Clinton saved her harshest criticism for President Bush’s tax policy, saying that in light of the costs of the war on terrorism, she thinks “it does not make sense” to go ahead with tax cuts that were passed before Sept. 11.
Clinton said she believes the devastation of the terrorist attacks left Americans with a greater sense of responsibility as citizens of a democracy.
She concluded by acknowledging that although political change takes a long time to occur, involvement in the political process can still be very rewarding.
“Half the joy is being in it and seeing how much you can contribute,” she said.
The audience generally responded positively to Clinton’s speech, frequently applauding and giving her a standing ovation when she finished.
“I thought Hillary was geniune, intellectual, and thoughtful,” said Sonia H. Kastner ’03, president of the Harvard College Democrats. “I liked that she encouraged public service and campaigining.”
“Today being six months since Sept. 11, it was a pretty solemn day and I think she captured that really well in her speech,” said Adam S. Levine ’05.
—Staff writer Anat Maytal can be reached at maytal@fas.harvard.edu.