« Previous Entry | Main | Next Entry »

Posted: September 24, 2007 3:24 PM
Clinton's Sunday Talk Circuit Complete with Grisham Interview
Email This

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., sat down with mystery writer John Grisham for a fund-raiser in Charlottesville, Va. on Sunday after making her rounds on five morning talk shows.

The two chatted onstage at the historic Paramount Theatre, on topics that ranged from baseball to health care. Clinton revealed her familial ties to Grisham (he is a distant cousin to former President Clinton), and joked that if elected, she would be happy to appoint the author to a foreign ambassadorship. Clinton defended herself against accusations that she became a Yankees fan only after becoming a New York senator, noting her mother’s efforts to dig up a childhood photo of Hillary in Yankees gear. Coincidentally, the Washington Post gave front-page coverage Sunday to Dorothy Rodham and her relationship with her daughter, lived largely out of the spotlight.

Clinton reportedly drew the loudest applause for her comments on the universal health care plan she unveiled last week. When Grisham warned, “That’s your issue. You can’t let anyone trump you on this,” Clinton replied, “I won’t.” In interviews aired earlier that morning, Clinton discussed her health care plan, as well as Iraq, the Norman Hsu fund-raising scandal and MoveOn.org’s controversial ad about Army Gen. David Petraeus.

The audience got the opportunity to pose questions, too. In response to a public schoolteacher’s question about how Clinton planned to deal with over-testing students, the senator said, “No Child Left Behind has not done what many of us hoped it would do.” She attributed some positive changes to the law, but concluded, “It is in large part an underfunded mandate.” Clinton is expected to lay out her plan for education reform in coming weeks, in addition to addressing energy policy.

In a light moment, Clinton acknowledged that being a female politician means putting up with increased scrutiny to her looks, adding, “I don’t know a woman who has not had a bad hair day. … I look at it as a bonding experience.”

Monday in Washington, Indiana Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh officially endorsed Clinton for president. The Politico’s Mike Allen and Avi Zenilman describe Bayh as “a moderate Democrat whose blessing could help Clinton pick up votes in Republican states.” Bayh decided against his own presidential run in December. The two senators share seats on the Senate Armed Services Committee and have traveled together to Iraq and Afghanistan. Washingtonpost.com’s Chris Cillizza mused that, “Bayh’s endorsement could help him earn a spot in the vice presidential pool if Clinton becomes the party’s nominee.”

A recent poll found that in the 31 Democratic-held House districts in danger of turning from blue to red in 2008, voters would choose former New York GOP Mayor Rudy Giuliani over Hillary Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. The Washington Post broke down the numbers, which first came out in August: “Giuliani takes 49 percent to Clinton’s 39 percent, while the former mayor’s lead over Obama is far smaller, 41 percent to 40 percent. … Whether the question named Clinton or Obama, the Democratic incumbent’s lead shrank to an average of six points: 47 percent to 41 percent with Clinton leading the ticket, 44 percent to 38 percent with Obama as the nominee.”

Clinton is scheduled to travel to Chicago Tuesday for a “Change to Win” event. Wednesday, she plans to join her Democratic opponents in the NBC/DNC debate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. Thursday it’s back to Washington, with no public events scheduled.