Book Her. A new book is being written about the life of Hillary Rodham Clinton by author and biographer Edward Klein, a former reporter for the New York Times. Klein has written extensively on the Kennedys, including All Too Human: The Love Story of Jack and Jackie; Just Jackie: Her Private Years; Farewell Jackie: A Portrait of Her Final Days; and The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years. According to sources, Klein's new book will not portray Hillary in the most flattering light: "He doesn't care for the Clintons, and he is digging up some new dirt on them," said one insider, and readers should expect chapters on Hillary's disgraced Rose Law Firm partner Web Hubbell, the Vince Foster suicide, and her mysterious association with sitcom savant Susan Thomases. Klein's book will be published next fall by Sentinel, an imprint of the Penguin Group.
Germans Love Hillary. Hillary has been named the 2004 winner of the "German Media Prize" for being "a political ideal" for women around the world. The honor is awarded annually by leading German newspaper, magazine and TV editors to public figures. Hillary will travel to the German spa town of Baden-Baden on Feb. 13, 2005, to personally pick up her prize. "She stands up for women's rights in an exemplary way and embodies??¢â???¬ ¦the hope for stronger representation of women in politics," said the prize jury, which also noted that, "Hillary Rodham Clinton is one of the great female political figures of this decade." Hillary now joins her husband, Nelson Mandela and Yasser Arafat as former winners of the award.
Women Against Hillary. Hillary was greeted recently at an appearance she made by women protesting her refusal to back their call for an immediate American pullout from Iraq. Hillary the Hawk said that an immediate withdrawal was not possible and that, in fact, she was happy the number of American troops in Iraq was being increased. However, she did take the time to blast the administration: "There's a lot of deep concern about the policies the administration has followed and their incompetence at executing any effective plan to either provide the equipment and protection that our troops need or a strategy that will be successful with a minimum loss of American and Iraqi life."
Legislative Success. A bill Hillary introduced with Republican Sen. Conrad Burn (R.-Mont.) passed the Senate before they left for winter break. Her bill will enable police and fire departments to save lives by pinpointing the location of someone dialing 911 on a cell phone. It also authorizes $1.2 billion over five years to help pay for sophisticated computer mapping systems nationwide that will allow emergency dispatch centers to determine the longitude and latitude of cell phone callers. Hillary started pushing this legislation after several high-profile tragedies in New York, including the drowning deaths of four boys in January 2003 in Long Island Sound. Although Clinton's bill authorizes federal funds, the money still must be allocated by the House and Senate appropriations committees over the next five years. "There's so much broad support for improving the 911 system that I'm confident the money will be given out," she said.
2006 and 2008 News. The Hindustan Times reports, "Sen. Hillary Clinton has chosen an Indian American and several other long-time advisers as part of her inner team to gear up for her 2006 re-election bid. Neera Tanden, who joined the Democrat from New York last year as her legislative director, worked in former President Bill Clinton's White House and with Hillary Clinton in various capacities for many years." Meanwhile, a recent Rasmussen poll shows that if the next presidential election were held today, 46% of voters would vote for a generic Republican candidate over Hillary, who garnered 39% of voters' support. Sen. Clinton also holds a surprisingly narrow 45% to 42% lead among women, but trails by a resounding 17% among men. Forty-five per cent of voters have a favorable opinion of Sen. Clinton while 42% have an unfavorable opinion, and a remarkable 87% of voters have an opinion about the former First Lady.
