Hil won't squelch chatter on '08 bid

Hil won't squelch chatter on '08 bid
New York Daily News ^| 11/05/04 | MAGGIE HABERMAN

Sen. Hillary Clinton refused to squelch talk yesterday about whether she has her eyes on the White House after John Kerry's loss made her the Democrats' insta-front-runner for 2008.

"Oh, I'm having the best time being the senator from New York," was all Clinton would say in her first appearance since Election Day when asked by reporters if she would be the new standard-bearer for the Democratic Party.

Clinton spoke hours after her colleague, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) - who is often overshadowed by the former First Lady - called her the front-runner for '08. While pundits say her chances to run for President herself would have virtually disappeared with a Kerry victory, her allies say she's not thinking about that.

She said yesterday she was "disappointed" by the loss.

"I worked hard for Sen. Kerry," said Clinton, who visited several states for Kerry in the final week, although Team Kerry had been reluctant to tap her earlier because of her spotlight-stealing star power.

"He ran a strong campaign," she said at Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, where she arrived more than an hour late to introduce a lecture there.

"He fell a little short, but it was a tremendous effort. I'm looking forward to having him back in the Senate, and we'll continue to work together," she said, adding that she was "pleased" that Bush said he plans to reach out to Dems.

"In a second term I would hope that the President and his team would be more willing to listen to people with different ideas and different points of view, and to forge some common ground," she said.



President Bush's win had Democrats scrambling to fix their damaged party. It also had political watchers gearing up for a potential rematch between Clinton and Rudy Giuliani.

Giuliani ran against Clinton briefly for Senate in 2000, but he dropped out after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. But since Sept. 11, 2001, made him a national star, he's considered by many the best man to beat her in 2008.

Giuliani, whose name has surfaced as a potential candidate for U.S. attorney general in Bush's next term, made no public appearances yesterday. His spokeswoman said he's happy with the job he has running his consulting firm.

Clinton, one of her party's biggest stars, is up for reelection in 2006, and Republicans have made unseating her a priority, in part to cripple any potential presidential run by her. That has sparked speculation that she could be challenged by Gov. Pataki, or even Giuliani.

No rest for the weary..it's time to git started on Hitlery's defeat in '06,which will make gittin her defeated in '08,just that much easier.

hilary clinton should actually love george bush, since bush is quite the little socialist. every liberal welfare socialist program clinton had, bush only expanded and funded even more.

you like to ignore that, but it's true. democrats should love george bush.

to anyone who thinks Bush is bad...just imagine Hillary as commander and chief.......i just might have to move to Canada if that happens

i agree, she is horrible. but i would vote for her before i voted for arnold in 2008. at least she was born here, and we know she's evil.

jesse ventura is runing in 08

No point in trying to prevent her from running Torog...shes gonna lose anyway. The American people in their subconscious mind are not gonna vote for a women, or at least I believe so. But...people could say the same about a Austrian president...so lets see what happens.. BTW... I CAN VOTE IN THE NEXT ELECTION!

republicans must be worried about hillary there alredy spreading propganda against her and bush hasnt even been sworn in for his second term yet.

to torog hey man,,i wasnt even thinking,,i am going to send you out a pipe,,i still have your po box,,,i sent out seven already,,hope you enjoy,,did you get pen yet,,????it takes 4 days to come here from san antonio,when my friend the roughnecker(old) sends me postcards,,,,i sent it out monday,,and i havent been arrested yet,,so ,,it hasnt been intercepted,,but it is only a pen,,,holds maybe 2 joints,,3 joints,,i sent out a pipe today with my weed in it,,to canada,,,,fuck it,,it takes a notice to be notice,,the cause man,,,the cause,,,,,Jack