DENVER – Hillary Clinton wasted no time jumping on Republican efforts in Congress to de-fund Planned Parenthood when she spoke to a group of 300 supporters of her 2016 presidential bid packed into La Rumba nightclub on Tuesday.

“I’m really tired of women being shamed and blamed and dismissed,” Clinton said. “When you attack Planned Parenthood, you attack women’s health. And when you attack women’s health, you attack America’s health.”

Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit that provides women free health services, including abortions, has come under fire for how it uses parts of aborted fetuses intended for scientific research.

GOP presidential hopeful Jeb Bush backtracked quickly Tuesday from his statement that he wasn’t sure if America needed a half-billion dollars for women’s health care issues.

Clinton spotted weakness.

“The Bush campaign claims that what Jeb Bush meant to say is we should just de-fund Planned Parenthood, as if that makes it any better,” Clinton said. “Where women go for cancer screenings and all kinds of other preventive health measures.”

Outside of the venue, three hours before Clinton took the stage Debra Kuckkahn, 54, said she hoped Clinton would address the Planned Parenthood issue.

Kuckkahn said she volunteered for President Barack Obama’s Colorado campaigns and imagines what worked for him, a grassroots organization, will work for Clinton.

Grassroots mobilization – a movement not a campaign – was the theme of Tuesday’s intimate, invite-only event.

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, came on before Clinton and pushed the importance of Colorado’s “Super Tuesday” caucus on March 1.

“We need everybody here to go to the caucuses,” DeGette said. “Commit to me to get 10 people to go to their local caucuses, and have each of them get 10 people. … You want Hillary Clinton as your next president? This is how we do it in Colorado.”

The event was in sharp contrast to Clinton’s rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who rallied with almost 5,000 people at Denver University in June.

Standing next to Kuckkahn was Sheila Peterson, 75, who was fired up for Clinton.

“A lot us are here because we think she’s been on the world stage and she has the gravitas to deal with world leaders,” said Peterson, who has worked on campaigns since supporting John F. Kennedy for president.

But after the speech, she said Clinton lacked the charisma that motivated Colorado voters to support Obama.

“What she lacks is that magic that Obama had that comes around every 1,000 years,” Peterson said. “She looked great. She had bright eyes. Those are diamonds, right?”

Linda Stuetz, 40, who stood beside Peterson and Kuckkahn in line, said she was impressed with Clinton’s speech.

“I don’t know if that’s because I was standing for three hours and hurting,” she joked.

Stuetz said she’s never volunteered on a campaign before but was motivated by Clinton. She said “of course” she’ll caucus in March and try and get her colleagues to join her.

“I work for a bunch of die-hard conservatives and I thought maybe this would balance karma a little bit,” she said.

Clinton’s Colorado visit will include private fundraising events in Denver and Aspen.

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Contact Megan Schrader: 286-0644

Twitter @CapitolSchrader

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks to supporters during a campaign rally at La Rumba, a Denver dance club and restaurant, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Brennan Linsley

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks to supporters during a campaign rally at La Rumba, a Denver dance club and restaurant, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015. The rally marks Clinton’s first presidential campaign event in Denver. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Brennan Linsley