2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

Hillary Rodham Clinton's Iowa Caucus Night Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton's Caucus Night Remarks

Thank you so much. We're going to take this enthusiasm and go right to New Hampshire tonight.

This is a great night for Democrats. We have seen an unprecedented turnout here in Iowa and that is good news because today we're sending a clear message - that we are going to have change and that change will be a Democratic president in the White House in 2009.

I am so proud to have run with such exceptional candidates. I congratulate Senator Obama and Senator Edwards. I thank Senator Dodd and Senator Biden and Governor Richardson and Congressman Kucinich. Together we have presented the case for change and have made it absolutely clear that America needs a new beginning.

I am as ready as I can be after having had this incredible experience here in Iowa, starting out a long time ago and making this journey with so many people who have become my friends and who I am so grateful for their hard work and support - those from Iowa, those who have come from around the country. And the people who were there exceeding anybody's expectations about what it would mean to have the caucuses this year, I thank you. I thank each and every one of you for coming out and standing up for a Democrat.

What is most important now is that as we go on with this contest that we keep focused on the two big issues, that we answer correctly the questions that each of us has posed: How will we win in November 2008 by nominating a candidate who will be able to go the distance and who will be the best president on day one? I am ready for that contest.

We have always planned to run a national campaign all the way through the early contests because I want the people of America, and particularly Democrats and like-minded Independents and Republicans who have seen the light to understand - number one - that the stakes are huge, that the job is enormous, but that I believe we’re going to make the right decision. There will be a lot of people who will get involved as they have here in Iowa - of all ages. That is what we want because we’re not just trying to elect a president, we’re trying to change our country. That is what I am committed to doing.

I have set big goals for our country. I want to rebuild a strong and prosperous middle class and to me, that is the most important job the next president will have here at home, because if we don’t begin to pay attention to the people who do the work and raise the families and make this country great, we will not recognize America in a few years.

I want to make it absolutely clear I intend to restore America’s leadership and our moral authority in the world and we’re going to tackle all of the problems that are going to be inherited because of the current administration, including ending the war in Iraq and bringing our troops home and then giving them the support that they need.

We’re going to reform our government. We’re going to make sure that it is not the government of the few, by the few, and for the few, but it actually works for every American again. And we’re going to reclaim the future for our children. I have done this work for 35 years. It is the work of my lifetime. I have been involved in making it possible for young people to have a better education and for people of all ages to have health care and that transforming work is what we desperately need in our country again. I am so ready for the rest of this campaign and I am so ready to lead.

If you’re concerned about whether or not we can have quality affordable health care for every American, then I’m your candidate.

And if you’re concerned about whether we can have an energy policy that will break the shackles of our dependence on foreign oil and set forth a new set of goals for us to meet together, then I’m your candidate.

And if you are worried about, once and for all, taking on global warming; making it clear that we will end the unfunded mandate known as No Child Left Behind; that we will make college affordable again; that we will be, once again, the country of values and ideals that we cherish so much, then please join me in this campaign.

We have a long way to go but I am confident and optimistic, both about the campaign but maybe more importantly about our country. This country deserves everything we can give to it.

There were a lot of people who couldn’t caucus tonight despite the very large turnout. There are a lot of Iowans who are in the military. They were in Iraq or Afghanistan or somewhere else serving our country and they need a Commander in Chief who respects them and who understands that force should be only used as a last resort, not a first resort.

There are a lot of people who work at night, people who are on their feet, people who are taking care of patients in a hospital or waiting on a table in a restaurant or maybe in a patrol car keeping our streets safe and they need a president who is going to care about them and their families.

I wrote a book some years ago called "It Takes a Village to Raise a Child" and in it I have a chapter that I titled "Every Child Needs a Champion." I think that the American people need a president who is their champion and that is what I intend to be.

I want to thank all the people who have been part of this campaign so far. I especially want to thank all of my friends here in Iowa who have worked so hard. I want to thank those who have come from across America. I want to thank all of the unions, the more than six million union members who support my candidacy.

I know that we are going to get up tomorrow and keep pushing as hard as we can to get the message out about what is at stake in this election because we know that it is literally the future of our country.

Thank you all so very much for caring enough to be involved in politics, for giving of your time and your resources, for understanding that this great democracy of ours deserves to have all of our best efforts and I promise you, this campaign that I am running will certainly have mine and I ask for yours as well.

Thank you all very, very much. God bless you.

Barack Obama Iowa Victory Speech Photos

Mitt Romney Caucus Night Speech Photos

Edwards Congratulates Obama, Thanks Biden And Dodd

EDWARDS CONGRATULATES OBAMA, THANKS BIDEN AND DODD

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator Edwards released the following statement after calling Senator Obama to personally congratulate him on his victory in the Iowa caucuses:

“Earlier tonight, I called Senator Obama to congratulate him on his victory in the Iowa caucuses. Tonight’s results shows how clearly the American people are sick of the status quo and ready for a president who will fight for the bold change America needs.

“I would also like to extend my best wishes to Senators Biden and Dodd and thank them for their service to our country. They ran impressive campaigns focused on the real issues that matter most to hard-working families, and I have faith that they will continue to work to build the better America we all believe in.”

Statement from Sen. Joe Biden

Statement from Sen. Joe Biden:

(Des Moines, IA) January 3, 2008 – The Biden Campaign this evening released the following statement from Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE):

“I am not going away.  I’m returning to the Senate as the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and will continue to ensure that we protect the nation’s security and show our country that Democrats know how to keep America safe, keep our commitment to our troops and restore our country’s respect in the world.”

Governor Mitt Romney On The Iowa Caucus

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY ON THE IOWA CAUCUS

West Des Moines, IA – Tonight, Governor Mitt Romney made a strong showing at the Iowa Caucus.  Having begun the campaign in January 2007 virtually unknown in a race with several nationally-known candidates, Governor Romney earned more than 25% of the Iowa Caucus vote.  Elections are about the future and today, thousands in Iowa voted for Governor Romney's message of conservative change in Washington.   With the announcement of today's results, Governor Romney made the following remarks to supporters, volunteers and Americans across the country:

"You know, just as Dan Jansen pointed out, you win the silver in one event, it doesn't mean you're not going to come back and win the gold in the final event and that we're going to do.

"This thousand plus group of people here, and my whole family here, Ann and I, we have come a long way this last year.  You think about where we started – an unknown Governor from the bluest state in America comes to Iowa running against, well at that time three household names – Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Fred Thompson – and somehow tonight we beat all of them.  We've just got to make sure we keep that up state after state after state.

"And you know, as I was going across Iowa over this last year with Ann, and the boys here, and my daughters-in-law and my grandkids, we heard something time and time again.  People feel that Washington is broken, that Washington just can't get the job done. 

"It's not just the White House they're talking about, it is Washington.  They look at what's happening there and they say, 'How come Washington can't deal with illegal immigration?  How come Washington can't build better jobs for us?  How come Washington can't help us become energy independent?  How come Washington can't get health insurance for all of our citizens without making it HillaryCare or socialized medicine?'  Washington is broken, and we're going to change that.   

"And Iowa said that tonight, Iowa said that tonight.  On the Democratic side, a new face, Barack Obama. On our side, the top two contenders here, the top two finishers, both people from outside Washington. You're going to see change in Washington, because America recognizes that we're not going to change the nation and have a bright future if we just send the same old people back to Washington just different chairs.  That's not going to work.  We need new faces in Washington, and I intend to be one of them.

"You can't believe what's going on in our hearts, Ann and my hearts, as we were coming down here.  We just talked about what it was like when we first came to Iowa, hardly knowing anybody and now we know thousands of people in this state who have warmed our hearts, have welcomed us into their homes, have talked to their friends and neighbors about us, and campaigned for us and made calls for us, thousands and thousands of calls.  Some of you were joined by people from all over the country that came in to help us on this campaign.  You have so inspired us.  You so moved us.  We will always remember our dear friends here in Iowa, and I am planning on coming back in the general election when we take on whoever it is the Democrats nominate.

"And so, to the people of Iowa and to our friends here: thank you, we love you, we're going to miss you for a few months, but we're coming back.  We'll never forget what you've done for us.  We love Iowa. God bless Iowa and God bless the United States of America." 

Caucus Night Remarks Of Senator Christopher J. Dodd

Remarks of Senator Christopher J. Dodd
Caucus Night Remarks
The Temple for Performing Arts, Des Moines
Thursday, January 3, 2008

Thank you, Iowa – thank you. 

I want to congratulate the other candidates for running a spirited campaign representing the best of what we stand for as Democrats and Americans. 

This evening Democrats sent a clear message that this party is united in our belief that our nation needs change to restore our security, our Middle Class and all that makes this country great.   

Our campaign has been about results.  And even though tonight we didn’t get the result we all were hoping for, this experience has been one of the most rewarding in my life of public service.

It was 47 years ago this month that I was seated with my family on the East Front of the United States Capitol in the bright winter cold and heard President Kennedy ask all Americans to be a part of something larger than ourselves. 

It was a moment every American took part in.  A moment that changed us as individuals and as a country. 

For a generation of us, that moment fueled a hunger to answer the call of our President.

A hunger to make a difference. 

A year ago, announcing my campaign at the Old State House in Connecticut where the first written constitution guaranteeing the right to representative government was enacted, I spoke about the need for just such a moment again – for our next President to renew that call. 

Despite the results this evening, I still believe that is true.

I always knew this endeavor would be an uphill battle against very tough odds.

But just as I have learned again and again in my life – from that day with my family…to my two years in the Peace Corps…to my 26 years in the United States Senate:

Only when you try can you truly make a difference.

And that, my friends, we did. 

While we came up short in the race for caucus votes tonight, our campaign has more than kept pace in the race of ideas. 

By raising ideas no other Presidential candidate has ever proposed, let there be no doubt that this campaign has set the standard. 

When we began this race, every Democrat was for ending the war in Iraq – a war that has made us not more secure, but less so.

But it was only when we stood up and said this President wouldn’t get another penny to fight that war that other candidates committed to doing what was necessary to actually end it.

When we began this race, every Democrat—every American—agreed that in America, we should never need a national crisis to bring the country together with national purpose.

But only when we proposed a universal national service plan to create the first generation in history that served our country did the national service debate begin in earnest – to create that renewed sense of community we all want.

And after 7 years of insecurity and watching this President have to go into hiding when he traveled abroad, we were all for stopping this President’s assault on the Constitution.

But it was only when I stood up and you stood with me—it was only when tens of thousands of Americans stood together and said we would do whatever it took to stop this President from shredding the rule of law—that we actually did stop him. 

And that fight goes on.

Tonight I am withdrawing from the Presidential race.  But let me assure you, we do not exit this race with our heads hanging – rather, we do so with our heads held high. 

Whether it is restoring the Constitution to the American people, standing up to this President to end this war, or starting the discussion about what it will really take to tackle global warming and bring the country together, we stand confident that the difference we made in this race will endure longer than any speech, any election or any political campaign.

And none of it would have been possible without the friendship and support of so many along the way. 

In the last few months, Iowans have learned what Connecticut has known for years:

That Jackie Clegg Dodd is something else. 

Elegant, eloquent, relentlessly on message – a Presidential candidate could learn a thing or two from a gal like her.

And our girls, Grace and Christina – honorary Iowans these last few months.  I keep telling them that Connecticut audiences will appreciate their ice skating and Irish dancing just as much as Iowans have.

My brother and sisters, Martha, Bernie, Tom, Carolyn, Gina, Chris, and Kelly and our nieces and nephews – no one could ask for a more supportive, loving family. 

And all the members of the Connecticut delegation.  All of them came out and campaigned their hearts out in the Iowa cold. 

Jackie and I want to thank the caucus-goers in Iowa and voters around the country stood with me in this race. 

Your support allowed us to energize this race with new ideas rooted in our strongest, most enduring Democratic principles. 

Tonight we thank all Iowans for welcoming us into their homes and hearts. 

Jackie and I agree – the sincerity and generosity Iowa families have offered us in this campaign has been overwhelming.  Your warmth and hospitality.

One thing I’ve learned these last few months is that this process starts here in Iowa for a reason. 

You understand that you aren’t just making a choice – you’re making history. 

And you are making it on behalf of a nation. 

You dig and prod and poke – and you demand direct answers to direct questions. 

Candidates, the process and most importantly the country are better served for it. 

I want to thank my friends and staff – the motley crew known collectively as “The Dodd Squad.”

They say that you can measure how people feel about you by how hard they are willing to work for you.

If that’s the case, then as blessed as I have been in my life, tonight I am more fortunate than I ever realized. 

Each of these men and women—and I wish I could name them all—has worked their hearts out for this campaign. 

I want to say a special thank you to the friends we made in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada – but most of all, my friends and constituents in Connecticut. 

Thank you for allowing me to share our common concerns and confidence in a bright future with the rest of the country. 

My friends at the International Association of Fire Fighters who have been out there day after day for me, especially Harold Schaitberger. 

Harold, you’ve always said that fire fighters stand by those who stand by you.  Well, in this campaign, you proved it. 

You didn’t follow the polls – you followed a higher power. 

You followed your heart.

As I said when the fire fighters endorsed me back in August, for them it was never about who was in the lead, but who ought to lead. 

It always has been. 

I’ll never forget the trust you put in me, Harold.

And lastly, the hundreds of thousands of citizens online who stood up time and again with us – the NetRoots. 

In this campaign, you helped us show just what is possible when we stand up on principle, like when we stopped that terrible FISA bill in the Senate just a few weeks ago. 

Tonight, I am infused with a renewed sense of purpose and energy, having learned so much from the hopes and dreams of the good people of Iowa, New Hampshire and others around the country. 

I will carry the determination and courage of this campaign, as well as the result-oriented leadership I offered, back to the important battles that need to be won for the future of our country. 

As I have for 26 years, I intend to serve by building broad, bipartisan support for bold ideas rooted in Democratic principles, turning them into national policies. 

I commit that the fights we’ve waged in this campaign will not end tonight, from our Constitution to reversing global warming.

Whether it is the dozens that worked the field…the hundreds that worked the phones…or the tens of thousands that took to the blogs, I will make sure that the voices that spoke with us in this campaign are not forgotten but amplified. 

Not ignored – but championed.

Nearly 40 years ago, my father said, “There’s no other calling in life where you can do as much for as many people as you can through public service.”

“Lawyers only have so many clients.

“Doctors only so many patients.”

“But a well-intentioned public servant can make a difference in the lives of millions.”

Tonight, I commit to work my heart out for the eventual nominee our Party chooses from this very talented field of candidates.

That remains our calling, our vocation, yours and mine. 

Thank you, friends and family. 

Thank you all for the gifts you have given Jackie and me – for your generosity. 

Thank you, Iowa.

Edwards: Status Quo Lost, Change Won

EDWARDS: STATUS QUO LOST, CHANGE WON

Victory over Senator Clinton proves strength of Edwards’ message of standing up for the middle class and fighting for real change

Des Moines, Iowa – By standing with John Edwards in his fight for the middle class, the people of Iowa delivered a powerful message tonight that the American people are sick of the status quo and ready for real change. Despite being drastically outspent by Senator Clinton, tonight’s results show that more Iowans agreed with John Edwards’ vision for change.

“The one thing that’s clear from tonight’s caucus is that the status quo lost and change won,” Edwards said. “The results show that the American people are ready for a president who will stand up to corporate greed and fight for hard-working families, someone who will fix the broken system in Washington and achieve real change in this country.

“Tonight showed that if you’re willing to have a little backbone, a little courage, and stand up to corporate greed, we will be unstoppable – no matter how much money is spent,” Edwards continued. “The Clinton campaign thought big money would make them inevitable – but despite being dramatically outspent by not one, but two celebrity candidates, we finished a strong second. And now we move on to New Hampshire and the other early states, where the voters will choose who is best suited to bring about the change this country so desperately needs.”

As president, Edwards will fight for an America where everybody has the same chance to work hard and build a better life for their children. Edwards grew up in small rural mill villages in the South and was the first in his family to go to college. He has spent his life standing up and fighting for ordinary Americans against powerful entrenched interests – and winning. Edwards is fighting for an America where every person in our country has the same opportunities he’s had to work hard, find success, and live the American Dream. 

Because of the strength of Edwards’ message for change and his appeal among voters in red and blue states, he is the Democrats’ best chance for taking back the White House in November. Poll after poll shows that Edwards is by far the Democrats’ strongest candidate in a general election against any of the top Republicans. He is also the only Democrat who has won in a “red” state, and he earns high favorable ratings among Independents in states across the nation. EDWARDS: STATUS QUO LOST, CHANGE WON 

Victory over Senator Clinton proves strength of Edwards’ message of standing up for the middle class and fighting for real change
Des Moines, Iowa – By standing with John Edwards in his fight for the middle class, the people of Iowa delivered a powerful message tonight that the American people are sick of the status quo and ready for real change. Despite being drastically outspent by Senator Clinton, tonight’s results show that more Iowans agreed with John Edwards’ vision for change.

“The one thing that’s clear from tonight’s caucus is that the status quo lost and change won,” Edwards said. “The results show that the American people are ready for a president who will stand up to corporate greed and fight for hard-working families, someone who will fix the broken system in Washington and achieve real change in this country.
“Tonight showed that if you’re willing to have a little backbone, a little courage, and stand up to corporate greed, we will be unstoppable – no matter how much money is spent,” Edwards continued. “The Clinton campaign thought big money would make them inevitable – but despite being dramatically outspent by not one, but two celebrity candidates, we finished a strong second. And now we move on to New Hampshire and the other early states, where the voters will choose who is best suited to bring about the change this country so desperately needs.”

As president, Edwards will fight for an America where everybody has the same chance to work hard and build a better life for their children. Edwards grew up in small rural mill villages in the South and was the first in his family to go to college. He has spent his life standing up and fighting for ordinary Americans against powerful entrenched interests – and winning. Edwards is fighting for an America where every person in our country has the same opportunities he’s had to work hard, find success, and live the American Dream. 
Because of the strength of Edwards’ message for change and his appeal among voters in red and blue states, he is the Democrats’ best chance for taking back the White House in November. Poll after poll shows that Edwards is by far the Democrats’ strongest candidate in a general election against any of the top Republicans. He is also the only Democrat who has won in a “red” state, and he earns high favorable ratings among Independents in states across the nation. EDWARDS: STATUS QUO LOST, CHANGE WON 

Victory over Senator Clinton proves strength of Edwards’ message of standing up for the middle class and fighting for real change
Des Moines, Iowa – By standing with John Edwards in his fight for the middle class, the people of Iowa delivered a powerful message tonight that the American people are sick of the status quo and ready for real change. Despite being drastically outspent by Senator Clinton, tonight’s results show that more Iowans agreed with John Edwards’ vision for change.

“The one thing that’s clear from tonight’s caucus is that the status quo lost and change won,” Edwards said. “The results show that the American people are ready for a president who will stand up to corporate greed and fight for hard-working families, someone who will fix the broken system in Washington and achieve real change in this country.
“Tonight showed that if you’re willing to have a little backbone, a little courage, and stand up to corporate greed, we will be unstoppable – no matter how much money is spent,” Edwards continued. “The Clinton campaign thought big money would make them inevitable – but despite being dramatically outspent by not one, but two celebrity candidates, we finished a strong second. And now we move on to New Hampshire and the other early states, where the voters will choose who is best suited to bring about the change this country so desperately needs.”

As president, Edwards will fight for an America where everybody has the same chance to work hard and build a better life for their children. Edwards grew up in small rural mill villages in the South and was the first in his family to go to college. He has spent his life standing up and fighting for ordinary Americans against powerful entrenched interests – and winning. Edwards is fighting for an America where every person in our country has the same opportunities he’s had to work hard, find success, and live the American Dream. 
Because of the strength of Edwards’ message for change and his appeal among voters in red and blue states, he is the Democrats’ best chance for taking back the White House in November. Poll after poll shows that Edwards is by far the Democrats’ strongest candidate in a general election against any of the top Republicans. He is also the only Democrat who has won in a “red” state, and he earns high favorable ratings among Independents in states across the nation.

Bill Richardson Makes Final Four

Bill Richardson Makes Final Four

DES MOINES, IA-- New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson finished in fourth place in today's Iowa caucuses, moving his campaign forward to the New Hampshire primary on January 8th.

"We made it to the final four," Richardson said. "My staff and volunteers worked their hearts out to get us here. Now we are going to take the fight to New Hampshire."
Richardson received 7 % of the vote in entrance polls. After watching the results at a rally in Des Moines, he boarded a plane for New Hampshire.

"It has been an honor to meet with Iowans and be a part of this extraordinary process," Richardson said. "I am the one candidate who has said we must end this war by getting all our troops out of Iraq. We cannot truly change this country until we end this war- and we can only do that by getting every US troop out. Americans who want to get us out of Iraq aren't giving up and neither am I. We cannot end the division in this country until we are out of Iraq and we cannot focus on fixing our problems at home and our image abroad until our troops are out of Iraq. We cannot wait until 2013 or longer."

"Thank you, Iowa. Now we go on to New Hampshire."

Statement By McCain Iowa Chair Dave Roederer On The Iowa Caucus

STATEMENT BY MCCAIN IOWA CHAIR DAVE ROEDERER ON THE IOWA CAUCUS

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's Iowa Chair Dave Roederer today issued the following statement on the Iowa Caucus:
"I am extremely proud of the honorable campaign that Senator McCain and the campaign staff and supporters have waged here in Iowa over the last year.  John McCain is a man of tremendous integrity who proven that he stands on principle and honor and does not bend to political pressure.  Our campaign fought admirably, with courage and conviction.
"On a personal level, it has been a privilege to get to know Senator McCain, and I look forward to helping him win Iowa in the general election this fall."