Clinton Calls Flint Water Crisis ‘Immoral’ In Break From NH

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the House Of Prayer Missionary Baptist Church, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016 in Flint, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Taking
a detour from New Hampshire’s campaign trail, Hillary Clinton said
Sunday that a water crisis in a Michigan city was “immoral” and demanded
that Congress approve $200 million in emergency aid to address the
community’s battle with lead-contaminated water.

The Democratic
presidential hopeful made a quick visit to Flint, Michigan, an unusual
stop for a candidate trailing in polls against rival Bernie Sanders in
the first primary state. Clinton hopes to use a narrower-than-expected
loss in Tuesday’s primary as a springboard into contests later this
month in Nevada and South Carolina.

Clinton said she was making a
“personal commitment” to help Flint in a message delivered not only to
the congregants at a local Baptist church but also a more
heavily-minority electorate in Southern contests that could help her
build a foundation for a delegate-by-delegate drive toward the
nomination.

“This is not merely unacceptable or wrong, though it
is both. What happened in Flint is immoral,” Clinton said at House of
Prayer Missionary Church. She added: “I will fight for you in Flint no
matter how long it takes.”

Aides said Clinton was invited by Flint
Mayor Karen Weaver to address the crisis of lead-poisoned water, a case
that she has cited in Iowa and New Hampshire as an example of racial
and economic injustice. It’s an issue that resonates among Democrats,
particularly African-American voters who play a major role in later
contests in South Carolina and a swath of “Super Tuesday” states on
March 1.

From the pulpit, Clinton urged Congress to provide $200
million to fix Flint’s water system, saying it was “no time for politics
as usual.”

Clinton narrowly beat Sanders in Iowa’s leadoff
caucuses last Monday but has trailed the Vermont senator in New
Hampshire by large margins. Her aides worry that a big Sanders victory
in the state could help him make headway among women and minority
voters, important parts of the coalition that twice elected Barack Obama
as president.

Sanders’ strength with younger voters only heightens the threat he poses to what was once Clinton’s decisive national lead.

Stopping
at a local Dunkin’ Donuts before departing New Hampshire on Sunday
morning, Clinton pledged to fight for every vote in New Hampshire, but
at least some of her operation is moving on. This weekend, former
President Bill Clinton wooed voters in Las Vegas, campaign surrogates
knocked doors in San Antonio, and Clinton’s aides announced an upcoming
meeting with civil rights leaders in New York City.

Clinton aides
are trying to make the case that the heavily white and liberal
electorates of New Hampshire and Iowa make them outliers in the
nomination fight. They say Clinton will find more success in the South
Carolina primary on Feb 20 and the Nevada caucuses a week later, where
polls show her with a wide lead.

In recent days, she has used the
state as a testing ground for new campaign messages targeted at specific
groups, with pledges to break “the highest and hardest glass ceiling”
and promising young voters that she would “be for them” even if they
support Sanders.

Sanders has worked to boost his profile among black voters who make up more than half of the South Carolina electorate.

On
Friday, his campaign scheduled a press conference to promote the
endorsement of former NAACP President Ben Jealous. Though snow forced
the event to be canceled, Jealous told reporters on a conference call
that Sanders “has the courage to confront the institutionalized bias
that stains our nation.”

Jealous was in South Carolina for
campaign events on Saturday with Erica Garner, whose father died in 2014
after a white New York police officer put the black man in a choke
hold.

Sanders’ backers believe that as African-Americans learn
more about the Vermont senator, they will warm to his liberal message.
Clinton is one of the best known political figures in the world and has
strong backing among Latinos and black voters.

“Before a few weeks
ago, I never gave Bernie Sanders the time of day,” said South Carolina
state Rep. Justin Bamberg, who recently switched his backing from
Clinton. “But if you look at Sanders he has been solid as concrete with
regards to his passion for racial, social and economic justice.”

___

Thomas
reported from Manchester, New Hampshire. Associated Press writers Lisa
Lerer in Manchester, New Hampshire and Bill Barrow in Columbia, South
Carolina, contributed to this report.

___

Follow Ken Thomas and David Eggert on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/kthomasDC and http://twitter.com/davideggert00

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.

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