U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, a potential presidential candidate in 2008, accused Republicans today of “bankrupting” the country and ignoring the middle class.
Major increases in gas, and college and health care costs, she said, have not kept pace with incomes, leaving many people struggling to stay afloat.
“A lot of Americans can’t work any harder, borrow any more or save any less,” Clinton said to the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, which was holding its annual meeting in Denver. “The (Republicans) are not taking care of America. They’re bankrupting our country and failing to address the problems.”
Clinton’s comments came as she unveiled the group’s “American Dream Initiative,” a package of economic proposals geared towards strengthening the middle class.
The proposals include ways of making home ownership and college tuition more affordable, making health insurance more accessible and helping find ways for workers to save for retirement.
“It’s the American dream, stupid,” said the former first lady in a riff on her husband’s successful 1992 campaign mantra – “It’s the economy, stupid.” Democrat Bill Clinton served two terms in the White House.
“Democrats know we must stop passing on debt to our children and start doing what’s best for our country and our children,” she said.
