Hillary Clinton: Future of the Supreme Court a "voting issue"
ELKO, Nevada -- Campaigning in rural Elko County on Monday, Hillary Clinton said that voters should view Republican efforts to block the next Supreme Court nominee as a "voting issue."
"The future of the Supreme Court affects practically anything that you are concerned about," she said, speaking to 350 people gathered at the local middle school. "Women's healthcare, voting rights, worker's rights. I mean, you just go down the list."
Since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday, Clinton has been insistent that President Obama nominate, and the Senate vote on, a replacement.
"I am absolutely adamant that the president, under our Constitution, has a duty to send forth a name to be considered by the Senate," she said in Elko, "and the Senate has a duty to consider that."
Clinton said that she believes Obama will nominate someone who is "sensible" and has a record that the Republicans won't be able to argue with.
"I'm hoping that we get somebody nominated and everybody will say hey, the only reason to block this is pure partisanship, and so do your duty," she said.
Clinton's visit to Elko comes five days before Nevada Democrats will gather to caucus on Saturday morning. Her opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders, is heading into the contest with big win in New Hampshire under his belt and, in hopes of blunting some of his momentum, the Clinton campaign scheduled an extra day of campaigning for her in the northern part of the state.
The vast majority of Nevadans live in Clark County in southern Nevada, home to Las Vegas. Just 11 percent of the population lives in Nevada's 15 rural counties and Elko County, situated in the northeastern corner of the state, is largely white and Republican -- registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by three to one here, according to the Nevada Secretary of State's office.
But there are 91 precinct delegates up for grabs in Elko County and, in a tightening race, delegates from rural counties can become more important. Clinton visited Carson City in late November and, earlier this month, former President Bill Clinton held an organizing event in Pahrump.
Speaking at the middle school on Monday, where students were out for President's Day, Clinton also addressed two issues that one volunteer said she hears about often as she goes door to door in this rural area: guns and federal land rights.
"We've had the Brady Bill since '94," she said on gun rights, growing animated. "I want you to find one person who's had their gun taken away. Just find one for me. I'd be happy to meet that person."
She added: "There is a difference between respecting gun owners and gun owners' constitutional rights to hunt, to collect, to shoot, and going along with the agenda of the gun lobby which represents the gun makers more than they represent the gun owners."
Clinton said recent disputes over federal lands, like the standoff in Oregon that resulted in the arrest of members of the Bundy family, are part of a "fringe movement" with "a lot of anger and rhetoric."
"If all of a sudden, tomorrow, the federal government were to say to all the states where they own land, East Coast to West Coast and Alaska: 'okay, you take care of it,'" she said, "your state and local taxes would skyrocket."
As Clinton worked the rope line, she reminded people to get out and caucus.
"Saturday," she said, repeatedly, as she shook hands and took selfies. "Saturday."