Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a Democratic presidential front-runner, reiterated her call for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
"We've got to restore our leadership in the world. That starts with bringing our troops home from Iraq. We need to do that as quickly and responsibly as we can," she told about 300 people at King Drew Magnet School in Willowbrook, Los Angeles.
"We've got a lot of work to do," said Clinton, who is in California to raise funds for her presidential campaign.
President George W. Bush has repeatedly rejected calls to withdraw U.S. forces in Iraq, claiming that withdrawing from Iraq could lead to attacks on the U.S., create a larger war and a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and put a key part of the world's energy supply under the control of extremists.
Clinton was joined at the event by basketball legend turned entrepreneur Magic Johnson, who hosted a fundraiser for her campaign tonight at his home near Beverly Hills.
The fundraiser was also hosted by record producer Quincy Jones, Motown founder Berry Gordy and music industry executive Clarence Avant.
On the eve of Clinton's Southern California campaign trip, the eight-member California Legislative Black Caucus announced its endorsement of Senator Barack Obama.
"It's imperative that we choose the candidate who is committed to addressing the disparity gaps that exist in our communities," Assemblywoman Karen Bass, the caucus' vice chair, said Thursday.
"We believe that Senator Obama is that person and we will work together to galvanize the black community to be a part of the political process by getting involved in it. He is the only candidate that can unite people to get things done."
Clinton is endorsed by one of the caucus' members, Assemblyman Sandre Swanson, a Democrat from Oakland, who has praised her as having "a proven record of accomplishments."
Clinton is continuing to reduce Obama's lead among black Democrats in California, according to a series of polls by Survey USA.
Obama led Clinton 66 percent-27 percent among black California Democrats in a poll released May 7, but the lead had shrunk to 52 percent-43 percent in a poll released Monday.
In contrast to the California figures, Clinton led Obama 43 percent-32 percent among black Democrats in the early primary state of South Carolina, according to a Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll conducted this month.
Source: Xinhua
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