Subject: CTR TALKING POINTS: HARKIN STEAK FRY TRAVEL EXPENSES
From: Burns Strider <[email-masked]>
To: CTRFriendsFamily <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 14:19:30 -0400
List-Id: <CTRFriendsFamily.americanbridge.org>

*​**TALKING POINTS: HARKIN STEAK FRY TRAVEL EXPENSES*

 *BACKGROUND: **The right wing launched another desperate attack today,
this time about the Clintons’ travel expenses to the Harkin Steak Fry in
Iowa last month. They forgot to mention that this year’s event was a huge
success, reportedly netting $100,000 and with the most attendees since the
last time Hillary Clinton was there. *

 *TALKING POINTS:*

·        Hillary and Bill Clinton attended the 37th Harkin Steak Fry to
honor retiring 5-term Senator Tom Harkin and celebrate his legacy.

·       This year’s event was enormously successful – reportedly netting
$100,000 – due to the Clintons’ attendance.

·       In fact, the 2014 Steak Fry had 6,200 people – the most attendees
since the last time Hillary Clinton appeared in 2007.

·       The Harkin Steak Fry raises money for Democratic candidates running
in Iowa – including Representative Bruce Braley, who is running for
Harkin’s seat in the Senate against tea party-backed Joni Ernst – to help
move the state, and our country, in the right direction.

·       Bill and Hillary Clinton are appearing across the country at events
for Democratic candidates to energize the party and help get Democrats
elected this November.

·       Republicans are only launching these baseless attacks on the
Clintons to divert attention from their abuse of taxpayer funds for
excessive travel.

o   After all, Republican Governor and potential GOP presidential
candidate, Chris Christie, has frequently used state police helicopters for
his own personal travel, including the time he used a state police
helicopter to get to a baseball game.

o   Marco Rubio, another potential Republican presidential contender,
charged non-work travel expenses on the state party’s credit card and
double-billed taxpayers and the state party for multiple plane tickets.