Then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton stands with Vice President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. As Hillary Rodham Clinton’s supporters urge her to run for president in 2016, the former first lady/senator/secretary of state made her first public appearance since leaving government on Tuesday. Many Democrats see Clinton as the party’s early front-runner, and some want her to signal her interest soon to lock down donors and supporters. Fueling the 2016 chatter: Vice President Joe Biden, another possible candidate, spoke at the same awards ceremony.WASHINGTON – Hillary Rodham Clinton stayed on safe political ground Tuesday, advocating women’s rights globally in a 12-minute speech, but that was enough to excite fans imploring the former first lady, senator and secretary of state to run again for president three years from now.
Clinton, perhaps as popular as ever in her 22 years in national politics, said she has “unwavering faith in the untapped potential of women and girls.” She spoke at the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards, at Washington’s Kennedy Center. The event, highlighting efforts such as expanding education for girls and fighting domestic violence worldwide, marked her first public speech since ending her much-praised stint as secretary of state.
As members of the group Ready for Hillary cheered outside, the 2016 political buzz was inevitable. Vice President Joe Biden – another potential Democratic candidate – spoke later at the same event.
If Clinton has any jealousy, she didn’t show it. She praised Biden effusively, especially for his role in Congress’ recent renewal of the Violence Against Women Act.
Biden returned the compliment a half-hour later, after Clinton had left the stage, telling the mostly female audience of more than 2,000 that “there’s no woman like Hillary Clinton.”