Liberal Groups Respond to Hillary Clinton Campaign Launch

Hillary Clinton may not face much of an electoral challenge for the Democratic nomination, but the progressive and populist left is hoping that she will at least have to contend with their ideas.

On Sunday, minutes after Clinton announced her bid for the White House in 2016, Democracy For America, which has partnered with MoveOn.org to try to draft Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren into the race, released a statement urging Clinton to articulate how, exactly, she plans to “stand up to the wealthy and powerful interests” that “dominate our political process.”

Meanwhile, Progressive Change Campaign Committee released a video that begins and ends with Hillary Clinton’s voice, lifted from her 2007 campaign launch: “Let’s start a dialogue about your ideas and mine,” she says.

The video ends with Clinton’s voice from that same launch: “So let the conversation begin,” she says. “I have a feeling it’s going to be very interesting.”

The video is part of the PCCC’s recent “Ready For Boldness” campaign, which calls on state and national leaders to demand that candidates embrace “big, bold, economic-populist ideas,” like affordable college, expanding social security benefits, and breaking up the big banks. The video quotes Sens. Harry Reid of Nevada, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Al Franken of Minnesota and Jeff Merkley of Oregon in support of the idea.

“We hope Hillary Clinton thinks big and takes on powerful interests on behalf of everyday working families,” said PCCC cofounder Adam Green in a statement. “Progressives will continue working to put big, bold, economic populist ideas at the center of the national conversation.”

DFA executive director Charles Chamberlain said that Clinton has earned the respect of progressives “because of her deep commitment to the rights of women and children,” but suggested in a statement that she would have to do more to earn their support in the long run.

“We’re looking forward to hearing more about Secretary Hillary Clinton’s vision for the future of our country and, in particular, how she plans to address our nation’s income inequality crisis and stand up to the wealthy and powerful interests on Wall Street and elsewhere that dominate our political process,” he said.

“There’s no question a lot of progressives feel concerned about Secretary Clinton’s position on these and other issues,” said George Goehl, the executive director of National People’s Action Campaign, in a statement. “They want to know where she stands.”

Read next: Can This Man Beat Hillary in Iowa?