Hillary (& Bill) Clinton

excerpts from the Iowa Daily Report

official draft Hillary website:

March 2003

… The Iowa Electronic Market (IEM) is open for business – with a goal of predicting the eventual Democratic presidential nominee. The 2004 US Democratic National Convention Market, operated by the University of Iowa Henry B. Tippie College of Business in Iowa City, is described as “a real-money futures market where contract payoffs will be determined by the outcome of the 2004 Democratic National Convention.” The market – www.biz.uiowa.edu/iem/markets/DConv04.html - has a history of being a fairly reliable predictor of the eventual winners in the presidential derby and is open to traders worldwide. Interesting note: Hillary Clinton is among the candidates listed. ( 3/3/2003)

… Biden, Hillary, Edwards, Kerry, Lieberman – voted the party line yesterday in opposing cloture motion to cut off filibuster on the judicial nomination of Miguel Estrada. That’s not surprising, but Iowa Pres Watch wanted to get it on the record. (Only one senator missed the vote – Dem candidate Graham, who’s recovering from surgery.) (3/7/2003)

…Bad news for the Dem aspirants if Hillary runs. The Quinnipiac poll says she would get 37% in the Democrat field with Gephardt a distant second 13%, Lieberman 12% and Kerry at 8%. Without Hillary, Lieberman gets 21%, Gephardt 17%, Kerry 12%, Edwards 8%. Moseley (No Hyphen) Braun 7%, Graham 6%, Sharpton 5%, Dean 4% and Kucinich 2%. (3/7/2003)

…In this week’s U. S. News & World Report, Paul Bedard reports in “Washington Whispers” column Sharpton’s strong showing in polls is scaring Dems to the point that the draft Hillary movement may pick up steam. Bedard reports Sharpton “could actually score big in, of all places, the South.” He adds: “If a favorite other than Sharpton doesn’t become obvious by late fall, look for a strong effort to draft Sen. Hillary Clinton. The Iowa Democratic Party is already thinking that. We hear it wants Clinton as the featured speaker at an annual fall dinner – an invite that’s irked Sen. John Kerry.” (3/12/2003)

… Hillary, Edwards and Lieberman voted for a provision to make contraceptives more available as Senate Dems continued efforts to whittle away at the “partial abortion” bill. Kerry did not vote on the amendment. Graham and Biden – both recovering from recent surgeries – were absent. The vote was 49-47. (3/13/2003)

… Only two announced Dem presidential candidates – Lieberman and Graham, who just returned to the Senate on Wednesday after surgery – showed for the Senate partial-birth abortion final vote. They, along with Hillary, joined 30 others in opposing the partial-birth ban. With a 64-33 (64 supporters included 48 GOPs, 16 Dems) vote, only three senators AWOL – Biden, Edwards, Kerry. (3/14/2003)

… Hillary continues to overshadow Dem field. CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll also shows she would get 28% if in the field – but without her Gephardt (20%) leads Kerry (16%) and Lieberman (15%). Call them the Big Three – or Big Four if Hillary’s included – because best any of the other Dem wannabes can do is 8%. (3/18/2003)

… Four senator-candidates – Edwards, Graham, Kerry, Lieberman -- were on deck and voted against the latest cloture motion to end filibuster of the Estrada judicial nomination. Edwards, was AWOL for the votes. Also opposing the effort to proceed with debate on nomination – potential presidential draftee Hillary and prospective candidate Biden. The motion was approved 55-45 – with four Dem sens joining GOP – but needed 60 to end filibuster. (3/20/2003)

… The U. S. senators seeking Dem nomination further reinforced their anti-taxpayer credentials Friday by supporting efforts to reduce the proposed tax cut from $726 million to $350 million. The amendment (to the 2004 budget resolution) was defeated on a 62-38 margin with the four announced Dems – Edwards, Graham, Kerry, Lieberman – supporting it. Prospective Dem candidate Biden also voted for it, but Grassley, Harkin and Hillary joined 59 other senators to defeat the effort. (Iowa Presidential Watch, 3/23/2003)

… Gore supporters do everybody a favor – highlight poll numbers indicating Gore is “still the strongest challenger” against GWB, but he’d still lose if election held now and besides he’s not even running. (Iowa Pres Watch Note: So, where does that leave the other Dem wannabes?)  DraftGore.com – slogan: “Now More Than Ever” – says mid-March Zogby International poll shows Bush would get 51% with Gore at 42% and, “All other Democrats lag behind Bush by 12 points or more.” The 1,129 respondents were “asked to indicate a preference between George Bush and each of several likely Democratic contenders.” Gore was preferred over Bush by 42% of respondents, followed by Hillary Clinton (39%), Richard Gephardt and Joe Lieberman (38%), John Kerry (36%) and John Edwards (32%). In addition, DraftGore.com said: Gore also “enjoys the greatest support” among Democratic voters (74%), followed by Clinton (70%), Gephardt (70%) and Kerry (65%) (3/26/2003)

… From yesterday: Chuck Muth’s News & Views – “Leading Senate Democrats from Hillary Clinton to John Edwards to Joe Lieberman have been squealing like stuck hogs that the president hasn’t been providing enough money to the nation’s first responders. For example, a Clinton flak charged that when it comes to money for first-responders, ‘the money’s not there, and it’s not flowing.’ But as you know, facts can be rather inconvenient things. The Hill reported on Wednesday that ‘state and localities have failed to spend nearly two-thirds of the federal money available to them.’ Go figure. For example, Hillary’s New York ‘has received almost $26 million in first-responder grants but spent none of the money’ in 2002. Edwards’ North Carolina was allocated $12.3 million, but only spent $2 million of it. And Joey Lieberman’s Connecticut only cashed in $2.2 million of the $7 million it was awarded. Why does anybody believe anything that any Democrat ever says on any issue any longer?” (3/28/2003)

… U. S. News reports conservatives plan to finally start fighting Hillary. The newsmagazine reports situations such as the joint televised appearance with Hillary and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay won’t be repeated because Republicans believe Hillary is using them to appear more moderate than she really is as she prepares for a 2008 – if not 2004 – presidential run. U. S. News quotes a top GOP leadership aide as saying: “All we’re doing is helping to soften her lefty image. She needs us to get moderates if she runs for president in 2008.” (3/30/2003)

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