Adviser Fired. One of Hillary’s campaign advisers was fired after the New York Post reported she made disparaging remarks about her fellow New Yorkers who were killed on Sept. 11, 2001. The adviser was Gia Medeiros, an expert on corporate teen marketing, who “worked on a project that has been concluded; she will not be doing any additional work for us,” according to campaign spokeswoman Ann Lewis.
The Post reported that Medeiros told a group in Colorado shortly after the terrorist attacks that not all of those killed were good people. “All of those people who died that day, those folks who we’ve heard toasted as angels and heroes and martyrs, well, they weren’t all good people. I used to live in New York. I know it,” she said. “One friend of a friend had a husband who died. When I asked about their relationship, my friend said, ‘Terrible. He worked too much, drank too much, was never home with her or the kids.’ They don’t say that in the obituaries,” said Medeiros.
Hillary’s campaign insisted that it was unaware of her “inexplicable comments and strongly disagree with them.” “The people who died on 9/11 were loving family members who are missed every day, and Sen. Clinton continues to work with their families to honor their memory,” said Lewis. Medeiros was paid $73,462 by Hillary’s campaign.
Good Numbers. Several polls have come out recently predicting good things for Hillary’s future prospects. A Zogby poll has Hillary routing Jeanine Pirro 57% to 34%, Ed Cox 60% to 33%, and John Spencer 60% to 30% in potential 2006 Senate campaigns. The Zogby results also indicated Hillary has solid approval (58%) and favorable (64%) ratings. A Marist survey showed that more than 52% of New Yorkers said they would definitely vote to re-elect Hillary, even with the assumption she will run for President in 2008. (Only 37% of respondents believe Clinton should formally pledge to serve out her Senate term instead of seeking higher office.) Meanwhile, 32% of New Yorkers said they are certain to vote against the Democratic senator. However, only 40% want her to run for the White House, and 53% said she shouldn’t.
Where’s the Cash? It appears that raising money to take on Hillary in 2006 may not be as easy as it was in 2000, when she first ran for the Senate. Cox says, “In 2000, it was very knee-jerk. … It’s now, ‘What have you got to offer against her.’ The dislike is still there, but the people out there were disappointed once,” he explained. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that Pirro is saying that her fund-raising ability shouldn’t be judged by a required campaign filing due next month, which can’t be a good thing. “You really can’t have a test in four weeks,” said Pirro, who officially announced only a month ago. The dearth of cash for these potential challengers does not bode well for their chances, especially as Hillary had more than $12 million in the bank as of the end of June.
No to Puerto Rico. Hillary recently canceled a trip to Puerto Rico amid fears of widespread violence. Although no reasons were specifically offered, the murder of Puerto Rican nationalist Ojeda Rios in an FBI shoot-out is the likely cause. His death has generated “rancor and rage,” and led to serious concerns that there could be a resurgence of pro-independence violence. Clinton was to have addressed the chamber of commerce in the southern city of Ponce, spokesman Philippe Reines said. He did not return calls and e-mails about why his boss canceled.
