'No. I've said no, no, no'

NY Daily News ^ | Mon Dec 8 | JAMES GORDON MEEK

[presidio9]

WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Clinton launched a triple-network attack on President Bush yesterday while at the same time insisting she doesn't want his job.

For now.

"No, no. I've said no. I've said no, no, no, no," the New York Democrat told NBC's "Meet the Press," when asked if she would accept her party's nomination in 2004.

But no matter how many times she said no, the questions kept landing as Clinton made the rounds to ABC and CBS.

Clinton and her aides have publicly denied for months that she will make a bid for 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in 2004 - even though some supporters have insisted that her options are still open.

Fueling the continued speculation is the dismal performance of the current crew of Democrats running for President when matched against the former First Lady in the polls.

"I think that that's very flattering and I appreciate the support that Democrats are showing for me," Clinton told NBC. "I'm going to try to use that base of support to help elect a Democratic President."

In a new twist, ABC "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos, a former top aide to President Bill Clinton, asked the senator to imagine a nominee begging her to join the ticket as veep.

"That is not going to happen, George," Clinton said. "That is so far out of ... the realm of the possible."

"That is not a no! It could happen!" Stephanopoulos chirped.

Clinton gave a similar answer to NBC in response to a fictional scenario in which the front-runner falters, prompting moderator Tim Russert to quip, "I think the door is opening a bit, senator."

"Oh, no, it's not," a beaming Clinton shot back, practically bouncing out of her seat. "The door is shut."

And yet the Democrats' top fundraiser gave her party only 50-50 odds of beating Bush, leaving open to speculation that her longer-term strategy is aimed at a 2008 run, when there might not be an incumbent.

"Right now, I am focused on my job," Clinton said. "And I'm trying to do the best job I can for my constituents."

New York's junior senator has helped stir the pot about her White House ambitions with, among other things, her best-selling memoir, "Living History," which she hawked on a nationwide publicity jaunt.

She also has delivered increasingly incendiary political speeches aimed at Bush's policies, and ramped up her rhetoric after returning recently from Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Iraq (news - web sites).

Clinton said she remains concerned that Team Bush's Iraq exit strategy - officially ending the U.S. occupation by June - is timed to boost the President's chances in next year's election.

But White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card told "Fox News Sunday" that Clinton was "clearly mistaken. ... What drives our policy in Iraq: the Iraqi people, and their needs and the desire for greater security." Originally published on December 8, 2003

[weegee]

Hillary is a lying liar. She has also said that she was named after Sir Edmund Hillary (while she was visiting New Zealand, playing up to the locals).

This action has been proven completely false (and yet biased-left Snopes hedges and notes that while she "said" it she's still not a proven liar because her mother may have lied to her).

What's one more lie? She can call her next book (after her second time as co-president) "Lying Hillbilly II".

[ArmstedFragg]

I've said no, no, no, no

Note the use of the past tense.

[arasina]

"Right now, I am focused on my job," Clinton said. "And I'm trying to do the best job I can for my constituents."

By hopping around the country on a booksigning tour with Secret Service agents protection paid by American* taxpayers?(*includes New York as of this date)

[expatpat]

Or a convenient plane crash, or multiple-shot suicide.