Posted on 03/24/2005 7:19:24 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
Will Hillary Clinton snare the Democratic presidential bid in 2008?
Washington insider and Niles native Jack Strayer doesn't think so.
Speaking at the annual dinner meeting Wednesday night of the Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce, the federal lobbyist pointed out Americans seldom elect U.S. senators directly into the White House.
What's more, he said, Clinton "has a ball and chain,'' in the form of former President Clinton, and a political bent that rubs many Democrats the wrong way.
"Hillary Clinton is way too conservative for the current Democratic constituency,'' he said.
A frequent guest on such programs as CNN's "Prime Time News" and
"Inside Politics," Strayer predicted the Democratic nod will go instead to New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. He guessed the Republican candidate will be Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
The nationally recognized expert on free market health reforms also told the record Chamber crowd of nearly 200 at the Niles Elks Lodge that Social Security is in trouble and needs to be fixed.
"There are 40 million senior citizens -- within 20 years, there will be 77 million -- and we'll only have a 10 percent increase in workers,'' he said. "Senior citizens have a right to be concerned.''
He echoed President Bush's call for health savings accounts, which were known as medical savings accounts when Strayer lobbied on their behalf during Clinton's administration.
"It's fun to be associated with something that will actually reduce the cost of health care,'' he said.
He also provided a quick synopsis of his job in Washington.
"I have to take what really smart people say and be able to explain it to members of Congress,'' he said, offering apologies to the staff of U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph.
Strayer got his start in Washington managing the campaign of former Congressman David Stockman. Upton was an aide of the Stevensville Republican, who became President Reagan's first budget director.
Wednesday's event saw the presentation of a half dozen awards. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to 101-year-old Ethan Shelton, the founder of Shelton's Farm Market on South 11th Street.
When Shelton started the business in 1947, it was nothing more than a roadside fruit and vegetable stand. Today, it employs 90 people and services such restaurants as Applebee's, Chili's and Papa Vino's in Mishawaka.
Receiving the Community Service Award was the Niles Haunted House Scream Park and Children's Fun House. In the last five years, the Haunted House has paid out nearly $500,000 to organizations throughout Michiana.
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nice try...
Uh huh... it's all part of Hillary's plan. First, it was she's "too moderate". Then it's she's "too conservative, the Dem's won't nominate her". Then the Dem's nominate her and it'll be "the Dems are moving back to the right"... which is exactly what the historically undecided "moderates" want to hear.
Does THIS sound like a "conservative"?
"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Rodham Clinton June 2004
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/06/28/politics2238EDT0845.DTL
This is just to help her retain her Senate seat, so she can use it as the springboard.
She doesn't want to appear to be running for '08 when she goes into the '06 relection bid.
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