Diary: To Puerto Rico with Clinton
Posted: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 1:47 PM by Domenico Montanaro
What follows is a stop-by-stop diary of Hillary Clinton campaigning in Puerto Rico over the weekend from our campaign reporter who followed Clinton on the trip.
From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
It couldn't have been planned any better, if you believe that Democrats could plan such a thing.
After a gut-punch of a day Friday, when her comment about RFK's assassination was met with an avalanche of criticism, Hillary Clinton was off to the tropics on Saturday for a long weekend of campaigning in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. With a downsized traveling press corps offset by the friendly greetings of local supporters, Clinton enjoyed a short but seemingly reinvigorating trip, likely one of the last of her campaign.
What follows is a timeline of her weekend, in which she covered every part of the island.
SATURDAY, 4:54 PM -- Hill Force One touches down at the Aguillar Airport, a small landing strip on the Western half of Puerto Rico. Instead of the sunny skies we'd been expecting, Clinton steps off her plane to find a tropical rainstorm, and some wet dignitaries to greet her. As she mingles with them on the tarmac, a young boy offers to hold her umbrella and walk along side her.
SATURDAY, 6:10 PM -- Clinton takes the stage at the Coliseo Municipal in Aguadilla, receiving an enthusiastic greeting from the crowd of a few hundred. "Buenas Noches!" she says, the only time she would venture to speak Spanish. At first she speaks a few sentences at a time, pausing to let a translator interpret for those in the crowd who don't understand. But after a while she seems to grow inpatient with the delay and, perhaps recognizing that many seem to understand her, presses on for the remainder of her speech without interruption.
Her remarks focus on what she says is a long-standing relationship with the island. "I am no stranger to these beautiful islands," she says. It will become a familiar refrain all weekend. She talks about visiting after Hurricane Georges, and lobbying her husband for special disaster relief status. "Puerto Rico had a partner in the White House and that produced results for you," she says.
SATURDAY, 8:09 PM -- The campaign staff and traveling press approach their respective hotels in the town of Isabella, and many lose cellular phone signals. Few seem to mind, and enjoy a tropical drink or two. As it turns out, because most on the mainland have checked out for the holiday weekend, no one misses much.
SUNDAY, 11:36 AM -- Clinton is invited to the lectern at Pabellon de la Victoria, an evangelical church in the town of Hormgueros. It's an evangelical church, one that is growing on an island that is predominantly Catholic. Instead of a solemn service, as she had seen the week before in Kentucky, this one is vibrant, complete with fast-tempo music and a colorful dance troop. Clinton has a big smile as the dancers perform in front of her, at first swaying subtly and then earnestly weaving back and forth and clapping to the beat. "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it," she says to the crowd. "And this is a church that rejoices."
Clinton again outlines her record of service on behalf of Puerto Ricans, including the million or so she represents as a New York senator. "I am so grateful that I have a deep and important relationship with the people of Puerto Rico here and in New York. And that is why I am committed to providing equal treatment when it comes to government programs," she says.
She also says it's providence that has brought her here, and keeps her in the race. "I am very grateful that I have this opportunity to come to Puerto Rico to talk with you, to listen, to visit across from one end of the islands to the other with my message that there isn't anything we cannot do together if we seek God's blessing and if we stay committed, and are not deterred by the setbacks that often fall in every life," she says. "If I had listened to those who had been talking over the last several months we would not be having this campaign in Puerto Rico today."
SUNDAY, 12:41 PM -- Clinton has ditched her turquoise pantsuit and is now donning a bright pink tropical shirt as she arrives at the beach in Boqueron. Again she finds herself taken to the rhythms of a local dance ensemble and musical group, and is dancing in her own subtle way along with them. As the dance troop finishes, she reaches out her arms to beckon one of the young girls to come close, and gives her a big hug. The mayor of Boqueron, herself a woman, speaks briefly and says in English, "I love you." Clinton speaks briefly, saying, "I am very grateful to all of you. I want to tell you how much I love being here. This reminds me of very happy days."
She then starts toward the beach, and the local and traveling press ignores demands to keep a distance. A chaotic scene ensues as the press battles with some of the surprised beach goers in vying for Clinton's attention. But eventually the campaign finds a few strings of rope to keep a makeshift barrier around the candidate at all times. At one point as she walks past me on the sand, I say to Clinton that this sure seems a long way from New Hampshire, doesn't it. "It's great. So pretty here," she says. She then keeps pressing the flesh, as a drum band keeps a beat around her.
She's smiling broadly the entire time.
SUNDAY, 3:15 PM -- Clinton arrives in Penuelas for an event at a local restaurant. But she switches up the plan, choosing to have lunch first on a patio hanging over the ocean, rather than speaking to the small crowd gathering in the hot sun to hear her. After more than a half hour she comes out to speak, clocking in an event at just about nine minutes, including time for translation.
Here she offers a new twist on her message, telling the crowd that she's learned that Univision has proposed a debate on Puerto Rican issues to be held before next week's primary. "I accept that invitation, anytime, anywhere," she says. "That is the best way for the people of Puerto Rico to have their questions asked and answered, and for the rest of the United States to learn more about Puerto Rico."
There is no stern, "Meet me in Puerto Rico" demand, though. She knows this is unlikely to happen, so quickly closes her speech. "This primary next Sunday is one of the most important votes you will cast," she says. "You will get to help pick the next president of the United States. Someday I hope that regardless of status you're able to help vote for the president of the United States in the general election."
SUNDAY, 7:20 PM -- Now in Carolina, and back in her pantsuit, Clinton starts speaking at the Casa Cuba, a gathering place for Cuban ex-pats on the island here. Clinton is running ahead of schedule, so much so that when the motorcade arrived here the press was given more than an hour to go out on their own, with some choosing to walk along the picturesque beach.
When Clinton does speak, the press hears what is perhaps the most specific policy pronouncements of the weekend. Specifically, she engages with Barack Obama on what had been a hot-button issue earlier in the campaign -- engaging with the leaders of rogue nations. Earlier in the week, Obama had targeted John McCain as he said he would meet with Cuban leader Raul Castro. Clinton now subtly contrasts her view with his.
"The American people have long stood with the Cuban people in your struggle to achieve freedom and democracy. And we must continue to stand together," she says. "I hope some day to be able to visit Cuba, and to be able to talk freely and walk freely and hear the desires and the needs of the people of Cuba. "But I will not give away the chance for real change. I think we must see evidence of reform before we allow the current government in Cuba to benefit from the prestige and power of a presidential meeting. They must show their good faith, and we will work with them if they do."
It's a strong statement. But is delivered late on a Saturday night on a holiday weekend. It barely creates a ripple.
SUNDAY, 8:33 PM -- Clinton arrives at Sabor Latino, a bar in San Juan. Outside, Secret Service has taken stronger security measures, with some agents openly brandishing weapons in what is apparently a sometimes unsafe community. But inside, Clinton shows now worries, and is in fact having quite a good time. Some of her supporters hand her a Dominican beer, called "El Presidente." The offer cheers, and it's bottoms up for the New York senator.
As she mingles with the crowd, Clinton encounters the four network embedded reporters, some of whom have been following her for more than a year now. "You guys can drink, too," she says after raising her beer in our direction. One says that there might be plans for that later in the evening. "I think you would," she says.
And with the sounds of Enrique Iglesias' "Be With You" in the background, Aaron Bruns, another reporter is nodding along with it. Clinton then decides to very briefly dance with him, closing her eyes and nodding her head, before patting him on the shoulder and moving ahead. A somewhat bewildered Bruns can't believe what just happened, as some of Clinton's staff turn back to laugh at the scene.
MONDAY, 10:58 AM -- Hillary starts here day, Memorial Day, at the home of Carlos Manuel Rivera Figueroa in Bayamon, PR. Only a few reporters are allowed in, but we get snippets from those inside. Figueroa's only son, Jonathan, has served in Iraq and is now in Alaska waiting to be deployed. We learn that the language barrier created "some awkward moments."
MONDAY, 1:48 PM -- The press is back on the road after another local stop. Clinton, joined now by Bill Clinton, has just finished another small roundtable discussion with the Sanchez family, whom she met in 1998 when she visited Puerto Rico after Hurricane Georges. The traveling press actually had missed most of the event, because the driver of our old, rickety bus managed to get separated from the motorcade and subsequently get lost. We do see a brief discussion of alternative energy, with Hillary talking about wind farms in New York and Bill talking about the potential that biofuels present.
Clinton is presented with some newspaper clippings from her '98 visit, and then asks for a tour of the Sanchez home.
MONDAY, 3 PM -- The Clintons, now joined by daughter Chelsea, take the stage at a raucous rally hosted by the local AFSCME union, the Servidores Públicos Unidos. Bill speaks briefly before introducing Gerry McEntee, the head of AFSCME, calling him "the best Democrat in the United States." "We never had a more loyal supporter," he adds.
McEntee gives a long, fiery speech, praising Clinton for everything from her health care plan to the fact that she "does a better reggaeton than Barack Obama." Hillary is feeding off the enthusiastic crowd, and even ventures some Spanish of her own. "Si se puede," she repeats again and again. She then leans over to ask her translator how to say, "Yes we will." He whispers in her ear, and she says: "Not only si se puede. Si loremos!" We think she meant to say "podemos."
As she has all weekend, she promises to let Puerto Ricans have a voice soon in settling their status. "I am committed to the people of Puerto Rico that on day one of my presidency I will begin to work with all the factions, with the Congress, to enable you to make a decision," she says. "I do not have any preference among the options. That is for the people of Puerto Rico to decide. But you need a president who will work to get it done from day one in the first term of office. That is what I will do with your help."
MONDAY, 6:28 PM -- After some formal pomp and circumstance, Clinton is introduced as the keynote speaker at a Memorial Day service outside the Puerto Rican capital building in San Juan. The Senate President calls her the "junior senator from New York, and the senior senator for Puerto Rico."
She is joined here again by Bill and Chelsea Clinton, who in unison put hand over heart and solute at the appropriate moments. Bill Clinton at one point fumbles to put on an American flag pin to go with his "Hillary 2008" pin. Chelsea helps him fasten it.
In her remarks, Hillary strengthens her argument to give Puerto Ricans a vote in the presidential election by tying it to the solemn day. "I believe it is long past time that we give the people of Puerto Rico, United States citizens all, an equal voice in the vote for the commander in chief who sends young Puerto Ricans to war," she says. "Puerto Rico deserves to have its sacrifice noted. You deserve to have leadership in Washington that respects and honors this sacrifice and all who serve. The real test is not what we say but what we do. The real challenge is how we can not just make speeches that contain promises, but deliver on those promises."
She joins local dignitaries in unveiling the names of more Puerto Ricans who have died serving in armed conflicts.
MONDAY, 8:00 PM -- Clinton is wheels up from San Juan en route to Washington, DC, joined by a slightly tanner press corps. She mingles with her staff in the front of the plane, all of whom seem to be in a much better mood than they were just three days earlier as we left South Dakota.
Interestingly, during her whole trip Clinton held only three traditional rallies. Given what many believe is a strong base of support here, one might have expected her to try to build some crowds and provide some pictures to boost her argument for staying in. Instead she opted, as she often does, for more intimate gatherings with groups of voters at a time, as well as some meet and greet time on the beach and at the bar.
Clinton now prepares to travel to Montana and South Dakota, where the odds are against her but she is determined to fight on. After a day trip to Montana, she plans two days in South Dakota. Some reporters joked with a Clinton spokesperson about staying in Puerto Rico, given the long odds there. Without disputing it we were told not to worry. We'll be back on the island next weekend.
