from Hillary Clinton for President
March 10, 2008

HILLARY CLINTON’S PENNSYLVANIA  BACKGROUND

For Hillary Clinton, Pennsylvania is as much a homecoming as a stop on the presidential campaign trail.

Hillary has deep family roots in Pennsylvania – and lifelong memories of her time spent there as a child.

Hillary’s grandparents settled in Scranton more than a century ago. It was in Scranton that her grandfather got his first job -- at the Scranton Lace Company – a job he kept for 50 years. Hillary’s dad, Hugh Rodham, was born and raised in Scranton and worshipped at the Court Street Methodist Church. He graduated from Central High School in 1931 and went on to play football for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Hillary’s family remained connected to Pennsylvania even after her father had to jump a railroad car and leave the state to find work in Chicago. He always came back to Scranton. Hillary and her brothers were christened in their dad’s church in Scranton. And every summer of her childhood, Hillary, her parents, and her brothers loaded up the family car and drove east to Pennsylvania to spend part of August at the family cabin on Lake Winola, which they still own today.

Hillary Clinton is no stranger to Pennsylvania, its people, or its issues. She understands the economic pressures of families who have lost jobs, face foreclosure, or can’t afford health insurance or college tuition, even though they are working as hard as they can to create a better future for their children. She knows that the people of Pennsylvania need someone fighting for them who can find solutions to the challenges of every day life – a President who can and will deliver results starting on Day One.

There is no question that Hillary understands the Pennsylvania spirit – the work ethic, determination, and can-do attitude that her own grandparents embodied. She has always carried with her the images and voices of the people she came to know in Pennsylvania. And next January, Hillary Clinton will carry the voices of Pennsylvania with her to the White House.
 

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