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Mom, Daughter Hit Iowa Trail With Clinton

By MIKE GLOVER, The Associated Press

Published: December 9, 2007

WINTERSET, Iowa - Three generations of Clinton family women hit the trail vowing "change across the generations" as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York stepped up her pitch to female voters who could hold the key to Iowa's caucuses, which will launch the presidential nominating season in less than four weeks.

"We're getting close to the caucuses," Clinton said. "I always think it's better to go to the caucuses with a buddy. Today, I've got some buddies with me."

Those "buddies" included her 88-year-old mother, Dorothy Rodham, and 27-year-old daughter Chelsea Clinton, making her first appearance with her mother on the trail in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Opening the swing, Clinton said her family is able to care for her mother as she ages.

"I'm fortunate, my mother lives with Bill and me," said Clinton. Clinton said her mother fits the description of women who were born before women got the right to vote, and are now pushing to elect the first female president.

"She has seen a lot happen and change in our country," said Clinton. "Not everyone is as lucky to have their mother or father or grandparent with them as we are."

Clinton's mother joined her on the campaign trail Friday night. Chelsea, who works in New York City's financial sector, joined her Saturday morning. Neither spoke at the campaign events, but Chelsea worked a crowd hard as they opened the day.

Clinton used the occasion to trot out a plan to bolster long-term care, including a $3,000 tax credit for caregivers, a doubling of the standard deduction for the elderly and a tax credit for purchasing long-term care insurance. She repeatedly pointed to her ability to care for her own mother as she ages.

"I don't think having my mother with me is a burden, I think it's a joy," Clinton said. "It isn't easy to do and a lot of families don't have a lot of options."

The multigenerational appeal was aimed straight at female voters.

Although the Iowa race is close, Clinton has commanding leads in early voting states, including New Hampshire and South Carolina, and some strategists argue a win in competitive Iowa could propel her toward the nomination.

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