Clinton: ‘My heart is with the Valley’

A defiant Sen. Hillary Clinton showed no signs of surrender Wednesday night, pledging to secure the nation’s borders sensibly as her campaign embarked on a critical two-week stretch that will make or break her historic bid for the presidency.

Clinton gave an impassioned speech on the Student Union lawn at UTB-TSC during which she promised to secure the nation’s borders, fix its broken immigration system and provide health care coverage to everyone.

"We need smart, secure borders," she said, "but there’s a smart way of doing it and there’s a dumb way of doing it. I will listen to the people of the Valley and make sure that we secure the border but don’t divide people from their families," Clinton told thousands of cheering supporters at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

With her candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination reeling after 10 straight losses to rival Sen. Barack Obama, Clinton berated the Illinois senator for leaving 15 million Americans out of his health care reform plans.

As Clinton approached the Brownsville city limit from an earlier rally in Hidalgo, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros called on voters to deliver her a resounding victory.

Cisneros introduced several local dignitaries and elected officials to the platform.

When the crowd caught a glimpse of Clinton behind the stage, their cheers drowned out U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz.

"I think she’s here," Ortiz said.

She was more than an hour late but she hadn’t lost the crowd.

When Clinton arrived at the packed Student Union lawn at 9:30 Wednesday night, the standing-room only lawn erupted with a greeting fit for the king, or queen, of rock ‘n’ roll. Dressed in black and fresh off a major rally in Hidalgo, Clinton waved big and smiled wide.

"Thank you," she said. "It is great to be here at UT-Brownsville. What a beautiful site on this absolutely glorious night!"

She thanked the dignitaries in attendance and UTB-TSC President Juliet V. Garcia, as well as Johnny Canales and Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz, crowd favorites.

She recalled her early visits to the Rio Grande Valley, when she was working for the George McGovern campaign.

"I ate a lot of good food and listened to great music," she said. "And it is such an honor to be back in the Valley running for president."

Clinton said "this is more than just about the election, it’s about the young people here."

"I am going to criss-cross the state but my heart is always in the Rio Grande Valley," she said of her plans to secure delegates from the Lone Star State in the March 4 primary.

Texas Democrats will select 228 delegates on March 4, which along with the 161 that will be chosen that day in Ohio represent a huge prize for Clinton’s limping campaign.

As they awaited Clinton’s arrival, Carlos Moran and his wife Juanita of Harlingen remembered meeting her 20 years ago at the pavilion in Brownsville’s Dean Porter Park when Bill Clinton was first running for president.

“I thought she was very smart and cared about people and what happened to them,” Juanita Moran said.

Then her husband added, “There’s a difference between her and Obama.

“Obama is a good guy but he can’t do what he says he’s going to do,” she said.

The couple agreed Clinton will have to win primaries in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania to have a chance at the nomination. “It will be tough," they said, "but she can do it."

Matthew Kendall, president of UTB-TSC’s Student Government Association, thanked Clinton for accepting the SGA’s invitation to appear on campus.

“Having people like Sen. Clinton on campus raises the level of political discussion,” Kendall said. “It increases the level of political participation, in other words voting - in other words, you.”

Kendall’s challenge charged the crowd.

The loudest cheers came when Clinton tipped her hat to veterans in the Valley and promised to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq within 60 days of her inauguration.

"I will bring them home," she said to enthusiastic applause.

Later, in thinly veiled references to Sen. Barack Obama’s recent comments, she said "Dreams are not enough" to bring real change and urged voters to pick the candidate with the "most experience."

At the close of her speech, she said, "If you are ready, then I am ready to lead and with your help. We will make history."

Almost immediately, the crowd began to file out as Gloria Estefan’s "Get on your feet" blasted over the intercom.

They had stayed on their feet for more than three hours for 15 minutes of a potential president’s promises and seemed to love every minute.

glong@brownsvilleherald.com