Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - Campaigning In Iowa, Clinton Surrogates Stress Electability

Corzine and Bayh Say Hillary Has Best Chance To Win In Their States

With less than a month before the Iowa Caucuses, the Clinton campaign is getting help from several elected officials, who say that Hillary is the best candidate to defeat the Republican nominee in November 2008. In December, Governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey and U.S. Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana are expected to campaign on behalf of Clinton to discuss her strength as the Democrats' general election candidate. Governor Corzine will kick-off the effort today with campaign stops in Oskaloosa, Newton, and Des Moines.

"Hillary Clinton is the strongest Democratic candidate to defeat the Republican nominee. We know this because Hillary Clinton has been through the Republican attack machine and has come out stronger," said Governor Corzine. "She's the only one who is beating Mayor Giuliani in the must win states of New York and New Jersey. No Democrat can win the White House without those two states."

Hillary Clinton won her first Senate race in 2000, even after being outspent by her Republican opponents 2-1, and built on that success in her re-election bid in 2006, when she won 58 of the state's 62 counties, including counties that had gone for George Bush just two years earlier. She also helped elect three freshman Representatives Mike Arcuri, Kirsten Gillibrand, and John Hall, who all asked Hillary to campaign with them multiple times against their Republican incumbent opponents.

"The lesson of Hillary's success is that she will bring core Democrats out to vote, while picking up Independents and even some Republicans – exactly what she helped do last year," said Senator Bayh. "This country needs big changes and Hillary Clinton has the strength and experience to bring that change. She knows how to bring people together to get things done."

Hillary Clinton is battle-tested and the polls show it. She currently leads Republican candidates in states George Bush won in 2004, including Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. The latest Gallup poll also shows that Hillary Clinton would be the strongest Democratic nominee against any potential Republican opponent, winning by a margin from five to 16 points.

It's not just Hillary Clinton's national name recognition that is showing that she is the stronger candidate. In Massachusetts, where voters get to see a lot of the candidates early on due to its proximity to New Hampshire and where Senator Obama has been running advertising, he would barely defeat Mayor Giuliani and would be defeated by Senator McCain. Alternatively, Hillary Clinton beats all of her potential Republican opponents by solid margins. Massachusetts has not gone for a Republican candidate in the last ten presidential elections.

As a Senator, Hillary Clinton has demonstrated her ability to work across the aisle on issues like body armor for troops and health care for our National Guards. But, she also knows how to stand up and fight, as she did when she opposed President Bush's attempt to privatize Social Security.

"Democrats cannot afford to lose another election," said Governor Corzine. "Hillary Clinton knows what it takes to win, hit the ground running as President and start making the changes this country needs from day one."