Fundraising trip by Clinton irks some veterans

PORTLAND — Sen. Hillary Clinton's fundraising trip to Portland today is under fire from some Democratic veterans, who say she is siphoning away money that could go to local candidates.

The group, which includes Jim Rassmann, the Florence, Ore., veteran who hit the campaign trail with John Kerry in 2004 to speak about how Kerry saved his life in Vietnam, have issued a letter denouncing the former first lady's support for the Iraq war.

"As Oregon veterans and members of military families," the letter says, "we are concerned with your fundraising trip to Oregon on two counts: your strong support for the immoral war in Iraq and your plan to take Oregon donations that are needed elsewhere."

Oregon Democratic Chairman Jim Edmunson acknowledged that the event will suck up money that could have gone to local candidates, and said the state party tried without success to arrange a joint fundraiser that would benefit both Clinton and Oregon Democratic candidates.

Clinton's re-election campaign declined a request from The Oregonian newspaper to respond to the letter. But a campaign spokeswoman noted that Clinton, who may run for president in 2008, has been one of the nation's biggest fundraisers for other Democratic candidates.

Tickets for tonight's reception at the Portland Hilton are $50 a person and $1,000 for those attending a smaller reception where they can have their picture taken with the senator.

Vietnam veteran John Calhoun, a Portland Democrat who gathered signatures from 31 fellow veterans and one mother of a veteran for the letter to Clinton, said some Democrats think the New York senator has not distanced herself from her initial support of the war.

He also said Clinton doesn't need the money from Oregon for her re-election campaign, which had nearly $14 million in the bank at last report and no strong opponent.

Calhoun and Rassmann were Kerry supporters in 2004, but Calhoun said the letter was not aimed at helping Kerry, who has said he may run again in 2008.

Clinton has criticized Bush's handling of the war and said Congress would not have authorized force "based on what we now know." But she has not joined such prominent Democrats as Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., in calling for an early withdrawal of troops.