Klobuchar convention events raise her national profile
CHARLOTTE, N.C. --DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar is in Charlotte this week encouraging delegates to the Democratic National Convention to work hard to re-elect President Obama. Klobuchar is scheduled to visit seven state delegations this week to speak on behalf of Obama.
At an Iowa breakfast gathering this morning, Klobuchar said Obama is best suited to lead the country for another four years. She also said Republican Mitt Romney is not prepared to be president.
"Do we really want to put a guy in the White House who on his first trip as a candidate to London, his first trip internationally?," Klobuchar asked the audience. "Before he even puts two feet on the ground, he puts one foot in his mouth and creates an international incident and pisses off our ally at the Olympics? This just doesn't make sense to me. Do you know what we call that in Minnesota? We call it a Mitt-stake."
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Some political bloggers say Klobuchar's speeches before delegates from early primary and caucus states indicate she might be interested in a run for president in 2016. During her Iowa speech, she focused on the Farm Bill, talked about her background and joked about Minnesota's proximity to Iowa.
"I can see Iowa from my front porch," she joked.
After the speech, Klobuchar downplayed any political ambitions, saying she likes her current job.
"It's our neighboring state of Iowa," Klobuchar said in an interview. "I think every Minnesotan has a relative in Iowa or a friend in Iowa. So if you'd ask them what states would Amy speak at, I don't think they surprised that Wisconsin and Iowa would be on the list."
Klobuchar is up for re-election in November against Republican Kurt Bills.
Here is Klobuchar's speech to the Iowa delegates: