Clinton proposes child poverty plan

by Don Wheeler

Actually, despite the AP title, she opposes it.

In a policy proposal John Edwards supporters will find familiar, Hillary Clinton rolled out an agressive program to give young US citizens greater purchase on their futures. Unlike the Edwards Plan, this is a stand alone program, but certainly offers some promise.

HANGING ROCK, Ohio (AP) -- Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton offered a
plan to improve childhood nutrition and set a goal to reduce by half the 12
million youngsters living in poverty over the next dozen years.

The package of proposals includes a ''comprehensive''
early education initiative that starts with nurse's visits for pregnant women,
lets children begin the Head Start program earlier and calls for universal
pre-kindergarten programs.

The New York senator also says she would deal with
childhood hunger by putting in place a food safety net, and give children
''greater access to healthy, fresh food.''

She spelled out her proposals in a speech Thursday at
the child care development center on Ohio University's southern campus, and
toured a Head Start program serving economically challenged southern Ohio. It
was part of her effort to focus the Democratic campaign on bedrock economic
issues.

''You should have a president again who actually gets
up thinking about you every day,'' Clinton told about 200 people at the event.
''I have spent a lifetime working to help children, which is my first passion.
If our children get off to a good start so much of the other stuff is taken care
of.''

Gee...A President who actually woke up thinking. That would be nice. Here's the story.