INDIANOLA, Iowa – Hillary Rodham Clinton, making her return to Iowa for the first time since the 2008 presidential campaign, implored Democrats on Sunday to choose shared economic opportunity over “the guardians of gridlock” in an high-profile appearance that drove speculation about another White House bid into overdrive.
“Hello Iowa. I’m back!” Clinton declared as she took the podium at retiring Sen. Tom Harkin’s annual steak-fry fundraiser, a fixture on the political calendar in the home of the nation’s first presidential caucus.
The former New York senator and first lady did not directly address a potential campaign but said she was “thinking about it” and joked that she was “here for the steak.” She later said that “too many people only get excited about presidential campaigns. Look – I get excited about presidential campaigns, too.”
“In just 50 days, Iowans have a choice to make – a choice and a chance. A choice between the guardians of gridlock and the champions of shared opportunity and shared prosperity,” she said, urging voters to elect leaders who would “carry on Tom Harkin’s legacy of fighting for families.”
Hillary Clinton, who would become the first female president if she runs and wins the presidency, used her speech to strike a chord on women’s issues, citing the need to elect candidates who would allow women to make their “own health-care decisions” and promote equal pay for equal work.
