More 2008 Speculation.
Michael Barone, co-author of the Almanac of American Politics, recently wrote in the Wall Street Journal that "There is not much mystery about the political ambition or political strategy of Hillary Rodham Clinton. She wants to be President." After all, that’s why she ran for N.Y. Senate, as a stepping stone to the presidency. But according to Barone, the Democratic Party may not want to hitch its wagons to her proverbial star. Why? Because although "polling suggests she is in a strong position to win the Democratic nomination, as a general-election candidate, she is less than a sure thing." Barone noted how Hillary’s name recognition is 100%, but there is a significant majority of Americans-60%-who, if you believe recent polls, do not want a President Hillary Rodham Clinton. This remarkable number reflects the fact that the former First Lady "remains one of the most polarizing figures ever in American politics." Besides her high unfavorability ratings, another reason Dems may not want her to run in 2008 is her husband’s myriad scandals, although reporter Bob Novak recently wrote that Living History may well serve to inoculate Hillary from future questions about her husband’s affairs and impeachment, many Democrats may not want to bank on that.
Hillary Writes Again.
Living History isn’t the only thing Hillary has been writing these days. After author Fredric Alan Maxwell wrote a recent column in the New York Times Magazine about his experience of being investigated by the Secret Service, Hillary sent him a handwritten fan letter. Maxwell’s article related how the agency was concerned about an unfriendly remark about President Bush that Maxwell was overheard making in a bar. While he was being interrogated by agents, Maxwell wrote, he commented that he had been to a White House news conference and that "Hillary looks far better in person." Hillary was flattered, and wrote: "Dear Mr. Maxwell: I vouched for you with the Secret Service-Anyone who thinks I look better in person is a true patriot, albeit myopic. In any event, don’t let this experience deter you from speaking up and out. We need to keep our sense of humor during this Orwellian time. All the best, Hillary Rodham Clinton." Maxwell subsequently put Hillary’s letter on E-Bay, where he is asking $1,000 for it.
Hill Too Conservative?
The New York Times recently ran a lengthy article on how New York’s junior senator is "taking fire" from the Left as well as from the Right. The article was not written by fiction reporter Jayson Blair. According to the Times, the core Democratic (read: liberal) constituencies that helped Mrs. Clinton win her Senate seat in New York two and a half years ago are expressing deep disappointment in her, saying she has been unwilling to challenge President Bush and Republican leaders in Congress on important issues. The disappointed groups include homosexual advocates, antiwar organizers and advocates for giving children and the poor federal funds. Pundits say Hillary is merely modeling herself on her husband, who was also criticized for appearing to abandon the Democratic Party’s liberal base to win larger political appeal, i.e., the presidency. Hillary’s aides, on the other hand, say her decisions are not part of any calculated effort to win over a wider constituency outside New York, but only reflect positions she has held since her days as First Lady. Of course, even if these liberal groups are crying now over Hillary, this doesn’t mean they wouldn’t support her for President in 2004 or 2008, or even for Senate re-election in 2006. As Philip Friedman, a Democratic operative in New York, said, the criticism is "not going to mean anything. Democrats love the Clintons, and that’s why her husband was able to get away with going off the reservation now and then."
Double Standard.
The mass media hysteria over Hillary’s book has distracted attention away from a couple of potentially embarrassing recent news events: Her pals Martha Stewart and Sam Waksal are getting indicted, convicted and sentenced for securities fraud violations. Readers of "Hillary Watch" may remember that Sen. Clinton received significant political donations (over $60,000) from ImClone founder Waksal-who is now serving seven years in a federal penitentiary. And Stewart is a staunch Democrat supporter who has donated $115,000 to the Democrats, including Hillary, over the last three years. Stewart was recently indicted on insider trading charges relating to her friendship with Waksal. In the end, many political junkies are noting the striking contrast between how Stewart and Waskal have been treated by the legal system and the media, while Hillary got a free pass from both when it was revealed she had made a quick $100,000 from a $1,000 investment in cattle futures.
