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Former President Clinton Launches Iowa Bus Tour For Hillary Clinton

Clay Masters/IPR
Former President Clinton at Simpson College in Indianola today

Former President Bill Clinton kicked off a bus tour in Iowa today, encouraging voters to vote early for his wife, Hillary Clinton. Early voting began in the state last month.

The rally at Simpson College began with U.S. Agriculture Secretary and Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack listing Midwest Republicans who have distanced themselves from their presidential nominee.

“There are senators from Nebraska and from South Dakota that have disavowed Donald Trump but unfortunately and tragically not the senators from Iowa,” he said.

In his remarks, President Bill Clinton didn’t mention Donald Trump by name, but made reference to him.

“You can’t run a country if we can only trust or identify somebody that’s just like us,” Clinton said.

He told the couple hundred people gathered that the country needs to be more inclusive.

“I do not believe we can deal with episodic terrorism at home or the challenges we face around the world if we don’t embrace all the hard working incredibly contributing Muslim Americans who love freedom and hate terror,” he said.  “We need them. They need to be part of our America.”

Clinton’s bus trip also scheduled a stop in Waterloo today. He’ll hold rallies in Mount Vernon and Davenport tomorrow.

So far in Iowa, Democrats have requested the most absentee ballots, followed by Republicans. So-called “no-party” voters have requested the fewest absentee ballots.

Clay Masters is the senior politics reporter for MPR News.