One Man, One Vote.
It may be remembered that Sen. Clinton led a successful effort in January 2003 to get an extension of unemployment benefits. When the Senate missed passing another extension of unemployment insurance benefits by only one vote, Hillary expressed her deep disappointment. She blamed President Bush, urging him to "show strong leadership on this issue and do the right thing for our workers and for the economy by pushing more members of his party to support this measure," and accused the GOP of "playing politics" with the issue. However, if presidential aspirant John Kerry - the man Hillary supposedly wants to win the White House - had only come back to the Senate instead of attending a campaign appearance in Kentucky, the measure would have garnered the last vote and passed.
Election Year Olympics.
Hillary is very excited that New York has been selected as a finalist on the list of possible sites for the 2012 Olympics. Said Hill: "This is certainly a great time to be a New Yorker and I am so proud that the city has come so far in the selection process." Her ecstasy may have been multiplied by the International Olympic Committee's decision last week to allow transsexuals to compete in the games, since there is no press release in her archives celebrating the decision several years ago of the Republican Party to hold its 2004 convention in New York City.
Campaign Stops.
Hillary continues to make appearances on the campaign and fundraising trail. She joined Illinois Democratic Senate hopeful Barack Obama at a fundraiser in Chicago hosted by a homosexual group, where she was keynote speaker. Next week, Arizona Democrats are hoping to rake in between $750,000 and $1 million at a Democratic Party affair, where tickets run from between $200 to $10,000 for a VIP package. The Democrats' big rainmaker will next go to Philadelphia to headline a fundraiser for Pennsylvania Senate candidate Joe Hoeffel. Hillary says that "Joe is exactly the kind of forward-thinking, fiscally responsible Democrat we need to help us change the course in Washington." She also appeared at New York State's Democratic Convention in Manhattan, where the Dems were renominating the state's senior senator, Chuck Schumer. There she told the delegates that "if by some fluke this administration is elected for four more years, we will not recognize our country," and that President Bush's policies are the result of "the most radical right-wing agenda" within the last couple of generations.
2006 or Bust.
In a recent interview on an Albany radio station, Hillary insisted she has no interest in being John Kerry's Vice-President. She also said that it is time for a female President and that she hopes to see that happen in her lifetime. When she was questioned whether she might run for President some day, she replied, "I'm not thinking about that right now. All I'm thinking about is electing John Kerry." She did come out and say she "sure intends to" run for Senate re-election in 2006, because she is "loving my job and I really hope I can continue to have the privilege of serving the people of New York." When she was asked whether she thought former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani would run against her in two years, she said, "That's way above my pay grade."
One of the Guys.
When Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee, he received a dressing-down from Hillary. She started off by telling Wolfowitz that "you come before this committee...having seriously undermined your credibility," referring to his earlier predictions about how Iraqi oil revenues would cover reconstruction costs in Iraq and his projections on needed U.S. military levels in Iraq. According to Newsday, Hillary is becoming more active in the committee, "doing her homework and attending hearings." Committee aides say that Sen. Clinton just wants to be "an equal among many," and it appears she is getting her wish. "She doesn't act like she's any different from the rest of them," said a top aide to a Republican on the panel. "They don't treat her any differently."
