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TIME Politics 2016 Election Hillary Clinton Praises George W. Bush and the Art of Compromise Yana PaskovaGetty Images Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks on stage during a ceremony to induct her into the Irish America Hall of Fame on March 16, 2015 in New York City. The former Secretary of State avoided her email controversy in one of her last speeches before she is expected to announce her presidential bid

Hillary Clinton took respite from the swirling controversy over her email use as Secretary of State during an address at a summer camp conference on Thursday, where she criticized the bipartisan divide in Washington and touted her own ability to work across the party aisle.

Weve lost the essential role of relationship-building and consensus-building, Clinton told the crowd gathered in an Atlantic City, New Jersey convention center. When I was in the Senate, I realized that I might be opposed to someones bill today, and working with that person tomorrow.

I did a lot of reaching across the aisle working with people who had a lot of political differences with me, she said.

Clinton recalled the days after 9/11 when as a Senator from New York, she lobbied President George W. Bush in the Oval Office for aid to New York. President Bush looked at us and said, What do you need? And I said, We need $20 billion to rebuild New York Mr. President. And he said, You got it. I will never forget that, Clinton recalled.

If you dont build relationships with people and all you do is show up to argue and show up to point fingers, you cant get anything done, she continued.

Clintons remarks were not only a critique of the prevailing deadlock in Washington but also a dig at hardline Republicans and President Obama, who many critics have argued has been largely unable to rein in divides in the Capitol.

The people who claim proudly never to compromise should not be in the Congress of the United States, because I dont think I or anybody have all the answers. I think we can actually learn things from each other I think we have to start listening, she said.

The candidates ability to ameliorate divides in Washington will likely be a key theme of the race, as hopefuls appeal to an American public weary of partisan gridlock in the Capitol. Clinton is set to announce her all-but-certain bid for president next month.

In her 30-minute speech and the subsequent question-and answer session, Clinton did not address the ongoing controversy over her use of personal email during her time as Secretary of State, when she sent work-related emails from her own account. Republicans have sharply criticized the likely candidate for taking over a year to turn over work-related emails, and for deleting over 30,000 emails she deemed personal. She has not spoken on the issue since a press conference at the United Nations last week.

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Hillary Clinton Praises George W. Bush and the Art of Compromise