Senator Hillary Clinton released the following statement about the devastating wildfires that have been raging through Southern California:

“I have been following the news about the wildfires that are affecting seven counties in Southern California. My heart and prayers go out to the families who have been displaced, have lost their homes, businesses or worse – have lost a loved one to these ravaging wildfires.”

“My thoughts are also with the thousands of brave firefighters and first responders who are risking their lives in battling the flames and helping the victims. We are praying for your safety.”

The LA Times has recommended the following charities:

American Red Cross: Cash donations can be made through www.redcross.org or through a local Red Cross chapter. Volunteers also are needed. Information on shelter locations can be found on Red Cross websites for Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange and San Diego counties and the Inland Empire. Donations of clothing can be made at Goodwill locations. Information: (800) REDCROSS or (800) 257-7575 for Spanish speakers.

Salvation Army: Cash contributions can be made through its website www.salvationarmy-socal.org or by calling (800) SALARMY.

Governor's Office of Emergency Services: Businesses wishing to donate large quantities of goods for distribution to fire victims can call (800) 750-2858 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Pacific time. Individuals wanting to donate items or volunteer to help with local disaster response efforts should contact the Red Cross or go to the governor's CaliforniaVolunteers website at www.californiavolunteers.org.

United Health Group: Southern Californians coping with the emotional consequences of the fires can call a counseling hotline at (866) 342-6892. The free service provided by the insurance company will be available around the clock for as long as needed.

The Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Cash donations are needed to support efforts to provide emergency shelter for animals displaced by the fires. Contributions can be made through www.spcala.com or by calling (888) SPCALA1. Food supplies also are needed.

New Leash on Life: The animal rescue group needs help caring for evacuated pets at its Newhall facility. The group can be contacted at (661) 255-0097.

Yesterday in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton announced an agenda to help parents balance work and family and ensure that Americans aren’t faced with a choice between keeping their job and caring for a newborn baby.

“Too many Americans feel trapped between being a good parent and being a good worker,” Clinton said. “It’s about time we stopped just talking about family values and started pursuing policies that truly value families. All Americans who are working hard and taking responsibility deserve the chance to do right by their children.

“With sound policies and sensible investments, we can give parents more choices to make the decisions that are best for them. We can make life a little easier for everyone – for mothers and for fathers – to do the most important job there is in any society: raising and nurturing the next generation. And that’s the right decision for all of us.”

Hillary’s plan would set an ambitious goal for all states to implement a paid family leave program by the year 2016, and offer $1 billion per year in grants to encourage innovative paid family leave programs at the state level. Hillary would also extend the Family Medical Leave Act to cover 13 million additional workers across the country, and guarantee every American worker seven days of paid sick leave to help them deal with a health crisis faced by themselves or their children.

Access to quality, affordable child care is critical for parents seeking to fulfill their work and family obligations. With 300,000 children set to lose access to child care by 2010, Hillary’s plan would increase child care funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant and foster public-private partnerships to expand child care options at the state level.

This bold new effort will give families the support they need to more effectively balance work and family obligations. And it will work in partnership with America’s businesses to ensure that pro-family work policies and increasing workplace flexibility helps improve American competitiveness and economic growth.

“Providing paid family leave and flexibility for the employees at Discovery created value for its shareholders and made the employees more loyal to the company. I believe work-life balance initiatives are as much about doing good as doing well, and these initiatives will help America's parents and help grow the bottom line,” said Judith McHale, former president and CEO, Discovery Communications, Inc.

Hillary’s work-family agenda will: Expand paid leave across the country through a new State Family Leave Innovation Fund; Extend the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to cover 13 million additional American workers and guarantee workers at least 7 paid sick days per year; Promote model workplaces with grants to support new workplace flexibility programs and a federal telecommuting initiative; Ensure better access to affordable, high quality child care; and Prevent parents from being discriminated against because of pregnancy or their caregiving responsibilities.

Hillary Clinton issued the following statement in support of the striking members of the United Auto Workers.

“Today, I reaffirm my support and stand in solidarity with the men and women of the UAW who have been forced to strike in defense of their jobs. The decision to strike is never an easy one and negotiations involve the fundamental issues of health security for workers and retirees, fair wages, retirement protection and job security.

“As President, I will continue my efforts to rebuild our manufacturing industry, to provide good jobs with health and retirement security, and to honor the hard work of unions like the UAW.

“We have a shared interest in a healthy and successful US auto industry, and I hope the current dispute can be resolved quickly and equitably for the benefit of the workers and Chrysler.”

Merrimack, New Hampshire – Today, Hillary Clinton laid out innovation policies that will create the jobs of the future, stimulate economic growth, and ensure American leadership in new industries. Hillary’s speech builds on the innovation agenda she announced earlier in the year, which will be critical to creating new, high-wage jobs in our global economy. Innovation is part of the economic blueprint for the 21st Century that Hillary is laying out this week to rebuild America’s middle class.

“Americans are concerned about the global economy – and the policies of this administration have only made matters worse. I believe we need a new beginning to the 21st century, and a new economic blueprint. The core of my plan is creating the high wage jobs of the future – and we’ll do that by restoring our role as the world’s innovation superpower. That’s what America does best. This country was built on innovation,” Clinton said.

“As president, I will lead our nation to create millions of new jobs by investing in clean energy and doubling investments in basic and applied research. I’ll implement a national strategy to bring broadband – and the information economy – to every corner of our country. I’ll improve math and science education, and open up science and engineering to more of our people. And I’ll end the assault on science waged by the Bush Administration.

“As we enter this new world of economic, technological, and social change – our dedication to innovation will be more important than ever. It will be the key to creating new jobs, to harnessing globalization and to rebuilding the road to middle class prosperity.”

America's middle class is under siege and ready for a change. People are working harder and longer for less and less.

Corporate profits are up. CEO pay is up. Wages are lagging. Household debt is soaring. At the same time, health care, energy, and education costs are rising. Last year, more people went bankrupt in our country than graduated from college.

For six long years, it's like America's middle class and working families have been invisible to our president. He's looked right through them.

If you're a worker who can't organize for fair wages and safe working conditions, you're invisible. If you're a grandmother who has watched this administration try to privatize Social Security and dump piles of debt on your grandchildren, you're invisible. If you're a mother who can't afford child care, a kid who can't afford college, a family that can't afford to get by on the minimum wage, you're invisible.

When Hillary is in the White House, no American will be invisible to the president of the United States.

As president, she will work from day one to strengthen and grow our middle class and restore the basic bargain: If you work hard and do your part, you can build a better life for yourself and your family.

Hillary believes Americans have the right to expect fiscal responsibility, discipline, and honesty from their leaders.

As president, Hillary will:

As a senator, Hillary introduced a plan that ties increases in the minimum wage to Congressional pay raises, so that if Congress votes a raise for itself, the minimum wage goes up as well.

Hillary has consistently supported tax relief for middle-class families. She has supported permanently ending the marriage penalty, extending the lower-income tax rates, providing a deduction for college tuition, and providing a refundable child tax credit and adoption tax credit.

She has worked to make college affordable and accessible, fighting to increase the federal Pell Grant, which currently covers just a third of tuition at an average public college. Hillary has also proposed the Student Borrowers Bill of Rights, a comprehensive set of reforms that would eliminate unscrupulous lending practices.

In New York, Hillary championed tax incentives like wage credits for businesses and job creation in upstate New York and elsewhere. She also helped launch economic development initiatives to provide critical resources to small and micro businesses and helped launch a private sector venture called New Jobs for New York that makes venture capital available to New York's innovators.

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Hillary:

"I am honored to receive the endorsement of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).  I want to thank AFT Vice Presidents Nat LaCour and Antonia Cortese, and the 1.4 million members and retireees of this great union who represent teachers; paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; local, state and federal employees; higher education faculty and staff; and nurses and other health care professionals.  Your support and leadership will be invaluable to the success of my campaign.

"I want to especially recognize Ed McElroy for his leadership.  For over 40 years, Ed has been a proud trade unionist and champion for teachers, students, and the basic ideal that all children have the right to a good education.  I am grateful for his efforts, not only on behalf of my campaign, but for his service to America.

"Teachers are on the frontlines of shaping the minds of our next generation.  With every child they teach, teachers help to ensure a brighter future for our country. In welcoming every child through your doors, in giving every child a chance to succeed, it's our public schools and teachers that transform that rhetoric into reality every single day.  Throughout my 35 years of working on education, I've seen the dedication that American teachers demonstrate day in and day out.  That is why as President, I want to be partners with teachers, parents, and administrators to improve our education system.  As President, I am committed to improving and strengthening our public schools, providing support for our teachers, and ensuring our education system is able to meet the needs of the global economy and that we have common sense laws that make that possible.

"In addition, I look forward to working with you to ensure that all Americans have affordable, quality health insurance. My plan will rein in costs, insist on value and quality, and ensure choice in health coverage for every American.

"Working together with you, I will also protect the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively, strengthen the defined benefit pension system, and invest in job creation and worker training.  I will sign the Employee Free Choice Act into law because I believe the right to organize is a fundamental right in this country.

"Expanding opportunity for our children has been my life's work, and it will be the work of my Presidency.  I will keep seeking you out and working in partnership with you to do what's best for our children, best for our educators, and best for the future of our country."

The Clinton Campaign today launched a new television ad in Iowa and New Hampshire, a day after President Bush vetoed bipartisan legislation that would have expanded health care benefits to nearly 4 million additional children across the country. The ad details Hillary’s health care record and demonstrates that she has the strength and experience to deliver quality, affordable health care for every American.

Watch the ad

The new 30-second spot, entitled "Stand By Us," describes Hillary’s efforts to pass universal health care in the 1990s and her perseverance in championing the Children’s Health Insurance Program that now covers more than 6 million kids a year. It also talks about her successful efforts to secure health benefits for 9/11 first responders and our National Guard and Reserve.

A Washington Post/ABC News poll released yesterday shows that 66 percent of Democrats trust Hillary the most on health care policy, far outpacing her rivals for the nomination.

Hillary’s American Health Choices plan unveiled last month would improve quality and lower costs while preserving consumer choices. For those who like their health insurance, they could keep it. For the 47 million uninsured and those who don’t like their health care coverage, they could choose from a range of private plans or a public plan modeled on Medicare. To read more about Hillary’s health care plan, visit www.hillaryclinton.com/healthcare.

Following is the script for the ad:

"Stand By Us"

TV :30

Announcer:

Hillary stood up for universal health care when almost no one else would, and kept standing until six million kids had coverage.

She stood by Ground Zero workers who sacrificed their health after so many sacrificed thei