(AP) — Taking a detour from New Hampshire's campaign trail, Hillary Clinton said Sunday that a water crisis in a Michigan city was "immoral" and demanded that Congress approve $200 million in emergency aid to address the community's battle with lead-contaminated water.
The Democratic presidential hopeful made a quick visit to Flint, an unusual stop for a candidate trailing in polls against rival Bernie Sanders in the first primary state.
Clinton said she was making a "personal commitment" to help Flint in a message delivered not only to the congregants at a local Baptist church but also a more heavily-minority electorate in Southern contests that could help her build a foundation for a delegate-by-delegate drive toward the nomination.
The chair of the Michigan Republican Party, Ronna Romney McDaniel, accused Clinton of using Flint families as "political pawns" and said the visit was a "calculated campaign tactic — an attempt to grab headlines by a struggling campaign."
In recent days, she has used the state as a testing ground for new campaign messages targeted at specific groups, with pledges to break "the highest and hardest glass ceiling" and promising young voters that she would "be for them" even if they support Sanders.
Sanders' backers believe that as African-Americans learn more about the Vermont senator, they will warm to his liberal message, pointing to a endorsement this week by former NAACP President Ben Jealous.
