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Clinton backs autism initiative, gun safety proposals

COUNTDOWN TO CAUCUS: Clinton in Osage, Huckabee in Charles City

Clinton backs autism initiative, gun safety proposals5_N_Clinton4

Candidate rallies base for needed caucus attendance

The closer the clock ticks to Feb. 1, the more urgent everyday life becomes for dozens of campaign workers across Iowa –– almost frantic as campaigns like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reach for the end of caucus and primary season, and beyond that, a Democratic presidential nomination.

Clinton greeted a tight crowd in Osage of more than 275 on Tuesday morning, framed in the background by two Osage Fire Department engines. It was the first of three stops in the day as husband and former president Bill Clinton rallied the ground base in New Hampshire, anticipating the next steps ahead for the assumed Democratic front runner.

She had no hesitation praising President Barack Obama’s morning unveiling of new gun safety measures. Part of President Obama’s measures include a clarification on existing laws, requiring citizens who sell guns for a living at shows or online to register as a gun dealer and conduct client background checks.

“I am very proud of President Obama’s proposal today to try to have some sensible gun safety laws. I feel really good, because I called for some of those measures several months ago,” Clinton said. “I know we are smart enough as a country to protect the rights of responsible gun owners consistent with our Constitution.”

She also used the moment to announce the new Autism Works Initiative from her campaign, targeting more than the estimated 3.5 million U.S. citizens thought to be living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The initiative, which Clinton’s staff lays out on her website, would jumpstart a national early screening campaign and push to require private health insurance for ASD patients. Clinton also promised to launch an adult autism prevalence study, which she said is the first step in identifying service needs for adults with ASD.

“I want to be sure we have the services that people need as they get older,” Clinton said.

National opinion polls aggregated by the Huffington Post’s Pollster suggests Clinton is well in the lead at 55.4 percent favorability among opponents Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley, with a 22.3 point lead ahead of Sanders. She also enjoys the highest amount of party official endorsements over any candidate, be they Republicans or Democrats; a neat network across the country that observers at statistics giant FiveThirtyEight Politics say could give her campaign a push, even if her final caucus numbers come in lower than rival Sanders.

But if there’s one lesson Clinton hung on to from her 2008 run, surely she knows there are no guarantees with Iowans –– although she can’t help but attempt one.

“I want us to realize the promise of America for every child and grandchild,” Clinton told the crowd. “We can do that if we can make up our minds to be positive, confident, and optimistic about the future we can make together.”

By Kate Hayden khayden@charlescitypress.com

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