Vote Often.
Hillary has introduced a bill, the "Count Every Vote Act," which allows ex-felons to vote in federal elections and urges that Election Day be made a federal holiday to encourage voting. She appeared with 2004 presidential loser Sen. John Kerry (D.-Mass.), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D.-Calif.) and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D.-Ohio)-who tried to prevent the counting of the Electoral College votes back in January-at a press conference to promote her bill. Referring to the 2004 elections, Hillary said, "Once again we had a federal election that demonstrates we have a long way to go." She also said that her bill is "necessary to make sure our elections meet the highest national standards." Hillary then accused New York GOP Gov. George Pataki of neglecting voting machine reforms in last year's election. Specifically, she claimed Pataki cost the state millions in federal funds by not getting election machinery into compliance with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which was passed in 2002. "I have been quite disappointed by the way the governor has gone about implementing HAVA," Mrs. Clinton said. A prominent New York state Republican noted, "I guess Hillary Clinton is suggesting that when terrorist supporter Lynne Stewart gets out of jail, she should be allowed the right to vote."
2008 Endorsements.
The drumbeat for Hillary for President grows louder. Her husband once again gave his humble opinion that Hillary would be an excellent choice. In an interview with Japan's TV Asahi, former President Clinton said, "I don't know if she'll run or not," and then added, "She would make an excellent President, and I would always try to help her." He continued: "If she did run and she was able to win, she'd make a very, very good President. I think now she's at least as good as I was." Meanwhile, possible 2008 contender Sen. Joe Biden (D.-Del.) told Tim Russert on NBC's "Meet the Press" that Hillary would "be incredibly difficult to beat," and, "I think she is the most difficult obstacle for anyone's being the nominee." Biden also said, "She is likely to be the nominee. She'd be the toughest person and I think Hillary Clinton is able to be elected President of the United States." And as if to add an exclamation point to the latest speculation, a new Zogby Poll found that Sen. Clinton is the top choice among potential Democratic presidential contenders, beating her closest competition, John Kerry, by an impressive 32% to 16%.
Indian Visit.
On her way home from Iraq, Hillary made an appearance in India, where she met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and talked about U.S.-Indian trade and weapons of mass destruction. She noted that even though U.S.-Indian trade may be flourishing, the trade deficit between the two countries, which is overwhelmingly in India's favor, needs to be addressed in order to ensure a more equitable relationship between the two countries. "This, added to the outsourcing debate in my country, could raise questions about the nature of our relations," she said. When it came to nuclear weapons, she noted how India's nuclear aspirations conflict with our non-proliferation wishes. ("We have differences on the nuclear question.") In the end, she said U.S.-Indian relations were on the upswing: "I really believe that there has been a tremendous change in the relationship between India and the U.S. . . . People in Washington can no more ignore India. In fact, they have started to think of new ways in which the two countries can come closer." It was Hillary's third visit to India. (her first two were as First Lady), and her latest trip could only strengthen her image as the Democratic Party's best foreign-policy candidate.
Iraqi Blasts Hillar.
Hillary has received some criticism lately for her comments last week on "Meet the Press" in which she questioned the candidacy of Dr. Ibrahim Jafari for prime minister of Iraq. Specifically, she said she found "grounds both for concern and for . . . vigilance regarding links between Dr. Ibrahim Jafari and Iran, where he spent a decade in exile." However, Jafari, who fled to Iran after Saddam Hussein had members of his party killed, mocked Hillary's remarks as being ill-informed. He said, "Hillary Clinton, as far as I know, does not represent any political decision or the American administration, and I don't know why she said this. She knows nothing about the Iraqi situation." Clinton's office did not respond to requests for comments on Jafari's remarks about her.
