Actions Raise Specter of Hillary Clinton Presidential Run
URL:http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,96072,00.html
Saturday, August 30, 2003
NEW YORK — New York Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton (search) has repeatedly said that she is not running for president in 2004, but recent activities suggest the thought has crossed the former first lady's mind.
OAS_AD('Middle');
On Tuesday, Clinton blasted the Bush administration, saying that New Yorkers were misled when the Environmental Protection Agency (search) told them after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that the air was safe to breathe. Clinton's claim is based on a report released last week by the EPA inspector general that concluded that the press releases issued by the EPA after the attack were not supported by facts known at the time.The report says an unnamed White House official made changes in EPA's press releases that "added reassuring statements and deleted cautionary statements.""I am hoping that because we are talking about health and safety ... that somebody in the White House will make the right decision to give us the information that I am seeking about who was actually in the loop to order the EPA to give misleading information," Clinton said on the steps of New York City's City Hall."We need to try and get the facts and given the history of this administration their inclination would be not to share that information," she added.The Environmental Protection Agency and others deny the White House tried to control the agency or censor it communications after Sept. 11."To say that the White House somehow controlled the EPA or prevented us from saying anything that we wanted to say is not true. The EPA got the message and the data out," said EPA acting administrator Marianne Horinko.Clinton and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, a 2004 presidential candidate, have written to President Bush asking him to investigate the matter, and she and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., have called for a congressional inquiry to investigate the EPA's response to the World Trade Center attacks.Clinton's attack comes as music to the ears of Democrats who hope to hear Clinton express interest in a taking on Bush in 2004. Few expect Clinton to enter the race, but the speculation underscores what Democrats already fear: Bush would beat any of the current candidates, and Democrats still need a standard-bearer who looks more capable of beating the president. Clinton generally polls better than the nine prospective candidates, but still behind Bush.Clinton's fund-raisers and staff have not taken any steps to quell Democrats' hopes, instead moving in ways that keep talk of a run in mind. Clinton was scheduled to attend a series of Senate fund-raisers over the weekend, and sources familiar with her fund-raising team say next month's meeting will have presidential politics on the agenda.Her staff has not said what her plans are yet, but Clinton could end up visiting Iowa, home of the first-in-the-nation caucus, in the fall. Staff has also posted on her campaign Web site several e-mail messages from supporters encouraging her to run.On Friday, Clinton said she definitely is not running next year."I am absolutely ruling it out," she said during a visit to the State Fair in Syracuse.If Clinton were to run, she faces several obstacles.For one, as long as Bush remains strong, Clinton will not want to risk being the loser in next year's race."If 2004 looks like a loser for the Democrats — and I think it still does — she would be demented to go in," said Maurice Carroll, head of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute (search).On top of that, Clinton's favorable and unfavorable are about even and she stands as a reminder of her husband's administration, wonderful to some, anathema to others.And perhaps less significant, but an undeniable part of running for president, are the political accusations tossed about by candidates. On Tuesday, Clinton blasted the Bush administration for interfering at EPA."I know a little bit about how White Houses work," she said. "I know somebody picked up a phone, somebody got on a computer, somebody sent an e-mail, somebody called for a meeting, somebody in that White House probably under instructions from somebody further up the chain told the E.P.A.: 'Don't tell the people of New York the truth.' And I want to know who that is."The report in question does not conclude whether the outdoor air around the World Trade Center after Sept. 11 was safe to breathe, but rather states that the issue "may not be settled for years to come."In addition, the inspector general said the report found that "the EPA staff did a commendable job reacting to this unprecedented disaster."But the senator's comments have Clinton foes already recalling the Clintons' years in the White House."Hillary Clinton, like her husband, both have said, 'We know what goes on in the White House, we've been there. We know how things work.' So I think it's very telling she assumes right off the bat that there is a cover up," said Republican strategist Cheri Jacobus.Fox News' Todd Connor and Carl Cameron and The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
