72, some were told as high as 77) They warn leaning Richardson people that Bill has a history of chasing skirts. I'm not joking, talk about irony! With Obama they say polls show American isn't ready for a black President. With Edwards they express concern about what would happen if Elizabeth went down hill fast, if he stopped campaigning it'd hurt him, and if he kept it up, it'd hurt him worse. Either no one has expressed they were leaning Dodd, or Hillary doesn't take him serious enough to resort to this type of smear tactics.

mary Davenport Iowa (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 4:10 PM)

Hillary's running for 1 reason and 1 reason only. To pay Bill back. Who's the intern is the million dollar question. Peace. Kristian O

Kristian O (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 4:28 PM)

This is a dynamic match up that could bode extremely well for America! I'm so pleased to see General Clark in the mix- he is the ultimate country before party guy.

These two are highly regarded around the world & this leaves me eager to see more. Very interesting! I'd work my arse off for this ticket!

Holly (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 5:10 PM)

One fake meeting up with another fake. Must be karma.

Lou Williams, Jasper WY (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 5:47 PM)

People, people, why do you believe the same press that we know lies to us when they tell a story that you like?

For one thing, I doubt Hillary is in charge of paying tabs and leaving tips personally when on the campaign trial. For another thing, they DID leave a tip, but for those who choose to believe the radical regressives lies about Hillary it fits nicely, doesn't it?

Snippet from AP article of Nov. 8:

Published: November 08, 2007 4:00 PM ET

NEW YORK Let the record show: Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign knows how to leave a good tip.

...

Esterday's comments were potentially devastating, undermining Clinton's appeal to working class voters, especially women. Rival campaigns quickly e-mailed the story to reporters, as did the Republican National Committee.

But Brad Crawford, manager of the Toledo Maid-Rite, said Clinton's campaign aides paid the bill for lunch and left a tip to be divided among the servers.

"They all paid their bill and they left a tip. They paid it all that same day when they left and everything was good," he said.

Crawford said he didn't know why Esterday may not have received any of the money.

"If she got left out it wasn't because they meant to leave her out," Crawford said of Esterday. "If something happened with the disbursement, it's probably my fault."

A call to Esterday's home was not immediately returned.

Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer said the campaign paid $157 for lunch and left another $100 for the tip.

jen, Incline Village, NV (Sent Monday, November 19, 2007 8:25 PM)

Well, I posted earlier this evening, with an article in AP debunking the lie that Clinton campaign didn't leave a tip at that restaurant, but it didn't get posted. If anyone's interested in learning the truth, google "did hillary leave a tip" and the articles will come up. Otherwise, continue spreading the lie if that makes you feel good.

jen, Incline Village, NV (Sent Tuesday, November 20, 2007 1:53 AM)

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