Clinton noted her solidarity with President Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president, pointing to his work to help the nation recover from recession and overhaul the health care system. In pointed comments about the Supreme Court, Clinton said some Republicans had vowed not to consider a successor to the late Justice Antonin Scalia until the next administration.
“Some are even saying he doesn’t have the right to nominate anyone. As if somehow he’s not the real president,” Clinton said. “You know, that’s in keeping with what we’ve heard all along, isn’t it? Many Republicans talk in coded racial language about takers and losers. They demonize President Obama and encourage the ugliest impulses of the paranoid fringe. This kind of hatred and bigotry has no place in our politics or our country.”
Clinton’s address offered a laundry list of ideas to help African-Americans, including steps to provide job and housing opportunities, protect voting rights and support Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She also discussed a $2 billion proposal to address the “school-to-prison” pipeline, which aims to hire social workers and staff for school districts to curtail suspension rates among black students.
She coughed repeatedly during her speech and tried to soothe her throat with water and a lozenge. Her voice breaking, she said, “If you work with it and stick with it, you can make a difference.”
Earlier, she met with several civil rights leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, who met with Sanders following his New Hampshire victory last week. The heads of nine historic civil rights groups, including the NAACP and the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation, praised Clinton but stopped short of backing her campaign.
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Thomas reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Catherine Lucey in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
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