Book Blues.
According to the Drudge Report, executives at Simon and Schuster are dismayed over Hillary's failure to turn in a completed manuscript for her book, which is due out in August. Sen. Clinton has already received a $2.85 million cash advance on her memoirs, part of a total deal valued at more than $8 million. One of the publishing company's sources told Drudge that "We must be off to the printer next month, but the manuscript isn't in yet! Advance sales are lagging. And there is no title. Without a title it's been difficult to market." Meanwhile, her husband's $12-million book deal has also seemingly hit a roadblock. A source close to Hillary says, "In all fairness, she has been preoccupied with serving New York during these challenging times... [But] the writing is wonderful, touching, and will lift Hillary to a new level of respect." In addition, Robert Barnett, an attorney who negotiated both of the Clinton book deals, told the New York Post that "Sen. Clinton book is totally on schedule," and Simon & Schuster president Jack Romanos says that "There's certainly no truth" to Drudge's claim. Despite the protestations of Hillary's friends, most of those in the book publishing business agree that the book is, in fact, behind schedule since review copies of most August releases have been sent out already. Radio personality Rush Limbaugh's theory is that Hillary is waiting to see how the situation in Iraq turns out, so that she can tailor her memoirs and her actions to better coincide with history.
Fighting SARS.
The Senate recently approved an amendment by Sen. Clinton to provide $16 million to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to augment its efforts on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). "While New York City, with its busy international airports and large population, may be expected to be a natural target of the virus, SARS is being reported in numerous counties in upstate New York as well," said Hill.
Money Builders.
Newly released fund-raising documents show that a "Who's Who" of New York real estate moguls poured cash into Hillary's campaign war chest in the second half of 2002. Among the donors to the senator was developer Larry Silverstein, the leaseholder of the World Trade Center site, whose family gave Mrs. Clinton $6,000. Other real estate figures signing checks toward the $209,000 raised by Hillary between July and December included the Rudin family, $11,000; Donald and Barbara Zucker, $4,000; George Kaufman, $1,000, and Mary Ann Tighe of CB Richard Ellis, $500. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an accident in which a plane flew into an industrial building and killed six people, including Anthony Fisher, 52, a friend of Hillary who also was a senior partner at the prominent real estate firm Fisher Brothers.
Suffrage Trail.
Hillary joined efforts with Rep. Louise Slaughter (D.), also from New York, to introduce legislation that would create an auto trail and draw public attention to the history of the women's suffrage movement in Upstate New York. Sen. Clinton called her plan for the trail to be "a fitting tribute to this critical period in our state and our nation's history and to the people whose strength and clarity of vision led us on the important journey to equal rights." The plan will cost $250,000 a year for five years to have the National Park Service come up with a guidebook, signs, exhibits and educational programs at the historical sites.
Poll Watching.
Although Hillary may be outshining her fellow New York senator, Chuck Schumer (D.), in the media limelight, she is not doing so well among actual New Yorkers. According to the latest Zogby poll, Hillary's favorable rating among New Yorkers is 47%, compared to 51% for Sen. Schumer. The poll also showed that 29% of New Yorkers said they have a "very favorable" opinion of Sen. Clinton, but 33% said they have a "very unfavorable" opinion of her; while 23% said they have a "very favorable" opinion of Sen. Schumer, and only 17% said they have a "very unfavorable" opinion of him.
