Subject: Speech for tomorrow
From: Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>
To: H <[email-masked]>
Cc: Huma Abedin <[email-masked]>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>, Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]>, Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>, John Podesta <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2016 22:03:07 -0500

Madam Secretary, following up on the outline from yesterday, here is a full
draft. (Also sent to Connolly for printing.)  The core argument remains
that you have the experience to get results while Sanders' ideas are a
recipe for gridlock, and Americans can't afford to wait.  As much as
possible, I've drawn from language that you've used either on the stump or
in speeches like the Wing Ding or in debate prep, especially lines that got
good applause in the past.  This also reflects the conversation I had with
your husband yesterday and what he said in NH today. Nick also shared a
little of what you said at your event this evening and I will get that
transcript shortly.

This draft is still something of a work in progress and the rest of the
team is reviewing as well, but I know time is short and I wanted to get to
you as soon as possible.  So will be standing by for your thoughts and also
continuing to edit back here.
Thanks
Dan

*HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON*

*“WE CAN’T WAIT”*

*INDIANOLA, IOWA*

*THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015*

   - Hello, Indianola!  I’m so excited to be with you today.  We’re
   energized, we’re organized, and we’re ready to go win a caucus!  I want
   to thank [*name*], our terrific organizer here.  She’s doing a great job.

   - And I want to thank all the precinct captains, union members, and
   volunteers who are here.  Raise your hand if you’ve made a phone call or
   knocked on a door for this campaign…  You are our heart and soul -- and
   you’re why we’re going to win on February 1st.

   - I am so grateful to all of you who’ve already decided to support me in
   the caucus.  If you haven’t yet, I hope you’ll fill out one of our blue
   commitment cards.  If you’re still deciding who to support, I’m glad
   you’re here and I hope I can earn your vote.

   - Democrats have an important choice to make.  You have to decide who
   will make a real difference in your lives and keep our country moving
   forward.

   - Now, I have a lot of respect for Senator Sanders and Governor O’Malley and
   we certainly share many of the same goals.  Our differences pale compared
   to what we see on the other side.  You saw this if you watched the
   debates last week.  One party is becoming defined by paranoia,
   prejudice, and greed.  The other is focused on creating good-paying jobs
   and holding Wall Street accountable.  That’s why I’m proud to be a
   Democrat.

   - Republicans want Americans to suffer from collective amnesia.  Well,
   we’re going to remind people of the facts – that the economy does a whole
   lot better when there’s a Democrat in the White House.

   - But as much as we respect each other and agree on a lot of things,
   Senator Sanders and I *do* have some important differences.  We
have different
   records and different ideas about how to drive progress.

   - For me, it’s all about what’s going to deliver results that actually
   make life better for families.  That’s what I’ve done my whole life,
   whether it was working with Republicans and Democrats in Congress to create
   the Children’s Health Insurance Program that now covers 8 million kids, or
   securing a treaty with Russia that reduces the threat we face from nuclear
   weapons.  I’m not interested in ideas that sound good on paper but will
   never make it in the real world – what I care about is making a difference
   in your life.

   - As I’ve traveled across Iowa, people have shared their hopes and their
   heartaches.  I’ve heard the problems that keep you up at night and the
   dreams that get you up in the morning.

   - I met a gentleman the other day in Cedar Rapids who told me that his
   prescription drug costs had tripled. I met a mom at that same event who
   said that her son has diabetes and even insulin is getting much more
   expensive – insulin’s not some fancy new drug, it’s been around forever.
   The only reason is greed.

   - Last month in Waterloo, a worried husband named Larry told me his wife
   Brenda spends hundreds of dollars each month on medicine for arthritis and
   osteoporosis.  When they see hedge fund tycoons buying drug companies
   and raising prices by 4000 percent overnight, they just want to scream.

   - Something is wrong when your paycheck has barely grown in years, but
   corporate profits and CEO pay are at near-record highs.  Something is
   wrong when you can do everything right, but still not get ahead.  Like
   Brandi from Des Moines, who was laid off six years ago.  She went back
   to school, worked hard, got her degree.  Now she’s a supervisor in a
   restaurant, but still only makes $9.50 an hour.  That’s not enough,
   especially with kids.

   - Brandi needs a raise.  Larry and Brenda need lower drug prices.  People
   across Iowa need more good jobs, help with their student debt, a more
   secure retirement.  These are the problems I’m focused on.  I get up
   every day thinking about how we’re going to make a difference for people
   and families who really need it.

   - I have nothing but admiration for Senator Sanders, but he does see the
   world a little differently.

   - Take health care, for example.  I want us to defend and build on the
   progress we’ve made under President Obama, especially the Affordable Care
   Act.

   - Remember what it was like before Obamacare?  The insurance companies
   were in charge and free to discriminate against people with pre-existing
   conditions.  They charged women more for the same coverage.  And 44
   million Americans didn’t have any coverage at all.

   - I don’t think President Obama gets the credit he deserves for taking
   on this fight and getting the job done.  Today, more than 18 million
   Americans have been covered and the uninsured rate has dropped below 10
   percent.  I want to build on that progress.  Keep expanding coverage to
   more people.  Lower your out-of-pocket costs with a new tax credit.  Cap
   what you have to pay each month for prescription drugs.  Finally let
   Medicare negotiate better prices.

   - We can get this done without another divisive debate on our entire
   health care system or giving Republicans an opening to come in and tear
   down everything we’ve achieved.  We can make real progress right now for
   people and families who need it.

   - Senator Sanders has a different idea.  He wants to start over with a
   whole new system.  And in theory, there’s a lot to like about that.  But
   “in theory” isn’t enough. A President has to deliver *in reality*.

   - Senator Sanders has been in Congress for 25 years and he’s introduced
   his health care plan again and again.  But he never got even a single
   vote in the House or a single Senate co-sponsor.  Not one.

   - I believe we can’t wait for a whole new system to be built before we
   start solving the problems families are facing every day.

   - The people I’ve met in Iowa can’t wait. The grandmother who has to
   choose between paying for medicine and paying the rent can’t wait.  The
   single mom who desperately needs a raise can’t wait.  The student with a
   mountain of debt can’t wait.  You can’t wait and neither can our country.
   We need to roll up our sleeves and start making progress right now.

   - My opponent’s ideas are a recipe for gridlock in Washington, not
   action.  That won’t help anyone.  Except maybe the Republicans who are
   looking for any opportunity to take us backwards.  We just can’t take
   that risk.

   - We have to defend the progress we’ve made under President Obama and go
   even further.  My economic plan will raise incomes and create
   good-paying jobs right away.

   - I’ll fight for more *fairness* in our economy.   Let’s make those at
   the top pay their fair share.  Because multi-millionaires and companies
   that ship jobs overseas shouldn’t get tax breaks – *you* should.

   - Let’s stop the abuse on Wall Street and make sure that if you break
   the law, it doesn’t matter who you are, you’re going to jail.  Let’s
   enforce our trade rules and stop letting countries like China take
   advantage of American workers and businesses.

   - Let’s raise the minimum wage, expand Social Security for those who
   need it most, and finally guarantee equal pay for women.  Because in
   America, if you work hard, you deserve to see the rewards.

   - And we can’t stop there.  More fairness is essential, but it’s not
   enough.  We also need more *growth* in our economy.

   - We have to invest in advanced manufacturing so we’re making and
   building things *here*, not somewhere else.  Make it easier to start and
   grow small businesses.  Create the clean energy jobs of the
   future—because it’s going to be China or Germany or us, and I want it to be
   us.  Iowa already gets a third of its energy from renewables, mostly
   wind.  If you can do it, so can America.

   - We can do this.  We can make our economy stronger and our country
   fairer.  But we have to do it together.

   - The truth is, too many people today feel left out and left behind.  That’s
   not the America we want to be.

   - Instead of demonizing hard-working immigrant families, we should be
   giving them a real path to citizenship.  Instead of a school-to-prison
   pipeline that keeps communities of color down, we need a cradle-to-college
   pipeline that lifts people up.

   - We have to end discrimination against LGBT Americans wherever it
   exists.  And I’ll always defend Planned Parenthood.  Republicans may say
   I’m playing the gender card.  Well, if fighting for women’s health and
   women’s rights is playing the gender card – then *deal me in*.

   - We also can’t turn our backs on working-class families in struggling
   rural communities and crumbling Appalachian towns… in Coal Country and Farm
   Country… families who for generations worked their fingers to the bone
   keeping our lights on and our factories running and our crops growing.

   - So many are hurting right now.  In a lot of places, people are dying
   younger than their parents.  The substance abuse I hear about everywhere
   I go in Iowa and across our country is a big part of it.  But you know
   what my husband said to me the other day?  He said folks feel the
   American Dream slipping away -- and *they’re dying of a broken heart*.

   - I think Bill’s right.  I hear it in the voices of parents who don’t
   know how they’re going to give their kids the opportunities they deserve.
   I see it in the eyes of people who don’t expect anything to come easy
   but wonder why it has to be quite so hard.

   - We’re going to give the American Dream back to them. We’re going to
   make this economy work for everyone – the struggling, the striving, and the
   successful.  That will be my mission as President, from the first day to
   the last.

   - But you know, we’re not just picking a President, we’re also choosing
   a Commander-in-Chief.  I’m the only candidate on either side with the
   experience and judgment to keep us safe at home and strong in the world.

   - Now, the Republican candidates keep asking about my accomplishments.  So
   I sent them all a copy of my book, “Hard Choices.”  I figured there were
   so many of them, they could start a book club.

   - They could read about how I got Russia and China to agree to tough new
   sanctions on Iran.  Or how I brokered a cease-fire between Hamas and
   Israel that stopped terrorist rockets from falling on Israeli homes.  Maybe
   they’d be interested in how you push for a global agreement on climate
   change… oh who are we kidding, they don’t care about that at all!

   - Well, it’s all in the book.  But I didn’t get a single thank you note.
    And based on what they’re saying on the campaign trail, it doesn’t seem
   like they learned very much.

   - Shallow slogans don’t add up to a strategy.  Promising to carpet bomb
   until the desert glows doesn’t make you sound strong – it makes you sound
   like you’re in over your head.  Bluster and bigotry are not credentials
   for becoming Commander-in-Chief.  And it would be a huge mistake to send
   U.S. combat troops into another costly ground war in the Middle East.

   - Now, Senator Sanders doesn’t talk very much about foreign policy.  But
   when he does, it raises concerns, because sometimes it sounds like he’s
   hasn’t really thought it through.  For example, he suggested we invite
   Iranian troops into Syria.  That’s just a bad idea.  It’s like asking
   the arsonist to be the firefighter.  As terrible as things are in Syria,
   more Iranian troops are only going to make things worse.

   - The world a President has to grapple with is beyond complicated.  That’s
   why this is the hardest job in the world.  I’ve seen it up close and
   personal.  And I know what it takes.

   - I know how to find common ground and how to stand my ground.  I teamed
   up with Republicans like Tom Delay to improve our foster care system.  I
   worked with Lindsey Graham to extend health benefits for our National Guard
   and Reserves.  We had deep disagreements.  But we found a sliver of common
   ground.  And that made life better for a whole lot of people.

   - I’ll also stand my ground so *you* can gain ground.  That’s why I’m
   taking on the gun lobby in this campaign.  We’re losing an average of 90
   Americans every day to gun violence.  It’s wrong, it has to stop, and I
   won’t back down no matter what they throw at me.

   - But I can’t do any of this alone.  On February 1st, it’s up to *you.*  You
   have to decide who you trust to make a real difference in your lives.

   - I know how to get things done.  How to build on the progress we’ve
   made.  My opponent’s ideas are a recipe for gridlock, not action.  The
   American people can’t afford that.  You shouldn’t have to wait for
   results.  You shouldn’t have to wait for lower drug prices.  You
   shouldn’t have to wait for higher wages or help with college loans.  You
   shouldn’t have to wait to start that small business or to enjoy a secure
   retirement.

   - *You* brought our country back from the worst economic crisis in our
   lifetimes.  Now it’s *your* time to get ahead.  And, you know what?  America
   succeeds when you succeed.

   - It comes down to this: *I need you.*  I need you knocking on doors and
   making phone calls. I need you caucusing on February 1st.  And I need
   you standing with me every day as President, working to build that better
   America.

   - So please join me.  You can text JOIN to 4-7-2-4-6 right now.  And
   then visit hillaryclinton.com.  Talk to your friends and family.  Talk
   to your neighbors.  Make sure they’re all going to caucus on February
   1st.

   - The pundits might be surprised that this race is close, but I’m not.  I
   never doubted that I’d have to work for every vote.  I never doubted
   that I’d face tough attacks.

   - I don’t care how hard Karl Rove or the Koch Brothers hit us.  I’ve
   spent my life working for children, families, and our country… from the
   kitchen table to the peace table… working to even the odds for people who
   have the odds stacked against them.  And I’m just getting warmed up.

   - So, I want to thank you and all the people of Iowa.  You’ve taught me
   so much.  You’ve made me a better candidate.  And I believe thanks to
   you I will be a better President.

   - Iowa, I’m listening to you, I’m fighting for you, and, with your help,
   as President I’m going to deliver.

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