Better Dead Than Pink.
Because of her vote to use force in Iraq, Sen. Clinton was recently handed a "pink slip"-a frilly piece of lingerie-from an enraged group of female war protesters who call themselves "Code Pink," reports the Washington Times. The protesters told Hillary to quit her job because she was not doing enough to oppose military action against Iraq, which is odd because the liberal senator surely agrees with "Code Pink" on nearly every other issue. "Hillary is getting the pink slip," said Medea Benjamin, an organizer from New York, "because she is not representing her constituents. She should get another job." The "ladies" were dressed in pink berets, boats, shawls, scarves, coats and even a bathrobe, and spent the afternoon giving out pink slips to various legislators. The pink lingerie was decorated with anti-war slogans and inked-on pleas such as "Hillary, do the right thing." The women first appeared at Mrs. Clinton's office at 2 p.m., singing, "Hillary, show some spine/We're putting our bodies on the line." One of the ladies yelled, "We'll vote in 2008," alluding to Mrs. Clinton's rumored presidential ambitions. Hillary's staff finally agreed to make their boss available at 4:45 p.m, and Mrs. Clinton then arrived 45 minutes late. She promptly insisted that all reporters leave the room before she addressed the protesters, and explained her reasons for not trusting Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein: "I admire your willingness to speak out on behalf of women and children in Iraq," she said. "The only way to change this is for Saddam Hussein to disarm, and I don't think he will. We are in a very difficult position right now. I'd love to agree with you, but I can't." The lovefest ended when one of the protest leaders tore off her full-length pink slip and presented it to Mrs. Clinton. Hillary then stormed out of the office. "I am the senator from New York," she said, "and I will not put people's security at risk."
Presidential Buzz.
A recent article in the Washington Post describes how Hillary is taking a higher profile as a leading Senate Democrat, assuming a more prominent role in Democratic Party politics, tailoring her image as a "New Democrat," and actively engaging the Democratic base-such as leading civil rights activists in a strategy session to oppose the Miguel Estrada nomination-in a prospective run for the White House in 2008. And according to U.S. News and World Reports' "Washington Whispers," a hot topic in Democratic circles is that if a favorite other than the Rev. Al Sharpton doesn't become obvious by late fall, look for a strong effort to draft Hillary. Rumor has it that the Iowa Democratic Party wants Hillary as the featured speaker at an annual fall event, a possibility that irks Sen. John Kerry. Meanwhile, the Orlando Sentinel interviewed House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) about the 2004 Democratic presidential field. Mrs. Pelosi told the reporter that whoever wins the nomination, "he or she will make us very proud." The question is, is the "she" former Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois, or is it Sen. Clinton of New York, a name riding high in opinion polls but still resting squarely on the sidelines? "I'm saying," Pelosi replied with a playful smile, "I think we haven't seen the whole field."
Family Business.
While Hillary is making plans for a new career in the White House, her other family members are also getting new gigs. Daughter Chelsea, all of 23-years old, landed a lucrative ($100,000) position with the international consulting firm McKinsey in their New York City office. Apparently Chelsea will be leaving England to be closer to her mother and father. Bill, for his part, will be arguing with Bob Dole each Sunday on "60 Minutes." No news yet how their wives, who are both serving in the U.S. Senate, view their husbands' new positions.
Irish Times.
Close aides to Hillary say that she could be headed for another visit to Ulster, probably the same time that she visits London to promote her memoirs in July. She is also trying to fit a brief visit to Belfast into her schedule, in order to meet women's groups, and to see for herself the progress on a number of schemes she helped launch, during her last trip. As First Lady, she received a warm welcome when she and her husband visited in 1995. Sen. Clinton has long been a supporter of the child "PlaySpace" concept, which she launched in Belfast during the same visit. This project is designed to ensure that every child should have the opportunity to play in a non-hostile environment. She has argued passionately that Irish children should be entitled to such facilities, because they had been the "most adversely affected" victims of the Troubles. An aide to Hillary said, "if it's possible, Senator Clinton would love to re-visit Northern Ireland, because she has such fond memories of the many people she met, and continues to communicate with."
