Shaheen Endorses Clinton for President in Portsmouth

NH press pool for Hillary Clinton visit Sept. 5, 2015, by Dan Tuohy.

During her remarks at her “Women for Hillary” kickoff in front of Portsmouth Middle School, Clinton spoke of the importance of American workers and collective bargaining rights. Rally speakers mentioned Clinton’s line delivered 20 years ago at the UN World Conference on Women in Beijing, China: “Human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights, once and for all.”

Sticking with the focus on women, Portsmouth businesswoman Mary Jo Brown was one of the speakers at the event. Former NH House Speaker Terie Norelli, who attended the UN conference in China, introduced several women elected leaders.

Clinton noted New Hampshire has a history of women leadership, including a previous all-female congressional delegation. The NH Supreme Court’s Chief Justice is currently a woman.

“Voices from the Heart,” a women’s chorus based in Portsmouth, performed before the rally.

Clinton was also endorsed by U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH.

After the rally, Clinton stopped by RiverRun Bookstore on Fleet Street in Portsmouth, greeted Tom Holbrook, the owner, and talked with his 7-year-old daughter, Flannery. Holbrook presented Clinton with a copy of “A Great Day in Portsmouth,” which his daughter wrote and self-published.

The owner and Clinton briefly discussed new releases on a table, including “Circling the Sun” by Paula McLain, “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr, and “The Nature of the Beast” by Louise Penny.

Holbrook said he had met Clinton before, in 1996, when he was working as a bookseller in Michigan. Clinton, then First Lady, had recently published, “It Takes A Village.”

Clinton chatted with customers and posed for pictures, including with a couple of Saint Anselm College students. She also talked with Elle Shaheen, the granddaughter of Shaheen and the daughter of Portsmouth City Councilor Stefany Shaheen, about her book, “Elle & Coach.” The dog is a medic-alert canine, who is trained to alert Elle to her diabetes condition..

Clinton left the book shop and walked along the Fleet Street sidewalks, where crowds had gathered to say hello, shake her hand, and pose for “selfies.”

There was limited room to hear any of the brief exchanges between Clinton and pedestrians. She received a couple of well-wisher shout-outs. One man in the back of the pack remarked that her hair looked great.