Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - Hillary Clinton Receives 11 Upstate Endorsements

Upstate Leaders Praise Clinton's Leadership on Health Care

(COLUMBIA) - Eleven Upstate women today announced their endorsement of Hillary Clinton as the only candidate for President ready to lead from her first day in office.

"Hillary Clinton is the person I trust most to lead our country," Greenville Vice Mayor Pro-tempore and City Council At-Large Representative Diane Smock said. "Just look at what Hillary Clinton has been able to do for children's health care. That's the kind of experience she has and it's the kind of experience that makes her ready to lead from her first day in the Oval Office."

The first organizational meeting of Upstate Women for Hillary was held Tuesday, July 24, in Greenville, led by national campaign advisor Ann Lewis.

"I am honored by the support of so many women from the area," Clinton said. "We're standing together because we believe our country is in need of a positive change, and we'll take the fight for positive change with us from the Upstate all the way to the White House."

Other Upstate women from the Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson and Pickens areas joined Smock in her endorsement of Hillary Clinton and praise for Clinton's leadership on health care issues, including Greenville County Democratic Party Treasurer Ann Funderburk.

"As First Lady, Hillary introduced a plan to provide health care coverage for all Americans, and she still has the scars from that battle. She'll take that experience with her to the White House; that's why I know she's the best prepared person to be President," Funderburk said. "Just a few days ago, Hillary Clinton stood down George Bush's veto threats and expanded the Children's Health Insurance Program to cover more poor children. In our state, that means 70,000 kids kept their health insurance and even more of those in need will be eligible."

According to the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services, 68,870 South Carolinians are enrolled in S-CHIP, a decade-old program offering health care coverage to low-income children, for fiscal year 2006. Hillary Clinton continued the fight for universal health care as First Lady by helping to create the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the single largest expansion of children's health care in American history.

Upstate Women for Hillary announcing their endorsement today of Clinton include:

• Stephanie Arnold, Greenville
• Pat Borenstein, Greenville
• Dr. Carolyn Cody-Fuller, Greenville
• Joy Fuller, Greenville
• Greenville County Democratic Party Treasurer
• Ann Funderburk, Greenville
• Katherine Haltiwanger, Pickens
• Rebecca Lambert, Greenville
• Kathy McCart, Spartanburg
• Councilwoman Diane Smock, Greenville
• Erika Spinelli, Greenville
• Brena Walker, Anderson