Hillary Clinton visits San Francisco, raising money for campaign

SAN FRANCISCO - Hillary Clinton stopped to drink tea with Mayor Ed Lee in San Francisco's Chinatown, taking a break between two fundraising events Wednesday that will support her primary campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Donors paid $2,700 per person to see Hillary Clinton. Some people said that Clinton comes across as a different candidate than in her last presidential bid in 2008 against then-Senator Barack Obama.

Some donors said they came away from the fundraisers inspired and energized. That included some Democrats who say they voted for President Obama last time.

At the Red Blossom Tea Company, Clinton greeted the owner and sat down with Mayor Lee for a lesson on traditional brewing and a taste of green tea.

"We're excited to give it a try," Clinton told the owner Alice, as a crowd gathered outside the store.

Vanessa Marquez of Tulare told KTVU, "I hope she is a good president one day."

Clinton started the day with a fundraiser that drew more than 100 donors to San Francisco's Seacliff neighborhood for an event hosted by environmentalist Tom Steyer.

"It was really big, a lot of people there and all of them really cared. It was a very enthusiastic crowd," said grassroots activist Alec Bash.

Protestors of the Keystone oil pipeline saw an opportunity to get their message across with signs calling Clinton to action.

"She hasn't made specific climate policy promises, so it's really a question we want to know, do you stand with us? Are you the climate leader that we need?" said Valerie Love from the Center for Biological Diversity who was among the demonstrators.

Clinton arrived at the Century Club for the second fundraiser, where her close friend Susie Tompkins Buell, the founder of Esprit clothing, hosted a second event.

Wanda Holland Greene of San Francisco performed the opening song and agreed to sing a few phrases for KTVU as she left the event Wednesday.

"People get ready, there's a train coming," she sang, "It's picking up passengers from coast to coast."

Many attendees said they are fully on board with Hillary's campaign, including some who favored President Obama over Hillary Clinton in 2008, such as Kathy Barry of Berkeley.

"She was real. She's talking about absolutely the critical issues that we need to have addressed such as immigration education," Barry said.

"I like the idea of having a lady being a president," said Lilly Varon, a San Francisco fourth grader.

Clinton, as a former First Lady, Secretary of State and New York Senator is a political veteran.

"She has grown in ways from 8 years ago, her tone, her tenor, what she's talking about. She is going to be the greatest President this country has ever had, bar none," said Susan Lowenberg of San Francisco as she left the Century Club event.

Clinton still is facing at least one Democratic challenger in longtime Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.