CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) – Campaigning this week in Iowa, Hillary Rodham Clinton didn’t make a formal speech. She answered questions from reporters, but only for five minutes. Pressed by a moderator at her own event to say where she stood on a trade pact that’s dividing her party, she steered clear.
It was exactly the kind of trip that has infuriated Republicans, who argue Clinton is dodging tough issues. Some Democrats have also started publicly prodding Clinton to pick a side on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
Still, Clinton’s team is stubbornly sticking to plans for a low-key start to her second presidential campaign. The consistent approach suggests a level of discipline that was lacking when Clinton sought the White House in 2008 and struggled with campaign infighting over strategy.