Hillary Clinton's appearance at Iowa steak fry fuels presidential bid speculation

WASHINGTON -- Hillary Rodham Clinton will return to the political circuit next month by headlining Sen. Tom Harkin's annual steak fry in Indianola, Iowa, the former secretary of state's most public campaign-style venture since she helped Barack Obama win the presidency in 2008.

Harkin, a Democrat who is retiring next January after five Senate terms, has turned the end-of-summer steak fry into a proving ground for presidential candidates in advance of his home state's first-in-the nation caucuses every four years.

Clinton's appearance at the Sept. 14 event, confirmed by spokesman Nick Merrill, will fuel speculation that she will seek the presidency in 2016 after serving four years as Obama's top diplomat and publishing a memoir.

The early front-runner for the Democratic nomination and the leader in head-to-head match-ups with prospective Republican candidates, Clinton has said she is considering whether to run.

The steak fry is just one in a string of fundraisers she is planning before the November midterm congressional elections, including appearances for the Democratic National Committee and a joint event in San Francisco with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

"We're thrilled and grateful that she is lending her support to our shared goal of electing a Democratic House of Representatives," said committee chairman Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington).

Since she lost the 2008 Democratic nomination to Obama, Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have worked to expand their political network.

Bill Clinton also is scheduled to attend the steak fry. He has campaigned for Democratic candidates, including Obama, in the 2010, 2012 and 2014 elections.

Both Clintons have developed ties to business leaders and potential donors through her job at State and their foundation. And Hillary Clinton sent notes, called candidates and checked up on the state of campaigns while she served in Obama's cabinet.

"I couldn't be happier than to share this special day with two such close friends," Harkin said.