THE LIMELIGHTER:

Bill: Hillary Could Break 2004 Promise (Carl Limbacher, 09/17/2003, NewsMax.com)

Ex-President Bill Clinton said Tuesday that New Yorkers would forgive his wife if she broke her promise to serve out a full six year term in the U.S. Senate and instead decided to run for president next year.

"I was impressed at the state fair in New York, which is in Republican country in upstate New York, at how many New Yorkers came up and said they would release her from her commitment if she wanted to do it," Mr. Clinton told an audience in Monterey California.

He added, however, that Hillary "just doesn't understand how to walk away from that [promise]. So I just have to take her for where she is right now." Clinton's comments were reported by the New York Sun on Wednesday.

In 1990, Mr. Clinton made a similar promise to Arkansans to serve out his full four-year term as governor, which would have prevented him from running for president in 1992.

At the time, he organized a series of town hall meetings where he explained that he should be released from his pledge because he could do more for the people of Arkansas as president.

Addressing fundraisers and party strategists gathered in Chappaqua ten days ago, Mr. Clinton called his wife and General Wesley Clark the Democratic Party's two brightest stars, then predicted, "We might have another candidate or two jumping into the race."

Either General Clark or Ms Clinton, whichever is in the running come the primaries, will certainly announce that the ex-President has agreed to serve as their Secretary of State.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 17, 2003 6:55 PM