Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - Laredo Morning Times Endorses Hillary Clinton for President

Laredo, TX - Today, Senator Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of the Laredo Morning Times in the upcoming presidential primary and precinct caucus.

In their endorsement editorial, the Times wrote that Senator Clinton "comes to the American people with a great deal of experience and negotiating talent, wiser for her falls but still optimistic about creating a great future for our children and grandchildren."

The Laredo Morning Times Editorial follows:

In the final analysis, experience counts.

That's why Laredo Morning Times is endorsing Hillary Clinton in the Democratic race for president. Barack Obama is charismatic, and there's no doubt he's an intelligent, dynamic leader who has wonderful ideas of a nation healed and a land where milk and honey flow for us all.

But it takes so much more than beautiful words to get things done. When you get right down to it, he's only been in the U.S. Senate for three years. Before that, he was a state senator for two terms. It's just not enough government experience for a world stage, especially now.

It's easy to say we want someone from the outside, someone who's not "entrenched" in politics and government. Haven't we learned anything? It may be difficult to remember this far back, but back in 2000, that's why a lot of people voted for George W. Bush in the first place. His only government experience was as governor of Texas and while we Texans believe that's worth a whole lot, real life has shown us otherwise.

Today, just in the time since Bush has been in office, the United States is at war on two fronts. Russia appears to be trying to turn the clock back to its authoritarian, nationalist days. The subprime mortgage crisis is continuing despite the Band-Aids, spreading ever wider across our nation and global market. Our national debt is in the trillions, and it's hard to see an end. And there's so much more.

We don't like to think about those things. We'd rather think about the good we could do as a united country and what could happen if things would just change. Change - that's what Obama is selling. And we want so badly to buy it. Face it: We Americans are a hopeful people who love celebrities, so it's understandable that someone like Obama would take center stage.

But Obama can't just implement changes because he wants to and the people vote him into office.

Change has to happen in Washington, amid the actions - and inactions - of many, many bureaucrats working in an incredibly complex system of laws and unwritten rules.

Reality is a sobering dunk in cold water that comes after the party. It takes experience to handle reality, and make it work for you. Clinton can do that.

It's true that she doesn't come to us with a clean slate. After many years in the trenches and later in office, Clinton's made errors and there is baggage. But she's learned from it, and that's what matters. She knows how to regroup after something fails, because she's done it. She comes to the American people with a great deal of experience and negotiating talent, wiser for her falls but still optimistic about creating a great future for our children and grandchildren.

Obama might have what it takes and he might not. We just don't believe the risk is worth it.

Hillary Clinton is a proven leader who knows we need better healthcare, more affordable housing, better opportunities overall and a more open, more efficiently run government. She may not have the same charm or spin the same golden promises of a shimmering future as Obama, but she's solid.

That's what America needs.