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I will be posting notes later today regarding a conference call Hillary is having with supporters this afternoon. One call today features campaign staff discussing the Hillary Sent Me Program and the second call features Hillary announcing the program.
You can keep up with other Hillary activities on my blog at http://jstrater.blogspot.com
Below is the AP story:
Clinton recruiting her backers to help ObamaUpdate: Clinton's press office just issued the following:
By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press
Hillary Rodham Clinton is stepping up efforts to swing her supporters behind Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, her former rival for the nomination.In an outreach dubbed "Hillary Sent Me," the New York senator was inviting her primary-season partisans Friday to get involved directly in Obama's campaign and donate to it. As part of that, she was urging them to travel to a specific battleground state each weekend, beginning with New Hampshire on Sept. 27, when she will be campaigning for Obama in Michigan."Today I am asking all of you to stand up, hit the road and spread the word that we must elect Barack Obama president and we must send a filibuster-proof majority to Congress," Clinton was telling supporters in a conference call Friday, according to remarks provided to The Associated Press in advance. "This is a call to action. This is a must-do. We all have a role. And there is not a moment to lose."As many as 2,000 supporters from all 50 states were expected to participate in the conference call, scheduled for 4 p.m. EDT. Former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, who is challenging Republican John Sununu for his Senate seat in that state, was also expected to take part.The effort was organized with the Obama campaign and state Democratic parties nationwide. Its goal: to engage the former first lady's donors and voters — many of whom are still sore over her loss to Obama in the epic primary contest — to put that firmly behind them and help in battleground states.The New York senator has already campaigned for Obama in Ohio, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico and raised about $5 million for his campaign. "Hillary Sent Me" is her first explicit pitch to her grass roots supporters to get involved, Clinton aides said.
Hillary Clinton today unveiled “Hillary Sent Me!,” a new grassroots organizing program designed to mobilize Hillary’s supporters and others across the country to help send Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden to the White House, to work on behalf of this year’s critical Democratic races, and to get America back on track.
“As we continue to read the headlines about our troubled economy, the stakes of this election only get higher. Today I am asking all of you to hit the phones, hit the road and spread the word that we must elect Barack Obama President and we must send a filibuster-proof majority to Congress,” said Senator Clinton.
“This is a call to action. We all have a role. And there is not a moment to lose,” Clinton added. “Tell them that Hillary sent you.”
The program, organized by Hillary Clinton’s Political Action Committee, HillPAC, working with the Obama-Biden presidential campaign and other Democratic campaigns across the country, will launch Saturday morning at www.HillPAC.com. Supporters visiting the website will find information on canvassing, phone banking, blogging and other grassroots activities in critical battleground states.
“In addition to the unprecedented grassroots effort that the Obama campaign is executing across the country, I want to help ensure that as many people as possible are engaged and active in this election,” Clinton said.
Each weekend, Hillary Sent Me! will focus on a different battleground state, while providing contact information for supporters looking to work on behalf of Democrats in any of the battleground states around the country.
Hillary Sent Me! will mobilize supporters to campaign in New Hampshire the weekend of September 27th and 28th. New Hampshire is a critical state for Democrats this fall, not only in the race for the White House, but also for important Congressional elections such as Jeanne Shaheen’s close Senate race against incumbent Senator John Sununu.
In the weeks leading up to the election, Hillary Sent Me! will also focus on sending volunteers to Pennsylvania the weekend of October 12th and 13th, as well as Ohio, and key states in the west.
Tomorrow, visit www.HillPAC.com to sign up and get the most up to date information.
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