Bill Clinton stumps here for Hillary; Philly Tribune endorses Sanders
By Claudia Vargas and Michaelle Bond STAFF WRITERS By now the pitch was familiar: Bill Clinton, his speechmaking skills sharp as ever, crisscrossed the region Saturday to stump for his wife, Hillary Clinton, "the best change-maker I've ever known," as the Pennsylvania primary nears.
By Claudia Vargas
and Michaelle Bond
STAFF WRITERS
By now the pitch was familiar: Bill Clinton, his speechmaking skills sharp as ever, crisscrossed the region Saturday to stump for his wife, Hillary Clinton, "the best change-maker I've ever known," as the Pennsylvania primary nears.
He spoke in Delaware and Montgomery Counties, adding stops in Northeast Philadelphia and lower Bucks. Yet some of the day's most electrifying words were uttered not by the former president but by a former congresswoman - Gabby Giffords of Arizona, who joined him at a school in Lower Gwynedd.
Giffords, who struggles to speak because of wounds suffered in a 2011 mass shooting, said Hillary Clinton would stand up to the gun lobby.
"Speaking is hard for me," she said. "But come January, I want to say these two words: 'Madam President!' "
The crowd roared.
Bill Clinton used the "best change-maker" line to a crowd of more than 600 at Swarthmore Rutledge School, and at Wissahickon Middle School in Lower Gwynedd, where he appeared with Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly.
Between those events, Clinton made it to the Dining Car in Northeast Philadelphia, going table to table, posing for pictures and buying pies (apple and apple-walnut) for his entourage.
The former president made his rounds as campaigns moved about the Eastern Seaboard in anticipation of Tuesday's so-called Acela Primary. Also on Saturday, Hillary Clinton's Democratic rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, won a local victory: an endorsement by the Philadelphia Tribune, one of the nation's oldest black newspapers. The Tribune wrote that Sanders "offers an inspiring message and bold vision for America without the excessive baggage of Clinton."
Sanders later told a Wilmington audience he'd expand Social Security - and told NBC he'd lost some primaries "because poor people don't vote." Republican Ted Cruz told about 1,000 listeners outside Pittsburgh that Tuesday "is going to be a pivotal day."
In Swarthmore, some of Bill Clinton's listeners said they were undecided and came to see if he could inspire them.
"I figured, what a great opportunity to hear one of our living presidents. . . . And I want to hear what he has to say about Hillary and her plans," said Carlie Tyrell, 41, who was with her husband and 10-week-old daughter, Clara. Tyrell said she is concerned about education.
Zong Luo, 40, of Swarthmore, who came to this country from China when she was 24, said she, too, was undecided and wanted to hear about education and other issues.
Bill Clinton spoke of the need to invest in teachers but also to fund apprenticeship programs for those who don't attend college.
He said his wife wants to help refinance student debt. When he asked who was still paying off such debts, many hands went up.
In Lower Gwynedd, he drew laughs when he said of Sanders' call for tuition-free state colleges: "Do you really think the legislature you have now in Pennsylvania will pay for free tuition?"
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This article includes information from the Associated Press.
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