Clinton Talks About the Race

ABC News Eloise Harper Reports: After receiving some criticism from her top Democratic rivals that she is running as though the she has won the nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton D-N.Y., responded to the charges speaking to reporters Des Moines, Iowa.

"I feel like I get up every day and run as hard as I can imagine, I like to feel as though I am running ten or twenty points behind. I try to reach out and earn the support of as many Iowans as possible," said Clinton D-N.Y.

The former first lady was asked if she considers herself the frontrunner, and she intently responded "No," and that "I consider myself someone who is working as hard as I can every day to earn the support of Iowans. That’s what I am going to keep doing. I am well aware that no one has voted and no one has caucused we have a long way to go before that happens. I don’t take anything for granted and I’m going to keep working as hard as I possible can to earn the support of people in Iowa."

After expressing humility, Senator Clinton did point out later in the news conference her position on where things stand today in the race. "I am very pleased that I am doing so well in the country and that I have opened up some real distance with the republican nominees at this point in the campaign. That I have by far the greatest number of endorsements from colleagues that are from red states big states small states all kinds of states."

Clinton also addressed the most recent fundraising controversy involving New York Chinatown donations, as reported first by the Los Angeles Times. The paper reported that it had studied the cases of more than 150 donors linked to the Chinatown event and that many of the donors could not be found, or did not hold jobs that would support these types of donations.

The campaign returned the $7,000 associated to the Chinatown fundraiser, which occurred last spring, because the donors were deemed suspect.

The money, according to the campaign, was returned immediately when found to be suspicious. Clinton responded today saying "with respect to that one event, there were more than 250 people there. My campaign reviewed any of the contributors we have returned money, new things come to light and we will continue to do that."

Clinton was asked if she would take nuclear options off the table concerning Iran, Clinton said "I don’t take anything off the table, on the table. I think we have to focus on the administration which we have right now which is in need of being reined in." Clinton also addressed the recent comments by President Bush that the continuation of Iran’s nuclear program could lead to World War III. There is "a lot of the talk we have heard out of the White House has been very bellicose, a recent reference to World War III so I think we need to make it clear that this president does not have that authority and as long as I am in the Senate I try to prevent him from getting that authority."