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AP - Sen. Clinton preparing for potential presidential race
Associated Press ^ | Friday, August 16, 2002

Posted on 08/16/2002 9:09:02 PM PDT by HAL9000

WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton has begun building a national political organization, softening her liberal image and taking a lead role in Democratic criticism of President Bush - steps toward a potential campaign to become the first woman president.

Former President Clinton speaks about his wife's run for the presidency as a matter of ``when,'' not ``if,'' say people who have discussed it with him. Several of her associates said she is eyeing 2008 as the year to run.

Sen. Clinton said Friday that she will not break a pledge to complete her six-year term that expires in 2006.

``I have no plans to run for president,'' she said in a telephone interview.

Her actions suggest the former first lady is positioning herself for a history-making race. She has:

- Contributed nearly $600,000 to 73 Democratic candidates across the country through her political action committee and has raised even more money by headlining fund-raisers. She has helped candidates in key presidential states such as Iowa and New Hampshire.

- Defended her husband's presidency against attacks from Republicans while sharpening her criticism of Bush.

- Courted the party's moderate wing with a keynote speech to the centrist Democratic Leadership Council. She has sided with Republicans or centrist Democrats on bankruptcy, welfare and anti-Hollywood legislation.

``It used to be that Democrats came to Washington hoping to work for Ted Kennedy,'' said Donna Brazile, Al Gore's campaign manager. ``Now they want to earn their stripes with Hillary.''

Clinton has miles to go to override criticism by Republicans that she is a liberal Democrat whose major policy initiative - the 1993 universal health care plan - was a political and policy disaster.

``I think it's always hard for somebody with a full record and a range of interests to be portrayed ... in soundbites,'' Clinton said. ``I was the first person in the country to call for teaching testing'' as first lady of Arkansas ``and I took enormous heat for that. I supported welfare reform in the Clinton administration and I took enormous heat for that.''

Several advisers and friends close to Clinton, speaking on condition of anonymity, say she wants a Democrat to win the White House in 2004. If Bush wins re-election, however, she would almost certainly be a candidate four years later, they said.

The sources include a longtime adviser, a close friend and a senior Democrat who have talked to Clinton about her future.

``I don't know who those people are or where they're getting their information from because they've never had a conversation with me they can quote,'' Clinton said. She flatly ruled out even a vice presidential bid in 2004.

Her husband was at a small dinner party in February, in Perth, Australia, when someone asked if Sen. Clinton would run for president. One person described the former president's unhesitating reply, ``Not in 2004,'' as reflexive, confident and leaving the clear impression that his wife had already decided to try in 2008.

It is impossible to characterize Sen. Clinton's intentions with any certainty; the sources close to her could be trying inflate her standing among Democrats or may be caught up in the Clinton-for-president speculation buzzing about the party's grass roots.

The possibility of a historic race is fueling the interest, Clinton said.

``I think that's part of the speculation and wishful thinking, because we all hope a woman will run in our lifetime,'' she said.

At last week's conference of the Democratic National Committee, Clinton's appearance by videotape produced a thunder of applause and polls show she is popular among party activists.

Her political action committee has contributed about $15,000 to New Hampshire candidates in tight races and about $21,000 to those in Iowa - the leadoff states as Democrats choose their presidential candidate every four years.

She attended a fund-raiser in February for Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and helped raise $20,000 at a New York fund-raiser for New Hampshire Gov. Judy Shaheen, who is running for the Senate.

She will open her Washington home Sept. 18 to raise money for Julie Thomas, a congressional candidate from Iowa.

``She's cultivating talent and friends across the country,'' Brazile said. ``Some day, she may want to harvest her crop.''

Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: barfalert; hillaryclinton; presidentrodham
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1 posted on 08/16/2002 9:09:02 PM PDT by HAL9000
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To: HAL9000
What a nightmare scenario.
2 posted on 08/16/2002 9:11:34 PM PDT by Travis McGee
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To: HAL9000
she's getting ready for 2008. If Bush screws up- for 2004.
3 posted on 08/16/2002 9:11:47 PM PDT by StopDemocratsDotCom
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To: HAL9000
I would like to think that if she ran in 2004(or ever for that matter) she would receive maybe a maximum of 15% of the vote but who knows.
4 posted on 08/16/2002 9:13:16 PM PDT by fiftymegaton
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To: Travis McGee
What a nighmare scenario, you say. How about, What hath Rick LAZY I O wrought!!!!
5 posted on 08/16/2002 9:14:36 PM PDT by Theodore R.
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To: fiftymegaton
I don't see what would prevent blue country from going for Hillary plus, whereas Gore couldn't carry Tennessee, you can count on Hillary carrying New York. It is a frightening thought.
6 posted on 08/16/2002 9:16:15 PM PDT by gcruse
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To: HAL9000
MEGA BARF ALERT
7 posted on 08/16/2002 9:17:07 PM PDT by brat
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To: HAL9000
Bubba did real harm to the country. She could put us over the bottom........
8 posted on 08/16/2002 9:17:33 PM PDT by umgud
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To: HAL9000
Well, we can't say we weren't warned. Hopefully FR will still exist in 2007-08 so we can battle this monster.
9 posted on 08/16/2002 9:17:58 PM PDT by Major Matt Mason
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To: HAL9000
Lovely. Just lovely. Hasn't she gotten booed off stage a couple of times?

sparky
10 posted on 08/16/2002 9:19:00 PM PDT by sparkydragon
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To: HAL9000
Whenever I hear things like those spewed in this article, I flush it.
11 posted on 08/16/2002 9:20:50 PM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult
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To: HAL9000
As my daddy used to say, "You can put lipstick on a pig, but she's still a pig."
12 posted on 08/16/2002 9:22:32 PM PDT by Catspaw
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To: HAL9000
`I have no plans to run for president,' she said in a telephone interview.

Sound familiar?? It should. This is EXACTLY what the Bride of Satan said in 1999-2000 with respect to the NY Senate seat.


13 posted on 08/16/2002 9:23:35 PM PDT by TheGrimReaper
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To: Mia T
Ping
14 posted on 08/16/2002 9:26:09 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
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To: HAL9000
``It used to be that Democrats came to Washington hoping to work for Ted Kennedy,'' said Donna Brazile, Al Gore's campaign manager. ``Now they want to earn their stripes with Hillary.''

What more do we need to know about the DemocRATS?

15 posted on 08/16/2002 9:29:38 PM PDT by THX 1138
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To: HAL9000
...said Donna Brazile, Al Gore's campaign manager. ``Now they want to earn their stripes with Hillary.''

I know there's a pic of Hillary floating around here somewhere in a dominatrix outfit with a whip in her hand...or maybe that was Rosie.

16 posted on 08/16/2002 9:31:17 PM PDT by TontoKowalski
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To: HAL9000
Geez--I was already depressed and now this! Maybe it is just positive thinking but I really don't think Hitlary would be elected even if she got the nomination, unless we should have a third party spoiler the likes of which got Bubba elected.
17 posted on 08/16/2002 9:33:37 PM PDT by scholar
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To: HAL9000
"and I took enormous heat for that"

Hahahahahahah.................Yea right!..........hahahahahahaha

The only heat she ever took was tryin to get those papers back to the Rose Law firm withiut it lookin like she ever had them.

18 posted on 08/16/2002 9:33:46 PM PDT by Cold Heat
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To: HAL9000
Lord help us all.

I can't imagine her getting elected, but then I couldn't imagine Slick Willie getting re-elected in '96.

19 posted on 08/16/2002 9:37:22 PM PDT by Bubba_Leroy
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To: fiftymegaton; HAL9000
Underestimating Hillary = President Hillary. Guaranteed.
20 posted on 08/16/2002 9:37:50 PM PDT by Guillermo
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