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BY IAN YARETT

In print | October 12, 2006

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton spoke at a political rally yesterday for sixth district congressional candidate Lois Murphy (D) and gubernatorial candidate Ed Rendell (D), held at Bryn Mawr College in the cloisters of Thomas Great Hall.

According to Dan Fee, spokesman for the Rendell campaign, approximately 1,500 people attended the event.

The rally, which was plagued with moderate rainfall that began only moments before Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell opened the event with his speech, which emphasized the importance of the upcoming elections for Pennsylvania and the nation as a whole. Rendell proceeded to introduce Lois Murphy, who is running a tough campaign for the sixth district congressional seat against Republican Jim Gerlach.

After a brief address by Murphy, Bill Clinton came to the podium, drawing tremendous cheers from the crowd.

In his speech, Clinton emphasized the need for new policies to counteract the fiscal irresponsibility of the current administration and Congress. He also expressed support for eliminating tax cuts that benefit the rich, taking action to combat global warming, making the cost of college education more manageable and “bring[ing] ethics to Congress.” “This is a time when we need to change, to move forward,” he said.

Clinton also called attention to the responsibility of every citizen to exercise their right to vote. “There are so many people in this district who are not here today,” Clinton said, adding that these people must be encouraged to come out and engage in the United States’ democracy.

Members of both the Rendell and Murphy campaigns were optimistic that Clinton’s appearance at the rally will have significant positive impact for them on election day.

“President Clinton remains an overwhelmingly popular figure,” Fee said. “After all, what was wrong with peace and prosperity [under Clinton’s tenure]? [Clinton] is an excellent spokesman for why the principles of the Democratic Party are right for Pennsylvania and for the rest of the country.”

Amy Bonitatibus, Communications Director for the Murphy campaign, felt similarly. “is a reminder of what our government can achieve and Lois is thrilled that he came to the district to show support for her,” she said.

Fee said he expected Clinton’s involvement in the campaign to increase voter turnout. “is incredibly effective at explaining why elections are important — elections are not just about power but about policy,” he said.

According to Fee, Clinton made three campaign stops in the area in the last few weeks — one for Patrick Murphy, one for Lois Murphy and one for Joe Sestak.

Fee said that he is feeling very good about the campaign overall. “has a vision for the future and people are responding strongly to it,” he said. “We will continue to progressively try to get out the vote.”

President of the Swarthmore College Democrats Julian Harper ’08 agreed that the Democratic campaigns are going well.

“Rendell is looking like a pretty comfortable win,” Harper said. “But Murphy has a much tighter campaign. Clinton will have a greater impact on her campaign.”

Harper said that Clinton’s appearance at the rally will “motivate and excite voters and increase the turnout of the current elections.” “The effect Clinton may have on voter turnout is likely to be very significant,” he said.

Abby Higgins, a Bryn Mawr first-year and member of the Bryn Mawr College Democrats, said that she was very excited that the rally was happening at Bryn Mawr. “We are honored to be able to host this event,” she said. “It’s been very chaotic with planning the event, but it’s incredible to be in such a political atmosphere.”

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