Hillary: "We're going to take things away from you"
by Beth Fouhy, Associated Press
June 29, 2004

The leftiest big city on the Left Coast was Clinton country on Monday, with former President Clinton continuing his blockbuster book tour and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton headlining a Democratic fund-raiser where she vowed to defeat the Republicans' "extraordinarily ruthless machine."

Headlining an appearance with other Democratic women senators on behalf of Sen. Barbara Boxer, who is up for re-election this year, Hillary Clinton told several hundred supporters -- some of whom had ponied up as much as $10,000 to attend -- to expect to lose some of the tax cuts passed by President Bush if Democrats win the White House and control of Congress.

"Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you," Sen. Clinton said. "We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."

Just blocks away at San Francisco's historic Ferry Building, President Clinton kicked off the latest leg of his West Coast tour promoting his best-selling book, "My Life." Wearing a navy blue suit and a rust-colored tie, Clinton signed books for at least 3,000 people, many of whom had waited hours under brilliant sunshine to catch a glimpse of him.

At one point, Clinton stopped the fast-moving line of fans to pose for a photo with 14-year-old Thomas Nelson and his 12-year-old brother Joseph, who had traveled 50 miles with their father from Petaluma.

"I've never shaken the hand of a president," said Thomas, who added that he had one grandma who couldn't stand Clinton and one who thought he was the best president ever.

"Even better than George Washington," said Thomas.

As president, Clinton visited California some 70 times and focused much of his political and fund-raising energies on the heavily Democratic San Francisco Bay Area. The visits by both Clintons increased while their daughter, Chelsea, was a student at Stanford University in Palo Alto.