In Iowa TV Ad, Hillary Battles Bush, Not Obama

“You know, if you’re a family that is struggling, and you don’t have health care, well you are invisible to this president. If you’re a single mom trying to find affordable child care so you can go to work, well, you’re invisible too. And I never thought I would see that our soldiers who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan would be treated as though they were invisible as well. Americans from all walks of life across our country may be invisible to this president, but they’re not invisible to me, and they won’t be invisible to the next president of the United States. I’m Hillary Clinton, and I approve this message.”

Mrs. Clinton may be running in the wide-open Democratic primary battle, but this commercial leaves the impression that she is running against President Bush — which she is, to a degree. As a leading Democratic candidate, rather than attacking or elevating her Democratic rivals at this stage, she is trying to score points off an unpopular incumbent president and outline her priorities in broad strokes.