Subject: ​Correct The Record Thursday February 12, 2015 Morning Roundup
From: Burns Strider <[email-masked]>
To: CTRFriendsFamily <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 08:05:17 -0500
List-Id: <CTRFriendsFamily.americanbridge.org>

*​**Correct The Record Thursday February 12, 2015 Morning Roundup:*

*Headlines:*

​​*Univision Noticias opinion: Rep. Linda Sanchez: “La comunidad latina
está lista para Hillary”
<http://noticias.univision.com/article/2242174/2015-02-11/impresiones/la-comunidad-latina-esta-lista-para-hillary>*

“Esto demuestra que la mayoría del voto latino respaldaría a Hillary si
ella decide que quiere lanzarse para presidenta en el 2016 – y es
apropiado.”

"This shows the overwhelming support Hillary would receive from Latino
voters if she were to run for president in 2016 — and rightfully so."

*Wall Street Journal: “Unease Grows as Hillary Clinton Stays on Sidelines”
<http://www.wsj.com/articles/unease-grows-as-hillary-clinton-stays-on-sidelines-1423694468>*

[Subtitle:] “Some Democrats Want the Former Secretary of State to Begin
Actively Campaigning for the Presidential Nomination”

*Des Moines Register: “GOP operatives plan 'Hillary's hiding' billboard”
<http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2015/02/11/hillary-hiding-billboard/23256505/>*

“National GOP operatives say they intend to post a mobile billboard at the
vice president's events Thursday that tries to push the idea that Hillary
Clinton's absence from the 2016 presidential campaign trail means she's
‘hiding from voters.’”

*Breitbart: “Axelrod: Elizabeth Warren Would Not Beat Hillary”
<http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/02/11/axelrod-elizabeth-warren-would-not-beat-hillary/>*

“Former Obama Senior Advisor David Axelrod said that he doesn’t think Sen.
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) would beat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic
primary on Wednesday’s ‘Hugh Hewitt Show.’”

*Variety: “Oscar Nominee ‘Virunga’ Receives Support From Clintons, Church
of England”
<http://variety.com/2015/film/news/oscar-nominee-virunga-receives-support-from-clintons-church-of-england-1201431474/>*

“On Jan. 31 Bill and Hillary Clinton were surprise guests at a screening in
New York attended by Leonardo DiCaprio, one of the film’s executive
producers.”

*Weekly Standard: “Hillary Urged to Attend Netanyahu Address to Congress”
<http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/hillary-urged-attend-netanyahu-address-congress_848711.html>*

“Hillary Clinton is being urged [by Bill Kristol] to attend Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a joint session of Congress.”

*Associated Press: “As 2016 Campaign Begins, Biden Isn’t Part of Democratic
Mix”
<http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEM_2016_BIDEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT>*

“As Hillary Rodham Clinton builds an elaborate campaign-in-waiting, and a
few other Democrats nibble around the edges, there are few signs the vice
president is taking steps toward mounting a third bid for the top job at
the White House.”

*Articles:*

​​*Univision Noticias opinion: Rep. Linda Sanchez: “La comunidad latina
está lista para Hillary”
<http://noticias.univision.com/article/2242174/2015-02-11/impresiones/la-comunidad-latina-esta-lista-para-hillary>*

By Congresista Linda Sánchez.

February 11, 2015  1:14 p.m. EST

La reforma migratoria otra vez será un tema clave en las elecciones
presidenciales del 2016, según una encuesta realizada por Latino Decisions.
Ochenta y nueve por ciento de los votantes latinos están en favor de la
orden executiva del Presidente Obama que mejoraría las situación de
millones de inmigrantes que viven en este país.

Más del 80 por ciento de votantes latinos que participaron en la encuesta
dicen que ellos respaldarían a Hillary Clinton si ella dice que renovaría
la acción de inmigración de Barack Obama hasta el 2017. Esto demuestra que
la mayoría del voto latino respaldaría a Hillary si ella decide que quiere
lanzarse para presidenta en el 2016 – y es apropiado. Hillary Clinton ha
abogado por los inmigrantes y los refugiados durante su carrera. Su apoyo
para una reforma migratoria refleja las opiniones de la mayoría de los
americanos. En comprometerse a mantener a familias migrantes unidas, ella
les da una oportunidad para tener un futuro exitoso y  permanece fiel a los
valores que hacen a este país excelente.

Pero una reforma migratoria no es lo único que hace que la comunidad latina
se entusiasme por una potencial candidatura de Hillary Clinton. Los latinos
tienen un gran interés en muchos de los mismos asuntos que Hillary Clinton
ha abogado durante las décadas de su servicio al público. Desde la economía
y el medio ambiente hasta la salud y la educación, Hillary Clinton ha sido
una firme y constante aliada de los latinos.

Más oportunidades económicas, acceso a servicios de salud y la habilidad de
recibir una educación de calidad son temas cruciales para los latinos y
estarán al frente de sus mentes cuando voten en el 2016.

Cuando Hillary Clinton estaba en el Senado, ella constantemente abogó por
subir el salario mínimo y luchó para hacer la educación universitaria más
accesible. Como primera dama, Hillary fue una de las primeras defensoras de
una reforma del sistema de salud, trabajando para asegurar que los
servicios de salud sean de calidad, de bajo precio y accesibles en un
momento cuando dos tercios de la población latina no tiene cobertura.

Comunidades latinas de bajo recursos son más afectadas por la contaminación
ambiental y los latinos son tres veces más capaces de padecer asma que
otras razas. Como Secretaria del Estado, Hillary Clinton reconoció el
impacto de la contaminación ambiental en nuestras comunidades y ha
trabajado para crear programas de energía que son limpios, renovables y
sostenibles para mejorar la calidad del aire y nuestro medio ambiente.

Los americanos deberían tener confianza en que sus funcionarios elegidos
lucharan por ellos. Sin embargo, muchas veces los latinos han tenido que
abogar por sí mismos. El apoyo que Hillary Clinton le da a una reforma
migratoria representa un paso adelante muy importante. Desgraciadamente,
los republicanos no han actuado para hacer esta reforma una realidad.

Mientras los demócratas luchan para todas las familias trabajadoras, los
republicanos se han puesto en medio del camino de progreso para nuestro
país. Nosotros necesitamos a un candidato presidencial que reconoce los
muchos temas que le importan a los votantes latinos y uno que continuara a
trabajar para apoyar y crear oportunidades para la comunidad latina.

Los latinos lo han dejado muy claro: apoyarían a Hillary Clinton si ella
decide lanzarse para la presidencia. Su visión crea oportunidades y
seguridad financiera durante un tiempo cuando demasiadas familias están
preocupadas por su futuro. Este es el tipo de líder que necesitamos.

*IN ENGLISH*

Immigration reform will once again be a key issue in the 2016 presidential
election, according to a poll released by Latino Decisions. Eighty-nine
percent of Latino voters expressed support for President Obama's executive
order on immigration and a majority want to continue or extend Obama's
actions in 2017.

More than 80 percent of Latino voters polled said they would support
Hillary Clinton if she says she would renew Obama's immigration actions in
2017. This shows the overwhelming support Hillary would receive from Latino
voters if she were to run for president in 2016 — and rightfully so.

Hillary Clinton has been a champion for immigrants and refugees throughout
her career. Her support for sensible immigration reform reflects the views
of a majority of Americans. Her commitment to keeping families together
gives children the best chance for a successful future and remains true to
the values that make this country great.

But it is not just immigration reform that has the Latino community excited
about a potential Hillary Clinton candidacy. Latinos have a vested interest
in many issues that Hillary Clinton has championed during her decades in
public service. From the economy and the environment, to health and
education reform, she has been a strong and consistent ally to Latinos.

Income mobility, access to affordable and quality healthcare, and the
ability to receive a quality education are issues crucial to Latinos, and
will be at the forefront of their minds when voting in 2016.

While in the Senate, Hillary Clinton consistently advocated raising the
minimum wage and fought to make higher education accessible by working to
make it more affordable. As First Lady, Hillary was an early champion for
health reform, working to ensure quality, accessible, affordable health
care at a time when two-thirds of Latinos did not have coverage.

Lower income Latino communities are more affected by pollution and Latinos
are three times more likely to die from asthma than other racial groups. As
Secretary of State, Hillary recognized the impact pollution has on our
communities and worked to create clean, renewable and sustainable energy
programs to improve air quality and our environment.

Americans deserve to have confidence that their elected officials will
support and fight for them, but Latinos have too often been left to fend
for themselves. Hillary Clinton's support on immigration reform represents
an important step forward. Unfortunately, the Republican agenda is forcing
us to continue to fight an up-hill battle.

While Democrats are helping to give all families a fighting chance,
Republicans have stood in the way. We need a presidential candidate who
recognizes the many issue areas that Latino voters care about and one who
continues to work to support and create opportunity in the Latino community.

Latinos have made it clear that they would strongly support Hillary Clinton
should she run for president. Her vision creates opportunity and financial
security at a time when too many families worry about their future. This is
the kind of leader we need.

*Wall Street Journal: “Unease Grows as Hillary Clinton Stays on Sidelines”
<http://www.wsj.com/articles/unease-grows-as-hillary-clinton-stays-on-sidelines-1423694468>*

By Peter Nicholas

February 11, 2015, 5:41 p.m. EST

[Subtitle:] Some Democrats Want the Former Secretary of State to Begin
Actively Campaigning for the Presidential Nomination

The Republican race for president already has the feel of a sprint, with
likely candidates attending fundraisers and party forums all over the map.

Some Democrats, meanwhile, are wondering: When will their front-runner join
the contest?

Hillary Clinton is all but certain to seek her party’s nomination, and
there are no signs she will have a serious challenge. But there is some
drama—and tension among Democrats—surrounding her timetable.

Many of those close to her believe that the former secretary of state can
wait as long as she wants and is best served by delaying her entry in the
2016 race. At this point, an announcement is most likely to come between
April and July, people familiar with the matter say.

Some allies and prominent Democrats say she needs to jump in sooner than
that and begin raising campaign funds and organizing in states with early
contests, even if the payoff means more in the general election than the
primaries.

In Iowa, which holds the nation’s first presidential nominating contest,
local Democratic leaders caution that Mrs. Clinton risks a backlash if she
postpones her announcement too long. Linda Nelson, who leads the
Pottawattamie County Democrats, said: “I’ve heard folks who are
disgruntled. They’re starting to think: ‘Well, if she’s not going to
announce any time soon, I may just start looking elsewhere.’ ”

The Republican National Committee is seeking to capitalize on Mrs.
Clinton’s absence from the campaign so far, dubbing her the
“candidate-in-hiding.” And at least one of Mrs. Clinton’s potential
opponents said that by holding off, she may be feeding perceptions that her
victory in the primaries is inevitable.

In her unsuccessful 2008 campaign, the sense that her victory was a
foregone conclusion proved a handicap. “Nobody knows that better than
Barack Obama . He got all kinds of running room in 2007” when the race for
the White House kicked off, said Craig Crawford, a spokesman for former
Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, a Democrat who is exploring a possible bid.

Mrs. Clinton hasn’t been invisible. She sends out tweets on issues that are
in the news, delivers paid speeches and has been quietly assembling a
senior campaign team. In a recent statement, her spokesman Nick Merrill
said, “There’s no red X on a calendar somewhere. But make no mistake, if
she runs…she will take nothing for granted, and she will fight for every
vote.”

At a comparable point in the 2008 cycle, Mrs. Clinton was already a
candidate. Her main rival for the party nomination in that race, then-Sen.
Obama, announced his candidacy eight years ago on Tuesday. But Mrs.
Clinton’s team doesn’t see the same urgency as in 2008, when Mr. Obama
represented a potent threat, people familiar with her thinking said.

Mrs. Clinton leads the potential Democratic field by 50 points in many
polls. A possible rival who excites the Democratic base, Sen. Elizabeth
Warren (D., Mass.) has vowed to stay in Senate and appears unmoved by
liberal activists who are imploring her to run.

By holding off, Mrs. Clinton can delay spending the money needed to build
and maintain a campaign operation. “The costs are going to be less,” said
Ed Rendell, a former Pennsylvania governor and a 2008 Clinton supporter.
“There’s no fight and no campaign apparatus. The apparatus costs money.”

Beyond that, prominent Democrats say they are content to watch Republicans
elbow one another for position in the wide-open GOP race. “Never get in the
way of your opponents in a duel,” said Democratic fundraiser Wade Randlett.
“And they’ve got a 12-way duel going on.”

Some Democrats worry that if Mrs. Clinton coasts to the nomination without
much of a fight, she might be rusty when she squares off against her
Republican opponent in debates. “You wouldn’t want the first significant
televised debate to be against a Republican opponent,” said Douglas Goldman
of San Francisco, a longtime Democratic donor.

Some fundraisers backing Mrs. Clinton say it is tougher to draw large
financial commitments from donors until Mrs. Clinton formally jumps in.

One Clinton fundraiser, noting Bill Clinton ’s penchant for showing up late
for public appearances, said: “Clinton things happen late. That’s the way
it goes. The Clintons are both going to show up at their funerals late.”

*Des Moines Register: “GOP operatives plan 'Hillary's hiding' billboard”
<http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2015/02/11/hillary-hiding-billboard/23256505/>*

By Jennifer Jacobs

February 11, 2015, 6:12 p.m. EST

National GOP operatives say they intend to post a mobile billboard at the
vice president's events Thursday that tries to push the idea that Hillary
Clinton's absence from the 2016 presidential campaign trail means she's
"hiding from voters."

"As her poll numbers show, when Hillary is campaigning, she's much less
popular. What's the only way not to seem like she's campaigning? Go into
hiding," Republican National Committee communications director Sean Spicer
wrote in a news release Tuesday.

A photo of the billboard shared Wednesday with The Des Moines Register
says: "Hillary's hiding from you. She's running for Obama's 3rd term but
she's nowhere to be found. #HillarysHiding." It features a close-up photo
of Clinton looking grim, and a disclaimer that it was paid for by the RNC.

In response, Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill told the Register: "If she
runs, she will take nothing for granted, and she will fight for every vote.
Anyone who thinks otherwise should think again."

Republicans pointed out that other potential presidential candidates, both
Democratic and Republican, are speaking to voters and sharing their ideas.
Vice President Joe Biden is doing two events in the Des Moines area today.

Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann picked up the "hiding" theme, too, saying
in a statement: "Hillary Clinton has never had a warm relationship with
Iowa voters, which might explain why she is hiding from them now. It's been
months since Hillary has taken a question that wasn't vetted by her
professional handlers. It's been nearly four months since she's met an
actual Iowa voter. It's time for Hillary to stop hiding and start proving
whether she has anything new to say since her disastrous defeat in 2008."

*Breitbart: “Axelrod: Elizabeth Warren Would Not Beat Hillary”
<http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/02/11/axelrod-elizabeth-warren-would-not-beat-hillary/>*

By Ian Hanchett

February 11, 2015

Former Obama Senior Advisor David Axelrod said that he doesn’t think Sen.
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) would beat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic
primary on Wednesday’s “Hugh Hewitt Show.”

“I know Elizabeth Warren well, and my strong feeling is she’s not going to
run. I think she’s trying to influence the direction of the party, and you
have more influence as a potential candidate than you do if you take
yourself out…I don’t think she would beat her. I have high regard for
Elizabeth. I don’t think she would beat her. Look, look at the polling,
Hugh. Hillary is probably as well-positioned within her own party as any
open seat candidate has been in our lifetime. And you know, she’s going to
have to go out and work for it. If she assumes anything and doesn’t go out
and work for it, and earn it, and make her case, and present her, a
rationale for a candidacy that resonates with people, then anybody is
vulnerable under those circumstances. But you know, I know the team she’s
assembling. I really have a high regard for them. I have some sense of the
kind of thinking she’s doing. I think she’s going to come out of the gate
very strong” he stated.

He continued, “2007 was, is not 2015 or ’16. There was a dominant issue
within the Democratic Party in 2007 and 2008, and that was the war in Iraq.
Obama had opposed it, Hillary had voted for it. That gave him an enormous
edge in the race. This is a different time. And so there isn’t that kind of
galvanizing issue, particularly if Hillary comes out of the box, as I
expect she will, talking very clearly about how to buttress the middle
class, how to create greater opportunity, how to restore the value that
says if you work hard in this country, you can get ahead.”

Axelrod also defended Clinton’s foreign policy record, arguing “I think
there are lot of, there are number of other important advances that she had
on her watch, which ended four years ago, that went to helping put together
the international coalition in the midst of the financial crisis, putting
together international coalitions around arms control, making sure that we
had supply routes open so our troops could be resupplied in Afghanistan.
There were a wide, you know, she dealt with a broad number of issues on
which we had success. And you know, she’ll make that case. I do not
believe, and you know, and I invite, you know, if folks on the other side
want to try, they should. This race is not going to be about that.”

*Variety: “Oscar Nominee ‘Virunga’ Receives Support From Clintons, Church
of England”
<http://variety.com/2015/film/news/oscar-nominee-virunga-receives-support-from-clintons-church-of-england-1201431474/>*

[No Writer Mentioned]

February 11, 2015, 3:18 p.m. EST

In the past few weeks, the Oscar-nominated documentary “Virunga” has
received some high-profile support. The film is set in Virunga National
Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and focuses on the park rangers
who literally risk their lives to protect the park and the mountain
gorillas who live there. Threats include rebel groups and the U.K. oil
company Soco, which seeks to exploit the park’s natural resources.

On Jan. 31 Bill and Hillary Clinton were surprise guests at a screening in
New York attended by Leonardo DiCaprio, one of the film’s executive
producers. And Jane Goodall, a U.N. Messenger of Peace, recently saw the
film and released a statement saying, “’Virunga’ is a wake-up call.
Everyone who cares about the future of the planet must see this movie, and
I would like to congratulate those responsible for its birth.”

Perhaps most importantly, “Virunga” is helping to bring about actual
change. “Virunga” director Orlando von Einsiedel received word on Feb. 7
that the Church of England, one of Soco’s major shareholders, was speaking
out. Said von Einsiedel, “They made a very public announcement in the U.K.
that unless the company made real assurances that they were never going to
exploit oil in this park and to answer all the allegations, they were going
to withdraw all of their shares.”

Added von Einsiedel: “So it’s working. There’s a lot to hope for.”

The filmmaker was speaking at a private screening hosted by Rashida Jones
and moderated by Variety’s Jenelle Riley. In the post-film Q&A, he added
that Soco threatened to sue him if “Virunga” was released. Asked if he ever
feared for his safety during the two years he lived in Virunga Park and
shot the film, he replied: “All the time. I was regularly very scared
making this film. But whatever fear that I had as a filmmaker, the people
in the film took way bigger risks.”

In fact, 140 rangers have died protecting the park. And two days before the
film premiered at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival, one of the subjects of
the film – chief warden Emmanuel de Merode – was shot. “He had turned over
a dossier of evidence on this oil company and, on his way back to the park,
he was ambushed by unknown gunmen and shot twice,” revealed von Einsiedel.
“We weren’t sure if we should pull the film or not and he said, ‘No, the
world needs to know what’s happening in this park. You have to screen it.’
He’s made from tough stuff. He was back working about 35 days later.”

As is the case with many great documentaries, von Einsiedel originally set
out to make a very different movie. “One day I read about the story of
these park rangers trying to rebuild their country after 20 years of war. I
was so inspired, and they were doing it in this magnificent place called
Virunga I’d never even heard of,” he noted. “So I went out to tell that
story, and when I got there, I learned about this oil company that was
doing this illegal exploration and very quickly this civil war started. The
story took this massive U-turn almost immediately. But we wanted to stay
and follow what happened because we were so inspired by the rangers.”

After shooting for two years, von Einsiedel had more than 300 hours of
footage and realized there were many stories he could tell. “We almost had
three separate films; a National Geographic nature documentary, an
investigative film and a war movie,” he said. “We knew the key to making
this film engaging and exciting and true to the real story was to combine
these cinematic positions together.

And the director is putting his money where his mouth is; profits from the
sale of “Virunga” to Netflix were donated back to the park. “This was
always about more than a film for me. We signed with Netflix because they
have the biggest reach we wanted to get this film out to as many people as
possible,” he said. “The money from the deal we gave back to the park.”

“Virunga” is currently back in theaters and can be viewed on Netflix.

*Weekly Standard: “Hillary Urged to Attend Netanyahu Address to Congress”
<http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/hillary-urged-attend-netanyahu-address-congress_848711.html>*

By Daniel Halper

February 11, 2015, 5:05 p.m. EST

Hillary Clinton is being urged to attend Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's address to a joint session of Congress.

"I understand from an article in Politico that you'll be in Washington,
D.C. on March 3rd. What good luck and great timing! For, as you may have
heard, your friend and Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is
scheduled to speak to Congress that day. I write, as Chair of the
nonpartisan Emergency Committee for Israel, to urge you to attend the
speech," reads the letter from Bill Kristol, who in addition to being chair
of ECI is also the editor of this magazine.

"I imagine that, as a longtime supporter of Israel, you'll want to be in
attendance to show support for the U.S.-Israel relationship. You'll surely
want to show that you have no sympathy for the unfortunate boycott by some
politicians of the Prime Minister's speech, a boycott that plays into the
hands of the enemies of the Jewish state. You'll certainly want to be there
to show solidarity at this historic moment when Israel, and Jews, are under
assault.

"I'm sure that, as a former secretary of state, you'd have no problem
getting a ticket to the speech -- but if there's some problem, do let me
know and I'd be happy to put in a word with the Speaker. Please let me know
if we can do anything to help facilitate your attendance at the speech (the
Emergency Committee would, for example, be happy to provide a car and
driver).

"I look forward to seeing you in the House gallery on March 3rd along with
other staunch friends of Israel."

*Associated Press: “As 2016 Campaign Begins, Biden Isn’t Part of Democratic
Mix”
<http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEM_2016_BIDEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT>*

By Josh Lederman

February 11, 2015, 2:30 p.m. EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- By this time eight years ago, Joe Biden had declared his
candidacy for president, launched a website, committed and cleaned up after
his first campaign gaffe - a set of comments about then-Sen. Barack Obama
that rubbed some the wrong way.

This time around, even while saying it's possible he'll run again, Biden's
name isn't really in the 2016 mix.

As Hillary Rodham Clinton builds an elaborate campaign-in-waiting, and a
few other Democrats nibble around the edges, there are few signs the vice
president is taking steps toward mounting a third bid for the top job at
the White House.

Biden's aides and longtime political advisers say he isn't organizing in
early voting states such as New Hampshire and Iowa, although he'll visit
Des Moines on Thursday. He has yet to form an exploratory committee or
other apparatus that could rapidly scale up to become a campaign.

Although he stays in close touch with former political aides, no staff has
been lined up to take on key roles in a potential bid. Nor are any
Democrats in the early voting states organizing a "Draft Joe" movement -
the pining of those who aren't ready for Hillary is reserved for
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

"There's a chance, but I haven't made my mind up about that," Biden said in
a recent appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America," adding that "there's
plenty of time."

Biden has told associates he feels little pressure or political necessity
for a quick decision, according to Biden's advisers, who spoke under
condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss his
deliberations publicly. That's in part because Clinton, who had been
expected to announce her candidacy in the spring, is now expected to delay
her own launch until the summer. Biden plans to hold off on making a
decision for as long as possible, concerned that a campaign launch will
undermine the administration's work by hastening Obama's lame-duck status.

"He's hamstrung. He's limited in what he can do without hurting the
president," said Dick Harpootlian, a Biden supporter and former chairman of
the South Carolina Democratic Party. "It's a difficult balancing act."

Biden isn't the only Democrat waiting to make a possible White House
campaign official. So far, former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb is the only
Democrat to have taken formal steps toward a run.

Yet other likely candidates are quietly moving ahead, putting the sitting
vice president at a potentially significant disadvantage if he does run.

Many of the party's top political minds, as well as major donors, are being
snapped up by Clinton's future campaign, including many Obama loyalists who
helped twice elect the Obama-Biden ticket. In recent weeks Obama's senior
counselor John Podesta, communications director Jennifer Palmieri, pollster
Joel Benenson and media strategist Jim Margolis have all indicated they
plan to work for Clinton.

On Thursday, Biden will head to Iowa on an official White House trip
highlighting Obama's community college proposal. But while such a visit
might normally stir speculation, former Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman
Sue Dvorsky said the only evidence of Democrats organizing in Iowa has come
from former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

"Not a whisper from Veep," she said in an email to The Associated Press.

If he does run, Biden is likely to turn to the same cadre of advisers who
have guided his career for decades, his advisers said, including Larry
Rasky, a veteran of both of Biden's previous presidential campaigns.
Biden's former personal aide Michael Schrum, who now works in his public
engagement office, has been an intermediary in early primary states with
supporters and operatives seeking to stay in the loop.

That Biden would start as the underdog, after eight years as vice
president, underscores his dilemma deciding whether to take on Clinton.
While polls this early in the race have little value, they still show
Clinton with a commanding lead over the rest of the Democratic field.
Although Warren has repeatedly said she's not running, she's nevertheless
eclipsed Biden as the preferred candidate of the party's liberal wing. On
Sunday, the New York-based Working Families Party became the latest
progressive group to try to draft Warren into the race.

As the economy has gained strength, Obama's popularity has started to rise,
potentially giving Biden a powerful economic message on which to run.

*Calendar:*

*Sec. Clinton's upcoming appearances as reported online. Not an official
schedule.*

·  February 24 – Santa Clara, CA: Sec. Clinton to Keynote Address at
Inaugural Watermark Conference for Women (PR Newswire
<http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hillary-rodham-clinton-to-deliver-keynote-address-at-inaugural-watermark-conference-for-women-283200361.html>
)

·  March 3 – Washington, DC: Sec. Clinton honored by EMILY’s List (AP
<http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268798/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=SUjRlg8K>)

·  March 4 – New York, NY: Sec. Clinton to fundraise for the Clinton
Foundation (WSJ
<http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/01/15/carole-king-hillary-clinton-live-top-tickets-100000/>
)

·  March 16 – New York, NY: Sec. Clinton to keynote Irish American Hall of
Fame (NYT <https://twitter.com/amychozick/status/562349766731108352>)

·  March 19 – Atlantic City, NJ: Sec. Clinton keynotes American Camp
Association conference (PR Newswire <http://www.sys-con.com/node/3254649>)

·  March 23 – Washington, DC: Sec. Clinton to keynote award ceremony for
the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting (Syracuse
<http://newhouse.syr.edu/news-events/news/former-secretary-state-hillary-rodham-clinton-deliver-keynote-newhouse-school-s>
)