Posted on 08/13/2005 1:56:53 PM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
Even by the scenic route, past the weathered stone walls and long driveways of some of New York City's wealthiest suburbs, it's only 14 miles from Hillary Rodham Clinton's big colonial in Chappaqua to Jeanine Pirro's modern mansion in Harrison.
The homes are different, but not far apart - a lot like Clinton and Pirro, the leading candidates in the 2006 election for U.S. senator.
Both are forceful, powerful, ambitious women in their mid-50s with husbands who have publicly caused them pain.
Of course, Clinton attracts attention wherever she goes, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is popular around the globe. Pirro is not yet well known even around the state and her husband, Albert Pirro, is a convicted tax evader she is not likely to show off much.
But as Pirro, the district attorney in Westchester County, started her campaign this past week for the Republican nomination to go after Clinton's seat, it became clear that on many issues the two hold identical or similar positions.
"If there are big issues differentiating them, I'll be darned if I can see what they are," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
Both support civil unions but oppose gay marriage, both support the death penalty in some cases, both say it was wrong to let the ban on assault weapons expire and both oppose the procedure known as partial-birth abortion except when the mother's health (Clinton) or life (Pirro) is endangered.
Pirro says she supports the war on terror; Clinton voted in favor of going to war in Iraq.
The similarities prompted one of Pirro's GOP challengers, former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer, to mock up a chart of the issues titled "Liberal Pirro Equals Liberal Hillary."
Carroll called Clinton "a fairly moderate Democrat" and Pirro "a fairly standard Northeast Republican."
"Hillary Clinton owns the loony left but she's not a loony lefty," he said, "and Jeanine Pirro, I doubt that she'd be nominated as a Republican in Mississippi or Alabama."
When Pirro was asked where she differs from Clinton on policy, she said President Bush's tax cuts "need to be made permanent," which Clinton opposes.
The main reason Pirro gave for running is the assertion that Clinton will run for president in 2008.
"That's not going to be enough," said John Marino, a former state Democratic chairman and a Westchester resident. "That's weaker than what they tried in 2000, calling Hillary a carpetbagger."
Michael Edelman, a Republican commentator in Westchester, said voters will see differences in style.
"Jeanine is a lot more sparky, more upbeat," he said. "She comes across as someone who is compassionate, somebody who is on a mission. Hillary is more of a policy wonk, having lived in the White House with her husband."
Yet to be seen is what part the candidates' husbands play in their campaigns.
Despite his White House fling with Monica Lewinsky, Bill Clinton is generally considered an asset to his wife's campaign. He went to bat for her Thursday on CNN, praising her work on New York's economy and health care and her visits to combat zones, and he criticized Pirro for saying the former first lady was using New York as a "doorma" to get back to the White House.
Albert Pirro was convicted of federal tax evasion in 2000 and served 11 months in prison. While he was behind bars, his wife won election to her third term as DA. One of the tax deductions that came up during his trial was for expenses in his unsuccessful battle against a paternity suit.
Remember:
Poll: Clinton Lead Over Pirro Slips
becasue CLinton has doen the opposite of a smart politician, namely built up expectations to unrealistic heights, any slip will be seen as as a possible implosion of her campaign...this is not a smart women...a big egoed one, but not a smart one
This is all they say, yet they trash Pirro's husband for his legal woes. No mention of Clinton's perjury or disbarrment.
No surprise, but still disgusting.
I don't think Pirro had her lover's body dumped in a park.
One big difference: Jeanine Pirro has no ambitions beyond being Senator from a deep-blue liberal state, while Hillary Clinton wants to be an American Elena Ceausescu. That's enough.
Jeanine Pirro is the author of an excellent book, "To Punish and Protect Against a System that Coddles Criminals".
IF she EVER runs for President, Hilary should be asked,
"If elected will she allow her husband to enter or frequent the OVAL OFFICE??"
And Pirro is Not Hillary.
As for Chappaqua Rose's role models, you left out Eva Peron, Lady Macbeth, Winnie Mandela and Chiang Ch'ing :)
"That's not going to be enough," said John Marino, a former state Democratic chairman and a Westchester resident. "That's weaker than what they tried in 2000, calling Hillary a carpetbagger."
"And it's weaker than when they called her a raving lesbian shrew with communist tendencies," he added. "Of course it hardly comes close to their demonstrating she has cloven hooves and 666, the mark of the devil, above her hairline," he guffawed. "Why, they'd have to show she was a lying lesbo communist Evita who would confiscate anything not tied downed to have a chance of branding her a loser from hell", he joked.
It went on this way for quite a while.
I also forgot Imelda Marcos.
Oh..that's excellent!! I heard Pirro on Hannity show and she is like a dream come true. Very, very well-spoken. Says the perfect things, perfectly, and you believe she means them sincerely. Gosh, I'm very excited and believe that if she is not threatened to a degree she would quit for her safety, she'll beat that woman.
Leaving politics aside, the problem with Hitlery is Hitlery herself. The woman is pure evil and by far the most dangerous politician in American history. If Pirro can force Hitlery to drop out of the race "to concentrate on the 2008 presidential race," or if Pirro only loses the race by a few percentage points, then Pirro has shown Hitlery to be vulnerable and that will hurt her chances at being the 2008 'Rat nominee. If Pirro defeats Hitlery, then her political career will effectively be over.
"Look, "moderate" Hillary is indistinguishable from a "moderate" Republican!"
Playing right into her hands.....
Stop there.
Everyone is aware of the Clinton past, it's no longer a factor. Hillary was elected wearing it. Why was she elected, what is she promising NY, what are her weak points, and why the sudden change from negative publicity against Pirro to similar comparisons
Her politics are virtually identical to Republicans like Pirro, a politician backed by many FReepers. Therefore, she gets to claim to be moderate, if not conservative.
I'm not excited about Jeanine Pirro, but she looks good on Fox...and I liked it when she was on the Scott Peterson Trial Fox News panel. (I hear she has nice legs, and that in itself, ranks her above Hillary in my book.)
She and Hillary are both ambitious to a fault. Talk about a cat fight, this one should be vicious!
Both she and Hillary have husbands who have had legal difficulties, and problems with women other than their wives.
Neither share my views on most issues. But I have had contempt for Hillary for so long that, if I were a New Yorker, I would vote for Pirro, and then - like Larry the Cable Guy - ask God to forgive me.
But don't we want to see them both on a podium; Hillary with here ugly clothes, shrill voice, fat legs, lousy hairdo, agressive speaking style, competing with Jeanine - with great legs, good figure, nice hair, agressive speaking style. Hey! It's show biz!!
...and it would give all those poor, underpriveleged, struggling residents of Westchester with low self-esteem a needed ego boost to have two girls from their county (Well, three if you count Martha Stewart.)do good. :o)
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