Robin Mazyck here guest blogging for The Brody File. David left me all alone on the campaign trail so he could take care of some important business back in Washington, D.C., He will rejoin me here in South Carolina Saturday to cover the Democratic primary.
This morning I'm in Greenville, S.C., covering Sen. Hillary Clinton who held a rally at Furman University.
It was a standing room only event at Younts Conference Center at Furman. There were about 300 people here.
When I arrived, the line stretched out the front of the building and down the steps. There were probably about 200 people in line - and only 50 more people were being let in the building. Many of them were ushered into an overflow room.
The audience was pretty diverse with a mixture of women and men, who were young and old, Asian, Hispanic, black and white. Clinton was about 20 minutes late for the event due to a series of travel delays. While we waited, Teresa Bellinger sang a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace.
After Clinton arrived, she was cheered and applauded during her speech which focused on the economy. She talked about a short-term plan to jump start the economy. Clinton said if she were President of the United States, she would "immediately address the housing crisis and create new jobs."
She talked about the disparities between the foreclosure rates among whites and blacks, as well as the rising costs of tuition here in South Carolina. She shared testimonials of the South Carolinians she met recently who can't afford health insurance, tuition for their children, and other hardships.
As we all know, Clinton and Obama have been at odds in recent days. But during her stump speech, Clinton didn't mention her Democratic counterparts. Instead, she harshly criticized President Bush: "the problem with our economy is not the American people. Instead, the problem is - in part - the bankrupt ideas of President Bush and the Republicans…"
After Clinton finished her stump speech, she opened the event up for questions from the audience. People asked her questions, while others gave her a word of encouragement.
Earlier this week, Clinton left the state to pick up endorsements in California and Pennsylvania. Polls show that Clinton trails Sen. Barack Obama in the Palmetto State. Some pundits saw her absence as a new strategy by the Clinton campaign to make sure she wins as many states as possible on Super-Duper Tuesday, Feb. 5.
But her hubby has been here stumping on her behalf. And since many consider him "The First Black President," what better way to get back some of the African American vote?
Jonah, my photographer and I are going to head to Barnwell, S.C., to hear former President Clinton speak. I'll have a full report for you all later.
Check out this portion of the song, Amazing Grace.