Excerpts of Clinton's Speech to the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO

Senator Hillary Clinton

Pennsylvania A.F.L.-C.I.O.

April 1, 2008

No one knows better than our unions what it means to fight for the underdog. Every day, you are standing up for workers who need someone to stand with them. And I'm in this race for the very same reason – to fight for everyone who needs a champion in their corner.

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After seven disastrous years of George Bush and Dick Cheney, the stakes in this election couldn't be higher. And the need to change course couldn't be more urgent. But John McCain is only offering more of the same.

John McCain admits he doesn't understand the economy – and unfortunately he's proving it in this campaign. He looked at the housing crisis, and he blamed consumers. And his plan for the economy is to extend George Bush's tax cuts for billionaires and give a new $100 billion corporate tax cut. The Bush/McCain philosophy could not be clearer – the “ownership society” really means “you're on your own.”

But don't take my word for it. Even Republican Senator Mel Martinez gave Senator McCain's economic plan an “incomplete” when he said: “where I think he fell short…is the fact that we need to do some things that can help families, that can help people.”

You know, sometimes when that phone rings at 3am in the White House it's an economic crisis. It seems like John McCain would just let it ring and ring and ring.

Well that's not good enough for the families I meet every day who are struggling in this economy. Like the little girl who stood up at a town hall meeting and asked me what I was going to do “about people and children that don't have any food or houses?” I started to commend her on her concern for those less fortunate, when she interrupted me and said, “I'm losing my house.”

I think we've had enough of a President who didn't know enough about economics, and didn't do enough for the American middle class. We're ready for a President who will meet the challenges of our time.

Now I know taking on Senator McCain in November won't be easy. The Republicans aren't going to give up without a fight. And no matter how beautiful your rhetoric, the Republicans aren't going to turn off their attack machine – it doesn't have an off switch.

But one thing you know about me is that when I say I'll fight for you, I'll fight for you. I know that there will be hurdles and setbacks between now and November. But I also know that I'm ready. I know what it's like to stumble. I know what it means to get knocked down. But I've never stayed down, and I never will.

Now, this is one of the most important elections we've ever had. There is so much at stake. But just as it's getting time to vote here in Pennsylvania, Senator Obama says he's getting tired of it. His supporters say they want it to end.

Well, could you imagine if Rocky Balboa had gotten half way up those Art Museum steps and said, “Well, I guess that's about far enough?”

Let me tell you something, when it comes to finishing the fight, Rocky and I have a lot in common. I never quit. I never give up. And neither do the American people.

We have a lot of work to do together, and we won't get it done by quitting or walking away. We'll do it by staying and fighting and standing up for what we believe in.

But I don't need to tell that to all of you. No one knows better than organized labor how important it is to have a fighter on your side. When you send someone to that bargaining table, you need the strongest, toughest, most determined person you've got. Not someone who is just going to talk about problems. But someone who will roll up her sleeves and get the job done.

And that's what you need in your President. A President who will work as hard for you as you do for America. And if you give me the chance, I will be that President.

You know that's what I'll do because that's what I've always done.

Alongside labor, I fought for and passed an extension of unemployment insurance in the wake of September 11.

Alongside labor, I'm fighting on behalf of the brave and patriotic workers who came to Ground Zero after September 11 and then got sick because the air wasn't safe to breathe.

Alongside labor, I've fought for the collective bargaining rights of DHS employees, DOD employees, TSA screeners, and public servants like our firefighters and police officers.

Alongside labor, I've supported the Helmets to Hardhats program, to help veterans get good jobs after their service. And I'm working with my good friend, Congressman Murtha to expand this great program.

And I've fought alongside labor in my home state of New York – home to one out of every seven union members in America. I've urged CEOs to return to the bargaining table, encouraged employer neutrality in organizing campaigns, urged construction companies to hire local union workers, and joined workers on the picket line.

And I'll keep standing with you, fighting with you, and speaking out for you every single day as President of the United States.

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I'll fight for every single job in America – and create millions of new, high paying jobs that can't be outsourced. President Bush has stood by and watched as we've lost 3 million manufacturing jobs. And he's done nothing about the loopholes in our tax code that actually encourage companies to ship jobs overseas.

Meanwhile, Senator McCain believes business as usual on trade is just fine. He says that some lost jobs “are not coming back,” and that seems fine with him too.

Well I think it's time for a different approach.

Today, I am announcing that my aggressive infrastructure agenda will create 3 million jobs over the next decade. After the failed levees in New Orleans and the tragic bridge collapse in Minnesota, we don't need any more devastating wake up calls. And you don't need to look any further than I-95 to know how widespread this problem is.

We're trying to run today's economy on yesterday's infrastructure – and we're jeopardizing tomorrow's prosperity. So I will rebuild America – by rebuilding, repairing and modernizing our infrastructure.

And I want to salute the work of Governor Rendell on this issue. He has not only made great strides here in Pennsylvania but has been a national leader on infrastructure. I look forward to working hand-in-hand with him as President.

My Rebuild America plan will create a $10 billion Emergency Repair Fund to identify and repair critical infrastructure problems in our bridges, tunnels and roads. We'll modernize transportation systems in our cities and protect the environment by investing in public transit and inter-city rail. We'll connect America with a national broadband infrastructure. And we'll create a National Infrastructure Bank and use bonding authority to make the long-term investments in every dimension of public infrastructure – from seaports to highway systems to canals and levees.

In World War II we had War Bonds. Maybe it's time we ask Americans again to play a part in rebuilding America.

These projects will strengthen our economy - and create room for our economy to grow. And we can put at least 3 million Americans to work – in good jobs, with good benefits, at prevailing wages.