congress stepping up colon cancer good for bmra First Lady Proud of Clinton's Record
By SANDRA SOBIERAJ
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (Sept. 11) - Five times, Hillary Rodham Clinton used the word ''proud'' to describe her feelings for her husband's public record. She made no allusion to his personal behavior or the embarrassing public dissection of the Monica Lewinsky affair.
''Day after day, I've seen his determination - his unrelenting determination - to do what is best for America,'' the first lady told party enthusiasts at a Democratic fund-raiser Thursday night.
Perfectly executing what friends called her stick-to-business strategy for coping, the first lady made two public appearances on the eve of Congress' public release of Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr's massive report on President Clinton's relationship with the young White House intern.
The president and Mrs. Clinton, their arms linked around each other's waists, walked into the Democratic Business Council fund-raiser to a hearty and sustained ovation.
Their daughter, Chelsea, is back at Stanford University. She returned to school and a special sophomore seminar last week while her parents were overseas.
In introducing her husband Thursday night, Mrs. Clinton lauded the Democrats' achievements since he took office in 1993 and said none of it would have been possible without him at the helm.
''I'm very proud of the person I'm privileged to introduce. I'm proud of his leadership. I'm proud of his commitment. I'm proud of what he gives our country - and all of us every day - by his commitment. And I'm proud to introduce my husband and our president,'' she said.
Clinton paused in his seat, then rose to hug his wife, who leaned stiffly into him and gave him a few crisp pats on the back.
While the president continues to openly address his personal and political crisis, Mrs. Clinton is determined to keep the matter private, aides said.
Before some 300 invited guests in the East Room earlier Thursday, the first lady pressed her crusade to boost colon cancer testing, treatment and research - with not one word about Starr's 36 crates of evidence locked in storage on Capitol Hill.
One friend called it denial.
''Sitting up in the Congress right now are proposals from this administration that would substantially increase the amounts of money they're spending on cancer research,'' Mrs. Clinton said.
''Let's pull together. Let's make this crusade successful,'' she told researchers, physicians and cancer survivors.
A friend, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Mrs. Clinton believes the best way to survive the furor is to ''ignore it, continue putting the message out on issues.''
Her spokeswoman, Marsha Berry, said the first lady has no plans to offer any more public thoughts on the Lewinsky matter than the Aug. 18 statement she issued to say she's ''committed to her marriage and loves her husband.''
Mrs. Clinton ''thinks that's all she needs to do and the rest, to her, is private,'' Berry said. |
