Clinton on Iowa caucus day: A "bit scarred up," but still standing
Hillary Clinton said Monday she is "pumped up and enthusiastic" about her campaign heading into the Iowa caucuses, adding that the results of the first test of the 2016 presidential nominating contests will come down to "who turns out."
This past weekend, Clinton said her campaign knocked on 125,000 doors across Iowa. She touted her battle-tested experience to make her case.
"I'm a little bit scarred up, but I'm still standing and I think that kind of experience will really do me well in this campaign. And I believe that I'm the Democrat who can make sure we keep the White House in the right hands going forward," Clinton said on "CBS This Morning."
The latest Bloomberg Politics/The Des Moines Register Iowa poll showed Clinton leading Sanders by three points, which is within the survey's margin of error. Clinton has 45 percent of the vote among likely caucus goers in Iowa, while Sanders has 42 percent.
Clinton has been under scrutiny for her use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state. In the most recent emails released by the State Department, 22 messages were censored and deemed top secret. Sanders' latest campaign ad suggested Clinton's email controversy rendered her unelectable.
"The Sanders campaign has gotten more negative and more personal, which I regret because I thought we were running a really good campaign based on the issues, what we would do and how we would do it," Clinton said in response to the ad.
The ad also suggested she was in Wall Street's pocket.
"Look, anybody who knows me knows I'm not in the pocket of anyone, and anyone who thinks they could influence me certainly doesn't know me," Clinton said. "But what I do think is interesting is, I've laid out the most comprehensive, toughest, effective plan to make sure Wall Street never wrecks Main Street again -- don't take my word for it -- that's what Paul Krugman and Barney Frank and others have said."
Clinton said she doesn't want to overpromise, but she's going to continue talking about issues that matter to voters and deliver.
"I've been telling people the weather forecasts say that the blizzard won't get here until after the caucuses, so don't be deterred," Clinton said. "We really do want everybody to come out and to be part of this because this comes only once. The people of Iowa get the unique opportunity before anybody in the world to decide who they think should be the next president and commander-in-chief. And I'm urging everybody who wants to go and caucus for me and stand up for me to please do so, so that I can stand up and fight for them through the campaign and into the White House."
Next up in the candidates' campaign trail is New Hampshire, with the primaries on Tuesday, Feb. 9. Clinton said she plans to head immediately over the Granite State Monday night after votes are tallied in Iowa.
"I'm going to campaign hard in New Hampshire. I know that usually New Hampshire votes for a neighbor, and [Sanders is] their neighbor, so I get that. But I think I have the better plans, I think I have the better understanding of what it will take to beat the Republicans," Clinton said, alluding to the fact that Sanders is from Vermont.