SEATTLE – Sen. Hillary Clinton swung through Seattle on Tuesday, raising more than $400,000 for her Senate colleague Patty Murray’s re-election campaign before visiting the Port of Seattle for a quick security briefing.
Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to visit Seattle and suburban Issaquah today to sign copies of his new memoir.
“Now that my husband is working and selling his book, we are actually in that category of people favored by the Bush administration. Can you beat that?” Hillary Clinton said to a crowd of 750 people at the Murray fund-raiser, referring to her complaint that Bush has unwisely cut taxes for the wealthy.
Murray and Hillary Clinton criticized the Bush administration’s record on the economy, contrasting the rough economy of the past four years with the prosperity of Bill Clinton’s two terms.
“All of that has been squandered,” said Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.
“Since January 20 of 2001, when President Bush was sworn into office, Washington state has lost more than 46,000 jobs,” Murray told the audience. “This stands in stark contrast to the eight years of the Clinton administration, Hillary, when Washington state increased the number of jobs by over 500,000.”
More than 3 million people were working in Washington state in May, a historic high. The unemployment rate was 6.1 percent, seventh-highest in the nation.
The emphasis on economic issues played well with those who paid $250 each for the luncheon featuring Murray and Clinton. Also, 150 people paid $1,000 to attend a reception and have their photos taken with both senators. It was Murray’s biggest fund-raiser during this election cycle.
“They really are focusing on the kitchen table issues – making sure the bills are paid, making sure there’s enough money set aside for emergencies,” said Thomas Hundley of Seattle, a self-employed consultant. “They stand up for issues people can relate to.”
Murray is defending her Senate seat against Republican George Nethercutt, who is giving up his seat in the U.S. House to run against her. Earlier this month, President Bush headlined an event for Nethercutt in Spokane that raised about $750,000.
Nethercutt’s campaign spokesman, Alex Conant, faulted Murray and Clinton for not supporting Bush’s tax cuts.
“Voters are going to have a very clear choice: Patty Murray and Hillary Clinton are going to raise your taxes,” he said. “George Nethercutt is fighting for tax relief.”
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