In day of crisis, Clinton rivals offer support
The hostage situation at Hillary Clinton's campaign office in Rochester, N.H., cast a pall over the Democratic presidential campaign yesterday, muting political differences and unifying rivals in support of Clinton and her staff.
Clinton said that in the tense hours before the hostages fled to safety and their captor was arrested, she had spoken to the families of the campaign volunteers and staffers who were taken captive.
"Talking to the families was probably the hardest part for me, because obviously it's something that every parent can relate to," Clinton told reporters outside her home in Washington, D.C., last evening, just before flying to New Hampshire to see her staff and thank law enforcement officials.
"I'm relieved to have this situation end so peacefully," Clinton said. "It's been a very difficult day personally and emotionally."
Clinton's campaign ground to a halt for much of yesterday, as she shut offices in Iowa and New Hampshire and canceled a speech before the Democratic National Committee in Vienna, Va. Her husband, Bill Clinton, also canceled his public events.
"Everything stopped, and it had to, because we had nothing on our minds but the safety of these young people who work for me," Clinton said, without indicating when the offices would reopen.
Though the suspect demanded to talk to Clinton, police said they quickly decided for tactical reasons not to involve her or her staff in negotiations. Clinton declined to discuss the crime, but she praised the courage of the hostages and offered a tribute to the young volunteers and staff members who she said leave family members, postpone school, and move across the country to work on all presidential campaigns.
"I'm so grateful for them every single day," Clinton said.
As news of the hostage-taking spread, candidates from across the political spectrum put aside rivalries. Democrat Barack Obama, who has been trading sharp barbs with the New York senator, called Clinton to offer support.
Republican Mitt Romney, who has also been taking shots at Clinton, asked his staff to lock all his field offices and be on alert for suspicious individuals. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those involved in the situation in New Hampshire," Romney said in a statement early in the day.
Democrats at the Virginia meeting applauded when an emotional Dennis Kucinich, another Clinton rival, offered his support. "We're in solidarity with Hillary at this moment, when we think of what she's going through and what her staff is going through," Kucinich said.
Another Democratic presidential hopeful, Senator Joe Biden, said he had been driving from his home in Wilmington, Del., when he heard about the hostage-taking. "I'm sure, like everyone here, I pray to God that it all works out right," Biden said early in the day.
Once the standoff was over, Democrat John Edwards released a statement expressing relief that no one was hurt and paying tribute to the dedication of campaign staff. "While we may support different candidates, each and every one of us are united by a belief that together, we can make our country the best it can be," Edwards said.
Michael Levenson can be reached at mlevenson@globe.com. 